Sons & Daughters: Prophesy, Dreams, Visions, July 20, 2008
Acts 2:14-18
Illus: “Mendin Fences” Fixing the fence: I should have prayed before I started instead of cutting the wood wrong. We need to live prophetically!
We have questions – what is going to happen next? Are we going to make it? Will it get better?
The Power of Prophecy over Problems
The answer is in the power of the Holy Spirit - Living in the fullness of the Holy Spirit enables us to live beyond the questions and struggles of today. When we live prophetically, with vision from God, and dreams for the future, we can live with hope and expectation.
Review
• The Holy Spirit gives us power to live and witness for Jesus
• The Holy Spirit brings glory to God
• But the glory of God does not always bring us up, it might take us down
• Worship means to get down.
“Worship is not just singing.” (OT study of scripture was the highest form of worship) Worship is not just what we do for 20 minutes in church – but how we live our lives in surrender to his lordship and His will. Worship does not end at noon.
How does Peter respond to questions and mocking? He explains…
Peter cared more about their souls than their opinion of him.
We need to care about people- even the ones who mock and disagree with us. This was a hard time for Peter and he could have given up, but the power of Joel’s prophecy got him through it.
All flesh: Everybody – every believer can be filled with the Holy Spirit - No restrictions
A radical concept for the Jews
God designed the church so that everyone participates – there are no spectators.
Never too young, too old, wrong gender…
What does prophecy mean?
Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary “the inspired declaration of divine will and purpose.”
Tyndale Bible Dictionary: “speak forth,” “proclaim,” “announce,” … speaking, proclaiming, or announcing something under the influence of spiritual inspiration.
Going Pentecostal: Living in the Spirit is to live in the will of God.
Where are you going? What is God’s will? Where will you live? Where will you work? Who will you marry? What is your gift and ministry?
Being out of the will of God is frustrating. Have you ever heard someone preach who wasn’t called to preach? It is frustrating for everyone.
Be Careful! Every “word from the Lord isn’t!” All prophecy is subject to the prophets.
Illus: Dr. Phil – A man thinks God told him to quit his job to make spray to block traffic cameras and he can’t pay his bills.
You should not have to pay for a personal prophecy.
But we do not throw the baby out with the bathwater because some people are crazy!
Why did Peter emphasize the three: Prophecy, Visions, Dreams…
These three gifts provide a clear connection to the will and purpose of God for our future.
The Hope of our Children: Change is Not Always Bad
Peter emphasizes sons, daughters, and young men three different times. This is not an accident.
Times are changing: The old look at the young and wonder what happened. The young look at the future and worry. But there is a span over the generation gap that is prophetic.
There is hope for the future when young people begin to prophecy
When you are wondering, struggling, or discouraged, are you willing to have a son or daughter prophecy to you?
Sometimes we get discouraged when we see things change because want to hold on to what made us feel secure.
“There are things that need to change in our lives, even in the good times.” Pastor Alfred Wallis
As we age, our vision decreases…younger people sometimes see things that we do not.
Remember how good things used to be? Remember when…
• A gallon of gas was 55 cents?
• You only could get gas every other day?
• We got under our desks at school preparing for a nuclear attack?
• We sat on hard wood pews with a swamp cooler in the summer?
• We fought a war nobody wanted and 55,000 soldiers died?
It is easy to think that things were always better and wonder….
Did God take a vacation?
1 Sam 3:1 Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the LORD before Eli. And word from the LORD was rare in those days, visions were infrequent.
“Ichabod” – The Ark – God’ s glory - had been stolen.
Sin creates spiritual deafness and muteness, but God uses new ways of speaking…
But the young boy Samuel was hearing from God. The prophecy of a young prophet brought the glory of God back to Israel. Could young prophets bring God’s glory to us?
Who will speak for the Lord? Is there a word from God? The very breath of God!
Isaiah 6:8 (NLT) Then I heard the Lord asking, "Whom should I send as a messenger to my people? Who will go for us?"
Romans 8:19 (NLT) For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are.
Sons & Daughters Freedom! Do you realize who you are? You are God’s messengers!
Prophecy will takes us from Problem to Promise
• Samuel’s prophesy brought Israel back to God.
• Jeremiah’s prophesies took Israel through captivity.
• Who will lead God’s people today through the wilderness to the Promise Land?
Jeremiah 37:17 (KJV) Zedekiah asked Jeremiah: him secretly in his house, and said, Is there any word from the Lord? And Jeremiah said, There is: for, said he, thou shalt be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon.
Israel had an army surrounding them: We need to stop complaining and start praising:
Bayless Connely: "Complaining is the language of the devil."
• When we commit our children to God and teach them to put God first, there is hope for us in our sons and daughters.
• There may be things we do not receive, but that does not mean our children cannot receive them.
• We need to focus on His faithfulness instead of our failures.
• It is easy to give up and run away when things get hard…
Illus: Mammoth’s burned areas bring new life.
We can see God doing something powerful even in the middle of crisis:
Jer 38:20 Obey the Lord now and it will go well with you.
1 Sam 7:3 Direct your heart to the Lord and serve him only and he will deliver you.
There comes a time when the next generation has to speak to the present generation.
Perhaps we have depended so long on our elders to lead us that we are having to catch up.
How can you prophesy?
1. HEAR: FROM GOD! John Hagee: If the only time God hears from you is when you are in trouble, how much trouble do you think you will have?
2. Pray: Pray with other people together. We can pray alone at home…
3. Speak…open your mouth, be bold! Prophecy means to speak!
Josh Hamilton Katy – “Message from God.” Back to baseball – but not about baseball. (www.cbn.com)
You might have heard about the player who hit 29 home runs in one round of the Home Run Derby. Some people say he is the best baseball player they have ever seen. But that didn’t last long when Josh Hamilton fell into drug addiction soon after his career and marriage began. He was out of baseball and had a crumbling marriage. But his wife Katy was desperate for God and praying when God gave her a message. She told Josh he would go back to baseball, but not for baseball, but to show what God had done. Now Josh is one of the best players in the league. But it took God and a prophetic message to get him through that.
Some people say prophecy ended, but don’t tell Josh Hamilton that!
We need prophecy, dreams, and vision to get through this life where we sometimes fail and get to where God wants us to be.
"Worship 20/20: Discovering God’s Vision" July 21-24 - Austin, TX National Worship Leader Conference
Men: Need to be prophetic over wives and families. You are the prophet and priest of your home.
Illus: I make sacrifices for my wife…I went to Jo Ann Fabrics…”The Language of God.” But the best thing I can do for my wife is give her spiritual leadership.
No spiritual life = no spiritual authority = abuse and manipulation
Your spiritual leadership for your family is based on your spiritual life, not abuse, meanness, or manipulation.
Your wife needs to hear from God through you.
Illus: How many children are pushed to do something they are not created for because their parents are not prophetic?
Sometimes prophecy means saying “NO!”
Obedience: If we are not willing to obey, we should not ask.
How many people are not living in God’s will because we are not living prophetically?
Where does God want to take you? Us?
This is Not Stressful! Prophecy, Visions, and Dreams is not about guilt – “You better get in the Holy Spirit or else!” It is about hope!
Sometimes we are so stressed about our own situation that we cannot think straight – we cannot be prophetic. God has not called us to stress!
Getting Paid: Investment: Peter did not run away
You have invested into the kingdom of God, into the church, don’t give up! Get paid.
Some people are ready to throw away their investment for a remote possibility that life is greener on the other side of the hill, whether that is God’s will or not.
Vision: Do you have a vision for your life? Your family? You can?
Old Men’s Dreams: Never too late. What are your dreams? Don’t give up!
Illus: 71 year old pitcher Clay Council pitched at the Home Run Derby for Josh Hamilton
Old men might have less vision, but they can still dream!
We need the young generations, but we need the old and faithful as well.
We need a word from God! We need dreams and visions! We need direction and clarity!
O God, let us hear from you today!
Believe in Jesus – I choose to believe there is no better way. What is the alternative – to hide in caves? To run away?
Jesus: I will be with you until the END!
Psalm 27:5 For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle and set me high upon a rock.
“I’ve read the last page of the Bible. It’s all going to turn out all right.” Billy Graham
Proverbs 23:18 There is surely a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off.
I don’t know about tomorrow…but there is nothing better than this – to be together in God’s presence right now.
Psalm 27:13 I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.
