Well this is our Spring
Camp Meeting and we're having
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beautiful spring weather here
in West Frankfort, Illinois.
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Showers of blessings today. Yes.
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And we needed it. We
haven't had rain it seems like
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in a couple months.
Right. So we needed that rain.
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But it's beautiful
outside today in the 70's.
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Yes. This evening. Going
to be a beautiful weekend
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and we've put in additional
chairs so we have plenty
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of seats for everybody. Um-hmm.
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If you're planning
on coming this weekend
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we will have a place for you.
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Um-hmm. And you know
what they told me? No.
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They said they fed 150 people
more than they had planned for
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at lunch today.
Isn't that great?
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Wow. But you know we have
to give our staff over there
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a big hand because
they have it all ready.
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There are people who
drive and I know folk who drive
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all the way, for
instance, from south Alabama.
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They come from states all over
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and instead of being in these
services they come all the way
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and they volunteer - that's
right - and they work in the
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kitchen. They do other
work that needs to be done,
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whether it's helping
maintenance... doing whatever.
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And they sacrifice much
of the meetings. They do.
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And even on Sabbath some of
them are over there helping feed
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you all as you come, and
it's an incredible ministry.
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And we give every one
of them a full set of DVDs
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of everything.
So they go back home
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and enjoy watching it. So...
But we appreciate them so much.
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And Mark Anthony and Melody
Prettyman do such a tremendous
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job with those volunteers,
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and we really appreciate them.
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Don't you love Camp Meeting?
Ya'll love Camp Meeting?
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Apparently... you came here.
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I talked to people
from Canada and California
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and Florida. Yes.
From states all in between.
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And we'll find out if there's
other countries represented
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here. And it's going to
get bigger even tomorrow.
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And Sabbath we're expecting
to have some pretty big crowds
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here so we want you all to
come early and get your seats.
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But it's just such a
wonderful atmosphere.
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It reminds you a little bit...
a taste of heaven, what it's
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going to be like, because
people are here together.
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Loving each other -
yeah - and loving Jesus.
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That's right. And then
being fed and spiritually fed.
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And so I know a lot of you
you're being physically fed
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over here by Mark and the others
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but also you're being
spiritually fed, right?
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With all the
speakers and the singers.
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And tonight we have
some singers with us
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that are some of our favorite.
I'm going to say our...
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Yes, both. I know you
and Camille love them too
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and they love you guys. But
Reggie and Ladye Love Smith.
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And many of you have
seen them on the Gaithers.
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They're on the Pillars...
They sang on the Pillars project
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that we had. The Pillars
and also the Pillars Hymns.
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And they're just
incredible people.
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Some of the "funnest"
people in the world - yeah -
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especially to travel.
We've been to many countries...
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several countries with
them including Australia
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and New Zealand and all around.
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And these folk love Jesus
and they're happy - they do.
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Because there's never a
dull minute when they're around.
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No, no. And we love them.
We not only love their music
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we love them personally
because they are just -
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as Danny says - such loving
and kind people. They are.
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A few weeks ago I
was down at Nashville
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and Ladye was singing
on the Grand Ole Opry.
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She was doing back-up singing
so she invited us to go behind
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stage. And that was a
neat experience to go there.
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These folk: they
do the Grand Ole Opry.
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They do all kinds of
singing... not only on their own
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but with the
Gaithers and others.
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So you may turn on the
television and see them
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just about on any channel.
But I'm especially happy
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when we see them on 3ABN. Amen.
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And we'd like them
to come on out tonight.
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Reggie and Ladye Love.
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Glad to have you.
Let's make them welcome.
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All right.
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Hi. The song that ya'll are...
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The song you all are
going to sing tonight
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is... Tell us about it.
Whose favorite song is it?
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Come on over here
Ladye. Come on up front. OK.
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Whose favorite
song is this song?
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This is my
Daddy's favorite song.
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He's 88-1/2 years old.
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And every time we go
somewhere to sing he'll say
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"Program's not finished if
you don't sing this song. "
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But it's his favorite
song, but it's just an amazing
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message of the story...
So Danny, he's very serious
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about it - this song -
truly because he talks about...
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Bill and Gloria Gaither
actually wrote this song.
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And he says "a
program is never done... "
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And we sang a concert
one time almost two hours
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and we finished
singing and it was over
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and we were all
together just hugging and
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carrying on with folk.
And he came up to me and said
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"The program's not finished
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because you
haven't done my song yet. "
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So he's serious about this
song. Eighty-eight years old.
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And after you hear this
song tonight I've got a feeling
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ya'll will be
saying the same thing
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when you hear them sing from
now on: "I've Just Seen Jesus. "
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Amen.
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We just knew He was dead
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"It is finished" He said
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And we watched as His life
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ebbed away
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Then we all stood around
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till the guards took Him down
00:06:04.10\00:06:07.46
Joseph begged
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for His body that day
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It was late afternoon
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when we got to the tomb
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Wrapped His body
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and sealed up the grave
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So I know how you feel
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His death was so real
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But please listen and hear
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what I say:
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I've just seen
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Jesus.
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I tell you
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He's alive!
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I've just seen Jesus,
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our precious Lord,
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alive!
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And I knew - yes I knew -
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He really saw me too.
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As if till now,
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I never
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lived.
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All that I've done before
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won't matter
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anymore.
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I've just seen Jesus
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and I'll never
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be the same
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again.
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It was His voice she first heard
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those kind gentle words
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asking what was her
reason for those tears.
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And I sobbed in despair
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"my Lord is not there. "
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He said: "Child, it is I...
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I am here. "
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I've just seen
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Jesus!
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I tell you He's alive!
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I've just seen Jesus,
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our precious Lord's
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alive!
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And I knew - yes I knew -
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He really saw me too.
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He really saw me too.
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As if till now
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I never lived.
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All that I've done before
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won't matter
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anymore.
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I've just seen
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Jesus!
00:10:03.41\00:10:07.37
Well, I've just seen Jesus,
00:10:07.47\00:10:13.12
I've just seen Jesus,
00:10:13.43\00:10:18.30
And all I've ever
00:10:18.50\00:10:22.26
done before
00:10:22.46\00:10:26.38
won't matter
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anymore.
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I've just seen Jesus
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and I'll never be
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the same
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again.
00:10:44.32\00:10:49.14
I've just seen
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Jesus!
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Praise the Lord! Amen!
00:11:05.26\00:11:06.88
Wow! I can see why her
Daddy wants to hear that song.
00:11:08.28\00:11:11.68
Our speaker tonight
needs no introduction to 3ABN.
00:11:13.18\00:11:19.15
He did an Anchors of
Truth series this past year.
00:11:19.45\00:11:24.04
In addition he was
a main speaker at GYC
00:11:24.34\00:11:29.61
and so you have
already been introduced to him.
00:11:29.81\00:11:33.74
His name is Kameron DeVasher
00:11:33.94\00:11:36.07
and he is a
pastor from Michigan.
00:11:36.27\00:11:38.61
He has the Muskegon/Fremont
district in Michigan.
00:11:38.82\00:11:43.71
He's going to be
speaking to us tonight
00:11:43.95\00:11:47.33
on a very
important subject involving
00:11:47.53\00:11:52.97
prophets as they relate
to the latter day church.
00:11:53.17\00:11:58.65
This church, just
before Jesus comes.
00:11:58.75\00:12:03.25
And we're going
to invite him to come
00:12:03.45\00:12:08.12
and to bring us to
the throne at this time.
00:12:08.32\00:12:12.49
Good evening
everyone. Good evening.
00:12:14.37\00:12:16.57
As Jim said, my name is
Kameron DeVasher and I'm a
00:12:16.77\00:12:18.41
pastor from the Michigan
Conference specifically.
00:12:18.55\00:12:20.81
I bring you greetings from
the believers in Fremont and
00:12:20.91\00:12:24.18
Muskegon, Michigan.
00:12:24.28\00:12:25.61
All is going well in that
part of the world, and I hope
00:12:25.91\00:12:28.29
all is going well in
your part of the world.
00:12:28.39\00:12:29.94
And I know it's going
well in this part of the world
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as already this has
been a blessing, has it not?
00:12:31.96\00:12:33.94
Amen! It's a
wonderful time to be here.
00:12:34.14\00:12:35.99
As you saw in your bulletin
this evening, the assigned topic
00:12:36.19\00:12:40.83
that I've been entrusted
with is The Prophet's Role,
00:12:40.93\00:12:44.37
True Latter-Day Messengers,
00:12:44.57\00:12:46.27
and Judging New Light.
00:12:46.47\00:12:47.81
Judging New Light. There
are at least 3 or 4 good books
00:12:48.01\00:12:51.91
in that title if
not 3 or 4 good sermons.
00:12:52.11\00:12:54.38
And we have under an
hour to work it out tonight
00:12:54.58\00:12:56.88
so we're going to do our
best to have a very concentrated
00:12:56.98\00:13:00.78
yet at the same time a
very clear presentation
00:13:00.88\00:13:03.22
of the important role of
prophecy... especially as
00:13:03.42\00:13:06.67
we get closer and
closer to Jesus' second coming.
00:13:06.77\00:13:08.90
And by the way,
Jesus IS coming again.
00:13:08.93\00:13:10.74
Amen? Amen! Soon and very soon.
00:13:10.77\00:13:12.50
So this is an important topic
and we want to give all of our
00:13:12.71\00:13:14.90
time and attention and energy
00:13:15.00\00:13:16.67
to a Biblical understanding
of the role of prophecy
00:13:16.87\00:13:20.26
so that we can be led
by the Spirit of the Lord
00:13:20.47\00:13:22.84
safely home to the other side.
00:13:23.04\00:13:24.95
But before we do
any study of God's Word
00:13:25.15\00:13:27.32
let's begin with
a word of prayer.
00:13:27.52\00:13:29.10
Dear heavenly Father,
00:13:30.22\00:13:31.91
Lord, I thank you again
for blessing us with such a
00:13:32.12\00:13:35.68
tremendous opportunity
to fellowship together
00:13:35.78\00:13:38.43
here in this room and
throughout the media world.
00:13:38.63\00:13:41.87
And Lord, now as we come
together to study Your Word
00:13:42.17\00:13:44.88
we ask that the same Holy
Spirit who inspired its writing
00:13:45.08\00:13:49.67
will now inspire
our understanding.
00:13:49.87\00:13:53.05
Teach us, we pray.
In Jesus' name, Amen.
00:13:53.35\00:13:57.68
We serve a God who is great
and who does wonderful things.
00:13:59.18\00:14:02.49
But one of the interesting or
unique aspects of His character
00:14:02.69\00:14:05.93
is that God likes to talk.
00:14:06.14\00:14:07.85
The God that we
serve is a talker.
00:14:08.05\00:14:11.20
He doesn't just
communicate and let things go,
00:14:11.40\00:14:13.52
He continues to relate to
them and communicate with them
00:14:13.62\00:14:16.47
and speak to them. God
used His voice and words
00:14:16.68\00:14:20.10
to set creation in motion.
00:14:20.30\00:14:22.52
Throughout the Genesis 1
account you see: "And God said"
00:14:22.72\00:14:26.22
and then something would occur.
00:14:26.52\00:14:28.25
God would speak it. In
Psalm 33 verse 6 we read:
00:14:28.45\00:14:31.29
"By the word of the
Lord the heavens were made
00:14:31.59\00:14:34.57
and all the host of them
by the breath of His mouth. "
00:14:34.77\00:14:37.81
Genesis chapter
2 verses 16 and 17
00:14:38.81\00:14:41.10
records the very
first action that God had -
00:14:41.30\00:14:45.50
first interaction that God
had - with the created Adam
00:14:45.70\00:14:49.82
when He places Him
in the Garden of Eden.
00:14:50.02\00:14:51.78
"And the Lord
commanded the man saying... "
00:14:51.98\00:14:56.38
The very first thing
God does with humanity
00:14:56.58\00:14:58.80
is have a conversation.
00:14:59.00\00:15:00.62
He speaks and
communicates His will.
00:15:00.83\00:15:03.76
And of course the
substance of that command is...
00:15:03.96\00:15:06.44
has incredible significance and
requires a study all of its own.
00:15:06.64\00:15:09.90
But the simple point
that I would like to emphasize
00:15:10.10\00:15:12.82
for our purposes this evening
00:15:13.02\00:15:14.97
is that the very first thing
God wants to do with His human
00:15:15.17\00:15:18.41
creation is to speak to it.
00:15:18.61\00:15:21.23
God likes to
talk... He's a communicator.
00:15:21.33\00:15:23.78
And even after our fall into sin
00:15:24.08\00:15:27.49
which made face-to-face
communication impossible
00:15:27.69\00:15:32.20
God still, out of His love
for us, decided to continue
00:15:32.50\00:15:36.09
speaking to us. To work
with us, to communicate His will
00:15:36.20\00:15:39.14
hopefully to
restore us and to redeem us.
00:15:39.17\00:15:42.38
And so since the face-to-face
walking in the garden
00:15:42.98\00:15:46.49
in the cool of the day
was no longer a possibility
00:15:46.69\00:15:49.70
the Lord had to get creative.
00:15:49.90\00:15:51.19
Sometimes He
would speak audibly.
00:15:51.29\00:15:52.93
Speaking to Moses
from the burning bush
00:15:53.34\00:15:55.62
there in Exodus
chapter 3. Or to the boy Samuel
00:15:55.82\00:15:58.46
in I Samuel chapter
3. Or at Jesus' baptism
00:15:58.66\00:16:02.36
in Matthew chapter 3
you actually have recorded
00:16:02.56\00:16:04.47
in scripture where
the audible voice of God
00:16:04.57\00:16:06.66
just says
something and people hear it.
00:16:06.87\00:16:09.83
He speaks audibly.
00:16:10.03\00:16:11.08
But there were times when
He communicated in other ways.
00:16:11.48\00:16:14.84
He indicated, for instance,
His approval or disapproval
00:16:14.95\00:16:18.58
through the urim
and thummim stones
00:16:18.78\00:16:20.87
in the ephod of the
high priest's breastplate.
00:16:21.07\00:16:23.98
Now this is in
the most holy place
00:16:24.18\00:16:26.20
and its high priestly
role in the Old Testament.
00:16:26.40\00:16:30.09
And the Lord would
reveal whether He approved
00:16:30.29\00:16:32.39
or disapproved of an
idea through these stones.
00:16:32.49\00:16:35.23
Interestingly
enough, He communicates.
00:16:35.33\00:16:37.24
Sometimes He speaks to
people in dreams and visions.
00:16:37.44\00:16:40.47
You think of Nebuchadnezzar
in Daniel chapter 2.
00:16:40.67\00:16:43.37
Not a
particularly religious man.
00:16:43.57\00:16:45.83
Definitely not a
follower of the true God, yet
00:16:46.03\00:16:47.79
the Lord spoke to him, gave
him a dream, revealed His will
00:16:47.89\00:16:51.32
to him and then explained
it through the agency of the
00:16:51.42\00:16:54.77
prophet Daniel. But
He spoke to the king
00:16:54.87\00:16:58.02
and gave him this vision.
00:16:58.22\00:17:00.92
The same thing in
the New Testament.
00:17:01.12\00:17:02.13
You see the example in
Acts chapter 10 where Peter
00:17:02.23\00:17:04.44
was shown a vision from the Lord
00:17:04.64\00:17:06.61
when the Lord wanted to
communicate His will about
00:17:06.81\00:17:08.75
the Jewish leaders
going to the Gentile world.
00:17:08.85\00:17:12.22
The apostles going outside
of their normal Judeo world
00:17:12.42\00:17:16.53
and going out to the Gentile
world. He communicated that
00:17:16.63\00:17:19.18
through a dream.
00:17:19.38\00:17:20.85
And sometimes the Lord literally
would just write things down.
00:17:21.05\00:17:25.19
By the way, I think this
is one of the most beautiful
00:17:25.49\00:17:28.49
wonderful things about God
is that when He wants to get it
00:17:28.59\00:17:30.67
right, when He wants to
make absolutely certain,
00:17:30.77\00:17:33.73
when He wants to add
that very personal touch
00:17:33.83\00:17:35.92
He'll just take His
finger and write something down.
00:17:36.12\00:17:38.81
I think of the Ten Commandments.
00:17:39.02\00:17:40.80
The transcript of His character
He wrote with His own finger
00:17:41.10\00:17:45.75
and delivered it to humanity.
00:17:45.95\00:17:47.51
Sometimes even negative things
like at Belshazzar's feast
00:17:47.81\00:17:51.31
in Daniel
chapter 5 a hand shows up
00:17:51.51\00:17:53.47
and writes out the
message from the Lord in writing
00:17:53.67\00:17:56.81
for all to see. These
instances recorded in the Bible
00:17:57.02\00:18:01.64
of God speaking to
people through an audible voice,
00:18:01.74\00:18:04.81
or direct transcription, or
by the use of the ephod stones
00:18:05.01\00:18:08.64
or such other spectacular
occurrences are relatively rare,
00:18:08.84\00:18:14.17
especially when compared to
the incredible number of times
00:18:14.37\00:18:18.04
the Lord communicated
through His primary agent
00:18:18.24\00:18:22.25
which was His
servant the prophet.
00:18:22.45\00:18:25.54
Without question God's
most consistently utilized
00:18:26.66\00:18:31.63
method of
communication with humanity
00:18:31.83\00:18:33.97
is the ministry of His
messengers the prophets.
00:18:34.18\00:18:37.70
A simple word search
reveals more than 500 instances
00:18:38.10\00:18:42.43
in scripture
where phrases such as
00:18:42.53\00:18:44.99
"The Word of the Lord came
to" and it gives someone's name.
00:18:45.19\00:18:48.27
"The Word of the Lord came
to... " The Word of the Lord
00:18:48.50\00:18:49.88
came to this one... and it will
be Abraham. It will be Moses.
00:18:49.98\00:18:52.10
It will be Elijah. It
will be some messenger
00:18:52.20\00:18:53.84
who then takes that
Word and speaks it to others.
00:18:54.04\00:18:56.05
The Lord doesn't speak
directly to those people
00:18:56.25\00:18:57.96
but uses the
agency of the prophet.
00:18:58.16\00:19:00.13
"And the Word of
the Lord came to... "
00:19:00.33\00:19:02.34
And often times including
that word search you can find
00:19:02.54\00:19:05.15
where it says they were
commanded to give the message
00:19:05.36\00:19:08.20
with the preamble
"Thus saith... " Whom?
00:19:08.23\00:19:11.23
"the Lord. " When
Elijah went before someone,
00:19:11.43\00:19:14.01
when Isaiah, when
Jeremiah, when Abraham...
00:19:14.11\00:19:16.22
When anyone who had a message
from the Lord came to them
00:19:16.42\00:19:18.31
they didn't say: "I am
Isaiah and thus saith me. "
00:19:18.41\00:19:21.44
They said: "No, no, no,
no. I am speaking on behalf of
00:19:21.74\00:19:23.97
the Lord. Thus saith the Lord.
The Word of the Lord came to me;
00:19:24.07\00:19:27.87
thus saith the Lord. "
00:19:27.97\00:19:29.62
It was God Himself,
interestingly enough
00:19:29.92\00:19:32.87
and appropriately
enough, through the prophet Amos
00:19:32.97\00:19:37.12
in Amos chapter 3 and
verse 7 who made the statement
00:19:37.32\00:19:39.90
"Surely the Lord
God does... " How much?
00:19:40.10\00:19:42.90
"Nothing. " I'm glad the
statement doesn't end there.
00:19:43.10\00:19:46.36
Our God does some
things, right? Amen.
00:19:50.20\00:19:53.42
But He does them
within a context:
00:19:53.66\00:19:55.49
"Surely the Lord
God does nothing EXCEPT
00:19:55.69\00:19:58.47
or unless He reveals His secret
to His servants the... " Whom?
00:19:58.67\00:20:03.13
"the prophets. "
00:20:03.33\00:20:04.39
God is all about doing
things. But before He does
00:20:04.59\00:20:08.05
He likes to talk.
00:20:08.25\00:20:09.61
God communicates His will
before He executes His will.
00:20:09.81\00:20:14.17
God is a talker.
00:20:14.48\00:20:16.46
So tonight we're
going to kind of "unpack"
00:20:16.66\00:20:19.79
this gift of prophecy.
What is the role of the prophet?
00:20:19.89\00:20:23.40
What is the
authority of the prophet?
00:20:23.60\00:20:25.77
What places does it have
in our Christian experience
00:20:25.97\00:20:28.21
as we look forward to and
by the grace of God hasten
00:20:28.41\00:20:30.83
the coming of Jesus?
00:20:31.03\00:20:32.47
What's this role
of prophecy all about?
00:20:32.67\00:20:34.33
If God's preferred
method of communication
00:20:35.48\00:20:38.82
is the work of a prophet -
is the agency of that person -
00:20:39.12\00:20:43.86
it would be immensely helpful
for us as Bible-believing
00:20:44.06\00:20:48.37
Christians to have a Biblically
sound definition of exactly
00:20:48.57\00:20:53.10
what a prophet is.
00:20:53.30\00:20:54.69
I would imagine if you were
to take a walk down the street
00:20:55.10\00:20:58.25
in Main Street America
- anywhere in the world
00:20:58.45\00:21:00.37
for that matter - and ask
someone "What is a prophet? "
00:21:00.47\00:21:03.15
I'm guessing you would get
some interesting suggestions,
00:21:03.46\00:21:07.38
opinions, some ideas.
00:21:07.58\00:21:09.21
And most of them... I
would hazard a guess that
00:21:09.41\00:21:11.50
most of them would say that
a prophet tells the... what?
00:21:11.60\00:21:14.33
The future. They probably
conjure images of, you know,
00:21:14.53\00:21:18.45
gazing into a crystal ball
or reading some sort of cards
00:21:18.55\00:21:21.24
or doing some sort of
incantation and sorcery
00:21:21.44\00:21:23.51
kind of thing so that they
can look into the great unknown
00:21:23.61\00:21:26.25
and see the future.
00:21:26.45\00:21:28.30
And sometimes even in the
Christian world we have this
00:21:28.50\00:21:31.23
idea that prophets are simply
God's way of telling the future.
00:21:31.43\00:21:34.64
But I think we're going to see
tonight from a study of God's
00:21:34.95\00:21:37.68
Word that prophecy is primarily
not focused on future telling
00:21:37.78\00:21:41.90
or foretelling but as just
simply a mouthpiece for God
00:21:41.91\00:21:47.01
or "forthtelling"
what He has to say.
00:21:47.21\00:21:49.92
We're going to see that the
prophet is a spokesman for God.
00:21:50.32\00:21:54.63
Basically we can
summarize it this way:
00:21:54.84\00:21:56.99
prophecy is the
voice of God to humanity
00:21:57.19\00:22:01.10
through humanity.
00:22:01.30\00:22:03.53
OK? God speaking to
people through people.
00:22:03.83\00:22:08.85
This is the Biblical definition.
00:22:09.15\00:22:11.31
Let's take a look at it... the
prophet as a spokesman for God.
00:22:11.51\00:22:14.48
Please go in your
Bibles to the book of Exodus.
00:22:14.68\00:22:18.17
Exodus chapter 3. We're
going to study this out.
00:22:18.37\00:22:20.25
I'm sorry... Exodus chapter 4.
00:22:20.45\00:22:21.69
Exodus chapter 4.
00:22:22.19\00:22:24.53
And we see this Biblical
job description of a prophet.
00:22:24.93\00:22:30.03
Exodus chapter 4. We're
going to go to verse 10.
00:22:31.52\00:22:33.71
The Lord has seen the
woe and misery and sorrow
00:22:33.81\00:22:37.26
of His people in
the land of Egypt
00:22:37.36\00:22:39.74
and it's time for then to...
have Pharaoh let His people go.
00:22:39.84\00:22:43.10
But the Lord does not go
directly to Pharaoh with that
00:22:43.30\00:22:45.47
message... He raises up
a prophet... a spokesman.
00:22:45.57\00:22:48.55
Chapter 4 and verse 10:
00:22:48.85\00:22:50.59
"Then Moses... "
00:22:50.79\00:22:52.62
Of course we would imagine
Moses said: "Then Moses said:
00:22:52.72\00:22:55.24
yes Sir! " Much
shorter book we would have.
00:22:55.34\00:22:58.98
But that's not what the
scripture records. Verse 10:
00:22:59.39\00:23:01.62
"Then Moses said to the Lord:
'Oh my Lord, I am not eloquent -
00:23:01.75\00:23:05.25
neither before nor since You
have spoken to Your servant -
00:23:05.45\00:23:08.74
but I am slow of
speech and slow of tongue. ' "
00:23:08.94\00:23:12.29
He said: "Oh, Lord... Nnnn no. "
00:23:12.49\00:23:17.93
"I am slow of
speech... I'm not eloquent. "
00:23:18.24\00:23:21.26
Which from a human
perspective is a legitimate
00:23:21.56\00:23:24.62
excuse for not
being a spokesperson.
00:23:24.82\00:23:27.53
You want someone who's a mouth-
piece who has a decent mouth.
00:23:27.73\00:23:30.37
And Moses said: "I don't
have the equipment; I'm not
00:23:30.67\00:23:32.86
qualified; I can't do
it so I won't do it! "
00:23:32.96\00:23:35.97
And you know I'm so
glad the Lord didn't say
00:23:36.17\00:23:38.02
"Oh, never mind. "
00:23:38.32\00:23:40.66
That's not what He said.
00:23:40.96\00:23:42.81
Watch what the
Lord said... verse 11:
00:23:43.01\00:23:44.46
"So the Lord said to him:
00:23:44.67\00:23:46.00
'Who has made man's mouth? '
00:23:46.20\00:23:48.46
Or who makes the mute, the deaf?
00:23:48.66\00:23:51.10
The seeing or the blind?
00:23:51.13\00:23:52.62
Have not I, the
Lord? Now therefore... '
00:23:52.82\00:23:55.72
So in light of My ability to
make someone be able to speak
00:23:55.92\00:23:58.56
'Now therefore go and
I will be with your mouth
00:23:58.76\00:24:03.02
and teach you
what you shall say. ' "
00:24:03.22\00:24:05.74
And that should be enough.
00:24:06.15\00:24:08.95
But notice that Moses -
this great hero of faith -
00:24:09.15\00:24:11.62
contends with the
Lord even more. Verse 13:
00:24:11.82\00:24:14.18
"But he said:
'Oh my Lord, PLEASE
00:24:14.38\00:24:16.41
send by the hand of
whomever else You may send. ' "
00:24:16.61\00:24:21.77
It's like: "Lord, don't send me.
Send literally anyone else...
00:24:21.97\00:24:27.43
just don't send me. "
00:24:27.63\00:24:29.68
How did the Lord
like this response?
00:24:31.05\00:24:32.75
Look at the very next verse.
00:24:32.95\00:24:33.99
"So the... "
What's the next word?
00:24:34.29\00:24:36.77
"anger of the Lord
was kindled against Moses
00:24:36.97\00:24:40.69
and He says: 'Is not
Aaron the Levite your brother?
00:24:40.89\00:24:44.25
I know that he
can speak well. ' "
00:24:44.45\00:24:47.42
Notice He didn't
have to touch his mouth.
00:24:47.62\00:24:49.39
He already knows the language;
he already has eloquence;
00:24:49.59\00:24:52.12
he's a good speaker.
00:24:52.32\00:24:53.59
But the Lord didn't
want to use a good speaker.
00:24:53.79\00:24:55.90
He wanted a miracle to be
done through a bad speaker.
00:24:56.10\00:24:58.48
"I know that he can speak well
and look, he is also coming out
00:25:00.43\00:25:03.94
to meet you. When he sees you
he will be glad in his heart.
00:25:04.04\00:25:06.69
Now... " And here's our
key understanding of the role
00:25:06.89\00:25:09.41
of prophecy. Look
closely at verse 15 and onward.
00:25:09.51\00:25:11.54
"Now you shall speak to him
00:25:11.74\00:25:15.66
and put the
words in his mouth. "
00:25:15.86\00:25:17.73
Notice the Lord was going to
put His words in Moses' mouth
00:25:18.03\00:25:22.09
but now Moses is supposed to
take those words and put them
00:25:22.39\00:25:25.73
in Aaron's mouth.
00:25:25.93\00:25:27.58
"You speak the words...
speak to him and put the words
00:25:29.00\00:25:31.07
in his mouth. And I will be with
your mouth and with his mouth
00:25:31.17\00:25:33.72
and I will teach
you what you shall say.
00:25:33.92\00:25:35.43
Here's the key... verse
16: "So he shall be your
00:25:35.63\00:25:39.17
spokesman to the people
00:25:39.37\00:25:42.57
and he himself shall
be as a mouth for you.
00:25:42.78\00:25:45.59
And you shall
be to him as God. "
00:25:45.89\00:25:50.05
God said: "The
relationship I wanted to have
00:25:51.41\00:25:53.31
was Me be God;
you be My prophet;
00:25:53.51\00:25:56.26
and Pharaoh
would be the audience.
00:25:56.46\00:25:58.35
But now - because of
your doubt, your disbelief,
00:25:58.85\00:26:02.31
your refusal - we're
going to have to shift that.
00:26:02.41\00:26:05.19
So now you're going to be
God; he'll be your spokesman
00:26:05.49\00:26:09.44
to Pharaoh. "
00:26:09.64\00:26:11.44
But it's interesting. He
said: "He'll be your spokesman
00:26:11.64\00:26:16.93
and you'll be to him as God. "
00:26:16.96\00:26:18.50
Go to Exodus
chapter 7 verses 1 and 2
00:26:18.70\00:26:22.45
and we see an equivalence
developed in the story.
00:26:22.59\00:26:24.54
"So the Lord said to Moses:
'See, I have made you as God
00:26:26.46\00:26:30.35
to Pharaoh and Aaron your
brother shall be your... "
00:26:30.55\00:26:33.77
And instead of the word
spokesman what's included now?
00:26:33.87\00:26:36.05
"prophet. "
00:26:36.25\00:26:37.77
Do you see the
equivalence now between the term
00:26:37.97\00:26:40.40
spokesman and prophet?
00:26:40.60\00:26:42.54
This is the Biblical job
description of these servants
00:26:42.74\00:26:47.13
of the Lord. That a spokesman
for the Lord is His prophet.
00:26:47.23\00:26:50.51
Jeremiah...
let's go there quickly.
00:26:50.71\00:26:52.35
Jeremiah chapter 1.
00:26:52.55\00:26:53.63
We see the Lord
called yet another person
00:26:54.33\00:26:56.78
to be His special spokesman.
00:26:56.98\00:26:59.11
And once again
God's chosen vessel
00:26:59.31\00:27:04.54
is hesitant to the call.
00:27:04.74\00:27:07.88
Jeremiah chapter 1
starting with verse 4.
00:27:08.18\00:27:10.31
And here's one of
those many 500 phrases:
00:27:10.51\00:27:13.14
"Then the Word of
the Lord came to me. "
00:27:13.34\00:27:16.35
Jeremiah is writing
his own memoirs about this.
00:27:16.55\00:27:19.14
"Then the Word of the
Lord came to me saying:
00:27:19.34\00:27:21.01
'Before I formed you
in the womb I knew you.
00:27:21.21\00:27:24.28
Before you were
born I sanctified you.
00:27:24.48\00:27:26.89
I ordained you
a... ' What's the word?
00:27:27.09\00:27:28.76
'a prophet to the nations. '
00:27:28.96\00:27:31.56
Then said I: 'Ah Lord God
behold, I cannot speak! ' "
00:27:32.46\00:27:36.31
Now Moses' excuse was
because he was not eloquent.
00:27:36.51\00:27:40.13
Jeremiah's excuse is what?
00:27:40.43\00:27:43.53
I'm too young!
00:27:43.73\00:27:46.49
"For Lord, I cannot
speak for I am a youth. "
00:27:46.69\00:27:49.57
"But the Lord said to me:
'Do not say I am a youth. ' "
00:27:49.87\00:27:55.42
Let me just
parenthetically pause here.
00:27:55.92\00:27:58.42
We need young people to
preach the message of the Lord.
00:27:58.62\00:28:01.87
Amen!
00:28:02.07\00:28:03.18
And we don't need a generation
who says: "Maybe someday I will
00:28:03.38\00:28:05.77
when I'm older. "
00:28:05.98\00:28:06.99
The Lord doesn't look at
that as a rational excuse.
00:28:07.29\00:28:10.26
He doesn't think
that's reasonable.
00:28:10.36\00:28:11.49
He says: "I want to use
you because you're young
00:28:11.59\00:28:13.40
and do something
mature through you. "
00:28:13.60\00:28:15.71
"I want to be a living
miracle that only you can host;
00:28:15.91\00:28:18.94
that only you can speak to.
00:28:19.14\00:28:20.58
I want to use you as My mouth. "
00:28:20.78\00:28:22.95
But he goes on:
"But the Lord said to me
00:28:23.22\00:28:25.20
'Do not say I am a
youth, for you shall go to all
00:28:25.30\00:28:27.45
to whom I send you
and whatever I command you
00:28:27.55\00:28:29.49
you shall speak. Do not
be afraid of their faces
00:28:29.59\00:28:33.14
for I am with you to
deliver you says the Lord. '
00:28:33.34\00:28:35.02
Then the Lord put forth
His hand and touched my mouth
00:28:35.22\00:28:37.53
and the Lord said to me:
'Behold, I have put My words
00:28:37.73\00:28:40.09
in your mouth. ' " Again,
God's words in a human mouth
00:28:40.29\00:28:44.99
is the definition of a prophet.
00:28:45.20\00:28:47.68
II Peter chapter
1 verses 20 and 21.
00:28:49.43\00:28:53.59
Therefore we can see from
this Biblical job description
00:28:53.79\00:28:57.23
what Peter was
talking about when he wrote
00:28:57.43\00:29:00.42
in II Peter
chapter 1 and verse 20
00:29:00.62\00:29:03.79
where it says:
00:29:03.99\00:29:06.71
"Knowing first that
no prophecy of scripture
00:29:07.11\00:29:09.99
is of any
private interpretation. "
00:29:10.09\00:29:11.77
Here's the reason in verse 21:
00:29:11.97\00:29:13.43
"For prophecy never
came by the will of man
00:29:13.53\00:29:16.82
but holy men of God
spoke as they were moved
00:29:17.03\00:29:20.86
by the Holy Spirit. "
00:29:20.96\00:29:23.29
And again thus in II Timothy
chapter 3 verses 16 and 17
00:29:23.49\00:29:27.36
Paul can unequivocally
state that all scripture is
00:29:27.56\00:29:31.39
"God breathed" or
"inspired of God. "
00:29:31.49\00:29:35.09
It's His Word through a
human's voice or a human's pen.
00:29:36.06\00:29:42.05
They are His spokesmen.
00:29:42.25\00:29:43.98
And by the way, let's
go a little bit deeper now.
00:29:44.19\00:29:46.80
Seen from this
perspective Jesus Himself -
00:29:47.00\00:29:49.46
which was far and away
God's clearest communication
00:29:49.76\00:29:53.28
of His will with humanity...
00:29:53.38\00:29:54.76
The best way, the most explicit
way that God communicated
00:29:54.97\00:29:58.31
His character to humanity
was the person of Jesus Christ.
00:29:58.41\00:30:01.12
Is that clear?
00:30:01.22\00:30:02.62
But Jesus in this sense
was the most fundamental...
00:30:04.13\00:30:07.10
in the most fundamental
sense was a genuine prophet.
00:30:07.30\00:30:10.15
He was literally
called "The Word. "
00:30:11.50\00:30:13.80
John chapter 1 verse 1:
"In the beginning was the Word
00:30:14.10\00:30:17.91
and the Word was with
God and the Word was God. "
00:30:18.11\00:30:20.22
Jesus is the Word of God.
00:30:20.42\00:30:22.86
He didn't just convey
the Word He WAS the Word.
00:30:24.30\00:30:26.44
He didn't just have a
message He WAS the message.
00:30:26.54\00:30:29.31
By the way, don't
get caught up in the trap
00:30:31.09\00:30:33.83
of thinking we
have Jesus on one hand
00:30:34.03\00:30:36.35
and we have
doctrine on the other hand.
00:30:36.55\00:30:38.14
Friends, Jesus is
our doctrine. Amen.
00:30:39.18\00:30:42.30
Anything else that
tries to split those apart
00:30:42.75\00:30:45.16
is a false dichotomy.
00:30:45.36\00:30:47.14
It is not founded on scripture.
00:30:47.34\00:30:49.32
Jesus is not just
a part of our message
00:30:49.52\00:30:51.85
Jesus IS our message. Amen!
00:30:52.05\00:30:54.41
Hebrews chapter 1 and verse
1: "God, who at various times
00:30:54.61\00:30:57.39
and in various
ways spoke in times past
00:30:57.59\00:30:59.63
to the fathers by the prophets
00:30:59.83\00:31:01.83
has now in these
last days spoken to us
00:31:02.03\00:31:05.60
by His Son. "
00:31:05.90\00:31:07.68
In this sense Jesus can
be understood as the apex of
00:31:07.88\00:31:11.26
prophecy, the...
not just the Word of God
00:31:11.46\00:31:14.09
to man but the
Word of God AS MAN.
00:31:14.30\00:31:16.30
He was the embodiment of
God's message to humanity.
00:31:16.60\00:31:20.55
To Moses the Lord had
prophesied this coming prophet.
00:31:21.62\00:31:24.64
In Deuteronomy 18
verses 18 and 19 we read:
00:31:24.84\00:31:27.28
"I will raise up for
them a Prophet" - capital P -
00:31:27.48\00:31:30.14
"like you from among their
brethren. I will put My words
00:31:30.34\00:31:34.08
in His mouth, and
He shall speak to them
00:31:34.28\00:31:37.38
all that I command Him. "
00:31:37.58\00:31:39.05
This was Jesus' job
description when He came.
00:31:39.46\00:31:42.20
He didn't come to
have His own will.
00:31:42.40\00:31:44.13
But not His will but
the Father's will be done.
00:31:44.33\00:31:46.06
Is this true?
00:31:46.16\00:31:48.10
It only stands to reason
then that Jesus would make the
00:31:48.50\00:31:50.68
statements that He did...
John chapter 8 and verse 28
00:31:50.78\00:31:53.11
for example. He says:
"I do nothing of myself.
00:31:53.21\00:31:56.00
But as My Father taught
Me I speak these things. "
00:31:56.20\00:32:00.34
A spokesman for God.
How about John 14 verse 10?
00:32:00.64\00:32:03.70
"Do you not believe that I
am in the Father and that the
00:32:04.00\00:32:06.72
Father is in Me? The
words that I speak to you
00:32:06.82\00:32:09.68
I do not speak
on My own authority,
00:32:09.78\00:32:11.60
but the Father who
dwells in Me does the work. "
00:32:11.90\00:32:15.35
John 14:24...
how about this one?
00:32:15.55\00:32:17.37
"The Word which
you hear is not Mine. "
00:32:17.57\00:32:20.34
So in this same context,
Jesus can say: "I am the Way,
00:32:21.97\00:32:25.24
the Truth, and the Life"
but at the same time "the words
00:32:25.44\00:32:27.12
that I speak aren't My words. "
00:32:27.22\00:32:28.56
"I am the Truth,
but I am sent from God.
00:32:28.86\00:32:31.46
I am the message. "
00:32:31.66\00:32:33.29
"The word which
you hear is not Mine
00:32:33.79\00:32:36.63
but the Father who sent Me. "
00:32:36.66\00:32:38.91
Let's take this a
little bit... step deeper.
00:32:40.70\00:32:42.56
We're developing an idea
here. We're developing a theme.
00:32:42.76\00:32:45.21
In the gift of
prophecy we get a glimpse
00:32:47.59\00:32:49.91
into the working relationship
that God has with Himself.
00:32:50.11\00:32:54.25
Did you know that God
can work with Himself?
00:32:55.46\00:32:58.05
God can talk with Himself.
00:32:58.25\00:33:01.64
He's a totally unique being...
00:33:01.84\00:33:03.41
He can't be totally unique...
you just simply ARE unique.
00:33:03.62\00:33:05.51
He's a solitary, one of a
kind, unique being in all the
00:33:05.71\00:33:09.44
universe: one
God in three persons.
00:33:09.54\00:33:12.27
Thus we see in Genesis 1:26:
"Let us make man in our image. "
00:33:12.47\00:33:17.82
God has a conversation
and then executes His will.
00:33:18.02\00:33:21.22
God works with Himself.
00:33:21.52\00:33:23.61
So thus we can see...
For instance, we saw in
00:33:23.81\00:33:26.11
II Timothy
chapter 3 and verse 16
00:33:26.21\00:33:27.97
"All scripture is given
by inspiration of... " Whom?
00:33:28.07\00:33:31.08
"God. " And we read
that God the Father.
00:33:31.38\00:33:33.96
So that's what Paul says, but
II Peter chapter 1 and verse 20
00:33:35.35\00:33:38.61
which we just read
- verses 20 and 21-
00:33:38.81\00:33:40.91
declares that "holy men of
God spoke as they were moved
00:33:41.11\00:33:44.82
by the Holy Spirit. "
00:33:44.92\00:33:47.04
Apparently every member
of the Godhead has a role
00:33:47.24\00:33:50.75
in this prophetic utterance.
00:33:50.85\00:33:52.97
God the Father;
God the Holy Spirit.
00:33:53.17\00:33:55.27
"But you may say:
"What about Jesus?
00:33:55.38\00:33:56.46
Besides being the
embodiment of the message
00:33:56.56\00:33:58.66
how does He work in it? "
00:33:58.86\00:34:00.03
Go with me to I Peter chapter 1.
00:34:00.23\00:34:03.17
You're already in II
Peter. Just back up to I Peter
00:34:03.37\00:34:05.64
chapter 1 and verses 10 and 11.
00:34:05.74\00:34:08.06
Let me show you
something fascinating.
00:34:08.26\00:34:09.55
We're going to break this down.
00:34:11.37\00:34:13.13
Chapter 1
starting with verse 10.
00:34:13.33\00:34:16.76
Speaking of the
salvation that is ours
00:34:17.96\00:34:20.03
that is extended - offered
to us - through Jesus Christ
00:34:20.23\00:34:22.75
notice what the
apostle says. Verse 10:
00:34:23.05\00:34:25.55
"Of this salvation
the prophets inquired
00:34:25.75\00:34:30.74
and searched carefully. "
00:34:30.94\00:34:32.77
Now pause right here.
The prophets were the ones
00:34:32.97\00:34:35.51
who foretold the coming of Jesus
00:34:35.62\00:34:37.67
yet they still
searched and studied
00:34:37.87\00:34:40.41
to understand it more.
00:34:40.61\00:34:42.13
We see that also
in the book of Daniel.
00:34:42.43\00:34:44.37
He would receive a
message, write it down,
00:34:44.57\00:34:46.50
and still not understand the
full implication. Is this true?
00:34:46.70\00:34:49.03
Same thing about... with Jesus.
00:34:50.11\00:34:51.42
They would
prophesy the coming of Jesus
00:34:51.62\00:34:52.79
but they didn't quite understand
it... so they inquired.
00:34:52.89\00:34:54.86
They searched to
understand it better.
00:34:55.06\00:34:56.98
"They searched
carefully" - verse 10-
00:34:57.28\00:34:59.77
"who prophesied of the
grace that would come to you. "
00:34:59.97\00:35:02.72
Verse 11:
00:35:02.82\00:35:04.51
"Searching what or
what manner of time
00:35:04.71\00:35:07.19
the Spirit of
Christ who was in them
00:35:07.39\00:35:10.91
was indicating when
He testified beforehand
00:35:11.31\00:35:14.87
the sufferings of Christ and
the glories that would follow. "
00:35:15.07\00:35:19.57
Now this is a little bit of a
complicated sentence structure
00:35:20.38\00:35:22.98
but let's break it down
what he's actually saying here.
00:35:23.18\00:35:25.27
The prophets prophesied
by what the text says here
00:35:26.26\00:35:31.59
as the Spirit of
Christ who was in them.
00:35:31.79\00:35:35.10
But I thought it was the Holy
Spirit who moved them to speak?
00:35:36.43\00:35:39.43
But according to this text
it was the Spirit of Christ
00:35:39.64\00:35:42.54
who inspired them
with their messages.
00:35:42.74\00:35:45.83
Note this carefully again.
According to the apostle...
00:35:46.13\00:35:48.68
and by the way, can I
add the prophet Peter...
00:35:48.88\00:35:51.68
it was the Spirit of
Christ in the prophets
00:35:53.03\00:35:56.14
that testified to them of
the things that they wrote.
00:35:56.35\00:36:00.52
The Spirit of
Christ was testifying...
00:36:00.72\00:36:02.66
Which by the way this
is a fascinating parallel.
00:36:02.86\00:36:05.31
Christ testified in the prophets
00:36:05.61\00:36:09.96
about Himself and then showed up
00:36:10.16\00:36:13.27
and fulfilled the words
of the prophets in His life.
00:36:13.47\00:36:17.63
And the apostle Peter said
it was the Spirit of Christ
00:36:18.60\00:36:21.16
who was
testifying in the prophets.
00:36:21.37\00:36:23.62
When someone testified,
by the way, they have shared
00:36:24.99\00:36:27.50
their testimony. Is that true?
00:36:27.61\00:36:29.69
So whose Spirit
was in the prophets?
00:36:30.99\00:36:33.56
According to the
text, the Spirit of Christ,
00:36:33.86\00:36:36.99
the Spirit of Jesus.
Jesus was giving His testimony.
00:36:37.30\00:36:40.88
Would it not be
perfectly reasonable then
00:36:43.00\00:36:45.88
to understand in Peter's
statement a simple equivalence?
00:36:46.08\00:36:49.11
The gift of prophecy
IS the testimony of Jesus.
00:36:49.41\00:36:55.26
So all scripture is
given by inspiration of God,
00:36:55.66\00:36:58.38
holy men were
moved by the Holy Spirit,
00:36:58.58\00:37:01.04
and it was the Spirit of
Christ who testified in them
00:37:01.24\00:37:03.78
of things to come. All
three members of the Godhead
00:37:03.98\00:37:07.11
represented in
this gift of prophecy.
00:37:07.21\00:37:08.91
And it's the testimony of Jesus
is the content of their message.
00:37:09.11\00:37:13.60
The gift of prophecy
IS the testimony of Jesus.
00:37:13.90\00:37:17.27
Go to the book of Revelation.
00:37:18.88\00:37:19.95
Let's flesh it out even more.
00:37:20.06\00:37:21.28
Revelation chapter 1.
00:37:21.48\00:37:22.99
Perhaps the
clearest passage in scripture
00:37:23.39\00:37:26.04
to explain the
mechanics of prophecy...
00:37:26.44\00:37:30.29
how God's message
gets to His people...
00:37:30.49\00:37:32.79
is found here in Revelation
chapter 1 starting with verse 1.
00:37:32.82\00:37:35.78
"The revelation of Jesus Christ
00:37:36.18\00:37:39.41
which God gave Him
to show His servants
00:37:39.71\00:37:44.16
things which must
shortly take place.
00:37:44.36\00:37:46.78
And He sent and
signified it by His angel
00:37:47.09\00:37:50.04
to His servant John
00:37:50.24\00:37:51.84
who bore witness to
the Word of God and to the
00:37:52.04\00:37:54.52
testimony of Jesus. "
00:37:54.62\00:37:56.22
Notice the Word of
God is the scripture
00:37:56.42\00:37:58.38
and the testimony of Jesus
is that message he's received:
00:37:58.58\00:38:01.74
the gift of prophecy.
00:38:02.14\00:38:04.18
"Who bore witness
to the Word of God
00:38:04.38\00:38:05.88
and to the
testimony of Jesus Christ
00:38:06.08\00:38:07.87
to all the things that he saw. "
00:38:08.08\00:38:10.17
Notice that the
testimony of Jesus Christ
00:38:10.37\00:38:11.94
is the testimony of
all the things that he saw.
00:38:12.15\00:38:14.43
It was that
prophetic insight he was given
00:38:14.63\00:38:16.93
by God through
Jesus. Fascinating.
00:38:17.14\00:38:20.75
In fact, let's break
it down a little bit.
00:38:20.95\00:38:22.16
We notice here that God
the Father gives the message
00:38:22.26\00:38:24.36
which He calls the
revelation of Jesus Christ
00:38:24.56\00:38:26.68
to His Son. His Son
gives it to His messenger -
00:38:26.88\00:38:32.64
which in this
case is the angel -
00:38:32.74\00:38:34.29
and the angel gives it to John.
00:38:34.49\00:38:38.44
John writes it down and
gives it to the churches.
00:38:38.64\00:38:40.96
Thus we see exactly
the mechanics of the gift
00:38:41.06\00:38:45.27
of prophecy. From God to Christ,
00:38:45.37\00:38:47.90
and Christ sends it
this time through an angel
00:38:48.10\00:38:50.11
to His messenger John.
00:38:50.41\00:38:52.37
John writes it down,
sends it out to the churches.
00:38:52.57\00:38:54.02
And all of this experience
00:38:54.23\00:38:55.91
in Revelation
chapter 1 and verse 10
00:38:56.11\00:38:58.59
John calls simply
"being in the Spirit. "
00:38:58.79\00:39:02.70
God the Father, God the Son,
00:39:02.94\00:39:05.20
God the Holy Spirit...
all transmitting a message
00:39:05.40\00:39:08.93
from God to His people.
00:39:09.03\00:39:10.28
God likes to talk to His people.
00:39:10.38\00:39:12.75
Notice this also:
00:39:13.15\00:39:14.60
this makes it perfectly
reasonable that as He continues
00:39:14.80\00:39:18.75
unfolding this message to
the churches which is the book
00:39:18.85\00:39:21.44
of Revelation notice what He
says here starting with verse 4:
00:39:21.54\00:39:25.02
"John to the seven
churches which are in Asia" -
00:39:26.53\00:39:29.28
so now the formal
letter has begun -
00:39:29.48\00:39:31.54
"grace to you
and peace from... "
00:39:31.74\00:39:34.61
and he doesn't say "from John. "
00:39:34.81\00:39:36.14
He says "No, this
is not my message. "
00:39:37.64\00:39:39.32
He said I'm giving you
greetings from "Him who was
00:39:39.52\00:39:43.81
and is and is to come" -
00:39:44.01\00:39:45.85
which is God the Father -
00:39:46.05\00:39:47.61
"and from the seven Spirits
which are before His throne" -
00:39:47.81\00:39:50.72
which is the
Holy Spirit. Verse 5:
00:39:50.92\00:39:52.60
"and from Jesus
Christ, the faithful witness. "
00:39:52.80\00:39:56.62
The One who can testify.
00:39:56.75\00:39:58.30
"The faithful witness,
the firstborn from the dead,
00:39:58.50\00:40:00.60
and the ruler over
the kings of the earth. "
00:40:00.80\00:40:02.64
All the members of
the Godhead are at work
00:40:02.84\00:40:06.26
in the gift of prophecy.
00:40:06.46\00:40:08.18
This is how it operates.
00:40:08.38\00:40:09.81
By the way, that same
equivalence - the testimony
00:40:10.90\00:40:13.48
of Jesus IS the
gift of prophecy -
00:40:13.58\00:40:15.46
is the spirit of prophecy -
00:40:15.66\00:40:18.52
that Peter had outlined already
we see again in Revelation.
00:40:18.72\00:40:22.46
This time go to Revelation
chapter 19 and verse 10.
00:40:22.66\00:40:24.72
Revelation 19 verse 10.
00:40:24.92\00:40:27.80
John receiving this
message from his angel messenger
00:40:28.00\00:40:31.49
is so excited, so astounded,
he basically loses his mind.
00:40:31.79\00:40:35.97
He gets so excited. In
verse 10 in chapter 19 he says:
00:40:36.27\00:40:39.43
"And I fell at his feet... "
- speaking of the feet of the
00:40:40.50\00:40:43.72
messenger, the angel messenger -
00:40:43.83\00:40:45.43
"And I feel at his feet to
worship him, but he said to me
00:40:45.63\00:40:48.04
'See that you do not do that!
00:40:48.24\00:40:50.03
I am your fellow servant. ' "
00:40:51.36\00:40:54.72
And you'll notice as you
study the Bible that there's
00:40:55.89\00:40:57.75
an equivalence always
between servant and prophet.
00:40:57.85\00:41:00.52
"Surely the Sovereign Lord
does nothing till He reveals His
00:41:00.72\00:41:03.32
secrets to His
servants the prophets. "
00:41:03.52\00:41:05.85
He calls John His servant.
00:41:06.05\00:41:08.03
And now he says
"I'm a fellow servant. "
00:41:08.33\00:41:11.67
"See to it that you do not
do it. I am a fellow servant
00:41:13.07\00:41:15.21
and of your brethren who
have the testimony of Jesus.
00:41:15.31\00:41:18.50
Worship God for the
testimony of Jesus is... " What?
00:41:18.80\00:41:23.81
"the spirit of prophecy. "
00:41:24.11\00:41:25.47
Now there is an idea floating
around that no, no, no, no, no.
00:41:26.60\00:41:28.58
The spirit of prophecy is
simply - or the testimony of
00:41:28.78\00:41:31.27
Jesus - is simply your
personal testimony about what
00:41:31.37\00:41:35.27
Jesus has done in your life.
00:41:35.38\00:41:36.57
By the way, every
Christian should in that sense
00:41:37.87\00:41:40.83
have a testimony of
Jesus. Is that true?
00:41:41.03\00:41:42.83
We should have something to say.
00:41:43.03\00:41:45.07
Before I was that... I
was lost but now I'm found.
00:41:45.10\00:41:47.68
I was blind but now I
see. Jesus is the change in me.
00:41:47.88\00:41:50.94
However, that's not
what's being discussed here.
00:41:51.24\00:41:53.82
And we can tell that. Let's
say: "Well you can see here
00:41:54.99\00:41:57.45
the spirit of prophecy
can kind of be interpreted...
00:41:57.55\00:42:00.04
doesn't
necessarily mean a prophet. "
00:42:00.14\00:42:02.10
Until you go to
Revelation chapter 22...
00:42:03.35\00:42:05.71
Look at chapter
22 and go to verse 8.
00:42:06.11\00:42:10.85
John once again gets so excited
that he does the same thing.
00:42:11.05\00:42:14.77
22 and verse 8:
00:42:14.97\00:42:16.61
"Now I John saw and heard
these things. And when I heard
00:42:16.81\00:42:20.77
and saw I fell down to worship
before the feet of the angel
00:42:20.88\00:42:23.84
who showed me these things.
00:42:24.04\00:42:25.55
Then he said to me: "See
that you don't do that! ' "
00:42:26.98\00:42:29.89
He must be getting
tired of it at this point.
00:42:30.09\00:42:32.54
Please stop it! "For I
am your fellow servant... "
00:42:32.74\00:42:37.13
Word for word so far, right?
00:42:37.33\00:42:39.03
"and of your brethren... "
But this time he doesn't say
00:42:39.23\00:42:42.24
"who have the spirit
of prophecy. " He says...
00:42:42.44\00:42:45.55
"or have the
testimony of Jesus" he says:
00:42:45.75\00:42:47.85
"Am your fellow servant and
of your brethren the prophets. "
00:42:48.05\00:42:52.51
What we're talking about
here in the testimony of Jesus
00:42:52.71\00:42:56.02
is the gift of prophecy.
The prophetic utterance
00:42:56.22\00:42:59.83
that God gives to an
individual as His mouthpiece:
00:43:00.03\00:43:03.10
His spokesman to His people.
00:43:03.30\00:43:05.28
Now let me pause here.
00:43:06.73\00:43:08.60
Christians vehemently
and I believe correctly so
00:43:08.80\00:43:13.07
war against the idea of deism.
00:43:13.27\00:43:16.12
Deism is the belief
that God started everything
00:43:16.32\00:43:19.95
and then just kind
of flung it out there.
00:43:20.15\00:43:22.17
Good luck. Everything operates
on natural law. There's no...
00:43:22.47\00:43:26.67
there's no personal
God involved in our life.
00:43:26.87\00:43:29.19
That deism basically
there was a God way back here
00:43:29.39\00:43:31.72
and everything
else just kind of goes.
00:43:31.92\00:43:34.17
We... and I believe Bible-
believing Christians should be
00:43:35.30\00:43:37.54
against that idea...
but I believe that the same
00:43:37.64\00:43:39.22
Bible-believing Christians who
war against that, many of them
00:43:39.32\00:43:41.99
have somehow suddenly
or even subconsciously
00:43:43.64\00:43:46.08
accepted a
modified form of deism.
00:43:46.28\00:43:50.29
Basically they look
at the Bible and say
00:43:50.49\00:43:52.67
"Yes, from Genesis to Revelation
God was a personal God.
00:43:52.87\00:43:55.53
God spoke to people;
God spoke to prophets
00:43:55.73\00:43:57.86
hundreds of times in the Bible.
00:43:57.96\00:43:59.34
God spoke to prophets and
He gave a message to His people
00:43:59.54\00:44:02.21
through the gift
of prophecy but NOW
00:44:02.31\00:44:04.38
we're on our own. "
00:44:04.58\00:44:06.85
God spoke but now He is silent.
00:44:07.45\00:44:13.38
My friends, God
still speaks. Amen.
00:44:15.70\00:44:21.70
He has a message for us today
00:44:21.90\00:44:24.64
and He has sent it through
His servants the prophets.
00:44:24.67\00:44:28.74
Have no mistake about this.
00:44:29.04\00:44:30.81
God did not get this whole
thing going for x-many years
00:44:31.01\00:44:33.90
and then just kind of stop
and let it take it momentum.
00:44:34.00\00:44:36.18
No, no, no, no. God has a plan
from the beginning to the end.
00:44:36.38\00:44:39.79
He's the first to
the last and friends
00:44:39.99\00:44:41.15
Jesus is coming soon. Amen!
00:44:41.35\00:44:43.43
And until Jesus comes He will
continue to guide His church
00:44:43.63\00:44:46.98
through the
spirit of prophecy. Amen.
00:44:47.18\00:44:49.73
So let's see if
we can justify this.
00:44:49.93\00:44:51.45
By the way, Hosea
chapter 12 and verse 13
00:44:51.55\00:44:55.10
tells of how God
guided His children of Israel
00:44:55.30\00:44:58.32
in the Old Testament
times by a prophet. It says:
00:44:58.52\00:45:00.68
"By a
prophet... " Hosea 12:13...
00:45:00.88\00:45:03.71
"By a prophet the Lord
brought Israel out of Egypt
00:45:03.91\00:45:05.86
and by a prophet
he was preserved. "
00:45:06.06\00:45:08.57
They were led and preserved
by the gift of prophecy...
00:45:08.77\00:45:12.12
ancient Israel.
00:45:12.23\00:45:13.51
Stephen in Acts chapter 7
explains that the rejection
00:45:13.71\00:45:16.96
of the guidance of
God's prophetic messengers
00:45:17.16\00:45:19.19
culminated in their
rejection of Christ.
00:45:19.39\00:45:21.53
You'll find this in Acts
chapter 7 verse 51 and 52
00:45:21.73\00:45:25.16
where standing before the
Sanhedrin - the Jewish leaders
00:45:26.36\00:45:29.09
of his time - who now after
Jesus' death he makes this bold
00:45:29.19\00:45:32.03
speech saying: "You stiff necked
and uncircumcised in heart
00:45:32.13\00:45:36.96
and ears... " I'm
sorry... "in heart and ears
00:45:37.06\00:45:40.26
You always resist... "
Whom? "the Holy Spirit. "
00:45:40.46\00:45:43.96
And what does he mean by that?
00:45:44.26\00:45:46.08
"You always resist the
Holy Spirit. As your fathers did
00:45:47.27\00:45:50.23
so do you. " Then he
says: "Which of the prophets
00:45:50.43\00:45:53.91
did your
fathers not persecute? "
00:45:54.11\00:45:57.18
He's like: "Open the
scroll. Show me one prophet
00:45:58.11\00:46:01.38
that they were like:
"Oh we love your message.
00:46:01.59\00:46:03.57
We respect you; we
trust your authority.
00:46:03.77\00:46:06.07
Come on in. " No!
00:46:06.18\00:46:07.45
He says: "Looking
back... all the way back...
00:46:07.75\00:46:09.80
God's people don't
like God's messages
00:46:10.00\00:46:13.61
so they take it out
on God's messengers. "
00:46:13.81\00:46:16.59
"Which of the prophets did
your fathers not persecute?
00:46:19.16\00:46:21.08
They killed those who foretold
the coming of the Just One
00:46:21.28\00:46:23.61
of whom you have now become
the betrayers and murderers. "
00:46:23.81\00:46:27.91
By the way, Jesus
said the exact same thing
00:46:29.01\00:46:31.05
in parable. You'll find
it in Matthew chapter 21.
00:46:31.15\00:46:33.31
The vineyard owner
sent servant after servant -
00:46:33.51\00:46:37.59
of course that's
prophet after prophet -
00:46:37.89\00:46:40.13
servant after servant to the
hired laborers, but they killed
00:46:40.33\00:46:43.62
each one. Finally the
owner sent his son saying
00:46:43.72\00:46:47.75
"Surely they will
listen to my own son... "
00:46:47.95\00:46:50.15
but they killed him too.
00:46:50.45\00:46:53.37
Looking at this tragic history
of the children of Israel
00:46:54.86\00:46:58.43
Paul in I Corinthians 10
explains that their history,
00:46:58.53\00:47:02.09
their failure, should be
a lesson, examples for us
00:47:02.29\00:47:05.55
upon whom the ends
of the ages are come.
00:47:05.65\00:47:08.17
The history of Israel and
their rejection of prophecy
00:47:09.52\00:47:13.12
that led to their rejection of
the Messiah at His first coming
00:47:13.22\00:47:16.44
is to be a lesson book for
us in the New Testament time
00:47:16.64\00:47:19.45
as we look forward to
the second coming of Christ
00:47:19.55\00:47:21.46
that we will not
repeat their folly.
00:47:21.66\00:47:23.88
And if God guides
through the gift of prophecy
00:47:24.28\00:47:27.39
we should listen to the
God who speaks to us today.
00:47:27.59\00:47:31.05
Each gift list
in the New Testament
00:47:32.53\00:47:35.55
whether it's in
Romans 12, I Corinthians 12,
00:47:35.75\00:47:38.59
I Corinthians 14,
Ephesians chapter 4...
00:47:38.79\00:47:41.01
the only gift that's mentioned
in each one consistently
00:47:41.11\00:47:44.57
is the gift of prophecy.
00:47:44.78\00:47:46.49
This is the New Testament
church. God didn't stop talking.
00:47:46.69\00:47:48.94
When Jesus showed up He
was done. No, no, this was
00:47:49.24\00:47:51.36
the New Testament church. After
Christ apparently the gift of
00:47:51.46\00:47:53.23
prophecy continues on.
00:47:53.33\00:47:54.81
Revelation chapter 12.
00:47:55.12\00:47:56.47
Maybe you're still
there in your Bibles.
00:47:56.50\00:47:57.93
Go to Revelation 12 verse 17.
00:47:58.03\00:47:59.55
As Seventh-day Adventists we
probably know this text by heart
00:47:59.76\00:48:03.19
but if haven't seen it, it's
right there in your scripture.
00:48:03.30\00:48:05.50
After a description of Satan's
war against the true church
00:48:05.70\00:48:08.55
of God it culminates in verse 17
00:48:08.65\00:48:10.38
where Satan -
00:48:10.98\00:48:13.11
this... here in figure
referred to as the dragon -
00:48:16.55\00:48:19.17
we find in verse 17:
"And the dragon was enraged
00:48:19.37\00:48:21.73
with the woman" -
which represents the church -
00:48:21.83\00:48:23.87
"and he went to make war
with the rest of her offspring
00:48:24.07\00:48:27.93
or the remnant of her seed. "
00:48:28.13\00:48:30.23
And how do you know who's
the rest of the offspring?
00:48:30.43\00:48:32.56
Who's part of that true
church? That final message?
00:48:32.66\00:48:35.07
"Those who keep
the commandments of God
00:48:35.37\00:48:39.22
AND have the
testimony of Jesus. "
00:48:39.42\00:48:42.39
Which the book of Revelation
and the apostle Peter calls
00:48:42.59\00:48:44.98
the gift of prophecy. Amen!
00:48:45.08\00:48:46.87
If you want to know if we
are part of God's last time
00:48:47.17\00:48:49.58
end-time message
just before Jesus comes,
00:48:49.79\00:48:51.68
just look for simple things.
Are they keeping God's law?
00:48:51.88\00:48:55.14
Are they faithful to
the Ten Commandments...
00:48:55.44\00:48:57.78
all of them? AND
within that movement
00:48:57.98\00:49:02.84
is there guidance from
the gift of prophecy? Amen!
00:49:03.04\00:49:06.22
According to scripture,
this is a Biblical definition;
00:49:06.35\00:49:09.67
it's a Biblical expectation.
00:49:09.87\00:49:11.17
Prophecy didn't
end... God still speaks.
00:49:11.37\00:49:13.60
Given the tragic example
of Israel's rejection of the
00:49:15.31\00:49:18.61
prophets and the clear teaching
that the New Testament church
00:49:18.71\00:49:20.73
would have the gift of
prophecy even till Jesus comes -
00:49:20.83\00:49:23.47
that final movement - it's no
wonder that in I Thessalonians 5
00:49:23.67\00:49:27.60
verses 19-21 we
read the words of Paul
00:49:27.74\00:49:31.16
which I imagine he
wrote so emphatically:
00:49:31.36\00:49:33.68
"Do not quench the Spirit. "
00:49:33.88\00:49:37.13
"Do not quench the Spirit.
Do not despise prophecy. "
00:49:37.43\00:49:42.56
Now he doesn't say
"So anything that's called
00:49:44.16\00:49:46.98
a prophet accept it"
00:49:47.08\00:49:49.10
'cause that would be ridiculous.
00:49:50.66\00:49:52.42
Jesus Himself said: "Beware
lest anyone deceives you.
00:49:52.72\00:49:55.89
False prophets will be coming. "
00:49:56.10\00:49:57.95
But does not that imply
that there will be true prophets
00:49:58.15\00:50:00.37
at the same time?
Why counterfeit something
00:50:00.47\00:50:02.72
that doesn't exist?
00:50:02.82\00:50:04.83
Jesus said there's going to
be false and there's going to be
00:50:06.24\00:50:07.61
true. And so Paul says
here "Don't quench the Spirit.
00:50:07.71\00:50:09.71
Don't despise them... "
Don't accept them out of hand
00:50:09.92\00:50:12.01
nor reject them out of hand.
00:50:12.21\00:50:13.58
You should be discerning;
you should be judicious.
00:50:14.84\00:50:17.01
He said: "Test all things
00:50:17.11\00:50:18.76
and hold fast to
that which is good. "
00:50:18.97\00:50:21.38
Test all things.
00:50:21.58\00:50:22.84
Now if we had time we could
go through a long litany of
00:50:22.85\00:50:25.01
the test of the prophets,
but I'll very quickly give this
00:50:25.12\00:50:27.00
to you. If you want to
buy the DVD and slow it down
00:50:27.10\00:50:29.68
you can catch it. Maybe they'll
offer one with subtitles,
00:50:29.88\00:50:32.84
but here we go: what to
look for in a true, latter-day
00:50:33.04\00:50:36.28
messenger/spokesman for God.
00:50:36.38\00:50:37.95
First of all, does it
harmonize with the rest of God's
00:50:38.15\00:50:40.47
inspired Word in
his holy scripture?
00:50:40.57\00:50:42.11
The same Spirit that
inspired the scripture
00:50:42.32\00:50:44.91
will inspire the prophet
to explain the scripture.
00:50:45.01\00:50:47.02
Is that clear? Amen!
00:50:47.12\00:50:48.59
Isaiah 8 verses 20 and 21:
00:50:48.80\00:50:52.12
"To the law and to the
testimony. If they do not
00:50:52.32\00:50:53.88
speak according to this Word
00:50:53.98\00:50:55.12
it is because there is no
light in them. " Very simple.
00:50:55.22\00:50:57.08
God's new light has to
match with the other light.
00:50:57.28\00:51:00.20
Amen. Very simple.
00:51:00.40\00:51:01.70
Acts chapter 17 verse
11 Paul - which by the way
00:51:01.90\00:51:04.52
at this point Paul
was not in the Bible -
00:51:04.72\00:51:06.44
he was a noncanonical prophet
00:51:06.65\00:51:10.14
when he would go
around and speak to people.
00:51:10.44\00:51:12.81
He would show up in
the synagogue: "I have...
00:51:13.01\00:51:14.33
the Word of the Lord
has come to me saying... "
00:51:14.43\00:51:16.38
And when he went
to the town of Berea
00:51:17.78\00:51:19.80
he found that they were
more noble-minded than those
00:51:20.00\00:51:22.04
other towns he had been to.
00:51:22.14\00:51:23.95
For what reason? He says:
00:51:24.15\00:51:26.10
"They received the
Word with all readiness
00:51:26.30\00:51:29.17
AND searched the
scriptures daily to find out
00:51:29.37\00:51:33.06
whether these things were so. "
00:51:33.26\00:51:34.73
Seventh-day
Adventists here at Camp Meeting:
00:51:34.93\00:51:36.88
we have a lot of
wonderful speakers here. Amen?
00:51:36.98\00:51:38.91
Amen. We have a lot of wonderful
speakers out in the world
00:51:39.11\00:51:41.07
presenting fantastic messages.
But never accept a message
00:51:41.17\00:51:43.67
just because of a
personality you like saying it.
00:51:43.87\00:51:46.28
Test all things and hold
fast to that which is good.
00:51:47.63\00:51:50.40
Amen. The history of scripture
is littered with great men
00:51:50.60\00:51:54.00
who fell at important times.
00:51:54.20\00:51:56.06
Your trust is in the Lord.
00:51:57.53\00:52:00.66
Your trust is in His
Word, and if a messenger has
00:52:00.86\00:52:04.44
the message from the
Lord, you put your faith in the
00:52:04.54\00:52:06.56
message but you always test
new light by the Word of God.
00:52:06.67\00:52:10.79
If it declares something
will occur, the event will
00:52:12.14\00:52:13.98
come to pass.
00:52:14.08\00:52:16.32
If they proclaim the truth
about Jesus coming in the flesh,
00:52:16.52\00:52:18.78
that's one of the signs.
00:52:18.98\00:52:20.52
By the way, if it's
the testimony of Jesus
00:52:20.72\00:52:22.89
he'll get the
teaching about Jesus correct.
00:52:23.10\00:52:26.07
Does this make
sense? Yes. Common sense.
00:52:26.27\00:52:28.67
And of course,
Matthew chapter 7 verse 20:
00:52:29.95\00:52:31.89
Christ-like fruits from
their ministry must be evident.
00:52:32.09\00:52:36.50
After they present their
word, when the teaching goes
00:52:36.70\00:52:38.74
in the hearts and the mind and
the practices and the lifestyle
00:52:38.84\00:52:40.62
of those listeners, do
they become more like Jesus?
00:52:40.72\00:52:43.63
But if the message
leads away from Jesus,
00:52:43.93\00:52:46.66
away from a
Christ-like life, watch out now.
00:52:46.86\00:52:50.29
But I tell you: we go
through these tests of a prophet
00:52:50.39\00:52:54.32
which are valid
and which are true
00:52:54.42\00:52:55.81
but you know what you
will never find in scripture
00:52:56.01\00:52:58.82
is a test that says:
"And make sure you like it. "
00:52:59.02\00:53:03.65
If it speaks not
according to your desires
00:53:06.80\00:53:10.15
it is because
there is no light in it.
00:53:10.35\00:53:12.53
That text is
nowhere in scripture.
00:53:12.73\00:53:14.39
How many times did the Word
of God come to His own people
00:53:15.76\00:53:19.36
and His own people said: "No
no no. We don't like this one. "
00:53:19.56\00:53:22.95
That's what Stephen was
saying in Acts chapter 7.
00:53:23.35\00:53:25.63
"The reason you rejected
Christ is because you rejected
00:53:25.83\00:53:27.57
His prophets. " Jesus had to
deal with that in the Pharisees.
00:53:27.67\00:53:30.72
"You search through the scrip-
tures but they testify of Me. "
00:53:30.92\00:53:33.34
Hmmm.
00:53:35.83\00:53:38.10
Your enjoyment of the message
presented is never an argument
00:53:40.53\00:53:43.34
for or against its validity.
00:53:43.44\00:53:45.05
The question is always and only:
00:53:45.25\00:53:47.10
"Is it true
according to God's Word? "
00:53:47.30\00:53:49.79
By the way, there are people
today... and I believe that
00:53:51.38\00:53:53.97
the Lord has spoken in
these last days through the gift
00:53:54.07\00:53:55.92
of prophecy as manifest in
the ministry of Ellen G. White.
00:53:56.02\00:53:58.43
Amen.
00:53:58.63\00:53:59.74
I'm just saying it out loud
because I believe it's true.
00:53:59.94\00:54:02.14
And don't just
take my word for it.
00:54:02.34\00:54:03.90
Read it for
yourself; test it to scripture;
00:54:04.10\00:54:06.85
run it through the wringer.
I promise on the other side
00:54:06.95\00:54:08.84
it will come out
shining clean. Amen.
00:54:08.94\00:54:11.67
But there are people
who will say: "No, no, no.
00:54:12.57\00:54:13.91
The spirit of
prophecy is manifest but
00:54:14.01\00:54:16.44
you've got to understand, um,
00:54:16.64\00:54:18.99
she was human. "
Which, by the way, yeah.
00:54:19.19\00:54:23.83
That's right... OK.
00:54:24.13\00:54:26.26
Not a particularly
profound statement.
00:54:26.67\00:54:28.25
It sounds deep when
you say it all slow...
00:54:28.35\00:54:30.09
but it's just a statement
of fact. So was Isaiah.
00:54:30.29\00:54:33.27
So was Jeremiah. So was Daniel.
00:54:33.47\00:54:34.86
So was Isaiah. We could go
through every list and every one
00:54:35.06\00:54:36.54
of them could have
passed the human test.
00:54:36.64\00:54:38.53
So the question is not humanity
00:54:40.29\00:54:42.09
or gender. Female
prophets in scripture, too.
00:54:42.29\00:54:45.92
But they'll say: "No, no,
no. The spirit of prophecy
00:54:49.19\00:54:51.53
is a wonderful gift;
it's great devotional reading
00:54:51.73\00:54:53.76
but it has no
doctrinal authority. "
00:54:53.86\00:54:55.67
A friend of mine,
Pastor Mark Howard,
00:54:57.39\00:54:59.15
brings out a beautiful question:
00:54:59.45\00:55:01.52
if God sends a prophetic message
00:55:03.35\00:55:06.18
and it doesn't have authority
in matters of doctrine,
00:55:06.58\00:55:10.56
why did God send the prophetic
message if it wasn't to correct?
00:55:10.86\00:55:16.29
You know, what we
don't need is more opinions.
00:55:16.32\00:55:19.29
Right? Right. We
need clarification;
00:55:21.05\00:55:24.47
we need understanding; we
need truth from God's Word.
00:55:24.67\00:55:27.27
Not truth apart from God's
Word but help us to understand
00:55:27.58\00:55:30.90
God's Word better. We
need an authoritative helper.
00:55:31.00\00:55:33.24
We need the clarifying lens.
00:55:33.45\00:55:35.63
Acts chapter
15. Acts chapter 15.
00:55:35.83\00:55:38.58
How does the Word of
God say that this happens?
00:55:38.78\00:55:41.37
I want to show you something
as we come to our conclusion
00:55:41.47\00:55:43.24
very quickly: Acts chapter 15.
00:55:43.34\00:55:44.92
When there was a
question in the early church -
00:55:46.93\00:55:49.13
verse 6 of Acts
chapter 15- over circumcision
00:55:49.33\00:55:52.52
and the reception of
Gentiles into the church
00:55:52.72\00:55:55.10
notice what happened. Verse 6:
00:55:55.30\00:55:56.82
"Now the apostles and
elders came together to consider
00:55:56.92\00:55:58.94
this matter. And when
there had been much dispute
00:55:59.14\00:56:01.26
Peter rose up and said to them:
00:56:01.56\00:56:04.00
'Men and brethren, you
know that a good while ago
00:56:04.10\00:56:07.34
God chose among
us that by my mouth
00:56:07.54\00:56:10.29
the Gentiles should
hear the word of the gospel
00:56:10.50\00:56:12.96
and believe. ' " How did
they know that, by the way?
00:56:13.06\00:56:14.78
If you do the study, you
would go back to Acts chapter 10
00:56:14.98\00:56:18.13
the vision - the
prophetic experience he had -
00:56:18.23\00:56:21.38
where God sent him to the
Cornelius Gentiles, right?
00:56:21.69\00:56:26.23
And he said: "You
know that this occurred. "
00:56:27.01\00:56:28.51
A prophetic experience now
is guiding them in the formation
00:56:28.71\00:56:32.07
of doctrine. And
watch what happens.
00:56:32.17\00:56:34.75
Goes on: "So God who knows
the heart acknowledged them
00:56:37.32\00:56:40.94
by giving them the Holy
Spirit just as He did us
00:56:41.04\00:56:43.17
and made no
distinction between us and them
00:56:43.27\00:56:44.81
purifying their hearts by faith.
00:56:45.02\00:56:46.42
Now therefore... " And he
starts to base his argument
00:56:46.62\00:56:48.85
on that reason. When he was
done you go down to verse 12
00:56:48.96\00:56:51.42
everyone listens to Paul and
Barnabas talk about their work
00:56:51.63\00:56:54.80
among the Gentiles and finally
James comes here in verse 15...
00:56:54.90\00:57:00.46
I'm sorry, verse 13:
"And after they had become
00:57:02.14\00:57:04.08
silent James answered
saying: 'Men and brethren,
00:57:04.28\00:57:05.75
listen to me. Simon has
declared how God at the first
00:57:05.95\00:57:08.64
visited the Gentiles to take
out them a people for His name.
00:57:08.84\00:57:11.18
And with this the words
of the prophets agree. "
00:57:11.38\00:57:15.95
They took the spirit of
prophecy manifest among them,
00:57:16.25\00:57:19.65
compared it with scripture,
00:57:19.78\00:57:20.88
and made a doctrinal decision
because God still speaks.
00:57:21.08\00:57:25.76
Ladies and
gentlemen, God is still speaking
00:57:27.20\00:57:28.65
to His church today.
00:57:28.75\00:57:30.28