Join us on Sundays at Acts Church of Maricopa to remember Christ, edify each other, and an upcoming four-part sermon series on the glorious gift of the Holy Spirit called prophecy. Many people think that what the Bible means by prophecy is just the foretelling of future events, however, while it is true that prophecies predicted the future, the gift of prophecy was much more than that supernatural enablement, even in the Old Testament. Today, some people claim to have new revelations from God, and as we will see in Part 1 "When Men Spoke Divine Revelations", this has ceased (and for good biblical reasons) after the apostolic age in the first century.
Nonetheless, the gift of prophecy is still alive and well in our generation and it will remain so until we all see Jesus face to face (1 Corinthians 13:8-13). Then, we will not need spiritual gifts anymore as the greatest gift of love will be given to us in eternity with heavenly bliss in the presence of God our Savior. Until, then the greatest gift of God for the Church of all ages is the gift of prophecy: "Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy" (1 Corinthians 14:1). This how the church is most edified (1 Corinthians 14:4).
The gift of prophecy is still alive and well in our generation and it will remain so until we all see Jesus face to face
Thus, in Part 2: When the Church Speaks the Bible Today, we will see that prophecy for today is public speaking for God since Scripture teaches us that "the one who prophesies speaks to people for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation" (1 Corinthians 14:3). We will see that this certainly includes preaching but also every other form of speaking and singing in the church for the edification of all. Hence, prophesying is the most neglected and misunderstood spiritual gift today and a great need of reformation is needed to equip the saints for the work of the prophesying ministry that God calls them to have for His Church (1 Peter 4:11).
In Part 3, Men and Women Prophesying on Sundays, we will see that in the New Covenant Church, God has gifted both men and women with the gift of prophecy. Acts 2:17 clearly states: "And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy." That being said, several key questions remain: Where can women prophesy? What does that mean? And, how does it harmonize with biblical passages affirming that women must not be preachers and elders in the Church of Christ?
We will see that women cannot preach and teach (1 Timothy 2:11-12), but they can (along with men) have various forms of biblical prophesyings on the Lord's Day. This takes place during the spontaneous participation of church members on Sundays, according to the Lord's commands in 1 Corinthians 14 and many other passages. These prophesyings will consist in bringing an edifying testimony, a song, and a word of encouragement, in addition to the teachings and exhortations and proclamations that men alone can provide.
Finally, in Part 4, Prophesying Commands Applied Today, we will see the New Testament commands regulating the use of prophecy for the church today and endeavor to understand how God expects our lives to be changed to obey His Word. Some of these commands will include "not despising prophesy", "striving for prophecy", "prophesying in turn", "being eager to prophesy", and more.
You are invited to join us every Sunday starting tomorrow,
May God bless you and your family,
In Christ,
Jonas Croissant
Jonas Croissant
Pastor-Elder
Acts Church of Maricopa
Contact & Sunday assembly information: https://www.actschurchmaricopa.com/location
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