0:02 Good morning brothers and sisters. Today um I want to share about something that has uh transformed my Christian journey. Uh that is the gift of 0:20 prophecy. So before uh um we move forward uh please uh let us pray. Heavenly father we thank you so much for the encouragement you have been the 0:37 sharing with us through singing through children memory uh verses and our church memory verse. Father continue with your spirit as we meditate on your word. 0:54 In Jesus precious name we pray. Amen. Uh before I begin uh just want to give a a quick reminder where we have been together in this in my first message 1:11 I shared the unchanging gospel. uh in the New Testament um the same message was spoken by John the Baptist and um our Lord Jesus Christ, 1:28 Steven, Paul, you know the the unchanged message about uh repent repent and receive and be baptized and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 1:45 Every journey with Christ begins here at cross. At cross with repentance and through the new birth in faith. We didn't earn it. It is through our faith. 2:03 So last time we talked about the disciplehip. What it truly means to follow Jesus. not just be the admirers of Jesus but to be followers 2:19 and we looked at the cost loving Jesus more than our own family more than ourselves and the second is about the 2:37 carrying our cross daily and living a a surrendered life. Jesus isn't just our savior. He is our greatest treasure. When we see his worth, 2:56 we gladly give up. We gladly give up everything to follow him. Uh this Friday uh in our Bible study, brother Sun was reminded about a verse 3:12 from Psalms. Psalms chapter 73 verse 25. He said about whom have we in heaven but you? We desire nothing on this earth besides you. 3:31 So that's the uh heart and where our hope and mindset set upon. We want to walk as disciples. So we have seen salvation and we are explored the disciplehip. So today I would like to share about the prophecy 3:49 and how God empowers us through this supreme spiritual gift to build up bu to build up his church which is the body of Christ 4:04 and uh to minister one another in love. So think it in this way that we enter through this narrow gate that's our salvation and we walk the narrow path that's disciplehip 4:23 means following Jesus what he through what he taught and also his life he is our example we walk in his footsteps and as we are journeying in this path. 4:41 We build his body. We build his body daily through prophecy like iron sharpens the iron and u those who water others will be watered. 4:59 And we keep ourself our hearts on this fire by walking alongside with others who are on fire for God. Through God's grace, I came to understand something 5:17 important. The new covenant prophecy is not about uh predicting the future or foretelling the future. or foretelling about what's going to happen. It is about speaking uh 5:34 God's heart to directly to strengthen our brothers and sisters to encourage and to comfort his people building each other up in love. So, a little backstory, in January 2015, 5:52 I joined a new covenant church in California. Every Friday morning at 6:00 a.m. Uh I met with a group of brothers at a coffee shop for fellowship and this experience is like this is not 6:09 like the typical meetings I attended uh before. Here brothers simply shared how God and uh God's word is helping them in their daily lives like in their marriages in their individual 6:29 walk with the Lord in raising the children how to be his followers and disciples at work. God spoke directly to me and challenged me through what they shared. I started attending regularly. Eventually, a 6:49 brother opened his home for our meetings. The Lord blessed me tremendously through their sharing and their genuine walk with him Monday through Saturday. And this is just not a Sunday thing. 7:06 These were the ordinary brothers like me but their serious daily walk with the Lord and their sharings encouraged me deeply. Around that time God brought another family from India who lived in the same apartment complex 7:25 with us. We started hanging out together discussing our challenges and sharing God's encouragements with each other. Our family grew spiritually through this fellowship and through listening to the prophetic words from brothers and 7:43 sisters. Such a rich and life-giving words. The Friday morning brothers meeting eventually grew into a Friday evening Bible study. Now it wasn't just men, families and single brothers and sisters gathering together in a home. 8:02 Later we moved to a different place about an hour's drive away. Remember this was a pre-COVID days. I was already driving to to and fro from for my work at least couple hours in a day daily. Then every Friday evening, my 8:22 family would be waiting for me to come home so we could all jump into the car and drive another hour to attend this Friday Bible study as a family. I can't express the joy we felt. Even though it was uncomfortable at night driving with 8:39 kids, it wasn't just a message we were going to hear. It was a rich and pure fellowship. those nuggets of few minutes of prophecy words brothers and sisters and were sharing and where we could relate to. They faced similar challenges, trials 8:58 and difficulties as us. But there was hope. The Lord helped them. The same God who helped them would help us too. This move also opened us a door for us to open our home for Saturdays and 9:18 invite families over so we could learn from each other. We would take turns sharing what the Lord had been speaking to us personally. We had a burden to practice what is written in 1 Corinthians chapter 14. 9:37 Please turn with me to the book of uh um the letter written by Paul to book of cor in Corinthians chapter 14. Let me read from 9:59 um from the verse one. pursue love. So, we're going to talk about what is prophecy. Prophecy is about um pursue love yet desire earnestly spiritual gifts, 10:18 but especially that you may prophecy. And verse three, it gives us the definition. But one who prophecies speaks to men for edification 10:37 and exhaltation and consolation. That's it. That's what prophecy in the new covenant. Edification is like you know building up building up brothers and sisters. Exhortation is like encouraging and 10:55 challenging in this narrow path. Consolation is like comforting and strengthening them in this new journey. Let me give you a real example from my own life. I remember a difficult season 11:13 at work when I felt like giving up. Then one day a brother in the fellowship who knew nothing about what I was going through shared uh how God had taught him to 11:29 preserve and to p like persevere through this uh impossible circumstances. His words were not just uh sharing an information or something and they were God uh speaking that go word this the 11:49 his words were like from God speaking directly to my heart um at exactly the right moment I needed it. Though he had no idea about my situation, his sharing gave me faith to trust God's timing. 12:07 God used those prophetic words to strengthen my faith so I could also endure without complaining. So that's the power of prophecy. Brothers and sisters, like prophecy is very important in building the church. If you continue 12:26 reading in the same chapter, 1 Corinthians chapter 14 verse 4, one who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but one who prophecies edifies 12:46 the church. You see, prophecy builds up the whole church, not just one person. That's why Paul says in verse 5, I wish I wish that 13:02 you all spoke in tongues, but even more that you would prophecy. And verse tells verse 12 tells us since you are jealous jealous of spiritual gifts 13:20 seek to abound for the edification of the church. Prophecy is such a a vital and important spiritual gifts. one of the spiritual gifts to seek to build the body of 13:38 Christ which is church. Without it, we cannot protect ourselves from the enemy's attacks. Prophecy must be clear and understandable. Verse 19. 13:57 However, in the church, I desire to speak five words with my mind so that I may instruct others also rather than 10,000 words in 14:15 a tongue. What is the outcome? Brothers and sisters, if you speak in a church, just five words, when we assemble, 14:34 we saw we heard a song praisings and we are going through a little bit the word of God. Now before we heard our children sharing all these things for our edification, spiritual edification 14:53 everything we do this when we meet for building up each other we all can prophecy. Verse 31. For you can all prophecy one by one 15:11 so that all may learn and all may be exalted. Continue reading verse 32. And the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets. For God is not a God of confusion but of 15:30 peace. Even sisters verse 34 sisters and also can prophecy. We practice prophecy in a way that honors 15:45 God and builds up the church. So in verse 31 as we read, we all can prophecy one by one. This isn't just for elders. Every person here 16:04 who are committed to walk with God throughout the week are welcome to share when we meet. So every every person can prophecy. 16:20 So by keeping it personal not theoretical we can share from life. You know the authority comes where it is comes from. The authority in our words comes from a life lived in Christ in 16:39 private. Let me share you um a portion scripture portion helped me uh this week from the sharing of our own lord Jesus Christ. John chapter 14. John chapter 16:58 14. Keep your finger here. We'll come back to 1 Corinth 14s again. So please turn your Bible to read um five verses. Five verses before he departure uh before he was going to be crucified on 17:16 the cross he met his disciples and he was strengthening them encouraging them with his words John 14 27 peace I leave with you my peace I give 17:35 it to you not as the world gives Do I give it to you? Do not let your hearts be troubled, nor let it be fearful. You heard that I said it to you. I go away and I will come to you. If you loved me, you would 17:54 have rejoice because I go to the father for the father is greater than I. Verse 29. Now I have told you before it happens so that when it happens you may believe. 18:11 I will not speak much more with you for the ruler of the world is coming and he has nothing in me. Verse 31. But so that the world may know that I love the father. I do exactly as the 18:31 father commanded me. Get up. Let us go from here. Look at what Jesus says in verse 31. Brothers, I do exactly as the father commanded me. Jesus didn't teach his disciples 18:50 beautiful truths about peace and trust. He was about to live it. He was about to go to the cross and demonstrate that peace in the face of the worst suffering 19:07 you can ever imaginable. Separation. Separation from the father whom he loved and obeyed dearly throughout this life. He was with his disciples. what it looks like to trust the father 19:24 completely even unto death. His words had authority because his life backed them up. He practiced what he preached. This is why Acts 1 verse one we see 19:43 Jesus Luke writes here who has seen him very closely. Jesus began to do and teach. Please notice the order here. Do first 20:00 and then we teach. Jesus first did what he commanded, then he taught it. When we prophecy, we share God's word with others. It must come from what we have experienced in 20:18 our lives, in our own lives, not just good ideas, not just a theory. Here is what I meant to practice it. How how we practically do this. When I share about God's faithfulness in trials, it is because I have walked through 20:36 these trials and seen him. He is so faithful. Here I'm going to witness of war. How he faithfully somehow has shown up. When I encourage someone to forgive, it is 20:54 because I did forgive and experience the freedom it brings. When I speak about trusting God in impossibilities, it is because I have faced impossibilities and watched him and his faithfulness. 21:13 The authority doesn't come from how well I speak or how much I know. It comes from having walked with Jesus through the very thing I am sharing about. The Holy Spirit can take those our few 21:35 words and bless people's hearts. What we share is like filling the jars with water. He turns that simple water into wine. People are hearing a witness who has 21:54 lived it, not just a teacher who knows about it, who can teach well. We share what Jesus has shown us. Lifting him up, not ourselves. We seek God for wisdom. 22:12 wonderful letter written um in 1 James 1 verse5 that we all lack in wisdom. So we seek wisdom, God's wisdom 22:30 and asking Holy Spirit to help us, help us and fill us with his spirit. And we pray before we share while we are preparing to share and we'll continue to pray after sharing. 22:50 Prophecy doesn't only mean speaking the whole church to the whole church in Sunday mornings or Friday Bible studies. For most of us, the prophecy will happen in our everyday conversations 23:07 with one or two others, encouraging someone or a phone call, speaking life to our spouse and to our children. uh comforting a brother uh who is going through difficulty. 23:24 We can prophecy every day with humility. I remember once a brother shared with me something very powerful. How can I come to men's fellowship and encourage my brothers if I am not 23:42 encouraging my wife at home? If I can't be an encourager to my wife, I have no business trying to encourage my brothers at church. That struck me deeply. Prophecy starts at home. 24:01 Here is a practical way to grow in prophecy. Pay attention this week in future. When you see God's work when see God work in your life like when he gives you a peace in a stressful situation 24:19 or provided something you needed or teaches you something in your uh Bible study individual Bible study through his word. Please write it down. Then look for an opportunity to share it with someone who might need that the same encouragement. 24:37 We all need encouragement daily. That's putting practice the prophecy in action. So in conclusion, brothers and sisters, pursue, pursue love and eagerly desire prophecy. 24:55 Let me bring back to where we started. 1 Corin 1 Corinthians chapter 14 verse one. Pursue love 25:11 yet desire endlessly spiritual gifts. But I and if you notice that the order love comes first then 25:29 spiritual gifts. Our mo our motive when we share always is one-on-one or in our conversations or when we share in a Bible study or here is to always 25:48 lift others up and lift and God's name high and with love. Jesus said, "First, we should love God and second um his people." 26:07 A desire to build others up and help them walk closer to Jesus. This chapter ends verse 39. 1 Corinthians chapter 14:39. 26:24 Therefore, my brethren, desire earnestly to prophecy and do not forbid to speak in tongues. We don't need to be timid. As we heard 26:41 2 Timothy 1:7, God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power. Be bold. Yeah, we share boldly but gently. Not because 27:00 who we are, but because of who he is and what he has done in our life. Prophecy serves the body of Christ. With a prophetic word, we build each other up. With a prophetic word, we stay 27:19 protected from the enemy's tactics. As the people who forneew the enemy's tactics, we will share and expose his subtleness and craftiness 27:35 and his cunningness. With prophecy, we encourage each other daily. So none of us become hardened by sin. So let's earnestly seek to prophecy. Let's seek God's heart to strengthen, 27:55 encourage, and comfort one another. Let's build each other up in love. When we do this, the church the church body of Christ group of believers 28:13 becomes a radiant testimony a radiant testimony of Christ's presence and people even when unbelievers will say God is really among you. Here is a simple checkpoint 28:32 before every conversation whether with our children or our family our brothers and sisters even in our texts messages in our call we can ask ourself is Christ present in this conversation 28:50 would he be honored by what I am about to say am I building this person up Ephesians chapter 4 29 Let no unh wholesome word proceed from 29:05 your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification that it will give grace to those who hear. What a privilege. Every word can give grace. 29:23 Every conversation can build someone up. Proverbs chapter 16 verse 24 says, "Please words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones." Yes, our words can bring 29:42 healing. And we read it 1 Thessalonians 5:11, "Encourage one another and build up one another." Brothers and sisters, every conversation is an opportunity 30:00 at home with our children, with our spouse, with a struggling brother, in a quick text to a discouraged member. Let our words strengthen, encourage, and point people to Jesus. 30:18 Let us be known as encouraers who build up the body of Christ. Have you noticed how much emphasis Paul gives to this topic? 39 verses. 39 verses in one stretch all about 30:39 prophecy. Paul wrote a chapter before this. It's about love. 1 Corinthians chapter 13. 13 verses. he wrote about love. Whereas in chapter 14, the next chapter, 31:03 he wrote 39 verses. I believe Paul emphasized seeking the spiritual gift prophecy because without prophecy that church cannot be built properly. Think about it. Paul could have written 31:22 one or two verses and move on. But he explained in 39 verses with instructions with correction with exhaltation to the church to prophecy. He starts the chapter commanding with 31:45 and he ends also with the same command. desire earnestly to prophecy. When the Holy Spirit inspired Paul to write this much, this much about this spiritual gift, we need to pay attention. 32:05 This is not an optional thing. And also this is not only for somebody who is spiritually um mature like a cool word. This is not for super spiritual people. 32:23 This is for every believer for the health and building up the church. He will help us. If you see the so many letters, so many letters he has written to the churches 32:41 and then we hear here and uh we hear from our children also even um a kindergarten child can be an encourager to his younger siblings. 32:58 So uh brothers and sisters please seek as we are commanded the supreme gift of prophecy to build the body. I believe the Lord will help us. Amen. Thank you, brother David, for the 33:40 wonderful showing us of the verses regarding prophecy. Um, when I first came to New Covenant Church, it was in California and it's hard to explain why we're 34:00 different. Why are we meeting in a small home or why are we meeting? Well, one of the things I could share that was different at least [snorts] in the way we do things was the prophecy time. And I didn't understand that in 34:17 the beginning, but I realized I was trying to over time in the course of being able to be faithful with this command of to prophesy, to share. Um throughout the 34:34 week, I noticed I became more aware. I became I started asking God, what can I share? Then he started pointing out things in my life that I need to change that I need to repent that I need to set things right. 34:51 So what we see when we see meet on Friday or sat Sunday or even when we um talk to one another that's just a small part of what we happens and I'm so thankful that there was an emphasis and 35:08 from what I know um it's this emp emphasis on prophecy among the believers in the church the members actually started with in our generation not even the early days of CFC it was not practiced as much so it was more recent and I'm so thankful to be a part 35:28 of that um so take it seriously and I love that it's not just a Friday um that we come to share it's not a Bible study prophecy is not a Bible study what I read and what I learned is 35:45 not what I to say but that we have to as brother David mentioned that we have to walk I have to walk what the Lord has been God has been telling me throughout the week and also sharing not what I've learned but not just what I learned but 36:01 what God has done how God has changed my heart um my view on things what I had to do set right that part is more important and then we share a little bit at the end um and I love the quote I like the quote authority comes from Jesus and my 36:20 obedience to him. And I didn't know who which brother said this but whoever said if I cannot encourage my wife daily what business do I have sharing on Friday or Sunday. I 36:35 hope that hits hard to me and to us. And as we also looked at the intent of of the heart of prophecy is not to show how much we Bible we know how much Bible we learn that the golden rule to love God worship 36:54 him and to love others um to for the benefit of others. Uh we have a promise in Acts 2:1 17. It's not only limited to the adults, the prophet time. Um, and it shall be in the last days. These are the last days. God 37:14 says that I will pour out my spirit on all mankind. He's promising to pour out his the Holy Spirit on all of us and your sons and your daughters. children will prophesy and your young men will see visions and 37:33 your old men will have dreams and even on my male and female servants I will pour out my spirit in those days and they'll prophesy meaning not just predict the future but mainly to to show us the visions of where we need to where 37:47 God is wanting me to become more like him in Christ Christlike in my life. Um there is something special about prophesying. When we profess in Romans 10:10 we may with the heart a person believes when we hear messages that's 38:05 where the faith comes from resulting in righteousness but with the mouth and with the mouth he confesses resulting in salvation. So as I profess even though it's not reality yet I will confess that it will with faith that God will do a work in me. Um 38:22 there is something that I with faith when I confess with prophecy. So let's pursue that with all our hearts. I think it's one of the very few things that as we reestablish our identity as Austin CFC that we want to seek this seriously 38:38 of prophecy. It's not just sharing verses. Let's go back um to 1 Corinthians 14 as we all listened today, heard today, and go back and really see what the Lord is saying about prophecy. Thank you um for joining us today. Let's 38:57 close in prayer. Our father in heaven, thank you for allowing us and giving us that promise that all will prophesy. Lord, you have given us that privilege. Lord, guide us that we do not want to miss out on this privilege that you've given us in the 39:15 last days that we were able to encourage one another, console, comfort, exhort one another, Lord, through this uh commandment of yours, Lord. Thank you, Lord. We know that you will help us in this walk with you in Jesus name. Amen. 39:35 Um, thank you for joining us. Uh we'll continue with the fellowship.
