The Energy Crisis in the American Church

Chapter Seven – Is There a Prophet in the House?

In the past few Sundays I have spoken to you on the subject of the Energy Crisis in the American Church, and how I feel that we, who make up the Church, are not functioning as effectively as we could or pssibly should. We are not using the energizing force that is available. As the music goes, "we pray that the sweet Child's Spirit would fall upon us even today." We spoke earlier about the Energy Crisis in American, generally, speaking, how we are in a great crisis in the Church. We read, "Danger, High Voltage," and we are afraid of it. Yet with proper caution, if need be caution at all, we can utilize the energizing forces that are available to us today. The American Church is in trouble because we don't have the energizing force that the first Christian Church had.

Earlier we talked about what the Baptism of the Holy Spirit was. I spoke that I felt when you become a Christian, you receive the Spirit of God and that you have the Spirit of God within you. Then there are times when you need to be filled with the Spirit of God. Naturally if you take something out of a container, it leaves room for something else. When you remove the sin what is in our liv3es than God's Spirit comes in and fills us in that area where we will let Him. l There are times when we receive great fillings of God's Spirit, upon great occasions in our lives.

We talk about three special supernatural energizing gifts that are available to a Christian from God. They were, wisdom and knowledge, which are given to people today through various means - the audible voice of God, they are given to you through a dream, a vision or perhaps through that inner voice within yourself that you know to be true,. And the gift of faith that is given to a person in a particular situation when he knows without a shadow of a doubt, that everything is going to be all light and everything will work out correctly. We have spoken about the gift of healing for today just as much as first century Christianity. For the God who healed people in the first century of Christianity days is the same God who can heal today

We read in I James 4, where the people who are sick are supposed to call and say, "Let's have some people pray for us." Take the initiative and then God can bless. I asked that every one of you take upon yourself the obligation to pray for sick people. Then there are special gifts given to people who have the gifts of healing, and it was listed in the plural in God's Word. People who have been supernaturally endowed with this gift of healing which we spoke about at great length. I want to continue the subject of the Energy Crisis by discussing the prophets and the discernment of Spirits.

The word, "charisma", with a single exception, which is in 1 Peter 4:10, occurs only in the New Testament in the Pauline epistles. It is always in the plural sense and is employed in the technical aspect to denote extraordinary gifts of the Spirit. They are gifts bestowed upon Christians. In chapter 12 of 1 Corinthians, which is ohy one of three places where the gifts are listed, the writer says, "I would not want you to be misinformed about the special endowments of supernatural energy." What better time than right now, when the energy crisis is so prevalent in our minds to realize the energy crisis that is in the church. Now I said the gifts are listed three times.

In 1 Corinthians 12 and 14 a list of charismatic gifts are listed, kin the book of Ephesians chapter 4 there is another listing and in Romans chapter 12 there is also. There are more than nine, but in 1 Corinthians we are referring to those list4ed there. Some overlap and it is hard to put them all into special categories but indeed, you could.

Prophecy

We are talking about what was given to people mush like you, in the days of the early church, and we are talking about prophetic utterances. Now I read in chapters 12 of 1 Corinthians verse 10, "To another is given prophetic insight". God's Word also tells us as we turn to Ephesians 4:11, "His gifts were varied, He Himself appointed and gave men to us some to be apostles, messengers, prophets, inspired teachers, expounders, evangelists, preachers of the Gospel, traveling missionaries, some pastors". and again He says, "Some prophets.".

In Romans chapter 12 we read in verse 6, "Having gifts, these are facilities or talents or qualities that may be possessed that differ according to the grace given us. Let us use them, he whose gift it t prophecy let his prophecy according to the portion of his faith,." I want to discuss with you the subject of prophecy. I believe that the prophecy that we read about in the Old Testament that was culminated in the New Testament. I believe the prophecy that we read about in the first century Christian church is not just relegated to that time alone, for again I say God is sill here with His power. He who has not lchang4ed, is the same today as yesterday.

So this gift of prophecy was bestowed upon the people in the Corinthian church and they used it. It was evident that several individuals had the gift. They distinctively became known as prophets in the church. Only a few prophets in the church are listed in the New Testament by name. For example, in Acts 15:32 we read about Judas and Silas, as being prophets. There were prophets at Antioch. Agamus and the prophets from Jerusalem came to Paul, we read about in Acts 11. There were four daughters of Phillip, the evangelist, who had this gift of prophecy.

Probably there were many people in Corinthian Church had it. In the other Christian communities floor example, some even moved from church to church. It is evident further, that perhaps a person who had the gift of prophecy was a person who was altos an apostle and that they crossed. Paul, himself, was describe as a prophet long, long before he was described into the apostleship. Yet there was a fundamental distinction between the two. The apostle was one who was sent forth to the unbelieving world and the prophet was a minister to the believing church. Acts 13:1 says that there were in the church in Antioch, certain prophets and teachers. Now are you thinking, "what he says is about what happened in Corinth in the late 50 and early 60s only. Not so! I am talking about what is available right now in the midst of the energy crisis in our church this year.

If I were to ask the question, "Is there a prophet in the house?" you would say, "Well, you know there is no prophet in the house.: But who is to say, among us, that God cannot give to any one today the prophetic utterances which make one known as a prophet? God has given some this extraordinary, supernatural gift of prophecy. You don't have to put a sign on your back saying, Look here. "I am a prophet." A true prophet doesn't need this because lwhen he or she utters a prophecy a person knows, whether or not that one speaks truth. This is where the discerning spirit comes in. With prophecy, there is closely associated the discernment of a spirit.

In 1 Corinthians we read in chapter 12:10, "There is given the prophetic insight and then the gift of interpreting the divine will and purpose. To another the ability to discern and distinguish between the utterances of true spirits and false ones. When I read about the discernment of spirits, I read to my self two aspects. (1) the discerning of prophetic utterances and, (2) the discerning of demonic spirits that are in the world today. I believe that if God can have His angels go about doing different things, that the Devil, who is just next to Almighty God in power has his devils going around. He is the Devil, he is Satan and his power has his devils going around. He is the devil, he is Satan and he has demonic spirits' that are operating in this world today. I know for a fact have settled the issue with myself, that there are for example in right now, demonic sprits as well as angelic spirits.

The Bible teaches this and so before I conclude I want you too know how to get rid of and discern these spirits. But referring back to, and talking about prophecy, the prophet gains some information that did not necessary come from himself. It came because God, dwelling in his heart, gave him the knowledge. The highest gift that you can receive is the Holy Spirit. This is the greatest gift. The important gift is love. In 1 Corinthian 12 and 14, where some nine are listed, Paul says that he gave some prophets, and also says that this prophecy is very, very important. We are not talking about foretellers, we are talking about a forth-teller.

We are talking not so much at this time about the prophetic things that happed in the Old Testament that came to pass in the New Testament. We are talking about prophetic utterances that up-build the Christian community, exhortings that are given to people that help them, instructions that help and warnings that help. So prophecy is not always merely foretelling the future, although this element can be seen. I don't think it was too much contemplated in 1 Corinthians, but you know, my friend, when I turn to the Old Testament and I read about all of the prophecies regarding "Christi and I recently counted 65 prophecies that came to pass in the New Testament.

There has to be a spirit of God enduing a person with a supernatural ability. Let me just give you two in the Old Testament. (1) Micah chapter 5 verse 2, records that Christ will be born in Bethlehem. This was hundreds of years before it happened. In Matthew 2:1 we have the answer - this is where He was born. (2) In Psalm 72:10 it says that great persons are going to come and worship him. Hundreds of years later in Matthew it says great persons came to worship Him. Sixty five different prophetic utterances regarding Jesus are recorded. Jesus, himself, made prophetic utterances. I counted some 20 and I am sure there are many more, where Jesus ssid something and ig came to pass. For example, Peter's denial was a prophecy, His betrayal, His burial, His resurrection, the baptism of the Spirit, these among the 20 prophecies that were given by Jesus to those listening to Him.

In John 1:47 Jesus walked up to a man and said, "Behold, here is an Israelite in whom there is no guile." In Matthew, chapter 16:15, talking to Peter He said "Whom do you say that I am?" Peter replied, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God," Jesus answered him and said, "Blessed, happy and to be envied are you, Smon Barjonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed it to you, but it has been revealed to you by my Spirit, by the Father in Heaven." He goes on to say, "I tell you, you are Peter and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hell will not have power against it."

He has build His church and He has given the church much power, which today is just sitting on the shelf. Now why is it sitting on the shelf? Simply because, for centuries, we relegated the working of the church to an ;individual - unfortunately, the pastor of the local church. In many cases this work might well be done by the congregation,. I site just the healing, for example. The people who were sick were admonished not to call for the pastor as he may be out of town, but to call upon the church members to come and pray. Our churches are so structured now, that we are structuring out the available power that is in the Holy Spirit. That is my whole thesis on these messages about the energy crisis. When we read in first century Christianity that there were people who had the gift of prophecy, we read about it from reliable historians, who wrwot4e in the second and third century that it was possible, land it indeed occurred. Why isn't lit occurring now? I don't have the answer to that except to say "We are part of the problem of why it is not occurring today."

There are various types of prophecy. In predicting of future events, let me cite Acts 11 verse 28. "One of them named Agamus stood up and prophesized through the Holy Spirit that there would be a great and severe famine come upon the whole world." This did occur, Paul writes later during the reign of Claudius. Here was an lindivid8iual within the church who had the tgift of prophecy. In the same book we turn to Acts 21:10, "Agamus came down from Judea, and coming to see us, he gook Paul's belt and with it bound his own feet and hands,." An illustrated sermon here, if you please. He said, "Thus says the Holy Spirit, not what I say, but thus says the Holy Spirit, 'the Jews of Jerusalem shall bind like this the man who owns this belt and they shall deliver him into the hands of the gentiles.'" The prophecy came to be fulfilled.

In Acts 27 Paul was on a ship being battered by the elements. Paul said, "Don't worry, it's going to be all right. The Spirit of God revealed this to me." You may say "Well, Paul was a special sort of man." Yes, he was. But what about common Joe at the Corinthian Church? The Community Church at Corinth had people like yourself and this prophecy can come to the individual. It can come to you,. Sometimes people get prophecies. they get feeling about what is going to happen to certain people, or they are inspired, possessing this supernatural endowment of supernatural, energizing power to speak a word to someone. I think that we need to listens to God's ;Spirit and see if he does not have for us the gift of prophecy.

The church today, with all its blemishes and defests is lacking spiritual gifts also, which were not lacking in the first church, The gift of prophecy is manifested to an individual who speaks the mind of God, not their own mind, not their own thoughts. Paul, in 1 Corinthians puts prophecy at the very top of his, at that point, list of nine gifts. He says in 1 Corinthians 14, "Wherefore, brethren, covet to prophesy." Now their word is for you, if you believe the Bible. Covet to prophecy. If you do it may be for edification, it may be for exhortation or it may be for comfort. But by and large the contemporary church gives no place for this in the order of service in the bulletin.

It is not what a man says in the natural realm that makes him a prophet, but it is in fact that he is moved by the spirit of God to speak the words that God gives him. The reason we are not moved to speak the words of God as we should is simply because we have removed ourswelves, as it were, from that source of energizing power.

Ephesians 4:;11 "He gave some prophets." John 4:19, "The woman said unto him, 'Sir, I believe you are a prophet.'" If someone has this feeling and they come up to you and give you what they feel God is telling you to know, you should not immediately do what they say unless it is a confirmation within your own heart, that God has already been telling you. Guidance, of course, should be in agreement with the scripture and should be within yourself

Someone has said "If you have the Holy Spirit without the Word, you will blow up. If you have the Word without the spirit you will dry up. But if you have the spirit of God and the Word of God then you will grow up, in God's image,." I think we should expect to prophecy and I think we should ask Jesus to edify our bodies here on earth, that He would come to us. Whether prophecy let us prophesy according to the proportion of our faith.

Discernment Of Spirits

Prophecy comes with the discernment of spirits in 1 Corinthians. This gift is given to an individual so privileged, to be able to discern a false miracle from a true miracle. You know, the devil is very powerful. He can do things that are just fantastic, and we might say, "Lo, this is the work of God." But lo, it is not the work of God. And one who has a discerning spirit is able rightly to distinguish. I think, as it appeared in the case of Peter, in the case of nanias and his wife, who were hiding something from that man and from God, trying to at least, Peter had the discernment of spirits. Discernment is for prophecy and it is for the activity that is seen and felt in this world today. I think we should turn to 1 John 4:1. l "Beloved, do not put faith in every spirit, bur prove or test the spirit to discover whether they processed from God, for many false prophets have gone forth into this world." The one who has the gift of discernment of spirits is able then to discern if the spirit is from God or from Satan. Any Christian can possess this gift.

In Conclusion

I would like to just compare your church to the community church at Ephesus because it was not a Baptist church or a Lutheran or any of the other brand name denominations because those are quite new and man-made. It was the "community of believers," There was enthusiasm in the air. There was as much enthusiasm in the church at Corinth as there was in the local arena. Is there as much enthusiasm in your church as there is in the Astrodome or Candlestick Park or Staple Arena. There should be, we should have enthusiasm within the spirit.

Let me state that God has given ability to His people to prophesy according to His giving the gifts. Paul sys, "Covet to prophesy." He has given to us this idea of discerning the spirits, a kind of a police force, if you like, a police gift, to keep the enemies influence from causing serious problems in the fellowship of believers. When we galk about prophecy, we are saying two things The human mind can know what is to be by our studying, or it may come to us by Divine Guidance.

We learn through the senses of hearing, smelling, tasting and feelings. The other way is to open up our minds to the Spirit but there, again we come into a great problem. When we ask for the Spirit to lead us, the Devil's spirit can come and do many things. The psychic spirits, spiritism, clairvoyance, etc, which are forbidden by God in the Bible, come to our minds. The other is to have information which has been given to us in our mind from a renewed spirit.

When God's Holy Spirit is showered upon us, then we share these things that we know to be needful for us, helpful to us and helpful to other people. We receive this knowledge, not through trying to develop any mysterious ability in occult fashions but by living close to God in Jesus Christ and allowing His spirit to work in our lives.

The evil spirit comes, and may I say that every one of you, if you are a Christian, have the power within your life to cast out the evil sprit that may come into your home or come into your life.

You may say, "Oh, goodness! This speaker has gone off the deep end." No, I haven't, because when things go wrong, it is of the devil, it is not of God. Illness, sickness, the whole list of things going wrong, besetting sins like anger and lust and fear, these are all of Satan. They are not of God. Therefore, when you are angry, if you have a besetting sin of lust or a fear in your heart; then this is of the devil. You can say "By the power of Jesus and His blood, you get out of my body, get out of me." And my friend it will work if you are a born-again believer.

A child hAas this problem. The evil spirits are in him, lthe devil is in him. The father comes and holds his child and says, "In the name of Jesus, the blood of Jesus, you get out." And the spirit of the devil has to leave, because the spirit of the devil is subordinate to the spirit of God. This is why the devil fears the cross. This is why the devil fears the preaching of God's word. The devil fears the cross. But now, it will not always happen this sway, and let me tell you exactly why. Because you have hesitancy. lIf the devil sees or hears any degree of hesitancy on your part, then it has no power. So, if you have a mild problem of lust or fear or whatever it is, it you can't get it under control then you treat it like a spirit, an oppressing spirit. Bind it, cast it out and this will make for real victorious Christian living on your part. We Christians are not as powerful as we could be in the Lord because we don't accept rthe power. We lel Satan come in and fill us instead of God's Spirit.

The energy crisis was not in the first century church, but it is evident indeed, kin the twentieth cent jury church. It need not be. If more would believe, if more would pray for, if more would use the energy we have available we would be able to know in our heart as sometimes we sing, "There is a sweet, sweet spirit in this place, and I know it is the spirit of the Lord." Let's pray:

Our Heavenly Father, There is much that we indeed do not know, but this we do know, that the Word of God is the Word of God. We have been admonished to study it and hide it in our heart that we might not sin against You. We pray, our Father, that this listener would say, "Lord, I am not operating nearly at peak power in my Christians life. I have fears, I have many besetting sins that I need not have. I am not as happy as I want to be. I worry about things at the office, at home, at school and things never seem to go right. Where I work things are not as they should be, and I worry about this. There are so many avenues of my Christian living that could be changed instantly. If we would but let the Spirit of God come into our homes. Lord, let this be our prayer so that we may take advantage of the energy that is available for the Christian life. May Your spirit, in unquestionable fashion, descent upon our hearts. Amen.

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