My Friends, This morning I finished reading the book of Acts. As I was praying this morning about what the Lord wanted to speak to us, the Lord brought back to my mind a series of events that took place in the life of Paul just prior to him being arrested in Jerusalem and ultimately going to Rome where he would be martyred for Christ.
The exact details of St. Paul's death are unknown, but tradition holds that he was beheaded in Rome and thus died as a martyr for his faith. His death was perhaps part of the executions of Christians ordered by the Roman emperor Nero following the great fire in the city in 64 CE.
Before we jump into the story of Paul I want to lay some background on Prophets and Prophetic words from the Lord in both the Old Testament and the New Testament.
Let’s begin with a statement of truth revelation given to King Jehoshaphat as recorded in the Book of 2 Chronicles.
2 Chronicles 20:1-4
King James Version
1 It came to pass after this also, that the children of Moab, and the children of Ammon, and with them other beside the Ammonites, came against Jehoshaphat to battle.
2 Then there came some that told Jehoshaphat, saying, There cometh a great multitude against thee from beyond the sea on this side Syria; and, behold, they be in Hazazontamar, which is Engedi.
3 And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.
4 And Judah gathered themselves together, to ask help of the Lord: even out of all the cities of Judah they came to seek the Lord.
***I want you to notice that Jehoshaphat was in trouble and he Set himself to seek the Lord and proclaimed a fast.
***The first point of the Message today: We need to seek the Lord and not the Prophet or Prophecy.
There are a lot of people running around looking for prophets to know what will happen or to get direction in there life. My friends we need to seek the Lord. He will speak to us in the way he chooses to, and it may or may not be through a prophet.
**Skip down a few verses to 13 and let’s see what happens as the King and the People stand before the Lord the Temple and seek God.
2 Chronicles 20:13-22
13 And all Judah stood before the Lord, with their little ones, their wives, and their children.
14 Then upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, came the Spirit of the Lord in the midst of the congregation;
15 And he said, Hearken ye, all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou king Jehoshaphat, Thus saith the Lord unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God's.
16 To morrow go ye down against them: behold, they come up by the cliff of Ziz; and ye shall find them at the end of the brook, before the wilderness of Jeruel.
17 Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the Lord with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; to morrow go out against them: for the Lord will be with you.
** Here in verse 16 and 17 God speaks through his prophet Jahaziel.
Jahaziel (Hebrew: יַחֲזִיאֵל Yaḥăzīʾēl) is the name of five characters mentioned in the Hebrew Bible.[1] Jahaziel means "God sees"[2] or "Yah looks".[3]
***We do not know anything more about Jahaziel but this we know that God spoke through him this day to answer the seeking of the King and People for direction in this attack of the enemy.
18 And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground: and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell before the Lord, worshipping the Lord.
19 And the Levites, of the children of the Kohathites, and of the children of the Korhites, stood up to praise the Lord God of Israel with a loud voice on high.
**The 2nd point of the Message today: Our response to a true prophetic word from the Lord should be one of the fruits of the spirit; worship, praise, thanksgiving, ect.
This is important. Jesus said gave us this direction clearly in Matthew 7.
Matthew 7:15-20
15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
******The first point of the Message today: We need to seek the Lord and not the Prophet or Prophecy.
**The 2nd point of the Message today: Our response to a true prophetic word from the Lord should be one of the fruits of the spirit; worship, praise, thanksgiving, Ect.
I want to make sure you do not miss this. If you hear a prophecy and it puts fear in your heart then it is not a fruit of the Spirit and it is not from God: You may say pastor how can you say that so boldly? Easy, using the measure that Jesus set forth and knowledge of God’s word found is 2 Timothy 1:7
2 Timothy 1:7
7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
Galatians 5:22-23
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
**We are entering a time in this world when too many people are ignorant of God’s word and as a result will fall for every false wind of doctrine that comes along. Paul spoke about this in Ephesians 4.
Ephesians 4:11-16
King James Version
11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
***Point #3 If the ministry is not edifying the body of Christ then it does not matter what the title, it is not of God.
13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:
16 From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.
******The first point of the Message today: We need to seek the Lord and not the Prophet or Prophecy.
**The 2nd point of the Message today: Our response to a true prophetic word from the Lord should be one of the fruits of the spirit; worship, praise, thanksgiving, Ect.
***Point #3 If the ministry is not edifying the body of Christ then it does not matter what the title, it is not of God.
**Lets finish this story in 2 Chronicles 20:20-22
20 And they rose early in the morning, and went forth into the wilderness of Tekoa: and as they went forth, Jehoshaphat stood and said, Hear me, O Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem; Believe in the Lord your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper.
21 And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the Lord, and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the Lord; for his mercy endureth for ever.
22 And when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten.
***We are now going to Pivot the Message and talk about applied application of God’s word spoken by Prophet.
Hebrews 1
1 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,
2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;
3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high:
***You see the focus has to be on Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God.
I want you to see how Paul explained it to the new believers in Christ at Colossi:
Colossians 1:12-20
12 Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:
13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:
14 In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:
15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:
16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:
17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.
18 And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.
19 For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell;
20 And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.
***The 4th point of the Message: Our focus must be on Christ alone, he is the head of the body, the church.
John 6:64-69
64 But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him.
65 And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.
66 From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.
67 Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away?
68 Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.
69 And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.
***so what have we covered so far?
******The first point of the Message today: We need to seek the Lord and not the Prophet or Prophecy.
**The 2nd point of the Message today: Our response to a true prophetic word from the Lord should be one of the fruits of the spirit; worship, praise, thanksgiving, Ect.
***Point #3 If the ministry is not edifying the body of Christ then it does not matter what the title, it is not of God.
***The 4th point of the Message: Our focus must be on Christ alone, he is the head of the body, the church.
***In this next section I want to look at Paul’s life and how he responded to prophetic words spoken over his life.
In Acts 9 we see the story of Paul’s conversion. At this time God sends Ananias to heal him of his blindness and to speak prophetically into his life about his future ministry.
Acts 9:15-18
15 But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel:
16 For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake.
17 And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost.
18 And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized.
***We here in Pauls own words
2 Corinthians 12:6-8
6 For though I would desire to glory, I shall not be a fool; for I will say the truth: but now I forbear, lest any man should think of me above that which he seeth me to be, or that he heareth of me.
7 And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.
8 For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.
9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.
**Also shortly before going to Jerusalem where he will be arrested we read this statement from Paul to the Ephesian Elders.
Acts 20:22-24
22 And now, behold, I go bound in the spirit unto Jerusalem, not knowing the things that shall befall me there:
23 Save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions abide me.
24 But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.
***The 5th and Closing Point of the Message: You are the only one that should determine the application for God’s prophetic word spoken over your life.
John 14:26-27
26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
1 John 2:27
King James Version
27 But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.
*** I want you to see this application in the life of Paul.
Acts 21:8-15
8 And the next day we that were of Paul's company departed, and came unto Caesarea: and we entered into the house of Philip the evangelist, which was one of the seven; and abode with him.
9 And the same man had four daughters, virgins, which did prophesy.
10 And as we tarried there many days, there came down from Judaea a certain prophet, named Agabus.
11 And when he was come unto us, he took Paul's girdle, and bound his own hands and feet, and said, Thus saith the Holy Ghost, So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man that owneth this girdle, and shall deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.
12 And when we heard these things, both we, and they of that place, besought him not to go up to Jerusalem.
13 Then Paul answered, What mean ye to weep and to break mine heart? for I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.
14 And when he would not be persuaded, we ceased, saying, The will of the Lord be done.
15 And after those days we took up our carriages, and went up to Jerusalem.
******The first point of the Message today: We need to seek the Lord and not the Prophet or Prophecy.
**The 2nd point of the Message today: Our response to a true prophetic word from the Lord should be one of the fruits of the spirit; worship, praise, thanksgiving, Ect.
***Point #3 If the ministry is not edifying the body of Christ then it does not matter what the title, it is not of God.
***The 4th point of the Message: Our focus must be on Christ alone, he is the head of the body, the church.
***The 5th and Closing Point of the Message: You are the only one that should determine the application for God’s prophetic word spoken over your life.