The Gift of Prophecy: Hearing and Sharing God's Will

God gives gifts through grace and faith so that his people can carry out the ministry entrusted to them. Stewardship therefore reaches beyond financial giving. The church must also consider its stewardship of words: which words it receives, which words it speaks, and whether those words come from God.

Prophecy means listening for God, hearing what he has said, conveying it, and heeding it. God’s will is not something believers automatically understand. They must ask, learn to listen, and share what they hear so the church can act together. A prophecy may come through a hymn, a word of encouragement, or an understandable word that brings Scripture to bear on a particular need. This is not fortune telling or the creation of new Scripture. It is telling forth what God has already given, bringing the right word to the right people at the right time.

Discernment matters because words come from everywhere: television, the Internet, friends, memories, and private thoughts. Every claim to wisdom must be measured by God’s Word. A church plan that goes against Scripture is the wrong plan, however wise it may appear. The Spirit’s gifts also serve the common good, not merely personal preference or advantage.

Love provides another necessary measure. Spiritual power without love does not serve others, and even remarkable gifts amount to nothing when exercised without it. Paul directs the gifts toward building up the church, meaning the whole body of Christ rather than one congregation’s reputation. Their use must be fitting and orderly, without abusing people or God’s Word. God is not silent. The church is called to draw close, listen carefully, speak faithfully, and heed the will he makes known.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. Prophecy Requires Hearing And Heeding God. Prophecy is not merely having something religious to say. It involves listening for God, sharing what he has said, and responding in obedience. The gift serves its purpose when the church receives the word and acts on it together. [46:15]
• 2. The Right Word Remains Scripture Bound. Prophecy is not fortune telling or permission to create new words alongside the canon. It brings forth what God has already said for a particular time, place, and need. Faithful discernment therefore asks whether a proposed word or plan agrees with Scripture, rather than whether it sounds impressive or useful. [48:41]
• 3. Spiritual Power Must Be Measured By Love. Remarkable gifts do not establish that their use is faithful. Power exercised without love fails to serve the common good, even when the gift itself seems extraordinary. Paul’s warning leaves no room for treating spiritual ability as a substitute for loving conduct. [55:02]
• 4. The Whole Body Must Be Built Up. God gives gifts to strengthen the church, not to make one congregation the biggest or most impressive. The good of the whole body of Christ sets a larger purpose than local recognition. Fitting and orderly use of the gifts protects that purpose from conduct that abuses people or God’s Word. [56:08]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [42:57] - Stewardship, Tithing, And Offering
• [44:48] - The Gift Of Prophecy
• [46:29] - Prophecy, Prophesying, And The Prophet
• [47:43] - The Forms Prophecy Can Take
• [48:41] - Telling Forth, Not Fortune Telling
• [51:21] - Discerning The Source Of Spiritual Gifts
• [52:11] - Stewardship Of Words
• [53:16] - Gifts For The Common Good
• [54:47] - Spiritual Gifts Must Be Exercised In Love
• [55:53] - Building Up The Whole Church
• [57:11] - Prayer For Listening And Obedience

Bible Reading

1 Corinthians 12:4-11
“Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.” [42:05]

1 Corinthians 13:1-3
“If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.” [55:02]

1 Corinthians 14:3
“On the other hand, the one who prophesies speaks to people for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation.” [56:08]

Observation questions

1. In 1 Corinthians 12:4–11, what connects the different gifts, and what purpose is given for their use?
2. What steps are involved in prophecy, from first listening for God to responding together as a church? [46:03]
3. In 1 Corinthians 13:1–3, what kinds of impressive abilities or actions does Paul describe, and what does he say is missing when they are exercised without love? [55:02]
4. What distinction is made between building up one congregation’s reputation and building up the whole body of Christ? How does this connect with the purpose of prophecy in 1 Corinthians 14:3? [56:08]

Interpretation questions

1. If prophecy brings Scripture to bear on a particular need rather than adding new Scripture, how should a church evaluate someone’s claim to have a word from God? [48:41]
2. Why does an impressive spiritual gift not, by itself, show that a person is serving faithfully? What might the absence of love look like when someone offers biblical advice or correction? [55:11]
3. How does the purpose of gifts in 1 Corinthians 12:7 help a church distinguish between serving the common good and simply satisfying its members’ preferences? [53:27]
4. In light of 1 Corinthians 14:3, what makes a word genuinely encouraging or strengthening rather than merely pleasant to hear? How can a difficult word still serve that purpose? [51:02]

Application questions

1. Which voices most shape your thinking during the week—Scripture, news, social media, friends, or your own thoughts? What might help you weigh those voices more carefully against God’s Word? [52:21]
2. When you seek God’s guidance, what tends to be hardest for you: asking, listening, sharing what you understand, or acting on it? What small step could help you grow in that area this week? [46:03]
3. Can you recall a time when a hymn or a Scripture-based word of encouragement met a particular need in your life? Is there someone you could encourage thoughtfully in a similar way? [47:43]
4. Think of a recent conversation in which you offered advice or correction. How did your tone, timing, and willingness to listen show love—or fall short of it? What might you do differently next time? [55:11]
5. When has your preference for how church should work made it harder to consider someone else’s needs? How could you use a gift or ability you have to serve that person or group? [53:27]
6. Building up Christ’s church reaches beyond our own congregation. What is one practical way you or this group could encourage or support believers in another congregation without seeking recognition? [56:21]