1 Corinthians 14 Lesson
Present Day Prophets
DEFINITION OF PROPHECY
Do prophets exist today?
To help answer that question, we must first define what the word "prophecy" means.
According to dictionary.com,the word prophecy means:
- “To foretell or predict,”
- “To indicate beforehand,”
- “To declare or foretell by or if by divine inspiration.”
From this definition, we understand that prophecy involves predictions and declarations about things that are going to occur in the future.
For today’s lesson, we will look at predictions and declarations in greater detail, from a Christian perspective.
PREDICTIONS
People make predictions all the time.
Some come true.
Others do not.
When Jesus, however, makes a prediction, we know that we can count on it.
If Jesus says something is going to happen, we can trust that it will.
This brings us to the greatest prediction of all time,the second coming of Jesus!
The Bible is clear that Jesus is coming back, as evidenced by the following five scriptures:
- “So Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him.” -Hebrews 9:28,
- “Behold, He is coming with the clouds , and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. So it is to be. Amen. ” -Revelation 1:7,
- “For this reason, you also must be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will.” – Mathew 24:44,
- “I go to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.” – John 14:2-3,
- “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of Heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.”- Mathew 24:36,
And while we know that Jesus is going to return, we do not know exactly when that will be.
Both Mathew and Mark wrote about this in their respective Gospels:
- “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.” – Mark 13:32,
- “Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming.” – Mathew 24:42.
One prediction that will be right 100 percent of the time is predicting that Jesus is going to return.
DECLARATIONS
The definition of the word declaration is:
- "To make a formal or explicit statement or announcement." (source: Google Dictionary)
As Christians, we can be confident in the following four declarations supported by scripture:
- Jesus is the Messiah (John 4:25-26),
- He suffered and died for our sins at Calvary (Isaiah 53:5, Mathew 27:29-50),
- He rose again and ascended to heaven (Luke 24:36-40, Mark 16:19),
- He is coming again to save all who follow Him and believe in Him (Hebrews 9:28).
CONCLUSION
Prophets do exist today!
Who are today's prophets?
Today's prophets are followers of Jesus who rightly divide the Word of God (2 Timothy 2:15) and share the good news of Jesus with others.
This includes telling others about:
- His death,
- His burial,
- His resurrection,
- His promise to return.
We will end today's lesson with an excerpt from the Gospel of Mathew that is commonly called “The Great Commission.”
As Christians, it is up to us to share the story of Jesus, and the hope of His return, with others:
- “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” - Mathew 28:19-20.
The thought of when to fish is intriguing. It seems that some times I find myself in the boat and the fish are not hungry. Thank you God for the challenge and the ability to determine the proper bait.
Good comment from Drexel... the fisherman needs to know the fish.
Over the years I’ve learn one of the best ways of sharing the gospel, is to bait the hook to suit the fish. I live in The Bahamas and we are surrounded by deep blue beautiful waters, that is teaming with all kinds of fish. We have visitors coming from all over the world to fish in our crystal clear waters, and I can now better appreciate why fishing is the most well-liked recreation sport in the world. Therefore, it goes without saying; when you give the fish what it wants you will get what you want.
However, fishing is not only about the right bait. It is also about the right time of day/ night, and not to mention the right location. All of the above must be taken into consideration when launching an effective evangelistic campaign. For example, some fish don’t bite during the heat of the day; rather, they only do so during the nights or early mornings. Likewise, it is more effective to do door to door witnessing during the time people are likely to be home.
Next, as they say in business; location, location and location. Just as fishermen knows the fish will not come to them; likewise we must go to the highways and byways to carry the gospel. Some fisherman will tell you that they will often travel three to four hours out to sea, to their favorite fishing spot where the fish is plentiful. One of my favorite fishing grounds to take the gospel are high schools, through a simple email followed up with a phone call I’ve addressed thousands of students during their assembly time.
Lastly, now that you have strategically position yourself in the midst of schools of fish the question is; what bait are you going to use? Some fish like smelly bait, while others like baits that are colorful and eye catching. Then there are those fish that are opportunists in nature, they will snatch the bait thinking it’s an easy meal like a worm dangling from a hook. Then there are those fish that lay dormant during the day, where you must offer them something they really like to get them to bite when they're not actively feeding.
This is why every encounter is different when sharing the gospel. What might work for one person, might not work for another person of the same age, race and similar background. This is why it is important to talk with people and ask questions; base on their answers it will give you the ideal scriptures to use to lure them in to Christ.
When I am addressing a school assembly with hundreds of students, I always have three topics/ angles as my bait to reach as many students as possible. I put myself in their position when I was their age, and I speak to them as if I’m speaking to myself. This simple strategy has resulted in thousands of young people giving their lives to Jesus Christ, because I’m always mindful to bait the hook to suit the fish.
Wow! That is tremendous! Thank you so much for sharing!
That sounds like a great sermon!