July 14, 2025 • 39 mins
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Well, we're continuing this series on the
Holy Spirit.
We've been having scripturereaders every week to read the
scripture for the day.
This week, my buddy Ben isreading the scripture for us.
We took this from Acts, chaptertwo, verse one talks about how
a violent wind came over thedisciples were and like tongues
of fire came down and they wereable to speak in different
languages that represented everykingdom under heaven, and they
(00:23):
heard it in their language, andsome of you may not know this.
We have many kingdoms underheaven in this faith community,
people from all differentorigins and spaces and
communities, and so it's beenfun having someone read from
their original language wherethey've come from scripture,
because we all get to hear fromthe word of God in these
(00:44):
different languages.
And so today Ben's going to bereading to us in Romanian, so go
ahead, buddy Morning.
Speaker 2 (00:51):
Northgate.
All right, we're going to bereading from 1 Corinthians.
We're going to be in chapter 14, verses 1 through 5.
I'm going to read it first inEnglish and then we'll read it
in Romanian, and then we'll readit in Romanian, verse 1.
(01:25):
He speaks mysteries, but he whoprophesies speaks edification
and exhortation and comforts tomen.
He who speaks in tongue edifieshimself, but he who prophesies
edifies the church.
I wish you all spoke withtongues, but even more that you
prophesied, for all who prophesyis greater than he who speaks
with tongues, unless indeed heinterprets that the church may
(01:48):
receive edification.
This is the word of the LordUrmați dragostea umblați și după
dărurile duhovnicești, dar maiales să prorăcioriți.
Speaker 3 (02:57):
Let's read it, verse 2.
This is the word of the Lord.
Come on, just a little bit more.
Will you celebrate them for asecond?
Who's excited to be in thehouse of the lord this morning?
Anybody in here?
Let me check this side.
Who's excited to be in thehouse of the lord?
There you go.
Uh, do do me a favor.
Look at the person beside youand say you look good today.
(03:18):
Look at the person on the otherside and say I showered for
this.
I didn't get much interactionin the first service, so that
may be the mustier service.
So if it smells a little bit,worship got a little active in
the first service.
We're in the middle of thissermon series called Holy Spirit
(03:38):
.
Right, come on, who's enjoyedthis series so far?
And this week we're going totalk about prophecy or the
prophetic.
And if you're like me and yougrew up in my generation, you
(03:59):
kind of know the prophetic insome ways from waking up at 1 in
the morning.
Maybe you saw television and ontelevision there's somebody at
1 in the morning trying to sellyou some holy water and they're
like call this number, you'regoing to get this holy water and
I'm going to give you aprophetic word.
And there I was, 13, andnothing good in my heart.
Then I was just like maybe Ishould call and just see what's
happening.
But I knew if I called I'd needthe holy water.
(04:20):
But I would also need itbecause my mom was going to get
the bill for me calling and Iwas going to need that holy
water a little bit later.
But for some you may hear aword like prophetic and it may
throw you off a little bit,because perhaps you've
encountered somebody that saidthey were a Christian but they
were just a little bit on whatyou would call extra side of
being prophetic and they justsaid no, no, if that's what it
(04:42):
is, I don't want any part of it.
Or maybe you've had a healthyencounter with the prophetic and
you've encountered someonewho's giving you a word that
changed your life.
You know the idea of theprophetic for some can be
paralyzing and for some it couldbe a paradise.
It opened you up to theimpossibilities of the world of
what God wanted to do and forothers it put you in a cage of
(05:04):
saying world of what God wantedto do.
For others it put you in a cageof saying no, I'd rather not
get into that.
Just leave me with thecomfortable stuff.
First, corinthians what was justread?
Paul gets into thisconversation where he's writing
this church of Corinth whilehe's totally at another church,
and you got to understand thechurch of Corinth at that time.
These were new believers whowere excited about the idea of I
(05:25):
can hear God and I can share,but there was no standard of how
to really use this gift.
Imagine you getting a brand new2025 car as a gift but trusting
it to your child who's four andsaying have your way, there's a
chance that kid's going to dosomething with that car.
That's unexpected, right, butwe don't swear off cars.
(05:45):
We just raise them up tounderstand the value of what's
in their hand and how to use itproperly.
Is that okay with you?
So, paul, he's reading this andsays follow the way of love.
Everybody say love.
Love is all you need to startthis whole journey.
You got to have a little bit oflove in your.
That's what the song says.
Put a little love in your nevermind.
Okay, follow the way of love andeagerly desire the gifts of the
(06:08):
Spirit, especially prophecy,for anyone who speaks in tongues
does not speak to people, butto God.
Indeed, no one understands them.
They utter mysteries by theSpirit.
But the one who prophesiesspeaks to people for their
strengthening, encouraging andcomfort Anyone.
Okay, let me say it againStrengthening, encouraging and
comfort.
Okay, let me say it againStrengthening, encouraging and
comfort Everybody.
(06:32):
Say strengthening, encouragingand comfort.
Anyone who speaks in tonguesedifies himself, but the one who
prophesies edifies the church.
I would like every one of youto speak in tongues, but I would
rather have you prophesy.
The one who speaks, whoprophesies, is greater than the
one who speaks in tongues,unless someone interprets.
So that way, the church may beedified.
We were in the back and myfriend who read this in Romanian
.
He kept saying it and I saidhow do you say that one word?
(06:52):
He taught me this word it'sproroceste, proroceste, which
means how to prophesy.
Say it with me.
Say it, proroceste, say it.
Oh, no, no, you're going tohave to come on.
Here we go, procheste, say it.
There you go.
Now you got it.
You spit on the person in frontof you a little bit.
They said I didn't come tochurch for all this.
(07:15):
In the beginning, god had thisvision for humanity.
He said I really want topartner with humanity.
So if you begin to read theBible, you see God starting from
partnership.
From the very beginning, theBible opens up and it unfolds
and it says and God looked outinto nothing and he decided I
want to start making some things.
So this incredible God theBible says that God breathes out
(07:37):
stars and the same God whobreathes out stars starts all
this stuff and he looks out intonothing and he speaks and he
says, says let there be, andthere is, god is speaking out
things and it's starting tohappen.
It's getting really, reallycool.
It's almost like Marvel ComicsGod is taking over.
God is speaking some things andthey're coming into fruition,
but at the next point he sayslet us make man in our own image
(08:01):
.
Let us partnership, make man inour partnership own image.
You have been serving a God whobelieves in partnership From the
very beginning and that Godbegins to.
He spoke everything else intoexistence, but you were formed
quite differently.
The person sitting in your seatis so valuable that you weren't
(08:23):
just formed from words.
God took his hands that weredivine, put it in the dirt that
was dirty and started formingman out of nothing.
And you look up and by the endof it, his hands that touched
dirt had formed this thing thathe called man.
And then he gave man something.
He didn't give anything else.
He gave it his breath.
He breathed into man.
(08:44):
He breathed into man.
He breathed into him, and theBible says that when he breathed
into him, he gave him hisspirit.
God is all about partnership.
Partnership is a convergence ofalignment.
That means that I partner withGod, because whatever he pours
into me, it's not just coming tome, but through me it's going
out of me.
So there's partnership.
He says.
(09:05):
Let us make man in our ownimage.
Now, this whole thing about theprophetic is actually tied in
throughout the Gospels.
It's actually tied in fromGenesis to the Garden, from the
Garden to the Gospels, from theGospels to the end.
As a matter of fact, jesus wasa compass.
They would decide when theMessiah was coming by knowing
(09:27):
the prophecies that sat in frontof them.
So they'll be able to tell theMessiah is actually here.
And in the Old Testament,prophecy only fell on the people
that were exclusive.
The good folks got it.
The ones who were chosen got it.
The ones who were called, theones who were separated.
So you have a guy like Moses.
Everybody in here heard ofMoses before.
Yes, moses, moses is chosen.
(09:47):
The Bible says that God camedown to meet with Moses.
There was a cloud of glory.
Moses is there.
He talks to Moses.
Moses is so filled with theSpirit.
Moses goes and talks to thepeople that he's leading.
And the Bible says when Mosesspoke to them on behalf of God,
they too began to prophesy andthey began to share what God was
speaking to them behalf of God.
They too began to prophesy andthey began to share what God was
speaking to them.
That lets me know that the wordprophecy or prophetic simply
(10:11):
means a message from God that Ideliver to others.
So I'm now taking it out of thepie in the sky of what we
probably have heard of it aswhich, for some of us, we
thought this whole thing isweird.
No, it's not weird, it's forthe willing.
So it's not something that'sbeyond you, it's something
that's in you.
So, moses, he prophesied.
But the Bible says somethingunique.
(10:32):
It says that those people thatprophesied, they never
prophesied again.
Now you go over to King Saul.
Everybody remember King Saul.
He became the king.
Then he ended up raising up aguy named David, but then he
tried to kill the guy namedDavid.
It was just all bad.
It was Game of Thrones Godstyle, because King Saul and
David were added all over theplace.
And so King Saul, before he wasactually working and
(10:56):
functioning as a king.
The Bible says that when he gotaround, this group called the
company of Prophets that hestarted prophesying, just like
that, so much that people beginto see oh my God, you mean to
tell me that Saul is a prophet?
No, he wasn't a prophet.
He just hung around people whodid prophesy.
He began to take on the giftthat was with them.
That lets you know that if youcan hang around the right people
(11:17):
and the right thing startsstirring up on the inside of you
, have you ever hung around theright people and the right thing
starts stirring up on theinside of you?
Have you ever hung aroundsomebody at your job that was
better than you at your job?
And because you hung with them,you started seeing the job more
differently than you did before.
It's because something stirs upon the inside of you.
When you hang with people thathave a different vision than you
, you can begin to see what theysee.
(11:38):
So you have God, don't forget.
He put his hands in the dirt andhe began to form man.
That, for me, was the firsttime I ever recognized that God
wasn't afraid to get his handsdirty when it came to my mess.
Is anybody in here ever?
Do you remember God evergetting his hands dirty by
coming into your life andputting his divine hands into
(11:59):
the place that you are?
I don't know about you, but I'mreally excited about that
because that lets me know that,no matter what my resume is, god
still wants relationship withme.
And so when I think about thisidea that now here's Moses.
He's prophesied, saul hasprophesied moving forward to
Jesus.
The Bible says in Revelationsthat Jesus is the spirit of
prophecy that makes me excited.
That means that all propheticwords have to point to Jesus.
(12:20):
It is not just me saying randomthings, it is me giving
somebody or gifting somebody outof this thing that God put on
the inside of me that pointsthem to Jesus.
And so if I'm pointing them toJesus, that lets me know that
I'm operating where Jesus wantsme to be, because Jesus goes, he
dies, he gets out of the grave,he's about to go to heaven, but
right before he goes to heavenhe looks back at the disciples
(12:43):
like one last time.
He turns to them and the Biblesays and he blows the breath of
life, he blows his spirit ontothem and they receive the spirit
of God.
This is what Pastor Larry wastalking about a few weeks ago,
that Jesus had to go to heavenso that way Holy Spirit could
come to us.
And it's not just Jesus in oneplace, it is Jesus every place.
(13:03):
And so Jesus is every place nowand that's because he breathed
his spirit on them.
And the Bible says and theyreceived it.
I love this.
That means that the personsitting in your chair is not
ordinary.
The person sitting in yourchair is extraordinary.
You thought you were justordinary.
(13:24):
No, you're extraordinary.
You just happen to doextraordinary things on an
ordinary day.
So now, this is your norm.
Don't you love when thingsbecome your norm that weren't
your norm before.
As you can tell, there's a fewplaces I love.
Has anybody here ever heard ofa place called Waffle House?
Has anybody here ever eaten ata place called Waffle House?
(13:46):
You didn't go there because itwas clean.
You grew in there because itwas good.
You didn't go in there thinking, oh, I don't want it, no, no,
you go to Waffle House not forthe waffles, but it's the eggs
that are undefeated.
And so one night, you know,I've been trying to ask the
(14:06):
Waffle House cooks how do youget the eggs like this?
And it's like they were signedto a contract.
They would never tell meanything.
Well, one night the Lord spoketo me I'm joking.
One night I was on TikTok.
Oh, he can't speak to methrough TikTok.
What's going on?
No, let me go over here.
One day I was because this isjudgmental over here.
One day I was on Ticket'sTockets.
Is that better that more KingTicket's Tockets?
(14:28):
And there's this one brother upthere who is live at one in the
morning and he happens to be aWaffle House cook.
God, you love me so much.
He's a Waffle House cook andthere he is cooking eggs at one
in the morning, showing us allthe ingredients.
This brother had one viewerwatching your boy, your boy.
(14:54):
And so at one in the morning.
There I am totally conflictedbecause he's given me the recipe
and I'm caught in a conundrum.
Fam, let me just talk to you.
Here's the conundrum.
It's do I actually get up at115 to cook eggs?
But I don't want to beembarrassed because my wife, I
don't want her to wake up andwalk in the kitchen at 130 and
(15:15):
see me cooking eggs at 131.
I have to explain myself whyI'm actually cooking at 130.
But this guy gave me thescience to the secret sauce of
the thing that I actually liked.
Jesus told them I'm going togive you the secret sauce to the
thing you've been looking for.
The secret sauce is not just me, it is my spirit.
So I'm going to wake you up atone in the morning and remind
(15:38):
you.
My spirit is in you Whileyou're driving home from church.
My spirit is in you Whileyou're driving home from church.
My spirit is in you Whileyou're sitting in the chair
listening to this guy who looksso good with the gap on stage
here.
My spirit is in you.
And so why is that so important?
Because you have all theingredients that you need to
change the world.
You have all the ingredientsthat you need because Jesus gave
(16:00):
you authority.
Everybody say authority.
Say it one more time.
Say it like you got authority.
Say authority, there you go.
I heard you way in the back.
Somebody's like authority,there you go.
And so authority.
We have this thing calledjurisdiction.
That means that I can walk intoa territory that God has
already told me about, and Ihave jurisdiction.
(16:21):
What is jurisdiction?
Juris means authority.
Diction means the ability tospeak.
That means I have the authorityto say something and watch it
become my reality.
What is the thing that you have?
I'm starting to get excited.
Now you have the authority tosay something and watch your
reality change.
Do me a favor nudge the personbeside you, say you got to say
(16:41):
something.
There you go.
Y'all are getting a little bittoo rowdy up in here.
Now Let somebody else say youbetter say something.
This crowd is so.
Y'all better say something.
Prophecy means the ability tospeak on behalf of God.
(17:03):
How do you do that?
Let me move out of the way.
It is by foretelling, whichmeans to speak what's next, or
foretelling, which is to speakwhat is now.
You will hear God in someinstances, begin to speak to you
and begin to share something toyou that maybe is for someone
else and not you, and it wouldeither foretell them what's next
.
Hey, you know what the Lordtold me.
(17:23):
You know, when you go to worktomorrow, be looking out,
because there's an open dooryour way, and that person leaves
with the future knowledge anddon't look for good things, or
you speak to them now.
Hey, I saw you walking here andGod says he's about to just
breathe some peace all over yoursituation.
You may think that the biggestmessage that someone needs to
hear when they come here forchurch is from this platform,
but it's really from the personsitting beside them.
(17:44):
You have the same spirit of Godon the inside of you and, as a
matter of fact, he wants to useyour voice through your
scenarios that you've gonethrough.
If you would just believe yourresume didn't discredit you.
Paul says that this prophecy isfor strengthening, to encourage
and to comfort.
You know my wife who's herewith me.
(18:09):
What's up, girl?
Over there on the peak I seeyou looking all good and stuff.
See you, girl looking good.
She watches these renovation TVshows, which means I watch these
renovation TV shows and sowe'll be late.
I mean I watch, I'm listening,but I'm watching, I'm listening,
and so when she's in bed andshe's watching these shows,
(18:29):
normally they are renovating ahome where the home looks good
on the outside but some of thewood is rotted on the inside,
and not because the homeownerdid anything wrong, but
sometimes the wear and tear ofthe weather, of what it's gone
through has taken a toll on thehouse.
It is not that they built itwrong, that the owner did
anything, but how many guys knowthat if you've been living life
(18:51):
long enough, there will be somewear and tear?
And what they do is theengineer will walk in and say I
think it's about time that wereinforce the framework of this
home.
And what prophecy does?
Prophecy has the ability.
When you speak with God comingthrough, you gives you the
opportunity to walk intosomebody's world and to
restrengthen the framework oftheir home, restrengthen the
(19:13):
framework of their soul,restrengthen the framework of
their marriage, of their lens,of their thoughts.
And there's somebody sittingbeside you that walked in weak
and they just want to know cananybody help me restrengthen the
framework of my weakness?
Because I'm seconds fromthrowing in the towel, but if
somebody strengthens me, Ibelieve I can live again.
You are called to strengthensomebody.
(19:34):
Oh, that's good.
You can give God some praise onthat one, because you're
strengthening.
Come on, come on.
Here's another one.
Prophecy also encourages people.
Encourages means put somecourage into their heart.
That's like taking the IV andyou bypass their mind and you've
gone straight to their heartand you said can I just put a
(19:56):
little bit of encouragement inyou?
Can I loan you some couragethat you can make it through
this?
Can I loan you some couragethat God wants to use you in the
middle of your story?
Can I loan you some couragethat you will finish school?
Can I loan you some couragethat that relationship will heal
?
Can I just loan you somecourage?
Here's what God is saying aboutyou.
God is looking at you andsaying you're going to make it,
(20:20):
you're going to be all right.
You, in saying you're going tomake it, you're going to be all
right.
Here's a third thing.
Is that also prophecy points tocomfort and it says to bring
you closer.
You ever notice, if we'rehonest, if this is family, I
call you guys my cousins, allright, is that okay?
If I could talk to my cousinsfor a second, my cousins, okay,
good, okay, cousins, everybody,you got the family reunion style
.
There are moments when you gothrough things and have you ever
(20:44):
been a person that, when you gothrough, you isolate yourself?
Oh, we're talking, real talk.
Now here we go.
I should pull up a chair.
It's going to be therapy forall of us.
Are you an isolator?
Where you isolate yourself, yougo quiet, you try to put a
little bit of distance, you stopconfirming on planning center,
or you confirm but you don'tshow up because you isolate.
Touch your neighbor, never mind, don't do that, okay.
(21:05):
But you find yourself needingsome comfort.
It's okay to be preached to orto be shared the gospel from the
platform, shared the gospelfrom the platform.
(21:25):
But somebody walking in heretoday needs to hear from someone
else who looks just like themor sounds like them and they
just want to know can you helpme find some comfort?
Can you pull me just a littlebit closer?
Don't let me stray away.
Pull me a little bit closer.
Sometimes that prophecy or thatword from the Lord remember
prophetic simply means a Godmessage coming to you and
(21:45):
through you, and let me help you.
It does not have to be profound, it does not have to be, for
the Lord was saith that thinehath sateth in that chariot and
gone.
No, no, no.
It simply looks like this hey,I'm happy to see you today.
You're supposed to be here.
You're going to live that rightthere, or it could be.
Hey, you know what?
(22:06):
I believe things are going tochange for you.
Or, as small as this.
I'm so glad to see you.
That smile just changed my day.
That small thing right there.
You just put some strength andcourage and comfort into people.
The Bible says when Paul waswriting this, he said you should
be eager in this.
Eager means to burn with zeal.
(22:27):
I should be zealous about this.
I should have some energy aboutthis.
I should have some passionabout this.
I should have some strengthabout this.
Maybe for you, one of theprayers to pray is Lord, will
you show me where my zeal is?
Will you allow me to walk in myzeal?
Will you show me my zeal in mymind, in my heart, in my home?
Will you give me zeal at work?
(22:48):
Will you give me zeal while I'mdriving?
Father, I'm not asking you tomake me a fake, but what I'm
asking you to do is to help meto walk in faith and rediscover
my zeal.
Does anybody in here want to gettheir zeal back?
Where are the people at?
You're like.
I used to be zealous aboutsomething.
I'm speaking over you now.
May you find your zeal.
You will get your zeal back.
You know what You're going toprophesy.
(23:08):
Turn to the person You're like.
You're doing a whole lot oftouch your neighbor?
I sure am, because I want youto walk in jurisdiction,
authority and diction You'regoing to have.
Look at your neighbor and sayperson beside me, you will get
your zeal back.
I love talking to your neighbor.
Unless you and your spouse hadan argument that day.
It gets real weird.
It gets real weird when thelast thing you said was don't
(23:32):
talk to me and the next thingyou're saying it's neighbor.
You're going to never mind.
Walking in the zeal is not apassive thing, it's pursuing.
You go after it.
Paul is saying go after thisthing From the garden to the
gospel.
Go after it.
Point number one I want to giveyou this You've got access.
(23:54):
You have all the access thatyou need.
In the Old Testament, beingable to prophesy was an
exclusive thing.
In the New Testament, beingable to prophesy is an expected
thing.
That means that God didn't justhand this gift to the perfect.
He handed it to all of thosewho said I'm a son or I'm a
daughter.
So that means, if the personwho's sitting in your seat is
(24:14):
here which you are here thatmeans that you have the ability
to prophesy.
It's not for the cool people,it's not for those who have it
together.
It's not for those who feellike, oh, I got my whole resume
together.
No, as a matter of fact, noperfect people allowed in
prophecy.
He's looking for people thathave said yes to Jesus and
that's enough.
You cannot mess this up.
(24:35):
He's saying you've got access.
First, corinthians 14, followthe way of love.
If you're going to do anything,you got to put a little love in
your heart.
Anybody know that song Put alittle love in your heart.
You sing it.
Be a choir.
Come on, put a little love inyour heart.
(24:56):
Just a little bit louder overhere, Say it.
Come on, Put a little love inyour heart Y'all.
Oh, we get.
Where's Pastor Larry?
We're going to record an album.
We're going to record an album.
This is it right.
Here you have to follow the wayof love and eagerly desire gifts
of the Spirit, especiallyprophecy.
Every believer has a job.
(25:16):
Lord, I don't want to be weird,I want to be willing, and
because I'm willing, will youhelp me to with love.
Eagerly desire prophecy, use me.
Somebody on aisle 13 at Safewayneeds to know what God is
thinking.
Love and prophecy this is agift.
It's a gift.
(25:39):
It's not earned, it's inheritedand it's fueled through
intimacy, intimacy, intimacy,intimacy, intimacy, intimacy.
See into me.
(26:02):
That's intimacy.
God, I'm spending time with you, asking you to see me and let
me see you.
Will you show me how to speakto somebody on your behalf?
Will you show me how to talk tosomebody on your behalf?
Why?
Because the prophetic is foreverybody.
When my wife and I we've beenmarried 27 years and then when
(26:24):
we thank you, we've been 27years.
But back when we were dating,like 29 years ago, I was working
retail in this suit shop andshe came to see me on my lunch
break.
I think I may have asked her tocome and see me, but it's my
story.
So she came to see me on mylunch break and she walked in
there looking all good and stuff, and then, you know, when she
was leaving, there was a ladywho was a seamstress for the
suit shop.
She was in the middle of sewing.
(26:45):
She never lifted up her head.
She said Courtney.
I said yes, ma'am.
She said the Lord said that'syour wife.
I know I got excited too.
I ain't hear none of the fellassay ooh.
I heard the lady say ooh, andso when she said that's your
wife, I said how do you knowthat?
She said this.
She said I heard it in my ear.
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I said what do you mean?
She said I just heard like alittle whisper.
I said that's his wife and soI'm telling you that that's your
wife.
I'm so glad she did thatbecause she gave me a word from
her looks and I started lookingat also destiny.
I can actually do somethingwith this woman.
(27:26):
We can conquer the world, wecan share Jesus, we can share
the gospel.
When we unite, something biggerhappens than what we desired
and that's because somebodyhanded me a lens.
When you speak prophetically tosomebody, you help them to
change the lens to their glassesso they can see what God is
saying.
One of my friends always saysthis say what you heard so you
(27:47):
can see what you said.
Isn't that good?
Say what you heard so you cansee what you said.
Prophecy starts with compassion,not comfort.
You're never going to becomfortable your first time
walking into the prophetic ofsaying something.
Point number two we listen andwe don't judge.
Everybody, say it with me.
We listen and we don't judge.
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Say it one more time go.
We listen and we don't judge.
So if we listen and we don'tjudge, will you please take you
off the witness stand, becausewhen God wants to speak to us,
sometimes we have ourselves onthe witness stand and we'd
rather badger the witness of us,our past and our deficiencies,
(28:31):
as opposed to saying yes, god,use me, we listen and we don't
judge.
It says this in verse 2, foranyone who speaks in tongues
does not speak to people but toGod.
Indeed, no one understands them.
They utter mysteries by theSpirit, but the one who
prophesies speaks to the peoplefor their strengthening,
encouraging and comfort.
Being willing to walk in theprophetic is not just a risk,
(28:54):
but it's also yourresponsibility.
I didn't say this in the firstservice, but can I just release
you to take a chance and even bewilling to get it wrong?
I believe somewhere on therefrigerator of heaven is my
terrible little drawing of meand God, and it looks nothing
(29:17):
like me and nothing like God,and God, like a good parent,
still puts my picture that Idrew on the refrigerator and
said will you look at Courtney?
Will you look at his attempt totry to get it right?
No one in here has ever, I hope, looked at their kid who drew a
terrible picture of you, andyou looked at it and said this
is terrible.
Try again.
No, you put that picture up onthe refrigerator for all of your
(29:37):
friends to see, and all of yourfriends come over and lie with
you.
That looks just like you see.
And all of your friends comeover and lie with you.
That looks just like you.
You got to be willing to get itwrong to figure out how to get
it right.
And so I remember one time, as ayoung worship leader, I was
leading worship but you know,you got to talk in between the
(29:59):
songs or something.
You got to exhort and all thatstuff.
And here's what came out of mymouth.
The song ended and I saidthere's somebody here who didn't
want to come to church todaybecause your hair was falling
out.
But God says I'm happy to seeyou and he's been waiting for
you to come into the presence ofthe Lord.
And as soon as I finished, Ijust thought that was the
dumbest thing you could ever say.
And I said for sure, I'm notgoing to be invited back to lead
worship in this church and Igrew up in that church.
(30:20):
I just said that's it.
Over 20 years, they're going tothrow me away For a few weeks.
You could ask my wife.
I beat myself up, probably fora few months.
I beat myself up to one day.
There I am walking through arandom JCPenney's and the lady
stops me and says, hey, youdon't you sing at that church
around the corner?
I said, yes, ma'am, I do.
She said I need to talk to youand I thought, okay, she don't
tell me shit.
I'm like the songs we're doing,so you know, we'll figure it
(30:42):
out.
And she says I woke up one dayand came to church with my
daughter and I told my daughterI didn't want to come to church
that day because my hair hadbeen falling out and I didn't
want anybody to laugh at me.
And you stopped service andpointed me out.
You didn't say my name, but yousaid what I told my daughter
and that right there gave mestrength that God sees me right
in the middle, where I am, and Iwas supposed to be there.
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Come on, you better give Godsome praise.
In that moment I said thank you, jesus.
I thought I lost my mind.
I really thought I'd embarrassmy church or embarrass somebody.
I had no clue that God wasworking in me and through me and
developing my gift throughtaking a risk to say something,
and that God was working in meand through me and developing my
gift through taking a risk tosay something, and that lady was
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able to know God sees you.
Here's what I realized.
For many of you, hearing thevoice of God, it will often
sound like a voice that isfamiliar first.
For some it may sound like you,for some it may sound like
Pastor Lawrence, for some it maysound like a friend or someone
that you really honorspiritually.
How do I know that?
(31:46):
Because in the Bible, in theOld Testament, you have a young
guy named Eli who livesbasically at the church and he's
there serving under the prophetnamed Samuel, and three times
Eli wakes up because he hearshis name, eli.
He goes and says, hey, did youcall me?
And he says no, I didn't callyou.
Go back to bed.
He hears it again hey, did youcall me?
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He said no, no, no, I didn'thear you.
Go back to bed.
Third time he says did you callme?
And the prophet says, oh, I getit now.
That's not me, that's actuallyGod trying to speak to you.
Go back and say Lord, I hearyou.
What do you want me to do?
And for many of you, you feellike you've been hearing.
You've called it women'sintuition.
You thought it was just knowinghow to make great business
(32:28):
decisions.
You thought it was just flowinginto wisdom.
You thought it was justsomething handed down through
your family and through thatrelationship.
No, god has been trying to geta message to you and through you
for your entire life.
It is just you realizing thisis just not a gift that I have
that flowed through my family.
This is something I inheritedthrough Jesus.
Prophecy isn't about control.
(32:50):
This is about care.
Here's what you do to create aprophetic culture.
Prophetic cultures are built ongrace, humility and
accountability.
Point number three here's thelast one.
Point number three here's thelast one.
When it comes to prophecy,practice makes prophetic,
(33:12):
practice makes prophetic.
Do me a favor.
Look at that other person whoyou've ignored all the way down
your row and just say one kindword to them.
You can say peace, you can saylove, or you can say favor, or
you can say joy.
Find one person on your row,look down at them real quick,
like you're going to buy them awaffle house later, and just say
one word to them Go ahead, goahead.
Do it, go ahead, do it Come on,come on, come on.
I know it's odd, I know it'sodd, I know it's odd, I know
(33:48):
it's odd wrote peace, that'syour word over here.
Find one other person, find oneother person's sanctuary.
Or just look at me and say aword Ready, one, two, three, go,
come on here.
That's you flowing in theprophetic.
It is you operating in yourjurisdiction.
You put your authority withyour words and say God, use me.
Point number three practicemakes prophetic.
Anyone who speaks in tonguesedifies themselves, but the one
who prophesies edifies thechurch.
Guys, here's why we need you toprophesy.
I'm getting so excited, I'msorry.
(34:08):
I need you to prophesy becausewe are building the church to
the next level.
That means you have to edifythe church.
And guess what?
I can't be everywhere at once,pastor Lawrence can't be
everywhere at once.
But if we equip hundreds andthousands of people like you and
you go out to places, that'swhat you can do Be the church
out there.
You are called to edify thechurch.
(34:30):
Maybe that trip to Starbucks isnot just you giving your order
next time, maybe it's youpausing and saying I wonder if
this person taking my orderneeds to hear one word from God.
And you just pause and listenand you hear God say tell them I
love them.
Hey, just so you know God lovesyou.
It says I would like for everyone of you to speak in tongues.
(34:51):
I looked up that word, thatphrase, everyone.
In the Greek it literally meanseveryone.
Okay, I would like every one ofyou to speak in tongues, but I
would rather have you prophesy.
The one who prophesies isgreater than the one who speaks
in tongues, unless someoneinterprets, so that way the
church may be edified.
Here's what I want to give you.
The prophetic clarity comesthrough your intentional
repetition and through grace.
You have to test drive it.
(35:14):
How do you know when you'restanding in a prophetic moment?
How do you know?
Some of you will feel prompting.
Prompting means like that lady.
You heard something.
You heard something.
For some of you, you may dreamdreams.
I spent a lot of time right nowwith the Gen Z generation.
(35:36):
They are dreaming and hearingGod like crazy.
Here's another thing you mayhave visions or a picture.
You may see something reallyquick.
That happens to me.
I'll see something really quick.
Here's another way you have aninspired thought or a word that
keeps jumping out at you.
Maybe you saw a billboard orsomething and the word, one word
, jumped out at you and it justkind of stuck with you.
(35:57):
That's the Lord, or the lastthing.
You were reading through somescripture and it grabbed a hold
of you.
When that happens, you justpray.
Lord, I hear you from me, butwho is this?
For?
You have a responsibility.
When you prophesy to be ABC,which is to be affirming
biblical and Christ-like, doesanybody in here, do you
(36:21):
celebrate that?
Is that all right with you?
Come on, come on, come on Allacross the building.
Come on, practice yourjurisdiction.
Practice your jurisdiction.
That's good.
Will you stand on your feetwith me?
Come on, you have jurisdiction,you have the authority and the
ability to speak.
(36:42):
God has put something in youthat's greater than your story,
greater than your resume andgreater than your experiences,
and he wants to turn the key toit and turn it up, and louder
than you ever imagined.
So here's what I want to do Iwant to pray over you that your
ears would open, that your eyeswould see.
So if you're here and you'relike Pastor Courtney, that's me,
and I want to be able to hearGod.
I want to be able to hear God.
(37:02):
I want to be that person who'sable to walk out this idea of
prophecy You're telling me.
This is not for the weird, thisis for the willing.
That means that I'm willing tolean in and be the mouthpiece of
God whenever he tells me atthose moments like that If
that's you, just lift your handsup high, come on, come on, just
lift them up.
There you go.
Come on, do me a favor.
While your hands are up, lookaround the building.
You're not by yourself.
You're not by yourself.
(37:23):
What happens in the city whenwe all say yes, like this, and I
want to pray over you, father,leave those hands up, come on,
in Jesus' name, that hand islike an IV.
That hand that's stretched upis stretched up in surrender.
Father, right now, by the powerof your spirit, we just unlock
their eyes to see, their ears tohear, father, their spirits to
(37:44):
receive and, father, we take offshame, we take off
embarrassment or everything thatsays that we cannot do this.
The devil is a lie.
I can do this because Jesus hasset me free and, with that
being said, use me, use my story, use who I am.
In Jesus' name, we pray.
Would you take 10 seconds ofworship and rip the roof off
this place?
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Come on, come on, use yourjurisdiction.
Come on, let me hear you.
Come on, come on church.
Come on church.
Come on church.
Come on church, come on church,use it, thank you.
Well, we're continuing this series on the
Holy Spirit.
We've been having scripturereaders every week to read the
scripture for the day.
This week, my buddy Ben isreading the scripture for us.
We took this from Acts, chaptertwo, verse one talks about how
a violent wind came over thedisciples were and like tongues
of fire came down and they wereable to speak in different
languages that represented everykingdom under heaven, and they
(00:23):
heard it in their language, andsome of you may not know this.
We have many kingdoms underheaven in this faith community,
people from all differentorigins and spaces and
communities, and so it's beenfun having someone read from
their original language wherethey've come from scripture,
because we all get to hear fromthe word of God in these
(00:44):
different languages.
And so today Ben's going to bereading to us in Romanian, so go
ahead, buddy Morning.
Speaker 2 (00:51):
Northgate.
All right, we're going to bereading from 1 Corinthians.
We're going to be in chapter 14, verses 1 through 5.
I'm going to read it first inEnglish and then we'll read it
in Romanian, and then we'll readit in Romanian, verse 1.
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He speaks mysteries, but he whoprophesies speaks edification
and exhortation and comforts tomen.
He who speaks in tongue edifieshimself, but he who prophesies
edifies the church.
I wish you all spoke withtongues, but even more that you
prophesied, for all who prophesyis greater than he who speaks
with tongues, unless indeed heinterprets that the church may
(01:48):
receive edification.
This is the word of the LordUrmați dragostea umblați și după
dărurile duhovnicești, dar maiales să prorăcioriți.
Speaker 3 (02:57):
Let's read it, verse 2.
This is the word of the Lord.
Come on, just a little bit more.
Will you celebrate them for asecond?
Who's excited to be in thehouse of the lord this morning?
Anybody in here?
Let me check this side.
Who's excited to be in thehouse of the lord?
There you go.
Uh, do do me a favor.
Look at the person beside youand say you look good today.
(03:18):
Look at the person on the otherside and say I showered for
this.
I didn't get much interactionin the first service, so that
may be the mustier service.
So if it smells a little bit,worship got a little active in
the first service.
We're in the middle of thissermon series called Holy Spirit
(03:38):
.
Right, come on, who's enjoyedthis series so far?
And this week we're going totalk about prophecy or the
prophetic.
And if you're like me and yougrew up in my generation, you
(03:59):
kind of know the prophetic insome ways from waking up at 1 in
the morning.
Maybe you saw television and ontelevision there's somebody at
1 in the morning trying to sellyou some holy water and they're
like call this number, you'regoing to get this holy water and
I'm going to give you aprophetic word.
And there I was, 13, andnothing good in my heart.
Then I was just like maybe Ishould call and just see what's
happening.
But I knew if I called I'd needthe holy water.
(04:20):
But I would also need itbecause my mom was going to get
the bill for me calling and Iwas going to need that holy
water a little bit later.
But for some you may hear aword like prophetic and it may
throw you off a little bit,because perhaps you've
encountered somebody that saidthey were a Christian but they
were just a little bit on whatyou would call extra side of
being prophetic and they justsaid no, no, if that's what it
(04:42):
is, I don't want any part of it.
Or maybe you've had a healthyencounter with the prophetic and
you've encountered someonewho's giving you a word that
changed your life.
You know the idea of theprophetic for some can be
paralyzing and for some it couldbe a paradise.
It opened you up to theimpossibilities of the world of
what God wanted to do and forothers it put you in a cage of
(05:04):
saying world of what God wantedto do.
For others it put you in a cageof saying no, I'd rather not
get into that.
Just leave me with thecomfortable stuff.
First, corinthians what was justread?
Paul gets into thisconversation where he's writing
this church of Corinth whilehe's totally at another church,
and you got to understand thechurch of Corinth at that time.
These were new believers whowere excited about the idea of I
(05:25):
can hear God and I can share,but there was no standard of how
to really use this gift.
Imagine you getting a brand new2025 car as a gift but trusting
it to your child who's four andsaying have your way, there's a
chance that kid's going to dosomething with that car.
That's unexpected, right, butwe don't swear off cars.
(05:45):
We just raise them up tounderstand the value of what's
in their hand and how to use itproperly.
Is that okay with you?
So, paul, he's reading this andsays follow the way of love.
Everybody say love.
Love is all you need to startthis whole journey.
You got to have a little bit oflove in your.
That's what the song says.
Put a little love in your nevermind.
Okay, follow the way of love andeagerly desire the gifts of the
(06:08):
Spirit, especially prophecy,for anyone who speaks in tongues
does not speak to people, butto God.
Indeed, no one understands them.
They utter mysteries by theSpirit.
But the one who prophesiesspeaks to people for their
strengthening, encouraging andcomfort Anyone.
Okay, let me say it againStrengthening, encouraging and
comfort.
Okay, let me say it againStrengthening, encouraging and
comfort Everybody.
(06:32):
Say strengthening, encouragingand comfort.
Anyone who speaks in tonguesedifies himself, but the one who
prophesies edifies the church.
I would like every one of youto speak in tongues, but I would
rather have you prophesy.
The one who speaks, whoprophesies, is greater than the
one who speaks in tongues,unless someone interprets.
So that way, the church may beedified.
We were in the back and myfriend who read this in Romanian
.
He kept saying it and I saidhow do you say that one word?
(06:52):
He taught me this word it'sproroceste, proroceste, which
means how to prophesy.
Say it with me.
Say it, proroceste, say it.
Oh, no, no, you're going tohave to come on.
Here we go, procheste, say it.
There you go.
Now you got it.
You spit on the person in frontof you a little bit.
They said I didn't come tochurch for all this.
(07:15):
In the beginning, god had thisvision for humanity.
He said I really want topartner with humanity.
So if you begin to read theBible, you see God starting from
partnership.
From the very beginning, theBible opens up and it unfolds
and it says and God looked outinto nothing and he decided I
want to start making some things.
So this incredible God theBible says that God breathes out
(07:37):
stars and the same God whobreathes out stars starts all
this stuff and he looks out intonothing and he speaks and he
says, says let there be, andthere is, god is speaking out
things and it's starting tohappen.
It's getting really, reallycool.
It's almost like Marvel ComicsGod is taking over.
God is speaking some things andthey're coming into fruition,
but at the next point he sayslet us make man in our own image
(08:01):
.
Let us partnership, make man inour partnership own image.
You have been serving a God whobelieves in partnership From the
very beginning and that Godbegins to.
He spoke everything else intoexistence, but you were formed
quite differently.
The person sitting in your seatis so valuable that you weren't
(08:23):
just formed from words.
God took his hands that weredivine, put it in the dirt that
was dirty and started formingman out of nothing.
And you look up and by the endof it, his hands that touched
dirt had formed this thing thathe called man.
And then he gave man something.
He didn't give anything else.
He gave it his breath.
He breathed into man.
(08:44):
He breathed into man.
He breathed into him, and theBible says that when he breathed
into him, he gave him hisspirit.
God is all about partnership.
Partnership is a convergence ofalignment.
That means that I partner withGod, because whatever he pours
into me, it's not just coming tome, but through me it's going
out of me.
So there's partnership.
He says.
(09:05):
Let us make man in our ownimage.
Now, this whole thing about theprophetic is actually tied in
throughout the Gospels.
It's actually tied in fromGenesis to the Garden, from the
Garden to the Gospels, from theGospels to the end.
As a matter of fact, jesus wasa compass.
They would decide when theMessiah was coming by knowing
(09:27):
the prophecies that sat in frontof them.
So they'll be able to tell theMessiah is actually here.
And in the Old Testament,prophecy only fell on the people
that were exclusive.
The good folks got it.
The ones who were chosen got it.
The ones who were called, theones who were separated.
So you have a guy like Moses.
Everybody in here heard ofMoses before.
Yes, moses, moses is chosen.
(09:47):
The Bible says that God camedown to meet with Moses.
There was a cloud of glory.
Moses is there.
He talks to Moses.
Moses is so filled with theSpirit.
Moses goes and talks to thepeople that he's leading.
And the Bible says when Mosesspoke to them on behalf of God,
they too began to prophesy andthey began to share what God was
speaking to them behalf of God.
They too began to prophesy andthey began to share what God was
speaking to them.
That lets me know that the wordprophecy or prophetic simply
(10:11):
means a message from God that Ideliver to others.
So I'm now taking it out of thepie in the sky of what we
probably have heard of it aswhich, for some of us, we
thought this whole thing isweird.
No, it's not weird, it's forthe willing.
So it's not something that'sbeyond you, it's something
that's in you.
So, moses, he prophesied.
But the Bible says somethingunique.
(10:32):
It says that those people thatprophesied, they never
prophesied again.
Now you go over to King Saul.
Everybody remember King Saul.
He became the king.
Then he ended up raising up aguy named David, but then he
tried to kill the guy namedDavid.
It was just all bad.
It was Game of Thrones Godstyle, because King Saul and
David were added all over theplace.
And so King Saul, before he wasactually working and
(10:56):
functioning as a king.
The Bible says that when he gotaround, this group called the
company of Prophets that hestarted prophesying, just like
that, so much that people beginto see oh my God, you mean to
tell me that Saul is a prophet?
No, he wasn't a prophet.
He just hung around people whodid prophesy.
He began to take on the giftthat was with them.
That lets you know that if youcan hang around the right people
(11:17):
and the right thing startsstirring up on the inside of you
, have you ever hung around theright people and the right thing
starts stirring up on theinside of you?
Have you ever hung aroundsomebody at your job that was
better than you at your job?
And because you hung with them,you started seeing the job more
differently than you did before.
It's because something stirs upon the inside of you.
When you hang with people thathave a different vision than you
, you can begin to see what theysee.
(11:38):
So you have God, don't forget.
He put his hands in the dirt andhe began to form man.
That, for me, was the firsttime I ever recognized that God
wasn't afraid to get his handsdirty when it came to my mess.
Is anybody in here ever?
Do you remember God evergetting his hands dirty by
coming into your life andputting his divine hands into
(11:59):
the place that you are?
I don't know about you, but I'mreally excited about that
because that lets me know that,no matter what my resume is, god
still wants relationship withme.
And so when I think about thisidea that now here's Moses.
He's prophesied, saul hasprophesied moving forward to
Jesus.
The Bible says in Revelationsthat Jesus is the spirit of
prophecy that makes me excited.
That means that all propheticwords have to point to Jesus.
(12:20):
It is not just me saying randomthings, it is me giving
somebody or gifting somebody outof this thing that God put on
the inside of me that pointsthem to Jesus.
And so if I'm pointing them toJesus, that lets me know that
I'm operating where Jesus wantsme to be, because Jesus goes, he
dies, he gets out of the grave,he's about to go to heaven, but
right before he goes to heavenhe looks back at the disciples
(12:43):
like one last time.
He turns to them and the Biblesays and he blows the breath of
life, he blows his spirit ontothem and they receive the spirit
of God.
This is what Pastor Larry wastalking about a few weeks ago,
that Jesus had to go to heavenso that way Holy Spirit could
come to us.
And it's not just Jesus in oneplace, it is Jesus every place.
(13:03):
And so Jesus is every place nowand that's because he breathed
his spirit on them.
And the Bible says and theyreceived it.
I love this.
That means that the personsitting in your chair is not
ordinary.
The person sitting in yourchair is extraordinary.
You thought you were justordinary.
(13:24):
No, you're extraordinary.
You just happen to doextraordinary things on an
ordinary day.
So now, this is your norm.
Don't you love when thingsbecome your norm that weren't
your norm before.
As you can tell, there's a fewplaces I love.
Has anybody here ever heard ofa place called Waffle House?
Has anybody here ever eaten ata place called Waffle House?
(13:46):
You didn't go there because itwas clean.
You grew in there because itwas good.
You didn't go in there thinking, oh, I don't want it, no, no,
you go to Waffle House not forthe waffles, but it's the eggs
that are undefeated.
And so one night, you know,I've been trying to ask the
(14:06):
Waffle House cooks how do youget the eggs like this?
And it's like they were signedto a contract.
They would never tell meanything.
Well, one night the Lord spoketo me I'm joking.
One night I was on TikTok.
Oh, he can't speak to methrough TikTok.
What's going on?
No, let me go over here.
One day I was because this isjudgmental over here.
One day I was on Ticket'sTockets.
Is that better that more KingTicket's Tockets?
(14:28):
And there's this one brother upthere who is live at one in the
morning and he happens to be aWaffle House cook.
God, you love me so much.
He's a Waffle House cook andthere he is cooking eggs at one
in the morning, showing us allthe ingredients.
This brother had one viewerwatching your boy, your boy.
(14:54):
And so at one in the morning.
There I am totally conflictedbecause he's given me the recipe
and I'm caught in a conundrum.
Fam, let me just talk to you.
Here's the conundrum.
It's do I actually get up at115 to cook eggs?
But I don't want to beembarrassed because my wife, I
don't want her to wake up andwalk in the kitchen at 130 and
(15:15):
see me cooking eggs at 131.
I have to explain myself whyI'm actually cooking at 130.
But this guy gave me thescience to the secret sauce of
the thing that I actually liked.
Jesus told them I'm going togive you the secret sauce to the
thing you've been looking for.
The secret sauce is not just me, it is my spirit.
So I'm going to wake you up atone in the morning and remind
(15:38):
you.
My spirit is in you Whileyou're driving home from church.
My spirit is in you Whileyou're driving home from church.
My spirit is in you Whileyou're sitting in the chair
listening to this guy who looksso good with the gap on stage
here.
My spirit is in you.
And so why is that so important?
Because you have all theingredients that you need to
change the world.
You have all the ingredientsthat you need because Jesus gave
(16:00):
you authority.
Everybody say authority.
Say it one more time.
Say it like you got authority.
Say authority, there you go.
I heard you way in the back.
Somebody's like authority,there you go.
And so authority.
We have this thing calledjurisdiction.
That means that I can walk intoa territory that God has
already told me about, and Ihave jurisdiction.
(16:21):
What is jurisdiction?
Juris means authority.
Diction means the ability tospeak.
That means I have the authorityto say something and watch it
become my reality.
What is the thing that you have?
I'm starting to get excited.
Now you have the authority tosay something and watch your
reality change.
Do me a favor nudge the personbeside you, say you got to say
(16:41):
something.
There you go.
Y'all are getting a little bittoo rowdy up in here.
Now Let somebody else say youbetter say something.
This crowd is so.
Y'all better say something.
Prophecy means the ability tospeak on behalf of God.
(17:03):
How do you do that?
Let me move out of the way.
It is by foretelling, whichmeans to speak what's next, or
foretelling, which is to speakwhat is now.
You will hear God in someinstances, begin to speak to you
and begin to share something toyou that maybe is for someone
else and not you, and it wouldeither foretell them what's next
.
Hey, you know what the Lordtold me.
(17:23):
You know, when you go to worktomorrow, be looking out,
because there's an open dooryour way, and that person leaves
with the future knowledge anddon't look for good things, or
you speak to them now.
Hey, I saw you walking here andGod says he's about to just
breathe some peace all over yoursituation.
You may think that the biggestmessage that someone needs to
hear when they come here forchurch is from this platform,
but it's really from the personsitting beside them.
(17:44):
You have the same spirit of Godon the inside of you and, as a
matter of fact, he wants to useyour voice through your
scenarios that you've gonethrough.
If you would just believe yourresume didn't discredit you.
Paul says that this prophecy isfor strengthening, to encourage
and to comfort.
You know my wife who's herewith me.
(18:09):
What's up, girl?
Over there on the peak I seeyou looking all good and stuff.
See you, girl looking good.
She watches these renovation TVshows, which means I watch these
renovation TV shows and sowe'll be late.
I mean I watch, I'm listening,but I'm watching, I'm listening,
and so when she's in bed andshe's watching these shows,
(18:29):
normally they are renovating ahome where the home looks good
on the outside but some of thewood is rotted on the inside,
and not because the homeownerdid anything wrong, but
sometimes the wear and tear ofthe weather, of what it's gone
through has taken a toll on thehouse.
It is not that they built itwrong, that the owner did
anything, but how many guys knowthat if you've been living life
(18:51):
long enough, there will be somewear and tear?
And what they do is theengineer will walk in and say I
think it's about time that wereinforce the framework of this
home.
And what prophecy does?
Prophecy has the ability.
When you speak with God comingthrough, you gives you the
opportunity to walk intosomebody's world and to
restrengthen the framework oftheir home, restrengthen the
(19:13):
framework of their soul,restrengthen the framework of
their marriage, of their lens,of their thoughts.
And there's somebody sittingbeside you that walked in weak
and they just want to know cananybody help me restrengthen the
framework of my weakness?
Because I'm seconds fromthrowing in the towel, but if
somebody strengthens me, Ibelieve I can live again.
You are called to strengthensomebody.
(19:34):
Oh, that's good.
You can give God some praise onthat one, because you're
strengthening.
Come on, come on.
Here's another one.
Prophecy also encourages people.
Encourages means put somecourage into their heart.
That's like taking the IV andyou bypass their mind and you've
gone straight to their heartand you said can I just put a
(19:56):
little bit of encouragement inyou?
Can I loan you some couragethat you can make it through
this?
Can I loan you some couragethat God wants to use you in the
middle of your story?
Can I loan you some couragethat you will finish school?
Can I loan you some couragethat that relationship will heal
?
Can I just loan you somecourage?
Here's what God is saying aboutyou.
God is looking at you andsaying you're going to make it,
(20:20):
you're going to be all right.
You, in saying you're going tomake it, you're going to be all
right.
Here's a third thing.
Is that also prophecy points tocomfort and it says to bring
you closer.
You ever notice, if we'rehonest, if this is family, I
call you guys my cousins, allright, is that okay?
If I could talk to my cousinsfor a second, my cousins, okay,
good, okay, cousins, everybody,you got the family reunion style
.
There are moments when you gothrough things and have you ever
(20:44):
been a person that, when you gothrough, you isolate yourself?
Oh, we're talking, real talk.
Now here we go.
I should pull up a chair.
It's going to be therapy forall of us.
Are you an isolator?
Where you isolate yourself, yougo quiet, you try to put a
little bit of distance, you stopconfirming on planning center,
or you confirm but you don'tshow up because you isolate.
Touch your neighbor, never mind, don't do that, okay.
(21:05):
But you find yourself needingsome comfort.
It's okay to be preached to orto be shared the gospel from the
platform, shared the gospelfrom the platform.
(21:25):
But somebody walking in heretoday needs to hear from someone
else who looks just like themor sounds like them and they
just want to know can you helpme find some comfort?
Can you pull me just a littlebit closer?
Don't let me stray away.
Pull me a little bit closer.
Sometimes that prophecy or thatword from the Lord remember
prophetic simply means a Godmessage coming to you and
(21:45):
through you, and let me help you.
It does not have to be profound, it does not have to be, for
the Lord was saith that thinehath sateth in that chariot and
gone.
No, no, no.
It simply looks like this hey,I'm happy to see you today.
You're supposed to be here.
You're going to live that rightthere, or it could be.
Hey, you know what?
(22:06):
I believe things are going tochange for you.
Or, as small as this.
I'm so glad to see you.
That smile just changed my day.
That small thing right there.
You just put some strength andcourage and comfort into people.
The Bible says when Paul waswriting this, he said you should
be eager in this.
Eager means to burn with zeal.
(22:27):
I should be zealous about this.
I should have some energy aboutthis.
I should have some passionabout this.
I should have some strengthabout this.
Maybe for you, one of theprayers to pray is Lord, will
you show me where my zeal is?
Will you allow me to walk in myzeal?
Will you show me my zeal in mymind, in my heart, in my home?
Will you give me zeal at work?
(22:48):
Will you give me zeal while I'mdriving?
Father, I'm not asking you tomake me a fake, but what I'm
asking you to do is to help meto walk in faith and rediscover
my zeal.
Does anybody in here want to gettheir zeal back?
Where are the people at?
You're like.
I used to be zealous aboutsomething.
I'm speaking over you now.
May you find your zeal.
You will get your zeal back.
You know what You're going toprophesy.
(23:08):
Turn to the person You're like.
You're doing a whole lot oftouch your neighbor?
I sure am, because I want youto walk in jurisdiction,
authority and diction You'regoing to have.
Look at your neighbor and sayperson beside me, you will get
your zeal back.
I love talking to your neighbor.
Unless you and your spouse hadan argument that day.
It gets real weird.
It gets real weird when thelast thing you said was don't
(23:32):
talk to me and the next thingyou're saying it's neighbor.
You're going to never mind.
Walking in the zeal is not apassive thing, it's pursuing.
You go after it.
Paul is saying go after thisthing From the garden to the
gospel.
Go after it.
Point number one I want to giveyou this You've got access.
(23:54):
You have all the access thatyou need.
In the Old Testament, beingable to prophesy was an
exclusive thing.
In the New Testament, beingable to prophesy is an expected
thing.
That means that God didn't justhand this gift to the perfect.
He handed it to all of thosewho said I'm a son or I'm a
daughter.
So that means, if the personwho's sitting in your seat is
(24:14):
here which you are here thatmeans that you have the ability
to prophesy.
It's not for the cool people,it's not for those who have it
together.
It's not for those who feellike, oh, I got my whole resume
together.
No, as a matter of fact, noperfect people allowed in
prophecy.
He's looking for people thathave said yes to Jesus and
that's enough.
You cannot mess this up.
(24:35):
He's saying you've got access.
First, corinthians 14, followthe way of love.
If you're going to do anything,you got to put a little love in
your heart.
Anybody know that song Put alittle love in your heart.
You sing it.
Be a choir.
Come on, put a little love inyour heart.
(24:56):
Just a little bit louder overhere, Say it.
Come on, Put a little love inyour heart Y'all.
Oh, we get.
Where's Pastor Larry?
We're going to record an album.
We're going to record an album.
This is it right.
Here you have to follow the wayof love and eagerly desire gifts
of the Spirit, especiallyprophecy.
Every believer has a job.
(25:16):
Lord, I don't want to be weird,I want to be willing, and
because I'm willing, will youhelp me to with love.
Eagerly desire prophecy, use me.
Somebody on aisle 13 at Safewayneeds to know what God is
thinking.
Love and prophecy this is agift.
It's a gift.
(25:39):
It's not earned, it's inheritedand it's fueled through
intimacy, intimacy, intimacy,intimacy, intimacy, intimacy.
See into me.
(26:02):
That's intimacy.
God, I'm spending time with you, asking you to see me and let
me see you.
Will you show me how to speakto somebody on your behalf?
Will you show me how to talk tosomebody on your behalf?
Why?
Because the prophetic is foreverybody.
When my wife and I we've beenmarried 27 years and then when
(26:24):
we thank you, we've been 27years.
But back when we were dating,like 29 years ago, I was working
retail in this suit shop andshe came to see me on my lunch
break.
I think I may have asked her tocome and see me, but it's my
story.
So she came to see me on mylunch break and she walked in
there looking all good and stuff, and then, you know, when she
was leaving, there was a ladywho was a seamstress for the
suit shop.
She was in the middle of sewing.
(26:45):
She never lifted up her head.
She said Courtney.
I said yes, ma'am.
She said the Lord said that'syour wife.
I know I got excited too.
I ain't hear none of the fellassay ooh.
I heard the lady say ooh, andso when she said that's your
wife, I said how do you knowthat?
She said this.
She said I heard it in my ear.
(27:06):
I said what do you mean?
She said I just heard like alittle whisper.
I said that's his wife and soI'm telling you that that's your
wife.
I'm so glad she did thatbecause she gave me a word from
her looks and I started lookingat also destiny.
I can actually do somethingwith this woman.
(27:26):
We can conquer the world, wecan share Jesus, we can share
the gospel.
When we unite, something biggerhappens than what we desired
and that's because somebodyhanded me a lens.
When you speak prophetically tosomebody, you help them to
change the lens to their glassesso they can see what God is
saying.
One of my friends always saysthis say what you heard so you
(27:47):
can see what you said.
Isn't that good?
Say what you heard so you cansee what you said.
Prophecy starts with compassion,not comfort.
You're never going to becomfortable your first time
walking into the prophetic ofsaying something.
Point number two we listen andwe don't judge.
Everybody, say it with me.
We listen and we don't judge.
(28:08):
Say it one more time go.
We listen and we don't judge.
So if we listen and we don'tjudge, will you please take you
off the witness stand, becausewhen God wants to speak to us,
sometimes we have ourselves onthe witness stand and we'd
rather badger the witness of us,our past and our deficiencies,
(28:31):
as opposed to saying yes, god,use me, we listen and we don't
judge.
It says this in verse 2, foranyone who speaks in tongues
does not speak to people but toGod.
Indeed, no one understands them.
They utter mysteries by theSpirit, but the one who
prophesies speaks to the peoplefor their strengthening,
encouraging and comfort.
Being willing to walk in theprophetic is not just a risk,
(28:54):
but it's also yourresponsibility.
I didn't say this in the firstservice, but can I just release
you to take a chance and even bewilling to get it wrong?
I believe somewhere on therefrigerator of heaven is my
terrible little drawing of meand God, and it looks nothing
(29:17):
like me and nothing like God,and God, like a good parent,
still puts my picture that Idrew on the refrigerator and
said will you look at Courtney?
Will you look at his attempt totry to get it right?
No one in here has ever, I hope, looked at their kid who drew a
terrible picture of you, andyou looked at it and said this
is terrible.
Try again.
No, you put that picture up onthe refrigerator for all of your
(29:37):
friends to see, and all of yourfriends come over and lie with
you.
That looks just like you see.
And all of your friends comeover and lie with you.
That looks just like you.
You got to be willing to get itwrong to figure out how to get
it right.
And so I remember one time, as ayoung worship leader, I was
leading worship but you know,you got to talk in between the
(29:59):
songs or something.
You got to exhort and all thatstuff.
And here's what came out of mymouth.
The song ended and I saidthere's somebody here who didn't
want to come to church todaybecause your hair was falling
out.
But God says I'm happy to seeyou and he's been waiting for
you to come into the presence ofthe Lord.
And as soon as I finished, Ijust thought that was the
dumbest thing you could ever say.
And I said for sure, I'm notgoing to be invited back to lead
worship in this church and Igrew up in that church.
(30:20):
I just said that's it.
Over 20 years, they're going tothrow me away For a few weeks.
You could ask my wife.
I beat myself up, probably fora few months.
I beat myself up to one day.
There I am walking through arandom JCPenney's and the lady
stops me and says, hey, youdon't you sing at that church
around the corner?
I said, yes, ma'am, I do.
She said I need to talk to youand I thought, okay, she don't
tell me shit.
I'm like the songs we're doing,so you know, we'll figure it
(30:42):
out.
And she says I woke up one dayand came to church with my
daughter and I told my daughterI didn't want to come to church
that day because my hair hadbeen falling out and I didn't
want anybody to laugh at me.
And you stopped service andpointed me out.
You didn't say my name, but yousaid what I told my daughter
and that right there gave mestrength that God sees me right
in the middle, where I am, and Iwas supposed to be there.
(31:04):
Come on, you better give Godsome praise.
In that moment I said thank you, jesus.
I thought I lost my mind.
I really thought I'd embarrassmy church or embarrass somebody.
I had no clue that God wasworking in me and through me and
developing my gift throughtaking a risk to say something,
and that God was working in meand through me and developing my
gift through taking a risk tosay something, and that lady was
(31:25):
able to know God sees you.
Here's what I realized.
For many of you, hearing thevoice of God, it will often
sound like a voice that isfamiliar first.
For some it may sound like you,for some it may sound like
Pastor Lawrence, for some it maysound like a friend or someone
that you really honorspiritually.
How do I know that?
(31:46):
Because in the Bible, in theOld Testament, you have a young
guy named Eli who livesbasically at the church and he's
there serving under the prophetnamed Samuel, and three times
Eli wakes up because he hearshis name, eli.
He goes and says, hey, did youcall me?
And he says no, I didn't callyou.
Go back to bed.
He hears it again hey, did youcall me?
(32:07):
He said no, no, no, I didn'thear you.
Go back to bed.
Third time he says did you callme?
And the prophet says, oh, I getit now.
That's not me, that's actuallyGod trying to speak to you.
Go back and say Lord, I hearyou.
What do you want me to do?
And for many of you, you feellike you've been hearing.
You've called it women'sintuition.
You thought it was just knowinghow to make great business
(32:28):
decisions.
You thought it was just flowinginto wisdom.
You thought it was justsomething handed down through
your family and through thatrelationship.
No, god has been trying to geta message to you and through you
for your entire life.
It is just you realizing thisis just not a gift that I have
that flowed through my family.
This is something I inheritedthrough Jesus.
Prophecy isn't about control.
(32:50):
This is about care.
Here's what you do to create aprophetic culture.
Prophetic cultures are built ongrace, humility and
accountability.
Point number three here's thelast one.
Point number three here's thelast one.
When it comes to prophecy,practice makes prophetic,
(33:12):
practice makes prophetic.
Do me a favor.
Look at that other person whoyou've ignored all the way down
your row and just say one kindword to them.
You can say peace, you can saylove, or you can say favor, or
you can say joy.
Find one person on your row,look down at them real quick,
like you're going to buy them awaffle house later, and just say
one word to them Go ahead, goahead.
Do it, go ahead, do it Come on,come on, come on.
I know it's odd, I know it'sodd, I know it's odd, I know
(33:48):
it's odd wrote peace, that'syour word over here.
Find one other person, find oneother person's sanctuary.
Or just look at me and say aword Ready, one, two, three, go,
come on here.
That's you flowing in theprophetic.
It is you operating in yourjurisdiction.
You put your authority withyour words and say God, use me.
Point number three practicemakes prophetic.
Anyone who speaks in tonguesedifies themselves, but the one
who prophesies edifies thechurch.
Guys, here's why we need you toprophesy.
I'm getting so excited, I'msorry.
(34:08):
I need you to prophesy becausewe are building the church to
the next level.
That means you have to edifythe church.
And guess what?
I can't be everywhere at once,pastor Lawrence can't be
everywhere at once.
But if we equip hundreds andthousands of people like you and
you go out to places, that'swhat you can do Be the church
out there.
You are called to edify thechurch.
(34:30):
Maybe that trip to Starbucks isnot just you giving your order
next time, maybe it's youpausing and saying I wonder if
this person taking my orderneeds to hear one word from God.
And you just pause and listenand you hear God say tell them I
love them.
Hey, just so you know God lovesyou.
It says I would like for everyone of you to speak in tongues.
(34:51):
I looked up that word, thatphrase, everyone.
In the Greek it literally meanseveryone.
Okay, I would like every one ofyou to speak in tongues, but I
would rather have you prophesy.
The one who prophesies isgreater than the one who speaks
in tongues, unless someoneinterprets, so that way the
church may be edified.
Here's what I want to give you.
The prophetic clarity comesthrough your intentional
repetition and through grace.
You have to test drive it.
(35:14):
How do you know when you'restanding in a prophetic moment?
How do you know?
Some of you will feel prompting.
Prompting means like that lady.
You heard something.
You heard something.
For some of you, you may dreamdreams.
I spent a lot of time right nowwith the Gen Z generation.
(35:36):
They are dreaming and hearingGod like crazy.
Here's another thing you mayhave visions or a picture.
You may see something reallyquick.
That happens to me.
I'll see something really quick.
Here's another way you have aninspired thought or a word that
keeps jumping out at you.
Maybe you saw a billboard orsomething and the word, one word
, jumped out at you and it justkind of stuck with you.
(35:57):
That's the Lord, or the lastthing.
You were reading through somescripture and it grabbed a hold
of you.
When that happens, you justpray.
Lord, I hear you from me, butwho is this?
For?
You have a responsibility.
When you prophesy to be ABC,which is to be affirming
biblical and Christ-like, doesanybody in here, do you
(36:21):
celebrate that?
Is that all right with you?
Come on, come on, come on Allacross the building.
Come on, practice yourjurisdiction.
Practice your jurisdiction.
That's good.
Will you stand on your feetwith me?
Come on, you have jurisdiction,you have the authority and the
ability to speak.
(36:42):
God has put something in youthat's greater than your story,
greater than your resume andgreater than your experiences,
and he wants to turn the key toit and turn it up, and louder
than you ever imagined.
So here's what I want to do Iwant to pray over you that your
ears would open, that your eyeswould see.
So if you're here and you'relike Pastor Courtney, that's me,
and I want to be able to hearGod.
I want to be able to hear God.
(37:02):
I want to be that person who'sable to walk out this idea of
prophecy You're telling me.
This is not for the weird, thisis for the willing.
That means that I'm willing tolean in and be the mouthpiece of
God whenever he tells me atthose moments like that If
that's you, just lift your handsup high, come on, come on, just
lift them up.
There you go.
Come on, do me a favor.
While your hands are up, lookaround the building.
You're not by yourself.
You're not by yourself.
(37:23):
What happens in the city whenwe all say yes, like this, and I
want to pray over you, father,leave those hands up, come on,
in Jesus' name, that hand islike an IV.
That hand that's stretched upis stretched up in surrender.
Father, right now, by the powerof your spirit, we just unlock
their eyes to see, their ears tohear, father, their spirits to
(37:44):
receive and, father, we take offshame, we take off
embarrassment or everything thatsays that we cannot do this.
The devil is a lie.
I can do this because Jesus hasset me free and, with that
being said, use me, use my story, use who I am.
In Jesus' name, we pray.
Would you take 10 seconds ofworship and rip the roof off
this place?
(38:04):
Come on, come on, use yourjurisdiction.
Come on, let me hear you.
Come on, come on church.
Come on church.
Come on church.
Come on church, come on church,use it, thank you.
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