 Hello, this is David Diger Hernandez, and you're watching Spirit Church here on the Encounter TV Network. God has given us the gift of the prophetic. And we must value prophetic people, because prophetic people are one of the many ways that the Holy Spirit will speak to you. I'm finishing now my series, The Spirit Speaks, by talking about prophets. But first, Stephen Mock, the Zoomer, is here with me. He's going to lead you in some very anointed worship, and then we're going to get right into this message. Here's Stephen. You gave it all, my soul, desire, my every, is devotee, this is my crown, desire, it's more than a soul, my soul, desire, my every, it's more than a soul, this is my crown, desire, it's a be way, it's more than a soul, it's a be, it's a be, it's a be, it's a be. Prophetic is God's gift to the church, and prophetic people are also God's gift to the church. Ephesians chapter 4, verse number 11, says this, now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church, the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Again, that's Ephesians chapter 4, verse number 11. Now all the ministries in the five-fold ministry mentioned in Ephesians 4, 11 are important. All of them are gifts to the body of Christ. But I want to focus in by talking to you about the prophetic. Prophets are important to the body of Christ, and we must not neglect prophetic people. Now I understand that there are those who abuse that title, prophet, and they go around and they manipulate the Word of God, and some of them try to make money off of it, and some of them try to gain power over people because of their titles, and I know some people get really weird, I understand all that. But we have to also understand that there is such a thing as a genuine prophetic gift. Now I'm an evangelist with a teaching gift, I'm not necessarily considered a prophet, but I need prophetic people in my life that God works through. Why would God give us any gift that wasn't necessary? If God has given a gift to the church it's because it's necessary for the church to function. You and I both need prophetic people in our lives. First Thessalonians chapter 5 verses 19 through 21 say this, Do not stifle the Holy Spirit. Do not scoff at prophecies, but test everything that is said. Hold on to what is good. And then 1 Corinthians chapter 14 verse 29 says this, Let two or three prophesy and let the others evaluate what is said. So just because someone is prophetic doesn't mean that they are above questioning. I'm going to talk a little bit about this some more in just a moment. But I want to establish this thought before I go into the meat of the message. And that is this, the prophetic is necessary. Prophetic people are needed. God will send prophetic people at key moments to really speak words that liberate you or that encourage you or that move you forward or help you to become unstuck spiritually. But at the same time, while we value the prophetic gift and while we value prophetic people, we mustn't give to prophetic people unbiblical authority over ourselves. We mustn't give to prophetic people the fullness of our trust. Where we have a more sure word of prophecy and that is the written word of God. Throughout this series, I've talked to you about the various ways that the Holy Spirit speaks. I've talked to you about dreams. I've talked to you about visions. Now I'm talking to you about prophetic people. But at the beginning of every one of these lessons, I've emphasized this point that these expressions of the Holy Spirit's voice, though he does use them, are not in and of themselves our source for the truth. Our source for the truth ultimately is the word of God. And you must compare everything a prophetic voice speaks to you to the written word of God. You also must compare everything a prophetic voice speaks to you to what God has spoken to you by his Holy Spirit. So prophets are not the final authority on anything. Prophets are not necessarily God within the earth. I mean, I understand none of us are God and I hope you understand that too. What God can at moments speak a certain word through certain people, but we must never trust people blindly. We must never give to them the full authority over our spiritual lives that belongs to the Scripture. Christ is our head. The Scripture is our source of truth. Now pastors, evangelists, teachers, prophets, apostles, they are sent to us to guide us spiritually. They are sent to us to correct us, to rebuke us, to help keep us on the right path. But you must remember that if ever they contradict the word of God that they are not to be obeyed. So don't let anyone manipulate you with that title saying, I'm a prophet and therefore you must listen to me or I'm a prophet, you have to do what I say or I'm a prophet, you can't question me. That's nonsense. Don't fall for that kind of manipulation. But we do see that prophets play a very vital role in the church. Now prophets, biblically speaking, have many different aspects to their ministry. First and foremost, number one, prophets confront. In 2 Samuel chapter 12 verses 1 through 12, we see that the prophet Nathan goes to David to confront his sin. Now many of us know the story. King David, at a time when kings go out to war, stood home. He looked upon a married woman with lust. He invited her into his home and they of course did things that were not supposed to be done. King David sinned. He committed adultery. He caused that woman Bathsheba to commit adultery. Then he has her husband killed to cover the fact that he got her pregnant. It's this very, very dramatic display of life that happens in that portion of Scripture. But fast forward now to the portion of Scripture in 2 Samuel chapter 12 verses 1 through 12, and you see that Nathan comes to David to confront that sin. Now David thought he got away with that sin. David thought that the sin was buried, that it was done, he was never to look at it again. But instead of getting his sin right with God, he covered it, he hid it and he tried to make it look like he never did anything wrong. And he thought he was off the hook until a prophet came and confronted him. Now I love what the prophet says here because it's very sobering in verse 11. This is what the Lord says, because of what you have done, I will cause your own household to rebel against you. I will give your wives to another man before your very eyes and he will go to bed with them in public view. You did it secretly, but I will make this happen to you openly in the sight of all Israel. Now this is very sobering. He's saying what you did in secret, okay, you may have hid that sin, but the punishment for that sin is going to be public and open and everyone is going to see it. In other words, God sends to us prophets to confront things in our lives that need confronting. So prophets confront sin, that's biblical. You've often heard prophetic people say, well I don't really look at sin or I don't really expose sin, that's not even biblical. Prophets expose sin. Now of course there are different degrees of exposure and not every sin should be told to the whole public congregation. We know that there are different steps in this process and the Bible teaches that you must first go to the individual and after they don't repent then you bring in a couple more and if they still don't repent then eventually you tell it to the whole church. But here Nathan we see confronted David personally. And God will send you prophets to confront you personally. Even if what you're doing is not necessarily sinful, it could be something that's unhealthy for you spiritually or something that's unwise for you to do and could later on derail you in the destiny that God has for you. And so God will send prophets to you in those moments to correct you and to bring you back on the right track. Think about how Jesus, when he was with the woman at the well, he confronted her about her many husbands and about the adultery that she was committing. And she was honest with them. She said, okay, you've spoken the truth. You must be a prophet. Jesus confronted that sin. It can't all be about how God's going to use you and how perfect you are and how gifted you are. And I think many times when people think of prophecy they think almost along the lines of like those personality quizzes that we take online. Like you know which, I don't know, there's all these different things. Which kind of camera are you? What kind of sweaters do you like? It's just the most random nonsense online these days, all these personality quizzes. And I think people hunger for things like that because they're very into themselves. So often what they think a prophetic service is going to be is them being called out and told how great and gifted they are in front of everybody. And while that sometimes is a part of it, that should never be the motive of the prophetic, nor should it be your motive for receiving a prophetic word. But still, we have to recognize that though that encouragement is a part of it, though the revealing of gifts is a part of the prophetic, oftentimes a true prophet will confront sin in people's lives. They will expose things. They will demonstrate God's anger toward a certain action or a certain mindset. And they will confront even paradigms, ways of thinking, doctrines. They will confront trajectories that you are on or paths that you are taking to get to somewhere spiritually. Maybe what you're doing is of God, but how you're doing it isn't. It's never good to do God's work the devil's way. And sometimes a prophet can come and speak and you must be humble enough. Listen to me now. You must be humble enough to receive the correction of the prophet many times in my life. I've been confronted by people who are prophetic and I don't argue with them. I go to the Holy Spirit and I say, what do you think of this word? And if the Holy Spirit confirms it, then I say, okay, I'm going to change the way I do this. I'm going to change the way I approach that. And that is how we should approach the prophetic. Again, it's not always going to be a good word or what we would deem as a good word. Now all prophetic words are good because ultimately they bring us in connection with God. But sometimes a prophet will confront sin and prophets listen to me. If you're a person watching me right now and you are gifted prophetically, I must stress this to you. Not everything you're going to prophesy is going to be all sunshine and rainbows. Sometimes you're going to have to prophesy something that's uncomfortable for you to say. Sometimes you're going to have to stand up and speak to power and speak to society and speak to the way things are going and declare that it's not what God wants. And you won't be the popular one. Sometimes you're going to be the one that everyone thinks is crazy. Sometimes you're going to be the one that everyone thinks is off. Now sometimes prophetic people are off. But again, we have to always come back to the word and that's where we find our foundation. Now, I want to say this too. There are some prophetic people who think that complaining about a church or complaining about a leader or complaining about any one situation is being prophetic. This idea that you're more spiritual than others and therefore they don't get it. And maybe they're not understanding God like you understand them. That is not prophetic. That's what they would call pathetic. That's not prophetic. That's immaturity. This idea that you have to be elevated. This idea that you have to be the one who's looked to or that they're not allowing the Holy Spirit to move. How do you know they're not? These are the things that we have to make sure we're not committing these prophetic sins as I would call them. We have to make sure that we're prophesying according to what the Holy Spirit is actually saying. Not, oh, I feel this is God, but the word says this is God. That's the big difference. And so don't prophesy based on your feelings. Prophecy based upon the word of God and the moving of the Holy Spirit. You're not always going to feel something when that happens. Sometimes it's going to be very hard to speak up and other times it's going to be hard to discern when it's out of your emotion. Nonetheless, we almost have humility when approaching the subject. So as a prophet, I encourage you as you, you the prophetic voice, I encourage you to make sure you're balanced. Make sure that you are confronting sin when God tells you to confront it. And on the other side, make sure that you're not just being some weirdo who's super hyper critical of everybody around you because you think yourself more spiritual than everyone else. Make sure there's a balance and that balance is found in the word. So that's number one, prophets confront. Number two, prophets encourage first Corinthians chapter 14 verse three, but one who prophesies strengthens others encourages them and comforts them. Now asking the Lord for a sign is not wrong. I don't care what anybody tells you. Go read the Bible. Think about Gideon who asked the Lord for a sign. No issue there. Think about the people who came to Jesus asking him for miracles. No issue there. The only time Jesus had a problem with those who asked for signs is when they asked for signs with a stubborn heart, because just no matter what they saw, they wouldn't believe. So if you're asking the Lord from a pure place of Lord, I need some confirmation, that's different than asking the Lord out of skepticism, doubt, cynicism, and this real abrasive hard heart. I really do believe that this ability to encourage to uplift is probably the most powerful expression of the prophetic, to build people, to raise them, to bring them out of that discouragement. There's nothing like that. And I want to encourage you prophetic people to use that gift. And those of you who are watching this who don't consider yourself prophetic, be aware that God, the Holy Spirit, can speak to you through prophets when they confront you, when they encourage you, and number three, when they reveal the future. If you go to Isaiah chapter 53, and you look at verses one through five, there are lots of examples like this, but Isaiah 53 verses one through five, you're going to see Isaiah the prophet give a very detailed description of Jesus. So here's a prophet who looked hundreds of years into the future and was able to call forth and was able to predict the coming of the Messiah, but not just his coming, but also the specifics of his suffering. That's a powerful gift. Now God still works through prophets today like that. Prophetic people can reveal the future. Prophetic people can help you to avoid certain pitfalls. Prophetic people are a gift to the body of Christ and we mustn't neglect them, we mustn't despise them, we mustn't cast them aside. So long as they're balanced and in the Word and not trying to call a bunch of attention to themselves and they don't get real super weird, and let's just be honest, many of them do. But we still must embrace that gift. The gift itself is pure. Don't let what people do in the flesh keep you from receiving what God wants to do in the spirit. Don't let the disingenuine, don't let the fake keep you from experiencing the real. What an advantage that a prophetic voice can speak to you and that you can see weeks, months, even years into the future. Again, we mustn't put all our hope in them and we mustn't by any means use prophets as our primary source of divine revelation. That comes from the Word. But prophets can help aid you on your spiritual journey and they can call forth the future. So, embrace God's prophets in your life and prophets embrace the gift God has placed on you. We need you in this hour. So, spirit speaks to prophets through number one, confrontation. Number two, encouragement and number three, prediction. That is it for the lesson. I want to pray with you now. I want to pray that the Holy Spirit would bring prophetic people your way. That he would use prophetic people in your life, that they might speak a word in due season. Father, in the name of Jesus, I pray for those receiving this right now. And I ask you, Lord, to use your prophets for your glory and help us, Holy Spirit, to be sensitive to when you are speaking to us through your servants. Help us not to take your servants for granted, Lord. We thank you for prophetic people. We thank you for that gift. We celebrate that gift in the church. We thank you for it. In the name of Jesus, we pray. I want you to say it because you agree, say amen. Well, I want to welcome now the new members of Spirit Church. There you are up on the screen. We love you, we are praying for you. I always say that because I always mean it. If you like information on how you can join the spirit family, go to davidhernandezministries.com slash spirit church. It's absolutely free. It's free membership to join our online community. And when you sign up, you're joining with over 12,000 members from all around the world. We will send you a free weekly teaching right to your inbox every single week along with the worship clip that can help you to cultivate the presence of God in your home. Again, this is free membership. So join the over 12,000 members from all around the world, davidhernandezministries.com slash spirit church. Now to your comments. Now I'll be reading your comments from last week's teaching, the spirit speaks visions. Now last week's teaching was an eye opener for many people because a lot of people are skeptical when it comes to Holy Spirit given visions. So if you want the Lord to begin to show you visions, now I can't guarantee you that he will. There's no formula we can apply, but I do show you how to position yourself to where if God wants to send a vision your way, you're not closed to it. So go take a look at that. Again, that's the spirit speaks visions and that was part two of this series. While you're at it, if you're watching on YouTube, go ahead and subscribe and be sure to click that notification bell so that you can receive all of the content as it comes out. And while you're at it, again, if you are watching on YouTube or on Facebook, leave a comment in the comment section right now. And I may read your comment on next week's edition of spirit church here on the encounter TV network. Here are the comments from the spirit speaks visions. Mark Anthony writes a very anointed message. Thank you, Pastor David and spirit church. I'm looking forward for the Holy Spirit School online. God bless. If you're wondering what Mark is talking about, he's talking about the Holy Spirit School online, which opens on June 1st. It is an online Bible education program that this ministry is starting. Again, that's June 1st, 2020. The Holy Spirit School online is going to equip you and help you grow. I'm telling you, it's going to be a game changer for many of you. And I believe the Holy Spirit will raise an army of spirit filled believers who take the gospel of Jesus Christ all around the world in the power of the Holy Spirit. Again, courses are going to be available on June 1st. Here's the best part. The Holy Spirit School online is 100% free. You'll be able to take the course for free. You'll be able to take the tests for free. You'll be able to get the downloads for free. And you'll be able to get your certification for free because we believe that there should be no paywall between the people of God and the word of God. So again, the Holy Spirit School online will be starting on June 1st, 2020. Kingdom mindset writes, I want to thank EncounterTV again. I had a season in my life where my heart was gripped with fear. I wanted to be okay, but it was hard. What seemed to work was to turn on David's sermons. There's something soothing about David's voice when he's preaching and Stephen's when he worships. It's like fear and anxiety have to go. Thank you for your style. It helps me to connect with the Lord. Just to be clear, Kingdom mindset, we celebrate what the Holy Spirit is doing in your life, but it has nothing to do with our style. It's the Holy Spirit. This is his channel. This is his work. And what you're sensing is the presence of the Holy Spirit. Kisake Anna writes, Praise the Lord, dear brother David and Stephen. Thanks for your teaching. I glorify the name of God because I have joined Spirit Church. I feel the Holy Spirit in every moment in my life because he's on my side. May God bless you and your team abundantly. And finally, standing in awe, gracefully broken writes, I can always be guaranteed of a teaching of truth, respect and knowledge. I love this channel. It's part of my daily bread. Your teachings are strictly straight to the point and most sincere, most importantly, I'm learning and getting a true understanding and I appreciate that. Thank you all so much. Well, we hear testimonies like this all the time. You see, this ministry is a two-edged sword. On one side we win souls, so we bring people into the Kingdom. On the other side, we build believers. In other words, we train them to bring people into the Kingdom. So in training others with the Word of God, you multiply your impact in the world. So while we're winning souls, we're teaching believers to win souls. And that right there is going to expand the Kingdom. So we do this. It's a very simple vision. We win souls and build believers through spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit all around the world through events and media. It's a very, very simple approach to ministry. It's a laser-focused vision that we might do things with efficiency. And we believe that the Holy Spirit wants to change the world. And we believe that the Holy Spirit wants to change the world with your help. You can be a part of something that's greater than yourself. You can be a part of a cause that's transforming, literally transforming people all over the world. It has nothing to do with me, it has nothing to do with necessarily you. It has everything to do with the Holy Spirit, but he chooses, he chooses to partner with me and with you. And so I want to offer you this opportunity to join this cause. Jesus has never held back from you. Think of how he gave his life on that cross for you. Think of how he gives healing. Think of how he gives deliverance. Think of how he gives his Holy Spirit to comfort us and empower us. Never has the Son of God held back from you. Please don't hold back from him. Help us, join us, be a part of this cause. Let's unite our resources and our gifts and our talents that we might touch people all over the world. You can be a part of this, and I want to encourage you today to become a monthly supporter of this ministry. If you partner with this ministry at $10 or more a month, you will have access to monthly video chats with Steve and I on a, again, that's a monthly basis. These are Zoom chats or conference calls. So it's two-way. I'll be able to see you. You'll be able to see me. That's more of a personal touch. You'll get 10% off all ministry apparel. You'll get a beautiful Dove lapel pin. You'll get event seat reservations at all ministry events, and you'll get our exclusive monthly email update at $30 or more a month. You're going to get all of those benefits plus one signed book of your choice at $100 a month. We're going to double that discount to 20% on all ministry apparel, and you're going to get three signed books plus all of the other benefits. Now if you're already partnered with our ministry and you have been for quite a while, whether you partner 10 minutes ago or 10 years ago, it doesn't matter. Every partner gets access to those video chats. Every partner gets that discount. Every partner gets that event seat reservation for you and your loved ones. And you know that helps because almost all of our events fill up to the point where we have to turn people away. All of our partners get those exclusive email updates. So right now, you want to partner with this ministry. Go to davidhernandezministries.com slash partner and join this effort. Think about what you spend money on. Think about all the subscriptions and the streaming services you have. Why not have a subscription that not only blesses you, but blesses others all around the world? Because of our partner support, our media is free. Our events are free. And now our school of ministry is free, and that's all because of the monthly support of our partners. Of course, we know you give because you love Jesus, not because you want to get. But these gifts are what we offer to you so that you know we're with you too and we honor you for your giving. So go do that right now. Don't delay. Don't hesitate. Nothing to do this for a while. Now is the time. We need your support. This ministry is growing. Get behind this cause davidhernandezministries.com slash partner. Join with this effort. If you'd like to give a one-time gift, that's davidhernandezministries.com slash donate. But go and do one of those today. Whether you're partnering with us monthly or you're giving a one-time gift, now is the time. This is the moment. Go and do that right now. Well, that is it for this edition of Spirit Church here on the Encounter TV Network. Until next time, remember, nothing is impossible with God.