WEBVTT 00:00:09.899 --> 00:00:12.699 Hey everyone, this is Josh from Encounter Church 00:00:12.699 --> 00:00:15.279 Henley and thanks so much for tuning into our 00:00:15.279 --> 00:00:19.000 podcast. Our prayer is that through this podcast, 00:00:19.019 --> 00:00:20.839 you can have an encounter with Jesus that'll 00:00:20.839 --> 00:00:24.359 change your life. And now get ready for an inspiring 00:00:24.359 --> 00:00:28.179 message from our preaching team. So today's reading 00:00:28.179 --> 00:00:33.560 is from Acts 10, it's 1 -33. In Caesarea, there 00:00:33.560 --> 00:00:36.380 lived a Roman army officer named Cornelius, who 00:00:36.380 --> 00:00:39.420 was a captain of the Italian regiment. He was 00:00:39.420 --> 00:00:42.380 a devout, God -fearing man, as was everyone in 00:00:42.380 --> 00:00:44.920 his household. He gave generously to the poor 00:00:44.920 --> 00:00:48.119 and prayed regularly to God. One afternoon, about 00:00:48.119 --> 00:00:50.039 three o 'clock, he had a vision in which he saw 00:00:50.039 --> 00:00:52.899 an angel of God coming toward him. Cornelius, 00:00:52.920 --> 00:00:55.759 the angel said. Cornelius stared at him in terror. 00:00:56.219 --> 00:00:58.990 What is it, sir? He asked the angel. And the 00:00:58.990 --> 00:01:01.649 angel replied, your prayers and gifts to the 00:01:01.649 --> 00:01:03.630 poor have been received by God as an offering. 00:01:04.129 --> 00:01:07.609 Now send some men to Joppa and summon a man named 00:01:07.609 --> 00:01:11.010 Simon Peter. He's staying with Simon Atanna who 00:01:11.010 --> 00:01:13.750 lives near the seashore. As soon as the angel 00:01:13.750 --> 00:01:15.870 was gone, Cornelius called two of his household 00:01:15.870 --> 00:01:18.689 servants and a devout soldier, one of his personal 00:01:18.689 --> 00:01:21.209 attendants. He told them what had happened and 00:01:21.209 --> 00:01:25.409 sent them off to Joppa. The next day, as Cornelius' 00:01:25.629 --> 00:01:28.109 messengers were nearing the town, Peter went 00:01:28.189 --> 00:01:30.930 up on the flat roof to pray. It was about noon 00:01:30.930 --> 00:01:33.549 and he was hungry. But while a meal was being 00:01:33.549 --> 00:01:36.549 prepared he fell into a trance. He saw the sky 00:01:36.549 --> 00:01:38.909 open and something like a large sheet was let 00:01:38.909 --> 00:01:42.069 down by its four corners. In the sheet were all 00:01:42.069 --> 00:01:44.849 sorts of animals, reptiles and birds. Then a 00:01:44.849 --> 00:01:47.269 voice said to him, get up Peter, kill and eat 00:01:47.269 --> 00:01:50.250 them. No Lord, Peter declared. I have never eaten 00:01:50.250 --> 00:01:52.629 anything that our Jewish laws have declared impure 00:01:52.629 --> 00:01:56.049 and unclean. But the voice spoke again, do not 00:01:56.049 --> 00:01:58.349 call something unclean if God has made it clean. 00:01:58.909 --> 00:02:01.450 The same vision was repeated three times. Then 00:02:01.450 --> 00:02:04.349 the sheet was suddenly pulled up to heaven. Peter 00:02:04.349 --> 00:02:06.750 was very perplexed. What could the vision mean? 00:02:07.349 --> 00:02:09.909 Just then the men sent by Cornelius found Simon's 00:02:09.909 --> 00:02:13.069 house. Standing outside the gate, they asked 00:02:13.069 --> 00:02:15.210 if a man named Simon Peter was staying there. 00:02:15.969 --> 00:02:17.990 Meanwhile, as Peter was puzzling over the vision, 00:02:18.110 --> 00:02:20.729 the Holy Spirit said to him, three men have come 00:02:20.729 --> 00:02:23.490 looking for you. get up, go downstairs and go 00:02:23.490 --> 00:02:26.050 with them without hesitation. Don't worry for 00:02:26.050 --> 00:02:29.030 I have sent them.' So Peter went down and said, 00:02:29.169 --> 00:02:31.250 I'm the man you are looking for, why have you 00:02:31.250 --> 00:02:34.250 come? They said, we were sent by Cornelius, a 00:02:34.250 --> 00:02:36.770 Roman officer. He is a devout and God -fearing 00:02:36.770 --> 00:02:40.150 man, well respected by all the Jews. A holy angel 00:02:40.150 --> 00:02:42.469 instructed him to summon you to his house so 00:02:42.469 --> 00:02:45.409 that he can hear your message. So Peter invited 00:02:45.409 --> 00:02:48.030 the men to stay for the night. The next day he 00:02:48.030 --> 00:02:50.129 went with them accompanied by some of the brothers 00:02:50.129 --> 00:02:53.379 from Joppa. They arrived in Caesarea the following 00:02:53.379 --> 00:02:56.000 day. Cornelius was waiting for them and had called 00:02:56.000 --> 00:02:59.240 together his relatives and close friends. As 00:02:59.240 --> 00:03:01.800 Peter entered his home, Cornelius fell at his 00:03:01.800 --> 00:03:04.699 feet and worshipped him. But Peter pulled him 00:03:04.699 --> 00:03:06.919 up and said, stand up, I'm a human being just 00:03:06.919 --> 00:03:09.599 like you. So they talked together and went inside 00:03:09.599 --> 00:03:12.740 where many others were assembled. Peter told 00:03:12.740 --> 00:03:14.819 them, you know it is against our laws for a Jewish 00:03:14.819 --> 00:03:17.580 man to enter a Gentile home like this or to associate 00:03:17.580 --> 00:03:20.400 with you. But God has shown me that I should 00:03:20.400 --> 00:03:23.300 no longer think of anyone as impure or unclean. 00:03:23.379 --> 00:03:25.500 So I came without objection as soon as I was 00:03:25.500 --> 00:03:29.400 sent for. Now tell me why you sent for me. Cornelius 00:03:29.400 --> 00:03:32.139 replied, four days ago I was praying in my house 00:03:32.139 --> 00:03:34.560 about this same time, three o 'clock in the afternoon. 00:03:35.240 --> 00:03:37.259 Suddenly a man in dazzling clothes was standing 00:03:37.259 --> 00:03:40.060 in front of me. He told me, Cornelius your prayer 00:03:40.060 --> 00:03:41.860 has been heard and your gifts to the poor have 00:03:41.860 --> 00:03:44.919 been noticed by God. Now send messages to Joppa 00:03:44.919 --> 00:03:47.460 and summon a man named Simon Peter. He is staying 00:03:47.460 --> 00:03:49.960 in the home of Simon Atanna who lives near the 00:03:49.960 --> 00:03:53.060 seashore. So I sent for you at once and it was 00:03:53.060 --> 00:03:55.500 good of you to come. Now we are all here waiting 00:03:55.500 --> 00:03:58.099 before God to hear the message the Lord has given 00:03:58.099 --> 00:04:04.060 you. This is the word of the Lord. Awesome, thank 00:04:04.060 --> 00:04:25.750 you Carly. Doesn't go any lower. Go lower for 00:04:25.750 --> 00:04:39.310 a second, thanks. Alright, let's leave it. Fantastic, 00:04:39.490 --> 00:04:44.009 awesome. Alright, before we get into it, I have 00:04:44.009 --> 00:04:47.850 a sense today that for someone here, it was really 00:04:47.850 --> 00:04:50.550 hard getting here. Maybe your car broke down. 00:04:51.189 --> 00:04:53.470 Maybe it was just hard getting out of bed. But 00:04:53.470 --> 00:04:57.120 for someone here, Getting here in the room was 00:04:57.120 --> 00:05:00.319 all you have to offer. That's all you've got. 00:05:01.540 --> 00:05:04.439 And I feel like God's saying, that is enough. 00:05:05.600 --> 00:05:08.620 You do not have to be more than that. You don't 00:05:08.620 --> 00:05:13.019 have to offer more than that. You are loved. 00:05:16.519 --> 00:05:22.019 Let us pray. Heavenly Father, speak to us today. 00:05:24.379 --> 00:05:29.500 Lord, you are a God who is ever -present to us, 00:05:29.519 --> 00:05:35.360 even if we don't always listen. May your whisper 00:05:35.360 --> 00:05:38.120 be louder than the running feet on the floors. 00:05:41.680 --> 00:05:46.379 May our hearts be open and our ears be open to 00:05:46.379 --> 00:05:49.899 where you want us to move today. In Jesus' name 00:05:49.899 --> 00:05:55.670 we pray. Amen. One of the first times that the 00:05:55.670 --> 00:05:58.430 Holy Spirit revealed something to me in a prophetic 00:05:58.430 --> 00:06:02.370 way, prophetic, I might get it wrong by the way, 00:06:02.449 --> 00:06:05.730 I don't say pathetic, I'm saying prophetic, I'm 00:06:05.730 --> 00:06:09.009 just gonna put that out there. One of the first 00:06:09.009 --> 00:06:10.709 times that the Lord revealed something to me 00:06:10.709 --> 00:06:13.730 in a prophetic way was when I was 17 years old 00:06:13.730 --> 00:06:18.069 at a youth conference. We had spent the day exploring 00:06:18.069 --> 00:06:21.730 who God was, we had times of community, we had 00:06:21.730 --> 00:06:25.819 times of worship. And it was in this moment of 00:06:25.819 --> 00:06:30.180 worship that my eyes were closed, where I had 00:06:30.180 --> 00:06:35.259 this image of a woman and a child, like a really, 00:06:35.259 --> 00:06:40.839 really young child. They were not recognizable 00:06:40.839 --> 00:06:45.019 faces to me. And I had this thought, was this 00:06:45.019 --> 00:06:51.300 God speaking to me? That is unlikely. I had probably 00:06:51.300 --> 00:06:54.160 just seen her. at some point during the day, 00:06:54.540 --> 00:06:57.000 and with all the flashing lights going on, I 00:06:57.000 --> 00:07:00.660 just created this image in my mind. It had been 00:07:00.660 --> 00:07:04.779 a very long day. You see, I believed that God 00:07:04.779 --> 00:07:11.920 spoke, but like, to me? I believe that God spoke, 00:07:12.180 --> 00:07:16.319 but like, this is a bit weird. I believe that 00:07:16.319 --> 00:07:19.560 God spoke, but how did I know that this was Him 00:07:19.560 --> 00:07:24.519 this time? I believe that God spoke, but I have 00:07:24.519 --> 00:07:29.060 no idea what he is trying to say. I believe that 00:07:29.060 --> 00:07:32.300 God spoke, but honestly, most of the time, I 00:07:32.300 --> 00:07:35.699 don't even know if I could hear him. But there 00:07:35.699 --> 00:07:37.360 was something, there was something about the 00:07:37.360 --> 00:07:40.399 clarity of this image that made me question, 00:07:40.720 --> 00:07:44.899 maybe, maybe it was God. And so I walked up to 00:07:44.899 --> 00:07:48.899 this woman, no, I'm joking, I did not. If it's 00:07:48.899 --> 00:07:52.019 any consoler, if it's any tip, if you have an 00:07:52.019 --> 00:07:55.139 image of someone with a child, just take some 00:07:55.139 --> 00:07:57.579 partial discernment before walking up to them 00:07:57.579 --> 00:08:01.339 and saying you saw something. But instead, I 00:08:01.339 --> 00:08:04.360 went to my youth pastor and I was like, look, 00:08:04.680 --> 00:08:07.259 I think God's saying something. What do you think? 00:08:07.899 --> 00:08:10.939 He's like, I don't know. Let's go talk to this 00:08:10.939 --> 00:08:13.300 other guy. And so we went up to another trusted 00:08:13.300 --> 00:08:17.120 pastor and he knew the woman. And I shared what 00:08:17.120 --> 00:08:19.120 I experienced and I was like, oh, thank God's 00:08:19.120 --> 00:08:22.600 saying this. And with clarity, he looked me in 00:08:22.600 --> 00:08:27.560 the eye and said, go tell her. I was like, no, 00:08:27.560 --> 00:08:30.120 you do it. I think I actually might have even 00:08:30.120 --> 00:08:33.179 said that, I'm gonna be honest. You do it, me? 00:08:33.340 --> 00:08:40.539 No. So a few moments later, I think I forgot 00:08:40.539 --> 00:08:42.419 to say the part where a few moments later after 00:08:42.419 --> 00:08:44.840 I'd seen the image, the woman had walked onto 00:08:44.840 --> 00:08:49.309 the stage And I saw this face that had been unrecognizable 00:08:49.309 --> 00:08:52.629 until this vision. And that was when I decided 00:08:52.629 --> 00:08:54.470 I should probably go talk to someone about it. 00:08:54.990 --> 00:08:58.269 But this woman, she was leaving, the night had 00:08:58.269 --> 00:08:59.929 finished, and I had in this back of my head that 00:08:59.929 --> 00:09:03.570 I should go talk to her. So I walked up to her, 00:09:04.549 --> 00:09:07.370 this stranger, and I called out to her. I didn't 00:09:07.370 --> 00:09:12.830 know her name. Hey, yeah, yeah, you, hey. Look, 00:09:13.230 --> 00:09:15.659 I don't know what this is about. I had so much 00:09:15.659 --> 00:09:19.440 trepidation and hesitancy. But look, I had this 00:09:19.440 --> 00:09:27.720 image of you with a baby. And that was it. And 00:09:27.720 --> 00:09:32.779 then she hugged me and she was weeping. And then 00:09:32.779 --> 00:09:37.340 she left. Like that's it. I have no idea who 00:09:37.340 --> 00:09:40.480 this woman was. I don't know what babies have 00:09:40.480 --> 00:09:42.600 to do with her life. I don't know where she is 00:09:42.600 --> 00:09:47.759 now. But God knew her. God knew her, even when 00:09:47.759 --> 00:09:51.679 I didn't. You know, we're in the middle of our 00:09:51.679 --> 00:09:54.740 Power of Encounter series. We're exploring how 00:09:54.740 --> 00:09:58.220 God moves in power through His church. And today 00:09:58.220 --> 00:10:00.240 I'm gonna speak about the power of the Spirit, 00:10:00.460 --> 00:10:04.580 specifically how the Spirit moves through prophecy. 00:10:05.899 --> 00:10:09.320 But like, what is prophecy? Sometimes we see 00:10:09.320 --> 00:10:12.830 it in our worship songs. But in its simplest 00:10:12.830 --> 00:10:18.950 form, prophecy is just hearing God and then sharing 00:10:18.950 --> 00:10:25.409 it. It is a gift. There's kind of two aspects 00:10:25.409 --> 00:10:27.970 of prophecy that we tend to see in Scripture. 00:10:28.370 --> 00:10:31.850 There's foretelling, which is speaking about 00:10:31.850 --> 00:10:34.450 future events and revealing the things to come. 00:10:34.909 --> 00:10:38.929 We think of Agabus in Acts 11 where he foretold 00:10:38.929 --> 00:10:42.379 of a coming famine. Today, some people receive 00:10:42.379 --> 00:10:45.620 words like this as warnings or confirmations 00:10:45.620 --> 00:10:49.500 from God. That is foretelling, speaking of future 00:10:49.500 --> 00:10:54.460 events. But then there's forth telling, speaking 00:10:54.460 --> 00:10:59.340 the heart and truth of God into a current situation. 00:11:00.179 --> 00:11:02.019 This is the most common form of prophecy that 00:11:02.019 --> 00:11:04.399 we see throughout scripture and we see in our 00:11:04.399 --> 00:11:07.909 churches today. It's what the Old Testament prophets 00:11:07.909 --> 00:11:10.309 did when they were calling Israel to justice 00:11:10.309 --> 00:11:13.129 and repentance. It's what happens when someone 00:11:13.129 --> 00:11:16.110 shares a spirit -filled encouragement or challenge 00:11:16.110 --> 00:11:23.909 that cuts right into what God is doing now. Maybe 00:11:23.909 --> 00:11:27.850 like me, you can feel like it's for the more 00:11:27.850 --> 00:11:30.889 spiritual people. Like Ashley, you ended up being 00:11:30.889 --> 00:11:37.500 a pastor, so... Maybe if we do get a sense of 00:11:37.500 --> 00:11:40.080 an image or word, we don't know what to do with 00:11:40.080 --> 00:11:45.539 it. We have the question, is stepping into the 00:11:45.539 --> 00:11:49.259 prophetic through giving and receiving of words, 00:11:49.759 --> 00:11:54.259 like is that for me? Maybe when we do response 00:11:54.259 --> 00:11:57.960 prayers and Pastor Tim asks someone to raise 00:11:57.960 --> 00:12:05.039 their hand, surely God doesn't mean you. When 00:12:05.039 --> 00:12:08.559 Jesus poured out the Holy Spirit in Acts 2, he 00:12:08.559 --> 00:12:11.539 made available to all believers the fullness 00:12:11.539 --> 00:12:14.399 of the Spirit, including access to the spiritual 00:12:14.399 --> 00:12:17.879 gifts described in Scripture. Receiving the Spirit 00:12:17.879 --> 00:12:21.259 means we have a connection to God's voice and 00:12:21.259 --> 00:12:25.799 presence, enabling us to hear and respond. Prophecy 00:12:25.799 --> 00:12:29.639 then isn't some isolated, mystical talent reserved 00:12:29.639 --> 00:12:34.559 for the special few. It is a part of the Spirit's 00:12:34.559 --> 00:12:38.980 work in all who follow Him. It's about cultivating 00:12:38.980 --> 00:12:41.220 a relationship with the Spirit that leads us 00:12:41.220 --> 00:12:46.980 to listen and trust and speak God's truth. This 00:12:46.980 --> 00:12:52.799 is for you. God wants to use you to speak prophetically 00:12:52.799 --> 00:12:57.419 and He wants to speak to you through receiving 00:12:57.419 --> 00:13:03.080 words and visions from others. In Acts 10, we 00:13:03.080 --> 00:13:06.320 see the power of the Spirit on display through 00:13:06.320 --> 00:13:08.419 the prophetic, bringing people together, breaking 00:13:08.419 --> 00:13:11.080 through walls, revealing God's heart for His 00:13:11.080 --> 00:13:16.000 people. Cornelius, one of the characters in the 00:13:16.000 --> 00:13:19.259 story, was a Roman centurion, a Gentile. They 00:13:19.259 --> 00:13:23.299 said he was a devout, God -fearing man, which 00:13:23.299 --> 00:13:27.320 basically means he was religious, but he wasn't 00:13:27.320 --> 00:13:32.139 Jewish, and he wasn't a believer in Christ. He 00:13:32.139 --> 00:13:34.460 receives this vision of an angel telling him 00:13:34.460 --> 00:13:38.039 to go send for Peter. He has no idea who Peter 00:13:38.039 --> 00:13:41.879 is. Peter could be anyone. But the angel said, 00:13:42.100 --> 00:13:43.960 go send for Peter. I'll even tell you where he 00:13:43.960 --> 00:13:47.740 is. I'll make it a bit easier on you. And so 00:13:47.740 --> 00:13:51.720 he sends three men. Meanwhile, cut to the other 00:13:51.720 --> 00:13:54.899 side of town, is probably a few days away. But 00:13:54.899 --> 00:13:57.679 Peter was a Jew and an apostle, receives a vision 00:13:57.679 --> 00:14:00.740 of the unclean animals being lowered from heaven. 00:14:01.200 --> 00:14:03.440 and is told do not call anything can pure that 00:14:03.440 --> 00:14:06.899 God has made clean but he does not know what 00:14:06.899 --> 00:14:09.740 that means what are you trying to say here God 00:14:09.740 --> 00:14:14.440 and whilst he was wondering the spirit speaks 00:14:14.440 --> 00:14:17.639 to him again Simon three men are looking for 00:14:17.639 --> 00:14:20.279 you get up go downstairs do not hesitate to go 00:14:20.279 --> 00:14:21.960 with them for I have sent them at least like 00:14:21.960 --> 00:14:25.299 that one's a little clearer than a sheet with 00:14:25.299 --> 00:14:29.860 some animals and so he gets up and he goes You 00:14:29.860 --> 00:14:34.139 know, this isn't random. These two visions aren't 00:14:34.139 --> 00:14:37.639 just a coincidence. This is a spirit initiated 00:14:37.639 --> 00:14:42.340 purposeful moment of revelation. God is orchestrating 00:14:42.340 --> 00:14:46.639 a divine confirmation in his people. The visions 00:14:46.639 --> 00:14:49.100 align and they reinforce one another, confirming 00:14:49.100 --> 00:14:51.159 that the gospel is for all, not just for the 00:14:51.159 --> 00:14:56.519 Jews. You know, prophecy in this sense confirms 00:14:56.519 --> 00:15:01.629 what is the true heart of God. It doesn't add 00:15:01.629 --> 00:15:06.110 confusion or contradiction to scripture. It brings 00:15:06.110 --> 00:15:10.129 alignment to God's already revealed purpose into 00:15:10.129 --> 00:15:13.929 the current moment and context. Theologian John 00:15:13.929 --> 00:15:17.769 Calvin says the Holy Spirit is the bond by which 00:15:17.769 --> 00:15:24.230 Christ effectually unites us to himself. Why 00:15:24.230 --> 00:15:27.049 did Cornelius and Peter receive separate prophetic 00:15:27.049 --> 00:15:32.940 visions? Couldn't he just trust one? God was 00:15:32.940 --> 00:15:35.340 doing something radical. He was uniting people 00:15:35.340 --> 00:15:39.259 together. Cornelius, on this side, needed to 00:15:39.259 --> 00:15:43.080 be prepared to receive the Word. And Peter needed 00:15:43.080 --> 00:15:46.139 to be prepared to go into a place that was culturally 00:15:46.139 --> 00:15:50.820 kind of a no -go zone. If only one of them had 00:15:50.820 --> 00:15:53.639 received a vision, the divine encounters could 00:15:53.639 --> 00:15:56.299 have been misunderstood, resisted, or missed 00:15:56.299 --> 00:16:00.730 entirely. Peter could... be of left wondering 00:16:00.730 --> 00:16:03.409 what the whole blanket and the sheet and the 00:16:03.409 --> 00:16:07.789 animals was all about. He was hungry, so that 00:16:07.789 --> 00:16:11.110 can do stuff to you. But Cornelius, he could 00:16:11.110 --> 00:16:13.590 have been left without a revelation of Christ 00:16:13.590 --> 00:16:17.769 Jesus. Without the fullness of understanding 00:16:17.769 --> 00:16:22.730 who God was. These prophetic experiences reflect 00:16:22.730 --> 00:16:27.379 a real powerful truth. and that is God often 00:16:27.379 --> 00:16:31.379 speaks in community. Prophetic words are not 00:16:31.379 --> 00:16:33.779 meant to isolate us, make us the weirdos on the 00:16:33.779 --> 00:16:36.720 outside of community. They're invitation into 00:16:36.720 --> 00:16:40.379 a collaboration of God's heart and mission for 00:16:40.379 --> 00:16:44.320 his people. Peter and Cornelius each had a part 00:16:44.320 --> 00:16:47.120 of the picture, but it wasn't until they listened 00:16:47.120 --> 00:16:49.580 to one another, they understood the fullness 00:16:49.580 --> 00:16:54.000 of what God was saying. I was at a youth pastor's 00:16:54.000 --> 00:16:58.179 retreat. Semi recently and God spoke to me through 00:16:58.179 --> 00:17:02.980 a vision of someone standing on a beach and And 00:17:02.980 --> 00:17:05.859 the waves were rolling in but this person was 00:17:05.859 --> 00:17:07.619 just standing there not getting in the water 00:17:07.619 --> 00:17:10.500 And so I shared it with the group and I'm gonna 00:17:10.500 --> 00:17:12.880 be honest. I thought I understood what this vision 00:17:12.880 --> 00:17:15.920 was all about I was like brilliant. God is gonna 00:17:15.920 --> 00:17:18.160 confirm in someone that they are called into 00:17:18.160 --> 00:17:22.440 ministry This is what I felt God was doing But 00:17:22.440 --> 00:17:23.960 I was just faithful, I didn't say that part. 00:17:24.339 --> 00:17:28.339 I just shared the vision. But what I didn't know, 00:17:28.420 --> 00:17:30.819 cut across to the other side of the room, God 00:17:30.819 --> 00:17:32.940 had already been speaking to someone in that 00:17:32.940 --> 00:17:35.940 room. A young woman had felt the pull towards 00:17:35.940 --> 00:17:38.940 baptism, but for one reason or another hadn't 00:17:38.940 --> 00:17:42.359 made that decision. But the words and images 00:17:42.359 --> 00:17:45.960 God gave me to speak were confirmation to her 00:17:45.960 --> 00:17:49.480 that it was time to literally get in the water. 00:17:50.539 --> 00:17:53.519 Three months later, she was baptized in a beach, 00:17:53.880 --> 00:17:57.660 probably with waves rolling in, in a public declaration 00:17:57.660 --> 00:18:01.519 of who she lives for. Are you praying for an 00:18:01.519 --> 00:18:04.819 area of confirmation into an area of uncertainty? 00:18:06.119 --> 00:18:10.960 Has kind of God been nudging your heart? The 00:18:10.960 --> 00:18:13.779 Spirit will speak to you through multiple channels. 00:18:14.559 --> 00:18:18.220 Scripture, community, internal peace, even dreams. 00:18:18.949 --> 00:18:22.490 Maybe like Cornelius and Peter, someone else 00:18:22.490 --> 00:18:27.470 will speak his words to bring clarity. Be open 00:18:27.470 --> 00:18:30.190 to the different ways God will confirm his will 00:18:30.190 --> 00:18:33.950 for your life. Because the spirit of God confirms 00:18:33.950 --> 00:18:38.609 through prophecy, not confuses. But the spirit 00:18:38.609 --> 00:18:42.750 also matures the church. Sometimes it feels like 00:18:42.750 --> 00:18:44.930 we could do with some of that. Not this one, 00:18:44.930 --> 00:18:49.259 just like the global church. Peter enters Cornelius' 00:18:49.480 --> 00:18:51.460 home and says, You are well aware that it is 00:18:51.460 --> 00:18:54.099 against our law for a Jew to associate with or 00:18:54.099 --> 00:18:57.220 visit a Gentile. But God has shown me that I 00:18:57.220 --> 00:18:59.460 should not call anyone impure or unclean. You 00:18:59.460 --> 00:19:02.599 know, this moment isn't just about cultural reconciliation. 00:19:02.920 --> 00:19:08.240 It was about transformation. Peter is being matured. 00:19:08.420 --> 00:19:11.200 His understanding of God's love is being expanded. 00:19:11.460 --> 00:19:14.960 His prejudices are being exposed. The prophetic 00:19:14.960 --> 00:19:19.500 experience doesn't just inform him of God's heart, 00:19:19.640 --> 00:19:24.839 but it forms him towards God. In Ephesians 4, 00:19:25.039 --> 00:19:27.819 Paul explains the purpose of five ministry gifts, 00:19:27.839 --> 00:19:30.440 which include prophecy, that they were given 00:19:30.440 --> 00:19:34.279 by Christ himself, and that is to equip God's 00:19:34.279 --> 00:19:37.660 people to do his work and build up the church, 00:19:37.799 --> 00:19:40.799 the body of Christ. That's you guys. This will 00:19:40.799 --> 00:19:44.279 continue until we all come to such unity in our 00:19:44.279 --> 00:19:47.069 faith and knowledge of God's Son. so that we 00:19:47.069 --> 00:19:50.690 will be mature in the Lord measuring up to the 00:19:50.690 --> 00:19:53.369 full and complete standard of Christ. You know 00:19:53.369 --> 00:19:56.190 prophetic moments like the ones in Acts 10 don't 00:19:56.190 --> 00:19:59.430 just simply confirm the truth of God but they 00:19:59.430 --> 00:20:03.809 develop the disciples. The Spirit uses all the 00:20:03.809 --> 00:20:06.690 gifts to grow us in humility and obedience and 00:20:06.690 --> 00:20:10.190 Christ -likeness. Peter had to lay down his old 00:20:10.190 --> 00:20:12.869 assumptions in order to step into this new mission 00:20:12.869 --> 00:20:17.339 field. a Welsh minister and he was a medical 00:20:17.339 --> 00:20:20.059 doctor and I think that's important too, Martin 00:20:20.059 --> 00:20:23.779 Lloyd -Jones. He says, the Spirit does not just 00:20:23.779 --> 00:20:29.359 give us gifts, He gives us Himself and the result 00:20:29.359 --> 00:20:33.859 is transformation. The Spirit's goal isn't just 00:20:33.859 --> 00:20:37.579 to give us messages through us or to us, it is 00:20:37.579 --> 00:20:42.329 to make us more like Jesus. The more we walk 00:20:42.329 --> 00:20:45.210 in the gifts, the more we should reflect His 00:20:45.210 --> 00:20:49.230 character. It is in the giving and receiving 00:20:49.230 --> 00:20:52.789 of the prophetic that the Church is built up. 00:20:53.710 --> 00:20:59.150 It is encouraged. It is matured. Last year I 00:20:59.150 --> 00:21:02.329 was at a prayer retreat. Apparently I go to retreats 00:21:02.329 --> 00:21:08.890 a lot. Yeah, they're fun. And we were at this 00:21:08.890 --> 00:21:10.789 prayer retreat and we were at a dedicated time 00:21:10.789 --> 00:21:13.470 of prayer. And we were specifically praying for 00:21:13.470 --> 00:21:16.630 the gift of healing. I was held up in my hoodie 00:21:16.630 --> 00:21:19.269 with a blanket on the couch. I really postured 00:21:19.269 --> 00:21:23.150 myself towards God. And I was meditating and 00:21:23.150 --> 00:21:26.230 seeking God's clarity on my ministry giftings 00:21:26.230 --> 00:21:28.130 and the spiritual gifts that He wanted me in 00:21:28.130 --> 00:21:31.309 particular to cultivate. And I wrote down a list. 00:21:32.089 --> 00:21:33.789 There was a few things, I was like, yeah, yeah, 00:21:33.789 --> 00:21:36.519 yeah, that sounds good, that sounds good. And 00:21:36.519 --> 00:21:41.740 then I wrote prophecy, question mark. Sure, this 00:21:41.740 --> 00:21:44.039 like prophecy had clearly been a big part of 00:21:44.039 --> 00:21:46.660 my ministry in the past, but like a lot had changed. 00:21:47.359 --> 00:21:49.680 Would that be something he still wanted to use 00:21:49.680 --> 00:21:54.119 in me again? And so I closed my notebook and 00:21:54.119 --> 00:21:59.140 I scrolled Facebook. And then someone walks down, 00:21:59.220 --> 00:22:01.920 someone walks across the room and sits next to 00:22:01.920 --> 00:22:06.230 me on the couch and says, God said you need to 00:22:06.230 --> 00:22:10.990 give me a word Like what? I can probably tell 00:22:10.990 --> 00:22:13.930 you what was just my Facebook feed But like something 00:22:13.930 --> 00:22:17.730 like powerful and timely and prophetic like no 00:22:17.730 --> 00:22:20.849 way. I do not have anything for you right now 00:22:20.849 --> 00:22:26.210 So I was like sure That sounds great Let's pray 00:22:26.210 --> 00:22:29.829 So I did what we do when we don't know what else 00:22:29.829 --> 00:22:33.670 to say and I said just come Holy Spirit Like, 00:22:33.890 --> 00:22:37.730 please come, Holy Spirit. And this image came 00:22:37.730 --> 00:22:41.509 into my mind, and I tried to make it go away. 00:22:42.089 --> 00:22:44.190 Because surely that was not the thing that God 00:22:44.190 --> 00:22:48.029 wanted me to say. Like, surely not. But there 00:22:48.029 --> 00:22:53.289 was nothing else. So I was like, okay, so... 00:22:53.289 --> 00:22:56.390 Look, this might sound a little cringe and a 00:22:56.390 --> 00:22:58.250 little cliche. I'm so sorry. Like, just ignore 00:22:58.250 --> 00:23:02.039 it. Like... Just ignore it. But the image I had 00:23:02.039 --> 00:23:06.359 in my mind was of you walking down a beach full 00:23:06.359 --> 00:23:09.359 of starfish, and you were just picking one up 00:23:09.359 --> 00:23:15.359 and throwing it into the ocean. If you haven't 00:23:15.359 --> 00:23:18.099 heard that before, it's a modern parable. It's 00:23:18.099 --> 00:23:21.079 often found in toilets right next to footprints 00:23:21.079 --> 00:23:25.640 in the sand. That's why it felt so cliché. And 00:23:25.640 --> 00:23:27.420 I was like, well, Vanessa, but I kind of opened 00:23:27.420 --> 00:23:30.160 my eyes and I looked at her. And she was like, 00:23:30.519 --> 00:23:33.480 that's exactly what I needed to hear. God had 00:23:33.480 --> 00:23:37.759 been speaking me to me today earlier about how 00:23:37.759 --> 00:23:41.240 I just need to focus on those who are in my care. 00:23:46.799 --> 00:23:51.000 This moment of prayer and prophetic sharing was 00:23:51.000 --> 00:23:55.000 a confirmation and reinforcement for her. But 00:23:55.000 --> 00:23:56.779 it was so much more than that, friends. This 00:23:56.779 --> 00:24:01.569 moment matured me. and it matured her. The doubt 00:24:01.569 --> 00:24:04.349 that I was feeling about how God might use me 00:24:04.349 --> 00:24:08.829 lessened. I was encouraged even though the word 00:24:08.829 --> 00:24:12.829 had not been for me. This other person was built 00:24:12.829 --> 00:24:15.789 up and encouraged because the nudge to come out 00:24:15.789 --> 00:24:19.809 even ask me for a word had been confirmed. They 00:24:19.809 --> 00:24:22.789 grew in a deeper understanding of the voice of 00:24:22.789 --> 00:24:26.430 God in their life. Both of us had been matured. 00:24:26.490 --> 00:24:28.970 And all of that had nothing to do with the actual 00:24:28.970 --> 00:24:33.049 vision communicated. So this is our Henley homework. 00:24:33.970 --> 00:24:36.789 Not to go ask someone for a word, but you can 00:24:36.789 --> 00:24:40.950 do that. Our Henley homework this week is to 00:24:40.950 --> 00:24:45.410 go and encourage another person. Like that's 00:24:45.410 --> 00:24:49.210 it. Sure, okay, pray about it. And maybe God 00:24:49.210 --> 00:24:51.970 will tell you who to encourage. But if no one 00:24:51.970 --> 00:24:55.490 comes to mind, do not let that stop you. Just 00:24:55.490 --> 00:24:59.869 go. do it. We are called to encourage one another, 00:24:59.930 --> 00:25:02.589 Paul talks about in Hebrews 10, because look 00:25:02.589 --> 00:25:06.289 church, at the very least the church is built 00:25:06.289 --> 00:25:08.950 up through love and encouragement, at the very 00:25:08.950 --> 00:25:14.769 least. But just maybe, like just maybe, God has 00:25:14.769 --> 00:25:17.529 already been speaking to the heart of that person 00:25:17.529 --> 00:25:20.150 and he will use your word of encouragement to 00:25:20.150 --> 00:25:24.210 bring confirmation of this. This will help begin 00:25:24.210 --> 00:25:27.849 to build your muscles in hearing and speaking 00:25:27.849 --> 00:25:31.349 God's truth into a situation. This will help 00:25:31.349 --> 00:25:34.250 you build in confidence in maybe just going to 00:25:34.250 --> 00:25:37.670 talk to someone in church about something more 00:25:37.670 --> 00:25:41.069 than what they got up to during the week. So 00:25:41.069 --> 00:25:45.289 this is your homework. Go and encourage another 00:25:45.289 --> 00:25:50.970 person specifically. Something that might help 00:25:50.970 --> 00:25:55.730 you with this is that prophecy begins with listening. 00:25:56.750 --> 00:25:59.089 Peter is perplexed after his vision. You know, 00:25:59.130 --> 00:26:01.690 verse 17 says, while Peter was wondering about 00:26:01.690 --> 00:26:03.910 the meaning of the vision, you know, the spirit 00:26:03.910 --> 00:26:06.750 doesn't rush him, he doesn't slap him over the 00:26:06.750 --> 00:26:11.109 head for not understanding. Instead, the spirit 00:26:11.109 --> 00:26:15.430 patiently guides Peter step by step. In Peter's 00:26:15.430 --> 00:26:18.809 uncertainty, in his lack of clarity, in his wondering, 00:26:19.430 --> 00:26:25.789 the spirit speaks again. Simon Go. You know, 00:26:25.789 --> 00:26:28.250 even more, the vision of the sheep coming down 00:26:28.250 --> 00:26:33.750 from heaven is repeated three times. God is patient, 00:26:34.789 --> 00:26:39.329 but He is persistent. Sometimes we need to hear 00:26:39.329 --> 00:26:44.730 it again and again and again before it sinks 00:26:44.730 --> 00:26:50.849 in. Friends, the prophetic life starts not with 00:26:50.849 --> 00:26:55.589 speaking, but with listening. Prophecies can 00:26:55.589 --> 00:26:58.710 be misunderstood as bold declarations. Someone 00:26:58.710 --> 00:27:01.069 just is getting up there and saying some wild 00:27:01.069 --> 00:27:04.750 things and hoping for the best. But in actual 00:27:04.750 --> 00:27:08.650 fact, it begins in quiet surrender, hearing from 00:27:08.650 --> 00:27:11.630 God. Whether that be through a still small voice, 00:27:11.769 --> 00:27:14.529 a word of prayer, or scripture coming alive, 00:27:15.309 --> 00:27:19.809 hearing from God is where it starts. Jesus said, 00:27:20.009 --> 00:27:22.769 my sheep listen to my voice. I know them and 00:27:22.769 --> 00:27:26.660 they follow me. Do you know the Father's voice 00:27:26.660 --> 00:27:31.740 in your life? 1 Corinthians 2 talks about and 00:27:31.740 --> 00:27:35.339 reminds us that it is the Spirit that reveals 00:27:35.339 --> 00:27:38.980 the deep things of God to those who are willing 00:27:38.980 --> 00:27:43.000 to listen. I'm gonna butcher his name every single 00:27:43.000 --> 00:27:46.619 time, but there was a Dutch priest, Henri Nouwen, 00:27:48.079 --> 00:27:52.319 listening is much more than allowing another 00:27:52.319 --> 00:27:56.299 to talk. It is an act of obedience to God's voice, 00:27:56.519 --> 00:28:00.579 even when that voice is hard to hear. You know, 00:28:00.599 --> 00:28:04.059 to be prophetic is all about cultivating a posture 00:28:04.059 --> 00:28:07.819 of attentiveness. Because ultimately, all the 00:28:07.819 --> 00:28:10.700 spiritual gifts flow from this intimacy of God. 00:28:11.220 --> 00:28:15.099 If we cannot hear, we cannot minister effectively. 00:28:15.740 --> 00:28:18.720 Whether that be gifts of healing, gifts of discernment, 00:28:18.839 --> 00:28:23.180 of wisdom, of knowledge. Before we speak on God's 00:28:23.180 --> 00:28:30.819 behalf, we must sit at His feet. One week I was 00:28:30.819 --> 00:28:33.940 on intercessory prayer, which is just, we have 00:28:33.940 --> 00:28:38.420 someone, it's Chelsea this week, who's praying 00:28:38.420 --> 00:28:40.960 for the service for you and interceding to God. 00:28:41.000 --> 00:28:43.339 And if you want to know more about it, talk to 00:28:43.339 --> 00:28:47.400 Jen Alpha, piano man, prayer man. talk to Charlie 00:28:47.400 --> 00:28:49.440 about what intercessory prayer looks like in 00:28:49.440 --> 00:28:52.579 our church. But I was on intercessory prayer, 00:28:53.339 --> 00:28:55.500 and this week, the week that I was on, I chose 00:28:55.500 --> 00:28:58.720 to go pray in the foyer, mostly because there's 00:28:58.720 --> 00:29:02.019 carpet, and it means being on my knees before 00:29:02.019 --> 00:29:06.099 God is a bit softer. But I felt like, at the 00:29:06.099 --> 00:29:09.039 start of my prayer, I felt like God spoke to 00:29:09.039 --> 00:29:12.359 me, just kind of write them out, but it just 00:29:12.359 --> 00:29:15.700 wasn't on my phone. Um, so I tried thinking about 00:29:15.700 --> 00:29:18.940 who was at church that day and maybe what they 00:29:18.940 --> 00:29:23.900 may need to hear, but still no clarity. I was 00:29:23.900 --> 00:29:26.559 like, what am I going to do? So I ended up lying, 00:29:26.720 --> 00:29:31.059 did my and not, but the clarity came and I messaged 00:29:31.059 --> 00:29:35.099 him and texts and maybe they shared it with you. 00:29:35.380 --> 00:29:39.799 I don't know. But what I was reminded of that 00:29:39.799 --> 00:29:44.680 day is the power of listening. because God does 00:29:44.680 --> 00:29:50.240 want to speak to you and through you. Sometimes 00:29:50.240 --> 00:29:53.339 it isn't clear, sometimes because it's fighting 00:29:53.339 --> 00:29:57.480 through distractions, assumptions and maybe a 00:29:57.480 --> 00:30:04.400 whole bunch of fear. Are you making space in 00:30:04.400 --> 00:30:08.119 your life to hear the Spirit? Maybe you need 00:30:08.119 --> 00:30:12.200 to set aside time this week. to listen with our 00:30:12.200 --> 00:30:17.559 agenda, to book into the prayer room, to ask 00:30:17.559 --> 00:30:21.359 the Spirit to speak, and write down what you 00:30:21.359 --> 00:30:25.859 sense. This is not your Henley homework. You've 00:30:25.859 --> 00:30:28.359 already got some. But I believe that it will 00:30:28.359 --> 00:30:32.240 have a profound impact on your intimacy with 00:30:32.240 --> 00:30:38.059 God. The prophetic starts not with speaking, 00:30:38.140 --> 00:30:40.869 but with listening. You know, throughout Acts 00:30:40.869 --> 00:30:43.890 10, we've witnessed the powerful movement of 00:30:43.890 --> 00:30:46.890 the Spirit confirming God's heart, stretching 00:30:46.890 --> 00:30:51.869 His people, breaking down barriers. But all these 00:30:51.869 --> 00:30:56.789 prophetic moments point us to one person, and 00:30:56.789 --> 00:31:00.890 that is Jesus Christ. Jesus is the fulfillment 00:31:00.890 --> 00:31:04.700 of all prophecy. The Old Testament is filled 00:31:04.700 --> 00:31:08.420 with promises for shadows and glimpses of God's 00:31:08.420 --> 00:31:12.559 plan to redeem His people. Every one of those 00:31:12.559 --> 00:31:18.519 promises find a complete yes in Jesus. He's not 00:31:18.519 --> 00:31:21.960 merely a prophet who speaks God's Word. He is 00:31:21.960 --> 00:31:27.299 God's Word. He's the Word made flesh. In Jesus, 00:31:27.619 --> 00:31:32.259 God's nature, love and and plan for salvation 00:31:32.259 --> 00:31:35.859 are fully revealed. You know, this is crucial 00:31:35.859 --> 00:31:39.420 because prophecy isn't just about knowing the 00:31:39.420 --> 00:31:42.960 future and hearing a message from God, about 00:31:42.960 --> 00:31:48.980 encountering the living God in Jesus. He is the 00:31:48.980 --> 00:31:52.680 ultimate revelation. The law and the prophets, 00:31:52.680 --> 00:31:55.559 they point forward towards Him and now through 00:31:55.559 --> 00:31:58.960 His life, death and resurrection, God's salvation 00:31:58.960 --> 00:32:02.970 has come in full. You know, more than just being 00:32:02.970 --> 00:32:06.609 a fulfillment of prophecy, Jesus is the Saviour 00:32:06.609 --> 00:32:09.869 who rescues us from our sin and restores our 00:32:09.869 --> 00:32:13.710 relationship with God. His sacrifice on the cross 00:32:13.710 --> 00:32:16.930 and victorious resurrection fulfilled the hopes 00:32:16.930 --> 00:32:21.829 of every prophet. Through Jesus, the Kingdom 00:32:21.829 --> 00:32:25.950 of God breaks into our broken world, offering 00:32:25.950 --> 00:32:29.349 forgiveness and healing and new life for all. 00:32:29.900 --> 00:32:35.420 including you. The same Spirit who inspired the 00:32:35.420 --> 00:32:39.859 prophets and empowered Jesus now dwells in you, 00:32:40.539 --> 00:32:44.619 in us. This Spirit gives you the ability to not 00:32:44.619 --> 00:32:48.759 only hear God's voice, but to live as His witnesses, 00:32:49.519 --> 00:32:52.460 boldly sharing the good news and embodying His 00:32:52.460 --> 00:32:58.180 love. If you have ever wrestled with doubt, about 00:32:58.180 --> 00:33:02.420 hearing God or speaking His truth, know that 00:33:02.420 --> 00:33:08.259 the Spirit is patiently but persistently leading 00:33:08.259 --> 00:33:12.900 you into this reality. He equips us to be a part 00:33:12.900 --> 00:33:16.799 of His prophetic mission in this world. The Apostle 00:33:16.799 --> 00:33:19.400 Paul reminds us in Romans 8, for those who are 00:33:19.400 --> 00:33:22.380 led by the Spirit of God are the children of 00:33:22.380 --> 00:33:26.170 God. Being led by the Spirit means we're being 00:33:26.170 --> 00:33:29.329 drawn into God's family, transformed by His love 00:33:29.329 --> 00:33:34.390 and sent out to reflect His light. Tim Keller 00:33:34.390 --> 00:33:38.150 summarises it like this, Jesus is the ultimate 00:33:38.150 --> 00:33:41.569 prophet. He doesn't just bring the Word of God, 00:33:41.630 --> 00:33:48.069 He is the Word. And when you hear Him, you're 00:33:48.069 --> 00:33:51.180 not just being informed. Not just being informed 00:33:51.180 --> 00:33:54.920 of God's plan and truth and love, but you are 00:33:54.920 --> 00:34:01.319 being transformed. As we seek to hear God's voice 00:34:01.319 --> 00:34:06.359 and speak His truth, we must fix our eyes on 00:34:06.359 --> 00:34:09.940 Jesus, the Living Word, the fulfillment of prophecy, 00:34:10.639 --> 00:34:15.800 and our Savior. He alone is the authority and 00:34:15.800 --> 00:34:18.159 has the authority and power to change hearts 00:34:18.159 --> 00:34:21.699 and lives. Not fancy words or clever imagery 00:34:21.699 --> 00:34:25.000 or a well -timed prophetic word. It is Jesus 00:34:25.000 --> 00:34:29.400 who changes hearts and lives and He wants to 00:34:29.400 --> 00:34:33.760 do that in you. So let the power of the Spirit 00:34:33.760 --> 00:34:36.360 lead you into a deeper, more intimate relationship 00:34:36.360 --> 00:34:40.489 with Jesus. Allow Him to... transform your doubts 00:34:40.489 --> 00:34:43.550 into faith, your fear into boldness and your 00:34:43.550 --> 00:34:47.170 words into a message of hope to your families 00:34:47.170 --> 00:34:51.329 and your friends and your neighbours. This is 00:34:51.329 --> 00:34:53.809 the power of the Spirit working in us and through 00:34:53.809 --> 00:34:59.289 us, not to draw attention to ourselves, but to 00:34:59.289 --> 00:35:03.010 point others to Christ, the one who saves and 00:35:03.010 --> 00:35:08.539 sustains us. Lord, pour out your Spirit. pour 00:35:08.539 --> 00:35:16.820 out your spirit. We need you. Thanks so much 00:35:16.820 --> 00:35:19.500 for tuning into this week's message. If you've 00:35:19.500 --> 00:35:22.300 felt challenged or need prayer, we'd love to 00:35:22.300 --> 00:35:24.500 hear from you on Instagram at encounterhenley. 00:35:25.159 --> 00:35:27.440 Or if you're interested in how you can support 00:35:27.440 --> 00:35:31.380 this ministry, please go to our website encounteradelaide 00:35:31.380 --> 00:35:35.579 .com .au. Thanks again for listening. God bless 00:35:35.579 --> 00:35:35.960 you.