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1) To Build Up the Church of Jesus Christ

(1 Cor. 14:12, 26)

The purpose of prophetic ministry isn’t to honor men, but to equip and build up the Body of Christ through messages that strengthen, build, edify, encourage, exhort, console, and comfort her. These words represent a cross-section of the various translations of 1 Corinthians 14:3 that highlights this command. The singular direction from Paul regarding any prophetic message is the same: Love the Church.

He interrupted his own exposition on the gifts in 1 Corinthians 12 and 14 with a passionate plea to love the Church and one another, above all else, in 1 Corinthians 13. Without love, prophecy is a clanging cymbal and nothingness (1 Cor. 13:1-2).

A dear friend once challenged me that the prophetic gift will not be perfected in us until His love for the Church is perfected in us. Any accuracy in predictions, discernment of spirits, consistent words of knowledge, or anointing to impart wisdom is entirely pointless without His love infusing every spoken syllable. It is nothing. It’s a mirage of ministry propped up by presumption and pride.

Just as in preaching, if we aspire to any hope of legitimacy in prophetic ministry, we must root out any treasonous, self-promoting motive, throw it on the altar of His mercy, and cry out to the Holy Spirit for a fresh revelation of His love for the Church.

This common yearning for authenticity in our love for the Church would be further validated in extending the right hand of fellowship toward each other.

We must endeavor pastorally and prophetically to strengthen, build, edify, encourage, exhort, console, and comfort each other as different, but equally important, members of the Body of Christ. There are certainly false teachers and prophets everywhere in the Church to discourage such an effort, but the failure of others’ integrity should not excuse our own in any way.

Genuine preaching and prophetic ministry is demonstrated as Jesus said in John 13:35, “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

In true preaching and prophetic ministry, we are first heralds of the holy love of God to His Church in our generation. I’m confident that a growing unity between the pastoral and prophetic ministry within the Church will have the same effect Paul intended for all the gifts, especially prophecy—encouragement, edification, and comfort.

2) A Sign of God’s Manifest Presence (1 Cor. 14:25)

There is one more distinction of true prophecy and its purpose setting it apart from all other gifts and ministries that the apostle Paul highlights for us in 1 Cor.14:22b-25:

...prophecy is a sign not for unbelievers but for believers. If, therefore, the whole church comes together and all speak in tongues, and outsiders or unbelievers enter, will they not say that you are out of your minds? But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or outsider enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all, the secrets of his heart are disclosed, and so, falling on his face, he will worship God and declare that God is really among you.

True prophecy manifested in the church is intended to be a sign for believers (:22b) and unbelievers (:23) that God is really among us. The purpose of people gathering in a building each week to sing and listen to preaching about letters written thousands of years ago, is a stretch for most people. Common to unbelievers, I’m sure there are times when believers waver on the purpose of this weekly routine as well; especially when they don’t feel close to God.

The worship and preaching can certainly be anointed and helpful to restore our sense of God’s presence, but Paul says that when true prophecy comes forth it will produce a visceral reaction that causes people to hit the floor exclaiming, “God is REALLY among you!”

When anointed prophecy comes by the Spirit, there is an unmistakable sense that God Himself is there and using an imperfect person to speak to His people.

This may not be something you’ve experienced before, or maybe you’ve observed men who’ve turned prophecy into a self-serving sideshow, but Paul states that true prophecy is a sign of God’s immediate and manifested presence among His people.

Believers receive the sign of encouragement, edification, and comfort because they aren’t surprised by His presence. They already believed He is there. However, for the doubter or unbeliever who isn’t sure, or doesn’t know at all, they will be unable to contain themselves and will proclaim what everyone else already knows when true prophecy comes, “God is REALLY among you!”

The difference in the response of the believer and unbeliever is expectation. We must always gather as believers expecting the presence of God to be active, and true prophecy is a stated, biblical manifestation of His presence.

This is the Father’s heart for His Church. He wants true prophetic ministry operating in the local church as another confirmation that He is really among us. God is delighted to be among His people, and true prophecy is a sign to His Church of that unchanging truth.

Do you see why it’s critical we have prophecy in the local church as the days grow darker in the world? Not as something that seeks to entertain us like a psychic reading; not as something that competes with preaching for superiority in the service; not as something that we have to fear because the gift is poorly understood, received, and delivered; not as something that is man-centered; but as a sign of His presence among us that draws our attention and affection to Him.

Whether corporately or individually, I am more amazed than ever at how a single prophetic message offered in obedience to God, under the anointing of the Holy Spirit, at the appropriate time can strengthen the saddened soul, restore hope to the hopeless, and build faith in the faithless. The Church needs to know His manifest presence of love, faithfulness, and encouragement to endure through the gifts...especially prophecy.