by Tom Flaherty.

We all know the Old Testament Scripture that Peter quoted on the Day of Pentecost: “In the last days, God says, I will pour out My Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy…” (Acts 2:17).

Apparently, when the Holy Spirit comes, He comes speaking. To despise prophecy, Paul teaches in 1 Thessalonians 5:19, is equivalent to quenching the Holy Spirit.

But it is easy to despise the prophetic, because it is much more like art than science. Some prophets make it seem as if they have a hotline to heaven. So many questionable things have been done in the name of “God says…” that it is understandable for many in the body of Christ to want to limit what God says to the written Word only.

The church at Corinth was abusing spiritual gifts. Yet, it is interesting that Paul did not say, “Okay, shut the gifts down for a while.” Rather, he devoted a whole chapter (1 Corinthians 14) to the need of the prophetic. The first verse of that chapter says we are to “earnestly desire spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy.” So it is very clear that the presence of spiritual gifts is not the problem, but only the lack of pastoring them.

Here are a couple of reasons why we as pastors should earnestly desire spiritual gifts, and especially that messy gift of the prophetic.

God has given us the keys to open up His kingdom.
It’s not common sense that we need, or copying a successful idea from someone else, so much as we need a word from the Lord. Shortly after Jesus told Peter he was giving him the keys of the kingdom, He rebuked him for being a stumbling block (Matthew 16:17-23). Pastor, you have the power to be a key in God’s hand, opening up the kingdom to people or you have the power as a leader to get in the way of God’s plan. Jesus called Peter “Satan” and then revealed how Satan had gained influence in one of his leaders: “You are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but man’s” (v. 23).

Every time we bring our own interests to the table and our own ideas of how to do God’s work, we are getting in his way. Jesus said, “I will build my church …” and He is pretty insistent on it. He wants us to be so desperate that we will wait for a word from Him, even if it doesn’t come in the nice neat little package we’d like.

Our churches need the surprise of God.
The number-one problem in most of our churches is not immorality or relativism. It’s boredom. Yet, wherever Jesus went people got healed, saved, delivered-or angry. No one was bored.

On my way back from Toronto years ago, I was deeply troubled about how God was moving there. The manifestations seemed so dangerous, even though I knew that many were genuine. I was reminding God that his people are sheep, and sheep don’t eat when they’re afraid.

He directed me to Luke 11:11-13, which says, “Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

I felt God ask me a question about gifts. “Why aren’t your children afraid of the gifts you have for them?” (I was bringing gifts from Canada for each of my four children.)

It wasn’t because I would explain the gifts before I gave them out. It wasn’t because I would leave them unwrapped so they would know exactly what they were getting. No, it was because they trusted me. My love for them made the gifts safe even though they wouldn’t know what was in the packages.

God whispered to me something like this: “I want My church safe because of love, but you guys [leaders in the church] have sought to make it safe through control. You’ve taken the surprise out of church.”

God wants to give the Holy Spirit in fresh ways to those who ask and keep asking. It’s not a one-time gift, but many different gifts if we will make an environment where He can move.

Pastors are not called to control God. Instead, they are called to pastor people. If you and I do not unapologetically pastor the prophetic, we and our people will end up despising it. 1 Thessalonians 5:19-21 says, “Do not quench the Spirit; do not despise prophetic utterances. But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good.” In other words, don’t treat the prophetic as if it is so holy it can’t be questioned. On the other hand, don’t look at it cynically, as if God would never speak “that way” or through “that person.” Instead, examine everything with a heart that believes God speaks but also believes that people are people. Find the good that God is speaking.

Prophecy often has a little “hamburger helper” mixed in with it that needs to be discerned and discarded. You and I are there to help people do that. If we don’t, our church will be unsafe for the prophetic–either because people are afraid of God speaking today, or because our church has become a free-for-all where confusion reigns and God’s Name is cheapened by all that He supposedly is saying.

How can we make a safe environment for the prophetic in our churches?

1. Help people establish their identity in Jesus instead of in hearing God. A person who has a reputation for hearing God can take it very personally when you judge their word. But the highest identity is not to be known as “the prophet” but “the beloved.” John the Revelator saw and spoke amazing things, but he still referred to himself as “the disciple Jesus loved.” That is our highest identity and the only one that keeps us safe.

2. Help people cultivate a healthy skepticism of their own words. There are three possible sources of any word or experience we have: God, Satan, or ourselves. Whenever we already have an opinion, it should be illegal to use a prophetic word to confirm it. “What do you know, God just told me that my opinion is right and we’re all supposed to do it!” That’s using God to manipulate your own agenda. Watch out! How many words have young men “received” about a young woman they’re already in love with. These are highly suspicious words to start with, and very dangerous when paraded over the poor girl’s head.

Also, just because you’re Spirit-filled doesn’t mean you are immune to demonic experiences. Satan tries to slip in dreams/visions/impressions that plant suspicions, fears or unbelief in us. We need to judge everything by what Paul called the marks of the kingdom: “righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Romans 14:17). If the dream, vision or word brings the opposite, then it’s probably from the wrong kingdom. Just because it “seems real” doesn’t mean it’s God. Spit it out and move on.

3. Share genuine prophetic words from the pulpit–your own and others. Don’t let cynicism be the culture in your church. People need the Bible, they need illustrations that relate, they need us to be vulnerable and share weakness-but they also need glory stories that put a hunger in them for more of God. Last week, for example, I shared about baseball player Josh Hamilton’s dream just after he got off drugs that someday he would be in a home run derby at Yankee Stadium. The people cheered and were stirred afresh at how alive God is and how he can speak to anyone and change their life.

4. Explain the three parts of any prophecy: information, interpretation, and application. When any of the three are wrong, you can have an explosion. Many people have been part of these explosions and are now afraid. We need to come beside them, help them see where it went wrong, and help them to learn how to do it right.

5. Help people move away from “God says” to “I think God is saying” or “I have an impression.” People need room to judge; when we’re dogmatic, they feel trapped. If a word is really from God, it won’t matter how it’s packaged.

6. Be clear about the ground rules for corrective prophecies. Sometimes the only reason God shares something corrective about a person or a church is for the purpose of prayer. If He wants us to share something stern with someone, we need to be very careful that we’re doing it for their sake, to win our brother-not for our sake, to beat our brother.

A corrective word shouldn’t ever be shared in the general congregation unless it is first shared with the leadership in private. If the word is confirmed by the leadership, then they are the ones who should bring it to the congregation and allow the church to respond together.

Let us never forget what Revelation 2-3 says multiple times: “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” It takes great humility and faith as a leader to really listen for God instead of just doing business as usual.

Tom Flaherty is Lead Pastor of City Church in Madison, Wisconsin.