BOB: I believe that God’s looking for people who believe that prophecy is not just a ministry skill. It’s a life skill that we need today. I believe this is a generation that’s not just going to be a voice in the Church but a voice in the culture. A generation of french fry makers. A generation of homemakers. A generation of doctors and lawyers and teachers that hear God’s voice. Why? Because when God spoke the earth into existence He transformed the earth with His words and I believe He’s doing so today. Let’s pray together. Father, I thank You that You want to speak and You are speaking. And I thank You that before me and watching today are people who are called to hear Your voice and bring transformation to the culture, in Jesus’ name. Amen. Well I want to talk to you about prophecy made simple. It’s simply this. I heard someone say once prophecy is just saying what God says. Which is true. But it’s only half the story. Because prophecy is not only saying but it’s actually seeing and then saying. You are created to see the way that God sees and when you see how God sees then you’ll actually say what God says. In fact you could say correctly but see incorrectly and you’d actually give wrong word. And God wants to teach us how to speak and see the way He sees. And the way I teach prophecy is this. Some people teach it as a New Testament gift that everyone could do it. I believe that it’s true absolutely and we need to teach it that way. Some teach it as an Old Covenant or from the Old Covenant scriptures the way that God spoke through individuals. I think it’s valid and I think we need to teach it both ways. The way I like to learn stuff is from the beginning. If you can understand how God spoke from the beginning you can understand how God’s speaking now. And I believe you’re going to learn that. In Genesis chapter 1, verses 1 through 5, I believe are the keys. If you know… if I had just Genesis 1, 1 through 5 I could do everything that I do. I could hear God’s voice clearly in my life. Because in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. And the Bible says the earth was formless. Everybody say “formless.”
AUDIENCE: Formless.
BOB: That means it was in a chaotic state. Anybody know…see chaos in the world today? Anybody see a lot of disorder today? What was God’s solution to chaos? To speak “Let there be light.” It was formless it was empty. Everybody say “empty.”
AUDIENCE: Empty.
BOB: Do you know some people have emptiness in their life spiritually, relationally, financially? I believe that God can give you a word that can help fill that emptiness in their life. And the Bible says that the earth was dark. Everybody say “dark.”
AUDIENCE: Dark.
BOB: There’s no strategy. There’s no vision. There’s no direction. One word from God can bring direction in all those ways. What did God do when the earth was in that condition? The Bible says the spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the deep. You know if you got a… if you’re going to change something you ö e got to get close to it. So proximity has to happen before proclamation. And I believe that God is putting us in a place where He wants to bring us into proximity to chaos and some of you are saying man I just wish I could get rid of this chaos. No. God’s saying shift the chaos into order with my word. Right?
AUDIENCE: Hallelujah! (CLAPPING)
BOB: And some of you are saying man, I’ve just, I’ve got so much emptiness in my life and God’s saying you have what’s inside of you because what was God’s solution to this? It says “And God said let there be light.” Right? Everybody say “Let there be.”
AUDIENCE: Let there be.
BOB: Well the words “Let there be light” there are literally just a proclamation. “Light Be.” And where did the light come from? It was Him. He was light. Everything was in Him. In fact Colossians1says that: All things were created by Him for Him and in Him were all things both visible and invisible they were created by Him or held together by Him. That’s incredible. So when God was speaking “Let there be light” what he was actually saying is “Light in Me be in chaos.” “Light in Me be in darkness.” “Light in Me be in emptiness.” You see when we release the words of God over people’s lives what we’re doing is we’re actually releasing part of who God is. When I speak His word I’m releasing His essence, His power. In fact Paul describes it later on in the New Testament like this. He said there’s a mystery that’s been hidden from the foundation of the world and that is Christ in you is the hope of glory. It’s hidden from the foundation of the world. What does that tell me? It tells me that from the foundation of the world God’s solution to chaos, emptiness and darkness was by taking what was in Him and putting it into the earth. And this mystery has been from the foundation of the world but being revealed now through His people that Christ in you, light in you is the hope of for chaos. Light in you is the hope for darkness. Light in you is the hope for emptiness. Right? And so I like to say it this way. Christ is in you and He’s hoping to get out of you. All right?
AUDIENCE: (LAUGHTER)
BOB: Turn to somebody and say “Christ is in you.”
AUDIENCE: Christ is in you.
BOB: “And He’s hoping to get out of you!”
AUDIENCE: And He’s hoping to get out of you!
