Prophetic Preachers
We need prophetic preachers with a gift of prophecy to interpret the present and guide us in our times.
A.W. Tozer emphasizes the urgent need for prophetic preachers who possess the gift of discernment and spiritual insight to understand the times and convey God's message to the people. He argues that while scholars can analyze the past, it takes prophets to interpret the present and guide the church in its current context. Tozer calls for leaders who have experienced divine visions and heard God's voice, urging a return to the prophetic tradition that can navigate the complexities of modern life. He highlights the importance of seeing beyond surface-level events to grasp the deeper spiritual realities at play. Tozer concludes with a prayer for the gift of prophetic insight to lead effectively in today's world.
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Of the sons of Issachar who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do, their chiefs were two hundred.... --1 Chronicles 12:32
A prophet is one who knows his times and what God is trying to say to the people of his times....
Today we need prophetic preachers; not preachers of prophecy merely, but preachers with a gift of prophecy. The word of wisdom is missing. We need the gift of discernment again in our pulpits. It is not ability to predict that we need, but the anointed eye, the power of spiritual penetration and interpretation, the ability to appraise the religious scene as viewed from God's position, and to tell us what is actually going on....
Where is the man who can see through the ticker tape and confetti to discover which way the parade is headed, why it started in the first place and, particularly, who is riding up front in the seat of honor?...
What is needed desperately today is prophetic insight. Scholars can interpret the past; it takes prophets to interpret the present. Learning will enable a man to pass judgment on our yesterdays, but it requires a gift of clear seeing to pass sentence on our own day....
Another kind of religious leader must arise among us. He must be of the old prophet type, a man who has seen visions of God and has heard a voice from the Throne. Of God and Men, 19-22.
"Lord, I pray for that gift of prophetic insight. Move me beyond the knowledge You've enabled me to gain through education, reading, and study. I pray that I might lead as one 'who has seen visions of God and has heard a voice from the throne.' Amen."
Sermon Outline
- The Need for Prophetic Preachers
- The Gift of Discernment
- The Importance of Prophetic Insight
- Scholars can interpret the past, but it takes prophets to interpret the present
- We need a gift of clear seeing to pass sentence on our own day
- To tell us what is actually going on
Key Quotes
“A prophet is one who knows his times and what God is trying to say to the people of his times.” — A.W. Tozer
“We need the gift of discernment again in our pulpits.” — A.W. Tozer
“Scholars can interpret the past; it takes prophets to interpret the present.” — A.W. Tozer
Application Points
- We need to pray for the gift of prophetic insight to guide us in our times.
- We should seek to appraise the religious scene from God's position, rather than just relying on our own knowledge and education.
- We need to look for leaders who have seen visions of God and heard a voice from the throne.