The Prophetic Test

Welcome to Worship in the Word with Pastor Robert Morris. We have been working our way through Pastor Roberts' From Dream to Destiny series and discussing character building tests from the life of Joseph. Similar to him, we must also pass tests on the way to our dreams in God-ordained destiny. Well, today Pastor Robert is sharing about prophecy and how to respond to prophetic words spoken over us.

This really is an eye-opening message, so let's join Pastor Robert now. We're going through a series on the life of Joseph called Dream to Destiny. God gave Joseph a dream. Every person, please hear me on this, every person has a God-given dream. God has a dream for your life. And every person has a destiny.

Let me say that another way, a destination. God has a destination in mind for you. Now, you have to understand though that when God speaks prophetically, there are some prophetic words that God speaks that are unconditional. In other words, it doesn't depend on man for these to come to pass. Let me just say this, whether you like it or not, Jesus is coming back.

Whether you're ready or not, Jesus is coming back. That's a prophetic word that is not conditional upon your response. Yet there are many, many, many prophetic words that are conditioned upon our response. Many scriptures in the Bible and 2 Chronicles is one that is just a whole two, three chapters of this. If then, if then, you'll see that, if my people which are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and turn from their wicked ways and seek my face, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will cleanse their land.

There are many things like that. So we are now, we've been talking about Joseph. God gave him a dream when he was 17. He stepped into that destiny when he was 30.

He really began to fulfill that destiny and more in his 30s and then his 40s and 50s. So we're talking about that and we've talked about the pride test and the pit test, the palace test, the purity test, the prison test. We're now, this week is the prophetic test. The prophetic test. In other words, God spoke a prophetic word over Joseph's life and then he was tested before that word came to pass. And that's what we're doing right now.

That's what we're talking about. I want you to know God has spoken a prophetic word over your life. I promise you. He has a destiny in mind for you, but you have to understand if God says this is the destination, let me give you another word for destiny, destination. Let me give you, no, here's another word, desire. This is God's desire for you. So he sets a path for you, but you need to know if you turn from that path, if you walk another way or if you even begin to walk away from God, you will not arrive at the destiny God has for you, but you will arrive at another destination and that's one that Satan has for you.

He's trying to get you off the path. So this is the prophetic test and God speaks. Please understand, God does speak. God creates by speaking. If he wants light, he says, let there be light. He doesn't have to move his hands or anything. He just speaks.

That's the way he creates. The Bible talks about that God has spoken his word over each of us, every person. He's spoken a word over you. So God has a destiny for you.

God might say over you, I want this person to be a fantastic mom and a teacher and an entrepreneur and he has a destiny for you, but you're going through a test right now where God's building and strengthening your character so that your character can support your destiny. So again, you probably thought I'd go to Psalm 39, Psalm 37 through Psalm 50 is the story of Joseph, but we're going to look at Joseph right here in Psalm 105. All right, Psalm 105 verse 17.

Psalm 105 verse 17. He sent a man before them, Joseph, who was sold as a slave. They hurt his feet with fetters. It was a real prison he was in.

He was laid in irons. Verse 19 is the key verse. Until the time that his word came to pass, the word of the Lord tested him. Until the time that his word came to pass, the word of the Lord tested him. Now remember New Testament written in Greek, Old Testament written in Hebrew, and there when you go into the original language, sometimes we only have one English word, but there could be three or four or five Hebrew words or Greek words that could be translated that word. When I saw this verse, it jumped off the page at me. And I want you to notice these little words here that are descriptive.

Until the time that his word, speaking of Joseph, until the time that his word came to pass, the word of the Lord tested him. And I looked up those two words in the Hebrew, the word word. I know this is a little, I'm talking about the word word, word, word. Okay, word. All right.

I looked them up and they're different. The first one, until the time that his word, that word for word, everyone follow me on that? That word is a very common Hebrew word. It's in the Old Testament, 1,439 times, 1,439 times.

It's very common. If you do any type of Hebrew study, you'll run across it. It's the word debar. It means spoken word. Something spoken would be a literal translation. Something spoken.

Until the time what was spoken over Joseph came to pass, the word of the Lord tested him. That word is only used a few times. It is the word Imra. And again, if you study Hebrew, you'll know this word. It means the literal word of God. The literal word of God. We would use it to refer to the scriptures. As a matter of fact, several times it refers to the Torah and he's even translated Torah, talking about the Torah. The literal word of God. It's only in the Bible 37 times. So here's what this actually says.

Listen this. Until the time that his prophetic word came to pass, the literal word of God tested him. Let me show you a few places where this word Imra in the Hebrew is. Psalm 12 verse 6 says, the words of the Lord, the literal words of the Lord are pure words.

Like silver tried in a furnace of earth purified seven times. Psalm 18 verse 30, as for God, his way is perfect. The word, the literal word of the Lord is proven. And one we all know, Psalm 19 verse 11, your word I've hidden in my heart that I might not sin against you. Until his prophetic word came to pass, the word was testing him.

Listen to me carefully. This book is testing us right now. This book tests our character. This book will determine whether what was spoken over us comes to pass.

Now, you have to understand, so many people think, well, wait a minute, if God speaks it, wouldn't it be the same as this word? Well, we're going to talk about how a prophetic word has a little difference to it than the literal word of God. Now, that word, that scripture, Psalm 105 verse 19, I read it to you in New King James, which is the version I use, but I want to read it to you in the New Living Translation because it really summarizes the entire series that we're in. Psalm 105 verse 19 in the New Living Translation says, until the time came to fulfill his dreams, the Lord tested Joseph's character. Until the time, until the time came to fulfill his dreams, the Lord tested Joseph's character.

That is the synopsis of the whole series that we're in. God tests our faith with prophetic words. He tests our character with the word. God tests our faith with prophetic words. What he speaks will test our faith, but he tests our character with his literal word, the literal word of God. So, what's the difference between this and how do we see, what do we do? If you have a prophetic word over your life, and by the way you do, whether you know it or not, what is the difference and what do you do with your prophetic word, all right? I want to tell you three things, all right?

Here's number one. I submit my word to his word. I submit my word to his word. Here's the difference between a prophetic word and the literal written word of God. Here's the difference.

There's only one difference, only one difference, the human element. And people say to me all the time, but pastor, you don't understand, I have a word from God. Here's what I want to say, uh-huh, I have a word too. And if your word doesn't line up with this word, you need to adjust your word, because this word's not adjusting.

We don't adjust this word, this word adjusts us. We see through a glass dimly, 1 Corinthians says. Let me read you another part of 1 Corinthians 13. 1 Corinthians 13 verse 9 says, for we know in part and we prophesy in part. We know in part, we prophesy in part. Well, let's just say this. Is there anyone here that knows in full? Let me say it another way. Is there anyone here that knows everything?

Okay, no. So since we don't know in full, we only know in part, we don't prophesy in full. We prophesy in part. Let me tell you what prophetic words. Prophetic words are like pieces of a puzzle. And we get a prophetic word, we kind of bring it in, but it's not the whole thing, it's not the whole loaf.

Listen, there's another piece of bread coming. And so we get another one, we get another one, and then we begin to see the picture. But we have to understand, we only prophesy in part. Many times, I have a dream on December 31st. Normally, actually it would be in the morning of January 1st, I have a lot of dreams right before I wake up. And it seems like right when I'm waking up and I'll have a dream, and then I'll pray about that dream. But nearly every year, there are a few times when I eat too much and I don't get a good dream. It's not prophetic, believe me, it's not prophetic.

But I'll have a dream sometimes that's prophetic for the year. And one time, I had this dream, and there was a pastor friend of mine that I knew driving the car, and an evangelist friend of mine sitting on this side. Matter of fact, it was Mark Job, he's one of the pastors on our staff now. He used to be an evangelist.

His daughter is Carrie Job, one of our worship pastors. So Mark is sitting here, the pastor sitting here. And I knew in the dream that Mark had just preached a message that this year was going to be a year of darkness. And the pastor said, Mark, I don't want to argue at all. But he said, I really felt like God said to me that this year would be a year of light. And Mark said, well, I wouldn't want to argue either, and I respect you very, very, very much.

I just really feel God said it would be a year of darkness. And the pastor said, well, I surely certainly don't want to argue, and I don't want to be disrespectful. They were the nicest in the dream. They're not that nice normally, I don't want you to know that. But they were nice in the dream. And they were just so sweet, I just feel like God said light. I feel like God said darkness. Well, I really feel like God said light. And I in the dream, I said, guys, hold on. I said, don't you remember the night plague in Egypt? This covered the whole land, but the children of Israel had light in their dwellings.

I said, God is saying that this is going to be a year of darkness for those who don't believe and don't receive his word, but it's going to be a year of light for those who walk in his word. That's pretty good, isn't it? Okay, so that's a dream. I didn't come up with that on my own.

Okay, I'm not that smart. But I just, it was, and I woke up and I knew it. And I knew that's what God was saying. Now, here's what we do. You understand each had a part. Each had a part. But it sounds like they're contradictory.

But they're not. And here's what we do. We hear a prophecy, this is going to be a year of darkness. We hear another prophecy, the Lord says it's going to be a year of light. And what do we do? I think this one's the right word.

I think it's going to be a year of light. Instead of saying, wait, each has a part. Are you following me? We have to understand that every word that we receive, every prophetic word, every spoken word of God is submitted to the God of the word. Let me say it another way. Every word of God is submitted to the God of the word. This book defines what God is actually saying. We have to understand that. And we have to know that God speaks over us. But there's an if and there's a then.

I'm going to make a strong statement here. I know people who will never fulfill their destiny unless they change some things in their life. Because their lives don't line up with the word of God.

Let me give you one example. I know some people who will not fulfill their destiny because they won't submit to authority. I know some people who will not fulfill their destiny because they won't get in the word for themselves. They listen to everybody else but they don't get in. They're not people of the word.

Whatever they quote, they heard someone else say it. I know some people who will not fulfill their destiny because they won't tithe. And they'll argue about it.

They'll just argue, argue, argue. But God's very, very clear on giving Him, putting Him first in your life. And if you don't, you're robbing from Him.

How in the world could a thief fulfill the destiny? So listen to me very carefully. Some of you here, you have so associated with this message, this series and you've said, yes, I have a dream from God and Pastor Rob's going to tell me how to fulfill my destiny.

Well here's what I'm telling you. Get in this book. Start doing this book. Start obeying this book. So first of all, I submit my word to His word.

Here's number two. I test my word. I test it. You say, what do you mean you test a prophetic word? Well, 1 Thessalonians 5, verses 18 through 21. Do not quench the spirit. Do not despise prophecies. Now watch what it says right after, don't despise prophecies. Test all things. In other words, test prophecies. Hold fast what is good.

We're going to come back to that. 1 Corinthians 14, verse 29. Let two or three prophets speak and let the others judge. What? Judge a prophecy?

That's exactly right. If you came in and said, I have a word from the Lord, I'd say, I'm going to judge it. I say, that might offend you. You say, yeah, but it's God. Yeah, but it came through you. See, prophecy is like shooting, squirting water through a screen, a window screen. If there's dirt in the screen, it's coming out the other side.

The water may be pure when it's coming out of the hose, but if it comes through a screen, if the screen's dirty, the water's dirty. You have to understand the reason we judge prophecy is because none of us is omniscient. None of us is infallible. Only God is infallible and we have to test the prophetic word and we have to understand it and judge it as to, is this God or not?

Now by the way, you remember, you know how you test it? It comes back to this word. Let me read you another scripture. Deuteronomy 13 verse one. If there arises among you a prophet or a dreamer of dreams and he gives you a sign or a wonder. In other words, he says, you'll know this is a true prophecy if this sign comes to pass. And the sign or the wonder comes to pass of which he spoke to you say, now listen to the prophecy. Let us go after other gods which you have not known and let us serve them. Listen to what God says. You shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams for the Lord your God is testing you to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. Here's what he says. If someone gives you a word and says, now listen, you'll know this is a word from God because here's the sign and the sign comes to pass but the word doesn't line up with this word. He said don't do it. I'm testing you.

I'm testing you. See, somebody would say, I'm going to prophesy over you and the way you'll know this word from God is it's going to rain tomorrow and then it rains. You say, well, I knew it was God. They could have watched the weather report.

Weather.com, it'll tell you. Doesn't mean it's a word from God. Or someone would say to me, well, pastor, I got this word and I know it's a word from God.

I say, well, how do you know it's a word from God? Well, they told me things that only God could know. Well, what do you mean they told you things only God could know? Well, they told me things that happened to me as a teenager. Only God knows those things. Well, hang on. The devil might have been there.

Matter of fact, if it was when you were a teenager, the devil probably was there. And I'm not saying that God doesn't do that because I've moved a lot in the prophetic. There are a lot of times that God does say things. Those things help us get our attention, but they don't confirm the word. God's word is confirmed by God's word. This is how we know that it's a true word from God. So I test the word. Anytime I get a word from God, I test the word. Can I say something? Listen, you're Christians, right? Are you?

Maybe I should check with North Richland Hills and Frisco. Okay. If you're a Christian, settle it. Sooner or later, you're going to have to read this book. Sooner or later, you've committed your life to Christ, you're going to have to read the Bible.

This is the only way. So I submit my word to His word. I test my word.

And here's number three. I hold on to my word. I hold on to my word. Now look at 1 Timothy 1.

I told you maybe to put a marker there if you're able to. 1 Timothy chapter 1, verse 18. 1 Timothy.

This is very important to read this. 1 Timothy 1, verse 18. This charge I commit to you, son Timothy, according to the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them, by the prophecies, you may wage the good warfare, having faith and a good conscience, which some, having rejected, they've rejected the prophecies over their life. They went a different way.

They strayed off the path. Concerning the faith have suffered shipwreck, of whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I delivered to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme. Now, first of all, there's a couple of important things here. This Paul talking, greatest apostle we believe that ever lived. And he said, let's listen.

There were two young men. And first of all, Timothy, you're one of my spiritual sons. I want you to hold fast to the prophecies spoken over you. And I want you take those prophecies and you wage a good warfare. But you have to receive prophecy with faith and a good conscience.

Now listen to me by the way very carefully. You receive faith by hearing the word. That's Romans 10 and 17.

That's simple. But you have a good conscience by doing the word. You can't walk in or receive the prophecies over your life if you're not going to do the word of God. So you have faith by hearing the word. You have a good conscience because if you don't walk according to the word, you will not have a good conscience. I'm not saying you lose your salvation, but you have a seared conscience. So you have to hear the word and do the word to have faith and a good conscience.

Now, he said, Timothy, I want you to do this. He said, now you know there are two young men that they rejected the prophecies over their life. They didn't receive them faith and a good conscience. They did continue to hear the word and do the word. And because of that, they suffered shipwreck.

I can't tell you how many people I know have suffered shipwreck. They're off the wrong path and they've gone the wrong way because they're not submitted to the word. And the prophecies now spoken over them are not going to come to pass unless they come back and repent.

That's the clue. And then he says this, I'm going to deliver them to Satan. He actually said, I already have. I delivered them to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme. Apparently rejecting the spoken word of God over your life is blasphemy.

It's pretty amazing. I was looking through my files and I noticed a file on my computer that I hadn't saved. My daughter, who's 20 now, was 12 at the time and she had saved it because obviously 12 years old, she didn't have her own computer, you know, so she saved it on dad's computer. But it was entitled, the file was Elaine's first prophecy. And this is what it looks like. I've got a picture where you can see it on the screen a little better maybe.

I can put that up. Elaine's first prophecy. See how she put prophecy at the top? Girls do that. But she, down at the bottom you see, she received this from Wayne Drain in 2003. But here's what I thought.

Here's a 12 year old girl. You know what she's doing? She's holding on to her prophecy. But listen to me. Let me apply Psalm 105.

Until this comes to pass, this is going to test her. That's what Psalm 105 says. Until this comes past, and everyone of you have one of these, even if you didn't write it down or even if someone didn't speak it over you, listen to me very carefully. Your father spoke it over you. When you were in the womb, your father spoke a destiny over you. That's the Bible.

But until that destiny comes to pass, this is going to test you. And I was thinking, because this last week at PINK, what a wonderful conference. But my daughter, wasn't it a great conference ladies? But my daughter is now preparing for ministry and she got up and she gave a word. And she gave a word. And she's got it. I don't know where she got it from but she's got it. But what was great was not just her delivery and her mannerisms and her technique and all that. That was good too. What was good, was the anointing was on her. And the anointing comes because she's been spending time in this book.

Until this comes to pass, this is what tests us. We want you to take a moment to think about what Pastor Robert shared today and really listen to what the Holy Spirit is saying to you. If you want to connect with us or check out some of Pastor Robert's other messages, visit pastorrobert.com. And if you haven't already, go follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter so we can be a part of your community. We're so glad that you joined us today. Next time we're continuing the series with a message about the test of power. Be sure to tune in with us then. Have a great week.