Apostle. Prophet. Evangelist. Shepherd. And Teacher. God has given these amazing gifts to the Church (Ephesians 4:1-13). Far too often we try to sum up leadership in the Church under the catchall title “pastor”, but what if God has a bigger picture for the equipping of the Church? What could local expressions of the Body of Christ look like organized around the gifts God has given us?

This week our conversation focused in on Prophets.

Prophets are the heart revealers of the community. The truth tellers. The ones that expose and call us towards our true humanity as image bearers of God.

Prophets: Expose and Embody. Prophets expose false claims to authority and power, demonstrating how they are not able to keep their promises and uncovering the direction their claims will take us if there is no repentance. They also embody a counterculture community, calling people to live under God’s reign. They have a passion for social justice and seek to cultivate a liberating environment, liberating people from personal sins, speaking truth to power and social sins. We might call them “heart revealers” because they reveal the heart of God and the heart of the people. Prophets call the church to God’s new social order and help the congregation to stand with the poor and oppressed. 

Immaturity for the Prophet: Prophets in the adolescence stage, tend to be cynical, angry, judgmental, pretentious, self-righteous and arrogant. Have you ever encounter a prophet at this stage? Prophets in early developmental stages are great at deconstructing– everything. And because they see so clearly what “could be” and how “current realities” fall drastically short, living in this tension squeezes anger out of them. They can often be stubborn and argumentative in the face of unfamiliar information. A Prophet can be judgmental in sizing others up. Holds grudges against others. They often ta lk about their perspective as though it was simply “the truth” and feel they have to point out every inconsistency they see. It is likely that they have a hard time extending grace to people that irritate them or live in a way that offends them. They can attach to idealistic expectations about how things “should be” and get bitter when they don’t pan out. Prophets tend to isolate themselves when things are difficult. 

Formational Learning:

(Head)

• What benefits and drawbacks could come from activating Prophets within FōS?

(Heart)

• Do you see yourself in the gift of the Prophet? If yes in what ways and what about the gift resonated with you? If no do you know someone who fits the description either mature or immature?

(Hands)

• What practices could allow us to equip, empower, and facilitate Prophets in our community?