Francis Chan: What Jesus Says About End Times Events (Part 2)

Sermon Summary

Main Message

This message emphasizes the importance of prophecy and its connection to God's character. It highlights the dangers of making false prophecies, as seen in Deuteronomy 18:20-22, where prophets who speak in God's name but do not fulfill their predictions are put to death. The passage also critiques the casual attitude towards prophecy in modern times, where people claim to speak for God without being held accountable for their words.

The teaching stresses that true prophecy is concrete and can be verified through its accuracy. It contrasts with blind faith or feelings, which are insufficient to establish a person's claims. Instead, prophecy should be based on the ability to predict future events with certainty, as demonstrated by God in Isaiah 41:21-24 and Isaiah 42:8.

The sermon also addresses the issue of idol worship and the tendency to attribute divine power to false gods or idols. It emphasizes that true God is unique and cannot be compared to other deities (Isaiah 44:6). The message concludes by highlighting the importance of testing prophecy against its ability to predict future events with accuracy, rather than relying on blind faith or emotions.

Key Scripture References

• Deuteronomy 18:20-22 - This passage sets a high standard for prophets who claim to speak in God's name. If their predictions do not come true, they are put to death, emphasizing the importance of accountability and accuracy in prophecy.
• Isaiah 41:21-24 - In this passage, God challenges idols to demonstrate their power by predicting future events. Since they fail to do so, it confirms God's uniqueness and ability to predict the future with certainty.
• Isaiah 42:8 - This verse emphasizes God's exclusivity as the one true God, who cannot be compared to other deities. It also highlights God's ability to foretell future events and establish a track record of accuracy.
• Isaiah 44:6 - This passage reiterates God's uniqueness and inability to be compared to other gods. It challenges people to demonstrate the power of their idols by predicting future events with certainty, which they inevitably fail to do.

Key Points

• Prophecy is a concrete demonstration of God's power and ability to predict future events with accuracy.
• False prophets who make predictions that do not come true are put to death (Deuteronomy 18:20-22).
• Idol worship is a common phenomenon, but it is based on false gods or idols that cannot demonstrate their power by predicting future events.
• True God is unique and cannot be compared to other deities (Isaiah 44:6).
• The ability to predict future events with accuracy is a key characteristic of true prophecy.

Implications

This message has significant implications for the way people approach prophecy and their understanding of God's character. It emphasizes the importance of accountability, accuracy, and concreteness in prophecy, rather than relying on blind faith or emotions. The teaching also challenges people to examine their own beliefs and practices, particularly with regard to idol worship and the tendency to attribute divine power to false gods or idols. Ultimately, it encourages people to seek a deeper understanding of God's character and to test prophecy against its ability to predict future events with accuracy.