WEBVTT 00:00:04.046 --> 00:00:08.875 Turn in your Bibles to the book of Acts, chapter 2. 00:00:08.875 --> 00:00:10.305 Let's plunge right into it. 00:00:10.305 --> 00:00:11.724 Acts chapter 2. 00:00:11.724 --> 00:00:20.086 This is our main text. 00:00:20.086 --> 00:00:31.565 I'll be looking in many scriptures this morning, but let's look and start here in these familiar words that Luke records when the day of Pentecost. 00:00:31.565 --> 00:00:33.530 Acts chapter 2, verse 1. 00:00:33.530 --> 00:01:05.653 When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place and suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a rushing, mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting and divided tongues as a fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. 00:01:05.653 --> 00:01:07.805 Let's read verse 4 again. 00:01:07.805 --> 00:01:17.774 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. 00:01:17.774 --> 00:01:24.405 Father, this morning I join my prayer to Derek's and we ask you to move in the assembly. 00:01:24.405 --> 00:01:25.909 Lord, god, use these words. 00:01:25.909 --> 00:01:33.641 Lord, visit us afresh. 00:01:33.641 --> 00:01:34.063 Visit us afresh. 00:01:34.063 --> 00:01:35.808 Let these words happen this morning here at Trinity Community Church. 00:01:35.808 --> 00:01:42.908 Let there be a new filling of the spirit, lord, a renewed filling of the spirit, and let the spirit give us utterance In Jesus' name. 00:01:42.908 --> 00:01:45.394 And everyone said Amen. 00:01:46.680 --> 00:01:48.188 Most of you know my testimony. 00:01:48.188 --> 00:01:53.591 I came to faith in Jesus in 1971, living in South Florida. 00:01:53.591 --> 00:02:05.792 I was accosted by my older brother who was a drug addict, who met the Lord in 1970, and was relentlessly pursuing me and preaching the gospel to me day and night. 00:02:05.792 --> 00:02:25.711 And he dragged me to a gospel meeting one night in 1971 against my will by the way, it's okay to drag people against their will and I thought I'd go because I would pick up girls and score some marijuana most of which thankfully didn't happen. 00:02:25.711 --> 00:02:33.032 But I heard the gospel and scales fell from my eyes and I had a powerful encounter with Jesus. 00:02:33.032 --> 00:02:38.252 I tell people you know a lot of people's testimony is I was messed up, I met Jesus. 00:02:38.252 --> 00:02:39.020 Now I'm fine. 00:02:39.020 --> 00:02:41.885 My testimony was I'm fine, I met Jesus. 00:02:41.885 --> 00:02:42.728 I messed up. 00:02:42.728 --> 00:02:45.933 And I still haven't recovered from that night. 00:02:45.933 --> 00:03:06.789 One of the things you don't know is a couple of weeks after that we had a baptism in the Atlantic Ocean in Miami Beach, florida, and I was baptized in water that night, that day, in the Atlantic Ocean, and then, after I came up out of the water, my pastor approached me and said do you want to receive the Holy Ghost? 00:03:06.789 --> 00:03:17.614 And I got afraid because the only ghost I knew was Casper and I was, at that point, hungry for everything God had. 00:03:17.614 --> 00:03:19.340 I hope you know a lot of people. 00:03:19.340 --> 00:03:29.325 They get hung up on the gifts, they get offended, but the truth is, if you're hungry for God, you want everything he has, even if you don't understand it. 00:03:29.325 --> 00:03:33.837 And I was hungry for God and so I said yes. 00:03:33.837 --> 00:03:50.325 So my pastor and others in the church came around and laid their hands on me and began to pray for me to receive the spirit, and from the inner depths of my being arose words that I had never spoken before, and I gave utterance to them. 00:03:50.325 --> 00:03:55.563 I began speaking in another language and ever since that day I've spoken in tongues. 00:03:55.563 --> 00:03:59.252 This other language has been an important part of my prayer life. 00:03:59.252 --> 00:04:02.001 Now we are in a series. 00:04:02.001 --> 00:04:04.382 As Derek reminded us, we're in a series called Encounter. 00:04:04.382 --> 00:04:04.862 Now we are in a series. 00:04:04.862 --> 00:04:06.024 As Derek reminded us, we're in a series called Encounter. 00:04:06.024 --> 00:04:10.667 When I'm not here, I get to listen to the messages and I've been staying up with the series. 00:04:11.167 --> 00:04:24.916 It's the study of the person and work of the third person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit, and no study of the Spirit would be complete without looking at what happened to the followers of Jesus when they encountered the Holy Spirit. 00:04:24.916 --> 00:04:32.846 It's not the only thing that happened, but it happened to them frequently that we need to look at it. 00:04:32.846 --> 00:04:33.887 And that is when they received the Holy Spirit. 00:04:33.887 --> 00:04:35.913 They spoke with other tongues. 00:04:35.913 --> 00:04:40.988 So we can't ignore this if we're going to be faithful to Scripture. 00:04:41.470 --> 00:04:47.264 There are probably two types of people, each reacting differently when they hear any mention of speaking in tongues. 00:04:47.264 --> 00:04:52.704 First are those who focus almost exclusively on tongues when it comes to the Holy Spirit. 00:04:52.704 --> 00:04:57.766 For them, speaking in tongues is the evidence that one has received the Holy Spirit. 00:04:57.766 --> 00:05:04.827 They learn to put all their emphasis on speaking with tongues and tend to I say tend to downplay the other gifts. 00:05:04.827 --> 00:05:19.920 And, by the way, tongues is a beautiful gift, but there's so much more that Father has in his storehouse for us. 00:05:19.920 --> 00:05:25.860 But the second group are those who don't want anything to do with tongues. 00:05:25.860 --> 00:05:27.923 The whole subject freaks them out and makes them uncomfortable. 00:05:27.923 --> 00:05:32.072 They're afraid that if they speak with tongues it will turn them into a blabbing idiot. 00:05:32.072 --> 00:05:38.901 People have that fear. 00:05:38.901 --> 00:05:39.262 They really do. 00:05:39.262 --> 00:05:40.504 But I want to share something I didn't realize myself. 00:05:40.504 --> 00:05:41.264 It was from the Pew Research Center. 00:05:41.264 --> 00:05:46.612 It found that 18% of Americans spoke in tongues at least several times a year. 00:05:46.612 --> 00:05:48.836 Isn't that amazing? 00:05:48.836 --> 00:05:55.709 And this morning I really want to help both groups, but I want to help those who are freaked out by the whole topic. 00:05:56.120 --> 00:06:01.673 I want to encourage you so that you seek this gift because it is exceedingly precious. 00:06:01.673 --> 00:06:08.345 And, by the way, you may be here and you've undergone difficulty because you were under false teaching. 00:06:08.345 --> 00:06:12.341 Maybe you were under teaching that said these gifts have passed away. 00:06:12.341 --> 00:06:16.194 That's called secessionism and it is biblically inaccurate. 00:06:16.194 --> 00:06:20.425 These gifts are as needed today as they were 2,000 years ago. 00:06:20.425 --> 00:06:22.488 They're important. 00:06:22.488 --> 00:06:30.026 They're tools in the toolbox that we need to preach the gospel and to demonstrate the reality of the kingdom. 00:06:30.026 --> 00:06:32.591 So I don't want you to be freaked out. 00:06:32.591 --> 00:06:38.862 I want you to be comfortable with what scripture says, and I'm not going to say anything beyond what scripture says. 00:06:38.862 --> 00:06:49.913 I want you to be comfortable with what scripture says, because scripture has a lot to say about it, more than you realize at first, and I hope to encourage you that you'll seek to speak with other tongues. 00:06:49.913 --> 00:06:54.370 It will be the greatest boom to your prayer life you've ever experienced. 00:06:54.370 --> 00:06:57.526 First, let's put things in context. 00:06:57.586 --> 00:07:06.074 The writer of Acts was none other than Luke, who also wrote the Gospel of Luke and in the verses we read Acts 2, 1 through 4,. 00:07:06.074 --> 00:07:11.091 Luke tells us what happened when the 120 disciples were filled with the Spirit. 00:07:11.091 --> 00:07:12.745 Remember how he opens this book. 00:07:12.745 --> 00:07:21.160 He started with Luke's account of a 40-day period in which the resurrected Jesus taught the disciples about the kingdom. 00:07:21.160 --> 00:07:27.826 And these men were Jews who were taught that when Messiah came he would restore the kingdom to Israel. 00:07:27.826 --> 00:07:32.665 And they asked him when they gathered is this the time you'll do so? 00:07:32.665 --> 00:07:39.427 After all, they're still living under Roman occupation, so in their minds the kingdom has still not come. 00:07:39.427 --> 00:07:42.173 And Jesus answered listen to his words. 00:07:42.173 --> 00:07:44.826 It is not for you to know times and seasons. 00:07:44.826 --> 00:07:54.434 Would you please tell your favorite prophecy teacher that it is not for you to know the times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. 00:07:54.434 --> 00:08:05.314 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, judea, samaria, to the other parts of the earth. 00:08:05.314 --> 00:08:10.567 So they gathered together in the upper room and obeyed Jesus and waited in prayer. 00:08:10.567 --> 00:08:15.088 They knew they were going to receive what Jesus called the promise of the Father. 00:08:15.449 --> 00:08:23.646 In the four gospels, john the Baptist made the announcement that when Messiah appears, he will baptize them in the Holy Spirit and fire. 00:08:23.646 --> 00:08:30.555 He also told them to stay in the city until you're clothed with power from on high. 00:08:30.555 --> 00:08:36.231 Then he led them out as far as Bethany and, lifting up his hands, he blessed them. 00:08:36.231 --> 00:08:40.791 While he blessed them, he parted from them and was carried up into heaven. 00:08:40.791 --> 00:08:44.727 And this is called, in theological terms, the ascension. 00:08:44.727 --> 00:09:06.384 The ascension, and it was a fulfillment of Daniel, chapter seven, verse 13, where Daniel says I saw in the night visions and beholds, with the clouds of heaven, there came one like a son of man, and he came to the ancient of days and was presented before him and to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom. 00:09:06.384 --> 00:09:25.692 That this is not a prophecy about the second coming here, but the enthronement of the Messiah on the throne of heaven, the majesty on high. 00:09:25.692 --> 00:09:28.149 He was brought to the ancient of days. 00:09:28.149 --> 00:09:30.226 Daniel's not prophesying his return. 00:09:30.226 --> 00:09:37.169 He's prophesying how, when he finished his ministry, he ascended and sat down at the right hand of God. 00:09:39.760 --> 00:09:44.172 But Acts 2.1 says when the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. 00:09:44.172 --> 00:09:44.985 Why was the Holy Spirit poured out on the day of Pentecost arrived? 00:09:44.985 --> 00:09:45.307 They were all together in one place. 00:09:45.307 --> 00:09:49.211 Why was the Holy Spirit poured out on the day of Pentecost. 00:09:49.211 --> 00:09:50.986 Why that particular day? 00:09:50.986 --> 00:10:05.794 Well, pentecost was vitally connected to the Passover, and in Leviticus 23.15, it says this you shall count seven full weeks from the day after the Sabbath. 00:10:05.794 --> 00:10:17.067 From that Sunday of Passover week, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering, you shall count 50 days to the day after the Sabbath, seventh Sabbath. 00:10:17.067 --> 00:10:23.225 So it's 50 days or seven Sabbaths to the day after the Sabbath of Passover week. 00:10:24.269 --> 00:10:32.428 That's the day that the Holy Spirit fell on the church and it's called the Feast of Weeks or the Feast of Harvest. 00:10:32.428 --> 00:10:36.221 It's also the first harvest of the year. 00:10:36.221 --> 00:10:44.668 It's one of the three feasts that God commanded Israel, every male Israelite, to journey to Jerusalem three times a year to keep these feasts. 00:10:44.668 --> 00:10:50.591 One was Pesach, passover, the other is Shavuot, which was Pentecost. 00:10:50.591 --> 00:10:54.390 So when someone asks you if you're a Pentecostal, tell them no, I'm a Shavuot. 00:10:54.390 --> 00:10:56.586 That will really confuse them. 00:10:56.586 --> 00:11:04.491 And that's why Luke tells us there were Jews gathered from every nation under heaven. 00:11:04.491 --> 00:11:22.488 And Luke tells us that while they were gathered in the upper room, suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind and it filled the entire house where they were sitting, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. 00:11:23.441 --> 00:11:34.035 Now one of the mistakes people made is they suggest that they weren't speaking in other languages, the disciples, but people heard them speaking in other languages. 00:11:34.035 --> 00:11:35.759 But that's clearly not true. 00:11:35.759 --> 00:11:39.350 They were clearly speaking in various known languages. 00:11:39.350 --> 00:11:41.361 And it says in Acts 2.11,. 00:11:41.361 --> 00:11:47.047 It says in Acts 2.11, we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God. 00:11:47.047 --> 00:11:52.111 So it's clear in Acts 2 that they were speaking in known languages. 00:11:52.111 --> 00:11:56.475 They had never languages they had never known, but were actual languages. 00:11:56.475 --> 00:12:03.089 And we'll see shortly when we look at 1 Corinthians 14, that tongues are not always known languages. 00:12:03.089 --> 00:12:07.946 So don't make the mistake of assuming people do that because they were known languages. 00:12:08.225 --> 00:12:12.227 In the book of Acts, chapter 2, that tongues are always known languages. 00:12:12.227 --> 00:12:13.384 It's not the truth. 00:12:13.384 --> 00:12:16.730 The truth is sometimes they're unknown languages. 00:12:16.730 --> 00:12:25.527 In Acts 10, peter was at Cornelius' house and the only other people who were there was Cornelius' family and Peter and his companions. 00:12:25.527 --> 00:12:30.792 No need for them to speak in known languages, for they would have all understood each other. 00:12:30.792 --> 00:12:36.140 And it says, while Peter was still saying these things, he's preaching in the middle of his message. 00:12:36.481 --> 00:12:46.826 The Holy Spirit fell on all who heard his word and the believers from among the circumcised who had come with Peter were amazed because the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured. 00:12:46.826 --> 00:12:48.668 And there's one other incident in Acts, chapter 19. 00:12:48.668 --> 00:13:02.673 Paul comes across 12 disciples from Ephesus in Ephesus and he preached the gospel to them. 00:13:02.673 --> 00:13:09.929 And when Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them and they began speaking in tongues and prophesying. 00:13:09.929 --> 00:13:20.350 What we find in this is that most cases in the book of Acts, people spoke in tongues when they received the Holy Spirit. 00:13:20.350 --> 00:13:22.600 Not always, but in most cases. 00:13:22.600 --> 00:13:25.433 So we can safely say that speaking in tongues is an evidence of the receiving of the Spirit Not always, but in most cases. 00:13:25.433 --> 00:13:30.812 So we can safely say that speaking in tongues is an evidence of the receiving of the Spirit Not the only evidence, but an important evidence. 00:13:31.332 --> 00:13:36.480 Now I want to answer three questions regarding tongues in the remainder of the message, and these are important. 00:13:36.480 --> 00:13:39.501 Number one what kind of language is tongues? 00:13:39.501 --> 00:13:42.443 Number two who are we speaking to when we speak in tongues? 00:13:42.443 --> 00:13:44.966 And number three what are the benefits to when we speak in tongues? 00:13:44.966 --> 00:13:47.548 And number three what are the benefits? 00:13:47.548 --> 00:13:49.350 I want to spend most of our time on. 00:13:49.350 --> 00:13:52.312 What are the benefits of speaking in tongues? 00:13:52.312 --> 00:13:55.693 First of all, what kind of language is tongues? 00:13:55.693 --> 00:14:06.596 Well, we've already seen in these cases we looked at they were known languages, especially in Acts 2. 00:14:06.919 --> 00:14:12.256 Jews were gathered in Jerusalem for the day of Pentecost, again one of the three feasts which Jesus commanded to come to Jerusalem. 00:14:12.256 --> 00:14:21.183 It was also called the Feast of Harvest, so it's only fitting that the first harvest of those who believe were gathered on the day of Pentecost. 00:14:21.183 --> 00:14:28.645 By the way, remember that the day of Pentecost was celebrated 50 days from the day after the Sabbath of Passover. 00:14:28.645 --> 00:14:37.352 50 days and, by the way, this blew my mind Do you know, if you count 50 days from the day that Israel left Egypt and the Exodus. 00:14:37.352 --> 00:14:38.642 You know what you come to. 00:14:38.642 --> 00:14:42.432 You come to the day of Pentecost and it's the giving of the law. 00:14:42.432 --> 00:14:55.261 You come to the very moment when Moses received the law, on Mount Sinai and because of the rebellion, when Moses was on the mountain, israel rebelled and made a golden calf. 00:14:55.581 --> 00:14:57.865 How many people were slain, do you remember? 00:14:57.865 --> 00:15:02.534 It says 3,000 people were slain. 00:15:02.534 --> 00:15:04.809 Moses told the Levites to take their swords and kill, and 3,000 people were slain. 00:15:04.809 --> 00:15:06.519 Moses told the Levites to take their swords and kill. 00:15:06.519 --> 00:15:09.269 And 3,000 people fell in the wilderness. 00:15:09.269 --> 00:15:20.302 And you know how many people on the day of Pentecost were filled with the Spirit 3,000 were added to the church, so it says. 00:15:20.302 --> 00:15:24.528 The sons of Levi did according to the word and that day, 3,000 men of the people fell. 00:15:24.528 --> 00:15:28.431 And then those who received his word were baptized. 00:15:28.431 --> 00:15:32.149 And they were added that day 3,000 souls. 00:15:35.417 --> 00:15:41.168 But why were the disciples who received the Spirit given to speak in known languages? 00:15:41.168 --> 00:15:48.249 Well, to understand that you have to go back 2,000 years to Genesis 11 and the story of the Tower of Babel. 00:15:48.249 --> 00:15:51.345 Remember they were building a tower that reached to heaven. 00:15:51.345 --> 00:15:58.147 God's plan was that the three branches of Noah's family would be dispersed throughout the earth. 00:15:58.147 --> 00:16:01.815 Of Noah's family would be dispersed throughout the earth. 00:16:01.815 --> 00:16:09.951 One of the reasons for that, it was to protect the Shemite line that, through Messiah, would come to protect the line from being messed with. 00:16:09.951 --> 00:16:13.182 And God said be scattered. 00:16:13.182 --> 00:16:15.038 But they refused, it says. 00:16:15.038 --> 00:16:20.441 Rather, they stayed in one area and the whole earth had one language and the same words. 00:16:22.075 --> 00:16:29.683 The people resisted God's plan, decided to build a tower whose top reached to heaven, lest we be dispersed over the face of the earth. 00:16:29.683 --> 00:16:34.626 So they were in direct rebellion against God's plan to scatter them throughout the earth. 00:16:34.626 --> 00:16:40.424 And it says the Lord came down to see the tower which they were building. 00:16:40.424 --> 00:16:44.320 He'll come down again 2,000 years later, at Pentecost. 00:16:44.320 --> 00:16:45.501 How did he do it? 00:16:45.501 --> 00:16:53.490 He said come, let us go down and there confuse their language so that they may not understand one another's speech. 00:16:53.490 --> 00:16:59.445 He changed their language so they could not understand each other and force them to be dispersed. 00:16:59.445 --> 00:17:03.687 That's why it's called Babel that tower, because it means confuse. 00:17:03.687 --> 00:17:04.810 And that's what he did. 00:17:04.810 --> 00:17:18.988 Now, if you fast forward 2,000 years and God comes down again, this time on the day of Pentecost and it was his plan that each people group represented at Pentecost would bring the gospel back to where they came from. 00:17:18.988 --> 00:17:21.459 Pentecost would bring the gospel back to where they came from. 00:17:21.459 --> 00:17:26.888 Here we see a glimpse of God's reversal of the curse of divided languages. 00:17:26.888 --> 00:17:35.134 In Acts 2, people from all over the world here heard God's people proclaiming his mighty works in their own language. 00:17:35.134 --> 00:17:43.199 Wow, this is the beginning of the redemption of language for its intended purpose to glorify God and draw all people to himself. 00:17:43.660 --> 00:17:57.402 Now, the fatal mistake that many make when they read about what happened in the upper room is they believe that because tongues and Pentecost were known languages, they are always known languages and it's simply not the case. 00:17:57.402 --> 00:18:00.567 Look with me at 1 Corinthians 12, 28. 00:18:00.567 --> 00:18:16.588 And it says God has appointed in the church, first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating and listen, various or differing kinds of tongues. 00:18:16.588 --> 00:18:19.125 So there's more than one kind of tongue. 00:18:19.125 --> 00:18:20.974 Sometimes they are known languages. 00:18:20.974 --> 00:18:35.788 I was in a meeting years ago in Miami, my home church in Miami, and someone spoke in a clear Hebrew dialect and there was somebody in the new Hebrew that was in the church that day and began to relate what was being said in the message in tongues. 00:18:35.788 --> 00:18:46.045 So God still does that where tongues are known languages, but not all the time, because there are various kinds of tongues. 00:18:46.045 --> 00:18:51.674 This includes known languages as well as what he described in 1 Corinthians 13. 00:18:52.457 --> 00:19:08.847 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, so Paul teaches that some form of tongues are tongues of angels and he makes it clear that tongues can be known languages as well as different kinds of languages. 00:19:08.847 --> 00:19:13.971 Now the second thing is who are we speaking to when we speak in tongues? 00:19:13.971 --> 00:19:16.679 Does the Bible teach who we're speaking to? 00:19:16.679 --> 00:19:23.479 And the answer clearly is yes, and we look at 1 Corinthians 14, verse 2, to understand that. 00:19:23.479 --> 00:19:34.127 He says for one who speaks in a tongue speaks not to men but to God, for no one understands him, but he utters mysteries in the spirit. 00:19:34.127 --> 00:19:39.282 Now let's set the stage properly for what Paul is doing in this chapter. 00:19:39.824 --> 00:19:41.768 Remember how the book of 1 Corinthians opens. 00:19:41.768 --> 00:20:01.336 He says I give thanks to my God always for you, because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus, that in every way you were enriched in him, in all speech and all knowledge, even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you, so that you are not lacking in any gift as you wait for the revealing of the Lord Jesus. 00:20:01.336 --> 00:20:03.742 Notice, they weren't lacking in any charisma. 00:20:03.742 --> 00:20:05.816 All of the gifts were on display at Corinth. 00:20:05.816 --> 00:20:15.551 So you're not lacking in any gift as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus, who will sustain you to the end, guiltless, in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 00:20:15.551 --> 00:20:20.405 So when Paul planted the Corinthian church, it exploded in the Holy Spirit. 00:20:20.405 --> 00:20:26.417 Paul's not writing to them because nothing's happening in the Spirit at Corinth and he wants to stir them up. 00:20:26.417 --> 00:20:36.926 He's trying to bring order to what was chaos, but what was happening was there was an explosion of the Holy Spirit, with all the gifts of the Spirit manifested in the church. 00:20:36.926 --> 00:20:40.964 Paul says they were enriched in all speech and all knowledge. 00:20:40.964 --> 00:20:44.202 They were confirmed in every charisma or gift of the Holy Spirit. 00:20:44.202 --> 00:20:51.826 And that's the will of God for us, that every charisma of the Spirit be on display, a full manifestation of the Spirit of God. 00:20:52.107 --> 00:21:01.730 If you read chapter 14 of Corinthians carefully, you see that Paul continues to urge them to flow in the spirit, but he teaches them the need for divine order. 00:21:01.730 --> 00:21:03.220 Things were out of order. 00:21:03.220 --> 00:21:04.337 So you know. 00:21:04.337 --> 00:21:05.442 You know what I would have done. 00:21:05.442 --> 00:21:09.665 I would have told this church everybody shut up and just listen to the elders. 00:21:09.665 --> 00:21:13.179 And that's what we would. 00:21:13.179 --> 00:21:14.964 Many modern leaders would do. 00:21:14.964 --> 00:21:16.421 They'd say this is chaos. 00:21:16.421 --> 00:21:19.265 Everybody shut up and listen to one man or listen to the elders. 00:21:25.394 --> 00:21:25.955 Paul doesn't do that. 00:21:25.955 --> 00:21:28.781 Why he refuses to quench the spirit, but always wants them to allow for the gifts to flow. 00:21:28.781 --> 00:21:31.807 But he gives them specific instruction regarding order. 00:21:31.807 --> 00:21:35.061 Somebody said let all things be done decently, in order, brother. 00:21:35.061 --> 00:21:36.987 I said yes, but let all things be done. 00:21:36.987 --> 00:21:44.155 Brother. 00:21:44.155 --> 00:21:44.919 I said yes, but let all things be done. 00:21:44.919 --> 00:21:45.240 Are you with me? 00:21:45.240 --> 00:21:45.540 And, by the way. 00:21:45.540 --> 00:21:47.750 What was happening at Corinth was the thing that was out of order had to do with tongues. 00:21:47.750 --> 00:21:54.305 They were speaking over each other and not giving place and people were abusing the gift of tongues. 00:21:54.305 --> 00:22:03.583 So much of the teaching in this chapter, 1st Corinthians 14, is regarding the exercise of tongues, because that was the area where they were out of order. 00:22:04.695 --> 00:22:12.163 First thing, he wants them to know that prophecy is the most important gift to pursue because it builds up the church. 00:22:12.163 --> 00:22:18.506 Prophecy Pursue love and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts. 00:22:18.506 --> 00:22:20.362 By the way, are you obedient to that? 00:22:20.362 --> 00:22:27.949 Paul doesn't say just sit back and if God wants to give you gifts of the spirit, he will Just relax, don't worry about it. 00:22:27.949 --> 00:22:29.781 He says actively pursue. 00:22:29.781 --> 00:22:41.974 The Greek word is very intense, it's don't be casual about it, actively pursue, and sometimes, you know, I remember years ago I was in a leadership meeting, teaching in a home. 00:22:41.994 --> 00:22:53.055 There was about 30 people from this church and they were bemoaning that none of the gifts were manifested in their services and I said let me ask you guys a question how many of you had words of knowledge? 00:22:53.055 --> 00:22:54.699 But you quenched it and didn't share. 00:22:54.699 --> 00:22:55.741 They lifted their hands. 00:22:55.741 --> 00:22:56.924 I said what about prophecy? 00:22:56.924 --> 00:22:58.517 What about praying for healing. 00:22:58.517 --> 00:23:01.565 How many have ever felt quickened by the Spirit to pray for healing? 00:23:01.565 --> 00:23:02.748 More hands went up. 00:23:02.748 --> 00:23:07.181 I said you don't have a gift problem, you have a quench problem. 00:23:07.181 --> 00:23:12.786 God was faithfully giving things, but there was no place for it. 00:23:12.786 --> 00:23:15.923 They were quenching the Spirit, not intentionally, but that's what happened. 00:23:15.923 --> 00:23:23.544 So Paul explains to them why they should seek to prophesy rather than speak in tongues in the assembly. 00:23:24.115 --> 00:23:28.921 When a person speaks in tongues, he's not speaking to people he says, but to God. 00:23:28.921 --> 00:23:30.115 We'll come back to that in a minute. 00:23:30.115 --> 00:23:34.247 Among other things, this means that tongues is always Godward. 00:23:34.247 --> 00:23:36.421 It's prayer and worship. 00:23:36.421 --> 00:23:37.463 It's always Godward. 00:23:37.463 --> 00:23:43.246 Remember what those who heard Peter and the others on the day of Pentecost said. 00:23:43.246 --> 00:23:53.241 They said we hear them telling in their own tongues the mighty works of God and in Cornelius' house it says. 00:23:53.241 --> 00:23:57.328 For they were hearing them speaking in tongues and extolling God. 00:23:57.328 --> 00:24:01.307 So tongues is not a message for the people, but is praise and extolling God. 00:24:01.307 --> 00:24:04.383 So tongues is not a message for the people, but is praise and extolling God. 00:24:04.383 --> 00:24:10.345 And even when it's interpreted as it was this morning, it should be God word in its focus. 00:24:10.345 --> 00:24:26.006 In my early church life in Miami, we were taught that tongues, if interpreted, is exactly equal to prophecy, but prophecy is a message for the people, where tongues, when interpreted, is prayer and worship, essentially. 00:24:26.006 --> 00:24:30.335 Now let's park in this final place a little longer. 00:24:30.335 --> 00:24:34.086 What is the benefit of speaking in tongues? 00:24:34.086 --> 00:24:39.864 First, as I said, tongues is a form of prayer. 00:24:39.864 --> 00:24:46.126 It's a form of extolling God in a heightened way in praise and worship. 00:24:48.336 --> 00:24:57.517 Many people read what Paul says in this chapter about seeking prophecy as being more important than tongues in the public gathering and wrongly conclude that Paul's denigrating tongues are making of lesser importance. 00:24:57.517 --> 00:25:00.538 Well, he is making it of lesser importance in the public gathering and wrongly conclude that Paul's denigrating tongues are making of lesser importance. 00:25:00.538 --> 00:25:03.203 Well, he is making it of lesser importance in the assembly. 00:25:03.203 --> 00:25:08.301 But he isn't denigrating tongues at all. 00:25:08.301 --> 00:25:11.847 He encourages them to seek to pray in tongues. 00:25:11.847 --> 00:25:13.015 We'll come to that in a minute. 00:25:13.015 --> 00:25:17.397 What he's doing when he reminds them to prophesy. 00:25:17.397 --> 00:25:25.824 He's reminding them in the assembly they should seek to build up the church, and prophecy is more important than any gift in building up the church. 00:25:25.824 --> 00:25:26.243 Why? 00:25:26.243 --> 00:25:33.409 Because it is a word directly given to the people of God to understand. 00:25:33.669 --> 00:25:42.599 You see, if you're speaking in tongues, he says, unless there's an interpreter, you have no way of edifying the body, you may be edified, but the body isn't being edified. 00:25:42.599 --> 00:25:53.086 So he says in 1 Corinthians 14, 4, the one who speaks in a tongue builds up himself, but the one who prophesies builds up the church. 00:25:53.086 --> 00:25:57.820 But then he says now I want all of you to speak in tongues. 00:25:57.820 --> 00:26:01.768 Now, that's Paul's desire for everybody at Corinth. 00:26:01.768 --> 00:26:02.849 They speak in tongues. 00:26:02.849 --> 00:26:07.182 So I have the same desire, I would that all of you speak in tongues. 00:26:07.182 --> 00:26:08.601 Have you never experienced this gift? 00:26:08.601 --> 00:26:13.786 It's beyond compare in terms of helping your prayer life, which we'll see in a minute. 00:26:13.786 --> 00:26:18.516 I'm getting ahead of myself, see. 00:26:18.516 --> 00:26:19.398 He says let's go to it. 00:26:19.398 --> 00:26:21.605 1 Corinthians 14, 14. 00:26:21.605 --> 00:26:23.550 So see, he says let's go to it First. 00:26:23.550 --> 00:26:24.934 Corinthians 14, 14. 00:26:29.439 --> 00:26:33.146 For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful. 00:26:33.146 --> 00:26:35.913 If I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful. 00:26:35.913 --> 00:26:37.317 Notice how he describes two types of prayer. 00:26:37.317 --> 00:26:46.907 One is prayer with my mind, which speaks of praying in my own language, and praying in tongues, which means my spirit is communing directly with the spirit of God. 00:26:46.907 --> 00:26:50.380 Isn't that incredible? 00:26:50.380 --> 00:26:57.721 God has given us a way to directly commune with the spirit and is praying in tongues. 00:26:57.721 --> 00:27:01.352 It's a way by which we bypass our minds. 00:27:01.352 --> 00:27:02.915 So he says what shall I do? 00:27:02.915 --> 00:27:04.720 He says I'll engage in both. 00:27:04.980 --> 00:27:07.105 There's times when I need to bypass my mind. 00:27:07.105 --> 00:27:10.200 There's times when I need to be informed in what I'm praying. 00:27:10.200 --> 00:27:14.737 He says I will pray with my spirit, but I will pray with my mind also. 00:27:14.737 --> 00:27:18.242 By mind there, he clearly means intelligible words. 00:27:18.242 --> 00:27:29.429 By my spirit, he speaks in unintelligible words and he says now, why would God want us to pray without understanding what we are praying? 00:27:29.429 --> 00:27:33.967 Well, sometimes we just don't know the right thing to pray. 00:27:34.275 --> 00:27:41.798 How many have had the experience of really not knowing how to pray, having a burden for a person or a situation, but I just don't know how to pray? 00:27:41.798 --> 00:27:51.486 In Romans 8, 26, though he's not talking exclusively in tongues, it can be included when he says likewise, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. 00:27:51.486 --> 00:28:01.970 Here's the weakness he points out, for we do not know what to pray for, as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groaning too deep for words. 00:28:01.970 --> 00:28:11.599 He who searches the hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit who intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. 00:28:11.599 --> 00:28:21.086 How many have experienced that God has given us a direct way to pray that bypasses the mind and speaks directly to God. 00:28:21.086 --> 00:28:22.107 I've experienced it. 00:28:22.107 --> 00:28:31.983 Sometimes I felt a burden for somebody that my mind is not able to grasp how to pray, and my mind feels limited. 00:28:31.983 --> 00:28:34.363 I don't understand what exactly to pray for. 00:28:34.363 --> 00:28:39.364 So I simply start praying in the spirit and after a while I felt the burden released. 00:28:39.364 --> 00:28:41.862 And sometimes the person would come. 00:28:41.862 --> 00:28:51.345 And how many had the experience of praying that way and then finding out that the person you were praying for right at that moment needed supernatural prayer. 00:28:51.345 --> 00:28:54.743 It's happened to me a couple of times over the years. 00:28:54.743 --> 00:28:57.066 Well, the Spirit knew what the person needed, you didn't. 00:28:57.066 --> 00:29:02.500 Well, the Spirit knew what the person needed, you didn't. 00:29:02.519 --> 00:29:05.743 Paul says I will sing praise with my spirit. 00:29:05.743 --> 00:29:06.605 So here we see. 00:29:06.605 --> 00:29:10.269 Tongues is both a form of prayer as well as a form of praise. 00:29:10.269 --> 00:29:18.974 This proves again that tongues is Godward in its focus. 00:29:18.974 --> 00:29:22.798 So Paul makes it clear in this chapter that he wants them all to speak. 00:29:22.817 --> 00:29:23.278 Speak in tongues. 00:29:23.278 --> 00:29:24.300 The one who speaks in a tongue builds up himself. 00:29:24.300 --> 00:29:30.221 So there is a way it is a way of supernatural edification that when you practice it, you know your bill. 00:29:30.221 --> 00:29:31.846 Your spirit is being edified. 00:29:31.846 --> 00:29:33.430 It's really powerful. 00:29:33.430 --> 00:29:35.715 You guys are quiet, are you? 00:29:35.715 --> 00:29:36.537 Are you tracking with me. 00:29:36.537 --> 00:29:45.605 So Paul's not denigrating tongues when he says don't speak in the assembly. 00:29:45.605 --> 00:29:50.612 He's saying seek to prophesy, because prophesying builds up the church. 00:29:50.612 --> 00:29:56.282 So in the church the Lord would have us prophesy because people are built up. 00:29:56.282 --> 00:29:58.694 But in my prayer private life, I should pray and sing with my spirit. 00:29:58.694 --> 00:30:01.080 But in my prayer private life I should pray and sing with my spirit. 00:30:01.080 --> 00:30:02.965 And when it comes to church gatherings he says this. 00:30:02.965 --> 00:30:16.694 Nevertheless, in church I would rather speak five words with my mind in order to instruct others than 10,000 words in a tongue. 00:30:18.575 --> 00:30:20.239 Let me point out some things that we're mistaken about when it comes to speaking in tongues, common errors that are made. 00:30:20.239 --> 00:30:25.021 One is the belief that a person is not filled with the Spirit if they don't speak with tongues. 00:30:25.021 --> 00:30:33.353 I know people that don't speak in tongues that are filled more with the Spirit than people who do Amen. 00:30:33.353 --> 00:30:38.541 So Paul warns against those who have received the gift. 00:30:38.541 --> 00:30:42.140 Not sitting in judgment upon those who have not received. 00:30:42.140 --> 00:30:52.102 It doesn't mean we should let them off the hook and not encourage them to receive the gift of tongues, but recognize that it's not true that they're not filled with the Spirit. 00:30:52.102 --> 00:30:57.921 Although the Spirit tongues accompany the pouring out of the Spirit in many cases. 00:30:57.921 --> 00:31:03.893 Number two a person is more spiritual if they speak in tongues. 00:31:03.893 --> 00:31:06.698 Let me quote a theologian named Pastor Tyler Lind. 00:31:06.698 --> 00:31:11.351 So if you don't like this, talk to him. 00:31:13.415 --> 00:31:17.710 Some will undoubtedly say oh, I guess this means you think you're better than we are. 00:31:17.710 --> 00:31:20.057 You're the have and we're the have-nots. 00:31:20.057 --> 00:31:22.784 This is a tragic misunderstanding. 00:31:22.784 --> 00:31:26.977 Not only the gift of tongues, but our relationship to the work of the Spirit in general. 00:31:26.977 --> 00:31:34.579 Simply reassure them as gently but firmly as possible that the gift of tongues has not made you a better Christian than they. 00:31:34.579 --> 00:31:39.415 Perhaps the best way to respond is by saying I don't believe that I'm a better Christian than you. 00:31:39.415 --> 00:31:47.173 I simply believe that I am now on my way to being a better Christian than I was before I received this gift. 00:31:47.653 --> 00:31:56.979 God forbids us to compare ourselves with others Amen as if we, because of a particular gift, we're better than they, see 1 Corinthians 4, 7. 00:31:56.979 --> 00:32:07.423 But it is an essential part of the Christian life that we grow up in our faith and deepen in our devotion to Jesus through the increase and expansion of the Spirit's works in our life. 00:32:07.423 --> 00:32:30.779 Paul takes a whole chapter 1 Corinthians 13, to spell out the sign of true spirituality walking in love and remember Paul inserts that chapter in between 12 and 14, the love chapter, not to say, choose love instead of gifts, but choose to display the gifts lovingly. 00:32:30.779 --> 00:32:39.403 And then how about this People feel the need to coach people when they're praying for them to speak in tongues? 00:32:39.403 --> 00:32:44.065 And then how about this People feel the need to coach people when they're praying for them to speak in tongues? 00:32:44.125 --> 00:32:53.452 Sometimes people receive the gift of tongues directly from God without human participation Many times, and we saw the two examples in Scripture. 00:32:53.452 --> 00:32:55.599 First, the day of Pentecost, they didn't have hands laid on them. 00:32:55.599 --> 00:33:00.721 The Lord sovereignly sent the Holy Spirit and they spoke with tongues. 00:33:00.721 --> 00:33:05.701 No one laid hands on Peter and the others, but the Spirit gave the gift. 00:33:05.701 --> 00:33:10.069 The second example was that of Cornelius' house, the Gentile Cornelius. 00:33:10.069 --> 00:33:18.964 They were Gentiles and God had to convince Peter and the other believers that Gentiles were included in the Messianic kingdom. 00:33:18.964 --> 00:33:26.527 He had that the Gentiles were included in the Messianic kingdom, and so while Peter was speaking, the Holy Spirit fell on the Gentiles who were gathered and they began speaking in other tongues. 00:33:26.527 --> 00:33:31.097 Peter finally understands by this that the kingdom of God is. 00:33:31.097 --> 00:33:35.130 Gentiles are now being brought into the kingdom. 00:33:35.490 --> 00:33:40.097 But sometimes people were given the gift of tongues when believers laid their hands on them. 00:33:40.097 --> 00:33:47.209 Right, this is important and there are three examples in scripture. 00:33:47.209 --> 00:33:48.250 I'll go through them quickly. 00:33:48.250 --> 00:33:56.534 Number one Peter and John laid hands on the Samaritan believers and they received and started praying in the spirit. 00:33:56.534 --> 00:34:01.903 Secondly, ananias laid his hands on Saul and he received. 00:34:01.903 --> 00:34:02.424 That's Paul. 00:34:02.424 --> 00:34:12.302 Paul was three days and nights blind and without food, and when Ananias laid hands on him, he began to speak in tongues. 00:34:12.302 --> 00:34:14.318 He was given the gift. 00:34:14.318 --> 00:34:16.989 And finally, paul laid his hands on the Ephesian believer. 00:34:16.989 --> 00:34:18.114 Remember in Acts 19,. 00:34:18.114 --> 00:34:23.639 He came across 12 men from Ephesus and he laid hands on them and they received the Spirit. 00:34:24.269 --> 00:34:31.818 What you don't see in Scripture is anyone coaching people to speak in tongues and I've been around that and we don't do that here. 00:34:31.818 --> 00:34:32.880 It's an abomination. 00:34:32.880 --> 00:34:39.717 The Holy Spirit doesn't need our help, so we don't have to coach people to repeat phrases. 00:34:39.717 --> 00:34:42.603 It's an abomination. 00:34:42.603 --> 00:34:44.934 We don't practice that, please. 00:34:44.934 --> 00:34:50.253 Now, sometimes people have hands laid on them and they don't receive immediately. 00:34:50.253 --> 00:34:53.403 I've seen that happen frequently. 00:34:53.403 --> 00:35:05.561 When that happens, we tell people to pray at home, ask them the Father to give them the gift, and many times people received in the quietness of their home, listening to worship, and many times people receive that rather than public. 00:35:08.411 --> 00:35:20.081 Now I want to make a mention of something that is important to realize and that is speaking in tongues is not incompatible with love for and hunger for the written word of God, is not incompatible with love for and hunger for the written word of God. 00:35:20.081 --> 00:35:22.784 Many associate praying in tongues with mindlessness. 00:35:22.784 --> 00:35:29.780 If I practice, it'll turn my brain into mush. 00:35:29.780 --> 00:35:30.501 I've been practicing. 00:35:30.501 --> 00:35:32.967 Is my brain Don't respond to that? 00:35:32.967 --> 00:35:40.036 I was going to use that, but I realized the danger of that. 00:35:40.036 --> 00:35:50.949 I mean, some people are afraid that if they speak in tongues they'll turn into Jewish comics, and that's very dangerous. 00:35:50.949 --> 00:35:53.576 Oy vey, oy vey. 00:35:53.615 --> 00:35:55.621 Paul was a man who prayed in tongues regularly. 00:35:55.621 --> 00:36:06.478 He says I pray in tongues more than y'all, and it certainly didn't produce in him a disdain for doctrine, the man who prays in tongues. 00:36:06.478 --> 00:36:15.117 He wrote the book of Romans, the greatest theological treatise ever written, and he spoke in tongues. 00:36:15.117 --> 00:36:28.454 In fact, not only is it not incompatible with love for and hunger for the written word of God, praying in tongues has increased my desire to study scripture and meditate on it, not decreased it, it's increased it. 00:36:33.400 --> 00:36:38.393 Finally, some people fear that they'll lose control if they speak in tongues. 00:36:38.393 --> 00:36:47.190 Nowhere in scripture are those who speak in tongues described as those who lose control of their faculties and give in to an irresistible power? 00:36:47.190 --> 00:36:48.653 It isn't in scripture. 00:36:48.653 --> 00:36:51.579 The purpose of tongues. 00:36:51.579 --> 00:36:59.561 People is to bless God, bless others and edify our souls, and it is tailor made for that purpose. 00:36:59.561 --> 00:37:05.902 There's no better place to be than under the control of the Holy Spirit. 00:37:05.902 --> 00:37:16.402 But it doesn't make us mindless idiots, and so we tell people to set a time to seek the Lord and worship him. 00:37:16.769 --> 00:37:28.003