Participants: Jac Colon
Series Code: RNN
Program Code: RNN000018
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00:18 The day had finally arrived.
00:24 It's a big tent on the outskirts of town. 00:29 It'd been advertising for weeks and weeks. 00:33 The tent was filling with people anxiously 00:36 anticipating the miracles that were promised 00:41 at the great revival coming to town. 00:46 It was almost time for the evangelist 00:48 to take the stage and begin the service, 00:53 when an elderly gentleman sitting down front stood up 00:58 and began to deliver a message in tongues. 01:03 He sat down and everyone said, 01:06 amen, praise the Lord. 01:10 Another elderly gentleman 01:11 towards the rear of the auditorium stood up 01:15 and he said I'm a Jew. 01:18 And I know Hebrew and that man spoke perfect Hebrew 01:24 and the man stood in front 01:26 and he said I don't know Hebrew. 01:29 And everyone said praise God, we've heard the miracle. 01:34 Until the gentleman in the back said, 01:36 that man cursed the name of God in Hebrew 01:42 and the big tent went silent. 01:50 Baptism of the Holy Spirit and speaking in tongues. 01:58 Tongues is the most popular of the gifts of the spirit. 02:02 But I believe in spite of being the most popular 02:06 is the least understood of all the gifts. 02:11 If you have ever been asked the question, 02:12 if you receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit 02:15 evidenced by speaking in tongues. 02:20 And the implication is that if you haven't spoken 02:23 in tongues, then you haven't received 02:25 the baptism of the Holy Spirit. 02:29 You know, I always like to ask the question, 02:31 why do you believe that tongues 02:34 is always the evidence for baptism of the Holy Spirit? 02:38 And the answer is always the same. 02:42 They say because every place in the Bible 02:45 where the baptism of the Holy Spirit was poured out, 02:48 they always gave evidence by speaking in tongues. 02:55 Well, we're gonna see that that's not accurate. 02:59 But we're gonna do more than that 03:01 because I believe the failure to understand 03:05 the purpose for the baptism of the Holy Spirit 03:09 results in a misunderstanding of the gifts. 03:15 What is the purpose for the baptism of the spirit? 03:20 Jesus Himself said among His last words 03:25 to the disciples before He ascended to heaven. 03:29 The last words recorded by Luke in the Book of Acts 03:32 because Luke wrote the Book of Acts. 03:35 Jesus said, "You will receive power 03:41 when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, 03:44 and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, 03:48 Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." 03:54 So Jesus promised to His church was 03:57 that you will receive power 04:01 and the purpose for this power is to enable 04:05 God's church to be His witnesses in Jerusalem, 04:10 Judea, Samaria and the ends of the earth. 04:13 Jerusalem at home with your neighbors, 04:17 with your friends, with your family. 04:19 Judea, a wider the area, Samaria, 04:23 even the hated Samaritans were to received the gospel. 04:27 And then even worst to the far corners 04:30 of the earth the lowly Gentile. 04:33 The purpose of the baptism of the Holy Spirit 04:36 is to preach the gospel to every tribe, language, 04:40 nation and people on the globe. 04:42 That's why Jesus said, I will give you the Holy Spirit. 04:48 And if we separate the purpose of the gifts 04:52 from the gift themselves, 04:54 then we're going to have confusion 04:58 about the use and function of the gifts. 05:02 And that's exactly what I think happens in Ephesians 4, 05:07 Paul reiterates the same thing in 4:7, 05:13 "But to each one of us 05:15 grace has been given as Christ apportions it." 05:20 Notice, it's Christ who makes the decisions 05:24 as to how grace is being given. 05:28 Jesus is the one who decides. 05:31 He goes on to say in verse 8 when He-- 05:34 that's Christ ascended on high, 05:37 He let captives in His train and He gave gifts to men. 05:42 So Christ apportions the outpouring of the spirit 05:46 and the gifts who decides which gifts men should have. 05:51 It's Christ who makes that decision. 05:54 Verse 11 tell us, He gave some to be apostles, 05:58 just some not all. 06:01 He gave some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, 06:07 some to be pastors and teacher not all but some. 06:13 He gave some to be pastors and teacher 06:16 in order to and here we ask 06:18 why did that He pour out these gifts, 06:20 in order to prepare God's people for works of service 06:26 so that the body of Christ may be build up. 06:29 Now there are two important points here. 06:31 The purpose of the gifts are to prepare God's people, 06:36 to equip us for works of service, why? 06:40 In order to build up the body of Christ, that's His church. 06:47 So Jesus decides who should have which gift 06:51 and the spirit through the gifts prepares us 06:56 for works of service in order to build up the church 07:00 or as Jesus had said, spread the gospel to the world. 07:05 Never ever lose sight of the fact 07:08 that the purpose of the baptism of the Holy Spirit 07:12 and the gifts of the spirit 07:14 is to preach the gospel to the world 07:18 and build up the church of Jesus Christ. 07:23 That's the measuring stick, that's the yardstick 07:27 for measuring the gifts of the spirit and how to be used. 07:34 Various gifts to build up 07:37 the body of Christ, that is the church. 07:41 How long will these gifts function in the church? 07:44 "Until we all reach unity in the faith 07:47 and in the knowledge of the Son of God 07:50 and become mature, attaining to the whole measure 07:53 of the fullness of Christ." 07:55 Has anyone done that yet? 07:58 Anyone, I don't see any hands going up, 08:02 the only one is Jesus. 08:04 The gifts are gonna be present in the church 08:06 until we are mature, until we are fully reflecting Christ. 08:11 Folks, that's not gonna happen until the end. 08:15 That means that the gifts of the spirit 08:17 are to be working in the church 08:20 all the way through until the end. 08:22 All of the gifts of the spirit, 08:25 all the way through until the end. 08:28 So let's take a look at the gifts 08:31 and I want to do that by focusing 08:34 on the most popular one and that is the gift of tongues. 08:38 But let's see how it fits in the process of preaching 08:44 the gospel to world, 08:46 because that's the purpose and the function of the gifts, 08:49 to build up the church which is the body of Christ. 08:54 On the day of Pentecost, Acts 2:1, 08:58 "On the day of Pentecost, 09:00 they were all together in one place. 09:04 Suddenly, verse 2, a sound like 09:07 the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven 09:09 and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 09:13 And they saw what seemed to be tongues of fire 09:18 that separated and came to rest on each of them. 09:22 And all of them were filled with the Holy Spirit 09:24 and began to speak in tongues." 09:28 Now I would like to have been there in that room 09:32 at that time, wouldn't you? 09:35 To be sitting there, to hear this loud sound 09:39 and to see tongues of fire coming down from heaven 09:43 and separating and going on each one of them, 09:47 enabling them to speak in tongues. 09:49 This is the baptism of the Holy Spirit 09:53 and it definitely did give evidence by speaking in tongues. 09:57 No doubt about it on the day of Pentecost. 10:01 But there are some things that we need to notice. 10:05 First of all, when the Bible says 10:07 they began the speak in other tongues, 10:10 the Greek word for tongues is lingua 10:14 which means equally languages. 10:19 They could have translated this verse. 10:22 They all began to speak in other languages 10:26 as the spirit enabled them. 10:31 Now why did God enable them to speak in other languages 10:38 when He baptized them with the spirit 10:40 on the day of Pentecost? 10:42 Why did God enable them? 10:45 Well, I want to show you why. 10:47 It's clear in the text. 10:49 But I want to show you something else first, 10:52 kind of a side thing, 10:54 so I'll just throw it in for free, all right. 10:58 Those tongues of fire, 11:00 that was always the curious thing to me. 11:04 Tongues of fire came down 11:06 and enabled and empowered them 11:10 and they spoke in other languages or tongues. 11:15 So why did God enable them to speak in other languages 11:21 when they were baptized by the Holy Spirit? 11:25 The answer is found in the next verse, Acts 2:5. 11:32 "Now there were staying in Jerusalem 11:36 God-fearing Jews from every nation under earth." 11:43 So people from virtually every nation 11:46 and language were present there 11:48 in Jerusalem for the feast of Pentecost. 11:52 "When they heard this sound, 11:54 a crowd came together in bewilderment, 11:57 because each one heard them 12:01 speaking in his own language." 12:06 Did you catch that? 12:08 God enabled them to speak in other languages 12:12 by the power of the spirit 12:14 and people from all over the world 12:17 were assembled together in Jerusalem 12:20 on the day of Pentecost 12:21 and God used this unique opportunity 12:24 to enable them to speak 12:28 and those hearing them heard them 12:31 speaking in their own languages. 12:35 That would be like if some of you were Japanese 12:38 and some of you Chinese and some of you Italian 12:40 and some of you Spanish and some of you Portuguese 12:43 and some French and any other language on earth 12:46 while I'm speaking you would be hearing me in French, 12:50 in Spanish, in Japanese, 12:52 in Hebrew or whatever language you know. 12:56 That's what happened at Pentecost. 12:59 They asked each other amazed in verse 7, 13:02 All these men Galileans, how was it 13:04 that each one of us hears them 13:06 speaking in his own native language 13:07 and he list all the languages there. 13:10 We hear them again at the end of verse 11. 13:13 We hear them declaring 13:14 the wonders of God in our own tongue. 13:17 Now that was a miracle, wasn't it? 13:20 They were all together, they all heard, 13:22 they all understood in their own language. 13:27 And so Peter preaches a sermon. 13:30 Everybody is understating it. 13:31 He's empowered by the Holy Spirit. 13:34 And His sermon is about Jesus Christ. 13:38 And how He was raised from the death in verse 32. 13:41 That's about all they like to preach about 13:43 in those days about Jesus. 13:45 He was raised from the death, it was a gospel sermon. 13:50 After the sermon they came to Peter 13:52 and the other apostles and said, brothers what shall we do? 13:56 I mean, they were stricken, 13:57 they were convicted in their hearts. 14:00 What shall we do? We need to do something, what? 14:03 And Peter replied, I love this, verse 38. 14:06 There was nothing timid about Peter. 14:08 He was empowered by the spirit, 14:10 "Repent and be baptized, every one of you." 14:13 Peter expected every single person 14:16 who heard him preached to repent and to be baptized. 14:20 Now that's positive expectation, isn't it? 14:23 "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, 14:25 in the name of Jesus Christ 14:26 for the forgiveness of your sins." 14:28 And watch this. 14:30 "You will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." 14:32 So follow me, repent, be baptized 14:36 and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, 14:40 that's the promise, isn't it? 14:42 Verse 41, "Those who accepted his message were baptized, 14:50 and about three thousand were added 14:52 to their number that day." 14:55 Three thousand people were added to the church in one day. 15:02 Amen. Is that considered building up the body of Christ? 15:08 Absolutely, you see that is the real evidence 15:12 for the baptism of the Holy Spirit. 15:15 Three thousand were baptized in one day. 15:18 I would love to have that kind of power. Amen. 15:25 That's the evidence for the baptism of the Holy Spirit. 15:28 Peter said, repent, be baptized 15:31 and you will receive the Holy Spirit. 15:33 They did repent, they were baptized. 15:36 Did they receive the Holy Spirit? 15:39 Absolutely, He promised them they would. 15:42 Did they give evidence by speaking in tongues? 15:47 I don't know. It doesn't say they did. 15:51 They might have, may not have, 15:55 doesn't say, so we don't know, 15:58 therefore we cannot say every place in the Bible 16:03 where they received the baptism of the Holy Spirit. 16:06 They always gave evidence by speaking in tongues. 16:09 The disciples did at Pentecost 16:12 but the three thousand it doesn't say. 16:16 So we can't say that it's always the evidence 16:19 for the baptism of the Holy Spirit. 16:22 Now why did God do this? 16:25 He did it in order to preach the gospel to those men 16:31 who could understand in their own language to those people 16:35 and they could go back to their own countries 16:37 and share the gospel of Jesus Christ. 16:40 So that not just three thousand 16:42 would be added to their number 16:44 but thousands upon thousands to the far corners of the earth 16:48 would be added to their number 16:49 as a result of the gift of tongues. 16:52 That's the purpose of the baptism of the spirit. 16:57 And in 4:31, they met together the disciples 17:00 and "After they prayed, the place where 17:02 they were meeting was shaken. 17:04 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit 17:06 and they spoke the word of God boldly." 17:09 Now it's interesting, 17:11 they were baptized by the Holy Spirit again. 17:14 Now I'd like to been in that room, wouldn't you? 17:18 I mean that would have been like a earthquake, 17:19 the room was shaking, the spirit was 17:22 so powerful the room shook, 17:24 they were baptized by the spirit. 17:28 But it doesn't say they spoke in tongues. 17:30 It says, they spoke the word of God boldly. 17:33 And I pray everyday, God empower me 17:36 to speak Your word boldly. 17:40 And that can only happen through the baptism of the spirit. 17:43 So speaking in tongues isn't always the evidence, 17:47 it can be the evidence though 17:49 is the building up of the body of Christ 17:52 to preach the word of God boldly 17:54 and certainly gonna build up the body of Christ, 17:57 that's the evidence for the baptism of the spirit. 18:00 So three times now, two on the day of Pentecost, 18:03 one time they did give evidence by speaking in tongues. 18:06 One time it doesn't say and this time they didn't, 18:09 they spoke the word of God boldly. 18:12 The second point is that the baptism of the Holy Spirit 18:16 is not a one time thing. 18:18 It didn't just happen that one day 18:21 and then go on with life. 18:22 No, it's a continuing ongoing experience. 18:26 It happens more than once, it happens continually. 18:29 The purpose of the baptism 18:31 is to build up the body of Christ, 18:32 to facilitate us, to be able to preach and teach about Jesus. 18:37 The more you know about God and Jesus, 18:40 the more power God gives us to testify about Him, 18:43 that's the baptism of the Holy Spirit. 18:48 Never-- you get this, 18:52 never does the Bible ever talk about the Holy Spirit, 18:56 the baptism of the Holy Spirit 18:57 in order to build up the individual, the person. 19:02 It's not there to strengthen us, 19:04 it's there to empower us to preach the gospel 19:08 to the world and build up the church. 19:11 You see it's the fruit of the spirit, 19:14 love, joy, peace, patience, self control. 19:16 The fruit of the spirit builds up the individual. 19:21 It builds up the person. 19:22 The baptism of the spirit is to build up the church. 19:28 Here's another example in Acts 10. 19:32 In Acts 10... 19:37 Peter had just seen his vision of the sheet 19:41 full of all kind of unclean animals and unclean things 19:46 and the Bible tells us that Peter understood 19:50 that vision to mean that he should not call 19:54 any men common or unclean. 19:58 God was using that vision to blab Peter 20:01 on the side of the head with the 2/4. 20:04 Because Peter had a hard time 20:08 accepting Gentiles into the church. 20:11 He was like the rest of the Jews, 20:13 he didn't want to do it. 20:15 So God used that vision. 20:17 He got Peter's attention. 20:20 He went to visit some Gentiles in the home of Cornelius 20:24 who was a centurion in the Roman Army, 20:27 an officer in the Roman army. 20:30 He preached the gospel sermon while he was there. 20:33 Again in verse 40 of Chapter 10 20:35 talking about God raising him from the death on the third day. 20:41 He was filled with the Holy Spirit. 20:43 He preached the gospel sermon to the Gentiles. 20:47 In verse 44, "While Peter was still speaking these words 20:50 the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. 20:53 And the circumcised believers those Jews 20:56 that had come with Peter were astonished 20:58 that the gift of the Holy Spirit 21:00 had been poured out on even the Gentiles." 21:06 So while Peter was preaching 21:07 the Gentiles got the Holy Spirit. 21:10 Uncircumcised, non Jewish men got the Holy Spirit. 21:15 How do they know they got the Holy Spirit? 21:17 Verse 46 says, because they heard them 21:19 speaking in tongues and praising God. 21:23 Now why did God do that? 21:26 Why did God baptized Gentiles with the Holy Spirit 21:31 and give evidence by speaking in tongues, 21:34 because He had a lesson 21:35 that He wanted to teach His church. 21:38 Peter got it. 21:40 Peter said in the next verse, 21:42 "Can anyone keep these people 21:45 from being baptized with water, 21:49 they have received the Holy Spirit 21:51 just as we have." 21:55 You see, Peter understood that as God's sign 22:00 for these unbelievers that he was to accept them 22:04 into the church just as he would a Jew. 22:10 You should say amen to that. 22:12 Amen. Okay. 22:16 So he ordered them to be baptized 22:19 in the name of Jesus Christ. 22:23 This was a remarkable thing. 22:25 God used the baptism of the Holy Spirit 22:28 and the gift of tongues to move the expansion of the church 22:33 from Jews all the way out 22:35 to accepting Gentiles in the church. 22:37 That's exactly what Jesus said was supposed to happen. 22:40 Go and baptized them he said 22:42 and he said that you'll be empowered to preach 22:44 the gospel, Jerusalem, Judea, 22:46 Samaria the ends of the earth, that's the Gentiles. 22:50 And it was a baptism of the spirit 22:51 evidenced by speaking in tongues that pave the way 22:55 for the Gentiles to come into the church. 22:58 That's why God used the baptism of the Holy Spirit 23:01 and speaking in tongues. 23:02 Two times now He gave evidence by speaking in tongues. 23:06 Two times He did not. 23:10 We find one more example of the baptism of the Holy Spirit 23:13 and that's found in Acts 19, in Acts 19, 23:19 Paul goes to Ephesus and there he found in verse 2 23:23 some disciples and asked them, 23:24 "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" 23:27 And they answered, "No, we haven't even heard 23:30 that there is a Holy Spirit." 23:32 So Paul asked them, "What baptism did you receive?" 23:34 John's baptism, John's baptism, 23:37 he said, was a baptism of repentance. 23:39 Then he told to people to believe 23:41 in the one coming after him, that is Jesus." 23:44 On hearing this, they were baptized 23:46 into the name of the Lord Jesus. 23:48 And when Paul placed his hands on them, 23:50 the Holy Spirit came on them, 23:53 and they spoke in tongues and prophesied." 23:57 So here again we discovered God 24:00 using the baptism of the Holy Spirit 24:02 evidenced by speaking in tongues. 24:06 Six times, three times it doesn't say 24:10 they spoke in tongues. 24:12 Three times it says they did. 24:17 God used tongues as evidence of the baptism of the Holy Spirit. 24:25 Why did God have them speak in tongues at Ephesus? 24:30 Because Ephesus was a city on a major trade route 24:35 at the crossroads of two major trade routes, 24:39 and thousands of people would pass through Ephesus. 24:45 There was a church empowered by the Holy Spirit 24:50 to speak in tongues, other languages 24:54 to the people coming through 24:56 so that the body of Christ could be build up. 24:59 So you see the purpose of the gifts 25:01 are always to build up the body of Christ. 25:05 And that's how the Bible always uses them. 25:09 Now I'm gonna surprise you. 25:11 We have just seen three examples 25:14 of the baptism of the Holy Spirit 25:16 evidenced by speaking in tongues. 25:18 There were five times when the Bible specifically 25:23 mentioned the baptism of the spirit. 25:26 Two times they did not give evidence by speaking in tongues. 25:29 Three times they did. 25:32 These are the only three examples, 25:37 just three of God using the gift of tongues 25:44 as an evidence for the baptism of the spirit, 25:47 just three times in the whole New Testament, that's all. 25:53 And that's not very many compare to the emphasis 25:58 that many give to speaking in tongues today. 26:04 Now I know what some of you're thinking. 26:06 Some of you're thinking, well, pastor, 26:09 God used tongues at another place too, 26:12 the church in Corinth. 26:14 They did a lot of speaking in tongues. 26:17 It's true they did. 26:21 But let's take a closer look at what happened 26:25 in the church at Corinth. 26:28 Turn to 1 Corinthians 3. 26:31 First of all we want to take a look at what the church 26:36 in Corinth was really like. 26:38 What kind of a church was it? 26:40 Was it a model church for us? 26:43 Look at 3:1 "Brothers, I could not address you 26:48 as spiritual but as worldly-- mere infants in Christ. 26:54 I gave you milk, not solid food, 26:56 because you were not ready for it, 26:58 indeed you're still not ready for it you're still worldly." 27:02 Now was that a model church? 27:06 Was Corinth a kind of church 27:08 we want to pattern our church after? 27:12 They were worldly. 27:13 He says, I can't address you're spiritual 27:16 but you know, it's interesting because he's gonna show us 27:21 as we read further on that the church in Corinth 27:25 was involved in all kinds of spiritual activity. 27:29 Yet he says, you're not spiritual, you're worldly. 27:33 So what's going on there? 27:34 Let me show you something else. 27:37 A secret about the church in Corinth, verse 11, 27:40 "In the following directives 27:45 I have no praise for you, 27:47 because your meetings do more harm than good." 27:53 Isn't that interesting? 27:55 A church whose meetings do more harm than good. 27:59 In the first place I hear 28:00 when you come together there are divisions among you 28:03 and I'm gonna show you that the divisions were over 28:07 the spiritual gifts themselves in the baptism of the spirit. 28:11 Corinth was a divided church. 28:13 It was so divided that when they came together 28:17 for a church meeting, their meetings 28:19 did more harm than good. 28:22 It's that the kind of church 28:24 we want to pattern our church after. 28:27 Is this a model church? 28:30 Do you want to know what their meetings look like, do you? 28:35 Well, I'll show you. 28:37 Chapter 14. Hold your place. 28:39 Chapter 14, what shall we say? 28:42 Verse 26, "When you come together, 28:44 everyone has a hymn, or a word of instruction, 28:47 a revelation, a tongue an interpretation. 28:49 All of these must be done 28:50 for the strengthening of the church. 28:54 If anyone is to speak in a tongue, 28:56 two at the most three should speak, one at a time. 28:59 So what was going on? 29:01 There were all in there singing and teaching 29:04 and preaching and speaking in tongues all at the same time. 29:10 And Paul says, wow, 29:13 your meetings do more harm than good. 29:16 They divide the church. 29:18 I don't know maybe the ones prophesying 29:21 and the ones in tongues were kind of in a context 29:24 whoever could do it the loudest would be the best 29:26 or something I don't know, but whatever was going on, 29:29 they were dividing the church 29:32 and all of these was over the spiritual gifts. 29:35 So we need to be careful and here is the point 29:38 that I'm trying to make and belaboring all of these. 29:42 We need to be careful that we don't pattern ourselves 29:46 today after what was happening in Corinth. 29:50 Are you following me? 29:53 And we need to be careful that we understand 29:55 what Paul is saying to the church in Corinth. 30:00 By that I mean whenever Paul says 30:03 something to the church in Corinth. 30:05 We should ask ourselves an important question. 30:09 Is Paul describing a problem that was going on there 30:16 or is he prescribing a solution to a problem. 30:22 You follow the difference? 30:24 Whenever we read what Paul says to Corinth, ask yourself. 30:28 Is he describing the problem or is he prescribing a solution. 30:33 If he's describing the problem 30:35 and we say that's what we need to do, 30:37 then we will be taking the same problems of Corinth 30:40 and bringing them into our own lives, in our own churches. 30:43 If he's describing the solution, 30:46 then we should say that's what we need to do. 30:50 Are you following me? 30:52 That's important because we need to understand 30:56 how to interpret what Paul was saying 30:58 to the church at Corinth. 30:59 Now another thing about Paul, when he writes to a church, 31:03 usually he gives them the theological study, 31:09 a Bible study on the particular topic he's talking about. 31:14 Then he applies that Bible study in real life. 31:20 That's what he does here. 31:22 In Chapter 12, he's gonna give us a Bible study 31:26 on the gifts of the spirit. 31:28 In Chapter 14 and 13, he applies it to the church. 31:33 Now watch, 12:1 "About spiritual gifts, brothers." 31:39 I don't want you to be ignorant. 31:40 So he's gonna teach them 31:42 what the spiritual gifts really mean. 31:44 So here is his theology, his Bible study on the gifts. 31:48 Verse 4, "There are different kinds of gifts." 31:52 Verse 7, "Now to each person to each one the manifestation 31:58 of the spirit is given for the common good." 32:03 What does the common good mean? 32:05 For the good of the individual or for the good of the church? 32:10 So to each one he says, the manifestation of the Spirit 32:14 is given for the good of the church. 32:16 You see, that's purpose of the baptism, 32:19 to build up the church, not the individual 32:21 for the common good. 32:23 Then he list the gifts. 32:25 To one there is given through 32:26 the spirit the message of wisdom, 32:29 to another knowledge, another faith, 32:32 another healing, miraculous powers, 32:34 prophecy distinguishing between spirits. 32:38 Speaking in different kinds of tongues 32:40 and interpreting tongues. 32:41 Notice he put tongues at the bottom of the list. 32:46 I think it's because as we'll see 32:49 they were putting it at the top of the list. 32:52 They were lifting it up above all the others gifts. 32:56 Watch, these are all the gifts. 33:00 Verse 11, "All of these are the work of one 33:02 and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, 33:06 just as he determines." 33:09 So who decides which gift you should have? 33:15 He does. Do you decide which gift you should have? 33:19 Does a pastor decide which gift you should have? 33:22 Who decides God does. 33:25 He decides, that's the first time 33:27 He says that here in this chapter. 33:29 Verse 12, "The body is made up of a unit one body a unit 33:34 though it is made up of many parts, 33:37 they formed one body, 33:39 all the different parts formed one body, 33:42 so it is with Christ. 33:44 For we are all baptized by one Spirit into one body. 33:49 So every Christian is baptized 33:52 by the Holy Spirit into the body of Christ. 33:56 Verse 14, "Now the body is not made up of one part." 34:01 What's he trying to tell us here, pay attention? 34:05 "The body is not made up of one part but of many. 34:08 If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, 34:11 I don't belong to the body," it would not for that reason 34:14 cease to be part of the body." 34:17 So the foot can't say since I'm not a hand, 34:19 I'm not a part of the body. 34:22 That means that you can't say to yourself, 34:26 since I don't have tongues, I'm not a part of the body. 34:30 Do you follow what he's doing here? 34:35 Why not? Verse 18, "But in fact God has arranged 34:39 the parts of the body, every one of them, 34:40 just as He wanted them to be." 34:44 Second time God decides what gift you should have. 34:49 I'm glad, but I'm not very good at picking out 34:52 what's good for me. 34:54 I may think I am but He knows a lot more than I know. 34:58 I messed up enough, let's leave it up to Him, amen. 35:02 So we're all baptized by the spirit into the body, 35:05 but God decides which gift we should get. 35:09 Then verse 21, he goes on to say, 35:11 "The eye cannot say I don't need you. 35:15 Therefore someone with one gift cannot say it 35:20 since you don't have my gift, then I don't need you. 35:24 Someone with tongues cannot say, 35:27 since you don't speak in tongues, 35:29 you're not a part of the body. 35:32 Are you following? 35:34 But the baptism of the spirit 35:37 brings us into the body of Christ. 35:41 And we can't be a part of the body of Christ 35:43 without the baptism of the Holy Spirit. 35:46 I think you see where this is going. 35:50 Look again in verse 24 in middle of the verse, 35:53 "But God has combined the members of the body 35:57 and has given greater honor to the parts that lack it." 35:59 Verse 25, "So there would be no division in the body." 36:03 Again third time, who decides which gift? 36:07 God does. 36:08 He gives us all the baptism of the spirit 36:11 and then He decides which gift we shout have. 36:14 The baptism of the spirit 36:16 brings us into the body of Christ 36:19 in order to use the gift that He gives us. 36:23 And the body consists of many different parts, 36:27 so the body of Christ consists of many different gifts. 36:31 And you can't say to yourself, 36:32 if I don't have one gift, I'm not a part of the body. 36:35 And no one can say to you if I don't have one gift, 36:38 I'm not a part of the body. 36:40 Because God decides who should have which gift 36:43 and arranges them the way He wants them to be. 36:46 He knows best. 36:48 Sometimes we think we know better. 36:52 If ever wish you had the eye in back of your head. 36:59 I remember when I was little 37:01 and I would get into scary place. 37:03 I wish I had a eye in the back of my head. 37:06 I'd be going that way and that way 37:08 and that way and that way. 37:10 Oh, I wish I had another eye, 37:11 but if I did you would have felt sorry for me. 37:15 If you ever done any soldering, 37:17 I remember working on some of my stuff I had to solder, 37:21 and anybody that's ever soldered wish you had 37:23 more than one hand, more than two hands, right? 37:26 I mean, you need a hand the hold the soldering gun. 37:28 You need a hand to hold the soldering solder. 37:31 You need a hand the hold whatever you're soldering 37:33 and you need another hand to hold 37:35 what you're soldering it too. 37:37 You need four hands, but if we had four hands 37:40 everybody would feel sorry for us. 37:42 God knows what's best for the body 37:46 and let's leave it the way He designed it, amen. 37:50 Now here comes the clincher. 37:53 Now verse 27, you are the body of Christ, 37:56 and each one of you is a part of it. 37:58 And in the church God has appointed fourth time, 38:02 fourth time in this short passage, 38:04 does He trying to make a point fourth time. 38:07 God has appointed first of all now He's ranking them. 38:12 First of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, 38:17 then workers of miracles, then healing, 38:20 then helping others, then administration, 38:23 finally tongues at the bottom of the list. 38:28 Then He asked the question. 38:30 Are all apostles? 38:31 What's the obvious answer to that? No. 38:34 Are all prophets? No. 38:36 Are all teachers? No. 38:39 Do all have gifts of healing? No. 38:41 Do all work miracles? No. 38:44 Do all speak in tongues? No. 38:48 But we are all baptized by the spirit 38:53 into the body of Christ. 38:55 So if we're all baptized by the spirit into the body 38:58 of Christ and we don't all speak in tongues, 39:01 then speaking in tongues cannot be the only evidence 39:04 for the baptism of the Holy Spirit. 39:07 They're just wrong on that. They're wrong. 39:09 In fact I want you to follow me. 39:12 If it's true that we're all baptized 39:15 by the spirit into the body 39:17 and there is no salvation apart from the body of Christ. 39:22 And if it's true that baptism of the Holy Spirit 39:25 is evidenced by speaking in tongues, 39:27 then those who have not spoken in tongues 39:28 would not have received the baptism 39:30 and they are bold enough to tell you that. 39:33 But the next step is that not only 39:35 have they not receive the baptism 39:36 but it's a baptism that brings us 39:38 into the body of Christ, 39:39 so we wouldn't even be a part of the body of Christ 39:41 if we haven't spoken in tongues. 39:45 And to say that if you haven't give 39:48 the evidence by speaking in tongues 39:49 you haven't been baptized, 39:50 so the spirit is the same thing as sin, you are lost. 39:56 And I've had people tell me as much. 39:59 And that is so unchristian and so wrong. 40:04 We're not saved by speaking in tongues. 40:06 We're saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. 40:11 And the baptism of the spirit brings us all in, 40:15 no matter what your gift is, helping people licking stamps 40:19 and putting them on envelops, 40:21 a preaching sermons all of the gifts 40:25 are used to build up the church 40:27 which is the body of Christ. 40:30 That's Paul's theology, that's his Bible study 40:33 on the gifts and that's pretty clear, isn't it? 40:37 Then comes the admonition at the end 40:41 eagerly desire the greater gifts in verse 31. 40:45 So what is the greater-- what are the greater gifts? 40:48 Then comes Chapter 13. 40:49 Do you know what Chapter 13 is? 40:52 It's the love Chapter. 40:54 In Chapter 14 he applies the gifts of the spirit. 40:57 So in Chapter 14 he applies it, 41:00 in Chapter 12 he teaches about it. 41:02 Why is the love Chapter stuck in between the two? 41:06 Because what they were doing in Corinth 41:09 was not loving one another at all. 41:13 They were judging and condemning and criticizing 41:17 each other over the very gifts of the spirit 41:20 that were meant to promote unity instead of dividing. 41:25 And so he talks about love. 41:28 I don't care if you talk in the tongues of angels he says. 41:31 If you don't have love you're not a-- 41:33 you're just resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 41:37 Just love one another. 41:39 Then comes Chapter 14, 14:1, 41:44 "Follow the way of love 41:47 and eagerly desire spiritual gifts, 41:50 especially the gift of prophecy." 41:55 Now if he is singling out any gift 41:56 if it isn't tongues, is what? 41:58 Prophecy. 42:01 Why does He single out prophecy? 42:03 One of the reason is right here, verse 2, 42:06 "Anyone who speaks in a tongue 42:07 does not speak to men but to God." 42:11 We could come to the conclusion 42:13 that tongues are for us speaking to God. 42:16 But remember, you have to ask a question. 42:20 Is he describing a problem 42:22 or is he prescribing a solution to the problem. 42:26 Now it may sound like he is prescribing a solution. 42:30 Tongues if we're speaking to God, let's read it again. 42:33 Anyone who speaks in a tongue 42:36 does not speak to men but to God. 42:39 Indeed no one understands Him. 42:43 He utters mysteries with his spirit. 42:46 Verse 3, but, that's a big word sometimes, 42:52 but anyone who prophesies speaks to men 42:56 for their strengthening, encouragement and comfort. 43:00 Question, is the purpose of the gift 43:03 even tongues to build up the individual 43:07 or to build up the church? 43:12 Speaking to God in tongues may build up the individual 43:17 but isn't going to build up the church. 43:20 But prophesying when people understand 43:24 is building up the church. 43:26 So as Paul's saying, we should use 43:28 the gift of tongues to talk to God. 43:30 No, what he's saying is if you just talk to God 43:33 in tongues and nobody understands you. 43:35 If you prophecy people understand you 43:38 and you're building up the church 43:39 and that's the purpose of the gifts of the spirit, 43:41 to build up the church. 43:43 See the solution is not tongues 43:46 but prophecy so they can understand. 43:50 Then we come to the next verse 4, 43:52 "He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself." 43:54 Okay, so we should speak in tongues to edify ourselves. 43:59 Well, we have to ask that question again. 44:02 Is he describing a problem or prescribing a solution. 44:06 Is he saying we should speak in tongue to edify ourselves 44:09 or is he describing the problem in Corinth? 44:12 Watch this, you decide. 44:14 In verse 4, "He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, 44:17 but he who prophesies edifies the church." 44:21 What's the purpose of the gifts? 44:23 To edify the church, to build up the church, 44:26 those who speak in tongues were building up themselves 44:28 but that's not the purpose of the gifts. 44:30 But he who prophecies builds up the church. 44:34 You can see where Paul is going with this, can't you? 44:38 Verse 5, "I would like for every one of you 44:40 to speak in tongues." 44:42 Oh, there it is, you see. 44:44 Paul wants us all to speak in tongues. 44:46 Well, that's interesting because earlier 44:48 he had said we are not all to speak in tongues. 44:51 So why would be he saying now 44:53 I wish you'd all speak in tongues. 44:56 Oh, he did say, I would like 44:58 to have all of you speak in tongues 45:01 but, here it is again, 45:05 but I would rather have you prophesy. 45:08 Why? 45:10 Because He who prophesies is greater than 45:11 one who speaks in tongues, unless he interprets, 45:16 so that the church may be edified." 45:18 And there it is again. 45:21 Why did he say, I wish 45:23 that you could all speak in tongues. 45:25 That's what they really wanted to do. 45:28 That's where they were. 45:31 Paul was coming into a church that was teaching 45:35 that we should all speak in tongues. 45:36 We should all have this one gift 45:38 and if we didn't have it, 45:39 we weren't even a part of the body. 45:42 And so he's trying to meet them half way, 45:47 so he could lead them where they need to be. 45:50 If he came in there and said you guys are all wrong, 45:53 you shouldn't be doing all these. 45:55 Why should they listen to him 45:57 because they believe that they were doing 45:59 what the spirit was telling them to do. 46:02 So he didn't--he tried to meet them half way. 46:05 He said sure, I wish you could all speak in tongues. 46:08 But I'd rather have you prophesy. 46:11 It would be like me talking to you and saying I wish 46:14 that every one of you could sell your houses 46:18 and buy yourself an old bus build it into an RV 46:23 and travel around the country witnessing about Jesus Christ. 46:28 And being an evangelist I wish you could all do that. 46:32 But I would rather have you use the gift that God has given you. 46:39 See that's all Paul was doing. 46:47 He who prophesies is greater than 46:50 the one who speaks in tongue unless he interprets, 46:53 so that the church may be built up. 46:55 You see the whole thing is to build up the church. 46:57 So there is an interpretive there, 46:59 the church can be built up, why? 47:01 Because they understand what's being thought, 47:03 they understand what's being said. 47:05 Verse 6, "Now, brothers, if I come to you 47:07 and I speak in tongues, what good will I be to you, 47:09 unless I bring you some revelation or knowledge 47:12 or prophecy or word of instruction? 47:13 Even in the case of lifeless things 47:15 that make sounds, such as the flute or harp, 47:18 how will anyone know what tune is being played 47:20 unless there is a distinction in the notes? 47:22 If a trumpet doesn't sound a clear call, 47:24 who is gonna get ready for battle? 47:27 So it is with you. 47:29 Unless you speak intelligible words with your tongue, 47:34 how will anyone know what you are saying? 47:36 You will just be speaking into the air." 47:40 So what were they doing? 47:42 They were making a bunch of sounds in languages 47:45 that no one understood, 47:47 that was just like speaking into the air. 47:51 Paul says, undoubtedly 47:54 there are all sorts of languages in the world, 47:55 but none of them is without meaning. 47:58 You see his emphases are on what? 48:00 Meaning, understating what's being thought. 48:03 None of them was on-on the day of Pentecost 48:05 they all understood in their own language. 48:08 But that's not what was happening at Corinth, 48:10 it was just the opposite. 48:12 They were saying a bunch of stuff 48:13 and nobody understood what was being said. 48:15 There is no such thing he says, 48:16 a real language without meaning. 48:18 Verse 11, "If then I don't grasp the meaning of what 48:21 someone is saying, I am a foreigner to the speaker, 48:24 so it is with you, that's what you're doing, 48:26 you're speaking nobody understand it, 48:28 they're like foreigners to you. 48:29 Since you are eager to have spiritual gifts, 48:31 try to excel in gifts that are building up the church. 48:34 Tongues were not building up the church at Corinth, 48:37 they did at Pentecost not at Corinth. 48:41 Something was wrong at Corinth. 48:45 Verse 14, "If I pray in a tongue, 48:48 my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful." 48:52 If I pray in a tongue, oh, I can get emotional, 48:55 I can get excited, I can say amen 48:56 and all of these nice cool things 48:58 but I don't even know what I'm saying. 49:00 My mind is unfruitful. But watch. 49:03 So what would I do? 49:05 Do I quit praying in the spirit? 49:07 No, I will pray with my spirit, 49:09 but I'll also pray with my mind. 49:12 I will understand what's being said. 49:16 You see, God made us with understanding 49:21 and He made us with emotions 49:23 and feeling and they are both good. 49:26 He put in there for reason. 49:30 I think sometimes people get so over focused 49:34 on the emotional part that they lose touch with reason. 49:39 And Paul is trying to handle that, 49:42 but on the other hand there are those 49:44 who are so afraid of being too emotional. 49:48 Well, we don't want to be like 49:49 those holy-rollers and happy-clappies. 49:54 So we become the frozen chosen. 49:58 And we got it in our minds but no emotion, 50:02 scared to even say amen too loud in church. 50:05 Amen. 50:07 So I think we need to be more adventacostal. 50:12 Amen. Amen. 50:14 We need to be the happy chosen, amen. Amen. 50:18 And excited about what we have, 50:20 that's what Paul was telling me anyway. 50:23 Verse 16, "If you are praising God 50:25 with your spirit, how can anyone 50:26 who finds himself among you doesn't understand say amen". 50:29 Can amen say amen? 50:30 You could be cursing the name of God for all I know. 50:35 So Paul is clear, he wants people to understand. 50:38 Verse 18, "I thank God that I speak in tongues 50:40 more than all of you." 50:41 There it is. 50:42 Paul's spoken tongues all over the-- 50:44 remember tongues also means languages. 50:47 He could have simply mean 50:48 that I speak in more languages than all of you. 50:50 But there it is again, but verse 19, 50:54 "In the church I would rather speak 50:55 five intelligible words to instruct others than 50:59 ten thousand words in a tongue. 51:02 And I think it's pretty clear by now, 51:04 Paul wants everyone to understand what's being said. 51:09 So the church can be built up not the individual the church. 51:13 Watch, verse 22, "The tongues, then, are a sign, 51:17 not for believers but for unbelievers." 51:21 Tongues are not a sign for believer. 51:23 No, they are sign for unbeliever, 51:24 that's what happened with Peter at Cornelius' house. 51:28 When the unbelieving Gentile starts speaking in tongues, 51:31 it was a sign for them 51:33 that they were accepted by the Holy Spirit. 51:35 Tongues, then, are sign for unbelievers not believers. 51:39 Watch this one, verse 23. 51:41 "So if the whole church comes together 51:42 and everyone speaks in tongues 51:44 and some who don't understand if some unbeliever comes in, 51:47 will they not say you're out of your mind. 51:50 Well, you guys are nuts man, I'm out of here. 51:54 That's what Paul said. 51:57 So what shall we say brothers, 51:59 "When you come together, everyone has a hymn, 52:01 or a word of structure, a revelation, 52:03 a tongue or an interpretation." 52:05 He didn't say I want you to quit all that stuff. 52:09 Listen to this. 52:11 All of these must be done 52:14 for the strengthening of the church, all of them. 52:19 They must be done to strengthen the church. 52:23 Not you, but the church. 52:25 Verse 27 then, "If anyone speaks in a tongue, 52:28 two--at the most three-- should speak, one at a time, 52:30 and someone must interpret." 52:34 If there is no interpret the speaker 52:36 should keep quiet in the church 52:38 and speak to himself and God because verse 33, 52:42 "God is a God of order not of disorder but God of peace." 52:48 When you come together everyone is blabbing in tongues. 52:52 One at a time, two at the most, 52:57 three no more and there has to be an interpreter there. 53:04 Somebody asked me, 53:05 how am I going to know if there's an interpreter there? 53:09 I don't know. He doesn't say here. 53:13 He just says be sure there's one there 53:15 and if there's not then don't do it... 53:20 be quite. 53:22 Now can you see that when Paul says one at-- 53:25 they were all doing it at once and he says one at a time. 53:30 Two, never more than three 53:33 and you have to have an interpreter. 53:34 Can you see that Paul is controlling 53:38 that manifestation of the spirit in Corinth? 53:41 Absolutely, he is controlling. 53:44 He is squelching it. 53:45 They were all wanting to do it and he says, no, no, 53:48 just three at the most, one at a time. 53:51 He was squelching at what was happening at Corinth? 53:55 Now you tell me, would Paul squelch 53:58 a genuine manifestation of the Holy Spirit? 54:02 Would Paul say, Holy Spirit, 54:04 you are going too fast at Corinth, 54:06 you need to slow down a little bit. 54:08 I don't think so. So what was he doing? 54:13 Well, some of you may want me to say, well, 54:16 they were all demon possessed 54:17 and he was calling them a bunch of demon. 54:20 No, He didn't do that. 54:22 He didn't says you were all demon possessed, 54:24 they were Christians. 54:25 He called them saints at the beginning of the letter. 54:28 He says you are saints. 54:30 They were confused but they were saints. 54:33 He didn't say you are demon possessed. 54:36 Well then, what else could have been happening there? 54:40 Notice it was all going on at one time, exciting music, 54:44 speaking in tongues, prophesying, 54:46 all of this stuff going on at one time. 54:48 The church was teaching that everybody 54:50 need to speak in tongues. 54:51 Now if you were a member of that church 54:53 and you had not yet started speaking in tongues, 54:56 what would you want more than anything else? 54:59 You would want that special gift, 55:01 that special blessing that you have been taught 55:03 everyone should have. 55:04 In fact you are not even 55:05 a part of the body of Christ till you get it. 55:07 So here you are in this exciting supercharged, 55:10 emotional environment striving to speak in tongues 55:14 and suddenly they tell us it's possible to induce 55:18 in that environment a translate type of existence 55:21 that causes people to come up 55:23 with something that sounds like tongues 55:24 when it's really not, almost like self-hypnosis. 55:30 And I've had people tell me, you know pastor, 55:33 I've always wondered if I was-- 55:35 if God was doing that, if it was just me on my own? 55:39 That's what I think was happening at Corinth. 55:42 One at a time, two, at the most three, 55:44 must be an interpreter, he is taking away 55:46 that intense supercharged environment 55:51 and he knew that it would just die out. 55:54 He didn't go and say, brothers, 55:55 yours is genuine and brother over here yours is false. 55:59 No, he didn't do that, they were Christians. 56:02 He took away that environment 56:05 and he knew that soon it would just die out. 56:08 One at a time, two, at the most three, 56:11 there has to be an interpretation, 56:13 if not just be quite in church. 56:18 And I think we could learn a lesson from Paul. 56:21 "God is not a God of disorder but of peace." 56:26 One of the questions I always like to ask when people ask me, 56:28 why don't we speak in tongues? 56:31 The question I like to ask 56:34 and you don't have to say amen for this one. 56:38 I don't want you to get embarrassed. 56:41 Question I like to ask is, 56:43 well, if the purpose of the baptism of the spirit 56:47 and speaking in tongues 56:49 is to build up the church throughout the whole world 56:54 and the American Bible Society not sponsored by our church 56:58 did an independent study and show that 57:01 the Seventh-day Adventist church is preaching the gospel 57:05 in more countries than 57:07 all of the other Protestant churches put together. 57:12 Now, if we are preaching in more countries 57:18 than all the other Protestant churches 57:20 put together including yours 57:23 and you have the baptism of the spirit and we don't, 57:26 then what are you doing with it? 57:28 See, that's my question, what are you doing with it? 57:32 And don't say amen if you are a Seventh-day Adventist 57:36 because my next question is for you. 57:39 What are you doing with it? 57:41 How many people have you talked to about Jesus Christ? 57:45 How man people have you lead to follow the Lamb? |
Revised 2014-12-17