Text: Acts 2:4, Title: Tongues and the Fullness, Subject: Tongues and filling, Date/Place: NRBC, 6/3/07, AM
A. Opening illustration: as a brand new Christian, I was in my first year of college when I saw a sign for a bible study. So, I went and met with Cliff, and they challenged me about the avoidance of Acts 2 and the surrounding phenomena. Tell about the night that they offered to help us receive the gift. Later at UT went on a trip with another “full gospel” group. Tell about the last night…Do we have a half a gospel?
B. Background to passage: As we walk through the book of Acts, there are many things that will seem strange and different to us—Peter’s shadow, people disappearing, sheets coming out of heaven, people being struck dead, handkerchiefs that heal people, stonings, dead people coming back to life, and such. But two of the things that keep coming up are speaking in tongues and the filling of the Spirit. Both of these phenomena occur at many places in the book. And my style is to deal with things rather head on, so that is what I intend to deal with today. This will give us a little more foundational knowledge, so that we can interpret these things correctly when they come up again. Just a word of warning: good conservative bible-believing, evangelical scholars disagree on these things sometimes. But they have a right to be wrong. And so do I, and so do you. But since I believe that it is not all that helpful to you to simply provide all the opinions, I will present my convictions on these matters. However, you do not have to agree with everything I say to be a good Christian, nor a member of this church. But I do believe that my conclusions and interpretations are scripturally based, and if you disagree, and want to talk, bring a bible. I welcome good discussion.
C. Main thought: But this morning we will tackle speaking in tongues and being filled with the Spirit
D. Book endorsements and doctrine about the personhood of the Holy Spirit
A. And they began to speak with other tongues (v. 4)
1. Here in Acts 2 is the first time that we are exposed to tongues. There are isolated references to them in the OT, and one verse about them in Mark. Other than the book of Acts and 1 Corinthians, not other NT writing references them, including ones that deal with spiritual gifts. So, historically we have chosen to ignore them or chalk them up a having ceased. If we are going to claim to be biblical, we definitely not ignore, because even though rare, they exist; and if we look at the common passages cited for cessation, they are inconclusive at best, and out of context at worst when used to justify cessationism. But here in Acts 2, it is very clear that the tongues spoken as a legitimate manifestation of the gift were unlearned human languages. They function as a sign to unbelievers outside of the church that points them to divine activity and redemption. Their function is confirmed in the only didactic passage in the NT regarding tongues. However their pattern in Acts is very erratic, and specific to the “sign” part of their function. An imitation tongues was disrupting the church in Corinth, but this did not affect the legitimate tongues.
2. 1 Cor 13:8-10, Heb 2:4, 1 Cor 12:7, 14:19, 22-26, Acts 8:17, 10:44-47, 11:15-18
3. Illustration: incidents cited by Alan Cole about the miraculous signs being done by missionaries in China, reports trickle in among mission sending organizations about sudden supernatural abilities to speak the language without having studied, tell about the conversation that I had with a charismatic one time late into the night, and after much biblical debate, he reverted to experience,
4. So if it was a legitimate gift, and cross-linguistic evangelism was the purpose to point people to Jesus, and we cannot exegetically demonstrate that the bible forbids them or indicates their cessation, they must be an active gift today. However if they are active, we should see them in similar contexts with the purpose for which they were intended. They should occur upon the front lines of the gospel to expedite and authenticate a gospel witness where there is no church. They were not intended to be used for personal edification or pride, but as with all gifts, they are for the common good (1 Cor 12:7). Paul, in effect, prohibits them from the assembly of the saints by the statements that he makes in 1 Cor 14. Although he doesn’t rule them out completely. And he does give other requirements for their use in church in a cosmopolitan city where unbelievers who speak other languages will be there. He doesn’t indicate that tongues are beyond the control of the speaker, and also that there must be an interpreter present for upbuilding of the church. For everything must be done for upbuilding. Don’t allow experience to interpret scripture, but the other way around. Don’t fear the working of the Spirit. Be open on foreign mission trips to countries with no churches and a severe language barrier. What do we make of the modern Pentecostal and Charismatic movement? We thank them for their contribution to evangelical Christianity of a renewal for the experiential presence of God! We count them as brothers for they are born again, but if asked we should challenge them to back up some of their more spurious practices, and align some of the less spurious practices with the scriptures. 1 Corinthians is our example of a church that gets the gifts wrong, and wrecks the whole train.
B. And they were filled with the Spirit (v. 4)
1. Being a physician Luke’s terminology is very precise. Even though usually this event is spoken of being the baptism of the Spirit, it was only in the sense that the 120 were immersed in the Spirit. Luke says that they were filled. Differentiate b/t the baptism and filling. Speak about the Pentecostal/charismatic doctrine of subsequence. The pattern of the NT, specifically in Acts, is that individuals and groups were baptized into the body (occasionally with supernatural evidences), but were repeatedly filled. Usually when they are filled, the Word is spoken boldly and ministry takes place. But there are other occasions and reasons that filling takes place in the NT—confirming our adoption as children of God, endurance of trials and persecution, also it is sometimes described as a quality of life like with Stephen or Barnabas. Nowhere in scripture are we commanded to seek the baptism of the Spirit. However, we are commanded to be filled. There Paul likens the filling of the Spirit to the control that wind has upon an intoxicated person. Just as it is obvious to those around a drunk that the liquor is speaking, we should be so controlled by the Spirit that His influence and control should be all-encompassing in our lives.
2. Luke 10:20, John 15:3-4, 17:12, 20:22, 1 Cor 12:13, Eph 5:18, Philip 1:19, Luke 11:13, Col 3:15-17
3. Illustration: Charles Stanley and Dr. Bill Bennett describe times in their lives when the Holy Spirit empowered them with unusual strength and joy for ministry that it was impossible to attribute to natural things, Dr. John White a missionary physician describes a particularly powerful manifestation of the Spirit from the mission field, If a man is filled with anger, than anger controls his life. If a man is filled with greed, then greed dominates his life. If a man is filled with lust, then lust governs his life. If a man is filled with love, then love influences all he does. And if a man is filled with the Holy Spirit, he is controlled by the Spirit - it is, if you will, "control by consent." “I believe firmly that the moment our hearts are emptied of pride and selfishness and ambition and everything that is contrary to God’s law, the Holy Spirit will fill every corner of our hearts. But if we are full of pride and conceit and ambition and the world, there is no room for the Spirit of God. We must be emptied before we can be filled.” -Moody "Being filled with the Spirit is an inside job. If you insist on an outer experience, then you make emotions the king."
4. This should be the pattern in our lives—one baptism of the Spirit at conversion, and many subsequent fillings. Some of these may be for empowerment to do ministry, where you minister almost outside the body saying things that you didn’t know you knew under the control of the Spirit. Some of these may be times of extreme brokenness or extreme joy as you are overwhelmed by the Spirit. Some of these may carry you through difficult times by His strength. We are called to walk by the Spirit, put to death the deeds of the body by the Spirit, so how do we do that? Three ways, all by faith. First, we strive for total surrender to His will in every area of our lives. Are there compartments of your life that you don’t allow the Spirit into? Does He have complete access to any area of your life to do with it what He pleases? This is a lifelong surrender, with fresh surrenders every day, and deeper surrenders on occasion. Second, we live in a constant moment by moment obedience to the promptings of the Spirit in your daily life. This means that we must be alert to the spiritual issues in everything. And that we must be sensitive to the Spirit’s leadings in our lives daily. You must in tune your conscience toward Him. Be filled with the Word; note the parallels b/t this text and Colossians. When this happens, fruit will be produced by the Spirit, and born by you. Don’t claim to be filled with the Spirit and exhibit no fruit. The Spirit doesn’t come to control, hand out gifts, but withhold fruit. Grumpy old Alan. Thirdly, we ask for it. Jesus said that God would give the Holy Spirit to those who ask. This doesn’t mean that you have only a limited amount now, and you get more later. This shouldn’t create an unscriptural dichotomy b/t the haves and have-nots. It should create a power-filled, joy-filled, love-filled, Spirit-controlled group of believers that bear much fruit for the kingdom. And all of these by faith! Not earning, nor bargaining, nor fighting, nor begging, but trusting! Seek the presence of God through the Spirit constantly! We must guard against shallow emotionalism, but at the same time, never be satisfied with lifeless, powerless, fruitless, business-as-usual, cultural, nominal faith.
5. Final Thoughts
i. We need to experience the presence of God in/with/on us!
ii. We want authentic biblical Christianity, not traditional, cultural, comfortable churchianity
iii. We are to advance the Kingdom of Light, and assault the kingdom of darkness (main thing)
Closing illustration: John Hydefelt a strong calling to the nation of India and began to spend hours in an attempt to learn the local language. Then the day came. It was in 1892 that he boarded a steamer in New York bound for the nation of India.
On the Ship, John received a telegram from a close family friend. He opened it hurriedly on the deck of the ship. The only words of the telegram were, "John Hyde, are you filled with the Holy Spirit?" John’s response was one of heated anger. He crumpled the paper, put it into his pocket and went to bed.
Unable to sleep, he tossed and turned all night. He arose from bed in the early morning hours, took the piece of paper and read it again. He thought, “The audacity of somebody to ask me that question, ‘Am I filled with the Holy Spirit?’ Here I am a missionary, sincere, dedicated, leaving my home and going to another country. How dare they ask me if I am filled with the Holy Spirit?”
Wasn’t he equipped for his call? After all he had received a B.A. degree, studied the language, was even on the way and was determined to pursue his destiny.
Yes, he was on his way, but Hyde’s spirit was challenged by the note. After much soul searching, he fell to his knees before the Father. “O God,” he cried out, “the audacity of me thinking that I could pray or preach or witness or live or serve or do anything in my own strength and power. Fill me with your strength. Fill me with Your power.” John Hyde became one of the great missionary statesmen of all time. Why? Because of the Spirit which enabled him to face the challenges of his life in the power of God.
In many of those first years there was not a single convert. John was driven to prayer. Indeed, he would come to be known as “Praying Hyde.”
In 1900-1901, Hyde writing home prophetically tells what the Lord had showed him in prayer about the new century. That the new century would be a time of Pentecostal power and a double portion of the Holy Spirit would be poured out. That a great conviction would come and many would be born again. He saw a full apostolic Christianity restored to the church. Hyde believed that a great revival would occur after an understanding of the baptism of the Holy Spirit. He often preached a message, "You Shall Receive Power After."
By 1908 – 16 years after his arrival in India – John Hyde dared to pray what was to many at the annual convention an impossible request: that during the coming year in India one soul would be saved every day. Three hundred sixty five people converted, baptized, and publicly confessing Jesus as their Savior. Impossible -- yet it happened.
Before the next convention John Hyde had prayed more than 400 people into God’s kingdom, and when the prayer union gathered again, he doubled his goal to two souls a day. Eight hundred conversions were recorded that year, and still Hyde showed an unquenchable passion for lost souls.
At the 1910 convention, those around Hyde marveled at his faith, as they witnessed his near violent supplications, "Give me souls, oh God, or I die!" Before the meeting ended, John Hyde revealed that he was again doubling his goal for the coming year. Four souls a day, and nothing less. During the next twelve months John Hyde’s ministry took him throughout India. By now he was known as "Praying Hyde," and his intercession was sought at revivals in Calcutta, Bombay, and other large cities. If on any day four people were not converted, Hyde said at night there would be such a weight on his heart he could not eat or sleep until he had prayed through to victory. The number of new converts continually grew.
A. Recap
B. Invitation to commitment
