Sign’s 11
"What’s Tongues Got To Do With It?"
By Pastor Donny Granberry
This morning we were introduced to the person of the Holy Spirit and the role he plays in the life of the believer.
Tonight we will go a little further and discover the enabling power that the Baptism in the Holy Spirit brings in the believers life and the purposes of being spirit-filled.
ILLUSTRATION
As I sat with an individual, explaining the Baptism in the Holy Spirit I told them, “and when you are filled with the Spirit you will speak in tongues.
I watched as the excitement of the experience changed in his countenance and he asked, “Do I have to speak in tongues?”
I said no, you do not have to speak in tongues; you get to speak in tongues.
Speaking in tongues in not a type of punishment, but a marvelous privilege for spirit-filled believers.
Acts 19:13-16 KJV
13 Then certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcists, took upon them to call over them which had evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth. 14 And there were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew, and chief of the priests, which did so. 15 And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye? 16 And the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, and overcame them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.
Now these vagabond Jews may have not been the sharpest tools in the shed.
Yet when the evil spirits leapt on them, overcame them, and they ran away naked and wounded, they realized that there was something in the lives of Jesus and Paul that they were missing.
They realized that they needed an experience far more than what they had heard about or seen, they needed their own experience.
The day will come when you will realize the need for your own experience with the baptizer in the Holy Ghost.
• The days of riding someone-else’s coat-tail will not be enough.
• The day for calling on the experience of your grandparents, or your parents will not satisfy.
• The day for calling the preacher won’t get it anymore.
• You may not get a hold of anyone on the prayer chain.
• Your mentor will be gone.
• Like Elisha, you will follow your Elijah to Bethel (The House of God), but Elijah’s Bethel wont bring you glory.
• You may follow your Elijah to Jericho (The Place of Fragrance), it may have the right smell, but Elijah’s Jericho wont bring you glory.
• You may follow your Elijah to Jordan (The Descender), you may have a vision, but Elijah’s Jordan won’t usher in your anointing.
• Like Elisha, you may be standing with your Elijah when he is taken up into the glory of Heaven, but that won’t usher in your anointing.
• You may even have his mantle fall from heaven and rest upon you, even that won’t take you to the place God has for you.
Listen to me tonight church.It is when you remove what is between you and God’s anointing.
It is when you get so hungry for God that nothing else matters.
It is when you pick up that mantle and call upon the Lord God of Elisha and strike the waters, it is then that you will open the door to the fullness of what God has for you.
• Momma’s anointing may give you good memories.
• Daddy’s anointing may remind you of the goodness and power of God.
• Grandmas anointing may give you Holy Ghost doo-daddies.
• But you must have your own anointing to be empowered from on high.
• You must have your own experience in the Holy Ghost.
Pentecost has become so watered down today because too many are concerned about how people will react to a real move of the Holy Spirit.
I can tell you how people will react to a sovereign move of the Holy Spirit.
• People will be saved.
• People will be set free.
• People will be healed.
• People will be delivered.
• People will become bold witnesses of Christ.
• The pits of hell will tremble in fear because their power will become overtaken through the authority of the righteousness of God through Christ Jesus.
• The Church will have a voice in this nation again.
Heavenly Father, Let the fire of the Holy Ghost burn within your church once again.
SONG
Thou Christ of burning cleansing flame, send the fire, “ “, “ “
Thy blood bought gift today we claim, send the fire, “ “, “ “
Look down upon this waiting host,Give us the promised Holy Ghost,
We need another Pentecost, send the fire, send the fire, send the fire.
This much I do know, when the 120 came out of the upper room, all 120 of them had received the baptism of the Holy Ghost, and all 120 had spoken in tongues.
When the crowd asked the Question, “What meaneth this?” Simon Peters answer was not, “How can I keep this from being confrontational.
"The word of God has always been confrontational because it makes us take a look at the real person we are.
He told them; this is that, which was spoken by the prophet Joel, that in the last days saith the Lord, I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh.Your sons and your daughters will prophesy, your old men will have visions and your young men will dream dreams.
The people did not answer, “What Good is it?”They said, “What must I do.
”Speaking in tongues is often spoken about in the New Testament.
1. The Great Commission
In His Great Commission to the Church, Jesus told his disciples that they would speak in new tongues.
Mark 16:17
And these signs shall follow them that believe, in my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues.
As we go forth preaching the gospel, we should not only expect people to be saved, but to be filled with the Holy Ghost.
The message of the baptism in the Holy Spirit is a central feature of true gospel preaching.
2. The Day of Pentecost
Not only did the 12 apostles speak in tongues, all 12 of them spake in new tongues.
3. The Book of Acts
Acts 2 – The Day of Pentecost (They heard them speaking)
Acts 10 –The House of Cornelius (They heard them speaking)
Acts 19 – 20 years later when Paul was on his 3rd missionary journey, he went to Ephesus.
When Paul laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them and they spake in tongues.
4. 1 Corinthians 12-14
In these three chapters, Paul is teaching concerning the gifts of the spirit, and he mentions tongues in his two listings of spiritual gifts.
5. Romans 8:26
Paul says that “the spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.He is referring to praying in tongues.
Tongues can be used in a human language or a heavenly language.
You might ask, what good, or what are the benefits of speaking in tongues?
1. Build oneself up spiritually
When we pray in tongues, we receive spiritual strength and blessing.
Speaking in tongues is the only gift which the bible specifically states that it edifies the person who is speaking.
2. Keeps us Conscious of His Presence
As we pray in tongues it helps us remain conscious of the presence of the Lord with us.
Jesus said this of the Holy Spirit, John 14:17, “He is withyou and will be in you.”
If you ever need to be reminded of his presence, just begin praying in the spirit.
3. Praying in Tongues Helps us to Fully Trust God.
This is because speaking in tongues is an act of faith and abandonment to God.
To pray in the spirit we must yield completely to God, believing that He will guide our prayer.
4. Praying in Tongues Eliminates Selfishness from our Prayers.
How often does your prayer time turn into praying for your needs?
Too often we forget the many needs around us and focus on our own needs.
As we yield to Him, He directs our prayer and they will become Jesus centered instead of me centered.
5. Praying in tongues is a Perfect Outlet for Praise and Worship
The spirit of God helps us in out worship of God by lifting our hearts to God.
1 Corinthians 14:15I will pray with my spirit … I will sing with my spirit. Speaking in Tongues is the Scriptural Initial Physical Evidence of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit.
