This Stammering Tongue
One day during his great mission in London, Mr. Moody was holding a meeting in a theater packed with a most select audience. Noblemen and noblewomen were there in large numbers, and a prominent member of the royal family was in the royal box.
Mr. Moody arose to read the Scripture lesson. He attempted to read
Luke 4:27: “And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Eliseus the prophet.”
When he came to the name of Eliseus he stammered and stuttered over it. He went back to the beginning of the verse and began to read again, but when he reached the word “Eliseus” he could not get over it. He went back the third time, but again the word was too much for him. He closed the Bible with deep emotion and looked up and said, “Oh, God, use this stammering tongue to preach Christ crucified to these people.”
The power of God came upon him, and one who heard him then and had heard him often at other times said to me that he had never heard Mr. Moody pour out his soul in such a torrent of eloquence as he did then, and the whole audience was melted by the power of God.
Timeline to Pentecost
• Jesus was crucified at Passover
• Jesus ascended 40 days later
• HS came 10 days later
• 50 days after Passover
• PASSOVER - Called Feast of Weeks Feast of Harvests
• 2nd important feast after Passover
• At Sinai giving of the law?
Ac 1:14KJV
14 These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.
Ac 2:1KJV
1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
PENTECOST
• Found only in the New Testament (Acts 2:1; 20:16; 1 Cor. 16:8). - Festival “the feast of harvest”, Ex. 23:16, Ex. 34:22
• “The day of the firstfruits” Num. 28:26
• 50 days after Passover
- Here the first fruits of salvation
- Pentecost tongues were not ecstatic utterances but recognizable human languages
v. 2-3 HS coming
1. Sound of rushing might wind
2. Fire that separated
3. Speaking languages that they had not learned
- Similar to the new era for Israel at Sinai - Ex 19:16-18
v.2-5 A New Era For Believers
Effects of the HS
• POWER – the rushing of a mighty wind
• PURITY – tongues parting like fire
• POSSESSION – filled with the Sp
• PROCLAMATION - they began to speak
v. 9-11 There were 16 people groups
Known world impact
MAP HANDOUT
- East of Tigris River
v.9 Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia,
Center
- Judah the center (Jerusalem)
To the North
v. 9b-10a Cappadocia, in Pontus, Asia, Phrygia (a racial territory), Pamphylia
To the South
Egypt, and in the parts of Libya
Cyrene (now Tripoli Libya - Capital)
To the West
v. 10 Rome, Jews and proselytes, 11 Cretes
-Entire Word represented
The first coming of the HS is unique to this phenomenon
Symptoms & disease are related but not identical
Phenomena & reality are not to be confused
Doctors are poor in treating only the symptoms and not the disease
+ The reality of the HS summed up in the phrase "they were all filled with the HS
The norm for the Christian Eph 5;18b … be filled with the Spirit
It is not a feeling, manifestation or experience it is obedience
Peter linked the gift of the Spirit with the life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus.
Need for Sp. life - Ps 85
Be lead by the Sp. Ro 8:12-17
