9-5-12 Tongues 6 Dr. Mike Fogerson
A Tongues (Prayer Language) is when the spirit of man is praying to God or speaking for God in a language the speaker has never learned (1 Cor. 14.2).
2 For one who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God; for no one understands , but in his spirit he speaks mysteries. 1 Cor 14:2 (NASB)
1 There are over 6,000 known languages.
a There is also a language of the spiritual realm (1 Cor. 13.1) which is given by the Holy Spirit (Acts 2.4).
1 If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 1 Cor 13:1 (NASB)
4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues , as the Spirit was giving them utterance . Acts 2:4 (NASB)
b Praying in a prayer language is not understood unless there is an interpretation given (1 Cor. 14.13-15).
13 Therefore let one who speaks in a tongue pray that he may interpret.14 For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful.15 What is the outcome then? I will pray with the spirit and I will pray with the mind also; I will sing with the spirit and I will sing with the mind also. 1 Cor 14:13-15 (NASB)
c Mark 16.17, Jesus spoke of tongues as a authentication of the mission of the believer.
17 "These signs will accompany those who have believed: in My name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues; Mark 16:17 (NASB)
2 Tonight, I want you know the difference between prophetic tongue & private tongue (1 Cor. 14.5)
5 Now I wish that you all spoke in tongues, but even more that you would prophesy; and greater is one who prophesies than one who speaks in tongues, unless he interprets, so that the church may receive edifying. 1 Cor 14:5 (NASB)
a Confusion has arisen over the use and exercise of these two manifestations of prayer language.
b Prophetic tongues bring revelation to the church (Requires an interpretation);
Private tongue is a prayer experience, which is private/ requires no interpretation)
aa These are separate gifts, serve different purposes.
bb 14 For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful. 1 Cor 14:14 (NASB)
3 I believe if we could have sat in on a worship service in the early church that we would have heard people speaking in tongues regularly/normative.
a Acts 10.46, the churched used tongues to magnify God.
46 For they were hearing them speaking with tongues and exalting God. Then Peter answered, Acts 10:46 (NASB)
aa Col. 3.16, indicates singing in the Spirit (could have been singing in tongues).
16 Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. Col 3:16 (NASB)
bb If tongues (uninterpreted) had a place in corporate worship services in the first century then we’ve change our thinking on prayer languages.
b If carefully led and the church body is flowing together, prayer language can certainly bring glory to God.
c When someone interrupts someone’s message, prayer, or song is when thing get confusing & go wrong
26 What is the outcome then, brethren? When you assemble, each one has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification.27 If anyone speaks in a tongue, it should be by two or at the most three, and each in turn, and one must interpret;28 but if there is no interpreter, he must keep silent in the church; and let him speak to himself and to God.29 Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others pass judgment.30 But if a revelation is made to another who is seated, the first one must keep silent.31 For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all may be exhorted;32 and the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets;33 for God is not a God of confusion but of peace , as in all the churches of the saints. 1 Cor 14:26-33 (NASB)
B Billy Graham rereleased on the Holy Spirit.
1 Shocked to discover that Dr. Graham does not believe that tongues have ceased.
a “Although there is honest disagreement among Christians about the validity of tongues today, I personally cannot find any biblical justification for saying the gift of tongues was meant exclusively for New Testament times . . . Indeed, tongues is a gift of the Spirit . . . Today, there are Presbyterians, Baptists, Anglicans, Lutherans, and Methodists, as well as Pentecostals, who speak or have spoken in tongues.” -Dr. Billy Graham
b For many churches it is easier to believe that all the manifestations have ceased than to worry about the modern church controlling the free expression of the gifts.
aa We want order, control of our service.
bb We do not want the volatility or disruptions brought on by an unleashed Holy Spirit.
c 8 Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy , they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away. 1 Cor 13:8 (NASB)
aa The gifts will pass away, not at the end of the apostolic age or New Testament, but at the Second Coming.
bb Last week I showed you how the gifts of the Spirit manifested beyond the first century church.
2 1 Cor. 1.4-7, Paul expected all the gifts to operate until Christ comes again.
4 I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given you in Christ Jesus,5 that in everything you were enriched in Him, in all speech and all knowledge,6 even as the testimony concerning Christ was confirmed in you,7 so that you are not lacking in any gift, awaiting eagerly the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, 1 Cor 1:4-7 (NASB)
II The Use of Prophetic Tongues Today
A It is my opinion that there is more than one kind of tongue that available (varied).
1 One of these is open/available for all Christians for individual edification.
a Another is a prophetic gift of tongues given to edify the church body.
b This prophetic tongue is often misused & misunderstood.
aa This prophetic tongue is what got Corinth into trouble.
bb Paul found that the church highlighted prophetic tongue to the point that overcome the other aspects of worship.
2 1 Cor. 14, give strong cautions & guidelines for use of the prophetic tongue in public worship.
a Paul was very specific about these cautions & guidelines. (1 Cor. 14.26-33)
26 What is the outcome then, brethren? When you assemble, each one has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification.27 If anyone speaks in a tongue, it should be by two or at the most three, and each in turn, and one must interpret;28 but if there is no interpreter, he must keep silent in the church; and let him speak to himself and to God.29 Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others pass judgment.30 But if a revelation is made to another who is seated, the first one must keep silent.31 For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all may be exhorted;32 and the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets;33 for God is not a God of confusion but of peace , as in all the churches of the saints. 1 Cor 14:26-33 (NASB)
aa Public worship the gift of tongues should be a rare occurrence.
bb Three times in a gathering & each speak separately.
cc No interpretation then remain silent.
b It is NEVER appropriate to interrupt the teaching and preaching of God’s Word (either in tongues or in a natural language.)
c The benefits of tongues when interpreted can be a blessing to the church.
aa The prophetic message can build up, encourage, and comfort others in the church, providing words of expectation/vision.
bb This idea scares some because of control but also risk of counterfeit tongues.
3 Demons can influence people engage in counterfeit tongues (The church has answered misuse with disuse.)
a Not everybody who makes a decision during a sermon is real, serious . . . some are phoney.
b We would never consider giving up preaching because some of the people who respond made phoney decisions, would we?
B How do we know if the tongue is counterfeit or of God.
1 Ask the person to privately pray in tongues of a mature believer 1 John 4.1-2.
1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.2 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God; 1 John 4:1-2 (NASB)
a The counselor asks the one praying in tongues to confess Jesus as Lord in English.
b The enemy won’t call Jesus Lord until he has too.
2 Beware of counterfeit gifts given by demons.
a Counterfeiters don’t counterfeit pennies. Why? Not valuable or worth much.
b Tongues is counterfeited by Satan because he wants people to accept a phony substitute for the true power of God.
3 Avoid spiritual pride
a Just because someone doesn’t speak in tongues/prayer language it doesn’t mean they don’t have the power or anointing of the Holy Spirit on their lives.
b Don’t try to force your gifts on others.
c Humble yourself in the hands of God who gives gifts as He chooses.
C 1 Cor. 14, It is the Pastor/leaders job to make sure tongues follow the Scriptural Guidelines.
1 When people come to the altar for salvation, it is not the right time to exercise your prayer language. (Distracting the lost from the Gospel.)
a Confusing, division...
b Your prayer language should not be exercised in the presence of the uninformed.
2 Because the misuse & abuse of tongues has caused so much division/misunderstanding . . . people with prayer languages must be careful of the context in which he/she exercises the gift.
a Praying in tongues around people who are unfamiliar with/uninformed of its use would not be loving or appropriate.
b That all said, I would not presume to limit God’s working, but I caution you as a believer to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit.
Conclusion:
A Those who speak in tongues are not better than those who don’t.
1 Don’t criticize the gift if you don’t have it and don’t be jealous of those who have it.
a Be grateful for all the gifts in the body of Christ.
b One of the greatest blessings in the Christian life is the diversity of gifts of believers.
c As God’s power rests on each of His children, the body reaps the benefits.
2 I am telling you to chase after signs (like tongues).
a Jesus said these (and other signs) would follow as believers’ hearts grow hungry.
b We must not be bigoted toward tongues . . . but balanced.
c Our goal as a church is not to get people to speak in tongues but to get lost souls saved.
3 Two Wednesday nights from tonight I will be preaching on the benefits of having a prayer language.
B We need to learn to push past our comfort zone, push past our hang-ups, push past our pride, and
Pray
Until
Something
Happens
1 The only way to give natural child birth is to push! You’ve got to push at some point in the process!
a It may not start out being much fun, but the end result is worth it!
b Praying Until Something Happens will cause you to push past the natural, and get into the supernatural where all us Holy Ghost ‘junkies’ like to be.
c I’m hooked on the Holy Ghost! I can’t get enough! I need more! How about you?
Let’s be PUSHers! PUSHers of the Holy Ghost!
2 Let me tell you something. If we would quit worrying about what people thought we looked like or sounded like when the Holy Spirit is on us, then there would be more free services in the Spirit, more folks filled with the Holy Spirit, and so many sinners standing in the windows, or coming to church just to see what’s going on that it would blow your mind, so let them talk!
a LET’S GIVE THEM SOMETHING TO TALK ABOUT!
b If they’re gonna talk, let them tell of what God is doing!
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My name is Mike Fogerson, and I pastor a Southern Baptist Church in Chester, Illinois. I have been a long-time user of Sermon Central and truly appreciate its content and contributors. Some of the best sermons I’ve ever preached have been reworked material from this website. As you use the material from my sermon bank, understand that it is work that has been done from not just myself, but from hundreds of other pastors as well. If you see part of your message, or a bunch of your message with my name on it and this upsets you, please email me and I will quickly respond and cite you as the main source. My intent is not to claim someone’s work as my own. I am disclaiming up front that I use the resources from Sermon Central and appreciate the tool. I simply want all those who use my work to know that some of these messages were inspired by the Holy Spirit working through other pastors. Because I do use the messages of other pastors I waive all claims of originality or origin of creativity for the messages posted under my messages. I pray God blesses your preaching ministry for the glory of His Kingdom.
Respectfully,
Mike Fogerson
