Why You Shouldn’t Speak In Tongues

WHY YOU SHOULDN’T SPEAK IN TONGUES

INTRODUCTION

A. HUMOR

1. We’re on our way somewhere! Not just to a normal place like the grocery store or to the bank. We’re on our way to heaven!

2. Have you ever been up a really tall building? A small boy, with his father, was in an elevator going up the Empire State Building in New York.

3. As they flashed by the 66nd floor, the boy, in considerable anxiety, seized his father's hand, and in an awestruck whisper, said, "Does God know we are coming?"

4. This is an amusing story; but, the serious answer is: Yes, God knows everything about us, and what’s best for us.

B. THESIS

We’re going to talk about speaking in tongues tonight. I’m going to take the opposite tack than normal, and we’re going to talk about the reasons you should NOT speak in tongues!

I. REASONS TO NOT SPEAK IN TONGUES

A. IT IS CONTRARY TO LOGIC

1. If something's not logical, it doesn't compute, it doesn't make sense. Our modern society is dominated by Aristotelian thought; “If it's not logical, then it's not true.” 2 + 2 doesn’t = 5.

2. Everything else God has made seems to be logical, so why would He ask us to do something odd, like speak in tongues?

3. To the natural man, speaking in tongues seems illogical; we can't see any benefit to it.

4. It also goes against our pride, because we might be required to talk in "baby talk." Pride is the biggest part of the rejection of ‘tongues.’

B. IT IS TAUGHT AGAINST BY SEVERAL LARGE DENOMINATIONS

1. Taught against by Dr. Ed Young (6/19/11) of Second Baptist Church in Houston. He said it was only for the Apostolic Age.

2. Others teach that the gifts of the Spirit were only active until after the Bible was finished being written.

3. Now there’s no scriptural support for these views; Church history contradicts these views. Tongues and the gifts of the Spirit are well documented down to the fourth century A.D., sporadically until the 12th century, and then flourish again with the Protestant Reformation on down to today.

C. IT TURNS PEOPLE OFF, IS OFFENSIVE TO SOME PEOPLE

1. Certainly God doesn't want us to be offensive to people. The apostles taught, "As much as is possible... live at peace with all men."

2. We're not to put a stumbling block in front of people. We don't want to drive people away from God, and the average man on the street might be driven away by such a practice as speaking in other tongues.

3. So much of the Christian world rejects tongues because they want to be “seeker friendly” and successful (instead of caring about what God thinks).

II. ARE THESE SUFFICIENT REASONS?

Could we apply these same arguments to other doctrines – such as the deity of Christ?

A. MAJOR TEACHINGS WHICH ARE CONTRARY TO LOGIC

1. Major teachings of Scripture such as the VIRGIN BIRTH of Christ, the RESURRECTION OF Jesus, and the RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH, etc., are also contrary to logic. Does this mean we should jettison them as well?

2. No, we would count them “matters of faith.” Well why don’t we apply the same criteria to all areas of faith and practice instead of just a few?

3. A great many of things that God does are contrary to logic. What's logical about throwing salt into water to make it sweet? What's logical about bringing down walls with a shout and a trumpet? What's logical about dying to live, losing to gain, and become poor to be rich?

4. But many things which seem -- on the surface -- to be illogical, if examined from a different point of view or in more detail, end up being logical.

5. The idea that man would fly was thought to be illogical two centuries ago. Snake venom which is a poison, is now used to heal people. The idea of circumnavigating the globe was once thought to be crazy.

6. God is the God of the supernatural. Miracles are by nature things which don't happen naturally. The Bible from Genesis to Revelation is filled with instances of miracles. The coming of the Holy Spirit and His filling humans is a miracle.

7. Why should it be thought strange that one more miracle -- that He would give us a heavenly language -- be thought contrary to the plan of God?

B. SOME CHURCHES & BODIES OF SCHOLARS TEACH AGAINST THE CORNERSTONES OF CHRISTIANITY -- DEITY OF CHRIST, HIS MIRACLES, ETC.

1. To me, it makes no difference whether 100 denominations teach against the baptism in the Holy Spirit and speaking in other tongues.

2. If it’s in Scripture, taught and practiced by the apostles and the early church, and there’s no mention of it being withdrawn, then, as with any other Christian teaching or practice, we should continue to do as they did.