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Trinity Community Church
Trinity Community Church
Encounter - They Spoke With Tongues
In this enlightening message from our “Encounter” series, Pastor Neil Silverberg delves into the profound gift of speaking in tongues with his sermon titled “They Spoke With Tongues.” Drawing from Acts chapter 2, Neil explores the momentous event of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus’ followers. As they gathered, a sound like a mighty rushing wind filled the place, and tongues of fire rested on each of them. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. This pivotal moment empowered the disciples to spread the Gospel across different cultures and languages.
Neil connects this event to the Old Testament story of the Tower of Babel, where God confused human language to scatter people. Pentecost represents a divine reversal of that confusion, uniting believers through the Holy Spirit. This signifies God’s desire for inclusivity and the universal reach of His message. Neil emphasizes that speaking in tongues can be both known human languages and spiritual languages. When we speak in tongues, we are communicating directly with God, uttering mysteries in the Spirit. This practice enriches personal faith, enhances prayer life, and fosters a deeper relationship with the Holy Spirit.
Addressing common misconceptions, Neil clarifies that speaking in tongues is not the sole evidence of being filled with the Holy Spirit, nor does it make someone more spiritual than others. He encourages an open heart and receptivity to the Holy Spirit’s prompting, assuring us that God grants His gifts in His perfect timing. Love, he reminds us, must be the foundation of all spiritual gifts; without it, even the most extraordinary gifts hold no value.
This sermon offers valuable insights for those curious about spiritual gifts or seeking a deeper understanding. Neil invites us to embrace the fullness of the Holy Spirit, exploring how speaking in tongues can be a meaningful part of our spiritual journey. By doing so, we can experience enhanced spiritual growth and contribute to the unity and strength of the church.
Join us as we continue the “Encounter” series, discovering the transformative power of the Holy Spirit. Let’s open our hearts to all that God offers, enriching our relationship with Him and impacting the world around us.
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Turn in your Bibles to the book of Acts, chapter 2. Let's plunge right into it. Acts chapter 2. This is our main text. I'll be looking in many scriptures this morning, but let's look and start here in these familiar words that Luke records when the day of Pentecost. Acts chapter 2, verse 1. When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place and suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a rushing, mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting and divided tongues as a fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. Let's read verse 4 again. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. Father, this morning I join my prayer to Derek's and we ask you to move in the assembly. Lord, god, use these words. Lord, visit us afresh. Visit us afresh. Let these words happen this morning here at Trinity Community Church. Let there be a new filling of the spirit, lord, a renewed filling of the spirit, and let the spirit give us utterance In Jesus' name. And everyone said Amen.
Neil Silverberg:Most of you know my testimony. I came to faith in Jesus in 1971, living in South Florida. I was accosted by my older brother who was a drug addict, who met the Lord in 1970, and was relentlessly pursuing me and preaching the gospel to me day and night. And he dragged me to a gospel meeting one night in 1971 against my will by the way, it's okay to drag people against their will and I thought I'd go because I would pick up girls and score some marijuana most of which thankfully didn't happen. But I heard the gospel and scales fell from my eyes and I had a powerful encounter with Jesus. I tell people you know a lot of people's testimony is I was messed up, I met Jesus. Now I'm fine. My testimony was I'm fine, I met Jesus. I messed up. And I still haven't recovered from that night. One of the things you don't know is a couple of weeks after that we had a baptism in the Atlantic Ocean in Miami Beach, florida, and I was baptized in water that night, that day, in the Atlantic Ocean, and then, after I came up out of the water, my pastor approached me and said do you want to receive the Holy Ghost? And I got afraid because the only ghost I knew was Casper and I was, at that point, hungry for everything God had. I hope you know a lot of people. They get hung up on the gifts, they get offended, but the truth is, if you're hungry for God, you want everything he has, even if you don't understand it. And I was hungry for God and so I said yes. So my pastor and others in the church came around and laid their hands on me and began to pray for me to receive the spirit, and from the inner depths of my being arose words that I had never spoken before, and I gave utterance to them. I began speaking in another language and ever since that day I've spoken in tongues. This other language has been an important part of my prayer life. Now we are in a series. As Derek reminded us, we're in a series called Encounter. Now we are in a series. As Derek reminded us, we're in a series called Encounter. When I'm not here, I get to listen to the messages and I've been staying up with the series.
Neil Silverberg:It's the study of the person and work of the third person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit, and no study of the Spirit would be complete without looking at what happened to the followers of Jesus when they encountered the Holy Spirit. It's not the only thing that happened, but it happened to them frequently that we need to look at it. And that is when they received the Holy Spirit. They spoke with other tongues. So we can't ignore this if we're going to be faithful to Scripture.
Neil Silverberg:There are probably two types of people, each reacting differently when they hear any mention of speaking in tongues. First are those who focus almost exclusively on tongues when it comes to the Holy Spirit. For them, speaking in tongues is the evidence that one has received the Holy Spirit. They learn to put all their emphasis on speaking with tongues and tend to I say tend to downplay the other gifts. And, by the way, tongues is a beautiful gift, but there's so much more that Father has in his storehouse for us. But the second group are those who don't want anything to do with tongues. The whole subject freaks them out and makes them uncomfortable. They're afraid that if they speak with tongues it will turn them into a blabbing idiot. People have that fear. They really do. But I want to share something I didn't realize myself. It was from the Pew Research Center. It found that 18% of Americans spoke in tongues at least several times a year. Isn't that amazing? And this morning I really want to help both groups, but I want to help those who are freaked out by the whole topic.
Neil Silverberg:I want to encourage you so that you seek this gift because it is exceedingly precious. And, by the way, you may be here and you've undergone difficulty because you were under false teaching. Maybe you were under teaching that said these gifts have passed away. That's called secessionism and it is biblically inaccurate. These gifts are as needed today as they were 2,000 years ago. They're important. They're tools in the toolbox that we need to preach the gospel and to demonstrate the reality of the kingdom. So I don't want you to be freaked out. I want you to be comfortable with what scripture says, and I'm not going to say anything beyond what scripture says. I want you to be comfortable with what scripture says, because scripture has a lot to say about it, more than you realize at first, and I hope to encourage you that you'll seek to speak with other tongues. It will be the greatest boom to your prayer life you've ever experienced. First, let's put things in context.
Neil Silverberg:The writer of Acts was none other than Luke, who also wrote the Gospel of Luke and in the verses we read Acts 2, 1 through 4,. Luke tells us what happened when the 120 disciples were filled with the Spirit. Remember how he opens this book. He started with Luke's account of a 40-day period in which the resurrected Jesus taught the disciples about the kingdom. And these men were Jews who were taught that when Messiah came he would restore the kingdom to Israel. And they asked him when they gathered is this the time you'll do so? After all, they're still living under Roman occupation, so in their minds the kingdom has still not come. And Jesus answered listen to his words. It is not for you to know times and seasons. Would you please tell your favorite prophecy teacher that it is not for you to know the times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, judea, samaria, to the other parts of the earth. So they gathered together in the upper room and obeyed Jesus and waited in prayer. They knew they were going to receive what Jesus called the promise of the Father.
Neil Silverberg:In the four gospels, john the Baptist made the announcement that when Messiah appears, he will baptize them in the Holy Spirit and fire. He also told them to stay in the city until you're clothed with power from on high. Then he led them out as far as Bethany and, lifting up his hands, he blessed them. While he blessed them, he parted from them and was carried up into heaven. And this is called, in theological terms, the ascension. The ascension, and it was a fulfillment of Daniel, chapter seven, verse 13, where Daniel says I saw in the night visions and beholds, with the clouds of heaven, there came one like a son of man, and he came to the ancient of days and was presented before him and to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom. That this is not a prophecy about the second coming here, but the enthronement of the Messiah on the throne of heaven, the majesty on high. He was brought to the ancient of days. Daniel's not prophesying his return. He's prophesying how, when he finished his ministry, he ascended and sat down at the right hand of God.
Neil Silverberg:But Acts 2.1 says when the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. Why was the Holy Spirit poured out on the day of Pentecost arrived? They were all together in one place. Why was the Holy Spirit poured out on the day of Pentecost. Why that particular day? Well, pentecost was vitally connected to the Passover, and in Leviticus 23.15, it says this you shall count seven full weeks from the day after the Sabbath. From that Sunday of Passover week, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering, you shall count 50 days to the day after the Sabbath, seventh Sabbath. So it's 50 days or seven Sabbaths to the day after the Sabbath of Passover week.
Neil Silverberg:That's the day that the Holy Spirit fell on the church and it's called the Feast of Weeks or the Feast of Harvest. It's also the first harvest of the year. It's one of the three feasts that God commanded Israel, every male Israelite, to journey to Jerusalem three times a year to keep these feasts. One was Pesach, passover, the other is Shavuot, which was Pentecost. So when someone asks you if you're a Pentecostal, tell them no, I'm a Shavuot. That will really confuse them. And that's why Luke tells us there were Jews gathered from every nation under heaven. And Luke tells us that while they were gathered in the upper room, suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind and it filled the entire house where they were sitting, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.
Neil Silverberg:Now one of the mistakes people made is they suggest that they weren't speaking in other languages, the disciples, but people heard them speaking in other languages. But that's clearly not true. They were clearly speaking in various known languages. And it says in Acts 2.11,. It says in Acts 2.11, we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God. So it's clear in Acts 2 that they were speaking in known languages. They had never languages they had never known, but were actual languages. And we'll see shortly when we look at 1 Corinthians 14, that tongues are not always known languages. So don't make the mistake of assuming people do that because they were known languages.
Neil Silverberg:In the book of Acts, chapter 2, that tongues are always known languages. It's not the truth. The truth is sometimes they're unknown languages. In Acts 10, peter was at Cornelius' house and the only other people who were there was Cornelius' family and Peter and his companions. No need for them to speak in known languages, for they would have all understood each other. And it says, while Peter was still saying these things, he's preaching in the middle of his message.
Neil Silverberg:The Holy Spirit fell on all who heard his word and the believers from among the circumcised who had come with Peter were amazed because the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured. And there's one other incident in Acts, chapter 19. Paul comes across 12 disciples from Ephesus in Ephesus and he preached the gospel to them. And when Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them and they began speaking in tongues and prophesying. What we find in this is that most cases in the book of Acts, people spoke in tongues when they received the Holy Spirit. Not always, but in most cases. So we can safely say that speaking in tongues is an evidence of the receiving of the Spirit Not always, but in most cases. So we can safely say that speaking in tongues is an evidence of the receiving of the Spirit Not the only evidence, but an important evidence.
Neil Silverberg:Now I want to answer three questions regarding tongues in the remainder of the message, and these are important. Number one what kind of language is tongues? Number two who are we speaking to when we speak in tongues? And number three what are the benefits to when we speak in tongues? And number three what are the benefits? I want to spend most of our time on. What are the benefits of speaking in tongues? First of all, what kind of language is tongues? Well, we've already seen in these cases we looked at they were known languages, especially in Acts 2.
Neil Silverberg:Jews were gathered in Jerusalem for the day of Pentecost, again one of the three feasts which Jesus commanded to come to Jerusalem. It was also called the Feast of Harvest, so it's only fitting that the first harvest of those who believe were gathered on the day of Pentecost. By the way, remember that the day of Pentecost was celebrated 50 days from the day after the Sabbath of Passover. 50 days and, by the way, this blew my mind Do you know, if you count 50 days from the day that Israel left Egypt and the Exodus. You know what you come to. You come to the day of Pentecost and it's the giving of the law. You come to the very moment when Moses received the law, on Mount Sinai and because of the rebellion, when Moses was on the mountain, israel rebelled and made a golden calf.
Neil Silverberg:How many people were slain, do you remember? It says 3,000 people were slain. Moses told the Levites to take their swords and kill, and 3,000 people were slain. Moses told the Levites to take their swords and kill. And 3,000 people fell in the wilderness. And you know how many people on the day of Pentecost were filled with the Spirit 3,000 were added to the church, so it says. The sons of Levi did according to the word and that day, 3,000 men of the people fell. And then those who received his word were baptized. And they were added that day 3,000 souls.
Neil Silverberg:But why were the disciples who received the Spirit given to speak in known languages? Well, to understand that you have to go back 2,000 years to Genesis 11 and the story of the Tower of Babel. Remember they were building a tower that reached to heaven. God's plan was that the three branches of Noah's family would be dispersed throughout the earth. Of Noah's family would be dispersed throughout the earth. One of the reasons for that, it was to protect the Shemite line that, through Messiah, would come to protect the line from being messed with. And God said be scattered. But they refused, it says. Rather, they stayed in one area and the whole earth had one language and the same words.
Neil Silverberg:The people resisted God's plan, decided to build a tower whose top reached to heaven, lest we be dispersed over the face of the earth. So they were in direct rebellion against God's plan to scatter them throughout the earth. And it says the Lord came down to see the tower which they were building. He'll come down again 2,000 years later, at Pentecost. How did he do it? He said come, let us go down and there confuse their language so that they may not understand one another's speech. He changed their language so they could not understand each other and force them to be dispersed. That's why it's called Babel that tower, because it means confuse. And that's what he did. Now, if you fast forward 2,000 years and God comes down again, this time on the day of Pentecost and it was his plan that each people group represented at Pentecost would bring the gospel back to where they came from. Pentecost would bring the gospel back to where they came from. Here we see a glimpse of God's reversal of the curse of divided languages. In Acts 2, people from all over the world here heard God's people proclaiming his mighty works in their own language. Wow, this is the beginning of the redemption of language for its intended purpose to glorify God and draw all people to himself.
Neil Silverberg:Now, the fatal mistake that many make when they read about what happened in the upper room is they believe that because tongues and Pentecost were known languages, they are always known languages and it's simply not the case. Look with me at 1 Corinthians 12, 28. And it says God has appointed in the church, first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating and listen, various or differing kinds of tongues. So there's more than one kind of tongue. Sometimes they are known languages. I was in a meeting years ago in Miami, my home church in Miami, and someone spoke in a clear Hebrew dialect and there was somebody in the new Hebrew that was in the church that day and began to relate what was being said in the message in tongues. So God still does that where tongues are known languages, but not all the time, because there are various kinds of tongues. This includes known languages as well as what he described in 1 Corinthians 13.
Neil Silverberg:If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, so Paul teaches that some form of tongues are tongues of angels and he makes it clear that tongues can be known languages as well as different kinds of languages. Now the second thing is who are we speaking to when we speak in tongues? Does the Bible teach who we're speaking to? And the answer clearly is yes, and we look at 1 Corinthians 14, verse 2, to understand that. He says for one who speaks in a tongue speaks not to men but to God, for no one understands him, but he utters mysteries in the spirit. Now let's set the stage properly for what Paul is doing in this chapter.
Neil Silverberg:Remember how the book of 1 Corinthians opens. He says I give thanks to my God always for you, because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus, that in every way you were enriched in him, in all speech and all knowledge, even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you, so that you are not lacking in any gift as you wait for the revealing of the Lord Jesus. Notice, they weren't lacking in any charisma. All of the gifts were on display at Corinth. So you're not lacking in any gift as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus, who will sustain you to the end, guiltless, in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. So when Paul planted the Corinthian church, it exploded in the Holy Spirit. Paul's not writing to them because nothing's happening in the Spirit at Corinth and he wants to stir them up. He's trying to bring order to what was chaos, but what was happening was there was an explosion of the Holy Spirit, with all the gifts of the Spirit manifested in the church. Paul says they were enriched in all speech and all knowledge. They were confirmed in every charisma or gift of the Holy Spirit. And that's the will of God for us, that every charisma of the Spirit be on display, a full manifestation of the Spirit of God.
Neil Silverberg:If you read chapter 14 of Corinthians carefully, you see that Paul continues to urge them to flow in the spirit, but he teaches them the need for divine order. Things were out of order. So you know. You know what I would have done. I would have told this church everybody shut up and just listen to the elders. And that's what we would. Many modern leaders would do. They'd say this is chaos. Everybody shut up and listen to one man or listen to the elders.
Neil Silverberg:Paul doesn't do that. Why he refuses to quench the spirit, but always wants them to allow for the gifts to flow. But he gives them specific instruction regarding order. Somebody said let all things be done decently, in order, brother. I said yes, but let all things be done. Brother. I said yes, but let all things be done. Are you with me? And, by the way. What was happening at Corinth was the thing that was out of order had to do with tongues. They were speaking over each other and not giving place and people were abusing the gift of tongues. So much of the teaching in this chapter, 1st Corinthians 14, is regarding the exercise of tongues, because that was the area where they were out of order.
Neil Silverberg:First thing, he wants them to know that prophecy is the most important gift to pursue because it builds up the church. Prophecy Pursue love and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts. By the way, are you obedient to that? Paul doesn't say just sit back and if God wants to give you gifts of the spirit, he will Just relax, don't worry about it. He says actively pursue. The Greek word is very intense, it's don't be casual about it, actively pursue, and sometimes, you know, I remember years ago I was in a leadership meeting, teaching in a home.
Neil Silverberg:There was about 30 people from this church and they were bemoaning that none of the gifts were manifested in their services and I said let me ask you guys a question how many of you had words of knowledge? But you quenched it and didn't share. They lifted their hands. I said what about prophecy? What about praying for healing. How many have ever felt quickened by the Spirit to pray for healing? More hands went up. I said you don't have a gift problem, you have a quench problem. God was faithfully giving things, but there was no place for it. They were quenching the Spirit, not intentionally, but that's what happened. So Paul explains to them why they should seek to prophesy rather than speak in tongues in the assembly.
Neil Silverberg:When a person speaks in tongues, he's not speaking to people he says, but to God. We'll come back to that in a minute. Among other things, this means that tongues is always Godward. It's prayer and worship. It's always Godward. Remember what those who heard Peter and the others on the day of Pentecost said. They said we hear them telling in their own tongues the mighty works of God and in Cornelius' house it says. For they were hearing them speaking in tongues and extolling God. So tongues is not a message for the people, but is praise and extolling God. So tongues is not a message for the people, but is praise and extolling God. And even when it's interpreted as it was this morning, it should be God word in its focus. In my early church life in Miami, we were taught that tongues, if interpreted, is exactly equal to prophecy, but prophecy is a message for the people, where tongues, when interpreted, is prayer and worship, essentially. Now let's park in this final place a little longer. What is the benefit of speaking in tongues? First, as I said, tongues is a form of prayer. It's a form of extolling God in a heightened way in praise and worship.
Neil Silverberg:Many people read what Paul says in this chapter about seeking prophecy as being more important than tongues in the public gathering and wrongly conclude that Paul's denigrating tongues are making of lesser importance. Well, he is making it of lesser importance in the public gathering and wrongly conclude that Paul's denigrating tongues are making of lesser importance. Well, he is making it of lesser importance in the assembly. But he isn't denigrating tongues at all. He encourages them to seek to pray in tongues. We'll come to that in a minute. What he's doing when he reminds them to prophesy. He's reminding them in the assembly they should seek to build up the church, and prophecy is more important than any gift in building up the church. Why? Because it is a word directly given to the people of God to understand.
Neil Silverberg:You see, if you're speaking in tongues, he says, unless there's an interpreter, you have no way of edifying the body, you may be edified, but the body isn't being edified. So he says in 1 Corinthians 14, 4, the one who speaks in a tongue builds up himself, but the one who prophesies builds up the church. But then he says now I want all of you to speak in tongues. Now, that's Paul's desire for everybody at Corinth. They speak in tongues. So I have the same desire, I would that all of you speak in tongues. Have you never experienced this gift? It's beyond compare in terms of helping your prayer life, which we'll see in a minute. I'm getting ahead of myself, see. He says let's go to it. 1 Corinthians 14, 14. So see, he says let's go to it First. Corinthians 14, 14.
Neil Silverberg:For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful. If I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful. Notice how he describes two types of prayer. One is prayer with my mind, which speaks of praying in my own language, and praying in tongues, which means my spirit is communing directly with the spirit of God. Isn't that incredible? God has given us a way to directly commune with the spirit and is praying in tongues. It's a way by which we bypass our minds. So he says what shall I do? He says I'll engage in both.
Neil Silverberg:There's times when I need to bypass my mind. There's times when I need to be informed in what I'm praying. He says I will pray with my spirit, but I will pray with my mind also. By mind there, he clearly means intelligible words. By my spirit, he speaks in unintelligible words and he says now, why would God want us to pray without understanding what we are praying? Well, sometimes we just don't know the right thing to pray.
Neil Silverberg:How many have had the experience of really not knowing how to pray, having a burden for a person or a situation, but I just don't know how to pray? In Romans 8, 26, though he's not talking exclusively in tongues, it can be included when he says likewise, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. Here's the weakness he points out, for we do not know what to pray for, as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groaning too deep for words. He who searches the hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit who intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. How many have experienced that God has given us a direct way to pray that bypasses the mind and speaks directly to God. I've experienced it. Sometimes I felt a burden for somebody that my mind is not able to grasp how to pray, and my mind feels limited. I don't understand what exactly to pray for. So I simply start praying in the spirit and after a while I felt the burden released. And sometimes the person would come. And how many had the experience of praying that way and then finding out that the person you were praying for right at that moment needed supernatural prayer. It's happened to me a couple of times over the years. Well, the Spirit knew what the person needed, you didn't. Well, the Spirit knew what the person needed, you didn't.
Neil Silverberg:Paul says I will sing praise with my spirit. So here we see. Tongues is both a form of prayer as well as a form of praise. This proves again that tongues is Godward in its focus. So Paul makes it clear in this chapter that he wants them all to speak.
Neil Silverberg:Speak in tongues. The one who speaks in a tongue builds up himself. So there is a way it is a way of supernatural edification that when you practice it, you know your bill. Your spirit is being edified. It's really powerful. You guys are quiet, are you? Are you tracking with me. So Paul's not denigrating tongues when he says don't speak in the assembly. He's saying seek to prophesy, because prophesying builds up the church. So in the church the Lord would have us prophesy because people are built up. But in my prayer private life, I should pray and sing with my spirit. But in my prayer private life I should pray and sing with my spirit. And when it comes to church gatherings he says this. Nevertheless, in church I would rather speak five words with my mind in order to instruct others than 10,000 words in a tongue.
Neil Silverberg:Let me point out some things that we're mistaken about when it comes to speaking in tongues, common errors that are made. One is the belief that a person is not filled with the Spirit if they don't speak with tongues. I know people that don't speak in tongues that are filled more with the Spirit than people who do Amen. So Paul warns against those who have received the gift. Not sitting in judgment upon those who have not received. It doesn't mean we should let them off the hook and not encourage them to receive the gift of tongues, but recognize that it's not true that they're not filled with the Spirit. Although the Spirit tongues accompany the pouring out of the Spirit in many cases. Number two a person is more spiritual if they speak in tongues. Let me quote a theologian named Pastor Tyler Lind. So if you don't like this, talk to him.
Neil Silverberg:Some will undoubtedly say oh, I guess this means you think you're better than we are. You're the have and we're the have-nots. This is a tragic misunderstanding. Not only the gift of tongues, but our relationship to the work of the Spirit in general. Simply reassure them as gently but firmly as possible that the gift of tongues has not made you a better Christian than they. Perhaps the best way to respond is by saying I don't believe that I'm a better Christian than you. I simply believe that I am now on my way to being a better Christian than I was before I received this gift.
Neil Silverberg:God forbids us to compare ourselves with others Amen as if we, because of a particular gift, we're better than they, see 1 Corinthians 4, 7. But it is an essential part of the Christian life that we grow up in our faith and deepen in our devotion to Jesus through the increase and expansion of the Spirit's works in our life. Paul takes a whole chapter 1 Corinthians 13, to spell out the sign of true spirituality walking in love and remember Paul inserts that chapter in between 12 and 14, the love chapter, not to say, choose love instead of gifts, but choose to display the gifts lovingly. And then how about this People feel the need to coach people when they're praying for them to speak in tongues? And then how about this People feel the need to coach people when they're praying for them to speak in tongues?
Neil Silverberg:Sometimes people receive the gift of tongues directly from God without human participation Many times, and we saw the two examples in Scripture. First, the day of Pentecost, they didn't have hands laid on them. The Lord sovereignly sent the Holy Spirit and they spoke with tongues. No one laid hands on Peter and the others, but the Spirit gave the gift. The second example was that of Cornelius' house, the Gentile Cornelius. They were Gentiles and God had to convince Peter and the other believers that Gentiles were included in the Messianic kingdom. He had that the Gentiles were included in the Messianic kingdom, and so while Peter was speaking, the Holy Spirit fell on the Gentiles who were gathered and they began speaking in other tongues. Peter finally understands by this that the kingdom of God is. Gentiles are now being brought into the kingdom.
Neil Silverberg:But sometimes people were given the gift of tongues when believers laid their hands on them. Right, this is important and there are three examples in scripture. I'll go through them quickly. Number one Peter and John laid hands on the Samaritan believers and they received and started praying in the spirit. Secondly, ananias laid his hands on Saul and he received. That's Paul. Paul was three days and nights blind and without food, and when Ananias laid hands on him, he began to speak in tongues. He was given the gift. And finally, paul laid his hands on the Ephesian believer. Remember in Acts 19,. He came across 12 men from Ephesus and he laid hands on them and they received the Spirit.
Neil Silverberg:What you don't see in Scripture is anyone coaching people to speak in tongues and I've been around that and we don't do that here. It's an abomination. The Holy Spirit doesn't need our help, so we don't have to coach people to repeat phrases. It's an abomination. We don't practice that, please. Now, sometimes people have hands laid on them and they don't receive immediately. I've seen that happen frequently. When that happens, we tell people to pray at home, ask them the Father to give them the gift, and many times people received in the quietness of their home, listening to worship, and many times people receive that rather than public.
Neil Silverberg:Now I want to make a mention of something that is important to realize and that is speaking in tongues is not incompatible with love for and hunger for the written word of God, is not incompatible with love for and hunger for the written word of God. Many associate praying in tongues with mindlessness. If I practice, it'll turn my brain into mush. I've been practicing. Is my brain Don't respond to that? I was going to use that, but I realized the danger of that. I mean, some people are afraid that if they speak in tongues they'll turn into Jewish comics, and that's very dangerous. Oy vey, oy vey.
Neil Silverberg:Paul was a man who prayed in tongues regularly. He says I pray in tongues more than y'all, and it certainly didn't produce in him a disdain for doctrine, the man who prays in tongues. He wrote the book of Romans, the greatest theological treatise ever written, and he spoke in tongues. In fact, not only is it not incompatible with love for and hunger for the written word of God, praying in tongues has increased my desire to study scripture and meditate on it, not decreased it, it's increased it.
Neil Silverberg:Finally, some people fear that they'll lose control if they speak in tongues. Nowhere in scripture are those who speak in tongues described as those who lose control of their faculties and give in to an irresistible power? It isn't in scripture. The purpose of tongues. People is to bless God, bless others and edify our souls, and it is tailor made for that purpose. There's no better place to be than under the control of the Holy Spirit. But it doesn't make us mindless idiots, and so we tell people to set a time to seek the Lord and worship him.
Neil Silverberg:Wait on him, give in to interrupted praise and worship and as they wait on him to give, let him give you this beautiful prayer language, and it is beautiful. And don't get discouraged. We're going to have the elders are going to be up here praying with people this morning. And don't get discouraged if you don't receive immediately. Rejoice in the gifts you already have and then ask God and be willing to receive, maybe at a later time when you're alone, maybe at another service when the prayer team lays hands on you, but it will come. You know Jesus said how much more If you ask for bread, the Father's goodness is displayed.
Neil Silverberg:If you ask for bread, will he give you a stone. If you ask for fish, will he give you a stone. If you ask for fish, will he give you a serpent? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the Father give good gifts to those who ask him? And if you ask for the gift of speaking and praying in tongues, the Father will answer. He may not answer immediately, but he's faithful to answer. He loves to answer the hungry heart.
Neil Silverberg:Would you stand with me? Hallelujah, father, I want every heart and mind focused on the Lord. Now, just take a moment. Open your heart to God. Father, in Jesus' name, we thank you for what your word teaches regarding the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
Neil Silverberg:Father, we're a hungry church this morning. We want every gift you have for us. We want everything you have for us, lord. We're hungry for the gifts. We want every gift you have for us. We want everything you have for us, lord. We're hungry for the gifts. We're hungry for the fruit of the Spirit. We're just hungry people. Lord, you've made us and brought us to a place of desperation, and that's a good place to be.
Neil Silverberg:So, father, meet the desperate heart this morning and I pray for those who are asking for the gift of speaking in tongues, the prayer language of the Holy Spirit, that you would do so this morning, that you would faithfully meet the request of their hearts and you would fill them and give them the unique prayer language that you have given, that is, to commune with you in a precious way. Father, let every hungry heart be filled this morning. Let there be no unturned down. And, lord, as hands are laid on people, I pray Lord, god, there would be no discouragement Again. We pray against the enemy who would lie to them if they don't immediately receive. Lord, we ask you to rebuke the enemy. We rebuke the enemy. Satan, get out of here. There's no room for you. Only the Holy Spirit shall be here In Jesus' name, amen.
