You guessed it. Today is another old -fashioned
heart -to -heart talk. You knew it. You were
so sure that you promised your husband that you
would take down a few little notes so you could
tell him tonight when he got home from work just
what I said. All right. Here we are in the 14th
chapter of 1 Corinthians. And this is the chapter
that is really the basic chapter on tongues.
More is said about tongues in this one chapter
than any other place in the entire Word of God.
I want you to sit there with an open heart and
open mind today. Whether you believe in speaking
in an unknown tongue or not, regardless of what
your theology may be along this line, and I'm
well aware of the fact that we have many ministers
who will be listening in, I ask you to just sit
there with an open heart and open mind and let
the Holy Spirit Be our teacher. It's just that
simple. Regardless of what you were taught in
seminary, regardless of what your church as an
organization or as an institution may teach,
may believe, remember, if the Bible says one
thing, the Bible teaches one thing, and you have
been taught something contrary, To what the Bible
says, the Bible is right because it is the very
word of God. Now when it comes to this thing
of speaking in an unknown tongue, it isn't what
I think. It's what the Bible teaches. And I have
got to believe that there is such a thing. Because
I believe the word of God. Not because somebody
else says so. If I had never heard a single person
in my whole life speak in an unknown tongue,
I would still have to accept the fact that there
is such an experience because the Bible says
so. And it's just like that. Now, before we go
into the 14th chapter of 1 Corinthians, somebody
will say, where in the New Testament do we read
about the gift of tongues? And, of course, the
mind goes properly to the first reference in
the Acts of the Apostles. And we read that on
the day of Pentecost, the Spirit appeared, even
as Jesus said that he would. He came exactly
as Jesus said he would come. Jesus told them
that the Holy Spirit would come, that he would
send the Holy Spirit. He said, it is expedient
for you that I go away. It isn't optional, even
though I might like to stay. Jesus said, it is
necessary that I go away. Because after I have
reached glory and am in position of great high
priest, I will send the Holy Spirit unto you.
And he told them to tarry. He told them to wait
for the coming of the Holy Spirit. And they believed
his word. And they were doing exactly that. And
when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they
were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly,
there came a sound from heaven as a rushing mighty
wind. And it filled all the house where they
were sitting. I like that part. Where they were
sitting. They were waiting. They believed what
Jesus had promised. They believed what Jesus
had told them. And they didn't leave. They were
right there sitting and waiting. Oh, you can
depend on his word. He'll keep it. When he tells
you to wait, wait. He'll keep his word. you can
stake your very life on it and there appeared
unto them cloven tongues like as a fire and it
sat upon each of them they had never seen anything
like it in their life before imagine what they
experienced i do not believe that it was one
of fright i believe it was an experience of They
knew something glorious was going to happen.
They were sure of it. They were waiting for it.
And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost
and began to speak with other tongues as the
Spirit gave them utterance. And they were dwelling
at Jerusalem, Jews, devout men. out of every
nation under heaven now when this was noised
abroad the multitude came together and were confounded
because that every man heard them speak in his
own language and they were all amazed and marbled
saying one to another behold Are not all these
which speak Galileans? How hear we every man
in our own tongue wherein we were born? All right.
That's the first time that we have any knowledge
that anyone ever spoke. In an unknown tongue.
Now go on in the history. In the Acts of the
Apostles once more. To the 10th chapter. Where
we find the wonderful story of Peter in the house
of Cornelius. When the spirit fell. It is said
that they received the gift of tongues. Now go
a little further. In the 19th chapter. The account
of Paul's coming to Ephesus. And when he came
to Ephesus, he found there a group of the disciples.
And he knew immediately that they were lacking
something. He said to them, Had ye received the
Holy Ghost since you believed? And you know,
there's something about a spirit -filled person
and a Christian who is not spirit -filled. There's
just something about it. Now, I'm talking about
born again men and women. I'm talking about those
who have received experience, the new birth experience.
And yet, there is something different about a
Christian who has been filled with the Spirit
and a Christian who has not. had this wonderful
experience. And evidently, when Paul got to Ephesus
and he found this group of disciples, he sensed
that there was something lacking in their lives.
And he said to them, Have ye received the Holy
Ghost since you believed? It's a very natural
question. And they said, Nay. We did not so much
as hear whether the Holy Ghost was given. Oh,
sure, they'd been baptized into John's baptism.
They'd been baptized in water. They knew what
that baptism was, but when it came to the baptism
of the Holy Ghost, they didn't know what he was
talking about. They had never heard of the experience.
They said, we did not so much as hear whether
the Holy Ghost was given. And then when Paul
expounded the truth and led them beyond the preaching
of Apollos, who had led them to a certain stage,
then we're told the spirit fell upon them and
they received the gift of tongues. It was so
simple. Now, there can be no question. that whatever
it was and whatever it meant, it was a positive
gift. It was a positive experience. The new birth
experience and the baptism of the Holy Spirit
is not one and the same. The new birth experience,
the experience of regeneration, is separate and
apart. from the experience of being filled with
the Spirit. The baptism of the Holy Spirit is
given for one purpose. And that one purpose is
power for service. And the baptism of the Holy
Spirit, the fullness of the Holy Spirit, has
nothing to do whatsoever with your experience
of regeneration. The Holy Spirit has a part.
in your experience of regeneration, the new birth
experience, because he is the mighty convicting
power of the Trinity. He will guide you into
all truth, the word said. No man cometh unto
Jesus of himself. Oh, the Holy Spirit is so important
in the life of every man. and every woman. This
experience was something that was definite. It
was a positive, a definite experience. And the
speaking in an unknown tongue was a positive
gift. The gift of tongues was bestowed upon certain.
Members in the early church? I'm not quite sure
that everyone in the early church was filled
with the Holy Spirit. The Bible doesn't say so.
I do know that in the upper room, they were all
filled with the Holy Spirit. But now watch. Somebody
says, all right. The Bible clearly teaches they
were all filled on the day of Pentecost. And
it's true, the scripture that you give, that
they were filled in Ephesus when Paul came. Everything
that you have given in the scripture, that wonderful
story of Peter in the house of Cornelius, that's
all acceptable. But what about today? Now, somehow
I have a feeling that the Holy Spirit knew that
there would be those who'd be skeptical today.
I just started to have a feeling that he knows
human nature better than we do. That is the reason
he made it so positive. so clear. As the Holy
Spirit spoke through Peter, and I read from the
second chapter of Peter, the 38th verse, then
Peter said unto them, repent, that's the new
birth experience, and be baptized. baptized every
one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the
remission of sins, here comes your water baptism.
But don't stop there. And ye shall receive the
gift of the Holy Ghost. Don't stop there. For
the promise is unto you and to your children.
And to all that are of far off. And he looked
through the telescope of time to this very generation
in which you and I are living. To all that are
of far off. Don't stop there. Even as many as
the Lord our God. God shall call. And if you
have been called to be a Christian, then this
promise is unto you. If you are a member of the
body of Christ, if you are a member of his church,
then this promise is unto you. And just think
what you've been missing. All of the years. Because
your eyesight was so dim. Because you just didn't
understand. Now. We come back. To the 14th chapter
of 1 Corinthians. Notice what the apostle teaches
here. In verse 2 we read and. You remember I
left your home, our last little heart -to -heart
talk, with that first verse. We made it very
clear that we're to follow after love before
anything else. He made that very clear before
he went into this discussion of the speaking
in an unknown tongue. Before he said one thing
about tongues, he said follow after love. desire
spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy.
And from this that we see that the most important
gift is the gift of prophecy. Now continue. Are
you still with me? Oh, you wouldn't leave for
anything right now, right in the middle of this.
Oh, I just pray the Holy Spirit will make this
real to your heart. It's so simple. And the experience
is so wonderful. It's not a struggle. It's a
gift. It is something that's yours. And you just
haven't reached out and take that which he wants
you to have. Now in verse 2 of the 14th chapter
of 1 Corinthians, we read this. For he that speaketh
in a tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God.
Verse 28, we read this. But if there be no interpreter,
let him keep silence in the church. And let him
speak to himself and to God. Why? Because unless
there was an interpreter, no one could understand
what he was saying. For instance, when I went
to Sweden, think what it would have been like.
Think how useless my preaching would have been.
If... when the great arena was filled with 10
,000 people, I would have come in. I would have
stood before the packed arena. I could have preached
my heart out. I could have lifted Jesus up in
all of his beauty and loveliness. And yet, those
precious Scandinavians not being able to understand
one thing that I was saying, my preaching would
not have meant a thing to them. They would have
left the greater arena and would have said, what
did she say? Did you understand what she said?
And another would have said, no, because I don't
understand English. And she's from America. I
didn't understand because I can't understand
one word of English. You see, beloved, that was
the reason I had to have an interpreter. That's
the reason Mattson Bosé stood by my side. And
as I would preach, then he would give the interpretation.
And as he gave the interpretation, then those
folks sitting in the great arena could understand
what I was saying. And then when I gave an altar
call, here they would come. That's exactly what
the scripture means. For he that speaketh in
a tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God.
But if there be no interpreter, let him keep
silence in the church and let him speak to himself.
and to God. This is the first great truth to
be remembered, that the gift of tongues was for
addressing God. It was not for addressing man.
It was never given in order that men might preach.
To put it quite simply, in our everyday language,
it was given to men that they might praise. All
these voices, these tongues, were utterances
of glorious gladness. Adoration, praise, tongues
were given, and they are given today to be used
in addressing God, in worshiping, in adoring
Jesus. He that speaketh in a tongue speaketh
not unto men, but unto God, for no man understandeth.
I would have you all speak with tongues, Paul
says, but rather that ye should prophesy. And
greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh
with tongues, except. Get this, except he interpret.
The tongues need interpretation in order to be
understood. I have given you the word of God.
Thus saith the Lord.