WEBVTT 00:00:00.729 --> 00:00:04.450 I've spoken before about an experience that I 00:00:04.450 --> 00:00:09.490 had had overseas. I had been at a counter buying 00:00:09.490 --> 00:00:13.269 a train ticket, trying to get to a new location, 00:00:13.730 --> 00:00:17.059 but there had been... a man that was in front 00:00:17.059 --> 00:00:19.780 of me previously who had been trying to do the 00:00:19.780 --> 00:00:23.780 same thing. Now I, being in China at the time, 00:00:24.179 --> 00:00:27.719 realized I don't speak Chinese. So I had to try 00:00:27.719 --> 00:00:31.420 to memorize the phrases as best I could and to 00:00:31.420 --> 00:00:33.579 make sure that I said it well. But I figured 00:00:33.579 --> 00:00:37.100 it would be okay because clearly I'm not Chinese. 00:00:37.640 --> 00:00:40.320 And so I figured that they would understand and 00:00:40.320 --> 00:00:42.969 be listening for it. But then I found out that 00:00:42.969 --> 00:00:46.170 another teacher at one point had been up there 00:00:46.170 --> 00:00:49.990 trying to buy a train ticket, but he spoke Chinese. 00:00:50.770 --> 00:00:53.909 And being a Westerner, he's up there though speaking 00:00:53.909 --> 00:00:56.710 fluent Chinese, but the man behind the counter 00:00:56.710 --> 00:00:59.890 doesn't realize it. All he sees is that it's 00:00:59.890 --> 00:01:02.890 a Westerner. So he keeps responding to the man 00:01:02.890 --> 00:01:05.750 who was speaking in Chinese, Sir, I don't speak 00:01:05.750 --> 00:01:09.670 English. And the man continues to explain to 00:01:09.670 --> 00:01:13.239 him what he's trying to do. in Chinese Mandarin, 00:01:13.700 --> 00:01:16.980 and the man again says, sir, I'm sorry, I don't 00:01:16.980 --> 00:01:20.239 speak English. And finally, the Chinese national 00:01:20.239 --> 00:01:23.379 behind the man had to lean around and say, sir, 00:01:23.439 --> 00:01:26.459 he's speaking to you in Mandarin, talk to him, 00:01:26.560 --> 00:01:30.420 it's okay. And then finally, the man one more 00:01:30.420 --> 00:01:32.799 time explained it, and then the guy understood. 00:01:33.620 --> 00:01:38.019 Now, that was one way of experiencing the difference. 00:01:38.430 --> 00:01:41.390 in what it is to be speaking another language 00:01:41.390 --> 00:01:44.109 in a different situation. But there was a different 00:01:44.109 --> 00:01:47.450 one that happened later on. I was visiting some 00:01:47.450 --> 00:01:51.010 different places around the mountains over there 00:01:51.010 --> 00:01:54.349 on the eastern coast and I figured I will go 00:01:54.349 --> 00:01:56.590 from, you know, on this train and on this bus 00:01:56.590 --> 00:01:58.629 and I should know what I'm doing, but all of 00:01:58.629 --> 00:02:01.670 a sudden... The bus stops, and we're supposed 00:02:01.670 --> 00:02:04.650 to change buses, and I had no idea which one 00:02:04.650 --> 00:02:07.209 I'm supposed to get on. There wasn't anything 00:02:07.209 --> 00:02:10.789 underneath helping to guide. And so as I'm standing 00:02:10.789 --> 00:02:15.110 there, just blank faced, no idea what I'm about 00:02:15.110 --> 00:02:17.810 to do, and a man comes up next to me and says, 00:02:18.509 --> 00:02:20.990 in very clear English, where are you trying to 00:02:20.990 --> 00:02:25.860 go? And I was just like, oh. This is where I'm 00:02:25.860 --> 00:02:29.219 trying to go. Oh great, and he not only showed 00:02:29.219 --> 00:02:31.599 me where to go, but walked along with me and 00:02:31.599 --> 00:02:34.240 narrated and explained the whole thing, which 00:02:34.240 --> 00:02:36.699 was completely unexpected, someone that I had 00:02:36.699 --> 00:02:41.000 never met and then never saw again. That's what 00:02:41.000 --> 00:02:44.039 it can be like when the Holy Spirit is leading. 00:02:44.819 --> 00:02:46.759 The Spirit doesn't always make himself heard 00:02:46.759 --> 00:02:49.439 with flashes of lightning or a booming voice 00:02:49.439 --> 00:02:53.000 or something strange. More often, it's subtle. 00:02:53.439 --> 00:02:57.319 A conversation that is clear, a question that 00:02:57.319 --> 00:03:00.800 opens a door, a path of openness that you didn't 00:03:00.800 --> 00:03:05.080 expect. The day of Pentecost looked like chaos 00:03:05.080 --> 00:03:10.479 at first. Tongues of fire, rushing wind, a crowd 00:03:10.479 --> 00:03:13.819 wondering if the disciples were drunk, but underneath 00:03:13.819 --> 00:03:17.560 the spectacle was something miraculous. People 00:03:17.560 --> 00:03:20.759 from every nation heard the gospel in their own 00:03:20.759 --> 00:03:25.009 languages. But God wasn't just putting on a show 00:03:25.009 --> 00:03:29.449 for its own sake. He was making himself understood. 00:03:30.289 --> 00:03:35.469 Because Pentecost is for understanding. I was 00:03:35.469 --> 00:03:38.629 talking with a friend whose husband had gone 00:03:38.629 --> 00:03:42.289 through a stroke, and the difficulty was that 00:03:42.289 --> 00:03:46.650 this person would be speaking, but while in his 00:03:46.650 --> 00:03:49.789 mind he was saying exactly what he meant to say, 00:03:50.829 --> 00:03:53.710 No one was able to understand because what was 00:03:53.710 --> 00:03:56.569 coming out was different from what he had in 00:03:56.569 --> 00:04:00.870 mind. This type of a trauma, it could be so difficult 00:04:00.870 --> 00:04:04.710 for someone, being unexpected, but also how to 00:04:04.710 --> 00:04:08.789 make yourself understood. And we sometimes get 00:04:08.789 --> 00:04:12.110 confused when we're looking at Pentecost to think 00:04:12.110 --> 00:04:13.949 that this is what might have been happening. 00:04:14.669 --> 00:04:17.089 But you see, there's a difference from that and 00:04:17.089 --> 00:04:21.000 what we see in Acts 2. You see, in Acts 2, the 00:04:21.000 --> 00:04:25.139 people speaking are speaking very clear, very 00:04:25.139 --> 00:04:28.300 well -known languages. There are these two words 00:04:28.300 --> 00:04:31.439 to make sure that you know the difference. One 00:04:31.439 --> 00:04:36.259 is called glossolalia, one is xenolalia, with 00:04:36.259 --> 00:04:41.379 an X at the beginning. Now, xenolalia is when 00:04:41.379 --> 00:04:44.079 you're speaking in other languages that people 00:04:44.079 --> 00:04:48.389 understand. Glossolalia... is the idea of speaking 00:04:48.389 --> 00:04:52.310 in an unknown language that maybe the angels 00:04:52.310 --> 00:04:57.149 would understand. Well, it says, according to 00:04:57.149 --> 00:05:00.430 Peter, in this same chapter, he ends up quoting 00:05:00.430 --> 00:05:04.139 Joel 2. And it says, in the last days, God says, 00:05:04.319 --> 00:05:07.160 I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your 00:05:07.160 --> 00:05:09.360 sons and daughters will prophesy. Your young 00:05:09.360 --> 00:05:12.579 men will see visions. Your old men will dream 00:05:12.579 --> 00:05:15.540 dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, 00:05:15.800 --> 00:05:18.759 I will pour out my Spirit in those days and they 00:05:18.759 --> 00:05:22.879 will prophesy. Everyone who calls on the name 00:05:22.879 --> 00:05:28.170 of the Lord will be saved. And that's the thing 00:05:28.170 --> 00:05:31.550 of what we're seeing here is that it's not what 00:05:31.550 --> 00:05:35.110 oftentimes is turned into this passage of speaking 00:05:35.110 --> 00:05:38.129 some unknown language, but rather is something 00:05:38.129 --> 00:05:40.370 that was clearly meant for the people around 00:05:40.370 --> 00:05:43.069 them to understand. But who were these people? 00:05:43.810 --> 00:05:46.610 Why was it that they even needed these other 00:05:46.610 --> 00:05:50.009 languages in the first place? Well, the audience 00:05:50.009 --> 00:05:53.009 that was there were not talking yet about the 00:05:53.009 --> 00:05:56.319 Gentiles. That was later on in chapter 10 with 00:05:56.319 --> 00:06:00.079 Cornelius. But here what we see is that this 00:06:00.079 --> 00:06:03.079 is the time for people of the Jewish community 00:06:03.079 --> 00:06:07.139 to come in from many different places, the Diaspora, 00:06:07.879 --> 00:06:10.699 and to come and to worship here in Jerusalem. 00:06:11.339 --> 00:06:15.720 But these people who were either Jewish by heritage, 00:06:16.220 --> 00:06:20.300 but had grown up in other places, or people who 00:06:20.300 --> 00:06:23.939 were converted to Judaism. The common language 00:06:23.939 --> 00:06:27.240 of the time was not something that they were 00:06:27.240 --> 00:06:30.680 the most comfortable with. I mean, imagine that 00:06:30.680 --> 00:06:33.560 you're trying to learn a new language and you're 00:06:33.560 --> 00:06:36.120 stumbling through and then someone's trying to 00:06:36.120 --> 00:06:39.040 explain something about God in this language 00:06:39.040 --> 00:06:42.379 you barely understand. How easy would that be 00:06:42.379 --> 00:06:46.139 to make sense of? But the point of doing this 00:06:46.139 --> 00:06:50.500 was that they were to then understand what the 00:06:50.500 --> 00:06:53.759 disciples were sharing about Jesus. And that's 00:06:53.759 --> 00:06:56.519 all that we end up seeing this passage. You see, 00:06:57.379 --> 00:07:01.480 we get caught up in what the miracle is, but 00:07:01.480 --> 00:07:04.259 then there's this question of, well, can it keep 00:07:04.259 --> 00:07:06.779 happening over and over? Well, of course it can, 00:07:07.560 --> 00:07:09.920 but the question is, is that what really mattered? 00:07:10.399 --> 00:07:12.680 And what we see later in this chapter is that 00:07:12.680 --> 00:07:15.379 it says, they devoted themselves to the apostles' 00:07:15.600 --> 00:07:18.139 teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of 00:07:18.139 --> 00:07:20.939 bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with 00:07:20.939 --> 00:07:23.939 awe at the many wonders and signs performed by 00:07:23.939 --> 00:07:27.800 the apostles. They were in awe, but that wasn't 00:07:27.800 --> 00:07:30.860 what they were dedicated to. They were devoted 00:07:30.860 --> 00:07:36.360 to discipleship. Understanding, learning, growing, 00:07:36.920 --> 00:07:40.379 fellowship. You see, The crowd was not there 00:07:40.379 --> 00:07:44.439 to hear a miraculous noise. They were here and 00:07:44.439 --> 00:07:47.560 understanding what God was saying in their own 00:07:47.560 --> 00:07:49.879 language. And Peter, filled with the Spirit, 00:07:50.040 --> 00:07:55.420 doesn't continue in the unknown tongues. Now 00:07:55.420 --> 00:07:58.019 that they've been able to explain it, now he's 00:07:58.019 --> 00:08:01.399 trying to speak and explain to everyone else 00:08:01.399 --> 00:08:05.040 why it is that this is so important. He tells 00:08:05.040 --> 00:08:09.149 them plainly who Jesus is. and what He has done. 00:08:10.149 --> 00:08:13.569 And 3 ,000 people were baptized that day. Not 00:08:13.569 --> 00:08:16.490 because of the miracle, but because of the message 00:08:16.490 --> 00:08:21.550 they understood. In John 14, as we read, the 00:08:21.550 --> 00:08:25.170 Holy Spirit will teach you all things and bring 00:08:25.170 --> 00:08:28.689 to mind all I have said to you. Because that's 00:08:28.689 --> 00:08:31.649 the purpose of the Holy Spirit, is to bring to 00:08:31.649 --> 00:08:36.240 us the words that God has shared. See, the tongues 00:08:36.240 --> 00:08:39.860 there, they were for a reason. See, even later 00:08:39.860 --> 00:08:43.299 on, when Peter goes to speak to Cornelius, the 00:08:43.299 --> 00:08:46.879 Roman centurion, Peter isn't there for the miracle. 00:08:47.480 --> 00:08:51.299 He's there to share the gospel. Now, in the midst 00:08:51.299 --> 00:08:54.460 of that, the people start to speak in other tongues, 00:08:55.600 --> 00:08:59.840 but it shows us in that chapter why. The reason 00:08:59.840 --> 00:09:03.399 why is because the Jews needed to understand 00:09:03.399 --> 00:09:06.129 that the Gentiles were welcome in the Kingdom 00:09:06.129 --> 00:09:09.909 of Heaven as well. It wasn't for its own sake. 00:09:10.250 --> 00:09:13.330 He then says, can anyone withhold water for baptizing 00:09:13.330 --> 00:09:15.710 these people who have received the Holy Spirit 00:09:15.710 --> 00:09:19.870 just as we have? God first used the tongues for 00:09:19.870 --> 00:09:23.789 understanding and then used it to welcome other 00:09:23.789 --> 00:09:27.710 peoples. This is one of the reasons why people 00:09:27.710 --> 00:09:31.230 are so often scared of talking about tongues. 00:09:31.690 --> 00:09:34.870 because it's something that creates almost this 00:09:34.870 --> 00:09:39.730 fear of what it's for. But the Apostle Paul explains 00:09:39.730 --> 00:09:43.789 tongues, and he explains the clarity of what 00:09:43.789 --> 00:09:47.389 they're meant to do. You see, in 1 Corinthians 00:09:47.389 --> 00:09:52.269 14, Paul reflects on the gift of tongues. He 00:09:52.269 --> 00:09:55.190 says that tongues, especially unknown languages, 00:09:55.629 --> 00:10:00.029 are a sign for unbelievers. It's a way to open 00:10:00.029 --> 00:10:03.590 doors for those who are far from God. That's 00:10:03.590 --> 00:10:08.370 exactly what Pentecost was doing. The whole point 00:10:08.370 --> 00:10:10.470 was to be able to make sure that people who didn't 00:10:10.470 --> 00:10:15.169 understand could come to understand. But Paul 00:10:15.169 --> 00:10:18.909 also insists that in worship, the place where 00:10:18.909 --> 00:10:22.909 believers come together, clarity is more important 00:10:22.909 --> 00:10:25.950 than charisma. In other words, understanding 00:10:25.950 --> 00:10:29.990 is more important than the miracle. He says, 00:10:30.250 --> 00:10:33.330 I would rather speak five intelligible words 00:10:33.330 --> 00:10:37.309 to instruct others than 10 ,000 words in a tongue. 00:10:38.590 --> 00:10:42.350 There are some who speak of what they would call 00:10:42.350 --> 00:10:45.269 angelic tongues. And I do need to make sure that 00:10:45.269 --> 00:10:49.230 I'm clear about this, is that angelic tongues 00:10:49.230 --> 00:10:54.950 are an actual experience. And you may be wondering, 00:10:55.090 --> 00:10:57.149 wait pastor, that's not the direction I thought 00:10:57.149 --> 00:11:01.730 you were going in. But let me explain. Studies 00:11:01.730 --> 00:11:04.769 have actually shown that when measuring what's 00:11:04.769 --> 00:11:07.929 happening in the brain, that the part that's 00:11:07.929 --> 00:11:11.690 being utilized is not as much from the frontal 00:11:11.690 --> 00:11:14.529 lobe the part that you would normally use for 00:11:14.529 --> 00:11:17.990 speech. They're not in some sort of a trance 00:11:17.990 --> 00:11:20.870 either. So whatever's happening at that moment 00:11:20.870 --> 00:11:25.169 is genuinely an experience for the person. Whatever 00:11:25.169 --> 00:11:28.620 they're going through, it's real for them. It 00:11:28.620 --> 00:11:32.879 is a genuine place of devotion. But go back to 00:11:32.879 --> 00:11:37.360 what Paul says. In 1 Corinthians 13, 1, if I 00:11:37.360 --> 00:11:39.899 speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but 00:11:39.899 --> 00:11:44.240 do not have love, I'm a clinging gong or a banging 00:11:44.240 --> 00:11:48.620 cymbal. He reminds us that the goal isn't the 00:11:48.620 --> 00:11:53.720 ecstasy. The goal is love that communicates, 00:11:54.639 --> 00:11:57.320 love that reaches, love that builds up the body. 00:11:57.870 --> 00:12:02.590 we can honor the experience that someone has 00:12:02.590 --> 00:12:05.769 of glossolalia, that they're having something 00:12:05.769 --> 00:12:09.090 that's meaningful to them. And maybe even looking 00:12:09.090 --> 00:12:12.830 at things like the Azusa Street Revival and understanding 00:12:12.830 --> 00:12:15.549 what happened at the day where the Pentecostal 00:12:15.549 --> 00:12:18.990 Church came to be, and that can be a wonderful 00:12:18.990 --> 00:12:22.809 experience for them. But we also ask, is it helping 00:12:22.809 --> 00:12:28.039 others to understand God's Word? Is it connecting 00:12:28.039 --> 00:12:31.500 people to Christ? Because that's what the Holy 00:12:31.500 --> 00:12:35.840 Spirit is here to do. Is not just to move in 00:12:35.840 --> 00:12:39.679 us for the experience, but to speak through us. 00:12:40.340 --> 00:12:44.940 Because the Spirit is bringing understanding. 00:12:46.159 --> 00:12:50.080 But maybe a bigger question then is, are we ready 00:12:50.080 --> 00:12:54.379 for the Spirit? Not whether or not it's in our 00:12:54.379 --> 00:12:56.779 public worship, but rather the question is whether 00:12:56.779 --> 00:12:59.240 or not we're ready for what the Spirit brings 00:12:59.240 --> 00:13:04.379 to mind. See, Jesus said in John 14 26 that the 00:13:04.379 --> 00:13:07.080 Spirit will teach you all things and bring to 00:13:07.080 --> 00:13:09.700 your remembrance all that I have said to you. 00:13:10.360 --> 00:13:13.279 It's not about the performance. It's about the 00:13:13.279 --> 00:13:16.720 presence. The Spirit helps us to say the right 00:13:16.720 --> 00:13:20.019 thing in the right moment to the right person, 00:13:20.539 --> 00:13:24.259 not because we've rehearsed it, but because we're 00:13:24.259 --> 00:13:28.899 ready in our heart, in our spirit, in our mind. 00:13:30.360 --> 00:13:33.080 There was some weeks ago, no, actually longer 00:13:33.080 --> 00:13:37.330 than that, some months ago, that I was going 00:13:37.330 --> 00:13:40.750 to one of the panel discussions that we have 00:13:40.750 --> 00:13:43.549 every few months, and I wasn't on the panel, 00:13:43.629 --> 00:13:45.970 so it probably wasn't that great of a topic anyway. 00:13:46.610 --> 00:13:50.970 But when we were there, all of a sudden someone 00:13:50.970 --> 00:13:54.309 comes up and says, hey, I heard you're a Lutheran 00:13:54.309 --> 00:13:57.470 pastor, I have a question for you. Now you don't 00:13:57.470 --> 00:14:01.389 usually get an easy, you know, lob up there to 00:14:01.389 --> 00:14:03.690 knock it out of the park like that, but there 00:14:03.690 --> 00:14:06.610 we were. And I got to explain the real presence 00:14:06.610 --> 00:14:09.529 of communion to this person who turned out was 00:14:09.529 --> 00:14:12.549 trying to understand in order to explain it to 00:14:12.549 --> 00:14:16.289 her fiance. And then several months later being 00:14:16.289 --> 00:14:19.470 given the opportunity to conduct their wedding, 00:14:20.409 --> 00:14:24.870 which was lovely and wonderful and another opportunity 00:14:24.870 --> 00:14:29.549 to tell more people about the grace of God. See, 00:14:30.110 --> 00:14:33.360 we were just talking about communion. It wasn't 00:14:33.360 --> 00:14:36.240 flashy, it wasn't thunder or fire, just a real 00:14:36.240 --> 00:14:39.360 conversation, but it opened a door. It built 00:14:39.360 --> 00:14:44.580 trust. And I was able to then have more opportunities 00:14:44.580 --> 00:14:47.820 because of that. Because at that moment, when 00:14:47.820 --> 00:14:53.620 the time came, I was ready. See, oftentimes we 00:14:53.620 --> 00:14:56.340 think that it's going to be that, well, it'll 00:14:56.340 --> 00:14:59.480 be miraculous whenever it happens. Maybe it's 00:14:59.480 --> 00:15:02.139 more everyday than you think. There was also 00:15:02.139 --> 00:15:05.179 a young man who came up to me one day and he 00:15:05.179 --> 00:15:07.899 thought that he could trip me up. And he said 00:15:07.899 --> 00:15:12.940 to me, you know, what if I told you that I had 00:15:12.940 --> 00:15:16.259 had an experience with an angel? And he figured 00:15:16.259 --> 00:15:18.860 that he had me all figured out. And he expect 00:15:18.860 --> 00:15:21.220 me to laugh and to shut down the conversation 00:15:21.220 --> 00:15:24.539 and instead knowing that God can do miraculous 00:15:24.539 --> 00:15:28.820 things whenever he wants to. And without contradicting 00:15:28.820 --> 00:15:31.470 scripture, of course. I said, well, I would just 00:15:31.470 --> 00:15:35.870 ask you to tell me more about it. And he was 00:15:35.870 --> 00:15:39.289 so stunned at knowing the openness of someone 00:15:39.289 --> 00:15:41.690 who's willing to say that God can do whatever 00:15:41.690 --> 00:15:46.029 he wishes. I told him, knowing Christ has made 00:15:46.029 --> 00:15:51.009 me more open to people, not less, and more open 00:15:51.009 --> 00:15:54.289 to letting God work without assuming anything. 00:15:55.370 --> 00:15:58.419 See, that's the spirit at work. Not in grand 00:15:58.419 --> 00:16:02.860 speeches, but in graceful responses. The Holy 00:16:02.860 --> 00:16:07.620 Spirit creates space for connection. Not just 00:16:07.620 --> 00:16:09.860 trying to make sure we have everything right, 00:16:09.899 --> 00:16:13.559 but rather in making sure that we're available 00:16:13.559 --> 00:16:17.720 for one another. And only by being ready with 00:16:17.720 --> 00:16:19.940 Scripture and an open heart can we share the 00:16:19.940 --> 00:16:24.279 Gospel at that time. But we must be ready, but 00:16:24.279 --> 00:16:31.059 we have to let God Speak. Because we're not called 00:16:31.059 --> 00:16:34.120 to force the gospel into every moment, but we 00:16:34.120 --> 00:16:37.879 are called to be ready at any time and in any 00:16:37.879 --> 00:16:42.179 place. As 1 Peter 3 .15 says, always be prepared 00:16:42.179 --> 00:16:45.039 to give an answer to everyone who asks you to 00:16:45.039 --> 00:16:47.679 give the reason for the hope that you have, but 00:16:47.679 --> 00:16:51.220 do this with gentleness and respect. How many 00:16:51.220 --> 00:16:54.580 times do we think that God will figure it out? 00:16:54.730 --> 00:16:59.029 as long as, you know, He's in control. But we 00:16:59.029 --> 00:17:02.710 are still meant to prepare. Not to control the 00:17:02.710 --> 00:17:06.690 Spirit, but to cooperate with Him. We don't make 00:17:06.690 --> 00:17:10.809 miracles happen, but we make ourselves available 00:17:10.809 --> 00:17:16.009 for when it does. Because what is the true miracle? 00:17:17.150 --> 00:17:20.890 The true miracle is that a dead person is coming 00:17:20.890 --> 00:17:24.410 back to life. It's not whether or not we can 00:17:24.410 --> 00:17:28.049 sound like an angel, but by sharing the resurrection 00:17:28.049 --> 00:17:32.289 of God Himself in human form, every time a person 00:17:32.289 --> 00:17:36.390 comes to believe, we're seeing the dead rise. 00:17:37.789 --> 00:17:41.890 They are leaving behind sin and death and following 00:17:41.890 --> 00:17:47.490 Christ. How much have we taken for granted that 00:17:47.490 --> 00:17:52.230 seeing the dead rise in Christ? is truly a miracle 00:17:52.230 --> 00:17:56.910 when we know how hard people's hearts can truly 00:17:56.910 --> 00:18:00.990 be. See, the world continues to be lost, but 00:18:00.990 --> 00:18:04.230 the Spirit changes hearts and minds when people 00:18:04.230 --> 00:18:07.029 hear the Gospel clearly and in a way that they 00:18:07.029 --> 00:18:09.730 understand. They're not converted because of 00:18:09.730 --> 00:18:13.069 a tongue that sounds strange. It would make more 00:18:13.069 --> 00:18:17.710 sense in a personal devotion. They're converted 00:18:17.710 --> 00:18:20.650 when the Gospel connects with them. in their 00:18:20.650 --> 00:18:23.849 language, whether that be a verbal language or 00:18:23.849 --> 00:18:26.250 a way of understanding or even a relationship 00:18:26.250 --> 00:18:29.430 that helps them to lower the walls of their heart 00:18:29.430 --> 00:18:37.230 to hear the gospel. So will you be ready to let 00:18:37.230 --> 00:18:44.269 God speak? If I were to be at home and praying 00:18:44.269 --> 00:18:47.329 and all of a sudden something's coming out that 00:18:47.630 --> 00:18:50.990 doesn't sound like my normal speech but somehow 00:18:50.990 --> 00:18:54.970 helps me to feel closer to God, that would be 00:18:54.970 --> 00:19:00.690 wonderful. If I were to walk out that door and 00:19:00.690 --> 00:19:03.630 in talking with somebody that doesn't understand 00:19:03.630 --> 00:19:05.809 English from me but somehow the words coming 00:19:05.809 --> 00:19:09.349 out were something that they understood, I'd 00:19:09.349 --> 00:19:13.509 be very grateful. But instead of waiting for 00:19:13.509 --> 00:19:16.660 that or trying to force it, I'm going to look 00:19:16.660 --> 00:19:19.359 like an idiot and keep practicing the Spanish 00:19:19.359 --> 00:19:22.119 I am learning with Ana as she comes to clean 00:19:22.119 --> 00:19:27.700 the hallways. Oh, she's very patient. Because 00:19:27.700 --> 00:19:30.099 the Holy Spirit is meant to speak through you. 00:19:32.339 --> 00:19:38.740 It can be hard to understand what to say. And 00:19:38.740 --> 00:19:41.599 even at times whenever you feel that you know 00:19:41.599 --> 00:19:45.210 what you want to communicate, Even the times 00:19:45.210 --> 00:19:47.349 whenever you wonder if what you're about to say 00:19:47.349 --> 00:19:50.710 is the right thing and maybe slow down before 00:19:50.710 --> 00:19:55.569 you send that text or hit reply to that post 00:19:55.569 --> 00:20:00.630 Because the question is will you let God speak? 00:20:01.430 --> 00:20:05.630 the way he chooses Because even if it's unfamiliar 00:20:05.630 --> 00:20:09.910 Even if it's not your comfort zone Even if it's 00:20:09.910 --> 00:20:14.009 not what you imagined Will your heart? Be ready 00:20:14.009 --> 00:20:18.470 for God. Because if you do, you may very well 00:20:18.470 --> 00:20:20.890 find yourself saying the right thing at the right 00:20:20.890 --> 00:20:23.789 time and in the right way, and you'll know it 00:20:23.789 --> 00:20:27.529 wasn't from you. You'll know the Spirit did it 00:20:27.529 --> 00:20:31.589 because you see the true miracle of the dead 00:20:31.589 --> 00:20:34.950 being raised. Because that's the real miracle 00:20:34.950 --> 00:20:39.329 of Pentecost. Three thousand people were brought 00:20:39.329 --> 00:20:42.130 back from the dead. Because that's the mission. 00:20:42.700 --> 00:20:48.000 God raises people from the dead and we, whatever 00:20:48.000 --> 00:20:53.059 language we're speaking, just spectate. Thanks 00:20:53.059 --> 00:20:53.579 be to God.