Say What?
Notes
Transcript
Languages
Languages
French: Bonjour. Ca va?
Hawaiian: Aloha Kaka-he-aka! ! Howzit?
Korean: Ann-yone-g! oh-toe-key-jin-aye-say-oh
Russian: Doh-bde-oat-tra! Kock-dill-ah!
Introduction
Introduction
We’ve broken down gifts into 3 groups
Team gifts
Enabling gifts
And today we’re looking at the MIRACULOUS gifts
Tongues, interpretations, miracles, healings
9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues.
Prophecy we’ll cover in a few weeks - that’s team gift
I’ll explain why it’s not necessarily a MIRACULOUS gift
Let’s start with the most controversial one: TONGUES
Tongues
Tongues
Going to talk about a few things
1. What is the gift of tongues?
2. What are some misconceptions about tongues?
3. How are tongues supposed to be used in the church?
There are two types of tongues mentioned in Scripture:
Here is the first:
4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.
5 Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. 6 And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language. 7 And they were amazed and astonished, saying, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans?
What is the gift of tongues?
What is the gift of tongues?
Pentecost Explanation
Pentecost Explanation
We can figure this out by learning what happened here:
During Pentecost - 50 days after Easter
But the Jews were celebrating the Shavuot
Feast of wheat harvest and the gift of the Torah
Thought to have been the best attended feast
Jerusalem was packed with visitors from around the known world
All speaking different languages
And so these early Christians start preaching and praising God in other languages
Specifically the languages of visitors
Definition of Tongues
Definition of Tongues
To ask the question again, what is the gift of tongues?
Originally, it was the supernatural ability to share the gospel in a language that had not previously been learned.
Spiritual Explanation
Spiritual Explanation
Then a second definition came about
2 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.
Also 1 Cor. 13:1
This is the version we see most today
Someone going off, seemingly incoherently to those around them
2nd definition:
Tongues is also the supernatural ability to speak to God in a way only understood by the Spirit
Now, I need to explain something here
Not a Traditional Cessationalist
Not a Traditional Cessationalist
I am not a cessationalist in the traditional sense...
Where you believe all miraculous gifts ceased or ended after the Apostles died
The gifts still exist, but the need is different, and the time in god’s plan is different
Means we need these gifts less...
God’s View of the Gifts
God’s View of the Gifts
The need for that gift was HUGE in that day
No Scripture, no translators, and the church was new
We have a Bible and we can see God’s message for us THERE!
What are some misconceptions about tongues?
What are some misconceptions about tongues?
There are a lot of misconceptions about this gift today:
You NEED the Gift
You NEED the Gift
Today, a lot of charismatic churches tell you you NEED the gift
They says it’s evidence you have the Holy Spirit - and it is!
But so are these other gifts
If you have a Super Bowl ring that’s a sign you played in the NFL
But it doesn’t mean everyone in the NFL gets a Super Bowl ring...
You Can LEARN to Speak in Tongues
You Can LEARN to Speak in Tongues
Some churches say that you can LEARN to speak in tongues
We learned last week that the SPIRIT DECIDES who gets what gift!
You cannot learn a gift from God! You receive it when He wants to give it
You cannot LEARN healing, you cannot LEARN prophecy, you cannot LEARN tongues
This isn’t Hogwarts!
People with the Gift of Tongues Have MORE POWER
People with the Gift of Tongues Have MORE POWER
Some believe that those who speak in tongues have more power!
That separates the church in the haves and the have-nots
If you speak in tongues, you’re Spirit filled
If you don’t, you’re second-class, or maybe not even saved!
THAT is a bunch of baloney!
As a Christian, I am definitely SPIRIT-FILLED
BUT I DO NOT have the gift of tongues
How can that be?!
Let me show you a very important passage about these misconceptions
Paul puts the gifts in ORDER!
That means our gifts ARE NOT EQUAL!
Now PEOPLE are all equal...
And all gifts are IMPORTANT
But not all gifts are equal...
28 And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30 Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? 31 But earnestly desire the higher gifts.
And I will show you a still more excellent way.
Paul says everything right there!
Not everyone has every gift
Not all gifts are equal
Tongues is at the bottom of the list
For a reason:
19 Nevertheless, in church I would rather speak five words with my mind in order to instruct others, than ten thousand words in a tongue.
Why? Spouting off in an unknown language doesn’t help anyone here!
That brings us to the 3rd question:
How are tongues supposed to be used in the church?
How are tongues supposed to be used in the church?
Let me ask you a question...
How many of you have ever heard someone speaking in tongues?
How many of you have ever seen someone speak in tongues to someone from a different language?
Hmmm… interesting!
We’ve all heard someone use this gift...
But only in the unverifiable way! I find that suspicious!
Not saying it doesn’t exist, but that it is ABUSED
There are RULES about how to do this in church
Did you know that?
This is my BIGGEST problem with this gift
I have NEVER seen this done correctly
Again, not saying it NEVER is, just that I’ve never seen it
I have seen tongues spouted off 100 times, never following Scriptural guidelines
27 If any speak in a tongue, let there be only two or at most three, and each in turn, and let someone interpret. 28 But if there is no one to interpret, let each of them keep silent in church and speak to himself and to God.
Only read 33a
33 For God is not a God of confusion but of peace.
As in all the churches of the saints,
Those are CLEAR BOUNDARIES!
No more than 3 people speak in tongues in a service
Speak in tongues one at a time
There must be an interpreter
If there is not, ZIP IT!
There is an important reason for this!
First, we want to know what you’re saying or it’s useless for the church
Second, if you’re all babbling, no one can hear you!
It’ll sound like the presidential debate!
Third, is this:
23 If, therefore, the whole church comes together and all speak in tongues, and outsiders or unbelievers enter, will they not say that you are out of your minds?
Think about what Paul is saying...
If someone sees you going off in a random language, PEOPLE WILL THINK YOU’RE CRAZY!
“You know what?! I’m worshipping God! They can just deal with it!”
No, that’s not right… Not caring about those around you is wrong!
Leo and the tambourine
His heart was 1,000% to worship God
But in doing that, he forgot about other people
When you forget about those around you when you worship, it’s no longer about God
It has become about YOU
Doing everything the way YOU want goes against everything Jesus taught us
Let me show you what I mean...
Let’s watch this video of tongues in church
Paul was right! I got this video from a non-believer’s YouTube channel
There’s no interpreter (although they act like they understand each other)
No edification for the church...
And the unbeliever that uploaded this thought just what Paul says!
THEY’RE CRAZY!
You may have noticed we’ve been talking about the second gift on this list: interpreting
Interpretations
Interpretations
If anyone ever stood up in church speaking in tongues, I’d ask if there was an interpreter
If not, I would ask them to sit down
This is someone who understands what someone speaking in tongues is saying
I know lot’s of people with the gift of tongues; not so many with this one
There’s one potential example I know of
Youth were at a concert
People in front start rolling off in tongues
Afterwards, that was weird!
What do you mean, I heard everything they said perfectly clear!
I don’t know… maybe!
That’s the hard part for me
I have seen so many people do it wrong - it’s hard to tell when someone is right!
So here’s the thing - if you have this gift, you’re in church, and there’s no interpreter, keep it to yourself
What if you’re your own interpreter?!
Then just give the interpretation! Why spout off in tongues first?!
The spirit behind these gifts is that we all work together!
Tongues and Interpretations are two gifts that go together
Miracles and healings kind of go together too...
Every healing is a miracle
Miracles and Healings
Miracles and Healings
For miracles and healings, we have to do something we keep talking about
STOP LOOKING AT IT FROM OUR VANTAGE-POINT...
Try looking at it from God’s vantage-point...
Before the internet, how did kings send their messages?
By letter with a seal - why?
It proves where the message comes from
Seals had to be 2 things:
Unique - it only represented 1 king without confusion
Hard to forge - You wouldn’t want it replicated over and over again
If you recieved a message from a king with a seal what would you do? PAY ATTENTION!
This is why miracles happen - including healing
Miracles confirm a message is from God
How Many Miracles in the Bible
How Many Miracles in the Bible
250 miracles - From Abraham to Jesus is 2,000 years
Miracle happens 1 in 8 years, but not that way
3 major periods of miracles in history
Moses and Joshua, Elijah/Elisha, and Jesus/Disciples
What was special about these times? They brought NEW REVELATION
And new revelation needs NEW CONFIRMATION
Moses and Joshua established God’s nation
Elijah and Elisha came during Israel’s most wicked time
Jesus and His disciples brought salvation and formed the church
What is a MIRACLE?
What is a MIRACLE?
Definition: a surprising and welcome event that is not explicable by natural or scientific laws and is therefore considered to be the work of a divine agency.
Must be unusual and unexplainable
There is something we call a miracle, but is actually not
There’s something called “DIVINE PROVIDENCE”
This is when God does something special, but doesn’t break any natural laws
Example, Glenn’s prof. has unused Bibles in a rare language
No connections to tribe, so he is taking them to camp
Car breaks down and he’s mad
Man walks up as asks if he’s from God
Turns out he is from that tribe, speaks English, and was praying that God would reveal Himself
And he has a trunk full of Bibles
Was God involved in that? CLEARLY!
But that’s NOT A MIRACLE!
Why? Cars break down, Bible’s get printed, villagers travel...
God didn’t break any natural laws...
If they shook hands and a Bible appeared, that’s a miracle
In this case, it was DIVINE PROVIDENCE
Incredible? Yes. Powerful? Certainly. Miracle? No...
I have never seen a TRUE miracle
I’ve seen providence that is spectacular and life changing… but not impossible to explain
Does that mean miracles are impossible? NO!
That is an important question we have to face first - Are miracles possible?
Did Moses part the Red Sea? That would be a miracle...
Was Jesus resurrected? That would be a miracle...
All those are easy to believe… IF you can believe in the first and greatest miracle
What is it?
It’s this:
1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.
That verse claims God made something out of nothing
Actually, EVERYTHING out of nothing!
The whole universe exists ONLY because God made it
That breaks every natural law! Nothing spontaneously exists for no reason...
If you can believe that, the other miracles are easy!
Can God flood the whole planet? Yeah! God made the earth!
Can Balaam’s donkey talk? Yeah! God made Donkeys!
Can Jesus be resurrected? Yeah! God created life!
St. Augustine: “Miracles are not contrary to nature but only contrary to what we know about nature.”
For the creator of nature, anything is possible!
Why Does God Do Miracles?
Why Does God Do Miracles?
They’re not cheap parlor tricks - they serve a purpose
In Matthew 11 Jesus gets upset with the cities that saw His miracles and didn’t repent
God expects a response to His miracles
We think Jesus walks on water and we say, “Cool! Do that again!”
If you got a letter with a seal that said “Take out the trash.”
Would you say, “Wow! Cool seal!” And go about your business?
NO! You responds by doing what the letter says
When Jesus performed miracles, He expected people to respond to HIS MESSAGE!
What Does this Have to Do with Spiritual Gifts?
What Does this Have to Do with Spiritual Gifts?
This is a RARE gift!
I believe they can still happen today, but by nature they are RARE!
It HAS to be!
If they happened all the time, they wouldn’t impact you!
If resurrections happened every month, you wouldn’t be impressed by Jesus!
“Jesus was resurrected! He is Lord!”
What? My landlord was resurrected last week! That doesn’t mean anything...
I believe small miracles happen now for small messages
Increasing faith, preserving life, getting our attention...
But the BIG ONES come about when things change
The next big miracle season is the one we studied in Daniel: the Tribulation
When people go around acting like they can heal whenever they want, there’s a problem
They’re cheapening God’s power
Your back hurts? Here, let me grow one of your legs...
You have stomach problems? Let me place my hands while you get out your checkbook...
When miracles happen, you know!
When Jesus healed people it was immediate and clear
You’re blind? Boom! You can see
You’ve been bleeding for 12 years? Boom! It stopped.
You’ve been dead for a week! Boom! Wake up.
God’s providence is still there
Smaller miracles do happen
Closing
Closing
Let me explain it this way:
In the 1970’s, there was a job called an enforcer
They protected the star scorers on a hockey team
Since then, the NHL has made rule changes
Hitting rules, fighting penalties, fines...
Enforcers aren’t needed as much...
For hockey, the changes in the league means people need a different set of gifts
It’s not as helpful to be big, tough and scrappy
It’s more important to be fast, accurate and agile
The world has changed as well...
The church today is different from the early church
As such, God has rearranged the spiritual gifts in His church
In the early church, God had a new message
It delivered it through tongues, interpretation and prophecy
He backed it up through miracles and healings
But those things aren’t as important now...
It’s still God’s same message
There is no new revelation
God has already left His seal in Scripture
Those things are done
Today, are gifts are lined up so we can share the gospel, build the church and cope with this life
That’s what we need to worry about
Don’t focus on miracles
Don’t focus on tongues
Focus on who God has gifted you to be
Prayer
Prayer