1 Corinthians 12:10 - Part C

Gift of tongues is a form of communication. It's a form of communication we discover in chapter 14 two God speaks tongue does not speak to men but he speaks to God's prayer, worship is directed to God's voice of prayer language. Prayer language directing a prayer to God is not a message from God. Prayer to God. The gifts of the spirit can seem so mysterious, especially the ones we don't quite understand today on connect with Skip Heitzig Skip share startling insight with about the spiritual gift of tongues now want to tell you about a resource that will inspire you to shine God's love work and those around the United States got the devastating civil war to overcome a deeply defining issue was of Jesus and people who represent his life. We can help one another deal with this topic today Skip Heitzig again Tony Clark speak to white evangelical pastors about how churches we can create spaces for black and brown voices to be heard in a loving atmosphere concerning the atmosphere. The turkeys find this moment because he racism is a safe is a sin in the eye now inside job began to die down and to have a biblical mindset and also happen sympathy and empathy for those who are trying to live out this Christianity and their skin may be a little bit darker than yours cultivate the entity that comes from gaining a biblical perspective on racism.

Get your copy of this conversation between Pastor Skip and Tony when you get $20 or more today will also send you pastors tips booklet the church and racism, call 819 to 1888, or get online securely connectwithskip.com/offer chapter 12 as we join script for today study then they laid hands on them and they were now when Simon saw that through the laying on of the apostles, the Holy Spirit, Evan offered them money sitting give me this power also that anyone who I laid hands may receive the Holy Spirit. But Peter said to him your money perish with you because you thought that the gift of God could be purchased with money. You have neither partner nor portion in this matter. For your heart is not right in the sight of God. Repent therefore of your wickedness and pray God is perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven. You while he had the gift of discernment. Philip is a gift of miracles in evangelism, not discernment. Now, the apostles, they have discernment they know there's a motivation underlying that how would they know that Holy Spirit impressed that upon the and so they spoke that word out a few chapters later in the 13th chapter, Paul is on his first missionary journey and they first go to the island of Cyprus. They go to one of the main towns in Cyprus.

Solomon's and they encounter a guy by the name of the bar. Jesus great name son of Jesus, but he really was a son of the devil. So far, Jesus also called Ella Mohsen that chapter, Paul the apostle in seeing him says all full of deceit and fraud, you son of the devil.

While all your have like a bad hair day or something. What up dude know he had the gift of the discerning of spirits, and he knew that this guy was out for a different motivation I give you one more example of this when I want you to turn to annex acts chapter 16 Annex chapter 16 they come to the city of Philippi. It is Paul the apostle again at the city of Philippi. Verse 16 chapter 16 verse 16. Now it happened as we went to prayer, that a certain slave girl possessed with a spirit of divination met us who brought her masters much profit by fortune-telling this girl follow Paul and us, and cried out, these men are the servants of the most high God, who proclaimed to us the way of salvation, stop right there. That sounds pretty good. I mean if you want to put a PR person you want to hire her.

These men were to tell you the truth, listen to what these guys at the great teacher salvation. What she is saying here is true. Great PR but keep going. Verse 18 and this she did for many days, but Paul greatly annoyed, turned and said to this spirit, I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her and he came out that very hour, but when her master saw that the hope of profit was gone. They seize Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to the authorities. Paul had the gift of the discernment of spirits, and here's the hard part. If you ever have this gift. The hard part is that it's so obvious to you, but not everybody else and that's where it's frustrating.

You see it you know what you know that person's goofy weird false prophet daemonic whatever everybody else is any. Here's a girl saying these people speak the word of God. The salvation of God and boggles you come out of her just rebukes the spirit. I am sure that people standing by. What is that politics so judge mental peace so harsh and critical.

God gave him the right.

The gift of the discerning of spirits is so vital to the body of Christ is like your liver your liver filters out poisons people with discernment filter out poison.

There's enough people in the body of Christ that are gullible. That will follow anybody in anything it takes somebody with real discernment, but it's it's frustrating. And so if you have it, buckle your spiritual seatbelt because you'll see it. Others will not see it just be aware that you're going to get flack for you exercise this Skip and then let me out a warning to that. If you have the gift of discerning of spirits, which makes you valuable to the body of Christ. Be careful that you don't let the gift of discernment denigrate into pride and always being critical of everything because of girl you're so gifted with discernment you're still a center you're still flawed you still need to be corrected from time to time, so don't let that degenerate into something that is self-righteous and and critical nature so that is the gift of the discerning of spirits. So now we've covered a bunch of them already have taken a month but we've been word of wisdom the word knowledge and faith in healings and the working of miracles and prophecy, and the discerning of spirits while good now let's get on to him. The next one. Chapter 12 first Corinthians verse 10 to have the working of miracles, prophecy, discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues and another the interpretation of tongues. Would you agree that the gift of tongues. The idea of tongues talking about tongues talking in tongues is one of the most controversial things in Christianity.

It is, it is divided many a church in many a friendship. It is very controversial and sadly it is become very divisive and so you have on one and people who say those gifts are done with those are sign gifts that were for the early church before the Scripture was given in its totality. We arty cover that in the several studies ago and dismantled that belief that there are some that hold that and I think they hold it because it's very convenient to say the gifts passed away because then you have to deal with them. The messiness of their use and abuse in your group so just say I dismissed On the other end of the spectrum always has to be a healing a miracle atonement prophecy is something you know, or God has moved so there's a joke about a charismatic Anabaptist, and their arguing about this and the charismatic of course as well.

It's a gift. It is for today and about this… I'll believe that stuff that stuffs nuts. The charismatic turned to his princes. I bet you I can get you to speak in tongues today that this is no way charismatic since way no way way so Baptist folds his arms and try let's see. So the charismatic kicks the Baptist as hard as he can with his right foot just below the knee right in the shin and the Baptist grahams and all my Neo my share. No McNeil my Shinto many of you got a brother's keeper gone all many of my strictest cubicle and it's true.

I've heard some tongues that just oak. That guy just making stuff up. She wrote a Honda really where does she ride the Honda to from the economy, so to the Coolio shop back to that text different kinds of tongues. What is the gift of tongues.

The gift of tongues is a form of communication. It's a form of communication we discover in chapter 14 to God. He speaks and it tongue does not speak to men but he speaks to God's prayer, worship is directed heavenward export. It's to God.

That's why some people refer to the gift of tongues as a prayer language. A prayer language you're directing a prayer to God sent a message from God to people. It's a prayer to God. It's worship the God language itself is a packed right it's a fact.

It's an agreement it's a pack that certain things that certain words mean certain things to certain people is what languages it's a fact that certain words mean certain things to certain people so you and I we are. We have a pact with each other. It's called the pact of English. That's our covenant with each other. So when I say certain words.

They mean certain things to certain here's your ears.

That's our pack, but over in India they don't have the same packed that we have so if you hear somebody say product always stole from you think my guys beware speak in one of them where dogs know it's a pact he is speaking, but it's a different packed. It's a different agreement he speaking the language Malayalam. One of the dialects.

One of the languages of southern India and he is saying in his language. Praise the Lord. If somebody says, but arming Salamat Paul you have to be Filipino to to have backpack.

That's a special language group, all to its own you and I am in in America wouldn't understand that unless somebody interprets it for us if we have an interpreter that bridges the gap work where the pact breaks down right so that's what languages language is an agreement it's a pact but let's say you and I decided to have our own secret pact or secret language just you and I know so the words in our secret pact will be because it was a jazz was a surface. Murph is Cal Rex flex and we make an agreement in advance if if after the service I say to you house was a jazz was a what I mean by that.

It was go to Starbucks and have coffee so after the service I journey as it was a jazz was a bruise is weird.

You and I know what that means. We made that pact and then if you say to me surface. Murph is Cal Rex flex. That means okay on me to Starbucks for your buying. Again we we can employ that language and you and I would be fine but nobody else would understand. Tongues is a language directed to God that God understands it's a very effective and very edifying. It's one of the it's it's unique among the gifts because the gifts of the spirit. We are told by Paul generally are for the edification of the church right for the prophet all the edification of the body of Christ except the gift of tongues. We've already read it will read in chapter 14 we get to it again that he was speaks in a tongue edifies himself builds himself up so where is the gifts of the spirit are for mutual edification.

The gift of tongues is unique in that it is exercise for that mutual edification, but self edification. You build yourself up to fight yourself, accept, or unless there's an interpretation.

There's an interpretation God and I have the pact, but if somebody interprets that to the group so that you now understand what I have said to God, what I pray to God what I am worshiping the God then you will be edified out of bill jumping all that's beautiful. Other than that it's for self edification, but it is the pact. It is a language. It is a code that God understands number one it's directed to God. Number two.

When you speak in a tongue you don't understand what you are saying. Nobody else understands what you are saying unless there is an interpretation. I know some you think.

What about the book of acts chapter 2. I'll get to that. Not tonight. Unfortunately, here I was Sangamon to finish the chapter. Ha ha. So when you speak in a tongues you don't understand it.

People around you don't understand, unless they have the gift of interpretation or you yourself are given the interpretation now to to show that is that I want to prove that to you turn to chapter 14 verse 14. Don't worry were knocking to go through these chapters like this uncovering gift at a time in the rug and it were gonna I was in the say zoom through it will go faster through it. Chapter 14 verse 13 therefore let him who speaks in a tongue.

Pray that he may interpret the only reason you have to pray.

That is if you said something you didn't understand. For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays there is. It's a prayer language but my understanding is unfruitful. I don't understand what I'm saying. It bypasses my intellect. So so it is directed to God and what I say. Second, yeah, you don't understand it when you say it, others don't understand lessers the interpretation we give you another factoid about the gift of tongues. It requires interpretation and when it is interpreted it brings edification to the whole church. Verse 17 just want to touch on this point since were at the end of our study were 17 for you. Indeed, give thanks, well, but the other is not edified. So you're praising God, you, worshiping you giving thanks the others are not edified.

Unless you have this a gift of interpretation. Now what about the book of acts. Okay I'm in a try to tackle this in the three minutes I have left because in the book of acts chapter 2 when the early church on the day of Pentecost spoke in tongues member that they spoken languages that people didn't understand the spoken dialects and languages of people who were gathered together at Jerusalem, and they said how is it, and by the way tongue that kind of tongues in this kind of tongues were the same essential thing with one caveat I want you to know that Cambia there were the same essential thing that is they weren't was in a message to the people was in evangelism to the people he what Peter wasn't preaching the gospel in different languages. That's nonsense. It says they heard them speak in tongues and the people in all these different languages how is it that we hear them speaking in our own native tongues listen the wonderful works of God. They heard them worshiping the Lord. Praying to God speaking the wonderful works of God in their own language. The difference between the Corinthians 12 tongues glossolalia and the acts chapter 2 tongues dialect us different dialects in different regions is that one required interpretation.

Corinthians. The other did not require interpretation acts chapter 2. What was all that about. It was a one-off acts chapter 2 was the first day the church existed.

It was the birth of the church. It was the day of Pentecost.

It was a sign to the unbelievers that the message of the gospel, even though tongues wasn't preaching the gospel, how do I know that because Peter afterwards preach the gospel to them. After the tongues incident, but in hearing the tongues in different languages. It was assigned to the rest of the world that what is going on in the church is for everyone in the world for everyone in the world but it was a one-off.

It was never repeated again in history. There is no second Pentecost, or third or fourth. It was the birth of the church. It was a thing that happened so that they heard them worshiping the Lord, but in their own different language and dialect earthly languages. Where is here tongues in first Corinthians 12. The word is different.

Paul distinguishes between in this chapter. In the Greek language. He distinguishes between human languages. Fun day and this kind of speaking in tongues. Glossolalia two different words so I see tongues as I put it all together as a precognitive speech to God that bypasses the intellect so you know what it is you don't have time for orderly arrangement of thought in the pact of English or any other language, such precognitive thought that is very powerful in communicating to God. Why would anybody do it.

He says you give thanks. Well, for your own private devotions. Paul said I speak in tongues more than you all.

He will say that I speak in tongues more than you will, which is interesting because we never read a Paul speaking in tongues. So Paul said I speak in tongues more than you all.

He after word said. But in the church I'd rather speak one word of understanding than 10,000 words in an unknown tongue. You would not know what I'm saying. So Paul spoke in tongues more than anybody else. Where did he speak in tongues in his own personal private devotional life is fairly that's where I see its place primarily.

The only time it is a place publicly is it if it's in a setting that's designed for believers getting together and it must accompany interpretation, as we will see when we get to chapter 14, so it's for devotion number one number two it's for intercession.

It's for intercession is your praying your praying.

Sometimes when we pray we don't know what we should pray for right. That's what Paul said in in Romans he said we don't always know how to pray, we don't pray like we should, we as as we ought, and so here's an example, I might pray when somebody is suffering old Lord deliver them their suffering, deliver them. That may be the worst thing for them.

If God were to answer my prayer. I'm I'm I'm knowledgeable and praying in English and my minor out loud and I say Lord deliver them and let me be the worst thing because that suffering may be the very tool God is using to develop and mature that person. If God delivers them that would circumvent the word God wants to do. They need to stay in a while when Jesus said to his disciples. I'm going to Jerusalem and then out there can it beat me up and kill me, to be crucified. But I'm in a rise again. Peter said, far be it from your Lord what the floor would've answered that prayer okay Peter you paraded so far be it for me so I'm not going to the cross that be the worst answer prayer in history so we don't always know how to pray as we ought. So when you bypass your intellect and you trust that the Lord in that speech of tongues is discerning the will of God and praying accordingly. So I might say, Lord, give me a brand-new speedboat on a wide pray that living in New Mexico where there's no place to really exercise about. Let's say I pray that and then I'm also praying in the spirit praying and in tongues.

I might very well in that language say Lord cancel out that prayer that he prayed cognitively, given the speedboat.

First of all he does live in New Mexico. Number two. He doesn't need that number three that we met first marriage, for whatever might be. It would correct that and so for personal devotion and worship for intercession and as I said I will get to private personal edification subscription matrix message series expound first Corinthians to Skip to share how you can keep these messages coming your way and connect others around the world with God's truth. God's Holy Spirit who lives in us. Why, to help us live out our faith in this world and our heart is to come alongside of you to do the same. That's why we work to make these Bible teachings available to friends like you and you can help connect even more people to God's word today through a generous gift.

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One of his favorite analogies, favorite medical church is more than an organization.

Yes, it should be organized but it's an organism to live living like a body there are other analogies the Bible uses the body of Christ, all of them are living. I