Gifted 2: Tongues and Prophecy

Today on Simon Lancaster, Jeannie Greer tackles a controversial topic calls are when you praise God in a language not your own. It is being given to these people as a sign that God is bringing them into his family, but God was no longer working just of the nation of Israel was interested in all people of all places at all times, becoming a part of his family life Bible teaching ministry of pastor, author, legend Katie Eric. I'm your host Molly events pastor JD is dealing with one of the most debated topics in Christian circles, the role of tongues and prophecy in the modern church. So does God still speak through prophets is the gift of tongues for every believer.

Just for some or was it only for the early believers in the first century. Let's dive in and see what the Bible has to say. As we continue our series titled rushing wind as a reminder this is the last week to get pastor JD's new 20 day devotional that follows our current teaching series, to be sure to check that out@jeanniegreer.com.

Now let's turn to first Corinthians 14 and dive right in his pastor JD. We're going to look at all and prophecy. This is a good bit controversial. I'm not going to lie to you our pastoral team is pretty nervous great thing for me is that I got a point that I will fly to London England for about four days so I don't have to deal with any of the fallout, I could just drop my bomb and then go overseas and they can build all that should you email all you want this week and ask them whatever questions you want to ask them people in our church are literally all over the map on this.

There are some who have taken what the Bible teaches about these things and they have gone way beyond it. And then there are those of you who in reaction to those people have all beyond what the Bible teaches by denying the presence of beach things altogether.

In other words, there is the error of embracing more than what the Bible teaches.

And then there is the error of embracing not as much as the Bible teaches will have good news for all of you regardless of where you are on that spectrum. God's word contains everything that God intended to say on this matter. God is not up in heaven wishing that he'd been a little clearer. You're like oh my gosh there that are just like you know that they're misconstruing that I wish I could clear this up to the second edition of my Bible comes out I'm in a clean all this mess up, that is not how God wrote the Bible. He wrote it perfect the first time, which means it says everything that God intended to say and I will tell you this is very important what I'm about to say there is a lack of hard and fast clarity when it comes to these issues and I believe that is intentional about the know it's intentional because God's intentional God. Once she seemed to be open to anything. God chooses to do in these areas, but he leaves us clear parameters so that we can know when it is him, but is doing right now little perspective there are generally four positions when it comes to spiritual gifts like tongues and prophecy. All Christians believe in spiritual gifts to some degree, but when it comes to Tom's and prophecy and miracles of healing there primarily for positions. The first one is what we call the cessation of this position that is the idea that certain gifts have ceased cessation that there are no good bit different operation, but Tom's prophecy, healing, those were for the times of the apostles. They were there to signify the Bible being written, but after the apostles moved on, then those gifts died out cessation on the other end of the spectrum is what we called up Pentecostal position and that is basically that the gifts are in full operation. They are normative for every Christian.

And if you're not using them that there something wrong with you and you either need to fix it or start faking it warm.

If you want to fit in that upset the other rim then there's another position of third which we would call the charismatic position, which is that these gifts are in existence and they are part of the normal ministry operations of the church, but not everybody in the church has been then there is a four position that doesn't really have a name deposition maintains that these gifts have not ceased there still around, but that most of the ways that these gifts are being used today is not really biblical at all really helpful and that's where I would put our our church for the most part in that fourth category. That's why I told you last week we consider ourselves charismatics with a seatbelt. I'm not the kind of church you know this for the husband and wife are co-pastors. She got here. The size of Texas and her makeup looked like she lost a paintball gun war, I can't even imagine my wife. That way I don't have a Terrace mullet with a coiffed hair thing in the front. There we don't but will smack people on the head so that they fall down a flop around the ground like a perch on the dock. I've never intentionally done that. I got a little you know, rambunctious, traversable maybe smacked my baby dolls accidents. I met somebody try to do it to me before your server your scrubs and a pastors conference with about 30 pastors and the guy that was Leavitt invited anybody that wanted to the end to come forward in and betrayed over.

I'm always for somebody praying for me and so I go forward on the line and I noticed the first five or six guys that applicant pray for this writer's collapse on the ground and he's coming to me asset is less of the guys a God you cannot be flat on my back. You could not my shirt off if you want to not let not man pushed me down tree gets over to me. He lays his hand on my head.

He starts praying about 30 seconds. I can feel the pressure of him pushing me I was a God, you could not know my back with this many pushed me down. So I bow… Start pushing back and he starts praying harder and him pushing harder for a while think you just concluded I was hardhearted and he he moved on so we don't do that kind of stuff in our our church. We don't have we don't have church bands with flames painted on the sides or the terms Holy Ghost anointed revival Dominion Lane fire or Shekinah glory written in stencil on the sides. People don't routinely pull a hammy during our worship services.

We don't about tambourines, with ribbons or banners or flags to waive during our worship service will have running lanes built around our sanctuary for people on the summit. Listen, I want ice I want us to be open to all that the Bible teaches us that the spirit might be doing or wanting to do in our services and I want us also to do it in the way that the spirit said that he would do it.

So with that in mind if you had your Bible what you take it out and opened it to first Corinthians chapter 14 verse grenades 14 I'm just going to go verse by verse through this chapter. There could be a couple times I stop and try to give you will contact me to explain a couple words but for the most part I'm still reading it. Tell you what it says and what you know it meets if you're willing for the word of God to challenge you and want you to open your heart right now and doubtless pray together okay father I pray that we you give us a posture of humility God were you challenge what we have been comfortable with where you challenge with what we have believed or think we have believed. I pray that you give us an openness to your word. Knowing that you God are good in your way is best. God, you know that I have prayed that this would not be simply a doctrine that we learn some new things that we add to our repertoire of Christianity, but this would be something that changes the culture of our church that we would be a tabernacle of your spirit where your spirit lives in moves and communicate your reality that you are real God in real time, giving real answers to real problems right now but I pray that you would grant that this morning.

We pray together in Jesus name in all God's people said a man verse grenades 14 verse one. By the way, I always for the transcript online.

It has copious almost pedantic footnotes in it that chased out of secure details, lots of thoughts, Greek word studies. You may want to get that out later and you can look and dig down deep, or if if if I skip over something you think needs more tension. 14 verse one person. Love says Paul and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts is especially that you may prophesy for one who speaks in a tongue, speaks not to men but to God, for nobody understands him, but he utters mysteries in the spirit. Last week I gave you a definition of tongues that was this a form of prayer and praise that you expressed to God in a language you do not understand. You see that phrase they are in verse two it says that that you speak not to men but you speak to God. Tongues are a form of prayer and praise in a language that is unknown to the speaker that is spoken to God. Let me give you just a couple of examples. There are dozens I could choose from in Scripture limit is limited to two acts chapter 2.

Your fast your Bible, you can turn over there if you're super cool, but iPad you can put there otherwise just listen and I will walk you through it right when the day of Pentecost arrived there all together in one place. Suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting and divided tongues of fire appeared as 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. Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under heaven. And at this sound, the multitude came together what what sound is he talking about all these people are speaking in different languages that that they came together, and they were bewildered because each one was hearing them speak in his own language and they were amazed and astonished not just amazed me that astonished, saying, are not all those who are speaking Galileans Galileans like the redneck part of Israel.

People barely spoke one language you speak Hebrew.well, now here they are not multilingual to a multicultural Galileans that are speaking our language in each of us hears it in his own native language is fluent in our language. Verse 11 we hear them telling our own tongues the mighty works of God cc that, if the language is unknown to the speaker, but it's no to somebody that's listening to it in their giving prayer and praise to God there telling the mighty works of God. Verse 12 and all were amazed and perplexed, not just amazing astonishment, amazed, astonished and perplexed, saying one another. This is me, but others mocking said, they are filled with new wine. You guys are drunk.

But Peter stated up with the 11, lifted up his voice and addressed them. Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you and give ear to my words. These people are not drawn as you suppose, since it's only the third hour the day is like a drug. If not, I am retriever Peter Robinson was.

That doesn't stop everybody right you know you are good your breakfast beer before you came in here but yelping is like a snotty and drunk yet.

Verse 16. This is what was uttered through the prophet Joel and know in the last days, it shall be, God declares that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your young men shall see visions in your old men shall dream dreams, and he goes on to explain the gospel okay right leave their acceptor to go to accept him this time Peter verse 44 stand in front of a group of Gentiles, namely Cornelius in a group of his soldiers is explaining the gospel to them and it says this while Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word. Verse 45 and the circumcised believers who would come up with that but you love it designation the circumcised believers are you bad – Presbyterian because of I'm circumcised.

Thank you for telling me. I like the circumcised believers who, Peter were amazed because the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out even on the Gentiles, for they were hearing and speaking in tongues and extolling God, whose amazed and perplexed, this time the circumcised believers who are Jews and there hearing these Gentiles who don't speak Hebrew. There hearing them extolling their extolling God. Why Billy they understood what you got you got now the Gentiles extolling God in a language they don't know that these Jews understand right and there's a number of other places which I could go to Melissa suffice that they are tongs are when you praise God in a language not your own, and it is being given to these people as a sign that God is bringing them into his family that God was including in his family, not just the Jewish people, but all peoples of every tribe and tongue everywhere that God was no longer working just of the nation of Israel. He was interested in all people of all places at all times, becoming a part of his family. That's very important were to come back to that, but for now… Keep reading.

Okay verse three.

On the other hand soap also have a contrast in one hand you got tongs on the other hand, the one who prophesies speaks to people for their upbuilding and their encouragement and their consolation rights will talk about prophecy for a minute I last week I give you the definition of prophecy. The prophecy is speaking God's word or speaking God's will into a situation that takes primarily three forms in the Bible. The first form is just preaching is what I do each week.

It's what I take the word of God and I explained it and then I apply it to you. It's more than just explaining the word of God having you read a commentary and get that is God giving me spiritual insight S spiritual insight in spiritual timing so that I proclaim the word of God into your life with power so that it changes and transforms you. That is the gift of prophecy when taking the word of God and appreciated to you and come alive in your heart. I got a setting you free. That's prophecy about the predominant form, but there are two other forms.

One we saw last week was called the word of wisdom and that's where God gives somebody insight into an issue where you don't have a chapter in verse a decision you need to make a way that you need to handle situation and I can just quote a verse God sometimes gives different people in his church, words of wisdom. They say this is how I think the Holy Spirit is leading you to resolve this issue with this decision to make that sort of wisdom there's 1/3 kind called the word of knowledge board of knowledge and that's where God gives somebody supernatural insight into somebody's live life so that they know just what to say or just how to pray. The example I gave you was John chapter 4 Jesus is doing the Samaritan woman in just a woman. It's pretty promiscuous and so she better have a conversation and he's not really getting through a simple once you get your husband and bring in wall talk. She's as well have a husband and he says right you have a husband you got five husband got you shacking up with now is not your husband know she's like that, I perceive that you are a prophet is like you're exactly right because God the Spirit just told me that about you that is awarded knowledge you have insight into somebody's life that you should not really have other than the spirit of God gives it to you to see it again referred to a prescriptive 1425 in just a second. We talked about knowing just what to say when somebody says nobody can know that about me except God told you right so preaching the word of wisdom or of knowledge. Now here's the thing about those last two witnesses very important word of wisdom the word of knowledge. Never take on the weight of Scripture when I stand up here and tell you this is what God's word says, that takes on a whole different way than somebody saying nothing God might be leading you to to do this. I'll prove it to you two or three ways. For one last week we saw that one of the gifts that God gave the church was the interpretation of spirits what that is is the ability to interpret between when somebody is claiming to give an insight from the Holy Spirit to be able to interpret and distinguish between those Paul would never tell you to do that with Scripture. His writings also like hey you know nobody in here is the gift is on preaching a verse good to be a wet burst of wrong. I just told me that that's not the gift that you would ever get pulses. This process weighs 520 look at this process.

Do not despise prophesying, but test everything and hold fast to what is good, but was weighed out. Paul would never tell you that about his writings, but never got to test out my writing was good we would bet Paul's M.O. was on apostle you shut up. So he's holding up prophesying here in a different light. When Moses and Paul said something from God.

We wrote it down as Scripture and we read it thousands of years later when you have something you think the Holy Spirit puts on your heart. We read it in the email. We skim it and we hit delete.

Okay, so it's all on an altogether different plane right give you one more thing here. Chapter 14 verse 36 data per screen is 14 Paul says that even with all these words of wisdom and knowledge that the Holy Spirit is giving to the Corinthians, he says, quote listen the word of God, did not come from you by word of God. He needs Scripture so even with all this spirit speaking of the Lord God never came from you so there's a distinction between the word of God.

Scripture in these kinds of words of wisdom and knowledge. Words of knowledge and words of wisdom are supernatural insights that God brings to my but they do not take the level of Scripture you report them in your own words, which means that they can have errors in them did a great example in the book of acts chapter 21 there's a disciple by the name of Actavis and I do miss columns and it says full of the Holy Spirit. He spoke through the spirit to Paul and told Paul that the Jews would deliver him into the hands of the Roman rulers.

Now here's the thing I gibbous was mostly correct, though not entirely. It was the Romans who bound Paul not the Jews and the Jews did not deliver Paul to the Romans. They tried to kill him.

When Gruden says this. The prediction was not far off but it had inaccuracies in detail that would have called into question the validity of any Old Testament prophet.

This is exactly the kind of fallible prophecy that would fit the definition of New Testament Congregational prophecy or reporting in one's own words, something God has spontaneously brought to my Paul expects every New Testament congregation. He expects every small group to be filled with this gift your sons and your daughters will prophesy, just like in the Old Testament there was a special class of priests but in the New Testament were all priests in the Old Testament it was a special class of prophets in the New Testament. Every congregation and every small group is filled with the gift of prophecy that makes sense.

So to give you what he responded but I so that no host quite willing to give you practical ways of living through ground rules for when you're giving a word processing okay about that. Ephraim is about to write these down number one when you give a groundwater privacy, you should never ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever get seven average, which is the number of perfection claim the authority of God. When you speak when somebody comes up to me and says will God said this about you and about the China how you argue with that. Only God say to you like. I guess that me i.e. I can't dispute it is just never speak that way you teach and sound something like this. God I think might be putting this on my heart and give it to you what you tested out like all seven first Thessalonians. I think God is leading me to tell this to you.

You should never ever say this is what God's word says unless you got a verse of Scripture by number two is always best when tied to Scripture it's always best when tied to Scripture. When you speak a word from yourself. I can be sure it's coming from God. But when it resonates with the Scripture. Then I have no doubts about it. Number three, you should use it for the purposes that are given.

See verse three Paul said 03 purposes for the words of prophecy for upbuilding for encouragement and consolation. Those are the three reasons that you give someone a word or privacy right so you make sure that you give it for the express purposes. God said he David writes that's ground rules for giving it. Here's a few ground rules for receiving itmakes it into three questions you should ask first what does it contradict what God has clearly said elsewhere contradict what God is clearly said elsewhere. I still have people in our church of company is a summative God told me to divorce my wife will really getting the Axa got his Bible open the page where it said not to divorce your wife work that out. The bet on it.

Why do you I'm sorry I'm in need to see that in writing and probably notarized by an Angel just to throw that in there to God does not contradict his word. So it never contradicts Scripture as that number two does in accord with what God is doing in your life as it makes sense is further something that you see God doing that for the business side was that you know it is coming from God. Here's here's 1/3 thing is to glorify God, or the Robin to glorify God's people all the time to use this stop bolster the role of Martin God didn't give you the best of both your Lord and the David so that it can be used for building encouragement and consolation.

Everything the Bible tells us the spirit might be doing and we do that through prayer and belief you're listening to Summit life and teaching from our series titled rushing wind to hear it again or to catch up on previous messages. Visit us online@jdgreer.com while you're there, you can also download sermon transcripts browse pastor JD's blog and subscribe to receive future blog post in your email quality study resources are also available free of charge@jdgreer.com safe to say that we are passionate about bringing you a gospel centered Bible teaching on the radio every single day.

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