The Language of a Generation
Why YOU Should Speak in Tongues
05/05/07
I. Introduction
Welcome to our Cinco de Mayo fiesta!!!
We’re so glad you’re here and we want to say THANK YOU for coming. We’re going to have a lot more fun and do some more stuff in a little while, but right now, I’ve got a special message I want to share with you from the Word of God – the Bible.
We’re celebrating Cinco de Mayo tonight and I’ve got a question for you. How many of you know what the official language of Mexico is?
SPANISH!!!
Have any of you taken any Spanish classes at school?
Let’s get a couple of volunteers who know a little Spanish to come up here and have a brief conversation with each other. Can anybody do that?
Cool! Muy bien, amigos!
Have any of you ever stopped to think about what the official language of Heaven is? I mean, we might not even think about it, except if someone were to ask you that question. What language do they speak in heaven?
You might immediately think it’s English, right. I mean everybody speaks English.
Let me ask you this. If you speak 3 languages, you’re trilingual, right? If you speak 2 languages, you’re bilingual, right? Well, what are you if you speak one language? You’re American!
But honestly, is English the official language of heaven?
No.
As a matter of fact, God will speak to you in whatever language you understand. And you can speak to God in whatever language you understand. But, did you know that there’s a heavenly language that you can use to communicate with God directly?
It’s commonly referred to as “speaking in tongues” or also referred to as a “heavenly language.”
There’s been a lot of controversy among churches regarding “speaking in tongues.” A lot of people have different viewpoints…many of which aren’t biblical. Tonight I want to address some of those viewpoints and talk to you about why YOU should speak in tongues.
The Baptism of the Holy Spirit and speaking in tongues has been a long debated issue in the body of Christ. There are some that believe that speaking in tongues is of the devil. Others believe that speaking in tongues was just for the early church and that tongues have passed away. Still others have this idea that speaking in tongues is merely speaking in other languages. Some think that the tongues are real and Bible-fact, but they believe it’s a special gift for certain people. And finally, others believe what the Bible says which is that the baptism of the Holy Spirit is a real experience available to all Christians and speaking in tongues is the initial sign or evidence that someone has received the HS.
II. The Promise
We’re going to go through a lot of Scripture tonight and the purpose is for you to see clearly what the BIBLE has to say about speaking in tongues, not just hear what I’m saying.
Luke 3:16 John answered, saying, to all "I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire".
Jesus gave us a promise that He would send the HS after he took off.
John 14:16,17 16And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever— 17the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.
John 16:7 7But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.
After Jesus promised the other comforter, he then commanded the disciples to wait in Jerusalem for the Promise of the Father, which was the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
Acts 1:4-8 4On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. 5For John baptized with[a] water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit."
6So when they met together, they asked him, "Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?"
7He said to them: "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 8But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."
Acts 2:1-4 1 When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
III. There’s MORE after Salvation
Some ask "Don’t we get the Holy Spirit when we are saved?" The answer is yes. When we are saved, the Holy Spirit does come to dwell in us (Romans 8:9-16;1 Corinthians 3:16.) However, this is only the beginning of the Holy Spirit’s work in us.
Water Illustration –
Have a volunteer come up and ask them to take a drink of water. Explain that the water is now IN them. Now, have them open up their mouths and pour in the water yourself…you’ll quickly see that the water is now not just IN them but has come out UPON them.
Take a drink of water, and the water is in you. Jump into a swimming pool, and you are in the water.
Similarly, we get a "drink" of the Spirit when we are saved, but the Holy Spirit wants to do much more with us. He wants to totally engulf us with His power. For an example of this let’s look at the Ephesian believers in Acts 19.
Paul visited the city of Ephesus, and found a group of Christians there. He asked them "Have you received the Holy Spirit SINCE YOU BELIEVED?"(verse 2)These were born again believers, who had the indwelling Holy Spirit, but they hadn’t yet been BAPTIZED in the Holy Spirit.
Acts 19:1-7 "And it happened, while Apollos was at Corinth, that Paul, having passed through the upper regions, came to Ephesus. And finding some disciples he said to them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" So they said to him, "We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit." And he said to them, "Into what then were you baptized?" So they said, "Into John’s baptism." Then Paul said, "John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on Him who would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus." When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied. Now the men were about twelve in all".
It would have been pointless for Paul to ask, "Have you received the Holy Spirit since you believed?” if believers automatically receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit when they believe on Jesus as Savior. When Paul laid hands on them, they spoke in tongues and prophesied. We see from scripture that every time someone was baptized in the Holy Spirit, they received their prayer language to praise God.
Based on the accounts found in the book of Acts, although a person is saved, they don’t necessarily have ALL of the Holy Spirit it is possible to have.
Acts 8:12,13 12But when they believed Philip as he preached the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. 13Simon himself believed and was baptized. And he followed Philip everywhere, astonished by the great signs and miracles he saw.
The Samaritans believed Philip’s sermons and accepted Christ and were baptized in water.
Acts 8:14-17 14When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them. 15When they arrived, they prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, 16because the Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them; they had simply been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. 17Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
The apostles recognized that these Samaritans were saved, because after they heard about the wonderful things God had done through Philip’s ministry, they sent Peter and John to lay hands on them that they might receive the HS.
Notice that in these Scriptures, Peter and John did not pray that God would GIVE the Samaritans the Holy Spirit. They prayed that the Samaritans would RECEIVE the Holy Spirit. God has already sent the HS to us, all people have to do is receive the gift of the HS.
The Holy Spirit is a gift you receive by grace through faith just like salvation.
There’s only one requirement for you to receive the Holy Spirit. You have to be saved. But the cool thing about salvation is that it’s a gift, too. And we’ll give you an opportunity to receive both in just a few minutes.
IV. The Benefits
OK, so if the Bible’s true, then the Baptism of the Holy Spirit is real and its for believers today! Why would I want it? Why should I speak in other tongues?
The Bible gives a number of reasons why every Christian should pray in tongues, and many ways that praying in tongues will tremendously benefit any Christian who practices it.
1. Praying in other tongues will edify you.
1 Corinthians 14:4 Amp 4He who speaks in a [strange] tongue edifies and improves himself,
To edify means to build up, strengthen, recharge.
2. Praying in other tongues is evidence of the Baptism in the Holy Spirit.
Acts 10:45-46 45 And those of the circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. 46 For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God.
3. Praying in tongues builds up your faith, and helps you trust God more fully.
Jude 20 But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit,
4. Praying in tongues is a great way to give thanks to God.
1 Corinthians 14:15-17
5. Praying in tongues helps us to yield our tongues, as well as the rest of our bodies, to the control of the Holy Spirit.
James 3:8 But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.
While no MAN can tame the tongue, the Holy Spirit can, as we yield to Him through speaking in other tongues.
6. Praying in tongues helps us to pray God’s perfect will, even when we don’t know what or how to pray.
Romans 8:26 26 Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
7. Praying in tongues brings us into God’s rest and refreshing.
Isaiah 28:11-12 11 For with stammering lips and another tongue He will speak to this people, 12 To whom He said, “This is the rest with which You may cause the weary to rest,” And, “This is the refreshing”; Yet they would not hear.
Praying in tongues is like Popeye eating a can of spinach! Just like the spinach gives him an immediate boost of strength, so will speaking in tongues strengthen and build up our spiritual lives.
