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Pursuing The Power Emmaus Road Church – Core Seminar Pastor Greg Dirnberger

Growing In Spiritual Gifts, Part 1 – Tongues

I. What Have We Covered So Far?

A. There is substantial biblical evidence that God intends to use supernatural gifts today.

B. There are two hindrances which can keep us from experiencing these giftings.

1. Not having a biblical framework for expecting manifestations of the Holy Spirit.

2. Not understanding our role in earnestly desiring spiritual gifts.

C. Now we want to go over each of the gifts described in 1 Corinthians 12:8-10 and explain in more detail what they are and how God uses them. But first we need to cover some common misunderstandings about how supernatural gifts function.

II. Common Gaps In Our Understanding About How Gifts Function:

A. It’s important to understand that supernatural gifts need to be learned and developed. Yes. Something can be fully supernatural and genuinely from the Holy Spirit – but still need to be developed and nurtured.

1. For instance, the disciples’ attempt to deliver the demonized boy in Luke 9:37-40. The disciples had previously been successful in experiencing healing gifts (see Luke 9:1-6). But this time they were not.

2. But this does not mean that they did not, in fact, have gifts of healing. It just meant that there was more to learn (Matt. 17:19-20; Mark 2 of 7

9:14-29). So gifts can be valid and genuinely from the Holy Spirit even though we are learning how to operate in the gifting.

3. So if you have some “failures”, or make some mistakes, do not conclude that those giftings are not for you. Learn from your mistakes. Keep earnestly desiring. Keep praying. And over time you will learn more, and operate more effectively in the gifts.

B. Understand that spiritual gifts can be valid even with different levels of faith, and effectiveness, and maturity.

1. In Romans 12:6-8, Paul talks about prophesying according to the proportion of your faith.

2. In other words, you might receive a genuine revelation from God – but not have real strong faith about it. Does the weakness of your faith mean the gift is not valid? No. Gifts can be from God, even though they are not as strong as we think they should be.

3. Think of your experience of the Spirit of adoption. If it is weak, none of us would say that, therefore, it is invalid. It can be weak but still genuinely supernatural and genuinely from God. So it is with supernatural gifts.

4. Supernatural spiritual gifts are not “merit badges” commensurate with our character development (1 Samuel 10:9-13; Matt. 7:22-23).

C. Understand the relationship between “role”, “gift”, and “office.”

1. Take prophecy, for example. In the NT, some people have the “office” of prophet. But how do you become a prophet? By starting with the “role” – i.e. earnestly desiring to prophesy. And over time as you fulfill your role, you will experience “gifting”. First, the role, then the gifting, and then (if God so wills) the office.

2. The role is what we do in obedience to God’s command (i.e. give generously, proclaim the gospel, heal the sick, etc). We earnestly desire the gifts. We pray for the giftings. We step out and lay hands 3 of 7

on people. We encourage the saints. We lay our lives down for unbelievers.

3. The gifting is what God does. He brings us a revelation. He brings us healing power. He brings us faith. He brings us tongues. He gives the interpretation. This involves much learning, much risk, much trial and error.

4. The office is evidence of what God has chosen to do regularly through you.

D. Do not require that everything be miraculous or supernatural.

1. Some people fall into the trap of saying, for example, “Well, if God speaks to people and miraculously leads them, then I’m going to be really committed and do nothing unless God speaks supernaturally.”

2. But the Bible never says that God will always speak supernaturally. Just that He will do this often. Our role is to pray and earnestly desire. If God does not speak supernaturally, then we need to rely on the wisdom He has given us.

E. Do not become overly interested in sensational events.

1. Jesus was very direct about this with his disciples.

The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!” And he said to them, “. . . Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” (Luke 10:17-20)

2. A healing is wonderful. But a salvation is better. And there is nothing better than having the Holy Spirit shine in your heart with the glory of Jesus Christ.

F. Do not put your security in your giftings.

1. Jesus was also very direct about this: 4 of 7

On that day many will say to me, “Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?” And then will I declare to them, “I never knew you. Depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.” (Matt. 7:22-23)

2. Nothing is more important than you trusting Jesus Christ. You rejoicing in Him. You worshipping Him in the Spirit. Never let giftings be a substitute for trusting Jesus Christ. Let the giftings flow from your trust-relationship with Jesus Christ.

G. Do not let supernatural giftings become your focus. Keep balanced on love, the Word, prayer, the “natural” side of following Christ Jesus.

III. The Gift Of “Kinds Of Tongues”

A. Unfortunately there is a lot of controversy surrounding this gift. One side teaches that everyone should speak in tongues, and that the gift of tongues is the singular evidence of receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit. The other side teaches that tongues are invalid today. I see myself as taking a middle ground between these two sides.

B. The gift of tongues was very common in the early church and of high value.

1. The entire church seemingly experienced the gift of tongues at Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4).

2. When people were converted and received the gift of the Holy Spirit, they often experienced the gift of tongues. This was true of the Gentiles with Cornelius (they were “speaking in tongues and extolling God” – Acts 10:44-48), and John’s disciples (“They began speaking in tongues and prophesying” – Acts 19:6). But tongues are not mentioned when the Samaritans received the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 8:14-17).

3. Paul highly valued the gift of tongues. He says, “I want you all to speak in tongues, but even more to prophesy” (1 Cor. 14:5). He 5 of 7

thanks God that he speaks in tongues more than all of them, although in the church he would rather prophesy (1 Cor. 14:18-19).

4. So tongues is a very valuable gift. It is to be “earnestly desired” by everyone (1 Cor. 14:1).

a. But I have not seen enough evidence to conclude that every believer will experience this gift (1 Cor. 12:30 keeps me from making this conclusion).

b. Nor have I seen evidence in the Bible to say that this is the sign that we have received the gift of the Holy Spirit. The gift of the Holy Spirit is evidenced by having God’s love poured into our hearts and receiving the Spirit of adoption (Romans 5:5; 8:15; Galatians 4:6-7). Often tongues will accompany these. But I see no reason for saying that tongues will always accompany these.

C. What is the gift of tongues?

1. The gift of tongues involves having the Holy Spirit give you words to say which are not understandable by you (Acts 2:4; 1 Cor. 14:2).

2. Another way Paul puts it is that “your spirit prays, but your mind is unfruitful” (1 Cor. 14:14). Tongues involves an expression of your spirit which is not cognitive. It involves speaking (1 Cor. 14:2), praying (1 Cor. 14:14), or singing (1 Cor. 14:15) in “syllables not understood by the one speaking, praying, or singing” (Wayne Grudem).

3. It seems that there are two different kinds of tongues. With one kind, the words given by the Holy Spirit are a foreign language which is known to others (Acts 2:1-4). The other kind involves words given by the Holy Spirit in what is not a known foreign language (1 Cor. 14:2). In either case, the words are not known or understood by the speaker.

D. How is this gift experienced?

1. What seems to be supernatural about this gift is not so much the act of speaking, but the words that are spoken. If this is true, then receiving this gift would not mean finding oneself talking all of a 6 of 7

sudden. It is more subtle, like sensing God giving you some words which you do not understand. (Though I have not experienced it this way, I have heard others say that when they first received this gift, they felt that the Holy Spirit actually caused them to speak.) This would be consistent with Acts 2:4.

They . . . began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance (Acts 2:4).

2. This gift does not involve losing control, moving into a frenzy, or becoming “ecstatic.” According to 1 Cor. 14:27-28, Paul assumes that the tongues-speaker is entirely in control of himself, and that he can start or stop at will.

3. This gift can come to believers as we pray for it ourselves (1 Cor. 14:13), as others pray and lay hands on us (as in Acts 19:6), or any time that we are waiting on the Lord (Acts 1:14; 2:1-4). Do not expect God to overpower you and make you start talking. I received the gift of tongues in a very subtle way.

E. How does the gift of tongues function in the local church?

1. One function of the gift of tongues is in the prayer life of a believer. Paul describes this function in 1 Cor. 14:2, 18, 27-28. In this case the individual believer is edified, that is, their own faith is built up.

a. 1 Cor. 14:14-15, 27-28 seems to indicate that once you have received the gift of tongues, you can initiate on your own when you will pray in tongues. That is, the same level of choice is involved whether I pray with the spirit or with the mind. I have found this to be true in my own experience.

b. Sometimes I have chosen to pray in tongues without any particular sense of God’s leading, and while I prayed in tongues, I found myself edified. Other times, I have not sensed much edification at all.

c. I have found many benefits to praying in tongues on my own. I have heard God speak to me more clearly sometimes while I am praying in the Spirit. I have had times of sensing much of the Holy 7 of 7

Spirit’s presence. I have sensed a Romans 8:27-like experience of deep intercession.

2. Another function is in gatherings of disciple-huddles, missional communities, or the Sunday worship gathering.

a. In these settings, someone may receive a manifestation of the Holy Spirit to speak, or pray, or sing in tongues.

b. When they are finished, we ask God to give us the interpretation. God will (we trust) give someone the interpretation of what was said. (If there is no interpretation, we simply affirm the individual’s faith, and move on.)

c. The interpretation will make what is spoken understandable so that the Body can be built up (1 Cor. 14:5). Tongues-with- interpretation, then, will operate much like prophecy.

d. What should we do?

Since you are eager for manifestations of the Spirit strive to excel in building up the church (1 Cor. 14:12).

So, my brothers (and sisters), earnestly desire to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues. But all things should be done decently and in order (1 Cor. 14:39-40).

Be gracious and generous-hearted to those who take steps of faith in practicing this gift.