The Sign Gifts

A number of years ago, when I was the college pastor at a Christian college on the East Coast, I had a secretary who was a wonderful student, a wonderful young lady who came from a family with many children in it—ten to be exact, I believe—and she was a twin.

It was a cold February morning that she received news that her twin sister was killed in a car accident. I remember the day she came to me in the cafeteria that morning to explain what had happened and asked if she could be gone for a few days to go back to the memorial service for her sister.

It was that afternoon that there were four young men at this college who decided that they would do a great service for this young lady. And so they made it a point to go to the mortuary where her sister was in order to raise her from the dead.

Upon hearing the news of that situation, I was, needless to say, perplexed. They arrived back at the campus the next morning. As I thought it was my duty to sit them down and talk with them about what had happened, we decided to meet with those four men along with the president of the campus to talk with them about what they were doing and how it went when they went to go raise this young lady who was embalmed from the dead.

And they set forth to tell us that they had gone with the express purpose, believing that God had called them to bring her back to life. I know you think this is not a true story. Believe me, friends, this is a true story. My wife was a student at the time. She will attest to the fact. And so we sat down and began speaking with them about the situation.

And of course, my response was, "Did you have any luck?" And they said no, but that she had opened her eyes and that she had said, "No, I like where I am at. I do not want to come back." Well, anybody would realize that once you've gotten home to be with the Lord, who wants to come back here, right? I mean, gee, nobody wants to do that. But their excuse was the fact that she wanted to stay dead and that she didn't want to come back. And that satisfied them.

So when they came back to the campus, they explained to people that they had the opportunity to talk with this embalmed body. They did not want to come back from where they were. Needless to say, I spent time studying more about this wonderful gift of healing and the gift of miracles to see whether or not what these men were doing was even valid for today.

And this morning is a little bit of what I want to share from that study as we talk about what the Bible calls the sign gifts. The miraculous gifts—signs and wonders and miracles. And I think it all comes down to understanding the purpose of sign gifts.

Sign gifts were certain enablements, certain energizings given to certain believers for the express purpose of authenticating them as messengers and the message that they gave. That's very important to understand that. In fact, in Roman times, there were what they call the signet ring. And on the signet ring were initials or a certain symbol or an insignia that the person who wore that ring in a position of authority would place in sealing wax or some kind of clay to say that what has been given to you is an official document. There is authority behind the document that you have received.

That's why in Luke 15, when the father, the prodigal son, gave him a ring to put back on his finger, it made him understand that he was put back into a position of authority in the family, you see. Well, sign gifts were to function that way. They were given as God's signet ring because what God was doing was saying, "What I'm giving to you, what you are seeing, is officially from me. I am authenticating the messenger and I am confirming his message through signs and wonders and miracles."

In fact, over in John chapter 20, John says these words, verse 30: "Many other signs, therefore, Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book. But these have been written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in his name." These signs were given to prove the fact that Jesus Himself was God. And not all the miracles he performed are contained in this book, but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is exactly who He said He was.

The shepherds were told that there would be a sign, and the sign given to them is that there would be a babe wrapped in swaddling clothes lying in a manger. It was a sign that would distinguish that babe from all the other babies, and that was the Christ child who was born in a manger.

2 Corinthians 12:12 talks about the signs of the apostle. Miracles and wonders and signs were given to confirm the apostolic message. Over in Acts chapter 2, when Peter's first sermon at Pentecost says in verse number 22, "Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through him in your midst, just as you yourselves know."

Sign gifts were given to confirm a message that was given by God and to authenticate the messenger who was chosen by God to proclaim that message. The purpose of sign gifts is extremely important to understand why they were given to the church and what happened during those times of Christ and the apostles.

And from that standpoint, we understand that 1 Corinthians 13, verse 8 says that some gifts were going to cease. And I believe that the miraculous gifts ceased when the apostles had gone off the scene. Let me ask you a question: How long do you need a sign? If you were to travel to a city such as Sacramento and see that it was, I don't know how far Sacramento is from here, I've never been there. Let's just say it's 300 miles. Give or take a few hundred.

You get on the road that says 300 miles to Sacramento. Then it says 200 miles to Sacramento. Then it says 100 miles, then 50, then five, but you keep getting signs to Sacramento until you get to Sacramento. And then there are no more signs. Why? Because you are there. Once there, you no longer need a sign because you have arrived at that location.

And so to understand the purpose of the sign gifts, you have to understand that they were certain enablements given to certain believers for the purpose of confirming and authenticating their message. That it was, in fact, from God.

Turn with me to 1 Corinthians chapter 12. First Corinthians chapter 12, verse number 8: "For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, and to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, and to another the effecting of miracles. And to another, prophecy, and to another, the distinguishing of spirits, to another, various kinds of tongues, and to another, the interpretation of tongues."

The miracle gifts. Very interesting to note that those gifts are not mentioned in Romans chapter 12, 1 Peter chapter 4, or Ephesians chapter 4. They only are listed in 1 Corinthians chapter 12 at the infancy stage of the church. That's very important to understand that as to why Paul would not mention them in Romans, as to why Paul would not mention them in Ephesians, and as to why Peter would not mention them in his epistle in 1 Peter chapter 4.

But these sign gifts fall into four areas: miracles, healings, tongues, and interpretation of tongues. If you will allow me this morning, I want to cover those four areas with you and try to explain them from what the Bible says about these gifts.

Now I know that there are a myriad of people who believe that these gifts are in existence today. And I choose not to debate them or argue with them because my choice is to just open the Word of God and let the Word of God speak for itself.

There are many people who have had experiences. In fact, I was going through one of my latest magazine catalogs today, and there are two books that have been offered. One is called "Catch the Fire: The Toronto Blessing," which is holy laughter in the Toronto Blessing, an investigation and a report, or "A Time to Laugh," the holy laughter, a phenomenon examined. There's another gift that's given called signs and wonders. And this author talks about opening your eyes and your heart to the signs and wonders that God is revealing today, writing from experiences of revival in her church.

I choose not to speak from experience. I choose to speak from God's Holy Word as the authority. Because if my experiences do not match God's Holy Word, my experiences are invalid. They're not true. I cannot base truth on what I have experienced. I can only base truth on what God says is true. Outside of that, my truth is subjected to the Holy Word of God.

And so, what we try to establish at Christ Community Church is that God's word is the authority. If God says it, we believe it, we do it, that settles it, no questions asked. If my experience matches God's holy word, then it's a true experience. If it doesn't, it's not a true experience. It's something other. And so, we choose to subject ourselves and our interpretation to the authority of God's Holy Word.

And so, we want to help you understand more of what these sign gifts are as we examine them in Scripture. The first one is the gift of miracles. It's a spirit-given ability to perform supernatural acts which clearly demonstrate God's power as being greater than that of Satan's.

Our outline is the same. We want to identify the gift, illustrate the gift, and then give some insights about that gift. But this gift, the gift of miracles, is very important. It's a miracle that deals with a supernatural intrusion of natural law that can only be explained because God did it.

When you get ready to go shopping, it's December 24th. The parking lot is full. And you're going out because you have to get a gift for your wife because you have refused to go out on any day before that. And you know, you have to find a parking place. And so you begin to pray: "Oh God, it's raining, it's snowing, I need a parking place right in front of Mervyn's. Please open it up for me." And lo and behold, you get there, and there's a parking spot right in front of Mervyn's. And our words are: "It's a miracle. It's a miracle. God opened the spot."

Folks, I'm going to let you know that's not a miracle. That's an answer to prayer. But it's not a miracle. It's not a supernatural intrusion to natural law. That's what the gift of miracles was.

People come home, "Hey, mom, praise God, it's a miracle. I passed the test." Again, to you that might be a miracle. To you that might be a supernatural intrusion into your brain. But I want to let you know something. It's not a miracle. It's an answer to prayer. It could be as a response to your diligent study. But it's not a miracle. A miracle is that supernatural intrusion.

In fact, the gift of miracles could be interpreted as the gift of powers, the words translated to powers or to strengthen or might. And so it's interesting to know that the gift of miracles is the gift of powers. It's shown in scripture as God's power overruling Satan's power. In fact, you could trace it back to say that almost every time the word is used, it's used referring to demonic activity. It's the gift of powers. The ability to show that the kingdom of light rules over the kingdom of darkness. That's how the gift is displayed in Scripture.

Now, it's applicable in more areas than just that, but its primary usage deals with demonic activity. It's used in 1 Corinthians 10 and 12, 10, and 1 Corinthians 12, verse number 28. The gift of miracles or the gift of powers deals with demonic activity. The gift of healings deals with physical ailments. And that's how you can distinguish between the two.

How is it illustrated in Scripture? Turn with me over to Luke chapter 4. Christ was in the synagogue, and there was a man who was demon-possessed. And in verse number 34, it says, "Ha! What do we have to do with you, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God." And Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be quiet and come out of him." And when the demon had thrown him down in their midst, he came out of him without doing him any harm. And amazement came upon them all. And they began discussing with one another, saying, "What is this message? For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits and they come out." And the report about him was getting out into every locality in the surrounding district. With just a word, Christ was able to dispel this demon, to come out of this individual.

Over in Luke chapter 6, Luke chapter 6, verse number 17, after Christ had named the 12 apostles, it says, "Then he descended with them and stood on a level place, and there was a great multitude of his disciples. And a great throng of people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the coastal region of Tyre and Sidon, who had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. And those who were troubled with unclean spirits were being cured. And all the multitude were trying to touch him, for power was coming from him, and he healed them all."

Very important. Circle that word. Jesus healed them all. There was no one he didn't heal that came to him. Very important to understand that. Jesus healed them all.

In fact, turn with me over to Acts chapter 5. I want to show you something else. Acts chapter 5, verse number 14. "And all the more believers in the Lord, multitudes of men and women were constantly added to their number, and to such an extent that they even carried the sick out into the streets. And laid them on cots and pallets, so that when Peter came by, at least his shadow might fall on any one of them. And also, the people from the cities in the vicinity of Jerusalem were coming together, bringing people who were sick or afflicted with unclean spirits, and they were all being healed."

That's very important to understand that. Faith was never a prerequisite for healing. Ask the ten lepers in Luke 17. Ask blind Bartimaeus in Mark. Ask these here in Acts chapter 5. Faith is never a prerequisite for healing.

And I will go so far as to say this: that if someone's not healed, it's not their fault, it's the healer's fault. Read Mark 9. The disciples who couldn't cast the demon out. Remember that? After Christ was up in the Mount of Transfiguration? And the man came to him and said, "Hey, wait a minute. We went to your disciples, whom you gave authority to cast out demons, and they couldn't do it. What's the problem?" And Jesus said, "Oh, perverse and unbelieving generation, how long will I be with you? Bring him to me." And he cast him out.

Disciples came later and said, "Lord, what happened? How come we couldn't do that?" "These things only come out by prayer." The problem wasn't the boy. The problem wasn't the boy's father. The problem was with the man who couldn't cast out the demon, the disciples, because they didn't tap into the power source.

So, next time someone says, "Well, you don't believe, don't have enough faith," take them to Mark chapter 9. Say, "Hey, pal, it's you, it's not me." Okay? That's biblical. That's what the Word of God says.

And so you go on and read Matthew 8 account Mark chapter 1. The 12 apostles in Luke chapter 9 that they were given authority to cast out demons. Stephen in Acts chapter 6, verse 8, says that he performed great signs and wonders. Philip in Acts 8. Performed many miraculous acts in Paul or Romans 15 in Acts chapter 19. Tremendous authority was given to these people to perform supernatural acts that only could be explained because there was a supernatural intrusion into the natural law of existence.

Now, it's important to understand, in terms of some of the insights about this gift, that no apostle ever performed a miracle of nature. That is, no apostle ever took five loaves and a few fishes and broke them and fed 5,000 people. No apostle ever cursed a fig tree and caused it to die. Only Jesus did that. No apostle ever performed a miracle work of nature. Only God did that through his Son, Jesus Christ.

And I really do believe that because revelation has ceased, the gift of miracles has ceased. Because the gift of miracles were given to authenticate the message that was given by the messenger when revelation was still being given. If the gift of miracles still is in existence today, that means that God has not finished giving Revelation, and that means Revelation 22, verse 18 is a lie and not true. Or Jude chapter 2, Jude verse 3 is not wrong, that the faith was not once for all delivered unto the saints, but it's still being delivered today.

Also, it's interesting to note that it's clear from the Gospels, through the book of Acts, and on down through all the epistles, that there is a cessation of miracles. When you begin to read Paul's epistles, people get sick, and guess what? They stay sick. They don't get healed anymore. What happened? How come they're still sick? How come Paul didn't heal them? How come Peter didn't heal them? How come John didn't heal them? Very interesting to note that there's a cessation of miracles as you go on down through the Gospels, I mean, through Acts and into the epistles.

And some people come back and say, "Well, you know, it would be very interesting to say that people can come to Christ because of these miracles. And the world could be won to Christ because of signs and wonders that happen." That's not true. Luke 16 speaks against that. If they believe not Moses and the prophets, they won't believe the one be raised from the dead. They're not going to believe.

Simon the sorcerer, Acts chapter 8, he believed because he saw Peter and Philip doing all these miracles, signs and wonders. And so the text says he believed, but he wasn't a true believer because Peter comes along with the spirit of discernment and says, "Hey, you're in the bondage of iniquity." And no believer in Scripture is ever referred to as being in bondage to iniquity because we're free from that bondage. We're set free in Christ. Simon wasn't a believer. And he had seen all these gifts. Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Romans chapter 10, verse 17, right? And that's how people came to Christ, not because of miracles. Miracles authenticated the message.

The ten lepers didn't come to Christ, only one did. But they were all healed. The miracles were that platform that affirmed and confirmed the message that was given.

And if you study church history, you begin to realize, and study the scriptures that you begin to realize that there are three periods in history in which there were outpouring of miracles. The time of Moses, Elijah, and Elisha, and Christ and the Apostles. At those three times in history, there was an outpouring of miracles.

During the time of Moses, Moses was going to convince Pharaoh through the power of God that he was the leader and that God had called his people out of Egypt. And so God gave signs and wonders to Moses to be able to perform these things, to authenticate him as the messenger to deliver a message to the Egyptians.

Then came Elijah and Elisha, when the nation of Israel had gone into Baal worship, idolatry. And in order to authenticate their message, God gave Elijah and Elisha supernatural signs and wonders to be able to perform so people would believe that what they said was true and the other 400 prophets were wrong.

And then you get to Christ and the Apostles. And at that time, again, it was a period of transition. And what Christ did was saying, "Look, here's the new way. Here's what's happening now," and he confirmed that message that Jesus Christ was exactly who he said he was through the signs and wonders that he was able to perform. We read those verses earlier. And same thing with the signs of the apostles, 2 Corinthians 12, verse number 12.

And so, during those three periods of history, it was set against a backdrop of incredible unbelief. The unbelief of the Egyptians, the unbelief of Pharaoh, the unbelief of the Jews, and the unbelief of the Gentiles. And against that backdrop of unbelief, Christ poured out an outworking of miracles to confirm that what he said was absolute truth, and those who said it were from him. That's important to understand.

Now, I still believe God does miracles today. But he doesn't do it to authenticate his word because his word is given to us, and so we measure people by what God's word says, not by their ability to do signs and wonders. God's Word is that which does that. But I do believe that our God is a miracle-working kind of God. And our God never changes. I believe His methods change from period to period.

For instance, during the time of Abraham, there was an appointment in miracles, and Abraham performed no miracles. Noah performed no miracles, David performed no miracles. But they were able to see the miraculous hand of God operating during their time and give God glory because our God is a miracle-working kind of God. And I believe that. And I believe that God can do supernatural things. Exceedingly abundantly above all that we ever ask or think.

And so, just because I believe that the scriptures teach that the gift of miracles has ceased, the God of miracles continues on and does a great and mighty work.

Which leads me to point number two: the gift of healings. The definition: the spirit-given ability to cause a complete and instantaneous physical healing by direct command and/or touch. Two key words, complete and instantaneous. You'll never find a miracle in Scripture that was not instantaneous and that was not complete. Except if you read the story of the blind man in Mark chapter 8. But we talked about that, and we told you why it was a progressive healing. It's because God had something He wanted to say to those disciples who needed to get a greater vision as to His mission and purpose in life. You have to interpret that within the context of the book of Mark. But the miracles were instantaneous.

I do not believe that one person possesses the gift of healing, but I believe that God does heal. Now, I believe that because if you had the gift of mercy, the Bible says you show mercy. You had the gift of leadership, you lead with diligence. You had the gift of prophecy, you prophesy. You had the gift of healing, you heal. The gift of healing was acted on your volition. You see? It wasn't acted upon when someone had enough faith or someone believed enough. The person who had the gift of healing healed because there was a purpose, and that purpose was to confirm them and their message.

And so, out of an act of volition, they could heal, and they healed all. Peter healed all. He didn't, "Well, I'm sorry you don't have enough faith. I can't heal you today. Come back tomorrow." "Oh, we can't have a healing service today. There's not enough TV cameras around, so we can't do it today. Let me make sure everybody sees it." "The Jerusalem Post isn't around, so they can't write up on us, so we're not going to do any healing today. Sorry. Come back tomorrow." They healed all. There was nobody that was left out. That's very important to understand.

Paul in Acts 19, people were healed because they touched his apron or his handkerchief. Peter in Acts 3 healed the lame man. The lame man wasn't even looking to be healed. He wanted money. And Peter and John didn't have any money. So he decided to heal him instead. Isn't that great? "Sorry, I don't have any money, but hey, take up your bed and walk. You're okay now. You're healed." That's kind of good, isn't it? So he wasn't even looking to be healed. He had no faith. But they did it to confirm who they were. And then God used it in a tremendous way.

Some of the insights. Healings were instantaneous and complete. Remember the lady with the hemorrhage, Mark chapter 5? 12 years she had a hemorrhage. If she could just touch the garment of the Lord Jesus, she'd be healed. And she was healed instantaneously. Amazing. How about the blind and deaf man in Mark chapter 7, who couldn't hear, couldn't see. God touched him. That deep sigh looked up into heaven, and the man was healed instantaneously.

Lazarus was raised from the dead instantaneously. And I believe that the practice of healing today is summed up in James chapter 5. That if you're sick, you are to call upon the elders to have them come pray over you. The elders are not to seek you out, you are to seek out the elders of the Church of Jesus Christ. They come and they pray over you that if it be God's will, you'd be healed.

You see, there are many people who are not healed today. We have all kinds of people who believe in faith healing. Yet we have people even in the audience today who are not healed. Does God expect everybody to be well? Does God expect everybody to be healed? Is that what the Bible teaches?

If I was to tell you what the Bible taught, you might have a different view of God. You see, because the Bible teaches that sometimes God makes you sick. Did you know that? John chapter 9. "Lord, this man born blind. Who sinned? Him or his parents?" "No," Jesus said, "nobody. He was born blind because I designed it that way. So that the works of God will be performed today before you."

You see, God sometimes makes people sick. How about Lazarus? Jesus purposely waited until he died. Jesus wanted Lazarus dead. Folks, sometimes God wants you dead. And when God wants you dead, he takes you home to be with him because you'd be better off there with him than here with us. Your purpose here is over. God wanted Lazarus dead, so he didn't come and heal him. Instead, he came and raised him from the dead. But sometimes God wants you sick. Sometimes God wants you dead. We have a hard time grasping that. But sometimes that's what God wants.

You see, when you look at Epaphroditus in Philippians chapter 2, he was sick even to the point of death. How come Paul didn't heal him? How about 2 Timothy 4:20? Trophimus. Paul says, "I left him in Miletus sick." "Oh, gee, thanks a lot, Paul. You got the gift of healing. Oh, Trophimus, nice guy. You're sick. See you around, pal. Gotta go." He left him sick. It was a sign gift to authenticate the message. That's why. That's why Paul left them sick.

How about Timothy? He was sick. So Paul says, "Go see a faith healer." Paul didn't say that. He said, "Take a little wine for your stomach's sake." He could have said, "Go get healed." But he didn't say that. Why? Because there was a purpose for the gift of healings.

And so, when you hear these people say, "Well, God wants everybody well and everybody's got to be healed," that's not true. Sometimes God makes you sick. Sometimes Satan makes you sick. Luke 13, 11. The poor woman who was bent over like this for 18 years, she couldn't even lift her head up because she was bent over like this. And the text says that she had a demon spirit in her that caused her to be that way. Sometimes Satan makes you sick.

Sometimes God allows Satan to make you sick. Read Job 1:8. Satan had to come to God asking for permission to afflict the most righteous man on the face of the earth. And Job was righteous. And Satan comes and says, "You know, God, let me deal with this guy. I can get him to renege his faith and turn his back against you." And the Lord says, "No, you can't. But I'll let you do this to him."

Maybe you're afflicted today because Satan has come before the throne of grace and says, "I want you. I want that man. I want that woman." And God says, "Okay, you can do this, but you can't kill him." See, sometimes God allows Satan to make you sick. That's very important to understand.

How about Paul in 2 Corinthians 12 that there is a messenger of Satan sent to buffet me, and I prayed three times that the Lord would deliver it from me, and I was not delivered. Paul was a righteous man. Did he have faith? Absolutely. Satan buffeted him because God allowed him.

Sometimes God makes you sick because he wants to perfect you. Psalm 119, verse 67: "Before I was afflicted, I went astray, but now I keep thy word." Psalm 119:71, "It was good for me that I've been afflicted, that I might learn your decrees."

And sometimes God afflicts you because he wants to chasten you because of the sin in your life. Like those in Corinth, 1 Corinthians 11:30, many were sick, and many were dying, and many were weak among them because they didn't partake of the Lord's Supper accurately. And God says, "You're going to get sick." How about Miriam? She became leprous because she defied the authority of Moses when God set him up as a ruler. And she became leprous.

Folks, there's all kinds of scenarios going on on TV and all these faith healers and what they promote. And I want to let you know something. Go back to what God's word says. What does the word of God say? Examine the life of Paul. Examine the life of Peter. Examine the life of Job. Examine these people's lives. See what God does. Let God's word stand on itself. Let it speak for its own. Because God's Word is truth.

Then the gift of tongues and interpretation of tongues. We'll take them both together because the gift of tongues did not edify. It was the interpretation of tongues that edified. And so the two kind of go hand in hand. So let's kind of take them together.

The gift of tongues, in terms of identifying the gift, is that spirit-given ability to speak in a foreign language without any previous knowledge of that language. And the interpretation of tongues is the spirit-given ability to translate for the benefit of others the message of the one who speaks in tongues without any previous knowledge of the language being spoken.

Now understand this, that tongues are mentioned in three books in the Bible. Mark 16, the book of Acts, and 1 Corinthians 12, 13 and 14—three books in the entire Bible, in the New Testament. That's important to understand that.

Mark 16, it talks about them being signs to confirm the message of the apostles as they went out in the Great Commission to preach the gospel. So during that transitional period, after the death of Jesus Christ, they would go to all the world and preach the gospel. Their message would be confirmed by miracles and signs and wonders and tongues and poisonous snakes, etc., etc. Mark chapter 16.

The next occasion is Acts chapter 2. And if you have your Bible, I would encourage you to turn that with me if you would, please. Acts chapter 2. And as much as I like to cover everything about these gifts, there's no way we can do it in a 150 or 60-minute time frame, however long we take today. But we want to give them to you as a broad overview so you have a basic understanding.

We know all about the day of Pentecost, Acts chapter 2. Let's read it together. "And when the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place, and suddenly there came from heaven a noise, like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves and they rested on each one of them. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit was giving them utterance. Now there were Jews living in Jerusalem, devout men from every nation under heaven. And when this sound occurred, the multitude came together and were bewildered because they were each one hearing them speak in his own language and they were amazed and marveled, saying, Why are not all these who are speaking Galileans? Down in verse 11, we hear them in our own tongues speaking of the mighty deeds of God, and they all continued in amazement and great perplexity, saying to one another, What does this mean?"

Now, this is very important. This is Acts chapter 2. This is the birthday of the church. And these men were speaking languages that they did not know. So that those who came from the 11 or 12 different variations of the Jewish nation came and were able to hear the tongue in their own native language. And they were reciting the wonderful works of God. They were going back and repeating the historical events of what God had done. And they were, get this now, they were setting the stage for Peter to preach.

It's very important. Peter stood up and began to preach the sermon on the day of Pentecost, and 3,000 people were saved. They were not saved because of the miracle of tongues. They were saved because Peter preached a sermon and they came to faith in Jesus Christ. And their own languages were able to be heard.

Now, this is very important because this is the birthday of the church. Let me ask you a question. When you celebrate your birthday every year, do you go back into your mother's womb and enter back out through the birth canal to have that same experience as you had that day you were brought into the world? Do you do that? No, you do not. There's only one birthday, right? There's only one day you're really born, right? And that's the day you're born into this world.

This was the birth of the church of Jesus Christ. This was an absolute phenomenon that happened on this day. "You say, well, wait a minute. What about Acts 8? What about Acts 10? What about Acts 19? There were tongues in those times." That's right. You want to know why? True, you did. All right, I'll tell you.

Acts chapter 8, Samaria. Acts chapter 10, Caesarea. Acts chapter 19, Ephesus. The location is very important. Acts chapter 8 is Samaria. The Samaritans were despised by the Jews. They were the half-breeds. They were the mixed race. The Jews hated them, right? And so when the Samaritans believed, the Jerusalem church said, "Peter and John, go over to Samaria." And so they did. When they got there, the Samaritans received the Holy Spirit and began to speak in tongues. And the Jews marveled at this.

Because you see, God was saying, "Look, what happened to you also happened to the people that you hate, the half-breeds, the mixed race. Why? Because you're all one in the same fellowship. No longer is there going to be division, but you're going to be one."

Then you come to Acts chapter 10: Caesarea, the Gentiles. They too had a similar kind of experience and the text says that the Jews marveled that they had the same experience that they had had previously in Jerusalem. Same reason. God is saying the mixed race, the half-breeds, they're part of what's happening now. The Gentiles, they're part of what's happening now.

And then you get to Acts chapter 19. What do you have? In Acts chapter 19, you have the remnants who were saved under the Old Testament economy. That means they were saved under the ministry of John the Baptist. They did not know that Jesus had come, they did not know that Jesus and the Spirit. And when they were witnessed to, they received the Spirit, and they began to speak in tongues. Because you see what you see, that economy too was one with the half-breeds and the dogs, the Gentiles, and the Jews.

That's why tongues are mentioned in Acts 2, 8, 10, and 19. You have to understand that. You get to 1 Corinthians chapter 12 to 14. Then you begin to discuss more about what tongues are about and what happens there. But you need to understand that in 1 Corinthians chapter 12, and turn there with me if you would, please, because what we want to do is just briefly give you some guidelines as to what Paul was saying about tongues in 1 Corinthians 12 and 14.

1 Corinthians chapter 12, Paul says this. Verse number 29. "All are not apostles, are they? All are not prophets, are they? All are not teachers, are they? All are not workers of miracles, are they? All do not have gifts of healings, do they? All do not speak with tongues, do they? All do not interpret, do they?"

Paul says, "Look, not everybody has these gifts." I have friends who pray that somehow they might have to get their tongues. I want to know something. That's a prayer that God's never going to answer. Because God doesn't answer prayers about receiving certain kinds of gifts. 1 Corinthians chapter 12, verse number 11, verse number 18, verse number 28. God distributes it individually just as He wills. Verse number 18, "But now God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body." 1 Corinthians 12:28, "And God has appointed in the church, first apostles, second prophets, and third teachers."

God appoints what you have as a gift is a divine appointment that was given to you in eternity past and no longer how or no matter how long and how hard you pray about a certain gift you're never going to receive it because God has ordained which gifts you're going to have. So Paul says, "Quit eagerly seeking, desiring certain gifts, the showy gifts, the greater gifts. Because what you have, you have. You're not going to get anything else. So rejoice in the fact as to what you have."

That's very important to understand. Because a lot of people believe that they come, they lay hands on you, you pray, and you receive the gift of tongues. That's not true. That's totally contrary to what 1 Corinthians 12 teaches. Gifts are appointed by God's sovereign will. And you have them. And which ones you have, if you don't have the gift of mercy, you ain't going to get the gift of mercy. Some of you say amen to that. But the issue is that if you had the gift of mercy, you'll show it. If you had the gift of leadership, you'll lead. If you had the gift of prophecy, you'll prophesy. But if you don't have the gift of prophecy, you're not going to get it by praying for it. Because not all had the gift of healings, not all had the gift of tongues or interpretations of tongues.

That's important to understand. And without interpretation of the tongues, Paul says, 1 Corinthians 14, verses 1 to 3, tongues are invalid. What good is it for you to get up and speak in tongues which nobody can interpret, Paul says? And that's why 1 Corinthians 14 is so important because Paul's whole emphasis is to say that prophecy is the priority, not tongues.

And I don't have people going around praying on other people that they might receive the gift of prophecy. But 1 Corinthians 14 says that the gift of prophecy is much more important than the gift of tongues because the gift of prophecy edifies the entire body. It's given for edification, for consolation. Whereas the gift of tongues is not that way. See that?

And so 1 Corinthians 14, 1 to 3 says, "Look, make sure that when you understand that the gift of prophecy is greater than the gift of tongues, because the gift of prophecy edifies the entire body."

It goes on to say that it's very important down in verse number 18 and verse number 19 of 1 Corinthians 14. Paul says, "I thank God I speak in tongues more than you all. However, in the church, I desire to speak five words with my mind that I may instruct others rather than 10,000 words in an unknown tongue that you guys are doing."

You see, Paul wrote 1 Corinthians 14 to reprove and rebuke the Corinthian church for their misuse of the gift of tongues, not praise them for their use. Because the gift of tongues in 1 Corinthians 14 is different than the gift of tongues in Acts chapter 2. In Acts chapter 2, they were a known language. In 1 Corinthians 14, they were a pagan, ecstatic utterance. And that's what Paul condemns in 1 Corinthians 14.

And so it comes back and says, "Hey, wait a minute. I'd rather speak just five words in a known language in my mind so that people can understand than to speak millions upon millions, quintillions thousands of words that nobody understands but me and myself. Because it's worthless."

And then he goes on to say that there are some more guidelines. Look what it says in verse number 27: "If anyone speaks in a tongue, it should be by two or at the most three, and each in turn let one interpret." So, if you're going to speak in tongues in a church, let it be two or three, no more than that, and each as their own turn, not everybody getting up, speaking the same thing at a different time at the same time.

So, Paul leaves out the guidelines: if you are going to speak in tongues, here they are. Two or three at the most and let one interpret. Not many people interpret, just one interprets. Now know what that tells me? That tells me, look what I read on, verse number 28. "But if there is no interpreter, let him keep silent in the church and let him speak to himself and to God."

That means they knew who the interpreters were. And if an interpreter wasn't present, don't speak in tongues. Therefore, the gift of tongues was one that was acted upon by volition because you were able to do it, but if there was one who was not an interpreter present, you were to keep your mouth shut. See that? That's very important to understand that in today's culture. Two or three, one at a time, and let one interpreter interpret. But if there's not an interpreter there, don't do it. That's what Paul says.

And you have to understand, I think, that tongues were given for a unique purpose. We call it the ABCs of tongues. Number one, affirmation or authority. Number two, blessing. Number three, cursing.

Very easy to understand why tongues were given. 1 Corinthians 14, verse number 22. "So then, tongues are for a sign, not to those who believe, but to unbelievers." Tongues are a sign gift. The text says so. They're given for a specific purpose. One was to give authority or to affirm those who were giving a message. That's evident by Mark 16.

Also given as a sign of cursing. Because the gift of tongues was a sign of cursing to the nation of Israel. Because you see, no longer was God going to use one channel, one nation, one group of people to reach the world. That was God's design. And no longer was he going to do that anymore because Israel failed in representing God and proclaiming him to the Gentile nation. They failed.

And so it was a sign of cursing upon them and a widening of blessing upon the Gentile world. Because now God was going to speak through many languages, through many people, because now his gospel was offered to all people. And so no longer was he going to use one vehicle. But he was going to use the body of Christ, the church of Jesus Christ, that was made up of a myriad kind of people.

And so it was a sign of blessing, a widening blessing to the world because God said, "Look, I gave it to you, nation of Israel, and you failed. And because you failed, I'm going to widen the spectrum and I'm going to give it to what I'm going to call the mystery, the church of Jesus Christ. Who's going to be made up of Samaritans, the half-breeds? Who's going to be made up of the dogs, the Gentiles? Who's going to be made up of Jews? All people from all walks of life. We're going to speak forth the gospel of Jesus Christ." It's interesting to note that.

That Paul wrote twelve other epistles and never mentioned tongues outside of 1 Corinthians. Peter never mentioned him. John never mentioned him. Jude never mentioned them, and James never mentioned them. And the reason they never mentioned them is because, as the early church was established, as it had come into being, and God's word was complete, there was no longer a need to affirm the message nor the messenger, because God's word did that.

And so 1 Corinthians 13, 8 says that tongues will cease. Tongues will cease. In fact, it says, "Love never fails, but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away. If there are tongues, they will cease. If there is knowledge, it will be done away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away."

The word for "we will cease" is in the middle voice. The word for "that which will be done away" is in a passive voice. That means that the tongues are going to cease. And they're going to cease in and of themselves. There's not going to be anything that's going to cause them to cease in and of themselves. But that which will be done away with, there's going to have to be something that's going to cause them to cease, and that which causes prophecy and knowledge to cease is that which is perfect that comes.

And that which is perfect that comes can refer to at least five different things. And I believe that it can only really refer to two. One is the completed canon of scripture, or number two, which I take, that is the millennial state when we see God face to face. Because prophecy and knowledge will continue on through the rapture. But when we get to the millennium, we see Christ face to face, the eternal state after the millennium is over. We see God face to face, we will see him, and we'll be just like him, for we'll see him as he is. And we're in that perfect state, when that which is perfect has come, that which is in part, prophecy and knowledge will be done away with. There'll no longer be need for prophecy and knowledge because we'll know everything. But tongues will cease.

And I believe that tongues ceased along with the gift of miracles and the gift of healings. In fact, the last recorded miracle is AD 58 with the healing of Publius's father by Paul in Acts 28. There's not another recorded miracle between AD 58 and AD 96 when John wrote the book of Revelation. Because those miracles went off the scene because they were given to confirm the authority of that messenger.

And now, before we close, there's always that question about the private prayer language that many people always ask me about. And to be honest with you, I want to tell you why I don't believe that the Bible teaches a private prayer language. One is, is because Jesus never prayed in a private prayer language. Two is because Paul never prayed in a private prayer language. Three is because any of the prayers that Paul recorded in Scripture mention nothing of a private prayer language. Four, when Jesus communicated with deity in John chapter 17, he didn't use a private prayer language, nor in the Garden of Gethsemane. Didn't use a private prayer language. And when the disciples came to him and said, "Lord, teach us how to pray," he did not teach them about a private prayer language.

And I think the most confirming one is Matthew 6:7, when Jesus says, "When you pray, use not vain repetitions as the heathen do. Battalogeo. Logeo means to speak. Batta is a word that's not even a word." So he says, "Use no idle chatter. No thoughtless repetition, as the heathens do."

Because God expects us to pray with a sound mind. We have to love the Lord our God with all of our strength, with all of our soul, with all of our mind. God never expected the Christian walk to be an unintelligent walk, but to be of sound mind and to know exactly what was happening in our lives. And so that's why I believe that a private prayer language is not proven in Scripture, although I know that I've even got very close friends of mine who believe that that is the case. I'm going to leave that up for you to decide as you trust God for wisdom in the scriptures.

As we close out our time, I want to remind you of 1 Corinthians chapter 13 and 14. Paul says in verse number 1 of 14, "Pursue love. Pursue love." We have spent the last seven weeks talking about spiritual gifts. You throw all that out the window if you don't pursue love.

Paul says, "Look, if you speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, you're like a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. You had to gift of prophecy and know all mysteries and all knowledge. And if you have all faith, so as to remove mountains but do not have love, you're nothing. And if you give all your possessions to feed the poor, and if you deliver yourself to be burned, but do not have love, it profits nothing."

Folks, I want to let you know something. I don't care what your gift is. I don't care what it is. If you don't have it totally saturated with the love of Jesus Christ, it means absolutely zilch. Zero. Nada. Nothing. It profits nothing. It's no good. No matter how much you know, no matter how much you give to people, if you don't pursue love, it's nothing.

Peter, in his account in 1 Peter 4, says, "Have fervent love one to another. Why? Because love covers a multitude of sins." And then he goes on to talk about spiritual gifts. But he prefaces it by saying, "Have fervent love one for another. Stretch out as much as you possibly can to reach out and love each other because that's what's the most important thing in the body of Jesus Christ."

And as we close out our time together on spiritual gifts, there are so many things that we could have told you. We wanted to capture it all in this seven-week series so that you could have a better grasp of what God was saying about the body of Christ and how it functions together. But the most important thing that you need to grasp is that you need to pursue love more than anything in the world.

May that be a mark of Christ Community Church, that we as a people of Christ pursue Him, the love of God, that we might be able to love one another as God has called us to.

Let's bow in a moment of prayer.

Father, we thank you for today, and I thank you for the people of Christ Community Church, those listening on this tape. Father, you've gifted us all, from young to old. And Father, those gifts are to be used for your glory and honor. My prayer is that that would happen here in the body of Christ at large as people realize their call from God Almighty. But may we never forget, Lord, that you have called us to pursue love. That's the most important thing. It's greater than hope. It's greater than faith. Because it never fails. And we, as a body, need to love one another. So, Father, we pray that as your word says, all men will know that we are your disciples because we have love one for another. Thank you, Jesus. In your name we pray. Amen.