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TONGUES WORKSHOP
TALK : THE GIFT OF TONGUES
Expanded Outline
A. Introduction.
1. We all have been prayed with for baptism in the Spirit. Having asked and received, the
Holy Spirit is at work in us in a new way.
a) Part of the Spirit's work is implanting a desire in our hearts to have more and more of
God, to continue to experience Him more intimately.
b) One powerful experience some lack is speaking in tongues.
2. In the Bible, we first encounter speaking in tongues in the book of Acts, on the day of
Pentecost.
a) It was something totally new, appearing only at this time.
*
We have encountered the other spiritual gifts (1 Cor 12:8-10) in the Old
Testament and the gospels (Note: an example of interpretation is Daniel figuring
out the handwriting on the wall). But tongues is new.
3. Speaking in tongues is for all of us. "Now I should like all of you to speak in tongues" (1
Cor 14:5).
B. What is the gift of tongues?
1. A definition: Speaking in tongues is a manifestation of the Holy Spirit where one speaks
an unintelligible utterance or a language which he does not know, and which he does not
understand.
a) It is a manifestation of the Holy Spirit.
* Acts 2:4, 10:45-46, 19:6.
* It is directly connected with the outpouring of the Spirit on people.
b) It could very well be an actual language.
* There are many different languages in the world (1 Cor 14:10). In fact, there are
over 6,000 languages and dialects. Some of them sound like gibberish. Some are
merely grunts.
* Actual sentences can sound like baby talk. A Filipino example: A conversation
between an elevator operator and a passenger. "Bababa ba?" (Is this going
down?). "Bababa" (Yes, it is going down).
2. Speaking in tongues is speaking to God. 1 Cor 14:2.
a) It is speaking to God beyond the limits of human intelligible language.
expressing the inexpressible.
It is
b) Being addressed to God, there is no need for people to understand what is being said.
God understands.
C. Why is tongues important?
1. Tongues is important because it is a gift of the Spirit. 1 Cor 12:4,10.
a) Every gift from God is good and desirable.
b) Tongues was a common experience in the apostolic Church.
2. Tongues is important as a gift of prayer.
a) Prayer is one of the most basic components of the life of a Christian. We all want to
experience prayer in a more powerful way.
b) Tongues connects us directly to God. 1 Cor 14:2.
c) Tongues allows us to pray with our spirit and not merely with our mind. 1 Cor 14:14.
3. Tongues is important because it helps build up the body of Christ.
a) It is an important ministry in the Church, a ministry designated by God Himself. 1
Cor 12:28.
b) Ministries in the Church are designed to build up the body. Eph 4:11-12.
D. What is the value of tongues for us personally?
1. Tongues gives us a new dimension in prayer. It can revolutionize our prayer life.
a) It gives us a greater awareness of God's presence.
1 Cor 14:2,14.
a) Being a sinner, or just being a baby in Christ, we may think that the gift is reserved
for those more worthy.
b) Antidote: Know that the gift is not based on one's worth or on good works. Rather, it
is a free gift of God for every Christian who desires and asks for it.
4. Pride.
a) Thinking that we do not need this gift, that we are already doing well in our Christian
life without it.
b) Antidote: Humble yourself, realizing how far you still are from the righteousness and
holiness of God, and how utterly dependent you are on His grace and His gifts.
5. Wrong expectations or attitudes.
a) An attitude of waiting on God for something to happen without doing our part. One
may even just sit there with mouth closed and arms crossed, saying that if God wants
to give the gift, then He will.
* Reality: God does not force us. We need to cooperate. Open your mouth and
speak out.
b) Expecting to have a very dramatic and emotional experience (e.g., trembling,
distorting of mouth, etc.).
* Reality: While you may have an emotional experience, it is not necessarily to be
expected. There may be no extraordinary experiences or emotions at all.
c) Trying to psych oneself up.
* Proper attitude: Just relax. This way the gift will flow more easily.
d) Unwillingness to experience the unknown, or something totally new, or something
illogical.
*
Proper attitude: Know that while there are things we believe in because we
understand, in our life of faith there are things we have to believe in even before
we can understand.
H. Conclusion.
1. God loves us so much that He wants to pour upon us His bountiful grace and gifts.
2. One important gift is the gift of speaking in tongues. This gift is important for personal
edification, for building up our community in CFC, and for opening us up for greater