The Power and Purpose of Tongues

1 Corinthians  •  Sermon  •  Submitted
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1 Corinthians 14:1–25 NKJV
1 Pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy. 2 For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God, for no one understands him; however, in the spirit he speaks mysteries. 3 But he who prophesies speaks edification and exhortation and comfort to men. 4 He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church. 5 I wish you all spoke with tongues, but even more that you prophesied; for he who prophesies is greater than he who speaks with tongues, unless indeed he interprets, that the church may receive edification. 6 But now, brethren, if I come to you speaking with tongues, what shall I profit you unless I speak to you either by revelation, by knowledge, by prophesying, or by teaching? 7 Even things without life, whether flute or harp, when they make a sound, unless they make a distinction in the sounds, how will it be known what is piped or played? 8 For if the trumpet makes an uncertain sound, who will prepare for battle? 9 So likewise you, unless you utter by the tongue words easy to understand, how will it be known what is spoken? For you will be speaking into the air. 10 There are, it may be, so many kinds of languages in the world, and none of them is without significance. 11 Therefore, if I do not know the meaning of the language, I shall be a foreigner to him who speaks, and he who speaks will be a foreigner to me. 12 Even so you, since you are zealous for spiritual gifts, let it be for the edification of the church that you seek to excel. 13 Therefore let him who speaks in a tongue pray that he may interpret. 14 For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful. 15 What is the conclusion then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding. I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding. 16 Otherwise, if you bless with the spirit, how will he who occupies the place of the uninformed say “Amen” at your giving of thanks, since he does not understand what you say? 17 For you indeed give thanks well, but the other is not edified. 18 I thank my God I speak with tongues more than you all; 19 yet in the church I would rather speak five words with my understanding, that I may teach others also, than ten thousand words in a tongue. 20 Brethren, do not be children in understanding; however, in malice be babes, but in understanding be mature. 21 In the law it is written: “With men of other tongues and other lips I will speak to this people; And yet, for all that, they will not hear Me,” says the Lord. 22 Therefore tongues are for a sign, not to those who believe but to unbelievers; but prophesying is not for unbelievers but for those who believe. 23 Therefore if the whole church comes together in one place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in those who are uninformed or unbelievers, will they not say that you are out of your mind? 24 But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or an uninformed person comes in, he is convinced by all, he is convicted by all. 25 And thus the secrets of his heart are revealed; and so, falling down on his face, he will worship God and report that God is truly among you.
In this passage, Paul makes two main points:
In the church service, prophecy is more valuable than tongues unless tongues are interpreted
When addressing the church in tongues, it should be interpreted
Why does Paul teach that prophecy is greater than tongues in a church service?
Because whilst tongues benefit you personally, prophecy benefits the whole church.
This begs the question, how do tongues benefit you personally?
This passage mentions at least 5 ways...

5 Benefits of Tongues

1. You pray with wisdom beyond your understanding

1 Corinthians 14:2 NKJV
2 For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God, for no one understands him; however, in the spirit he speaks mysteries.
1 Corinthians 2:7 NKJV
7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory,

2. You strengthen yourself spiritually

1 Corinthians 14:4 NKJV
4 He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church.
If your phone is running out of battery, what do you do? You charge it! Praying in tongues is one of the ways we stay full of the Holy Spirit!

3. You pray with your spirit

1 Corinthians 14:14 NKJV
14 For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful.
We are spirit, soul (i.e. mind, will, and emotions) and body. Your spirit is the part of you that has been born again:
John 3:6 NKJV
6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
Your spirit has become one the Jesus Christ:
1 Corinthians 6:17 NKJV
17 But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.
When you pray with your spirit by praying in tongues, Jesus is praying through you!

4. You worship beyond the limitations of your understanding

1 Corinthians 14:15–17 NKJV
15 What is the conclusion then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding. I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding. 16 Otherwise, if you bless with the spirit, how will he who occupies the place of the uninformed say “Amen” at your giving of thanks, since he does not understand what you say? 17 For you indeed give thanks well, but the other is not edified.
Notice, you can “sing” in tongues as a way of worship.
Notice, than when you do so, you “give thanks well”! The Greek word for “well” means “beautifully”, “finely”, and “excellently”. When you give God thanks in tongues, your thanksgiving is beautiful, fine and excellent!

5. You teach yourself

1 Corinthians 14:18–19 NKJV
18 I thank my God I speak with tongues more than you all; 19 yet in the church I would rather speak five words with my understanding, that I may teach others also, than ten thousand words in a tongue.
Notice: Paul valued the gift of tongues - he prayed in tongues more than them all.
But he did that privately. When he addressed the church, he did so in a language they could understand so that he could “teach others also”.
Note the word “also”. It means “in addition to”. In other words, he was saying, when I pray tongues, I am teaching myself, so that when I come to church, I can teach others “also”!
Praying in tongues enables you to receive revelation from God.

Tongues a ministry gift

So far, we have looked at tongues as a prayer language, a way of us speaking to God.
But there is any type of tongues that Paul mentions:
1 Corinthians 14:21 NKJV
21 In the law it is written: “With men of other tongues and other lips I will speak to this people; And yet, for all that, they will not hear Me,” says the Lord.
Notice, God says, “I will speak to this people”.
In this type of tongues, it is not us speaking to God, it is God speaking to us!
In this type of tongues, God gives a message in a tongue, that is to then be interpreted. It is equivalent to prophecy:
1 Corinthians 14:5 NKJV
5 I wish you all spoke with tongues, but even more that you prophesied; for he who prophesies is greater than he who speaks with tongues, unless indeed he interprets, that the church may receive edification.
So, there are prayer-tongues, and there are message-tongues, the two are not to be confused.
All believers can receive the gift of prayer-tongues:
1 Corinthians 14:23 NKJV
23 Therefore if the whole church comes together in one place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in those who are uninformed or unbelievers, will they not say that you are out of your mind?
Notice that Paul knew they could “all speak with tongues”.
The problem was that they were using their prayer-tongues to address the church. However, this should only have been done by those who had a message to give in tongues, which could then be interpreted for the church’s edification.
The Corinthians were confusing the two types of tongues.
That’s why Paul had to ask, “Do all speak with tongues” (1 Corinthians 12:30)
In other words, don’t you realise that not everyone will have a message to give in tongues in a service?
This does not mean that you cannot pray in tongues quietly during in a church service:
1 Corinthians 14:27–28 NKJV
27 If anyone speaks in a tongue, let there be two or at the most three, each in turn, and let one interpret. 28 But if there is no interpreter, let him keep silent in church, and let him speak to himself and to God.
Notice: “let him speak to himself and to God”. In other words, when addressing the church in a tongue, there must be an interpretation. If there is not, then the speaker should stop addressing the church, and can continue to quietly pray in tongues if he so wishes. But he must not disrupt the service.

Practical Application

Incorporate tongues into your daily prayer time.
If you have not received the gift, ask for it!
Ask
Believe you have received
Speak in faith

Summary

In the church service, prophecy is more valuable than tongues unless tongues are interpreted
When addressing the church, tongues should be interpreted
Benefits of praying in tongues include:
You pray with wisdom beyond your understanding
You strengthen yourself spiritually
Jesus prays through you
You worship beyond the limitations of your understanding
You teach yourself
There is a difference between tongues as a prayer gift, and tongues as a ministry gift
All believers can receive tongues as a prayer gift
With tongues as ministry gift, God gives a message in a tongue, that is to then be interpreted. This gift is not given to everyone.
We should incorporate tongues into your daily prayer time.
If you have not received the gift of tongues, ask for it, believe you have received it, and speak in faith.

Discussion / Prayer

Discuss: What stuck out to you from today’s message?
Listen to your prayer requests and spend some time praying for each other.
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