When The Music Fades - Week 4 (Pentecost 2023)

Today's Pentecost Sunday. And and let me tell you what what Pentecost Sunday represents.

A lot of times we think it's uh that that that it represents,

or we in the modern church celebrate it because it was the day that they

did the things that we do in Pentecostal churches. But literally, the New

Testament Church at large was born on Pentecost Sunday. It's where the Holy Spirit,

like in days of old, didn't move upon men, but moved into

men. That in dwelling power of the Holy Spirit. That that empowers us

to live, uh, that spirit filled life, that life that leads us

to love those that are hard to love. Come on, somebody, listen.

Maybe you're sitting next to one of those people. That's the Holy Spirit

that allows you to keep doing it. Amen, Lord, I'm talking to

you. I'm just kid and I'm just kidding. But uh, but today

I want to just kind of take a little I want to I want to

teach today. Is that Okay? You know a lot of times on Pentecost

Sunday I like to preach, and but I want to teach a little bit

today. So if you got a Bible, go over to First Corinthians,

Chapter fourteen, First Corinthians, Chapter fourteen, because we're still in our series

when the music fades, and I want to talk to you just about maybe

a little bit deeper, more mature step, when we are dealing with a

baptism of the Holy Spirit and the treasure that Holy Spirit is to each and

every one of us. So First Corinthians, Chapter fourteen, let's start reading

in verse five. First Corinthians, Chapter fourteen. Starting in verse five,

it says, 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. Let's pray,

Father, we thank you for your word. It's the only change agent on

the face of this planet. And I pray today that we leave with a

deep understanding, a passion and a desire for the most special things of God,

Lord, that you birth at the very fabric of our being. Lord,

a desire for more of you. But we ask it in Jesus name,

Amen, Amen, and amen. When we read the Bible, sometimes

we lack context because we don't really know what's happening and why some of these

letters were written. As a matter of fact, it was a book that

was pinned from front to back the New Testament, especially the Pauline Epistles.

Those those things that Paul wrote, those were letters to the church. They

were letters of inspiration, they were letters of admiration, they were letters of

exhortation. They were letters of correction, And a lot of what we read

in First Corinthians is actually a correction to the New Testament church, because they

had that they had come to the place where they were so exciting. Now

now listen, they were so excited that Holy Spirit was alive and thriving in

their midst that they were so excited that when they came together, everybody would

get up and manifest the gift of the Spirit. And the entire time they

were together, it was just manifestation after manifestation after manifestation. But nothing was

ever actually happening. There was no real spiritual development having in having happening in

the church, because it was always just a manifestation of the spirit. So

Paul writes this letter and he says, hey, listen, I'm I'm glad.

I want every one of you to speak in tongues. I want every

one of you to speak in tongues. That's that's my heart as your apostle,

is that every one of you are baptized and Holy Ghost and speak in

tongues. Now, it is of my opinion that the baptism of the Holy

Spirit is accompanied with the initial physical evidence of speaking in tongues. Eventually that

is going to happen to you if you're baptized and the Holy Ghost. Okay,

that is that is the initial physical evidence. I am an assemblies of

God company man when it comes to that particular piece of theology. And I

believe that when we look through scripture we see a pattern that that happens.

We see a pattern that when somebody receives baptism and Holy Spirit they speak in

tongues. But it doesn't happen every time, but eventually it does come on.

Somebody say, eventually, do you know, Church people are the most

impatient people in the world. We are the most impatient people in the world.

We think everything should happen. Now, somehow we reduce God to a

fast food cashier. Come on, now that that he is is the McDonald's

God that we order and before we get to the window. It's done.

God usually teaches us things through the time seed been, time been, harvest,

and we learn what to do with the harvest during the time. Oh

oh, so there's there's these patterns that happen in scripture and their inevitabilities,

but they're not always instantaneous, and we want everything to be. When somebody

comes to the altar and we pray and they leave the same way, we

say, this is what we say. God doesn't heal, but healing at

the definition of its core is systematic progress over time, where God does intervene

and healing comes about. If you want something to happen instantaneously, don't ask

for healing, ask for a miracle, because a miracle is a divine interruption

and the natural occurrence of things. And it's immediate. See there's the immediate

God, and then there's the press that there's the there's the progressive God that

does things in his time so that he maximizes through us his impact on the

world. Amen. See, we're part of the plan. You are God's

plan. J'all forget about that. Who's got somebody got their shirt on today?

Andybody got their shirt on today? All right, stand up, stand

up, back there says stand up baby. But look, we we even

made shirts that say it. It's got to be true. Come on,

somebody, I am God's plan. You were God's plan, And sometimes things

come about in our lives through a process that allows God to maximize his glory

through our life. Here, Paul is he's talking to the to the church

at court their life. Listen, you want these things now, now,

now, now, now, and everybody, I want you to imagine if

everybody when when as soon as the first string was plucked, I don't know

what it's actually calls it plucking first string plague, everybody stood up and started

yelling in tongues as loud as they could and didn't stop until twelve thirty.

Now, he'd be exciting, but nobody would learn anything, and a lot

of people would leave scared to death. Amen, And that's kind of what's

happening here. If the apostle, Paul says, listen, I want you

all to speak in tongues, but I had rather you prophesy because there's edification

for the church that comes along with that. A matter of fact, he

says, listen, prophecy is the goal, but tongues, and interpretation of

tongues is equal to prophecy. He didn't say, don't do it, but

he said, these two things are equal to this one thing. Do the

one thing, but if you do the other thing, if you do the

tongues things, pray that you interpret so that it's equal to prophecy, because

we want the edification not just of the individual, but of the church when

we're in a corporate setting. So Paul said, listen, you just need

to you need to dial it back a little bit. Now. First of

all, I'm not talking to y'all. Look at me. I'm not I'm

not telling y'all to dial it back. As a matter of fact, some

of y'all need to dial it up. Some of y'all need to take the

plug out and let it pour out, because you've got that river of living

water all bottled up, all right, So listen, if I'm not talking

to you, you know, I'm not telling you don't need You're not dialing

it down, You're dialing it up. He's addressing corinth and I'm going somewhere

with this, and then over in verse eighteen. So let's stay in the

same chapter. First Crinthius, Chapter fourteen, and let's jump to verse eighteen.

Now, remember he says, listen, I want you to dial back

tongues prophesy. But then we get to First Crinthius, chapter fourteen, verse

eighteen. He says, I, thank my God, I speak with tongues

more than you all, huh get in the church. I would rather speak

five words in my understanding that I may teach others also than ten thousand words

in a tongue. He says, listen, dial it back a little bit,

but I speak in tongues more than all of you. So let's just

do some reasoning here. You know, I think that sometimes the Bible says

things and he just assumes that we're going to turn our brains on and figure

out why he says them. Come on, somebody. If he's saying,

listen, dial it back a little bit together, but I speak in tongues

more than all of you combined. Where's he speaking in tongues? If he

says I speak in tongues more than all of you, but you're doing it

too much. He must be speaking in tongues somewhere other than in church.

It must be in that moment when the music fades. It must spend that

private time he's spending with the Lord. I think that a lot of times

the modern Pentecostal Church, we believe that the gifts of the spirit are magic

tricks for an altar, but there are tools in the belt of the kingdom

citizen to make an impact in the world around us and in our own personal

lives. Holy Spirit did not come. Gifts of the Spirit did not come

so that pastors feel like they've had a good altar service when those things happen.

Holy Spirit came to empower us to live a life and life more abundantly.

So the apostle Paul says, Hey, when you when you look at

this gift, I want you to understand that there are some primary purposes,

there's some secondary purposes, and I want you to be aware of them all.

I want you to embrace them all, and I want you to participate

them all. I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of

you, he said, Listen, no matter how much you try, you

ain't gonna speak in tongues more than me. Another one of those moments where

I love Paul, that one's right up there with I can do all things.

I speak in tongues more than all you are. So as I go

in my tent and shut the door, it's own, and I'm praying for

you, I'm praying for me, I'm praying for people I hadn't met yet.

I'm letting that gift loose because it is a valuable gift. It is

a private language designed for humanity to speak to God that no one else understands,

not even Satan. Three kinds of tongues talked about in the Bible.

Number one is what we see on the day of Pentecost, where they spoke

and there was an understanding of everybody there. It's it's they to speak a

language never studied but able to be understood. Second is that corporate gift.

It's the one that that freaks your friends out that don't go to Pentecostal churches.

Come on, somebody, So let me go ahead and tell you I

got a friend that's like but when you look up Southern Baptists right in the

dictionary, it's his picture right there beside it. And uh. And we

were having this conversation when times he said, Steve, do you have an

interpreter? And I said, well, yeah, when I'm on the mission

field. I mean, I that's this is like the way the conversation started.

I had no idea where we were jumping on. If you ever had

those conversations, Do you have an interpreter? And I said, when I

go on, mistress, yeah, yeah. When I preached the Spanish my

Specish cong yalla have an INTERPRETA said no, no, no, no.

Do you have an interpreter in your church when people speaking tongues? And I

said, well, you're making it sound like somebody wears a jersey that says

interpreter across the front of it. They come in, we got a special

seed, and they sit there and they listen, and if they hear something,

they jump up. I said, but that's not the way it works.

Everybody has the potential to have the gift of interpretation. If you've been

baptized in the Holy Spirit, you have the potential to have that gift,

and you should ask God for that gift because we need them all. I

said. But beyond that, it says that when someone speaks in tongues,

they should pray that they get the interpretation. So I speak in tongues,

I pray that God gives me the interpretation for that message. Also equal to

prophecy. So there's that corporate gift of tongues. And then and there's this

thing that Paul is talking about. It's this private language that I have with

God. It's mine and it belongs to me, and I get to be

a little selfish with it because there are some benefits to me as a kingdom

citizen that when I understand and I exercise this gift, it unlocks potential that

sometimes we don't even realize is there. In First Grinthians, chapter fourteen,

verse one, it says, pursue love and desire spiritual gifts, but especially

that you may prophesy. 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. If you have a good old fashioned paper

Bible, underline that word mystery, because we're gonna go on a quick little

journey here, and I want to show you something about the word mystery.

That word and its original root only exists two places in scripture, both in

Corinthians, but it only exists one other place. So, according to the

rules of biblical interpretation, if it exists one place and one other place.

Those places must be tied together in some symmetry. So he says, you're

not you're not speaking to men, You're speaking to God, and we speak

mysteries. Now jump to First Corinthians, chapter two, First Corinthians, Chapter

two, verse six. First Corinthians, Chapter two, Verse six. It

says, however, we speak wisdom among those who are mature yet, not

the wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age. I'm

going to point out something that I don't know. Maybe you want to shout

about. I don't know yet, not of the wisdom of this age,

nor of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. All

the people that think they're important right now, all the people that are jockeying

for position to be important and to be somebody, they're going to end up

coming to nothing, because the first shall be last and the last shall be

first when it comes to the kingdom, because they're exercising their authority now,

because they're not under the authority of God. Says, listen, it's a

it's a wisdom thing. But we speak the wisdom of God. I'm in

verse seven. We speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, same root

word. So First Corinthians fourteen, he's tying that the First Corinthians, chapter

two, we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the wisdom which

God ordained before the ages are You're gonna want to underline this part too.

For our glory. It's the only place in scripture where the Bible talks about

your glory. Everywhere else we talk about the glory of God. But he

says, hey, this brings about your glory because there is act a direct

connection to one has who has submitted himself to a place where he has surrendered

his tongue to the Lord. So a matter of fact that the Book of

James it says that the tongue cannot be tamed. That's not the word of

Steve, that's the word of God. Just like salvation is the redemption of

the heart and the soul baptism, then holy Spirit is redemption of the tongue.

Cannot be done by us, but can be done by Holy Spirit.

And when we come to that place of submission where we're willing to operate in

this prayer language in our private time, that we're that we're willing to speak

these things over ourselves and that intimate time with God, that there is a

wisdom for us that brings about literally, the Bible says, increasing advancement.

Now, I know your brain immediately went to finances, but that's not necessarily

what it's talking about. But it could be increasing advancement. God is always

moving us forward. He's always calling us to a higher place, to toward

our destiny, toward our purpose. It's it's all is where God's calling,

and that's what that word literally means. Increase in advancement, he says.

But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which

God ordained before the ages for our glory, which none of the rulers of

this age knew, for had they known, they would not have crucified the

Lord of Glory. But as it is written, I has not seen,

nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which

God has prepared for those who love him. You know. We uh,

that's that's that's a good one to read at a funeral. But he's not

talking about heaven. He's talking about right here, right now. He's talking

about right here, right now. He says, for those of the for

those of us who release this hidden wisdom. I has not seen, and

ear has not heard, the limitless potential that you have for your life right

here, right now, that you don't have to wait for the sweet by

and by that He will manifest himself in you and through you for you,

so that you can touch and reach others. He says, when we understand

it and we embrace this move of this private prayer language that we have and

we operate in it, we're speaking the wisdom of God over ourselves and we're

unlocking. Because the Bible says that the word of God shall not return unto

him void, that it will accomplish what it will sent for and prosper in

that task. That when we release it and speak it over ourselves, that

we're changing the atmosphere around us. If you're sitting at home when you're feeling

depressed and holy ghost, if you don't know what decision to make, release

that wisdom over your life. If you're if you're just still saying listen,

I don't know how you can be here very long and still be saying what

does God want me to do? He just wants you to listen to him

and then to act. Just say what's next here and take that one step

release his wisdom over your life so that you can continue to move and work

and act like he wants you to move and work in act because He's always

leading you towards a greater, higher purpose. And nobody has ever imagined the

magnitude of what He has for you. Because I can think some pretty grand

things. I mean, you know, I mean it in my mind,

Angie, Angie Rose Arise. Every time I talk about this, I've been

talking to about it for you. I want to rent like Mercedes Bins,

not aimed Mercedes Bins. That's doable. I just need to get some money

from Pastor Gary. Amen. I want to rent Mercedes Bins the dome.

I want to put a big tank, and I want to get a whale,

and I want to preach an illustrated sermon about Jonah. And I want

to diver to swim into the whales mouth and wouldn't it be cool? I

mean, come on, come on that one. I can dream that.

God says I got bigger plans two whales. I can think some grand things,

but God says, listen, I have laid up from the foul nation

of the earth. Some wisdom that will unlock destiny beyond your wildest dreams,

that will make an impact on others, that they will follow you because you

are like a city set on us ill alike that they can navigate their lives.

That's why he doesn't mind letting you have some glory, because you're dedicated

and sold out to the cause that he can trust you so that people see

you and they want what you have. But we got to come to the

place of complete submission and surrender to Holy Spirit and allow him to speak through

us. John chapter sixteen. Bann you can come and get ready. John

chapter sixteen, starting in verse five. But now I this is Jesus speaking.

But now I go away to him who sent me, and none of

you asks me where are you going? But because I've said these things to

you, sorrow has filled your heart. Nevertheless, I tell you the truth.

It is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do

not go away, the helper will not come to you. But if I

depart, I will send him to you. Jesus says, listen, I

can appreciate the fact that you like having me around and that you're sorrowful at

the idea that I'm not going to be here, but it's to your advantage

that I go. Let me put it in more natural. Okay, So

my wife loves me greatly. Nobody has ever been loved as much as my

wife loves me. The reason I know that is because she is still putting

up with me. But one day I'm gonna go home to see my Jesus.

My plan is that one Sunday afternoon. Maybe not this Sunday, but

I'm gonna let it out and take my nap, and I'm just gonna wake

up in heaven at the end of my naw You're gonna let me get my

whole nap. Then I'm gonna wake up in heaven. The reason I plan

it that way is so she don't have anything to worry about me. It's

Sunday, right, she had the rest of the day to relax. Don't

have to worry a boy anything. No Monday, y'all got a whole week

to find somebody to fill in. I've got this plan, right, that's

the that. But but beyond her missing me, there is going to be

some advantage for her. I'm well ensured, so there's some advantage she's gonna

miss me but there's some advantage too. She can pay off everything and go

on a nice vacation. Come on, somebody, Jesus said, listen,

you're gonna miss me, but there's some advantage. You're gonna miss me.

But but for you me going, the advantage outweighs me staying. And then

he begins to tell us what that is. And when he comes, when

he has come, primary purpose of Holy Spirit right here. Nothing to do

with cnecostal church, just church number one purpose. And when he has come,

he will convict the world of sin and of righteousness and of judgment.

Of sin because they do not believe in me. Of righteousness because I go

to my father and you see me no more. Of judgment, because the

ruler of this world is judged. Primary purpose is to draw people into the

kingdom. But verse twelve, secondary principle. I still have many things to

say to you, but you cannot bear them now. However, when he

the Spirit of truth, has come, he will guide you into all truth.

For he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears,

he will speak, and he will tell you things to come, things

that are laid up for you tomorrow and beyond tomorrow, that same wisdom that

we just read about, that we spoke about in First Corinthians chapter two.

Just when I go, I'm going to draw the lost those people who are

far from me, Holy Spirit's gonna draw the loss. He's going to convict

them of their sin. He's going to expand this idea of righteousness. He's

going to judge the ruler of this world. That those things happen when Holy

Spirit comes, and we're living in that place where those things are happening.

For some of you in this building who maybe have never asked Jesus to be

your Lord and savior, you've never asked him to forgive you of your sin,

you've felt this strange feeling on the inside from moment to moment, time

to time during this worship experience. Maybe you're here and you're not as close

to God as you once were, and you have felt this this tugging,

this maybe uneasiness. That's the primary primary purpose of Holy Spirit to draw you

to the Father through the Son. And maybe you're here, you're you're preyed

up, you're you're ready to go, But listen, He's got more for

you. He's got more for you. There is a destiny and a purpose

that's locked away, and by accessing this gift of the Holy Spirit, you

can unlock that potential and step into the fullness that He has for you.

Everybody, stand for me all over the room, right there online. If

you want this encounter with Holy Spirit, you want to you want to be

baptized or or saturated again, just type right there in the comments, please

Jesus, two words, Please Jesus, and he'll meet you right there at

your home. He'll baptize you in the power of Holy Spirit right there in

your kitchen or your living room or wherever you are. He's a faithful God.

Maybe you're here today and you want this ability to unlock this hidden wisdom,

to to phave that pathway of purpose. There are a few steps away

by coming and surrendering right here in the Holy Spirit, right right here in

the altar, and saying, Holy Spirit, fill me, flow through me.

Listen. I know right now you're starting to reason to reason it out.

I don't know about all this business. I don't know. I mean,

it's that's that's that that thing, and that's their thing. That's not

my thing. It can be your thing and it won't be weird when it's

your thing. We already think you're weird, So just get over it and

get in. It's on the count of three. If you want to experience

this baptism and the Holy Spirit, this immersion in his presence. It gives

you the resident gift of tongue so that you can speak His purpose over your

life. I want you to step out on the count of three. If

you're here and you've never asked Jesus to forgive you of your sins to be

the lord of your life, that's where this starts. Give him your life

and he'll follow it with baptism and Holy Spirit. On the count of three.

If you're here and you want to surrender your life to Jesus, to

say, save me Jesus or fill me Holy Spirit. One altar call for

both things. As soon as I hit three, I want you to step

out, and I want you to move. Our altar team is going to

come and get ready to pray for you. On the count of three,

one, two, three, step out and move right now. Say I

want this gift. I want this gift. Feel me, Holy Ghost,

Feel me, Holy Ghost, Baptize me, Baptize me, Holy Ghost.

Feel me to overflowing. I want a fresh touch, a new touch.

Come on, step out and move right now, come on, come on,

come on, come on, don't wait, move, don't wait.

Move. Shake off that fear. Nothing good was ever borne out of fear.

Come on, come on, come on,