The Sign of the Spirit

in Acts chapter 2 verse 1. next Sunday is Pentecost Sunday so I want to try to prepare the soil of our hearts for Pentecost Sunday Acts chapter 2 verse 1. I win the day of Pentecost was fully come they were all with one Accord in one place and suddenly there came a sound from Heaven as of a rushing Mighty Wind and it filled all the house where they were sitting and they appeared unto them cloven tongues like as a fire and it sat upon each of them they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and began to speak with tongues with other tongues other languages as the spirit gave them utterance my objective my objective today is to show by the scriptures that speaking in tongues is the universal initial evidence of receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost that's my mission today God bless you please be seated the initial outpouring of the Holy Ghost happened in a place where disciples were unified and waiting for what Jesus called the promise of the father it was the Feast of Pentecost an Old Testament Jewish feast thousands and thousands of people were gathered in Jerusalem but 120 or so Believers were gathered in an upper room for days and days of prayer and waiting on what Jesus Promised would come that they would be endued or filled with power on high from on high he said do not leave Jerusalem Terry in the city of Jerusalem until you be endued with power from on high so they are waiting Acts 2 and 1 and when the day of Pentecost was fully come this Feast that lasted several days culminated in the day of Pentecost but implied here is something even greater than what God had in mind from the very institution of Pentecost hundreds of years before had now fully come and what God had planned had finally been realized but the outpouring of the spirit they were all with one Accord there for the same purpose and they were all in the same place on the day of Pentecost there are some amazing manifestation both corporate and individual verse 2 says and suddenly there came a sound from Heaven as of a rushing Mighty Wind they filled all the house where they were sitting they did not know that it felt like a wind but it sounded like a rushing Mighty Wind it was not a gentle breeze wafting over the upper room it was a rushing Mighty Wind when the Bible speaks of the spirit it is a dynamic powerful experience it is like rivers of water it comes out of your belly like rivers of Living Water it is like this powerful wind a rushing Mighty Wind the Bible the word Spirit Finds Its origin in the Greek Numa in the New Testament it means wind or breath God breathed into Adam the breath of life and he became a living soul and when God baptizes someone with the Holy Spirit he breathes into them the power of eternal life amen it is the spirit of God that gives that power in our life so there is a wind amen verse 3 there appeared unto them clove in tongues like as a fire and it sat upon each of them the wind fills the room the tongues of fire are over each individual believer about 120 tons of fire above each of them that this is a personal experience it's not enough to be in the room where the spirit is moving you need to let it be individual visual to you amen the fire is over them verse 4 and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and began to speak with other tongues other languages as the spirit gave them utterance it was the spirit of God that spoke the worlds into existence that empowered those Believers to speak in a language they never learned they were languages they didn't learn the language no one gave them certain phrases to repeat so they would speak in other tongues it was a spirit of God Amen that caused them to speak with other tongues the spirit gave them the utterance or the ability to speak now the wind did not occur again that we know of the tongues of fire seemed to go away I'm not saying it never happened again in human history but those were one-time occurrences but speaking in tongues was the universal admission sign of receiving the Holy Ghost and it was repeated consistently with every person since the day of Pentecost who has ever been filled with the baptism of the Holy Ghost amen speaking in tongues is the universal initial sign of being filled with the spirit and I may say holy ghost Holy Spirit I refer to the same thing the spirit of Jesus Christ that fills a person for the very first time and stays in that person amen the Bible said it is Christ in you the hope of glory amen when you receive the gift of the Holy Ghost it is Jesus Christ coming on the inside of you changing you forever amen I mentioned the speaking was not learned that someone would learn a foreign language it was not manufactured it was not ecstatic speech where someone just started blurting or blabbering out sounding like a toddler who had not yet learned to talk or a baby these approximate 120 people were speaking in Bona Fide legitimate languages that could be understood by other people from those regions and this was happening on the day of Pentecost now when the Holy Ghost was poured out it was before nine o'clock in the morning it's a feast of Pentecost there are thousands of people in the city of Jerusalem they've come from all over the world this was noised abroad they heard about this so the big crowd gathered and they start trying to figure out what in the world is going on and we'll get into that just a little bit but I want to explain to you that the Bible teaches clearly that you must have the spirit of God in you to be saved you must have the Holy Ghost to be saved so let's go to Romans 8 and 9 Romans 8 and 9. but you're not in the flesh but in the spirit if so be that the spirit of God dwell in you now if any man have not the spirit of Christ he is none of his no Christian anywhere would tell you that you do not need the Holy Spirit living in you to be saved that's not the question the question is how do you know that you have the spirit how do you receive the spirit what happens when you do amen how do you know that you have the Holy Ghost you need to know and you must receive it to be saved do you receive the Holy Ghost when you just repent of your sins well according to the Bible no repentance is your first step toward God do people receive the gift of the Holy Spirit automatically when they accept Christ as their personal savior not according to the Bible in many churches the phraseology accepting Christ is your personal savior is widely used honestly it is not a Biblical phrase you do not find that in the Bible there are many many people who have sincerely done what they were told and they accepted Christ as their personal savior you would say that they repented hopefully turn from their sins and they believed on the Lord Jesus Christ but it is one thing for you to accept him it is another thing for him to accept you you see he sends his spirit and we cry are the father when we receive the gift of the Holy Ghost we know that he has accepted us not just that we have accepted him now I'm not criticizing anyone's sincere faith I am sincerely telling you what the Bible says that to go to heaven you must be born again of water and of the spirit and water birth is baptism in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and we're ready to baptize you today and we've already baptized people this morning in our first service so we're ready the water's clean and warm baptistry team is ready changing rooms are there baptismal garments all we need is your yes amen how do you know do you automatically receive the Holy Ghost when you've been baptized in water well the Bible does not teach that that is true it is being born of the water and of the spirit water and spirit baptism are both essential to Salvation amen so let's go back in the Bible there's this law of first reference if you want to know about something find out when it was first referenced in the Bible so we've already kind of gone through this twice but we're going to run it by again Acts chapter 2 and 1-4 I've given you that text the sound of the wind the tongues of fire speaking in other tongues verse 4 and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and began to speak with other tongues as the spirit gave them the utterance now we know that when the Holy Ghost was first received that they spoke with other tongues some people say well that was just for that time other people say well it was only given so they could preach to other people on the day of Pentecost who had gathered from other lands well we know that is not true that many people were at least bilingual and on that day after the Holy Ghost was poured out and people heard these Galilean Believers speaking in tongues that the Apostle Peter stood up he preached the sermon in one language everybody understood and over three thousand responded and were saved and added to the church that day speaking in tongues was not used to spread the gospel on the day of Pentecost it was not unintelligible speaking sometimes you'll hear the word glossolalia I don't like that word because sometimes it's used and it's not what speaking in tongues really is speaking in tongues happens when you receive the gift of the Holy Ghost it is a universal initial sign of receiving the spirit and then Annapolis many many other times maybe every day for many people which is a wonderful thing now they're speaking in tongues obviously they're spilling out of the upper room there's thousands of people there this is noised abroad news is spreading fast and people come I mean there has to be thousands of people that are coming verse seven and they were all amazed and marveled saying one to another behold are not all these which speak galileans they're Jews from the province of Galilee so they're now asking how here we every man in our own on tongue wherein we were born we're here in these Jews speaking our languages and they never learned them there are 18 different people groups that are now listed in Acts chapter 2. parthius medes elamize dwellers in Mesopotamia Judea Cappadocia Pontius Asia Virginia pamphilia Egypt parts of Libya cyrini strangers of Rome Jews and proselytes and then verse 11 if you'll look at this with me the last two named Crete and Arabians we do hear them these Galilean Jews speak in our languages tongues the wonderful works of God these people don't know our language but they're speaking in our language between the services Justin and Teresa son and daughter-in-law told us in Bentonville Arkansas they had a service a message in tongues and interpretation a young girl Hannah riddle gave the tongues after church a lady from Russia that it moved to Bentonville went to her and said you were speaking in perfect Russian I didn't know you knew Russian she said I don't know Russian it happened on the day of Pentecost and it can happen anywhere languages real languages when you speak in tongues what are they speaking the wonderful works of God verse 12. they were all amazed I would be amazed right some were in doubt they were saying what does this mean what in the world is going on and these people are speaking in languages they never learned and there are tongues how is this happening and they obviously speak a Common Language Aramaic most likely and others mocking they said oh they're just drunk I've never been drunk thank the Lord but I've seen some drunk people and I don't think you can learn a new language when you get drunk or high he might sound like you don't know your language or that you're speaking unintelligibly but you're certainly not speaking the wonderful works of God most likely and you're not speaking in other tongues this phenomenon uh speaking in other tongues has swept the world and millions and millions of people have experienced it they're not all Pentecostal amen but they're true people who believe in God and God always keeps his word amen this is not our brand of religion I am preaching the Bible to you today and this gift of the Holy Ghost is for you and your children and to all that are afar off even as many as the Lord Our God shall call amen Pentecost it's not an isolated event it happened just then the Apostle Peter said this is that that was spoken of by that Prophet Joel 700 years ago he spoke about this and he said it shall come to pass afterward but I will pour out my spirit upon All Flesh he breaks it down old men young men Sons daughters handmaidens all of these people of all generations are going to receive my spirit they're going to prophesy when Peter preaches his sermon on the day of Pentecost he refers back to Joel when he says this is that he quotes what is happening and he defines the beginning of the last days as the day of Pentecost really the last days this last dispensation that is the church age to begin on the day of Pentecost we're a part of it right now and I believe we're living in the last of the last days amen amen gonna pour out his Spirit on All Flesh he won't just be moving on you but he's going to be in you not just some prophets and Priests and special people but it's all flesh amen every person is going to be filled with the Holy Ghost that's what's going to bring you in the church it's going to keep you in the church it's the power of the Holy Ghost amen speaking in tongues is the language you've never learned but it shouldn't be a foreign thing among us when we come to Worship the Lord tongues of Fire come out of Us Rivers of Living Water renewing you strengthening you the Bible said when you speak in an unknown tongue you edify yourself Jude said you keep yourself in the love of God by praying in the Holy Ghost amen this doesn't just happen in a camp meeting or once the Sunday but it is in you amen like a well of water springing up into everlasting life tongues of Fire now the Bible gives us a prophecy in Isaiah 28 11 and 12. Isaiah says for withstammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people to whom he said this is the rest wherewith he may cause the weary to rest and this is a refreshing yet they would not hear Jesus called people to come unto him amen and find rest for their souls some people use this Isaiah 28 and say this is talking about an invading Army that is going to come in speaking foreign languages well there may be some application of that but I don't think you could possibly say that that was rest that would cause the weary to rest so Isaiah is not talking about and invading Army speaking of foreign language and then in the New Testament the Apostle Paul referred back to Isaiah 28 and he said in First Corinthians 14 21 in the law or in the Old Testament it is written with men of other tongues and other lips will I speak unto this people and yet for all that they would not hear me saith the Lord we know that Judaism the national Israel rejected the Lord and crucified him and yet God had promised them the rest and the refreshing of the Holy Ghost I'm glad that you did not reject the Lord and that you found rest for your soul and refreshing that comes in the Holy Ghost amen now there are several occurrences of people receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost in the book of Acts if you take the New Testament you can say Matthew Mark Luke and John speak of the life and Ministry of Jesus Christ his words and works until the time he ascends up into heaven the book of Acts is a sequel to the book of Luke it is written by the same man there's some overlap Jesus descends in Acts chapter 1. he tells them to go back to Jerusalem and tarry there until the Holy Ghost comes so in the book of Acts we have the initial outpouring of the Holy Ghost on the day of Pentecost and they are primarily Jewish people in Acts chapter 8 the Samaritans have a Revival there is healing deliverances there's great joy they're baptized but then Peter and John go down to Samaria and lay hands on them and it seems that it is that that opens the door to the Samaritan people those half pries we would say to coming into the kingdom of God in Acts chapter 10 there is a Revival among the Gentiles that begins in the household of Cornelius a Roman soldier over a hundred men in Acts chapter 19 there is the outpouring of the Holy Ghost among believers who are following the message of John the Baptist so you have the gospels you have the book of Acts all these occasions of people receiving the Holy Ghost everything written after the book of Acts those are called Epistles or letters written to Believers about how to live the Christian Life they are instructional if you want to find Salvation you go to the book of Acts where the Holy Ghost was given and the church history began amen so I want to give you this evidence from Acts chapter 10 in the household of Cornelius it's an amazing Story the first Gentile converts spoke in tongues there's a man named Cornelius he's Italian he fears God he believes in the Lord the Jewish god but he doesn't know a lot he prays he gives a lot of money and the Lord appears to him in a vision and says your prayers and arms have been heard but the Lord does not tell him how to be saved he said send to Joppa House of Simon the Tanner there's a man Peter who lodges there he will come and tell you words how to be saved he's going to come preach to you so Cornelius sins and some men from caesarea to Joppa to go get Simon Peter in the meantime Peter who preached that the Holy Ghost was for All Flesh in Acts chapter 2 doesn't really believe it so God gives them the same vision three times unclean animals and then the Lord tells him what I have cleansed do not call common or unclean while he's having this repeated Vision there's a knock at the door cornelius's ambassadors have come the Lord tells Peter go with him doubting nothing I want you to go to cornelius's house so The Reluctant Apostle goes to cornelius's house he listens to them and he says as a of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of person God loves everybody whether you're a Jew or a gentile and this was a big Revelation to him he begins to preach to Cornelius and something happens during his sermon at chapter 10 verse 44. while Peter yet spake these words the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word there were no musicians playing there was no altar call they were listening to preaching their hearts were open they were ready and God gave them the Holy Ghost I love it when God breaks protocol you can receive the Holy Ghost anytime anywhere that you meet the conditions of repentance and faith in God amen and they are the circumcision verse 45 these are the Jews which had believed were astonished as many as came with Peter there were six men that joined Peter they were like Witnesses of what was going to happen because it on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost how do you think they knew that these Gentiles had received the gift of the Holy Ghost well I'm glad you asked that question verse 46 tells us four they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God that's how they knew they had received the gift of the Holy Ghost they knew that that was the universal sign initial sign of receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost and then the Apostle Peter says well I guess we have to baptize them can any man forbid water that these should not be baptized which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we and he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord and it happened now in the Apostle Peter gets back to Jerusalem he gets called in before the leaders and they're saying okay we want to get a report of what you've done you're a Jew there's a Jewish Revival and now you have broken protocol and gone down and preached to these Gentiles and we've heard they've received the gift of the Holy Ghost tell us what happened they contended with him the Bible says so he goes back in Acts 11 and he rehearses the matter from the beginning and he tells them in order in Acts 11 15. look at this and as I began to speak the Holy Ghost fell on them as on us at the beginning how did it fall on them at the beginning well if you've got a good memory I just said it a little while ago they were filled with the Holy Ghost and they began to speak in tongues and we know it happened at cornelius's house because those six Witnesses testified and that was the thing that was the sign that told them they had received the gift of the Holy Ghost verse 16 then remembered I the word of the Lord how that he said John indeed baptized with water but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost for as much then as God gave them the light gift as he did unto us who believed on the Lord remember believing is important by you believe and then you're filled he said what was I that I could was stand God far be it for me to fight against God this isn't one of the most exciting passages in the Bible about salvation because God ties the pouring outpouring of the Holy Ghost from the beginning to the Gentiles and that's most of us amen if you're not a Jew you're a gentile and it is in Acts 10 that the door of the Gospel was opened to us and we are allowed to come into the kingdom of God I'm glad the Lord did not call me common or unclean that he loved me that he filled me with the Holy Ghost that I've been baptized in his name amen I want to read Acts 2 4 again and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and began to speak with other tongues as the spirit gave them the utterance amen every time you speak in other tongues it's the holy ghost moving on you as the spirit gives you the utterance I know sometimes you don't let the spirit move on you when you get out of the presence of God and you do things you shouldn't and we should all let the fruit of the spirit develop in our life but it is the holy ghost that came into you in the beginning it's the holy ghost that will keep you it's the Holy Ghost this kind of rapture you out of this world it's the Holy Ghost that's going to resurrect your dead body if you're gone when the Lord comes back it's the power of the Holy Ghost that set us free and saved our soul praise God praise God that's what Joel said amen one other text in Acts 19 I mentioned the Disciples of John the Baptist these revidently Jewish men they're following the teachings of John the Baptist that's all they know they believe that Messiah is coming they've been baptized under repentance Paul asked them if you received the Holy Ghost since you believed they said we didn't even know that there was a holy ghost or that it was available John told them it was coming so we know they had to know it was coming they didn't know that it was here this is 25 years into the book of Acts some translations say did you receive the Holy Ghost when you believe the essence is the same when you believed on the Lord it was then that the promise of the Holy Ghost was for you if you believed repented were baptized but they said we didn't even know you could receive the Holy Ghost he asked him how they're baptized they said unto John's baptism he clarifies that John's baptism was now obsolete that now baptism was in the name of Jesus Christ when they heard this verse 5 they were all baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus and then verse 6 on the screens and when Paul had laid his hands upon them and by the way for the last two Wednesday nights I've been teaching on the laying on of hands and praying with people to receive the gift of the Holy Ghost because it's not just our DNA or our history it is the promise of God we live in a world that is broken and sinful and away from God and what they need is what God has given us amen so we want to redouble our efforts and refocus ourselves on the mission to reach lost people verse 6 again and when Paul has laid his hands upon them the Holy Ghost came on them and they spake the tongues and prophesied and all the men were about 12 the power of the Holy Ghost amen God uses language as the initial sign of the Holy Ghost some people want to know why why maybe it's just one of the gifts of the Spirit like the tongues and interpretation and that happens in this church now you've got to have the spirit before you can have the gifts of the Spirit you've got to have electricity run to this building before you can have lights and sound and Technology amen the reason the gifts of the Spirit operate is Spirit-filled churches is that they have the spirit amen and then they let the spirit flow Paul said I pray with the spirit I pray with the understanding some people ask this question Paul asked it do all speak with tongues and then he said to all interpret we understand that Paul was saying do all have the gift of tongues they give a message in church do you all have the gift of interpretation to give the interpretation to that tongues and the answer is no not all believers have that gift but it is a use of speaking in tongues but it is not the initial sign of speaking in tongues it is an erroneous Doctrine that has messed up a lot of people to say that not everybody who receives the Holy Ghost speaks in tongues I'm not trying to condemn you I'm trying to encourage you and help you that you can speak in tongues you will speak in tongues you should speak in tongues in fact Paul said I thank my God I speak in tongues more than you all amen amen I want to read that verse First Corinthians 14 18. now in First Corinthians 12 13 14. those three chapters Paul breaks down the gifts of the Spirit Ministry he talks about how it works in the body of Christ and we're all members of that body not everyone has the same gifting in 13 that love chapter 14 he especially deals with tongues and prophecy and the abuse of that and how it should be used in the church Paul says in First Corinthians 14 18 I thank my God I speak with tongues more than you all now if he speaks in tongues more that means I speak in tongues less but it doesn't mean I don't speak in tongues at all but then Paul goes on to say but when I'm preaching in the church I'm going to speak a language people can understand I'm not going to stand up and just speak in tongues so no one understands I speak in tongues it's unto God and not unto men but he said I thank my God he did not disparage speaking in tongues he encouraged it in verse 4 of that chapter I mentioned it earlier that when you speak in an unknown tongue you edify yourself or you build yourself up amen it's a great wonderful thing and some people want to know why did God choose speaking in tongues well the first reason is he's God and he's Sovereign and he can do whatever he wants he could have chose the initial sign of that you wiggle your ears you hop up and down on one foot let your eyes twitch but God shows speaking in tongues now I think I have some reasoning I remember the Tower of Babel he confused languages and then at Pentecost he gave languages as a sign of the spirit when I was in secular College just a little bit my psychology professor said that language is the most complex human behavior you can study it for yourself vocal cords breath intonation it is hard to learn a new language but when you receive the gift of the Holy Ghost God then takes your mind and uses your tongue to speak in a language you never learned and then we have the writings of James that little book epistle in your Bible that James says nobody can tame the tongue everybody said stuff they wish they would not have said your tongue gets you in a lot of trouble James said it's set on fire of hell he said we can control a ship with the helm but we cannot control our tongue but James says when you speak in tongues he's not talking about tongues but when you receive the gift of the Holy Ghost God tames your tongue James 3 and 8. but the tongue can no maintain it is an unruly evil full of deadly poison now God does not just take your tongue and overrule everything now they've done neurological studies I don't want to get into this I didn't talk about this in the nine o'clock that when people speak in tongues a speech part of your brain seems to be inactive I don't want to try to use that as a Biblical proof but I know this when you speak in tongues you are not thinking up the words you're forming those words but it is a spirit that is working in your mind when you're speaking in tongues you have surrendered yourself to God in that moment so that God can speak to you in a language you never learn sign is speaking in tongues and you can receive the gift of the Holy Ghost you can speak in other tongues as the spirit gives you utterance if you're Spirit-filled you need to be Spirit Led Paul said that you should not be drunk with wine where in his excess but be filled with the spirit there's a lot of people who call themselves Pentecostals but have not let the spirit use their life and Lead their life and control their life they speak in tongues and then they walk out the door and they do not give God the control of their life I'm not saying that speaking in tongues is the proof that you're obeying God every day in your life I'm telling you that it is a universal initial sign of receiving the Holy Ghost and if you'll Surrender Your Life to God every step of the way you'll continue to speak in tongues over and over and over as you give your life to the Lord when Peter preached that famous sermon in the book of Acts at the end of that sermon they asked and asked Acts 2 37. just go to the end of that verse men and Brethren what shall we do and then the Apostle Peter told them in Acts 2 38. repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost so I ask you today have you received the Holy Ghost since you believed if not it is a promise and it is for you today let's bow our heads and pray right now I would like to ask you that as we pray right now that you ask Jesus Christ to forgive you of every known sin if you're a Believer or you would call yourself a sinner I would like to ask you to ask God to forgive you of every known sin right now if you have an addiction in your life that you cannot overcome you cannot break that addiction but God can what you can do is ask God to forgive you for abusing substances that have caused that addiction if there are things in your life that you cannot conquer you cannot conquer them alone God will conquer them in you if you will ask him to forgive you of the sin that has led to that captivity to that addiction or that bondage so right now everyone everywhere would you ask the Lord to forgive you foreign I pray in Jesus name Lord that you would forgive us of all filthiness of the Flesh and spirit I ask you God secret sins Lord thoughts and attitudes God that are not pleasing to you I pray that you would forgive us in Jesus name amen if you're able we'll just stand right now if you're a Believer Spirit-filled believer would you lift your hands to the Lord begin to thank him that he has given us truth to be saved he is helping us to come into the fullness of New Testament salvation we're not arrogant or condescending we do not have a corner on the gospel we're grateful that the Lord saved us it is amazing grace that saved a Wretch like Me I was lost but now I've found was blind but now I see dead in my sins but now I'm alive in God would you take a moment to lift your heart lift your hands lift your voice thank the Lord from the death of your soul thank the Lord