The Purpose of Tongues | Senior Pastor Kenneth Carpenter

you're not already standing when you stand with me tonight and get your bibles out praise the lord everybody so good to see you in the house of the lord on this beautiful beautiful wednesday evening and to worship god in spirit to worship god in truth tonight and i guess everybody is still reminiscing on the wonderful easter service that we had and i told someone i said man fac maryville fac several we were hitting on all eight cylinders i mean everything was flowing great um wonderful service sunday night souls baptized jesus name souls receiving the sweet gift of the holy ghost i mean glad for the he's still pouring out the holy ghost today so thankful turn turn in your bibles with me to the book of john chapter 7 verse number 37 while you're looking for that i want you to circle a date in your calendar brother erickson did a great job of making announcements tonight but i want you to circle the date of may the 2nd may the 2nd it's just around the corner may the 2nd it's on a sunday and what we're going to be doing on may the 2nd in the morning service and the evening service we are going to be celebrating we're going to be celebrating we lived life so fast here there's if there's just one thing we could work on at fac we live life so fast uh that we take very little time out to celebrate past events such as anniversary i mean i mean if we were thin skinned about church anniversaries um wow we'd be hurt now we've got to be thick we we got to remember them wedding anniversaries now all right but we live life so fast around here you're going to have a hard time believing this but 40 years ago on may the 4th first apostolic church of maryville had their first church service on the corner of monroe and mcginley street 501 mcginley street over in alcoa that has been 40 years ago and we're going to be celebrating that on may the 2nd and an evangelist that was part of us in those early days is going to come all the way from carlsbad new mexico to be with us brother mike bingham is going to be preaching for us sunday morning and sunday night and go ahead and i'll tell him you're already clapping for him and he's not even got out of new mexico yet and it's just going to be a great time and we'll be going back over the history of our church and how good that god has how good god has been since 40 years ago when brother and sister are with their three boys and a handful of people opened up the doors and began to have apostolic church and we're here today because of that and i give thanks and i give honor john chapter 7 verse number 37 in the last day that great day of the feast jesus stood and cried saying if any man thirst let him come unto me and drink he that believeth on me as the scripture has said out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water but this spake of the spirit which they that believe on him should receive for the holy ghost was not yet given because jesus was not yet glorified just want to teach tonight the purpose of tongues the purpose of tongues put your bibles down had a lot of a lot of things but could we just tonight lift our hands and our hearts especially lift them up to god right now and just ask god to help us for the next few moments lord i need you tonight god i need you lord inside my my heart god i need you to direct my mind tonight i need you to help me to articulate i need you to help me lord to teach tonight lord we know that faith cometh by hearing and hearing by your word lord the more knowledge we have of your word the more revelation we have of your word god we hunger and thirst after you lord i pray for anyone here tonight that has not yet received the holy ghost i ask you lord to let the word cause faith to arise in their hearts lord you could fill them with the holy ghost tonight before they go home you want to give it to him lord god i just ask you to anoint us as a church help me lord to teach the people help me tonight in jesus name we pray amen amen you may be seated the bible tells us that we can't just believe upon jesus but john chapter 7 and verse number 38 informs you and i that we must believe on jesus as the scripture as the scripture has said can't just choose any way we believe on jesus we have to believe on jesus as the scripture has said we find that a spiritual or a scriptural a scriptural belief in jesus leads us to a spiritual experience in jesus that if we believe on him scripturally then we will experience a spiritual experience of the holy ghost of course here in john it simply said jesus cried at this feast and said if any man is thirsty let him come unto me and drink he that believeth on me as the scripture has said out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water there's nothing that will ever satisfy your thirst like the holy ghost there's nothing that will ever satisfy you you'll never might as well throw in the towel right now you might as well stop trying to earn enough you might as well stop trying to be enough you might as well stop whatever you're doing to fill that void in your life because that void can only be filled with the holy ghost jesus would later in john chapter 3 and verse number 1 there was a man of the pharisees named nicodemus a ruler of the jews it's interesting enough that this man is a religious man he's a religious man but let me inform you that religious people need the holy ghost religion will not satisfy you religion will not satisfy you and it's proven here in john 3 and 1 the same came to jesus by night and said unto him rabbi we know that thou art a teacher come from god for no man can do these miracles that thou doest except god be with him jesus answered and said unto him verily verily i say unto thee except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of god what jesus was saying to nicodemus nicodemus was informing jesus of what his religious group knew of him we know we he speaks on behalf of his religious group we know that you're a teacher come from god we know notice how close religion gets a teacher come from god he wasn't a teacher come from god he was god in flesh that was being a teacher we know that you're that that you're a teacher come from god for no man can do the miracles that you do except y'all be with him well see there again religion's just a little bit off it's not god with him it's god in him all right and then jesus says back to nicodemus i say unto you that except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of god in other words he he tactfully told this religious man you don't know what you're talking about you don't know what you're talking about because unless you're born again you cannot see the kingdom of god you you don't know what you're talking about you must be born again to see the kingdom to perceive it the kingdom nicodemus verse 4 saith unto him how can a man be born when he's old can he enter the second time into his mother's womb and be born i personally believe this is sarcasm here i believe he's being very sarcastic to jesus jesus answered don't you thankful jesus still can answer sarcastic people jesus answered verily verily i say unto thee except a man be born of water and of the spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of god that which is born to the flesh is flesh and that which is born to the spirit is spirit marvel not don't let it blow your mind marvel not don't don't don't let it amaze you marvel not that i said unto thee ye must be born again the wind bloweth where it listeth now here's the sound thereof but can't not tell whence it cometh and whether it goeth so is everyone that is born of the spirit now he's trying to explain to nicodemus what it will be like to receive the spirit he says in verse 8 the wind you want to underline that if you write in your bible like i do you ought to write you ought to make a little line from the word wind and go up to the closest place you can write something and you ought to write down acts 2 and 1. all right because there is a connection when jesus said the wind bloweth where it listeth that word listed there means a desire the wind goes wherever it desires the wind bloweth where it listeth where it desires thou hearst the sound thereof underline that thou hearst the sound thereof but can't not tell whence it cometh and whether it goeth so is everyone that is born of the spirit he talks about the mystery of the wind the mystery of the wind the wind blows wherever the wind desires to blow he spoke about the mystery of the wind and then he spoke about a second thing of the wind he spoke about a sound that the wind makes spoke about the wind will blow wherever it desires whatever it desires upon and when the wind comes the wind will make a sound well i told you to underline acts 2 and 1. let's go there acts chapter 2. and verse number 1. and when the day of pentecost was fully come they were all with one accord in one place now jesus said the wind blows where it listeth that word listed there means again desire where the desire is can i tell you that god desires to rest upon unity god desires unity they were all the these the 120 disciples of jesus when the when the day of pentecost was fully come they were all with one accord that's unity they all had one unity and they were all in one place let me stop here and pastor for just a second if there's something that we have to protect when we come together to worship is unity we must protect our unity you've got to understand if the devil doesn't fight you all the way to church he'll try to set a trap up for you in church we must keep our unity if there's a subject that can wait till after church let it wait till after church if there's an unpleasant conversation that you need to have have it at starbucks but don't have it here in our lobby i told you i was going to pastor i'm teaching i'm going to put my teaching coat back on a minute you know why because what happens here determines on how unified that we are they were all in one accord one place and suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty what wind and it filled all the house where they were sitting and there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as a fire and it set up on each of them and they were all filled with the holy ghost and began to speak with other tongues as the spirit gave them utterance they began to speak in other languages unknown to them as the spirit underlined the word utterance as the spirit gave the utterance or the ability the spirit gave the ability now i am still a firm believer that people can get the holy ghost with without our help matter of fact sometimes overzealous people actually get in the way of people getting the holy ghost hold on turn loose holding people's arms up giving them fast jabs on the back matter of fact it's in the grand it's in the very preliminary stages right now but i believe as god has increased our number and increased our influence to be able to reach people that have absolutely no knowledge of pentecost we have to become wise on how we go about approaching them we're actually going to have we're actually going to work on having certified altar workers men and women that have been trained men and women that have been trained on how to look for sometimes some sometimes what that person what that person is needing is not more people talking in their ear they need some word they need some they need some word and i don't get into this and i stop it if i i don't i'm not really i've not seen it here but this stuff of hitting people up under the chin and you know the bible said as a spirit gay veterans as a spirit gave utterance and now that precious uriah mayo that got the holy ghost sunday night he got it scripturally he got it his scripture because brother hammond was preaching and he preached the gospel did he not and faith started like like a like a pot of water just boiling on the stove his faith just kept kept going kept going kept going kept going he was trying to get to the end of his notes and god was saying i'm going to boil this thing over right now i'm just going to and i stand over here and the lord said go over there and lay hands on uriah and i just walked over as the scripture said laid my hand right on his head didn't didn't jerk him i said uriah i want you to receive the holy ghost tonight he shook his head he did and no no sooner i said that i mean he got the holy ghost so powerfully so fluently he just spoke in tongues i'm telling you god will pour out the holy ghost as the spirit gives the utterance such ridiculous stuff that you hear nowadays of churches that can't won't pray the power down so they have to they have to make up their own man-made ways of saying people get the holy ghost such as telling them just say anything god will get in it i'm sorry that's not the holy ghost just make sounds god will get it you'll get it that is not the holy ghost when you get the holy ghost let me tell you you're going to know that you know that you know all right you're going to know that you've received the gift of the holy ghost as the spirit gave them the utterance well here's what i'm going to talk to us about just for a moment this was nothing new in the mind of god god had for some time desired to be back into man sin it was sin if you'd join me in the book of joel the book of joel chapter number the book of joel chapter number 2. joel chapter 2 and verse number 28 now again this baptism of the holy ghost is nothing new with god god had prophesied through prophets had foretold through prophets of putting his spirit back into man just like when mary conceived and she was a virgin that wasn't a new thing god had foretold about it many years before that the birthplace the virgin the trip to egypt his crucifixion all these things god had already foretold and we have no problem believing that but can i also inform the church tonight that god had info god had foretold about the outpouring of the holy ghost god had already foretold about that also look at joel chapter 2 and verse number 28 and it shall come to pass afterward that i will pour out of my spirit upon all flesh and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy your old men shall dream dreams and your young men shall see visions and also upon the servants and upon the handmaidens of those days i will pour out my spirit god had been foretelling just like he had foretold about bethlehem and the virgin birth god had been foretelling i'm going to pour out my spirit and i'm going to pour out my spirit upon all flesh turn with me to ezekiel the book of ezekiel chapter number 38 ezekiel excuse me ezekiel chapter number 36 ezekiel 36 and verse number 26 listen to god a new heart also i will give you and a new spirit a new spirit ezekiel 36 26 a new heart also will i give you and a new spirit will i put within you and i will take away the stony heart out of your flesh and i will give you a heart of flesh i will put my spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statues and you shall keep my judgments and you shall keep my judgments and you shall do them in the last days i will pour out of my spirit god says through ezekiel god says through ezekiel i'm going to give you a new heart i'm going to give you a heart of flesh versus a heart of stone i'm going to give you a heart that can be touched i'm going to give you a heart that is a living heart not a heart of stone not hard not a heart that can't be touched i'm going to give you a i'm going to give you a living heart and so this came to pass going back with me if you would this came to pass on the day of pentecost when the holy ghost came and like a sound of a mighty rushing wind filled all the house and the tongues of fire set upon them and they were all filled with the holy ghost and begin to speak with other tongues as the spirit gave them utterance now i want you to listen to this now thank you god for giving us a sign that we had received the holy ghost thank you god that you gave a uniform sign that the holy ghost had filled someone and according to the scripture that uniform sign that informs you that you have been filled with the holy ghost is speaking a language unknown to you thank you god thank you god it's not left up to the scale of emotions thank you god you said when you move into the house that you will speak and when you speak when you speak when you speak that will be an initial sign that you have moved into the house you had moved in to the house i heard a little young lady at christian school competition give a speech about speaking in tongues and in in her speech her oratory she she told about those who say that speaking in tongues is not for us today and she made one little statement she said who in this audience tonight would purchase a house and be told once you move into this house you cannot say nothing who would buy a house and the claws would be when you move into the house you cannot speak and she said god purchased us and when god comes into our hearts god speaks a language to let us know i have come into your heart speaking in tongues becomes the initial sign in the new testament that one has received the gift of the holy ghost i'd like to read er just take acts if you could kind of go down with me because a lot of the a lot of erroneous teachings come about speaking in tongues you'll hear people tell you that they spoke in tongues on the day of pentecost in different languages to preach the gospel the problem with that the problem with that is it's not it's not so and the reason we know it's not so acts chapter 2 and verse 11 if anybody tells you this and and as a pastor and i guess i'm always i'm always gravitating to our youth i'm always kind of gravitating to them a little bit because they are the ones getting bombarded with questions they're the ones that that may hear uh on television or radio well on the day of pentecost they spoke in these different languages to preach the gospel but acts 2 and 11 tells you exactly what they were speaking it lists it lists languages that were spoken greeks and arabians we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of god they were all amazed and were in doubt saying one to another what mean it this others mocking said these men are full of new wine but peter standing up with the eleven lifted up his voice lifted up his voice lifted up his voice he is no longer speaking in an unknown tongue to him he has lifted up his voice and said unto them you men of judea and all you that dwell at jerusalem be this known unto you and hearken to my words now from verse number 14 all the way down to verse number 36 church strong tower peter preached in his own tongue his own language the only saving message the only message the death the burial the resurrection of the lord jesus christ he says in verse 36 therefore let all the house of israel know assuredly that god hath made that same jesus whom you crucified both lord and christ now when they heard this they were pricked in their heart and said unto peter and to the rest of the apostles men and brethren what shall we do if they were preaching the gospel acts chapter 37 what shall we do should be at acts chapter 2 and 12 and they were all amazed and were in doubt saying what mean at this just hearing them giving god praise in their own native language did not convict their heart brother nolan just hearing about what were they saying they were saying the wonderful works of god well what what was it well i tell you one of the wonderful works of god is in the beginning god created the heavens and the earth that's a pretty good work i'll tell you another one he split a red sea or i'll tell you another one he kept three men safe in a fiery furnace or i'll tell you another one he kept a man safe in a lion's dinner i'll tell you another one he let bread come down from heaven or i'll tell you another one he spit i don't know what it was but i can tell you what it wasn't it wasn't the death burial and resurrection of jesus christ that didn't happen they were not convicted until they heard the message and when they heard the message and they said men and brethren what shall we do then peter said unto them repent and be baptized that's two acts 2 and 38 repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of jesus christ for the remission of sins and ye shall receive the gift of the holy ghost for the promise is unto you for the promise is unto you don't let anybody tell you the holy ghost was only for the day of pentecost and only for a select few he says for the promises are unto you what promise what promise acts 1 and 4 tells you what the promise is and being assembled together with them commanded them that they should not depart from jerusalem but wait but wait wait look here does your bible turn red right here that's the words of jesus wait for the promise of the father which saith he you've heard of me for john truly baptized with water but ye shall be baptized with the holy ghost not many days hence what is the promise the promise is the baptism of the holy ghost that's the promise the baptism of the holy ghost that is the promise of god and he says for the promise is unto you and to your children and to those that are afar off even as many as the lord our god shall call and with many other words did he testify and exhort saying save yourselves from this untoward generation then they that gladly received his word were baptized and the same day there were added unto them about 3 000 souls that were added unto the church the church started with 120 and they were added unto them about 3 000 souls we said well brother carpenter doesn't say they got the holy ghost well it does look with me in first corinthians chapter 12 that was added unto the church about three thousand souls first corinthians 12 and 13. they were added unto them excuse me they were added unto them about 3 000 souls added unto who added unto the church because the 120 are the spirit-filled church the and twenty received the holy ghost and three thousand was added to them how were they added first corinthians twelve and thirteen four by one spirit are we all baptized into one body whether we be jews or gentiles whether we be bond or free and have all been made to drink in to one spirit doesn't have to say they received the holy ghost it said it was added unto the church and how you get added to the church is not a church vote a deacon board joined shaking a right hand coming up front how you get in the church is you are baptized by the holy ghost by one spirit into the body of christ thank you lord thank you god for being for that you have baptized us into your body but they didn't stop there verse chapter 2 and verse number 41 of acts then they that gladly received his word were baptized the same day they were added unto them about 3 000 souls and they continued steadfastly in the apostles doctrine and fellowship and in breaking of bread and in prayers thank god for the apostles doctrine thank god for the apostles doctrine thank god they were baptized by one spirit into one body now turn over with me to the chapter 8 of the book of acts verse number 5 then philip went down acts 8 and 5 then phil went down to the city of samaria preached christ unto them and the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which philip spake hearing and seeing the miracles which he did now you got to understand that he moved this moves from the jews the samaritans because there's teaching that that only the jews received the holy ghost i've even heard so so-called educated men trying to explain why the early church baptized in jesus name said that god was punishing the jews and making them wear the stigma of the name of the one they had crucified but said later church developments have the christians now being baptized in the fullness of god repeating the words father son and holy ghost church don't young folks don't buy into that don't don't buy into that if they were being baptized as a as a stigma it would have said so but the bible tells us exactly why we are baptized immersed in water is for the remission of our sins but now they go down to the samaritans philip goes down and he starts preaching christ death burial and resurrection people get in one mind miracles begin to happen verse 7 for unclean spirits crying with loud voice came out of many that were possessed with them and many taken with palsies and that were lame were healed and there was great joy in that city please don't ever mistake having emotional joy for having the baptism of the holy ghost because you can have great joy and not have the baptism of the holy ghost it's right here they had great joy but they did not have the baptism of the holy ghost and i'll show you but there was a certain man called simon which before time in the same city used sorcery and bewitched the people of samaria given out that himself was some great one to whom they all gave heed from the least to the greatest saying this man is the great power of god and to him they had regard because that of a long time he had bewitched them with sorceries but when they believed philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of god and the name of jesus christ they were baptized both men and women don't believe you got the holy ghost because you got baptized they got baptized but they still do not have the baptism of the holy ghost then simon himself believed also and when he was baptized he continued with philip wondering and beholding the miracles and signs which were done now when the apostles which were at jerusalem heard that samaria had received the word of god they sent unto them peter and john now the disciples are at jerusalem you study it out you'll find that they are there for a reason great persecution has fallen upon the church and they have been scattered peter and john the apostles thought it best to stay at jerusalem there they would probably have their greatest safety if they stayed there but when they heard that samaria had received the word of god they sent unto them peter and john okay why do i need to leave they sent for them i mean you've got a healing revival going on why sin for peter and john i mean they're being baptized in jesus name why sin for peter and john i mean great things are happening why sin for peter and john verse 15. who when they were come down prayed for them well what are you going to pray for more miracles were you going to pray for more baptisms that they might receive the holy ghost for for as yet he was i'll and i've underlined it in my bible you ought to underline it in yours fallen upon none of them fallen upon none of them for as yet he was fallen i like fallen upon none of them only they were baptized in the name of the lord jesus then lay they their hands on them and they received the holy ghost and when simon saw that through the laying on of the apostles hands the holy ghost was given he offered them money saying give me also this power i will give you money give me this power give me also this power that on whomsoever i lay hands he may receive the holy ghost now i'm going to use this because a lot of times folks will say brother carpenter they got the holy ghost and it doesn't say they spoke in tongues it doesn't say it it doesn't have to the precedence has already been set acts chapter 2 verse number 1 1 through 4 has already set the precedence when they received it on the day of pentecost it set the standard and the standard was when the holy ghost baptism comes in the person being baptized will speak with other tongues for example i i stand here brother brother brandon i'll be standing here talking to you and here come your brother-in-law brother carl around the corner in the car and i'd say hey brandon look at there there comes there comes your brother in a car with wheels on it you might say wheels why you said car the precedence has already been set if it's a car it's got wheels on it it doesn't have to say and they're smoking tons that's already been set but now let's examine it for a moment there had to be something external because this man named simon said when peter and john came down and prayed for them that they might receive the holy ghost and then they laid their hands on them and they received it simon said whoa wait a minute i said i'll give you some money right now let me how much you want i'll give you some money right now that you'll give me this power that on whomsoever i lay my hands they may receive i don't know what they did i know one thing they did they spoke in tongues i don't know if they shook jumped i don't know if they cried but it was so moving that simon would get his billfold out and say how much would it be how much it wasn't under this quiet meditation of it accepting accepting him because that's what happens nowadays they tell you false teaching false teaching says when you believe upon jesus christ as your lord and savior and you accept him i got i got problems with the termina accept it and the way i got it figured out is he's god it's not me accepting him i'm going to accept you god it's it's me sinner boy hell bound needing the blood of a precious god it's not god i accept you it's god would you accept me but you see you see how messed up brother thorpe you see how messed up religion is but then they have to tell you that once you believe upon jesus christ and accept him as your personal savior i guess that's in the line of a personal trainer right you accept him as your personal savior that you've automatically received the holy ghost now there's so much that we don't even have time we would be opening a breakfast bar up if i kept on right now tonight but there's so many scriptures one is one is one of the famous scriptures is the apostle paul running into disciples and saying have you received the holy ghost cinch you believe power something happened and that was the power of the holy ghost remember what i read he had thought he was falling upon none of them and then in acts chapter 10 verse number 44 peter is summonsed down to a full-blooded gentile's house there peter takes six witnesses with him peter's pretty smart i guess he figured if i'm gonna get in trouble you know might as well not get in trouble by myself i'll take six six jewish brethren with me i'll take take six i'll take six jewish brethren with me i'll take six with me and so he goes down to the house of cornelius and he preaches once again strong tower the only death burial and resurrection message the only saving message in acts chapter 10 verse 44 while peter yet spake these words the holy ghost fell on all them which heard the word and they of the circumcision that's the jews which believed were astonished as many as came with peter because on the gentiles also was poured out the gift of the holy ghost for they heard them speak with tongues and magnify god then answered peter can any man forbid water that these should not be baptized which have received the holy ghost as well as we listen to that they got it some different way on the day of pentecost when peter and the six other jewish friends there with him saw the gentiles saw the holy ghost fall on them and they began to speak in another tongue another language peter stopped and he said after being astonished he stopped and he said men can any of you tell me one reason why i shouldn't offer baptism to these gentiles and they couldn't give a reason and verse number 48 says and he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the lord then pray they him to tarry certain days there you have it acts 2 they spoke in other tongues acts 10 they spoke another tongue and using the law of common sense acts 8 they spoke in other tongues now you do know that peter god in a little trouble acts chapter 11 peter got into trouble with the apostles where which were at jerusalem because he went into the house of gentiles and they called him up and they asked him to give an answer and in acts chapter 11 verse 4 peter is rehearsing to the brethren but peter rehearsed the matter from the beginning and expounded it by order unto them saying i was in the city of joppa praying and in a trance i saw a vision a certain vessel descend as it had been a great sheet let down from heaven by four corners and it came even to me upon the which when i had fastened mine eyes i considered and saw a four-footed beast of the earth and wild beasts and creeping things and foul of the air things he couldn't eat that were unclean animals i heard a voice saying unto me arise peter slay and eat but i said not so lord for nothing common or unclean at any time hath entered into my mouth but the voice answered me again from heaven what god hath cleansed that call thou not common this was done three times and all were drawn up again into heaven behold immediately there were three men already come unto the house where i was sent from caesarea unto me and the spirit made me go with them nothing doubting moreover these six brethren accompanied me and we entered into the man's house he showed us how he had seen an angel in his house which stood and and said unto him here's what the angel told cornelius send men to joppa and call for simon whose surname is peter who shall tell thee words whereby thou and all thy house shall be what saved they were not saved until peter took the message to him they were not saved and we've got to really understand some things their folks are going to be lost we have got to get busy with it's not a day for us to straddle the fence on our doctrine it is not that it's not our doctrine to straddle the fence on it's the apostles doctrine and and we will be held in account of whether we declare the whole counsel of god folks folks are going to be lost we need to be telling people that have been misled we need to be telling them you don't have the holy ghost you you need the baptism of the holy now you have to do it tactfully and you have to have the you have to have the right door you have to be wise in how you go about it but i'm going to tell you something when god sends a hungry person your way walk through the door walk through the door let them know man it's good what you've got you've got a good beginning you've got jesus christ the death on a cross but you need to receive heaven's sweet holy ghost god wants to baptize you and you will speak in another language as you are filled with the holy ghost who shall tell thee words whereby thou and all thy house shall be saved and as i begin to speak listen to peter the holy ghost fell on them as on us at the beginning and as i began to speak the holy ghost fell on them as it did us at the beginning although it's eight or ten years later none of this stuff they got it on the day that the people got it on the day of pentecost was a one-time thing and it never has happened before nor since no no no peter said when i started preaching the death burial and resurrection of jesus christ and said the holy ghost fell on them brothers as it did on us at the beginning then remembered ah the word of the lord he said i remembered something jesus said i remember something jesus said do you know what do you know what keeps people from going on in feather truth being content with what incomplete truth they have he said then remembered i the word of the lord how that he said john indeed baptized with water but you shall be baptized with the holy ghost you know what jesus was trying to say john was powerful john shook the region with his preaching the multitudes came out to be baptized of john in the jordan river he was a region-shaking preacher he was a powerful conventional preacher but jesus gave a warning he said john has baptized you with water but don't you be content with what john did you're going to be baptized with the holy ghost not many days hence church god has something greater for our city god has something greater for the denominate people in our city and here we are with the truth tonight we need to tell them john baptized with water but you can be baptized with the holy ghost you can have a greater experience than just having john to baptize you listen to verse 17 for as much then as god gave them the light gift as he did unto us who believed on the lord jesus christ what was i that i could withstand god he said when i looked around and saw that they had received the holy ghost just like we did what was i who was i that i could withstand god that's why i commanded them to be baptized in the name of jesus peter rested his case in verse 18 they rendered the verdict and when when they heard these things they held their peace and glorified god saying then hath god also to the gentiles granted repentance to life this speaking with other tongues acts chapter 19 verse number one thank you god for this sign thank you lord for the wonderful initial we call it the initial we call it the initial the initial sign thank you god thank you for that initial sign that we received when you filled us with the holy ghost acts chapter 19 verse 1 and it came to pass that while apollos was at corinth paul having passed through the upper coast came to ephesus and finding certain disciples he said unto them have ye received the holy ghost since he believed and they said unto him we have not so much as heard whether there be any holy ghost can i tell you today that i believe that we are in a sea of people that just need some good explaining done to them all they've ever heard it was for the jews most people they don't read their bibles all they've ever heard it's for it was for the jews on the day of pentecost that made enough sense to them all they've ever heard is you automatically receive the spirit when you receive christ sincere people but you can be sincerely wrong you can be sincerely wrong and let me tell you this you can also be sincerely lost you can think one night i was going somewhere to preach and i decided to take a shortcut through the mountains and every everything the pastor told me that i would see along the way i began to see he said there'd be a long metal building and you'll pass over some train tracks and but as we got closer to 7 30 there was a few little red lights i was out in the middle of nowhere and i was just humming along i was just having a good time making my way to that revival but finally when i pulled over and called the pastor and i heard the piano playing in the background i said brother i can't find that that gas station in that red light i was an hour away from the church i had went left when i should have went right all the signs along the way told me i was it was a long metal building or at least i made it out to be a long metal building it was train tracks it wasn't right by the building but it was 10 miles on past it i there was there was some train track was that sincere sure i was was i going the wrong direction i was it's a lot of people sincere but they're sincerely wrong and sincerely lost and we we have got to to take notes and we have got to help reach these people re reach our loved ones don't don't be content that you've got loved ones that are sincerely wrong pray for them look for an opportunity to open a door and witness to them and buy buy the the cd of the night service tell them get online and watch our pastor man he was he was teaching on this tonight have you received the holy ghost since you believed and they said unto him we have not so much as heard whether there be any holy ghost and he said unto them you've not heard about the holy ghost he said unto them unto unto what then were you baptized you've not heard of the holy ghost and how were you baptized and they said unto him and they sent unto john's baptism see paul knew how to answer he said you've not heard of the holy ghost well tell me how you're baptized because the opposite of that is if you're baptized in jesus name don't you hear that don't you hear them when they baptize i now indeed upon the profession of your face so and so upon the profession of your faith profession of your faith and in obedience to the word of god i now indeed baptize you in the name of the lord jesus christ for the remission of your sins and you shall receive or and they've already or you shall receive the gift of the holy see the enemy knew what he was doing when he messed up water baptism because when you mess up water baptism you derail the gospel because when you're baptized in jesus name there is the attachment of the baptism of the holy ghost they said we were baptized under john's baptism now i don't care what hollywood teaches i don't care what hollywood does hollywood don't even know how to be biblical hollywood calls taking a handful of water and pouring it over your head baptism well i'm not listen john the baptize john the baptist baptized saying the words father son the holy ghost it's in the bible it ain't in the bible well i saw it on a movie that's right that's right but you know there's a lot of sincere people going the wrong direction sincerely lost they said i saw it on the movie that john the baptist be baptized john didn't say john didn't say anything it was a baptism the show you had repented it was the baptism that show you had repented they said unto john's baptism then said paul john verily baptized with the baptism of repentance saying unto the people that they should believe on him which should come after him that is on christ jesus what did john say i'm not him but there's one coming after me whose shoe latchets or shoestrings i'm not worthy to loose he shall baptize you with the holy ghost when they heard this they were baptized in the name of the lord jesus and when paul had laid his hands upon them the holy ghost came on them and they spoke with tongues and prophesied and all the men were about twelve brothers and sisters tonight i will continue this teaching on the subject of tongues because there are three types of tongues in your new testament there is tongues as the initial sign that you have received the holy ghost of which i taught you tonight on the second thing there is the gift of tongues and interpretation there's nine spiritual gifts to the church nine of them nine spiritual gifts to the church one of the gifts of the spirit is the gift of tongues and the interpretation of the tongue and i'll plainly say it tonight as paul said it do all speak with tongues and the answer is no do all interpret and the answer is no but now you're totally confusing me no don't be confused not all of us in this room have the gift of tongues and interpretation not all of us have one of the nine gifts not all of us have the gift of tongues interpretation but if you've got the baptism of the holy ghost you received the initial sign and that sign is speaking in a heavenly language now the third tongue and i'll i'll spin that i'll just put that to the side the third tongue is praying in tongues praying in tongues there was a nominal that was a denominal pastor and i won't say his denomination he might think i'm throwing off on him a denominal pastor and his wife at one of our sunday evening services the next day i ran into that pastor in town and i asked the pastor i said it was so good to have you and your wife with us last night in service he said oh he said it was a highlight to us and um he said my wife received her prayer tongue last night i said she received a prayer tongue last night he said yes she she received the most beautiful prayer language last night another another tongue i said she received the gift of tongues prayer language he said the gift of truth said my wife received the gift of tongues last night and i said had your wife ever spoke that tongue before she said never never never before she had never spoke that tongue before well here's the confusion the world teaches that you believed and you're saved and then if you speak in tongues that's a prayer language now biblically you know what that woman received that woman received the holy ghost that's what she that's what she received and so there's the initial sign when you receive the holy ghost 10 out of 10 we'll speak with tongues it's the uniform sign god gave you can have it don't stress out over it just get on the promise of god repent of your sins ask god to search your heart be sincere surrendering your life to god be baptized if you've not been baptized in water in the name of jesus christ that's attached the promise of the holy ghost be baptized in jesus name for the remission of your sins and the gift of the holy ghost is yours it's not hard to receive it you get hungry for it he desires to come down and he desires to give it to you church family tonight i'm so glad for the truth i'm so glad for the holy ghost would you just stand with me right now could we just end our service by just thanking god tonight lord i thank you for the holy ghost god i thank you for the wonderful gift of the holy ghost god lord i thank you god that you gave us the gift of the holy ghost i thank you lord that you shed your blood lord you purchased lord the highway lord you purchase lord away and i lord i just ask you tonight god i just praise you right now god lord i thank you for the holy ghost come on let's just thank him right now just just take a moment and thank him tonight thank you lord for the wonderful gift of the holy ghost thank you lord for your spirit that abides deep down in my soul lord lord i just praise you tonight lord i thank you tonight god father i just ask you to let this message be in the hearts of our strong tower students i i just i just ask you tonight lord help us god as we must be witnessing lord god we must witness lord to this lost and dying world we must witness lord to people that that they believe they're saved they're they're sincere they they believe they're going the right direction lord help us god put us in their pathway lord help us lord to be a light to them god father keep your hands upon us lord between now and sunday lord shine us lord may we be a witness wherever we're at lord may we bring souls back sunday to hear your word and to be given an opportunity to be baptized an opportunity lord to be filled with the holy ghost we'll give you praise and honor and glory in jesus wonderful name we pray amen and amen god bless you all you're dismissed in jesus name tonight