SERMON NOTES
4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.
1 Follow the way of love and eagerly desire gifts of the Spirit, especially prophecy. 2 For anyone who speaks in a tongue does not speak to people but to God. Indeed, no one understands them; they utter mysteries by the Spirit.
Being filled with the Holy Spirit enables a person to speak in a spiritual language as a way to be spiritually strengthened by communing directly with God in prayer.
3 But the one who prophesies speaks to people for their strengthening, encouraging and comfort. 4 Anyone who speaks in a tongue edifies themselves, but the one who prophesies edifies the church.
5 I would like every one of you to speak in tongues, but I would rather have you prophesy. The one who prophesies is greater than the one who speaks in tongues, unless someone interprets, so that the church may be edified.
13 For this reason the one who speaks in a tongue should pray that they may interpret what they say.
16 Otherwise when you are praising God in the Spirit, how can someone else, who is now put in the position of an inquirer, say “Amen” to your thanksgiving, since they do not know what you are saying? 17 You are giving thanks well enough, but no one else is edified.
For verbal gifts to strengthen the church, they must be understood, and function in an orderly manner. James 3:7-8 NIV
7 All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, 8 but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.
