Category: church history

Text: John 14:15-18

(15)  If ye love me, keep my commandments.

(16)  And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;

(17)  Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.

(18)  I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.

Isaiah 55:10-11, “For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.”

The Promise[1]

God keeps His promises.

Matthew 16:18, “And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”

At no time on earth since Acts 2 has there been a moment when there wasn’t a Spirit-filled believer.

God’s Word is forever settled in Heaven and will accomplish its goal.  There are generally, two types of promises God makes with man in the Bible:

1. Unconditional – The promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob did not depend on any future action on their part because they were unconditional and would come to pass regardless of anything that these men did or didn’t do:
   • Genesis 12:1-3 [sevenfold blessing], “(1) Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee:  (2)  And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:  (3)  And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.
   • Genesis 15:13-18, “(13) And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years;  (14)  And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance.  (15)  And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age.  (16)  But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full.  (17)  And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces.  (18)  In the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates:Galatians 3:15-18, “(15) Brethren, I speak after the manner of men; Though it be but a man’s covenant, yet if it be confirmed, no man disannulleth, or addeth thereto.  (16)  Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.  (17)  And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect.  (18)  For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise.”
   • Joel 2:28-29, “And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit.”
   • Isaiah 28:11-12, “For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people.  To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear.”
2. Conditional – The Bible contains “if…then” statements.  These are requirements that you must meet to receive the promise.  They represent future acts that must be obeyed to receive the full promise:
   • 2 Chronicles 7:14, “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
   • Acts 2:37-39, “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? Then Peter said unto them, 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, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.”

Some ask, “Why Tongues?”[2]

1. God is not accountable to us for what He chooses to so.  He is Sovereign, Creator, Sustainer, Redeemer, Savior…He is GOD.
2. Tongues is an initial external sign that must be followed by the continuing evidence of Fruit of the Spirit.
   1. Gal. 5:22-23, “…the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance…”
   1. John 3:8, “The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.”
3. It is the consistent pattern of evidence established by God as essential in the New Birth:
   1. 1 Corinthians 12:13, “For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.”
      1. Acts 2:4, “And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”
      1. Acts 10:46, “For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God.”
      1. Acts 19:6, “And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied.”
4. The tongue is the most unruly member of the body and when you receive the Holy Ghost speaking in tongues you are allowing God to control the most expressive part of your personality.  Man’s expression of emotion, intelligence, and communication is articulated through the tongue.

T. F. Tenney asked, “Why not tongues?”

Virtually the entire third chapter of James is devoted to admonishing the church to beware of that little member that boasts of great things. James goes on to refer to the tongue as a fire, and says that it is capable of defiling the whole body. Did you ever hear of fighting fire with fire? This is exactly what happens when the fire of God’s Spirit enters a man and gains control of his tongue.[3]

James refers to the tongue as the most unruly and hard-to-tame member of the body. Is there any wonder that God has chosen this sign to indicate complete submission to Him. The overpowering blaze of the Holy Spirit neutralizes the burning embers of the carnal tongue. At last the most unruly member of the body is conquered, and the Holy Spirit declares through it in a language known only to God, that Christ has been enthroned in the heart of the believer.[4]

Supernatural? Of course! But when we rob Christianity of its supernatural impetus, we have destroyed its vitality and passion.[5]

Some say, “It’s just for the Apostles and Early Church…”

            Irenaeus (died 202): “In like manner we do also hear many brethren in the Church, who possess prophetic gifts, and who through the Spirit speak all kinds of languages, and bring to light for the general benefit the hidden things of men, and declare the mysteries of God.”[6]

            Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179: “sang in unknown words with such facility and winsomeness that her utterances were known as ‘concerts in the Spirit’.”[7]

            The Waldenses (c. 1217): these followers of Peter Waldo believed in visions and prophecies.[8] Both healing and speaking in tongues were manifested among these heavily persecuted Christians.[9]

            Early Quakers: “We received often the pouring down of the Spirit upon us, and our hearts were made glad and our tongues loosed and our mouths opened, and we spake with new tongues as the Lord gave utterance, and as His Spirit led us.”[10]

            John Wesley: People in Wesley’s meetings would be filled with the Holy Ghost while he preached.[11]

                    Thomas Walsh: (one of Wesley’s foremost preachers) made this entry in his diary; “This morning the Lord gave me a language that I knew not of, raising my soul to Him in a wonderful manner.”[12]

                    In England (1830) there was a revival under Edward Irving where gifts of the Spirit were manifested. One member of the congregations writes: “The moment I am visited with the Spirit, and carried out to God in a tongue which I know not… I am more conscious than ever of the presence of God. He and He alone is in my soul. I am filled with some form of the mind of God, be it joy or grief, desire, love, pity, compassion, or indignation; and I am made to utter it in words which are full of power over my spirit, but not being accessible to my understanding, my devotion is not interrupted by association of suggestions from the visible or intellectual world: I feel myself, as it were, shut in with God in His pavilion, and hidden close from the invasions of the world, the devil, and the flesh.”[13]

                    Charles G. Finney: “I received a mighty baptism in the Holy Ghost…No words can express the wonderful love that was shed abroad in my heart. I wept aloud with joy and love; and I do not know but I should say, I literally bellowed out the unutterable gushings of my heart.”[14]

                    D. L. Moody: “On the following Sunday night, when I got to the rooms of the Y.M.C.A. I found the meetings on fire. The young men were speaking in tongues and prophesying. What on earth did it all mean? Only that Moody had been addressing them that afternoon.”[15] At a meeting in Los Angeles, Dr. R.A. Torrey told of a service in London where Moody took the pulpit to preach and instead broke into another language. He tried again, with similar results. The third time, after prayer and praise, he was able to preach his message.[16]

                    Charles H. Spurgeon: A British preacher told how Spurgeon once asked his audience to forgive him that when he got especially happy in the Lord, “I break forth into a kind of gibberish which I do not myself understand.”[17]

How Do I Receive this Phenomenon of the Holy Ghost?[18]

1. Prepare your heart by obeying Acts 2:38 (Repent).
2. Understand that God wants you to receive His gift as much as you want it…just ask Him for the Holy Ghost: “If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?” (Luke 11:13)
3. You must be hunger to receive His Spirit.
   1. Matthew 5:6, “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.”
   1. James 4:8, “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.”
4. Expect to receive: “And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied” (Acts 19:6).
5. Believe to receive: John 7:38-39, “He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.  (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)”
6. Relax!!

Promise of Christ’s Return:

            1 Corinthians 15:51-56, “51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. 55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? 56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Praying Someone Through to the Holy Ghost[19]

* Instruction in receiving Holy Ghost is NOT teaching someone to speak in tongues. It is the strategic practice of removing common roadblocks that keep people from receiving the Holy Ghost and speaking with tongues. *

1. You must believe God wants to filled EVERYONE with the Holy Ghost and that God will work through you and confirm your words. Stop worrying about looking foolish. Surrender your fears about ego for the cause of the Gospel.
2. You must conquer your personal fear…trust that God will come through – Take a risk
3. Talk clearly and avoid distractions.
   • Do not speak in Christianese.
   • Do not talk too fast.
   • They must understand what the Holy Ghost is and how to yield to it.
   • Don’t spit on them.
   • Make sure you have pleasant breath.
   • Be certain that they can hear you.
4. Ask them if they would “like to receive the Holy Ghost.”
5. Explain repentance in simple terms – do not expect the exact result you had.
   • I usually try to connect them with what they are saying WHILE they are saying it. (Come on, _____You’ve got to mean it when you say it…etc)
6. Stop them and ask if they “meant what they said.” – according to scripture they are “forgiven.”
   • Luke 11:9-10, “And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.”
7. Explain what happens next…and BUILD THEIR FAITH.
   • “Are you ready to receive the Holy Ghost?”
   • The Holy Ghost is a gift (Don’t beg, plead or even ask…just receive).All you have to do is lift your hands (as a sign of surrender) and begin to say out loud, “thank you Jesus for the Holy Ghost…”
   • There will come a point VERY QUICKLY…that sounds will come to your mind that you will not understand. When that happens you MUST speak out those sounds (sometimes I ask, “will you do that”).
8. If the individual is not following your instruction, the chances are very low that they will receive the Holy Ghost. Tell them, “I’m going to lay my hands on your head just like they did in the Bible and when I do the same thing that happened then is going to happen to you. You will receive the Holy Ghost….BUT remember YOU must speak out those things that come to your mind. YOU have to speak the sounds out but the Holy Ghost will tell you what to say.” Ask them “When you hear those sounds will you speak it out?” (have them answer verbally…not nodding their head.)
9. Have them begin “before” you lay hands on them, then lay hands on them.
   • Sidenote: (The practice of “laying on of hands”) – Forehead wrist to elbow. No weird massaging. I rarely lay hands on them until the last possible moment.
10. Once they receive the Holy Ghost confirm it…almost EVERYONE has doubts.
    • Ask them 1^st: “Did you hear yourself speak in tongues?”
    • Then: “So did God just fill you with the Holy Ghost?”
11. Don’t allow someone to develop a habit of “seeking” for the Holy Ghost. Stop them after 2 or 3 minutes and build their faith.
    • Make sure they’ve really repented.
    • Encourage them.
12. Close the deal with Baptism – Don’t ask…tell them they need to
    • (politely command).
    • (The disciples weren’t shy about commanding baptism).
13. *** Be Sure to write down their contact information *** (This is how we begin the crucial process of discipleship).

Altar & Prayer Instructions[20]

Prayer 1—Focus on Talking to Jesus

Let’s close our eyes and invite Jesus to talk with us right now

<<Pray a simple prayer asking Jesus to speak and touch the hearts of everyone there>>

Jesus is here with us. The Bible says everyone has a bit of faith inside, and we can use that faith to talk to Jesus. Showing Jesus that we have faith makes Him happy.

We need Jesus. Life without Him is not good. We need Jesus to help us. We want Him to fill our hearts with His Spirit. We have faith, but His Spirit gives us the power to overcome.

When we are filled with the Holy Ghost, Jesus lives in our hearts. He gives us direction. He helps us do what is right. We are all special to God. When we worship Him with all our hearts, He can do special things in our lives.

Prayer 2—Repentance Prayer

For Jesus to live inside us, He has to clean out our hearts. Our faith helps us repent. It is time to tell Jesus we are sorry for the bad things we have thought and said and done. We are all going to ask Jesus to help us change and not do those things anymore.

<<After leading in a simple prayer of repentance,

invite children to the altar>>

Now our hearts are clean for Jesus to live in them, and it is time to ask Him to come into our hearts. If you are ready to use your faith and pray that right now, come to the altar

Prayer 3—At the Altar

Let me tell you three simple steps for praying:

1. Close Your Eyes: First, close your eyes and think about Jesus and how much He loves you. Right now, all that matters is talking with Jesus. We are not going to look around at anyone else. This time is just for Jesus, when you can show Him you have faith and believe He wants to hear you. Just think about Him and begin to talk to Him like you would talk to your best friend. Use simple words that tell Him how much you love Him and how you want Him to be your best friend. Pray out loud; Jesus likes to hear your voice.
2. Lift Your Hands: Now we lift our hands and reach to Jesus. We want Him to fill our hearts, so we put our faith to work by raising our hands to Him and showing Him we are open to Him. Keep talking to Jesus and telling Him what you want. If you want the Holy Ghost, ask Him for it. It’s like asking your mom or dad for a gift. Jesus wants to give you His gift.
3. Talk to Jesus: Talk to Jesus in your outside voice. As you talk to Him, you may feel something very special start to happen. You may begin to feel like you are saying words you cannot understand. That is good, because those words are Jesus talking through you with your voice. Just let those words pour out of your mouth as you let Jesus come live in your heart.

Conclude every session with a time of thanks and praise to God. Also affirm children that they have done a good job of praying. Your prayers are very beautiful to God. He loves it when you reach out to Him. Your faith makes Him happy.

Encourage those who wanted to receive the Holy Ghost but did not that God loves them and is working in their lives. We will continue to pray, and God will continue to touch each of our lives as we continue to seek Him.

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[1] This is an updated version of a sermon I originally preached on May 15, 2005, in Rockport, IN, to the congregation of Landmark Apostolic Bible Church, which was then pastored by the late and beloved James Denham.

[2] “Speaking In Tongues.” Various Authors. Retrieved 5-15-2005 from http://altupc.com/articles/tongues1.htm.

[3] T. F. Tenney. (1975). Pentecost-What’s That? ISBN 0-932581-83-8.

[4] Ibid.

[5] Ibid.

[6] Against Heresies, V,6,1, Ibid., vol 1, p. 531

[7] George H. Williams and Edith Waldvogel, “A History of Speaking in Tongues and Related Gifts,” in The Charismatic Movement, ed. by Michael P. Hamilton, p. 70

[8] R. Kissack, “Waldenses,” The New International Dictionary of the Christian Church, ed. by J.D. Douglas, revised edition, p. 1026

[9] Gordon F. Atter, The Third Force, p. 13

[10] Bresson, Studies in Ecstacy, pp. 48-52

[11] http://www.holyspiritinfo.net/ch_hist.htm

[12] Entry of March 8, 1750, quoted by Frodsham, With Signs following, p. 232

[13] A.L. Drummond, Edward Irving and His Circle, pp. 161-162

[14] Charles G. Finney, Autobiography, p. 20

[15] Boyd, Robert, The Lives and Labours of Moody and Sankey, p. 47

[16] Lennard Darbee, Tongues: The Dynamite of God, p. 24.

[17] Ibid. p.24

[18] Principles of Doctrine: Lesson 11. “Holy Spirit Baptism.” Parkersburg Bible College.

[19] Pastor Rob McKee.  Ministers In Training Class.

[20] VBS Material. Pentecostal Publishing House. UPCI