October 11, 2015

Tongues and prophecy have often caused heated debate within the Church as we seek to properly understand 1 Corinthians 14. Whether you have a strong stance on tongues and prophecy or seeking a Biblical understanding of the topics, this insightful sermon by Pastor Eric Ludy will give you a Biblical framework to reason from. More than prove a point, Pastor Ludy uses the concept that the first sound is to always lead us unto the second, showing how the importance of tongues and prophecy is not to make these the emphasis but they are to point and lead us to Jesus Christ. Wherever you stand on the tongues and prophecy debate, this sermon will deepen your understanding and give you a clear picture of what is most important.

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sermon notes

But now, brethren, if I come to you speaking with tongues, what shall I profit you unless I speak to you either by revelation, by knowledge, by prophesying, or by teaching? Even things without life, whether flute or harp, when they make a sound, unless they make a distinction in the sounds, how will it be known what is piped or played? For if the trumpet makes an uncertain sound, who will prepare for battle? So likewise you, unless you utter by the tongue words easy to understand, how will it be known what is spoken? For you will be speaking into the air.
1 Corinthians 14:6-9

MYSTERIOUS TEARS

THE TWO SOUNDS OF THE BODY OF CHRIST

The First Sound – Tongues – A hidden, uncertain, indiscernible, spiritual mystery

The Second Sound – Interpretation / Prophecy – an intelligible, certain, understood enunciation of Truth

THE TWO SOUNDS OF SCRIPTURE

The First Sound – The Old Covenant – A hidden, uncertain, indiscernible, spiritual mystery (A Locked Gate)

The Second Sound – The New Covenant – an intelligible, certain, understood enunciation of Truth (The Key that Unlocks the Gate)

THE EFFECT OF THE TWO SOUNDS

The First Sound – It is inspired of God, but cannot save – it is merely a schoolmaster to prepare one for the second. And only makes sense when the Second Sound comes.

The Second Sound – It too is inspired of God, and it has the power of God unto Salvation woven into it. It inspires faith and opens the believing soul up to the rescuing power of Grace. The Second Sound is wholly superior.

WHY THE SECOND SOUND?
So that the Unbeliever might see and understand the revelation
So that the Believer might grow in their comprehension of the revelation

THE BOOK OF FIRST CORINTHIANS

Hey Church! Yes, you do have liberty, but you must leverage that liberty lovingly!

THE BOOK OF FIRST CORINTHIANS, CHAPTER 14

Hey Church! Yes, you do have special gifts given to you by the Holy Spirit, but you must understand that these gifts were given to build up the Body of Christ and not splinter it into pieces. These precious gifts were entrusted to you to make stronger the Body, to bring order unto the Body, and to make the Body more effective. Is this how you are using them?

First the Foreign Tongue and then the Spirit’s Interpretation

The First – The Second
A Study in Mystery

Mystērion – Moo-stay-ree-on
To shut the mouth, maintain a secret, a mystery, something hidden, a secret counsel

Now to him that is of power to establish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began . . .
Romans 16:25

But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:
1 Corinthians 2:7

Having made known unto us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He hath purposed in Himself . . .
Ephesians 1:9

How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) … And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 3:3-4, 9

Jesus – The Most Basic Tool for Rightly Handling the Word
Everything in Scripture pertains to Christ; He is the key to unlock the mystery

Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.
John 5:39-40

Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures.
Luke 24:45

And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.
Luke 24:27

For had you believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me.
John 5:46

Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret since the world began but now made manifest, and by the prophetic Scriptures made known to all nations, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, for obedience to the faith– to God, alone wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen.
Romans 16:25-27

THE TWO SOUNDS OFO THE WORD
The First Sound – The Word of God in Text – The Treasure Map
The Second Sound – The Word of God in Person – The Treasure

The Interpreter
The Key to Unlock the Mystery, The Unknown Tongue

The Two Offerings
Cain and Abel (Genesis 4:1-8)

Sweat and Blood
Sweat and Blood – the fruit of man’s labor – not accepted
Sweat and Blood – the life of the firstling of the flock – accepted

THIS IS A MYSTERY!

A Mystery, Mind you, that is Solved in Jesus Christ

THE SWEAT AND BLOOD OF GOD’S LABOR!

Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law (by the sweat and blood of man’s labor), but by the faith of Jesus Christ (the sweat and blood of God’s labor), even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ (the sweat and blood of God’s labor), and not by the works of the law (by the sweat and blood of man’s labor): for by the works of the law (the sweat and blood of man’s labor) shall no flesh be justified.
Galatians 2:16

What Saves You? Where does your confidence lie?

Is it in your own sweat and blood – the offering of your own making, your own life, your own recipe? Or is it in His sweat and blood – His offering, His life given, His body broken, and the pouring out of His blood?

The First and Second Throughout the Bible
Cain – Abel
Ishmael – Isaac
Esau – Jacob
Amalek – Israel
Leah – Rachel
Mannasah – Ephraim
Saul – David
Old Covenant – New Covenant
Adam – Jesus

IS HAVING THE FIRST SOUND SUFFICIENT?

If you have the Old Testament Sound and yet reject the Second Sound found in the New Testament Revelation, then what good is that First Sound? Its whole purpose was to prepare you to receive the greater more clear revelation and understanding.

The same is true with the First Sound given to the Body of Christ. God is bringing us into a new Kingdom, a wholly foreign Kingdom to our beings, but He supplies us, upon our arrival in it, the Holy Spirit, not to just bring us into this New Territory, but to Interpret this New Language of Heaven unto our Souls in the Person of Jesus Christ. Therefore, we do not hinder the First Sound of the Spirit, but we also refuse to allow the First Sound to rule in the Church, as if it were the chief gift. For it is the Second Sound that builds the Church into what it ought to be.

He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church. I wish you all spoke with tongues, but even more that you prophesied; for he who prophesies is greater than he who speaks with tongues, unless indeed he interprets, that the church may receive edification.
1 Corinthians 14:4-5

Moses – The First Sound

THE MYSTERIOUS NAME – JOSEPH

Yowceph – Yo-safe
Indicates a double etymology – declaring two seemingly opposite things at once, that Jehovah removes from a man and that He also adds unto a man. But with the Key of Christ, this seeming contradictory name makes perfect sense in light of the Gospel.

It’s the idea of removal and adding
• Stripped from and Restored unto
• Taken from and Added to
It’s the idea of losing and yet gaining
• Loss that leads to Gain
• To Die is Gain

It’s the idea of exchanging out something bad for something good
• Death exchanged out for Life
• Imprisonment exchanged out for Freedom
• Darkness exchanged out for Light

Yowceph is Merely a Declaration of Good News
• He was emptied that He might be filled
• He was crucified that He might rise anew
• He was stripped of life that He might be born again

Yowceph is a Foreshadow of the Second Sound (The Word of God Made Flesh)

• Born of the second – Rachel – the loved – the Spirit
• The Beloved of the Father – clothed in the full rainbow, the coat of many colors
• The Better Man – promised to rule – preeminence foretold – every knee will bow
• Born of Israel – Rejected of his brethren – stripped – betrayed for silver into the hands of sinners
• Turned over to the evils of the world
• Though tried, accused, mocked, and imprisoned, he is examined and found faultless
• From the lowest prison, exalted to the highest place
• Second only to Pharaoh – in the most powerful nation on earth
• A Remedy, an unexpected Mercy for the Nation of Israel – A Savior, able to supply the food that all need
• A picture of forgiveness and grace
• Every knee in Israel bows, and every knee in Egypt bows
• An invitation to the Land of Goshen in the midst of an evil world marked by the destitutions of sin and famine

THE MASTER OF DREAMS HAS COME

Now I tell you before it come, that, when it is come to pass, ye may believe that I am he . . . And now I have told you before it come to pass, that, when it is come to pass, ye might believe.
John 13:19; 14:29

THE MYSTERY OF CHRIST
He must suffer and die and then rise again

. . . and Joseph . . . gave them provision for the way.
Genesis 45:21

Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory . . .
Colossians 1:26-27

The First Sound is Wonderful
But it’s the Second Sound that Edifies and Makes Strong

It’s the Second Sound that Saves

What’s the Good of the Story of Joseph?
Unless it leads us to better understand the Person of Jesus Christ

Even so you, since you are zealous for spiritual gifts, let it be for the edification of the church that you seek to excel. Therefore let him who speaks in a tongue pray that he may interpret. For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful. What is the conclusion then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding. I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding. Otherwise, if you bless with the spirit, how will he who occupies the place of the uninformed say “Amen” at your giving of thanks, since he does not understand what you say? For you indeed give thanks well, but the other is not edified. I thank my God I speak with tongues more than you all; yet in the church I would rather speak five words with my understanding, that I may teach others also, than ten thousand words in a tongue.
1 Corinthians 14:12-19

WHAT IS THE CONCLUSION THEN?

What is the conclusion then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding.
1 Corinthians 14:15

I Will Function as a Christian both in the “Dreaming” and the “Doing” Facets of the Faith
Recognizing that the Mystery only has value when it is Revealed in and through our lives, showcasing the Life of Jesus Christ

The First Sound – The Joy, The Peace, The Exhilaration of Forgiveness from Sin, the Wonder of Freedom from Sin

The Second Sound – The Sharing of this Joy with Others, The Passing along of this Hope and Peace – the teaching and impartation of this exhilarating wonder unto a lost and dying world

And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men?
1 Corinthians 3:1-3

Corinth Indeed Had the First Sounds of New Birth
But as long as they only had the first sounds, they were still functioning in their first behaviors

If We Really Are a Loving Body, We Will Seek to Grow Up unto the Second Proofs of New Birth