Alright, tonight we're going to conclude our study on the doctrine of the Holy Spirit. We've been going through this for over a year and we've ended our study. Last week we went over, we've been looking at tongues in the Bible, the conclusion that tongues were a gift that was employed in the first century churches. They were used as a sign specifically to the Jewish people, Jewish unbelievers. And they were languages that could be understood and interpreted. And we learned that an unknown tongue For me, almost everything is an unknown tongue except for English. I, if, now Wanda Melo can speak, is it Spanish in Peru or Portuguese, Al? Spanish, okay. She can speak Spanish. If you go out tonight and you wanna start, want her to say something to you in Spanish, She could probably give you a whole bunch of words, and I guarantee you Al can't interpret them. So anyway, so we're not gonna have that happen right now, but after church, if you want her to speak some in an unknown tongue, you can learn from her Spanish. But again, these were languages that were fully understandable. as long as somebody interpreted it. They're not the gibberish that passes for what's going on in the charismatic movement in our day-to-day. Now, last week we looked at the regulation of tongues. We learned that everything has to be done decently and in order, that tongues are, they must be interpreted. In fact, Paul makes it so clear in 1 Corinthians 14 when he's giving you these regulations that if you speak in a tongue and you can't interpret it, it's invalid. Another thing is only one person at a time was supposed to speak in tongues. 1 Corinthians 14, 27 and 30. And in a service, Only three people could speak in tongues. And that was the limit. It's set right there in 1 Corinthians 14. We also learn, and I believe this, I've preached it in my own ministry, women are not to speak in the church service. They're not to usurp authority over the man. And the Bible teaches that in 1 Corinthians 14, 34 and 35. Now, tonight we're going to just kind of put a bow on this, turn with me to 1 Corinthians 13. Of course, 1 Corinthians 13 is the charity chapter in the Bible, the agape love chapter in the Bible. And Paul is talking about all the characteristics of charity, of agape love. And in verse 80 says, charity never faileth, but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail. Whether there be tongues, they shall cease. Whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. He's talking about a special kind of spiritual knowledge that the apostles had. in the first century. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part, but when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. And I believe that's the Word of God. When the canon of Scripture, the perfection of the inspired Word is finally completed, there won't be any need for the gift of tongues, and that's why they will cease. And, historically, really, if you read church history, with few exceptions, nobody was speaking in tongues after the first century, really, and there might be a smattering of, like, different offshoots of the Church of God and stuff like that, but really, the early 1900s and the Azusa Street manifestations, if you will, there wasn't a whole lot of tongues speaking. And of course, they have taught for years that this is a special spiritual gift only for the most spiritual people. And if that were true, and I would have to believe that God would have gave the gift to a preacher like C.H. Spurgeon. who was able to preach with such power and plain spokenness to so many people, surely God would have gave him the gift of tongues to go to different places. But I believe that tongues have ceased. And you might wonder, how are we to explain the modern phenomena of tongue speaking in the charismatic movement. As these modern tongues, really if you study what the Bible says, the modern tongues movement contradicts everything that 1 Corinthians teaches about the regulation of tongues. It contradicts the teaching concerning the nature, the purpose, the duration, the regulation of tongues, and that is why I don't believe they are of God. I don't trust anybody that says God has just revealed something to me that nobody has ever known before. I have a special knowledge of this and I'm going to give it to you. If what you believe does not line up with the Word of the living God, I'm not going to trust what you say. To the law and to the testimony, if they speak not according to this Word, there is no light in them. That's why I can't... If I embrace the idea that new revelation of the Word of God that I'd have to believe Joseph Smith. I mean, the angel Moroni was at the foot of his bed, revealed himself to him, wrote the whole Book of Mormon in a special hieroglyphics that could only be read when he wore his big spectacles. It's just, I'd have to accept that. And I'm telling you what, a lot of people have accepted that. because they don't go to the Word of God as their final authority. It has to be our final authority. It's the watchword of Baptists through the ages. The authority of Scripture. If it's in the book, we believe it. But if it's contrary, we reject it. God does not contradict His own Word. The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 14, 37, If any man think himself to be a prophet or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord. But if any man be ignorant, let him be ignorant. Wherefore, brethren, covet to prophesy, and forbid not to speak with tongues. Let all things be done decently and in order. And he's telling the church at Corinth, after all these regulations, don't forbid people to speak in tongues, if they do it the right way. Alright? But everything has to be done decently and in order. Interestingly enough, that after this chapter, there's no more written about the gift of tongues anywhere in the Bible after 1 Corinthians. The gift of tongues. Now, the modern tongues experience, how do you explain it? Because I guarantee you that there are people that are in Jimmy Swaggart's church tonight that believe with every fiber of their being that what they are doing is right, that they really believe that, that they're sincere in that belief. And I'm just saying, you can be sincerely wrong about things. So how do you explain it? Well, number one, it could be fake. I bet you there's a lot of charismatics that want to appear to be spiritual, so before they come to a church service, they probably practice speaking in some tongues so that they can, you know, fit in with everybody else. You say, oh, come on, do you really believe people do that? Baptists do it, not with tongues, but with other things. Just so they fit in. I'm telling you, you ought to do what you do because you love the Lord. Because you want to please Him. Because you've been saved by the grace of God. You've been washed in the blood of the Lamb. You're indwelt by the Holy Spirit of God. You believe the Word of God and you want to abide in Christ and walk in Him. You don't do what you do to please people. You do what you do to please God. Do it HEARTILY as unto the Lord. And then, secondly, it may be psychologically induced. Contrary to the New Testament modern tongues advocates, teach people how to speak in tongues. And some of it appears to be a form of self-hypnosis in which the brain is short-circuited, so to speak. I don't understand all of that, and I hope this doesn't offend you, but I think some of it's demonic inspiration. Many are the accounts of demons speaking through those who are possessed. Christians have always viewed the ecstatic speech of pagans as being demonic. When one considers some of the doctrines and the evil fruit that's come out of Pentecostalism, it could very well be demons at work. I mean, you think about the devilish doctrines. I mean, if you really believe that you're saved by your own power, and that you're saved by your good works, and that you could actually lose your salvation. You are saying that salvation is not in the power of God, or in the power of the gospel, but that it's in man, in his will, in his ability. I don't believe any of that. The Bible doesn't teach that. For by grace are you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves. It is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast. not of works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy hath He saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost." We're not saved by a system or by a denomination or by standards. We're saved by a person, the Lord Jesus Christ. He, Christ, and Christ alone has the ability to bring us from earth's degradation to heaven's glory. He said, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man cometh to the Father but by me. You're not saved any other way. You're not kept any other way. You're kept by the power of God. If you could lose your salvation, you would not have a chance of keeping it because of your inward depravity. Only God can do that. Only God can keep you. I believe in preservation and perseverance for 41 years. I've been walking with the Lord, praying that He'll keep me strong, faithful, diligent, loving, gracious. But it's God that works in us, both the will and the do of His good pleasure. Now unto Him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you faultless before the presence of the glory. To the only wise God, our Savior, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen. Jude 24, 25. Well, I've run out of soap tonight. That's it. That's all we got. Next week we'll start a new series. I don't know what it'll be. We may even dip into Psalm 119. next week as just a little buffer. So, anyway.