a tremendous thing. I just, again, I said it this morning, but I love watching our young people. I love the fact that they love the Lord and they want to do what is right. It's great to be able to get together with young people that love the Lord and still know how to have fun. Our kids are not the ones that you will see walking down the road saying holy, holy, holy. Our children, our teenagers are the kind that love God and enjoy life. And that's what you and I should do. Love God and enjoy life. The Bible says we're not to love the world, neither the things that are in the world, but it doesn't mean we can't enjoy living this life because He lives inside of us. We should have joy unspeakable and full of glory. Can you say amen to that? I hope you can. Take your Bibles and turn to 1 Corinthians chapter 14. We have been going through the book of 1 Corinthians. There have been many controversies that have been, that the Apostle Paul has had to deal with in 1 Corinthians. Today we're going to deal with two controversies that he deals with in detail here in 1 Corinthians chapter 14. A couple of my favorite subjects, speaking in tongues and women preachers. I didn't select this topic tonight. This happens to be exactly what Paul is going to talk about. He gives in detail in chapter 14 of 1 Corinthians how we ought to operate in this area of speaking in tongues and women preachers. So we're going to go just verse by verse through 1 Corinthians chapter 14 explaining what the Bible says About these two issues and when we're finished with first Corinthians chapter 14 I hope you have a total understanding of what the Bible says today We have all sorts of different people talking about different things when it comes to speaking in tongues There are those who teach that speaking in tongues is a unknown angelic language that basically it is gibberish that that nobody understands it here on this earth. It is an angelic language that comes, and only God understands what you're saying. You don't even understand what you're saying. I have watched, and in fact, when I first got saved, I was part of a Pentecostal church, and when I first committed my life to the Lord, and I was involved in speaking in tongues. I did not personally speak in tongues, but I've watched so many people do it, I can do it. I can do that. You say, really? Yeah, and what does that mean? It means absolutely nothing. The fact of the matter is, speaking in tongues, I was at a huge conference one day, huge conference. There was about 25,000 people there. And as they were there, there was a kid saying to an older lady, He said, I've been praying that God would let me speak in tongues, but he said it just doesn't happen. I want the Holy Spirit, because there are those who teach that if you don't speak in tongues, you don't have the Holy Spirit. A lot of confusion about this whole idea. And she said, well, you can speak in tongues. And he said, well, I've been praying and it's just not happened. She said, you need to practice this. I'm sitting here, and they're right in front of me, and I'm watching this. And I thought, this will be a learning experience. She said, just look at me. And she took his face, and she held his face like this, and she said, just say these words over and over again. Shalabahande, shalabahande, shalabahande, shalabahande. So she said, now just keep saying it, keep saying it, keep saying it. And then she said, just throw in a few other words. And she honestly said, coaching him on how to speak in tongues. That's not what the Bible says happen. That is not Bible. So tonight, and by the way, this goes into a lot of other things. There's false teaching in this area about what speaking in tongues. And again, some people say that it's just an angelic language. Some people say that it is. that it's not supposed to take place in the church. It's a prayer language between you and God, and it's never supposed to take place in the church. Others believe various things about speaking in tongues. I want to share with you what the Bible says about speaking in tongues this evening. And then, again today, we have in our culture a lot of lady preachers. they call themselves preachers. And I want you to know as I stand here and say this to you, I don't doubt that some of them are saved. but I want you to know that according to the Bible, we're gonna see it right from the Word of God tonight. They're not supposed to be preaching. That's just what the Bible says. They can preach to ladies if they'd like, but they're not supposed to be preaching to men. The Bible says it. The Bible says it very clearly, and we'll look at the passages and what they say. Before we get started this evening, let's pray and ask God to lead us. Father, I pray that tonight will be a very instructive night for your people. And I pray, Father, that this will be a benefit as we go verse by verse through this chapter and explain it. And I ask this in Jesus' name. Amen. Let's look first of all at three different ways the term tongue is used in this passage in 1 Corinthians chapter 14. Number one, there is the term the gift of tongues. the gift of tongues. And you will hear people talking about the gift of tongues. There are three things that you need to understand about the gift of tongues. Because again, in this passage of Scripture. The term tongue is used three different ways. It's used to describe the gift of tongues. It's used to describe what the Apostle Paul calls the unknown tongue, and we'll explain what that is. And then He uses the term tongue in one other way, and we'll explain that in just a minute. First of all, the gift of tongues. You need to understand, in order to understand 1 Corinthians chapter 14, what the gift of tongues is. The gift of tongues is the ability to communicate in languages not previously learned. The gift of tongues is the ability to communicate in languages not previously learned. In the book of Acts, chapter 2, the Bible says that the Holy Spirit... We don't have time to turn there. You can check this out later on. Just read verses 1 through 10 of Acts, chapter 2. The Bible says that the Holy Spirit came upon them. and they began to speak in tongues. And the Bible says what those tongues were, they were languages that other people learned that they had not known previously. These people began to communicate in languages that they had not learned. And people were hearing them speak the marvelous works of God in their own languages. That is the gift of tongues. In 1 Corinthians chapter 12, the Apostle Paul talks about the gift of tongues. In Romans chapter 12, the Apostle Paul talks about the gift of tongues. Whenever he talks about the gift of tongues, that's what he's talking about. The ability to communicate in languages that you have not previously learned. I've gone down to Mexico several times, and as I've gone down there, I cannot speak a lick of Spanish. I have gotten myself in trouble trying to say Spanish things. I have thought I knew what I was saying, and I have had a preacher look at me and say, please don't try to speak in Spanish anymore. I said some very embarrassing things trying to communicate in another language. I do not have the gift of tongues, but if I did have the gift of tongues, David, what I would be able to do is go down to Mexico and knowing and thinking English it would come out in Spanish, and I'd be able to tell people how to get saved. Or in Germany. Knowing and thinking English, it would come out in perfect German. That is the gift of tongues. And note this, that the gift of tongues, whenever you look at it in the Bible, it's always used in the plural. It's never the gift of the tongue. It's never the gift of tongue. It's the gift of tongues. And so we can identify it throughout the scripture because it's always used in the plural. And number three, it's always used to communicate to people. The gift of tongues is always used to communicate to people. In verse 6, the Bible says, Now brethren, if I come unto you speaking with tongues, the gift of tongues is never something that I do alone in a prayer closet with God. The Bible says it's something that I come to you with. It is God enabling me to speak in your language so that I can communicate His truth to you. So that's the gift of tongues, the ability to communicate in languages not previously learned, always used in the plural, always used to communicate to people. Then there's in this chapter, and it's only in this chapter that this is mentioned, there is the unknown tongue. The unknown tongue is not the gift of tongues. The unknown tongue is speaking in a language foreign to the rest of the congregation. The unknown tongue is me bringing in somebody from Mexico to America, and he can't speak a lick of English. And so he is here, he can speak only Spanish, and God says, listen, if you're in a congregation where nobody else understands Spanish, now in our congregation, there'd be several people that understand Spanish. How many of you understand Spanish? Okay, several, see? So that wouldn't be the case here. But the majority of us do not speak Spanish. So if I brought somebody in here and all they spoke was Spanish, God would say, look, don't speak Spanish to this congregation because they're all going to get this look on their face. and they're not going to understand a thing that you're saying. It's not going to benefit them, and what you understand isn't going to be fruitful. It's not going to help other people. The unknown language is very simple. The unknown tongue is just an unknown language, and God's going to limit that. Because in Corinth, there were people from all different parts of the world that were coming there, and they were getting saved, and they were going to the church, and people were standing up speaking in languages that nobody understood in the city of Corinth. And so he makes some limitations on that. In 1 Corinthians chapter 14, he says, listen, if you're going to speak in tongues, in another language, make sure somebody can interpret there. So he lays out some rules and regulations. But he says, if nobody knows and nobody can interpret, then just be quiet and you pray between you and God. So, the unknown tongue is different than the gift of tongues, it's just the opposite. It's a language that I have learned, but that nobody else in the congregation understands. The speaker understands it, but no one else in the church does. It's always used, this is wrong, it says it's always used in the plural, it's actually always used in the singular. Always used in the singular. It's the unknown tongue, it is the tongue. Okay, it's always used in the singular. And then, in the congregation, it is used to communicate to God, just between God and that person, and so it's supposed to remain silent in the congregation. We're gonna see all this outlined in chapter 14. You need to understand there's a difference between the gift of tongues and the unknown tongue. And then, this word tongue, in the Greek, it's the word glase, This word tongue is used one other time in one other way. It's used to speak about, it is just the tongue. It's used to talk about the physical member in your mouth, this thing that wobbles back and forth and gives you the ability to speak, the tongue, okay? That's the three ways that it's used here in 1 Corinthians chapter 14. Now let's look what the Bible says about this, the gift of tongues, the unknown tongue, and the tongue. Follow after charity, he says in verse 1. Neil, that's not a verse for you. She's supposed to follow after you. follow after charity, that is, follow after love, love, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that you prophesy. It's better to preach. And the word, by the way, prophecy, just means to proclaim God's truth. It doesn't mean to foretell the future, necessarily. It just means to proclaim God's truth. He says, follow after love and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that you proclaim God's truth. for he that speaketh in an unknown language. Now understand the word tongue just means language. So he that speaks in an unknown language or a language that nobody in the church knows speaks not unto men but unto God. for no man understandeth him, howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries." Let me explain that verse to you. He's not saying that he speaks mysterious things. He's saying in the spirit he's speaking mysteries or secrets. That is, if I stand up here, Brad, and I speak in German, and I'm talking to God in German, sprechen Sie Deutsch, okay, here I am. Now, as I'm doing that, nobody can understand what I'm saying. I am speaking, whatever I say is a secret to you. You have no idea what I'm saying. God understands it, I understand it, but nobody in the congregation understands it. He's not saying that nobody in the world understands it. People misinterpret this verse. People say, well, it says, he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God. For no man understandeth him. Understand this, that God is speaking to a local church about how to behave himself when the church is assembled together. And so he says, nobody in the church understands what you're saying if you're in an English-speaking church and you stand up and speak in German. That's all he's saying. You understand it, but what you're saying in the spirit to God is a mystery, it's a secret to everybody else. He that prophesieth, he that proclaims the word of God, he that preacheth, speaketh unto men, unto edification, and to exhortation, and to comfort. as I stand up and I preach in a language that you understand, I'm exhorting you, I'm encouraging you, I'm edifying you, I'm building you up, and I'm comforting you, I'm helping you. That's what the Bible says the person that preaches does. Verse 4, he that speaketh in an unknown language edifieth himself, but he that prophesieth edifieth the church." If I stand up here and I say all sorts of things in a language that nobody else knows, and if I'm talking sincerely to God, but you don't understand anything, I'm building myself up. But if I preach in a language that you understand, then I'm building you up. I'm helping you. Verse 5, I would that you all speak with tongues. I wish you all had the gift of tongues the ability to communicate in a language that nobody else knows, or to speak in a language that you haven't previously learned in order to give the gospel, I would that you all speak with tongues, but rather, even in the gift of tongues, I would rather that you preached, prophesied. I'd prefer that you preached. For greater is he, excuse me, that preaches, prophesieth, than he that speaks with tongues, or he that speaks in other languages. except the interpret that the church may receive edifying. Now brethren, if I come to you speaking with tongues, what shall I profit you? Except I speak to you either by revelation, or by knowledge, or by prophesying, or by preaching, or by doctrine." Now, when I do come to you, and I speak to you in tongues, God gives me a message, and I speak to you in a language that I've not previously learned. If you're German, say God has a particular message for Marianne Allen. And so God says, all right, God starts speaking to her through me in German. and she's understanding everything. And I'm talking to her, and I'm calling her name in German. Her name in German, I think, is Marianne. So I'm speaking to her in German, and I'm talking to her, and I'm communicating to her in German. Well, what good is it, unless it's some prophecy from God? What if it's some knowledge from God? It's got to be something from God. It's got to be something from God. God says, look, if you're going to speak to somebody else, in tongues, then it's going to be something God's giving through you to them, a particular message. That's what you do when you speak in tongues. You talk to other people. And you give them some doctrine, you give them some message from God. And even things without life giving sound, now he's going to make some specific comments, because it sounds as though even back then, people were confused about what speaking in tongues was. So he says, even things without life giving sound, whether pipe or harp, except they give a distinction in sound, how shall it be known what is piped or harped? Have you ever tried to play the trumpet? That's a tough thing to do, especially if you have no experience whatsoever. It takes probably a good half hour just to learn how to put your lips on that thing and make a noise. Or you just blow on it, But you can learn how to get that. It takes a long time to get that instrument to say something. And he's saying even things without life that give sound have got to give a certain sound. It's not just a bunch of gibberish. He says, for if a trumpet give an uncertain sound, if I were to play a trumpet on the battlefield, it would be very uncertain. It would cause great problems. Who shall prepare himself to battle? So likewise, you, ye, except you utter by the tongue, that is, the physical thing in your mouth, words easy to be understood, how shall it be known what is spoken? For you, I'm sorry, for you shall speak into the air. You need to make sure that what you say comes from God and you need to make sure that what you say is very easy for other people to understand. Make it real simple. there are, it may be, so many kinds of voices in the world, and none of them is without signification. There's always a reason for the voice. If somebody's speaking... Now, I don't ever want to argue with God, and God is an inspiration, but sometimes I've traveled many miles with two or three girls in my car, and it seems like nothing is with signification. They just talk, and they just talk, and they talk. But actually, they know what they're talking about. It amazes me. Isn't it amazing, men, how women can have three different conversations going on at the same time, and they actually catch what they're talking about? And a man's sitting there saying, I just have to put it out and drive. Focus on the road, focus on the road. But they can go back, and I'll stop. Every once in a while, I will stop. Foolish thing for a man to say. And say, do you know what you're talking about? Oh, sure. She said this, and she said this, and she said this. And I thought, how do they catch it all? But they do. Anyway, back to this. somebody has some guts. So there are, it may be, so many kinds of voices in the world and none of them is without signification. Therefore, if I know not the meaning of a voice, I shall be unto him that speaketh a barbarian, and he that speaketh unto me a barbarian." If you walk in, and I'm speaking in German, and I'm going on and on and on and on in German. We were out, the doors that we knocked on the other day were primarily, it was a Spanish community. And I would say, do you speak English? And they would look and say, no. Or they'd say, poco. Is that right, poco? poquito. Okay, see, I told you. They would say, and so I thought, oh, that means they don't speak. So I would say very slowly, I am the pastor of Liberty Baptist Church, which meant nothing. It meant nom, nom, nom, and then nom, nom, nom. But I said pastor. I said, I didn't want to say padre, because that means father. I think that's what that means. And I didn't want to say madre. So, But I have written on the bottom of the thing that we have a Spanish ministry, and so I would point to that, and that would give them, listen, if I could talk and talk and talk, but I'm just a barbarian to them. They think this guy has no understanding of Spanish. He cannot communicate effectively. And that's what Paul was saying. If I go into a room and everybody's speaking in another language, it does me no good whatsoever, and it does them no good for me to talk to them. Even so, ye, forasmuch as you are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that you may excel in the edifying of the church." That is, look so that you learn how to preach or to preach effectively, because that's more important than speaking in an unknown language. wherefore, let him that speaketh in an unknown language, an unknown tongue, pray that he may interpret. If you don't know the language of the place that you are, pray that God will give you the ability to interpret what you're saying. For if a man pray in an unknown tongue, for if I pray in an unknown tongue, in a language that nobody in the church knows, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful." That is, I know what I'm saying, my spirit is praying, but what I understand, what God understands, doesn't bear any fruit in the church. It doesn't help. See, Sergio, I'm hearing it. God's hearing it. But you're saying, what in the world is that clown talking about? That's what you're saying. What is he talking about? It doesn't bear any fruit. And within the church, what we're supposed to do is bear fruit. We're supposed to help one another. We're supposed to grow one another. So he says, if you don't know the language of the church that you're in, then don't speak. Don't get up and speak, because what you understand is going to be unfruitful. What is it then? I will pray in the Spirit, and I will pray with understanding also. I will sing in the Spirit, and I will sing with understanding also." Tonight, there were people who were singing in the Spirit, but they were also doing it with understanding. There were people that came up here and prayed. And as they did, they prayed with understanding so that you could say amen to what they were saying. else when thou shalt bless with the spirit, how shall he that occupieth the room of the unlearned say amen at the giving of thanks, seeing he understandeth not what thou sayest?" If I stand up here and I speak in German and I say wonderful things to God, you can't say amen. By the way, it's scriptural there to say amen. Can you say amen to that? So it's okay to say amen. People say, why do you always get up after the choir is there and say, say amen? If you like that, say amen, because that's what the Bible says they did. In the early church, if they agreed with something, they said, Amen. They said, Yeah, we agree with that. That's what Amen means. Even so, let it be. We agree with that. That's good. That was good. So the Bible says, How can people say Amen if they can't understand what's being said? If the choir comes up here and sings in Spanish, you can say Amen. It might sound good. You might say, It doesn't sound good. But it doesn't mean anything to you. For thou verily givest thanks well. but the other is not edified. You're giving thanks to God. I stand up here in Spanish and I thank the Lord. And the few that are here that speak Spanish say, in fact there's quite a few here that speak Spanish, they understand it and they say amen. that's good. But the rest say, I don't know what he said, and so they can't give thanks with me. For thou verily giveth thanks, well, that's good, but the other is not edified. You're not building up anybody. He says, I thank God that I speak with tongues, there's the gift of tongues, more than you all. yet in the church I'd rather speak five words with my understanding that by my voice I might teach others also than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue." He said, I've got the gift of tongues to communicate the gospel to people in languages I've not learned. but within the local church, I would rather speak 10,000 words in a known language than in a language that nobody else in the congregation knows. So if you're speaking in an unknown language, then don't speak. Let it be between you and God. Brethren, be not children in understanding. Let this be real simple, he's saying. Don't be like children in understanding. be it in malice, be ye children. In the way you get mad, be like children. They get mad and then they get over it. But in understanding, be ye men. In the law it is written, With men of other tongues and other lips will I speak unto this people, and yet they will not hear me, saith the Lord." Therefore, tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not. But prophesying serveth not for them that believe not, but for them that believe." God used the gift of tongues in the early church to convince the early church that the Holy Spirit had really fallen. First of all, at Pentecost, the Holy Spirit fell, and they said, oh, wow, this is of God. All the unbelievers said, this is of God. These people were speaking in languages they had not learned. When Paul went to, or I'm sorry, when Philip went to the Samaritans. The Holy Spirit fell on them, and many believed they spoke in tongues there. Why? Because there was a bunch of unbelieving Jews that didn't think Samaritans could really get saved. And so God used it as a sign to convince unbelieving Jews that Samaritans could get saved. In Acts chapter 10, The Holy Spirit fell on Gentiles for the first time. They got saved, and they spoke in other languages. And Peter said, Wow, this is just like what happened to us back in Pentecost. This must be the same work, and convinced unbelieving Peter that Gentiles could actually get saved. In Acts chapter 19, the same thing is true. There were some people that didn't understand that Jesus Christ was God and that He had suffered and died and paid the penalty of our sin, that He had already risen from the dead. They hadn't understood that, and yet they got saved, and the Holy Spirit fell upon them and convinced the unbelievers that they were genuinely saved. So he says that this whole thing about speaking in tongues is used by God to convince unbelievers that they need to get saved, but God uses preaching to teach believers how to walk with Him. If therefore, in verse 23, the whole church be come together in one place and all speak with tongues. Okay, so we all get together. We're here on Sunday night. We're all together. There's an unbeliever that walks in. and we're all busy speaking in different languages that we've not previously learned. The Holy Spirit comes upon them, and one's speaking in German, and one's speaking in Italian, and one's speaking in Spanish, another one's speaking in Lithuanian, I don't know, and somebody's speaking in some other language. Everybody's speaking in different tongues. People walk in and say, whoa. what in the world? They don't understand anything that's going on. Here's what the Bible says will take place. If therefore the whole church become together in one place and all speak with tongues, and there come those that are unlearned and unbelievers, will they not say, you're mad? These people are crazy. What in the world are they doing? They're nuts. But he says, if all preach, if everybody stands up and preaches the Word, and there come in one that believeth not, or one unlearned, he is convinced of all, he is judged of all. People preach and they stand up, and one person stands up and says, this is when Jesus saved me, and another person stands up and gives a testimony. The preacher gets up and he preaches the Word of God. The Holy Spirit of God uses the Word of God to convict that person in his own language that he needs to be saved. He's convinced of all. He's judged of all. And thus are the secrets of His heart manifest. And so falling down on His face, He will worship God and report that God is in you of a truth. By the way, that's why we ask people, once they hear the message, we invite them to come forward and trust Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. That's the pattern we have here. Somebody hears the Word of God, you always invite them to trust Christ as their Lord and Savior. How is it then, brethren, when you come together, every one of you hath a song? hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation, let all things be done unto Edifine. If a man speak in an unknown tongue, let it be by two, or at the most, three, and by course, and let one interpret." If you're gonna have somebody speak in a language that nobody else knows, make sure that it's done step by step, and let somebody in that group interpret what is being said. But if there be no interpreter let him keep silence in the church and let him speak to himself and to God That's what he says first of all understand by the way every time he says this he's talking in the masculine over and over and over He says let him let him let him let him let him now let the prophets speak two or three and let the others judge and When, if you're going to have more than one person preach, then have one person stand up and preach. Let the other person stand up and preach. Let the other person stand up and preach. And let the other people listen. The idea of judge there is make judgment on what's being said. Let them hear the Word of God. if anything be revealed to another that sitteth by, let the first hold his peace. For you may all prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted. And the spirit of the prophets are subject to the prophets." That is, you may have something to say, and you may need to just sit down and be quiet. because the spirit of... I've had people say this, well I just had something to say and I had to say it. No you don't. He says the spirit of the prophets are subject to the prophets. That is, you can control yourself. You don't have to jump up and do something that's out of order. you can, you can, everything should be done decently in order. For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace in all the churches. So he deals with this whole issue about men speaking in tongues. And he says, and he tells us, look, here's what speaking in tongues is, that you need to make sure that's done in order if it's gonna be done in order. He said, if you're gonna have an unknown tongue, it's better not to speak because nobody's gonna understand unless somebody's going to interpret it. And then he says, and when it comes to preaching, let the preaching be limited to two or three, and then if somebody else has something to say, just say no, I'll wait till a later time. And let everything be done decently in an order within the church so there's not confusion within the church. That's what the Bible says. That's how you're supposed to conduct a service. Then people can hear the message and they can say amen. And they can hear the other message, and they can say, Amen. And things are done decently and in order, and God gets the glory. And then at the end, after the preachers are finished preaching, they can invite people to make a decision on what has been preached. Now, that's what he says about speaking in tongues. Now, what does he say about women preachers? He hasn't talked about women speaking in tongues, but this is what he says specifically. He says in verse 34, Let your women keep silence in the churches, for it is not permitted unto them to speak. But they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law. Now God's real clear. He said when it comes to, and by the way, He's only talked about two subjects. One is preaching, and the other one's speaking in tongues. So he said, this is what I want you to do. When it comes to speaking in tongues and when it comes to preaching, women in the church are to keep silent. That's not talking about at home, men. You can't quote this at home. I just want you to know that. You got that? This is not at home. There's men that try to abuse the Scripture, and that's not what this says. Bible says God gave her as a helpmate. And I know sometimes you think, I wish she wouldn't help so much, but this isn't talking about at home, this is talking about in the church. God's saying within the local church, women are to keep silent, and they're not supposed to speak in tongues in the church, and they're not supposed to preach in the church. I'm telling you today, if you would just eliminate that from what we call the modern-day Pentecostal or charismatic movement, you'd knock out about 90% of the movement because it's promoted by women. Now the Bible says, and I'm not making this up, you're reading it with me. Let the women keep silent in the churches, for it's not permitted unto them to speak. They are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law." 1 Timothy 2, verses 11 and 12. Let me read that to you just so you can see that this isn't the only place that it says it. The Bible says, let everything be established with two or three witnesses. The Bible says in 1 Timothy 2, verses 11 and 12, let the woman learn in silence in all subjection. Again, this is talking about within the confines of the local church, when the church is assembled. Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. God says women are not to preach. They're to be in silence in the church. They're not to teach the Word of God. They're not to speak in tongues in the local church. They're not to usurp authority. They're not supposed to take the Word of God and usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. That's what God's Word says. God's Word is very clear. And again, the context of this is preaching and speaking in tongues. that's what he's talking about. So can a woman say amen? Yes, she can. But the Bible says when it comes to preaching and speaking in tongues, she's not supposed to do it within the church. It's amazing, and I'm going to stop here and just say this. It's amazing how absolutely unrefutable this is. It is absolutely, without argument, it is absolutely clear. There is nothing clearer in Scripture than these two segments of Scripture that say it very clear that there is not supposed to be women preachers. And yet people will say, well, I just feel like, you know, I heard her and it would just really help me. And I really feel like God wanted me to listen to her." And I say, hogwash. That is demonic to say, well, I feel like, well, I really learned something from her, so it must be of God. That is hellish. That is demonic. you're saying that what you feel is more important than what the Word of God declares. And that is why Christianity is so messed up today. Because you have Joyce Myers on TV, walking with the authority and the dignity of a man, preaching the Word of God. And I'm telling you, while she does it, she's in absolute defiance to the Word of God. That's why you have preachers like Paula White and others who have just, and men sit there. By the way, that's why we have the feminizing of men. Men, you're supposed to be men, and you're supposed to be leaders, and you're supposed to take the lead. By the way, let me say this, the reason some women have stepped up and done the things that they're doing is because men won't take the lead. The fact of the matter is God wants men to lead in the church. He wants men to preach. He wants men to teach. He wants men to be the leaders within the local church. And women are to keep silent. And women are to serve. And there are places to serve. We have wonderful women Sunday school teachers. We have wonderful women teachers who teach other women. A couple of weeks ago we had the ladies conference here and it was wonderful. The ladies taught ladies. And the Bible tells us in Titus chapter 2 what women are to teach other women. It says that the aged women are to teach the younger women how to love their husbands, how to love their children, how to be keepers at home, how to be chaste, how to have a godly conversation or lifestyle. That's what older women are to teach younger women to do. All those things. And it's right, and it's good, and it's holy, and it's just. but it's wrong for a woman to teach a man. It's absolutely and completely unscriptural. And this is what the Bible says. It amazes me. It amazes me that people will say, well, I don't care. You don't care what the Bible says? You don't care what the Bible says? And a woman will say to me, well, I think God called me to preach. And I say, well, it's the wrong God then. You're listening to the wrong spirit. it's just completely and completely contrary to the Word of God. Let the woman keep silence in the churches, for it's not permitted unto them to speak, but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law. And if they will learn anything, let them ask their husbands at home. For it's a shame for a woman to speak in church. What, came the word of God out from you? Or came it unto you only? If a 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. What I'm writing to you is from God. And if you think you're spiritual, then believe what I just got through saying. But if a man be ignorant, and this is what he ends with, I love this. But if a man be ignorant, let him be ignorant. If you don't want to hear what I've just said, then you're ignorant. And Paul said, go ahead and be ignorant. I didn't say that, God said that. Don't you go home and say the preacher said I'm ignorant. No, the preacher didn't say. The preacher said that God said you're ignorant. Can you say amen to that? That's what God said. Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, said, hey, if you don't want to believe this, what's been preached tonight, and you want to be ignorant, then go ahead and be ignorant. Therefore, brethren, covet to preach, covet to prophesy, and forbid not to speak with tongues to proclaim the gospel in other languages. Let all things be done decently and in order, speaking in tongues and women preachers, from the Apostle Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Father, help us to apply Your Word. Help us not to be condemning or harsh or mean as we understand Your truth, but help us to believe Your truth and proclaim Your truth and to teach Your truth. And Father, I ask this in Jesus' name. Heads are bowed and eyes are closed. No one's looking around. I want to ask a couple of questions. I've talked primarily to Christians tonight. Do you know for sure if you died right now you'd go to heaven? If you do, would you slip up your hand as a testimony to that? Thank you. You can put your hands down. Maybe you can't raise your hand. Maybe you're hearing me say, Preacher, I don't know I'm going to heaven. I'd like to know that for sure. Please pray for me. I do not know for sure if I died right now I'd go to heaven, but I'd like to know that. Please pray for me. If that's you, would you slip up your hand and let me pray for you? I won't embarrass you, but I'd like to pray for you. I don't know for sure if I died I'd go to heaven, but I'd like to know that. Anybody like that? Anybody at all? Christian, let me ask you this. Would you just say to the Lord, this has been a teaching lesson tonight. Lord, help me to remember this and help me to be a help to other people. This will be on the website so you can tell your friends to go ahead and pay attention and get a copy of this. But would you just say, Lord, help me to apply this to my life. Maybe you've had some struggles. Maybe you've been wondering about these questions. Maybe you'd say, Preacher, boy, you've answered a lot of questions for me tonight. Thank you. I pray that I'll be able to apply this. Maybe that's you. I'd like to know that. I'd like to pray for you. If this has been a help to you tonight, slip up your hand. Wonderful. Wonderful. Thank you. Father, I pray for those who just raised their hand. I pray, Father, that you just help them to digest all of this. And Father, use it to help other people. I ask this in Jesus' name. Heads are still bowed and eyes are still closed.