Please turn with me in your copies of God's Holy Word to 1 Corinthians 14. We'll be reading from verse 1 to verse 22, but our focus this morning will be on verses 21 to 22. 1 Corinthians 14, beginning at verse 1, we read, Pursue love, yet desire earnestly spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy. For one who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men, but to God. For no one understands, but in his spirit he speaks mysteries. But one who prophesies speaks to men for edification and exhortation and consolation. One who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but no one, excuse me, but one who prophesies edifies the church. Now I wish that you all spoke in tongues, but even more that you would prophesy. And greater is the one who prophesies than the one who speaks in tongues, unless he interprets so that the church may receive edifying. But now, brethren, if I come to you speaking in tongues, what will I profit you unless I speak to you either by way of revelation, or of knowledge, or of prophecy, or of teaching? Yet even lifeless things, either flute or harp, in producing a sound, if they do not produce a distinction in the tones, how will it be known what is played on the flute or on the harp? For if the bugle produces an indistinct sound, who will prepare himself for battle? So also you, unless you utter from the tongue speech that is clear, how will it be known what is spoken? For you will be speaking into the air. There are perhaps a great many kinds of languages in the world, and no kind is without meaning. If then I do not know the meaning of the language, I will be to the one who speaks a barbarian, and the one who speaks will be a barbarian to me. So also you, since you are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek to abound for the edification of the church. Therefore, let one who speaks in a tongue pray that he may interpret. For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful. What is the outcome then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the mind also. I will sing with the Spirit, and I will sing with the mind also. Otherwise, if you bless in the Spirit only, how will the one who fills the place of the ungifted say the Amen at your giving of thanks, since he does not know what you are saying? For you are given thanks well enough, but the other person is not edified. I thank God I speak in tongues more than you all. However, in the church I desire to speak five words with my mind, so that I may instruct others also, rather than 10,000 words in a tongue. Brethren, do not be children in your thinking, yet in evil be infants, but in your thinking be mature. And the Lord has written, by men of strange tongues and by the lips of strangers, I will speak to the people. And even so, they will not listen to me, says the Lord. So then, tongues are a sign not to those who believe, but to unbelievers. But prophecy is for a sign not to unbelievers, but to those who believe. Now, I mentioned last week regarding the Apostle Peter and Paul that there was reconciliation that had taken place after the incident of Antioch. I base this primarily upon what Peter says in 2 Peter 3, 14 to 16. Peter, in speaking of the Apostle Paul, uses words such as my beloved brother. And he, in that letter, seeks to uphold the authority and the teaching of Paul. Now, Peter could have easily, in pride, denounced the rebuke that he had received from Paul. Could have been like, I'm the chief of the apostles. I spent four years in the school of Jesus Christ. Who are you, Paul, to rebuke me? But that's not what happened. Instead, Peter preserves the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace by modeling humility and love. And so Peter says in 2 Peter 3, 14-16, he says this, Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by him in peace, spotless and blameless, and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation. Just as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you, as also in all his letters, speaking in them of things, of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the scriptures, to their own destruction." Peter also in this text affirms that some things that the Apostle Paul writes of are, quote, hard to understand. And this particular text this morning is one of those things that are, quote, hard to understand. Now, once again, I want to remind you of the overarching subject matter, which is the sign gift of tongues. In our main text this morning, taken from 1 Corinthians 14, 21 to 22, Paul again says, in the law it is written by men of strange tongues, And by the lips of strangers, I will speak to the people, and even so they will not listen to me, says the Lord. So then tongues are for a sign, not to those who believe, but to unbelievers." Again, Paul says that tongues are a sign. Now, the word sign here generally means that by which a person or thing is distinguished from others and known. More specifically, however, in 1 Corinthians 14, a sign here is more of a warning or an admonition. And so Paul is saying that the sign of tongues is a warning or an admonition to unbelievers. Now, it is exactly at this point that we find things that are difficult to understand, especially in light of what Paul previously stated. So far as you may recall, as we just read in 1 Corinthians 14, Paul, for instance, says in verse 2 that tongues, that the one who speaks in a tongue is speaking to God. And then he says in verse 4 that the one who speaks in tongues edifies himself. And then he says, in verse 5, that tongues, when accompanied by interpretation, edifies the church. And so he's talking about believers, he's talking about the church, and so what then is Paul's conclusion? Well, we would expect that the conclusion of all of that would be that tongues is a sign for believers. But that's not what Paul says. The conclusion is that tongues are a sign for unbelievers. How then was tongues a sign or a warning to unbelievers? This is one of the main questions that we will seek to answer this morning. Now I believe that the key to understanding Paul's words is tied to the scripture that he quotes in 1 Corinthians 14. Paul again writes, in the law it is written by men of strange tongues and by the lips of strangers I will speak to this people and even so they will not listen to me says the Lord. Paul here is quoting from Isaiah 28 verses 11 to 12. Now over in Isaiah 28 verses 11 to 12, The text says this, indeed he will speak to this people through stammering lips and a foreign tongue. He who said to them, here is rest, give rest to the weary and here is repose, but they would not listen. Now, the context of this passage here is that Isaiah is speaking of the judgment that would come upon Judah by the hands of the Assyrians. And he speaks of the fact that they will be conquered by a people in which they do not understand their language. Though the leaders would reject the words of Isaiah, they would later believe his words were true when they were conquered by a foreign nation whose language they did not understand. Now, this connection between tongues and judgment is actually all throughout the Old Testament. And so, again, over in Jeremiah 5 verse 15, there the prophet Jeremiah, now speaking of the Babylonians who would come to conquer Israel, He mentions this sign of tongues. Jeremiah 5.15 says, Behold, I am bringing a nation against you from afar, O house of Israel, declares the Lord. It is an enduring nation. It is an ancient nation, a nation whose language you do not know, nor can you understand what they say. So, I believe that what Paul is saying here, going back to 1 Corinthians 14, is this. The sense of it is this. Corinthians don't glory in uninterpreted tongues. Okay, don't boast in that, for uninterpreted tongues is actually, or has been actually, a sign of judgment for Israel. And this again, makes sense. It goes all the way back to the giving of the law and the covenant curses and the blessings that was given to Israel. So in Deuteronomy 28, for instance, God reveals to the nation of Israel the blessings of obedience to the law and the curses of breaking the covenant. And speaking of the curse, The Israelites are told in Deuteronomy 28, 45-49 this, All these curses will come on you. They will pursue you and overtake you until you are destroyed because you did not obey the Lord your God and observe the commands and decrees he gave to you. They will be a sign and a wonder to you and your descendants forever, because you did not serve the Lord your God joyfully and gladly in the time of prosperity. Therefore, in hunger and thirst, in nakedness and dire poverty, you will serve the enemies the Lord sends against you. He will put an iron yoke on your neck until he has destroyed you. The Lord will bring a nation against you from far away, from the ends of the earth, like an eagle swooping down. What? A nation whose language you will not understand. Now, I should say at this point that in both the Old and the New Testament, that tongues is always described and defined as an earthly foreign language. Some, in an attempt to continue the practice of tongue speaking in the church, have tried to argue that tongues are heavenly languages. They base this, of course, on 1 Corinthians 13.1. In 1 Corinthians 13.1, Paul says, if I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, But do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. Now, in 1 Corinthians 13.1, Paul is not intending to say that there is such a thing as tongues of angels, but rather he's speaking in a hyperbolic or an exaggerated manner to underscore the importance of love in comparison to spiritual gifts. And so he also says, if I have the gift of prophecy and know all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith so as to remove mountains but do not have love, I am nothing. Again, was Paul intending to say that he had the gift of prophecy to such an extent that he knew all mysteries and that he had all knowledge? I don't believe so. For if Paul had all knowledge, that would make Paul a mere man like God. Again, Paul shuts down this idea of nonsensical tongues and emphasizes that tongues are actual known languages in 1 Corinthians 14, 60, 11. In 1 Corinthians 14, 60, 11, he states, But now, brethren, if I come to you speaking in tongues, What will I profit you unless I speak to you either by way of revelation, or of knowledge, or of prophecy, or of teaching? Yet even lifeless things, either flute or harp, in producing a sound, if they do not produce a distinction in the tones, how will it be known what is played on the flute or on the harp? For if the bugle produces an indistinct sound, who will prepare himself for battle? So also you, unless you utter by the tongue speech that is clear, how will it be known what is spoken? For you will be speaking into the air." And then he goes on to say, there are perhaps a great many kinds of languages in the world, and no kind is without meaning. If then I do not know the meaning of the language, I will be to the one who speaks a barbarian, and the one who speaks will be a barbarian to me." Again, tongues were real foreign languages. Paul had no new definition of tongues than what we find in both the Old and the New Testament. Paul's definition of tongues is consistent with what we find in the book of Acts. Again, as you may recall in Acts chapter 2 verse 6, it says, and again this is in reference to the day of Pentecost, And when this song occurred, the crowd came together and were bewildered because each one of them was hearing them speak in what? His own language. The tongues that those gathered at Pentecost heard were real foreign languages. And this was a great blessing as well For it was accompanied by interpretation, though there was no physical interpreter. On that great day, many languages were heard, but the same message understood. It was a sign of the unification of God's people. But again, it was also a warning of coming judgment. Peter again says in Acts 2, 19 to 21, and I will grant wonders in the sky above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and vapor of smoke. The sun will be turned into darkness and the moon into blood before the great and glorious day of the Lord shall come. and it shall be that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." Peter here again quoting Joel speaks of the blessing of the outpouring of the Spirit in Acts chapter 2 verses 16 to 18 that would then be followed by the day of the Lord. Now again, as I've previously stated, this phrase, the day of the Lord, is not a reference to a specific day specifically, but it is more so a reference to a specific time when God pours out His wrath on a nation or people. And so, chronologically speaking, the next time that God's wrath would be poured out was when? It was in 70 AD. Now, this is what Jesus prophesies of in Matthew 24-2, when he says, truly I say to you, not one stone here, speaking of the temple, will be left upon another which will not be torn down. He also says in Matthew 21, verses 33 to 45, where he gives a parable of a landowner. In the parable of the landowner, there was a landowner who planted a vineyard and he rented it out to some vine growers and then went on a journey. Of course, the time of harvest came, and then the landowner sends slaves to collect the produce. But the vine growers beat and killed the slaves. And then the landowner sends a larger company of slaves, who are also beaten and killed. And then finally, the landowner sends his son, who is also beaten and killed. Jesus then asks the following question in verse 40. He says, therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what shall he do to these vine growers? They said to him, he will bring those wretches to a wretched end and will rent out the vineyard to other vine growers who will pay him the proceeds at the proper seasons. Jesus said to them, did you never read in the scriptures the stone which the builders rejected? This became the chief cornerstone. This came about from the Lord, and it is marvelous in our eyes. And then it says this, Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing the fruit of it. And he who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, but on whomever it falls, it will scatter him like dust. When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, what happened? They understood that he was speaking about them. And so Jesus speaks directly and specifically to this wicked generation of men. Now, again, the prophecy and the parable came to pass in 70 AD when the judgment of God fell upon Jerusalem by the hands of the Romans. Now, the interesting thing is that several extra-biblical sources reports strange events and extraordinary circumstances concerning the destruction of Jerusalem. The church father Eusebius, for instance, writes, but the people of the church in Jerusalem had been commanded by a revelation vouchsafed to approve men there before the war to leave the city and to dwell in a certain town of Paris called Pella. And when those that believed in Christ had come thither from Jerusalem, then, as if the royal city of the Jews and the whole land of Judah were entirely destitute of holy men, the judgment of God at length overtook those who had committed such outrages against Christ and his apostles, and totally destroyed that generation of impious men. Again, the Jewish historian Josephus on one occasion writes this. He mentions a prodigious storm in the night with the utmost violence and very strong winds with the largest showers of rain and continual lightnings, terrible thunderings and amazing concussions and bellowings of the earth. that was in an earthquake. These things were a manifest indication that some destruction was coming upon them. When the system of the world was put into this disorder, and anyone would guess that these wonders foreshowed some great calamities were coming. He then continues in his work, The Jewish Wars. He says, besides these signs, a few days after the feast, a certain prodigious and incredible phenomenon appeared. And then he describes it as if he's saying, I know this sounds like a bit much. He says, I suppose the account of it would seem to be a fable were it not related by those that saw it. And were not the events followed it, of as considerable a nature as to deserve such signals. For before sunsetting, chariots and troops of soldiers in their armors were seen running about among the clouds and surrounding of cities. Moreover, at the feast, which we call Pentecost, as the priests were going by night into the inner court of the temple, as their custom was to perform their sacred menstruations, They said that in the first place they felt a quaking and heard a great noise and after that they heard a sound of as a great multitude saying, let us remove hence. Another contemporary historian at this time, Tacitus, this time a Roman historian, says this. He speaks of strange events at night, such as a sword-shaped star that presided over the city. And also he describes chariots and armies in the sky and the voices of multitudes saying, we are departing hence. Now, were these events tall tales? Or were they real events that took place? That, I don't know for certain. But what I do know was that many Jews died in the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD. God utterly destroyed Jerusalem and that wicked generation of men in terrible fashion. This was the culmination of all of the covenant curses and the rejection of Christ as the Messiah. Now, this is a sobering warning to unbelievers. God does not extend his offer of grace and mercy forever. There is a time when the bill comes due. And when that time comes, unbeliever, you will not be able to pay it. You will likewise perish in your sin. You will be cast into the burning hell in which it says the fire is not quenched and the worm does not die. You will be thrown into outer darkness where there is only weeping and gnashing of teeth. And so I exhort you, do not harden your hearts, but rather trust in Christ as your Messiah, and you too will be saved. Well, there's one more issue that I want to touch on. that actually ties together the message that we heard last week to the message here this morning. It is this. Is God finished with the Jews? To say it another way, have the Jews, ethnic Israel, been replaced by the church? Well, Paul actually gives an extensive answer to this question over in the book of Romans, in Romans chapter 11. Now, we won't read the entire chapter for the sake of time, but focus on one part in particular. Romans chapter 11, we'll look at verse 22 to 25, says, Behold then the kindness and severity of God to those who fell severity But to you, speaking of the Gentiles, God's kindness, if you continue in his kindness, otherwise you also will be cut off. And they also, speaking of Jews, speaking of ethnic Israel, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in. For God is able to graft them in again. For if you were cut off from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these who are the natural branches be grafted into their own olive tree? For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery, so that you will not be wise in your own estimation, that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. You see, God is not finished with the Jews. Jews can and are being saved even today. Now, some look at Romans chapter 11 and they see in it a time, a future time, when a number of Jews will suddenly turn back to Christ as the Messiah. Others see it more imperceptibly, that Jews throughout these last days are turning to Christ. But the main idea here, again, is that Jews and Gentiles are being and will be grafted into the same tree. Very important. It is one tree, not two. It is one people of God, not two. Galatians 3, 28. Again, I remind you of the oneness of unity that we read about last week in Ephesians 4, verses 4 to 6. There, Paul says, there is one body and one spirit. Just also you were called into one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all. This again speaks to the oneness of unity. Again, the people of God are now one, and there is no going back. Now, this was what the sign of tongues represented for all those who believed in Jesus as their Messiah. You say, what do I mean? Well, again, in the book of Acts, there were actually not one, but four Pentecost-like experiences. The first one, of course, is recorded in Acts chapter 2, but the other instances are recorded in Acts chapter 8, Acts chapter 10, and Acts chapter 19. Tongues, as I previously stated, was a visible manifestation and an outward sign that made it clear that all people of God, regardless of ethnicity, possessed the same Holy Spirit. Now, if you recall, this was exactly the conclusion of Peter and the Jews. in the third Pentecost experience recorded in Acts 10. Speaking of Cornelius and his household who were Gentiles, In Acts 10, 34 to 35, Peter says, I most certainly understand now that God is not one to show partiality. But in every nation, the man who fears him and does what is right is welcomed by him. And then later, in verses 44 to 47, the text says, While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who were listening to the message. All the circumcised believers who came with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. For they were hearing them speaking with tongues and exalting God, Then Peter answered, surely no one can refuse the water for these to be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we did, can he? This is a reference back to Acts chapter 2. So again, tongues, when understood and interpreted, was given as a blessing from God that demonstrated that all the people of God, regardless of their race, was united as one. So as someone has stated, Acts records the transition in redemptive history when God, for our sake, had to make it clear that his gifts were no longer limited to the Jews. In fact, Acts begins by telling us that the apostles would witness to Christ first in Jerusalem, then in Judea, Samaria, and the ends of the earth. Notably, the spirit baptisms Luke records in Acts confirms the geographic spread of the gospel. Jews in Jerusalem, God-fearers in Judea, Samaritans in Samaria, and Gentiles who represented the ends of the earth. And so again, tongues served as both a great blessing and a warning in the early church. The sign visibly and audibly demonstrated that the kingdom of God was no longer limited to the Jews only, but open to the Gentiles as well. In other words, Christ is indeed the Savior of all men. Christ will not deny himself of his inheritance. And what is that inheritance? It is men and women from every nation, tongue, and tribe. This again is Psalm 2 verses 7 to 8. Psalm 2, 7 to 8, states this, I will surely tell of the decree of the Lord He said to me, you are my son, today I have begotten you, ask of me and I will surely give the nations as your inheritance and the very ends of the earth as your possession. This psalm is a coronation psalm that is frequently quoted and alluded to throughout the life of Christ. It is quoted, for instance, at Jesus' baptism in Matthew 3.17. It is quoted during the transfiguration of Matthew 17.5, and it is referenced at the resurrection in Acts 1333. And so this was always the plan. This was Christ's mission. The Gentiles are not plan B. Plan A from the beginning was that all nations, all people, regardless of race and ethnicity, would worship the one true God. It was prophesied long ago, carried out in time, and it speaks to who Christ is. Jesus Christ, the Messiah, is the Lord of the nations. And so unity among the nations in the church testifies that Jesus is the Christ. So we can say to the unbelieving Jew and to the unbelieving Gentile, look at the church, take up the Old Testament, and read and see that Christ indeed is the Messiah, the Savior of the world. Amen? Let us go to the Lord in a word of prayer. Heavenly Father, we thank you for sending your Son, Jesus Christ, the Messiah, the Savior of the world. And we pray first and foremost that if there is anyone here today that has not believed upon Christ as their Messiah, that they would turn to him in faith and repentance even right now. For you will not always extend your offers of grace and mercy and salvation, but there is indeed coming a final day of the Lord when Christ returns And all of his enemies are destroyed. Lord, we pray that everyone in the sound of my voice who does not believe upon Christ as the Messiah would think on this, would reflect upon this. but that they would flee from the wrath to come and find shelter in Christ Jesus. Lord, we also thank you for the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace that it is in the first place positional that we all possess the same Holy Spirit, that we are all children of the one Heavenly Father. We thank you, Lord, that you have broken down the dividing wall, that what has once been broken down has been destroyed forever and is never again to be rebuilt. Lord, we pray that in our practice as your children, that we would walk in a manner that is consistent with that true, real reality that there is no longer Jew nor Gentile, male nor female, but we are all one in Christ. To the praise and glory of your name, in Jesus' name, amen.