In this sermon, the preacher discusses the importance of love in the Christian faith. He emphasizes that even if someone has great abilities, knowledge, and generosity, without love, it is meaningless. The preacher then describes the characteristics of love, highlighting its patience and kindness, and compares it to the person of Christ. He also mentions that while spiritual gifts like prophecy and speaking in tongues were necessary in the early church, they have ceased in modern times as the full revelation of God is found in the Bible. The sermon concludes with a prayer for guidance and a reminder to rely on the Word of God.

One of the most confusing things for the pilgrim and especially for a young pilgrim in these last of the last days is charismatic movement with its emphasis on what it calls tongues and speaking in tongues. This is our subject this evening. All I ask of the meeting is that you follow the book. That's all. One want you to be dreaming up about what you call your experience. I want you to be honest enough to follow this book and see if your experience is according to the book and if it's not you'd better look out. Surely the book must be right. But you see a part of the confusion comes with this word tongues because it would be better had it been translated languages because tongues are languages but then everybody just doesn't get it like that. Let's go to Acts chapter 1 now, chapter 2, the acts of the apostles and we're at the second chapter. Let me read a few words here without trying to expound them at all but I'll go back and expound them for you. We'll take our time with this this evening. And when the day of Pentecost was fully come they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven hours of a rushing mighty wind and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared onto them cloven tongues like hours of fire and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost. Let's get that bit quite clear they were all filled. And began to speak with tongues and you would almost think from the writing that they all began to speak with tongues but it doesn't say that. It just says they were all filled that's one thing with the Holy Ghost. And we'll tidy that bit out with scripture in a moment and began to speak with other tongues and I say the word should be languages. They began to speak with other languages. Languages that they had never learned. This is a mighty miracle of course just like anybody in this meeting this evening getting up to speak now in perfect Chinese or in Italian or in German or in Russian a language they'd never learned. They began to speak with other languages. And just in case you think that I'm working something by changing the word we'll read on. And they began to speak with other languages as the Spirit gave them utterance. We'll come back to all these phrases. And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews. See it was the day of Pentecost and the Jews had come for the feast of Pentecost from all over the world. Devout men out of every nation. Let's get that bit on to heaven. Now when this was noised abroad the multitude came together. What a multitude and we're confounded because that every man heard them speak in his own language. Is that the word now? Not stretching the elastic now sure I'm not. So they were speaking languages. Have you got the hold of that? It's not just mamby-pamby stuff you know. They were speaking languages, real languages. And boys from every nation under heaven were there and could hear them speak in their own language. Right? That's what it says in your book. And you do know that I didn't print this don't you? And so we just want to establish that. Let's establish it a little bit more. And they were all amazed and marveled saying one to another, behold are not all these which speak Galileans. See the boys that were getting up during the talking. Oh I want you to get the hold of that. These were Galileans. Fellows from Galilee and I'll tell you in the nation of Israel the most educated men were not up in Galilee. You know I did say about Peter and John that they were all learned and ignorant men. Like your humble servant didn't get much schooling or at least he didn't take it. And then they said this in verse 8, and how hear we every man. That's why I was trying to sort of tell you when we were back in verse 4, and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and began to speak because the woman didn't speak at all you know. Happens to be it was just the men that were talking. It must have been a second miracle there to keep the women quiet. Watch yourself. Pray for me. Oh no it was just men that were talking so they weren't all Tom, but they were all filled. But there was only a few that did the talking in the languages. And how hear we every man in our own tongue wherein we were born. Let's get that bit. They were born in a certain nation under the sun and they were brought up in that tongue. That's a language. Whoever we fell in the house just now he's only true and he's learning the language. And I assure you he's learning it fast. Yes I had something around my neck the other night tight round and he says grander it'll choke you. And I don't know where he heard the word or how he got it but he's picking it up all right and it's the language. Learning the language. Our own tongue wherein we were born. These men were speaking languages. Let me hammer it out for you now. Real languages. That's the bit we are establishing just now. I want you to get that. Yes. Now I want you to notice when this speaking in languages began. Let's go back again to the first verse. And when the day of Pentecost was fully come and the word Pentecost means the 50th day you know means the 50th. It's the 50th day after Calvary was fully come now. There was a sort of season of Pentecostal feasting but this was really the day. They were all with one accord in one place. Let me tell you that the unity of the people had nothing to do with what was happening. It was the 50th day and this thing would have taken place no matter what sort of unity was there. Let me tell you that. Had nothing to do with it at all. My dear friends God had elected that on this Pentecostal day he would send the Holy Ghost to earth whether they were all together or not. That was the day it was going to be fulfilled. But they were with one accord in one place. And some people seem to think it's easy to just find the place. One place where it won't be too quick now because I may just catch you on. Some people think they were in the upper room. You might well be wrong. Because you'll find if you go back to Mark's Gospel Melodic the time now that each day after Calvary and the Lord's resurrection they went to the temple to praise the Lord. They were continually in the temple so it says. And I don't think they were in the upper room. I think they were in a part of the temple because the multitude could come did we get the whole world when we were reading. They were in a place where the crowd could get around them and where the crowd could hear the languages. That doesn't matter that may be debatable. But I've got to point it out as a teacher. But the day of Pentecost has come and God had elected from before the world began that on that particular Pentecost the Holy Ghost would come to earth and baptize. And I'm not on that this evening because I can take that up anytime and may well do so. He had come to earth to baptize all the individual followers of Christ into one body and make them the church and the church began then. Don't forget that's one thing that happened. And the church began at Pentecost when all the individual followers were baptized into the body and there's the head of the body exalted in heaven now. And if you would like to argue with me that the church was here before that I would have to tell you it must have been here without a head. Oh no he was dealing with the nation before that. He's dropping the nation. And he may take the church home one of these days and start back with the nation. Looking very likely. Mustn't get into these side streams. And so here they are and they're in one place. And suddenly just like that there came a sound from heaven hours off a rushing mighty wind. And remember it was not a rushing mighty wind. It was hours off. The writer who has looked up to look. This is the only way he can explain this. There was something came it was it was like hours of a rushing mighty wind. It wasn't a rushing mighty wind but it was like hours off. That's the only way you could describe it. He filled all the house where they were sitting. And remember they were sitting. See some of the pokes who go on this nonsense of waiting all night on the holy ghost tell me you have to roll on the floor to get it. Well I'll tell you on that day they were not rolling on the floor they were sitting. If you could read. But they do work a lot of nonsense into it you know that I have to work out as I go along. I wish they could read. Thank God I have to go slow at the reading. Greatest blessing I got was that I never learned to read properly. Yes let's get it they're sitting. Is it all right? Holy rulers they call them. I could give you another name for that. Lord forbid it. Now watch this. Verse three. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like hours off, like hours off, like hours off fire. It is not fire. It's only like hours off. I hear them praying for fire. Fire came and would roast them. My dear friends it says like hours off. That's the only way he could describe it. It is not fire. It's like hours off fire. Sat upon each of them and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost. That was one thing that happened. Of course they were baptized into one body. They were all filled and began the men or at least some of the men began to speak with other languages. I want you to get that's the day that these languages began. I want you to get that. It was a mighty medical mind you. We must not despise it or poo-poo it. It happened and it happened right there in Jerusalem. And fellows who scarcely went to school at all, who were all learned and ignorant, they could stand up and speak languages as they never knew. That was the mighty medical. I want you to get that. Remember this was the work of the Spirit. And so it must be today. The Holy Ghost. And unless it's the Holy Ghost you know right well it's either the flesh or the devil. And they could speak these languages. That's how they did it as the Spirit gave them utterance. It was the Spirit that moved their tongues. It was the Spirit that gave them these languages. It's a mighty thing. And so we have seen when the speaking in languages began and how the speaking in languages began. I think we must try to settle just right now why did this speaking in languages begin? Well what was the idea of this now? Here are a lot of these men, apostles and other men of course, among this hundred and twenty that was in Jerusalem at the time. Now what did God give this gift for? Because gift it was. Now it was one of the sign gifts. It would be a sign. And that's what we must get into just why God gave it. Now let's go over to 1 Corinthians chapter 14. Now we'll come back to where we are because we've got to take this with us this evening very carefully. And we're at 1 Corinthians and we're at chapter 14. And Paul does a lot of talking in this chapter about this gift of languages. This sign gift as he calls it. And I'll go down the chapter with you after a moment or two. But here's how he sums it all up. We're at 1 Corinthians chapter 14 verse 22. Wherefore tongues or wherefore languages are for a sign. Now read it carefully. Not to them not belief. Let me stop and hold on to you now very carefully. This was never a sign for believers. Not to them not belief. He got the hold of that. Because I have seen a lot of fellows stranded at this very spot. An old doctor in Derbyshire came to argue with me once. Said you know you don't know anything about this. You've never been in a meeting where it's done. You've been in a meeting doctor? Yes. We have 60 on Sunday morning. And they can all speak these languages. I said doctor are they all saved? Of course they're all saved. Thought I was going to pick a hole in it you see. Every one of them doctor? Yes. No unbelievers there? No. What are they doing with tongues or languages doctor? I said have a look at this. Wherefore tongues are for a sign not to them that believe but to them that believe not. If there are no unbelievers there what's it they're working for? The Holy Ghost inspired verse 22. Do you think he's breaking what he's inspired and he's now making the believers do it? I don't think he breaks the word of God. And you see he had enough academic something or other through the schools and universities he went to that he saw that in a glance. And he's getting up to beat me. That's a good idea isn't it? And I said you want to take it that way doctor they'll find you in the hospital in a minute. I don't get too much about me don't think I'm getting talked around do you? No no if he takes it that way it'll be too bad. No I'm not afraid of him. You know you're backsliding that's what you're doing. Yes and I said doctor you know what you're doing now you're arguing against the plain word of God. And you're annoyed that I turned this up and that I asked you were they all saved in this house. And you're going to lose your temper over that and there's nothing spiritual about it and you'll get your ear cuffed if you go too far. But if you listen to me I'll tell you doctor if you go on with this rubbish that you're going on with and you're going to stand against God you're going to end up in a mental home. Now for a poor preacher to come to tell the local doctor who had a big practice in Derbyshire you can get this out if you like that he's gone to a mental home he was really mad now. I'll tell you where he is tonight in a mental home. That's where he is. Please listen to God's word don't fight with it. It'll make a matter of what you have been through or what sort of an experience you have had or how you have mumbled on Sunday morning. Just you listen to this. It's a sign not to them that believe but to them that believe not. Is that right? My sometimes you would need to take a day with some of the believers to get the word of God because they don't like it. Now it was a sign not to to believers at all it was a sign to unbelievers. All the unbelievers were standing around on the day of Pentecost. Well let me tighten this up a little bit more. See that's verse 22. Let's go back to verse 20. Paul is talking to this church at Cairns and he's sort of begging them brethren. You know he loves them and he's saying brethren talking to the believers. Be not children in understanding. You know you're acting like we kids at times. That's what he was saying. Albeit in malice be you children but in understanding be men. And he said in the law and when he's talking about the law he's talking about the word of God in the old testament. In the law it is written. You know it was written back there. He's trying to tell them look let's leave the new testament aside. It was written back there with men of other tongues or other languages and other lips. Will I speak to this people? What people? Answer me. It's Isaiah 28 if you like to go back and find it. It's for the Jewish nation. See this mighty sign that was there at the day of Pentecost. Galileans getting up and speaking languages. It was a sign to unbelieving Jews. That tightens it up a little bit. You don't only need to have unbelievers in the meeting. You need to have unbelieving Jews in the meeting. Go all around the country and find where they're blathering like this on Sunday morning there's not a non-believing Jew in the place. Oh that type that goes on for truth. And you know I get cursed for saying it and it's in the book. I know I'll have a night out of this you know. My dear friend I don't fear you for one second. I didn't come here to covet your smile or fear your friend. I didn't get on like that for 27 years here. This is truth and you need to bow to it or God will have to deal with you too. Now this is a sign. It was a sign gift. One of the sign gifts. And it was given to Jews. Jews that hated the name of Jesus. Let's see how it worked out. That's the thing. Let's go back to Acts chapter 2. Acts chapter 2. I'm trying to work this out now. Why did this speaking in languages begin? What did God do this for? Now the Holy Ghost has come and they were all filled and some of the men began to speak in these languages. You see verse 5. And they were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews. That's what I tell you you see. It didn't print that we would in there you know. It was there. Unbelieving Jews. Jews that hated the name of Jesus. There was a crowd of them in Jerusalem that day. Of course there was. They'd come up to worship God in their own way and that's why the word devout man is used. Out of every nation let's get that bitch you know. You know we we know now in our country that there are French Jews. There are Italian Jews and German Jews and Russian Jews. We know that sort of thing don't we? Still Jews you know. Born in Russia you know. Can speak the Russian language you know. And sometimes even now they go to Palestine and they go on the day of Pentecost. You saw there was a crowd of them there. Verse 6. And when this was noised abroad the multitude. Let's get that word because that sort of tells me this wasn't the upper room. They'd gone to the temple and the Holy Ghost had come down and the court of the temple is open and the crowd comes. And the crowd came together and were confounded because that every man in the clouds from every nation under heaven heard these Galileans speak in his own language. The language that the man was born in. It isn't mamby-pamby stuff you know. I know what they put over for talking in tongues now. Rubbish. It's not a language at all. Verse 7 says and they were all amazed and marveled saying one to another. Behold are not all these which speak Galileans and I hear we every man in our own tongue when then we were born. Now it begins to talk about the nations that were represented there in that multitude. Parthians and Metes and Elamites and dwellers in Mesopotamia and in Judea and Cappadocia and Pontus and Asia. Pergia and Pamphylia and Egypt. You see they came from Asia, they came from Egypt. And in the parts of Libya about Cyrene and strangers of Rome. Came from Asia, came from Egypt, came from Rome. Jews, Proselytes, Cretes, Arabians. If you like to count those sometime when you have time there are 16 different nationalities mentioned from 16 different nations of the world. Here they are all around them. And some of these Galileans were standing up and speaking sometimes in Arabian, sometimes in a European language, sometimes they were speaking different languages. It's a mighty thing you know. I'll tell you this, after a lot of challenge there is nobody in this country can do it today. You know anybody they would tell you you know, but oh dear. See back there just there now there's a fellow sitting back there he's a professor from Queens. I should make you stand up. He can speak 14 languages. I had a notion of bringing him up here and making him sit with me tonight. But I wasn't so well so I was late. I'll let you sit where you are. I'm sure you're pleased. Because I should have made you give an exhibition of all the languages. And I'll tell you this, there is nobody among this tongues group or this charismatic movement that can do this. If you can get them I'll join them. One fella at Queens said to me one day, I can do it right, we're in the right spot. There's Pakistanis at Queens by the hundreds. And there are Japanese and there are Chinese and there are Indians. I said look let's get them all into the professor's room. Let me get 16 different nationalities into the room. And you stand up and speak to each one of them in his own language. And I'm beat. I'll have to get down on my knees and apologize. You see the boy that was talking, he can't speak English. That's rubbish. It's tripe with a capital T. That's what it is. Tripe. You know I've had a few girls in my life. A fella came to the door one night, knocked the door, opened the door, said I want to come in and see you. I went to see him. Says you know I had a dream last night. Usually women that dream about me but this was a man. He says I want to tell you this. If you would join us and start speaking in tongues you'd be the best man in the world. I said I'd be the best mug in the world. I said now how long ago since you first speak in tongues? He said in this time I should give you his name you know. I don't think it may be fair for me to do it but I would do it if you tempted me. I don't need much tempting here at this moment. He's egging me on you know. He says it's it's 29 years ago since I first speak in tongues. So I wasn't in the time then. He says that's right. I says if I tell you the day that you first speak in tongues on the spot, would it surprise you? He says it wouldn't surprise me very much. I don't think you would know. I said will you be honest before God and tell me the truth now if I say it? He says I will. I said it was a Saturday afternoon wasn't it? It was he said. He says it was upstairs in your own wee back room. He says what? I says well there were neither unbelievers or believers there. There were no Jews there that's one thing. The whole thing was nonsense. What you were doing sir was you were going to have a go at it in the meeting on Sunday morning and you were having a wee practice on it. I'm telling you. Now I'll tell you there's a whole lot of ways I'll have to go up to this. You're not telling me that's the gift. It's a man trying to to pretend before the meeting on Sunday morning that that God's doing something with it. It's all flesh. I don't believe the devil's even as daft as that. I'll tell you where you'll find this fella tonight. In the pub over there. Drunk probably. I met him coming down there not long ago. I was in the car. Stopped the car. Got out. Got the hold of him. Bumped him against the wall once or twice nice and hard. The other boys had their dossities. They meant to talk to me. I said thank you. So I should. Oh wouldn't they amuse you. Wouldn't they really amuse you. This is the great gift. This is tripe with a capital T. That's what it is. And if you're getting mixed up in it will you listen. You can find anybody in this Ulster of ours who can find 16 different nationalities and talk the language. Then you have me beat. I haven't a chance of getting beat. Not a chance. And not a one of them or for the whole nation of them. They go around talking. My wouldn't they sicken you. Yes I'll tell you it's all baloney. But I'll tell you your baloney can take you a bit further than that. Now let's try to get this. How does this sign to all believers work. There's one before that. Did all believers speak in languages. You know they tell me today you know that you have to wait and get the spirit and then you'll speak in tongues and all believers should speak in tongues. Let's just see this now. Come to 1st Corinthians chapter 12 for a moment. 1st Corinthians and we're at the 12th chapter. Now this is where Paul mentions a lot of sign gifts. Because speaking in languages was only one of the sign gifts. In fact he talks about nine different gifts here. Verse 8 just to save time. For to one that is to one person is given by the Spirit. The word of wisdom. That's a great gift too you know. To another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit. To another faith by the same Spirit. Now that's not the faith you believed with. And that's not the faith that's the whole body of truth because that's the faith. That's the thing we are to earnestly contend for the faith. Now this is the gift of faith. You see Hudson Taylor had the gift of faith. That's a mighty gift. And I know men who've tried to follow Hudson Taylor and George Mueller had the gift of faith. See Mueller started the orphan homes. And Mueller he said that he would never ask man for a penny. He's run these orphan homes without asking anybody. And there was one night at 11 o'clock at night. I think I'm right in the figures but I could be wrong. I think there were 1,200 children in the home. And they had no breakfast for the morning. And the wife said you know we're beaten. You'll have to lift the phone and do something. He said no. Blast God. He got this faith. And the story to make it short is this. At somewhere about three o'clock in the morning an old grocer awoke and said to his wife there's something wrong at the homes tonight. And you just know there's one or two grocer's here bless you. You just know what the wife would say to you if you woke her in the middle of the night you know and said. Well he went on at it until he got up and he filled the lorry full of stuff and he trotted it up and in the morning they had their breakfast. Now that's a gift of faith. Don't you start working at it because you mightn't have a gift. And there's so many young men and young women and old men too and they talk about the gift of faith and they haven't got it. And they're launching out to do mighty things and they haven't got the faith at all. And I'll tell you what the end will be. It'll be a collapse. But this was a gift you know and it still is. Another the gift of faith by the same spirit. To another the gifts of healing. There's an S there. Some night we may take this up. To another the working of miracles. To another prophecy. To another discerning of spirits. Great gifts. To another diver kinds of languages. To another the interpretation of languages. And if you count them there are nine gifts there. Now he hasn't touched all the gifts. Because when we come to Ephesians 4 it says that when Christ ascended he gave gifts unto men. He gave some apostles. They were gifts. He gave some prophets when we had no New Testament the prophets were able to stand up in the morning meeting and speak. We'll come to that in a moment. He gave some evangelists. Mind you evangelism is a gift. Not just running meetings you know. And he gave the gift of both pastor and teacher. And all these gifts are very wonderful. But when Paul had penned these out he began to ask questions. He said this in verse 28 have a look at verse 28. We're at chapter 12. First Corinthians 12. And God has set some in the church. This is how he placed the gifts in the church. First apostles. See there are some of these amillennialists and they're in the meeting now you know. I don't need to apologize or anything like that. And they tell me that the church was in the Old Testament. You come around and tell me after the meeting how the apostles got first. The Lord set in the church first apostles. I'll tell you how they got first. The church was built upon the foundation of the apostles. Why those 12 apostles were the very foundation of the faith. And the prophets were in the foundation. And if you're building a bungalow these days you don't take the foundation up to the roof you know. You leave a foundation where it is. And so this is what God says. God has set some in the church first apostles. Secondarily prophets. And I think that both the apostles and prophets are gone because they're in the foundation. I'll tell you what's the best gift that we have tonight teacher. Is I've held this fort up here for 27 years now. One of these days I'm going through the door. I'm in the not too far distant future. And I don't know which one of you is coming to take it on. And some of you critics will have bothered doing the job. You get the hold of that. Carnal critics you'll bother doing the job. Because you'll fail. And the teacher happens to be a very important gift. You know the church of Christ is coming to the place where the gift doesn't matter now. God sent it. And you might drive it out. I want you to get this. First apostles. Secondarily prophets. Thirdly teachers. That's very important. After that, after that miracles. Oh I'll tell you if some of you could do miracles you would think you were better than the teacher. God says after that. And gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of time. Now watch the apostle ask some question. See the whole membership of the entire church of Jesus Christ are all apostles. Is everybody here apostles? You know the answer, common answer. No. Are all prophets? But you know the answer. Are all teachers? And then he's able to take on my job. Poor old Albert. Bless him. Bless him a thousand times. Yes. Are all workers and medicals? Have all the gifts of healing? Watch this one. Do all speak with tongues? What's the answer? No. Oh but this tribe that runs about acting the mug. This tribe says yes. When Paul says no. Oh no they don't. And I'll tell you they didn't all on the day of Pentecosting. I would think that we could get that out of it. Let's get back to this now. We're at first Corinthians. We're at x1 first of all. Let's go back to x2. Let's go back to that. You see when these Jews stood there in that multitude around these men, when the Holy Ghost came and gave the mutterance. You know these men just didn't stand up and talk this German language or this Russian language or whatever language they used. Just didn't talk any old thing. I'll tell you this. This is what it says. It says in verse 7. And they were all amazed and marveled saying one to another. Behold are not all these which speak Galileans. How here we every man in our own tongue wherein we were born. And then it gives the name. And they were all amazed and were in doubt saying one to another. What meaneth this? Couldn't understand this at all. Now there's always a sort of joking crowd among the crowd. Others mocking. I want you to get the word mocking. You see there were men who were wise enough to know that these Galileans never learned these languages and yet they were speaking these languages. But the fellows there who are mocking. And this is what they said. These men are full of new wine. Now on the night when we were dealing with strong drink I didn't want to bring in new wine. Because you know what the mockery is. You can't get drunk on new wine. That's why they were mocking. You see when we talk about our Lord making wine it was new wine. It wasn't strong drinking. That's why these fellows mocked. They said these men were drunk on new wine. It was at a certain hour of the day you know what Peter said. Peter standing up with the eleven lifted up his voice and said you men of Judea and all ye that dwell in Jerusalem be this known to you and hearken to my words these men these are not drunken as ye suppose saying it is but the third hour of the day. Ah no this is this is people talking by the Spirit. The wonderful works of God. That's what we'll find if we read on. I want you to get that. You see here are men standing up Galileans they are. And they're talking they've got this gift. Marvelous thing it was. Able to talk to these Arabians. Able to talk to these Parthians. Able to talk to these men from Asia. These men from Egypt. Able to talk to these men from Rome. Able to talk the wonderful works of God. Good old gospel they were preaching. That's what the gift was for. Now this is how it worked on the day of Pentecost. I want you to get that. This crowd gets round them a multitude. And these fellows Peter, James, John, many others can stand up and preach to that man over there in his own language. In the tongue wherein he was born. And tell him about the wonderful works of God. Tell him about the love of God and the death of Christ and the mighty sacrifice of the cross. I want you to get that. Now there was no interpreter here. I want you to get that. It doesn't mention an interpreter. And nor they were able to speak languages. No interpreter at all. That's what I say they can't do it. There's a fellow back there with some proof. I'll tell you this there are boys playing at this. And they pretend that they're speaking languages and they're not you know. But if they pretend too much the devil will take them up one of these days. You see Sir Robert Anderson, let me say again Sir Robert Anderson was the man that founded Scotland Yard. Sir Robert Anderson could preach 14 different languages fluently just like that. Good old saved man who belonged to the brethren. I really thought he had gone to sleep but it's not true. Yes well praise the Lord. Sir Robert Anderson was a mighty man of God. And he got into an argument about these tongues and languages. But people didn't know that he could talk the language. Like the fellow back there. And he went around all these little Pentecostal meetings in London. And for months heard people standing up and saying Allah, Mala, Fala, Kalala. And then somebody gets up and I can do this anytime you like you know. That's not language at all. That's baloney. That's what that is. And then somebody gets up and interprets it you know. And so I used to say that he's saying a whole lot of things. And Sir Robert Anderson knew it wasn't. But in a little back street in London, in a little tin hut, one day he was in there sitting in the backseat when a young fellow, a Cockney, got up and spoke in perfect Chinese. But he cursed and the cross. And damned the blood of Christ. And damned the Lamb of God. And they were all hallelujahing. It wasn't from now. It was the devil now. The devil had taken them over now. And if you'll not listen to God's word and you're going to spin your neck against it. I'll tell you'll go too far one day. And you'll not know you're doing it. But the devil will get the hold of you. And I think it has happened once in Belfast. You see friend, let's talk about an interpreter. Let's get this settled once and for all. We're at 1st Corinthians chapter 14. 1st Corinthians chapter 14. And we've got to set the scene here. Because Paul's talking to the church at Corinth. And the church at Corinth had a place where they met. I don't think it was called the church at all. This is called the Baptist Church. Mind you, if I'm not mistaken, in the early days this was called the Baptist Meeting House. And I think that's nearer the truth than anything else. But it's got nothing to do with me. Verse 23. We're at 1st Corinthians 14 23. If therefore the whole church, and he's talking about the whole local church at Corinth, they come together into one place. Let's get the one place. They had a big hall in Corinth somewhere. And they were gathered together in one place. And all speak with tongues. Suppose everybody in the assembly got up and spoke with tongues. Boy, we would have a real morning, wouldn't we? And there come in those that are unlearned, or unbelievers. Now these two words are not just to fill up the text. You see, when we talk about the unlearned, we're talking about the Gentiles who are unsaved. They were always called by Jews, the unlearned. And sometimes unsaved Gentiles came into the meeting and sat somewhere along the side, or at the back, or anywhere. But the unbeliever was the Jew. Now let's get the crowd that's here. First of all, there is the church, if the church, we're talking about real believers, if the church come into one place. And if we see the unlearned as the Gentile, he's really a Greek, he's a Corinthian, coming in to see what's going on. But there were always one or two old unbelieving Jews that would creep in to see what these fellows were doing. Now he said this, if therefore the whole church become together into one place, and all speak with languages, and there come in those that are unlearned, or unbelievers, will they not say that you are mad? Oh, they will say that you are mad. So you see, this is where the interpreter came in in the meeting. You see, this gift worked in the days of the church at Corinth. There's no doubts about that. And sometimes a man with a gift could stand up and speak to that unbelieving Jew, say from Italy. And this man can speak with Italian. Now neither the Corinthians, who were saved, who were in the church, could understand him. Neither the unlearned Greek could understand him. Only that man over there, that Jew could understand him. So of necessity somebody who had another gift, which is called interpreting, got up and told the church, and the unlearned Gentile, what this man was saying to that Jew. We don't have that situation now. Don't have it at all. We get a lot of baloney. We get a fellow standing up saying, Allah, Mala, Fala, Kalala, and he goes on for an hour, and the sweat blinds him, and then another big fellow gets up and says what he said. You see, they took me to a meeting once, just to see this done. And the pastor said to me, it's unfair for you to barge. You've never been there. Right, I'll go along. So I was there. And a big fellow beside me, about six feet two, he got up and he went off on a rattle. You've never heard anything like it in your life. And I was irreverent enough to look up at him. And the froth was at each side of his mouth. And the only word I could get was Karachi. Every time he was wanting a breath, he said, Karachi. And he would say, Allah, Mala, Fala, Kalala, Karachi. And I began to count Karachis. And I'll tell you how many I counted. I counted thirty-seven to the time he sat down. He said a lot of other things, but this Karachi came up. And another fellow got up and he interpreted, and it was about some sort of a famine that was coming to Ulster. And he interpreted all he said. So when the thing was over, the pastor said to me, now what did you think of it? I said, get the two fellows till we have a talk with them. So I said, what language were you speaking in? He says, I don't know what language I was speaking in. I said, were you interpreting him word for word? Was the same spirit moving you to interpret the same? He says, I was. I interpreted every word he said, word for word. Well, he says, the pastor here and yourself, you're bound to know that this fellow said Karachi. And I counted thirty-seven, and I don't know how many times he had said that before I caught it on. But you didn't interpret anything thirty-seven times. So they were going to throw me out then. You'd get into trouble if you'd go the right way about it, you know. That's nonsense. Complete nonsense. That's what it is. You see, friends, even in the day when they had this gift. We're at 1 Corinthians 14. Paul says, follow after love and desire spiritual gifts. That's all right. But rather that you may prophesy. For he that speaketh in an unknown, and that word unknown is in italics there. In our languages, the actual translation, speaketh not unto men, but unto God. For no man understandeth him. That is, no man in the assembly understandeth him. Albeit in the spirit, he speaketh mysteries. He's talking about the mysteries of the gospel. But he that propheseth, that is really preaching, you know, speaketh unto men to edification, to excitation, comfort. He that speaketh in an unknown tongue, I want you to get this bit, edifieth himself. Now if I preach here, and you understand what I'm saying, I edify you. If I'm speaking in an unknown tongue, then I should be edifying myself, so that I must know what I'm saying if I'm going to edify myself. God not only gave them the gift of speaking in the language, but the gift of knowing what they were saying. Won't work, you know. See chapter 13. Watch this very carefully. Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not love, I am become a sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal, Paul just saying, though I could say everything, and I don't have love. Though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge, though I can say all things, I can understand all things. And though I have all faith, for that I could remove mountains, though I can say all things, and though I understand all things, and know I can do all things. Verse three says and though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, though I can say all things and though I can understand all things, and though I can do all things, and though I can give all things, I haven't love. It's nonsense. Then he describes love. Love suffereth long and is kind. It's a picture of Christ the whole way down. And then he said this at the end of this description, verse 8, love never faileth. But whether there be prophecies, they shall fail. Whether there be tongues, they shall cease. Oh, the gift has ceased tonight. I challenge the meeting and all other meetings included that will hear these tips and they'll go to the far end of the world. Find me anybody who can do it. And you're going to bother, aren't you? There is nobody who can do it. It's gone. It's gone. You see, the gift was just needed as the church sailed out because the Jews would have murdered these poor disciples, but they were afraid because God was in it. Let me say this. Don't pack up the bag yet. Hallelujah. My dear friends, wait a minute. Look, you know what I can do? See the crowd that come to argue with me? I can beat them by lodging. Never go near the book. You see, I can go back through history and I can take the Church of England and I can go back and find Bishop Riley and Bishop Taylor Smith. And I want to say this. I wish the Church of England had a thousand men like them tonight. They were great men and they were godly men. I can go back to the early days of the Presbyterian Church and I find Horatio Bonner and I find Murray McShane. And the Presbyterians right, left, north, center has nobody to clean their boots tonight. And I wish they had. And I can go back to the early days of the Methodists and Old Wesley was the best man on the land. I can go back to Spurgeon. He was a Baptist. He was the prince of preachers, so to say. I can go back to Dr. Ironside who belonged to the Brethren. That's him there now. Bless him. I'll tell you this. Not one of them ever spoke in tongues. You don't tell me that these men were filled with the Holy Ghost all their days and missed them, do you? That's what you would try to argue with me. I'll tell you I can come down the line nearer. I can get moody. I can even get Billy Graham never spoke in tongues to me later. It's tripe, I tell you. Tripe with a capital T. See you next week. Pack the bag now. All right. Let's bow together before the Lord. Lord, we bow at thy feet. We lift our hearts to thee. Thank thee for thy word. This book will last as long as God lasts. Lord, we believe in the days of Elijah and in the days of the early patriarchs like Moses. There were mighty signs wrought, but Lord, they faded away. We believe in the days of the early church. Lord, let's give signs because thou wouldst protect thy little flock. Lord, a full revelation has come to us and the book has its amen now. Everything you want to say is in this book. Lord, help us who know it, who profess to not, be guided by it. At times we rage about others and we're not much better than they are. Part us now in thy fear and with thy blessing. For thy name's sake. Amen.