Holy Spirit and Power #4

Holy Spirit Power Overview

In this fourth installment of the Holy Spirit and Power series, the pastor of NTC Ministries dives deeply into one of the most practical and often misunderstood subjects in the Christian life: the benefits of speaking in tongues. Drawing from 1 Corinthians 14:4, the message anchors itself in the truth that praying in tongues edifies and builds up the believer from the inside out. Using the vivid analogy of jumper cables charging a dead battery, the pastor illustrates how speaking in tongues connects the believer to the power of the Holy Spirit, driving out fear and increasing spiritual strength. The teaching revisits the distinction between being born again with the Holy Spirit and receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit for power, exploring Acts 8 in detail through the account of Simon the sorcerer and the apostles Peter and John. The pastor also draws from Zephaniah 3:9 and Genesis 11 to show how God restores a pure, unified language to His people. Three common myths about speaking in tongues are addressed and dismantled with scripture and personal testimony, leaving listeners with a clear, faith-building understanding of why this gift is essential to the Spirit-filled life.

Holy Spirit Power Outline

• 0:00:00 – Worship and Opening Prayer: The service opens with extended congregational worship and a pastoral prayer covering healing for specific individuals and blessing for ministry supporters.
• 0:18:00 – Missions Offering and Ministry Updates: The pastor shares the need for a missions offering, explains local and international ministry work, and announces the upcoming school year at MTC Christian Academy.
• 0:32:00 – Introduction to the Series: The pastor briefly recaps the Holy Spirit and Power series, identifying the antichrist spirit as opposition to the anointing and calling believers to embrace the Holy Spirit’s fullness.
• 0:41:00 – Jesus the Baptizer in the Holy Spirit: Using John 1:29-34 and Matthew 3:11, the pastor establishes that Jesus is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit and fire, and that this baptism is distinct from water baptism.
• 0:52:00 – Speaking in Tongues Edifies the Believer: An in-depth look at 1 Corinthians 14:4 explains that praying in tongues builds the believer up spiritually, using the jumper cable illustration to make the concept practical and memorable.
• 1:02:00 – One Pure Language Restored: The pastor connects Genesis 11 and Zephaniah 3:9 to show how the gift of tongues restores the unified language of heaven, enabling the body of Christ to purpose together with nothing impossible.
• 1:12:00 – Acts 8 and Two Experiences of the Holy Spirit: A detailed study of Acts 8:9-21 through Simon the sorcerer demonstrates that being born again and being baptized in the Holy Spirit are two separate and necessary experiences.
• 1:22:00 – Three Myths About Speaking in Tongues: The pastor addresses and refutes three common misconceptions: that tongues cannot be controlled, that they will burst out embarrassingly, and that early simplicity means the gift was not received.
• 1:32:00 – Personal Testimony and Exhortation: A personal account of a wife learning to pray in tongues illustrates faithfulness and growth, closing with an urgent call for believers to stir up the gift and build themselves up daily.

Scripture References

John 1:29, John 1:32-34, Matthew 3:11, 1 Corinthians 9:11, 1 Corinthians 14:4, 1 Corinthians 14:22, Romans 8:9, Acts 8:9-21, Zephaniah 3:9, Genesis 11

Key Takeaways

• Speaking in tongues edifies and builds up the believer spiritually, functioning like jumper cables that charge a dead battery with the power of the Holy Spirit.
• Being born again with the Holy Spirit and receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit are two distinct experiences, both necessary and clearly demonstrated throughout the book of Acts.
• Perfect love casts out all fear, and as believers pray in the Holy Spirit, God’s love is shed abroad in their hearts, making fear unable to take root.
• God always provides evidence of His power, and the sign of speaking in tongues serves as evidence for unbelievers that the Holy Spirit is real and active.
• Praying in tongues is subject to the believer’s will; the Holy Spirit provides the utterance, but the believer must choose to speak out in faith and continue developing the gift.
• The restoration of a pure, heavenly language through Spirit-baptism unifies the body of Christ so that nothing they purpose together will be impossible, just as in Genesis 11.
• Failing to build yourself up through praying in the Holy Spirit leaves believers vulnerable to fear, spiritual weakness, and an inability to fulfill what God has called them to do.

Holy Spirit Power Notes

Edification Through the Language of Heaven

The cornerstone of this message is 1 Corinthians 14:4, which declares that the one who speaks in a tongue edifies himself. The pastor unpacks the word edify as meaning to build and construct continuously, the way a contractor works until a structure is complete. Praying in tongues does not build the believer according to personal desires or human ambition. It builds them according to what God requires, shaping and adjusting them to fulfill their calling. This ongoing spiritual construction is what separates believers who stand firm in crisis from those who crumble when the winds and waves become boisterous.

Two Distinct Works of the Holy Spirit

A central doctrinal point in this sermon is the clear scriptural distinction between the indwelling of the Holy Spirit at new birth and the baptism of the Holy Spirit for power. Romans 8:9 confirms that no one can belong to Christ without the Holy Spirit. Yet Acts 8 shows the believers in Samaria who had been born again and water baptized still needing to receive the Holy Spirit through the laying on of the apostles’ hands. The pastor illustrates this as the difference between starting a fire and throwing gasoline on it, making it impossible to extinguish.

The Dead Battery Illustration

Among the most memorable teaching moments in this message is the analogy of a car with a drained battery. When a vehicle will not start, jumper cables from a running, charged car transfer power and bring the dead battery back to life. Praying in tongues functions the same way, latching the believer onto the power of the Holy Spirit and charging them up spiritually. Better still, once the battery is charged, it continues charging through the alternator system. Believers who pray in tongues regularly do not need to keep being revived by others; they maintain their own charge and can then help jump-start those around them.

Genesis 11 and the Restored Pure Language

The pastor draws a compelling biblical arc from Genesis 11, where the whole earth shared one language and accomplished extraordinary feats in unified purpose, to Zephaniah 3:9, where God promises to restore a pure language so His people can call on His name and serve Him with one accord. When the Holy Spirit fell on the day of Pentecost and believers all spoke in tongues, God gave back that unified heavenly language. This is why, the pastor argues, communities yielded to the Holy Spirit accomplish things that seem impossible by human standards, pointing to 34 nations reached with churches, schools, colleges, and clinics as living proof.

Dismantling Fear Around Tongues

Three myths consistently prevent believers from receiving or continuing in the gift of tongues. First, some believe they cannot control it, but scripture shows all spiritual gifts are subject to the believer. Second, others fear an uncontrolled outburst will embarrass them publicly, but the gift must be actively received and exercised by the individual. Third, some abandon the practice because early expressions seemed limited, comparing it to expecting fluency in a foreign language on the first day. The pastor shares that his wife began with only simple syllables, yet faithfulness over weeks of early-morning prayer led to fluent, powerful intercession that transformed her spiritual life.

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