How to Work and Flow with the Holy Spirit in the Vocal Gifts

The working of the Holy Spirit in our midst is something to be treasured. His working is what we are going to be talking about today. Now, I say ‘His working in our midst’ because you will see so much of His movings in a group setting. One gentleman said it this way. “The Holy Spirit is the source of community and the Spirit’s work is more related to the building of the community than to the edification of the isolated individual.”¹ Group life is a marvelous life full of wonder because the Spirit gets involved. How does He move? Well, He moves in a lot of ways. One particular way we want to look at is via prophecy, tongues, and interpretation of tongues. And that’s why in this podcast, we will take a look at How to Work and Flow with the Holy Spirit in the Vocal Gifts, all on this week’s Light on Life.

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Each week’s podcast contains a call to action. The Word of God will not produce in your life unless you put it into operation.
This week’s call is:

God wants to use you in the Gift of Prophecy. This is available for every born-again child of God. Trust Him and step out there.

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Testimony is vital to a believer’s life. We overcome by it (Rev. 12:11). Each week’s podcast also contains a question designed to encourage testimony.
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Question: Share how the Lord began to use you in the Gift of Prophecy so others may be encouraged. Share your story in the comments section below.

Episode Resources:

We are currently teaching in the book of First Thessalonians. You can click on the links below to listen to some of these podcasts.

About Emery

Emery committed his life to the Lord Jesus Christ over 47 years ago and has served as both a full-time pastor and an itinerant minister. He and his wife Sharon of 40 years emphasize personal growth and development through the Word of God. The ministry of the Holy Spirit is the focus and the hallmark of their mission. Read more about them here.

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Prayer

Father God, your word said that we are not to be ignorant of things pertaining to and of the Holy Ghost. We ask you today to open up the eys of our understanding. Help us to see prophecy as we should in Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Podcast Notes

Working with the Spirit: A Different Perspective

In the last couple of podcasts, we have covered verses sixteen through twenty-two of First Thessalonians 5.
In verses sixteen through eighteen, we have a group of three.

Rejoice
Pray without ceasing
Give thanks always

That’s followed by verses nineteen through twenty-two where we have a group of four verses.

Don’t quench the Spirit
Refuse to despise prophecies
Prove all things – hold fast to the good
Abstain from every form of evil

The marvelous truth about these two groups is that they flow into each other.
Group One is vitally linked to group two.
We know that because after you rejoice, pray unceasingly, and give thanks, that atmosphere is conducive to the moving of the Spirit of God.
Now, when He does, don’t quench the Spirit.
Don’t extinguish the flame.
Let Him move.
You may say, ‘Let Him move?’
Who would stop him from moving?
I’ve seen it again and again in a group setting — in church.
The music team did their job and brought you into the manifest Presence of God – and instead of staying with that to see if there’s anything He wants to do further, they switch gears because their program says it is time to switch – after all, we only had three songs that we practiced.
That’s quenching the Spirit — that’s shutting Him down.
Maybe someone needed to be healed — maybe someone needed a word of encouragement or edification.
Well if they needed that, they didn’t get it.
What we got was announcements — we substituted brass for gold.
We put the fire out.
No, instead of quenching the Spirit, yield to the Spirit.
Give place to prophecies because that’s one way He moves when we come together.
So, let’s talk along this line a little more.

Working with the Spirit: Not Despising Prophecy

1 Thessalonians 5:19–22 (ESV) 19 Do not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not despise prophecies, 21 but test everything; hold fast what is good. 22 Abstain from every form of evil.

Let’s talk about the prophecy part now: do not despise prophecies.
The word despise is a strong word in your Greek New Testament.
With that thought, here is the Definition of the Day.
The Greek word despise means to utterly or to actively treat (someone) contemptuously as if completely worthless or despicable.
So, the word ‘despise’ is a little stronger than lack of interest or things becoming commonplace.
One way to view prophecies is that they are the work of the Holy Spirit.
It’s one way He communicates.
So if you’re the type of person who puts himself/herself into what you do, you know, you’re not just doing the minimum, you’re not just trying to get by, you desire to do things with excellence — you pursue that — then your work is important to you.
It’s an extension of you.

2 Corinthians 5:10 (ESV) — 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.

If you’re going to be judged for your work, it’s obvious that’s important to God.
Now you’re works don’t just include the physical things you do, it includes your words.
Words are part of your work.

Matthew 12:33–37 (ESV) — 33 Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruit. 34 You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. 35 The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. 36 I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, 37 for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

Now since you understand that your works are important to God and they are important to you, what if someone despises what you do, how would that sit with you?
If someone despises your words which is part of your works, how is that in your world?
The Holy Spirit is a person.
Prophecies are His work and His words.
These utterances are His thoughts for that moment.
If you despise these prophecies, His works, and His words with contempt, isn’t that hurtful to Him?
It would grieve you — why wouldn’t it grieve Him?

Working with the Spirit: Defining Prophecy

So, with that in mind, let’s define what these utterances are — let’s understand prophecy — what it is and what it isn’t.
What Paul refers to here when he says ‘Do not despise prophecies’ is the simple gift of prophecy.
When I say simple, I don’t mean elementary.
I mean that the gift stands by itself.
Tongues need interpretation to get to the same point.
Now, when Paul refers to prophecy he is not talking about the predictive kind of prophecy.
Paul is not talking about Bible ‘fore-telling’ prophecy.

1 Corinthians 14:1–3 (ESV) — 1 Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy. 2 For one who speaks in a tongue speaks not to men but to God; for no one understands him, but he utters mysteries in the Spirit. 3 On the other hand, the one who prophesies speaks to people for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation.

This is what prophecy is for – edification or upbuilding, encouragement, and consolation.
Paul is talking to the whole church here — everybody in it.
He is talking about spiritual gifts.
That’s the context.
Let’s segue over to First Corinthians 12 just for a moment.

1 Corinthians 12:4, 8–10 (ESV) — 4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit… 8 For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues.

Prophesy, the one Paul says not to despise, is a gift of the Spirit.
It is divinely inspired utterance in a known tongue or a language known to the hearers in the room.
Tongues and interpretation of tongues are two more gifts.
Tongues is also divinely inspired utterance but in an unknown tongue or a language unknown to the hearers in the room.
Prophecy is the higher gift because it functions alone.
In our most recent class, we saw all three gifts work seamlessly.
These three gifts together comprise the vocal portion of the gifts of the Spirit.
Paul says by the Spirit of God, do not despise the gift of prophecy.

Working with the Spirit: Everyone May Prophecy

Now, in First Corinthians fourteen, we have specific instructions on the operation of these vocal gifts of the Spirit among a group of people.
Going back to verse one.

Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy.

So, here is what I want to tell you today.
The Lord wants to use you in these vocal gifts of the Spirit.

1 Corinthians 14:31–32 (ESV) — 31 For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all be encouraged, 32 and the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets.

You can ALL prophesy.
That’s the plain truth from God’s Word.
The Holy Spirit wants to use everybody in this area.
It’s not a matter of people attaining to some level of spiritual development.
It’s not about people being deep.
It’s not about you — it’s about Him.
I can prove that God wants to use everybody no matter where they are in their walk.

Acts 2:1–6 (ESV) – 1 When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3 And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. 5 Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. 6 And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language.

There were 120 of these people who waited in the Upper Room.
The Spirit of God fell on all of them.
They spoke out with tongues in the different languages of the people.
The people heard them speak the things of God in their own language — their own tongue.
How spiritual was this bunch that God used on the day of Pentecost?
Well, let’s take a look.

Working with the Spirit: Who God Uses

Now, there were 120 disciples.
We know little to nothing about most of them.
There are a handful of Jesus followers that we know a bit more about.
I imagine that we can take a look at the twelve disciples and people like Mary, Martha, Joseph, Zechariah, Elizabeth, Anna, Zacheus, Joseph of Arimathea, the two disciples who were on the road to Emmaus, several Marys listed in the gospels, like Mary the mother of Jesus and, Mary Magdalene among a few others and gather what we know about what we saw in the lives of these individuals and project that onto the rest that we don’t know anything at all about.
What do you see in the twelve — those handpicked by Jesus?
We see in just the twelve disciples that just a few short days before this outpouring in Acts 2, they were huddled together for fear of the Jews.
What else do we see?
The disciples, one day, proxied for position with Jesus – wanting to know who was the greatest — whose going to sit at Jesus’ right hand in the Kingdom.
We saw certain of these groups operate in a spirit of ill-will, prejudice, judgmentalism, and harshness.
What else do we see?
We saw them abandon Jesus when He needed them the most.
We saw them operate in unbelief.
I mean, you can go on with this.
This is the bunch God used on the Day of Pentecost!
This is the group that spoke in other tongues as the Spirit of God gave them utterance.
Where are you?
Aren’t we guilty of exhibiting some of these traits ourselves?
Well, yes – but if God used them with their flaws, He will use you with yours.
If not, He would be a respecter of persons.
So, be encouraged — God wants to use you.
Now, there are some qualities that will help you flow better in the gifts of the Spirit.
We’ve already read some of it.

Working with the Spirit: Love and Desire

‘Pursue love and desire spiritual gifts especially prophesy.
The word ‘pursue’ means to strive for.
Strive for love, means seek after it.
The word strive means to aspire to.
Aspire to love and desire to prophesy.
The desire to prophecy is born out of love.
A love so strong it wants to be used to encourage, a love so pure it wants to lift people, a love so selfless it wants to build people.
People whose prophecies tear people down, and bring condemnation may mean well, but really they are operating out of a wrong spirit.
They are not walking in love.
They are operating in pride.

Working with the Spirit: The Rest Is Easy

Listen to these next two verses.

1 Corinthians 14:2–3 (ESV) — 2 For one who speaks in a tongue speaks not to men but to God; for no one understands him, but he utters mysteries in the Spirit. 3 On the other hand, the one who prophesies speaks to people for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation.

Love is in pursuit of verse three to build people up.
It is not in the pursuit of verse two to edify themselves.
Love does not pursue the building up of one’s own self while there are others around.
There’s a time for that.
When other’s are around that’s the wrong time.
The focus in a group setting is we, not me.
It’s not how much I can grow during this time — it’s how much you can grow during this time.

4 The one who speaks in a tongue builds up himself, but the one who prophesies builds up the church.

In a local church setting, prophecy is greater than tongues because of the edification piece.
Again, Prophecy is inspired utterance in a known tongue.
Tongues are inspired utterances in an unknown tongue.
So, when a person speaks an unknown tongue, no one but the individual who spoke in tongues is edified because no one understood what was said.
And, that’s what verse five says.

5 Now I want you all to speak in tongues, but even more to prophesy. The one who prophesies is greater than the one who speaks in tongues, unless someone interprets, so that the church may be built up.

Now, why does Paul want everybody to prophesy?
Because it is a path to spiritually building up the Body.

Working with the Spirit: The Difference Between Tongues and Prophecy

So, prophesy is better than tongues in a company of believers.
The exception is “unless someone interprets.”
So, tongues with the interpretation are ‘apples-to-apples’ with prophecy because everybody can understand.

Working with the Spirit: It Takes Faith to Flow

Everything in God works by faith.
Everything means Gifts of the Spirit — everything means the Baptism of the Holy Spirit.

Romans 12:6 (ESV) — 6 Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith;

You are going to have to trust above your personality.
If you are perfectionistic, overly cautious, and self-conscious, you will have trouble flowing.
Why? — Because you are more conscious of yourself than you are of Him.
You must get your mind off of you and get out of your head to flow.
If you’re thinking about what you’re going to say, how it will sound, and if it’s scriptural, or what will people think if you get it wrong, you will struggle to flow with the Spirit.
The Holy Spirit does not work with your head because He is not in your head.
He is in your Spirit.
Utterance comes up from your spirit — your head is not part of this at all.
Sometimes God’s people get stuck right here.
It’s faith in your heart not knowledge in your head that counts.
Don’t premeditate what you are going to say.
Jesus addressed this very issue in a different setting.

Matthew 10:19–20 (ESV) — 19 When they deliver you over, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour. 20 For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.

The context here is not a church service but believers out in the world as sheep in the midst of wolves.
So here you are, the wolves have their fangs out — you’re being persecuted, even betrayed for your testimony of Jesus.
Jesus is saying, ‘When you get hauled into court to be judged by men for being a follower of mine, don’t worry or be anxious about what you’re going to say.
We’ve already talked about casting your care on the Lord.
That was covered in the podcast on ‘Three Things You Can Do To Operate in the Will of God’ – Rejoice, pray without ceasing, and give thanks in all things.
Not being anxious about what you are going to say takes faith.
Think about it for a moment.
You’re incarcerated — you’re summoned to appear before the councils of men because they don’t like that you’re talking about Jesus.
They hate the fact that you’re saying no to a homosexual lifestyle — no to the idea of ‘live and let live’ — no to the theory that all roads lead to God.
You know what a theory is right?
A theory is a supposition based on ignorance of the subject under discussion.
People who are saying these things are ignorant — they don’t know the character or person of God.
They don’t know His ways.
But, you are not that way because the eyes of your understanding have been enlightened.
You’re saying no to bad-mouthing Israel.
I was utterly disgusted with one of our representatives who said Israel deserved what they got in the most recent attacks by Hamas.
They found babies who were beheaded — babies! — 40 of them.
Rachel crying for her children once more because they are not.
How could anyone say that any parent deserves this?
So, while you’re being bold in saying ‘No, we won’t have the devil ruling over us and our children’ — ‘we won’t have doctrine of devils shoved down our throats’ — wicked people don’t want to hear that.
They want to stop your voice.
Jesus is saying when get called on the carpet, don’t worry about what you’re going to say.
It will be given to you in that hour, the spur of the moment, what you need to say for it is not you who speak but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.
That’s how prophecy works.
That’s how tongues and interpretation work.
So, here’s the thing — as the world gets darker and darker — as perilous times become more perilous, as men become more and more lovers of themselves more than lovers of God, prophecy will become more prominent.
God’s voice will be heard as His kids testify of Him.
You can get a leg up on this — you can get some experience speaking out of your spirit by learning to flow.
Learn it while everything is calm.
The Spirit of God is ready to testify through your lips
Work with Him today.
Don’t quench the Spirit — don’t put the fire out.
Practice working with the Holy Spirit.
Work on yielding to Him today.
Read this passage further down in First Corinthians fourteen.

1 Corinthians 14:31 (ESV) — 31 For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all be encouraged,

You can all prophesy!
All means all.
All means everyone in the body of Christ.
There are no exceptions to the word all.
The vocal gifts of the Spirit — the three of them — are available to every believer.
You don’t need a special calling.
You don’t need to attain some level of spirituality.
All you need is a mustard seed of faith.
Here’s another thing that will help.

Working with the Spirit: Throw Caution to the Wind

Stop being so cautious and reserved.
Quit worrying about being embarrassed.
Throw caution to the wind.
That’s how I was filled with the Holy Ghost — and first spoke with tongues.
I remember the day.
I had known Jesus for two weeks.
I went to see my soon-to-be Pastor for the first time.
She said, ‘Kneel her son, and she pulled out a pillow from beneath her living room chair.’
We started praising God together.
This went on for some time and I heard someone in the room whisper, ‘Oh, he’s not going to receive the Holy Spirit of God. He’s not going to speak in tongues.’
I want you to know that something rose up in me when I heard that.
I said to myself, ‘I don’t care if I don’t receive, I’m going to praise God anyway.’
And I did — I threw caution to the wind and BANG!
Up out of me flowed tongues – a massive flood came up out of my mouth.
Out of my belly flowed rivers of living water.
I don’t know how long I went on — that was almost 50 years ago.
I am telling you if you don’t care about how you sound, what the words will be, where do I get those words — if you just throw caution to the wind, the Spirit of God will come upon you.
If you want to understand ‘throwing caution to the wind’ read Second Samuel chapter six.

2 Samuel 6:12, 14,16, 20–23 (ESV) — 12 And it was told King David, “The Lord has blessed the household of Obed-edom and all that belongs to him, because of the ark of God.” So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-edom to the city of David with rejoicing… 14 And David danced before the Lord with all his might. And David was wearing a linen ephod. 16 As the ark of the Lord came into the city of David, Michal the daughter of Saul looked out of the window and saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord, and she despised him in her heart… 20 And David returned to bless his household. But Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David and said, “How the king of Israel honored himself today, uncovering himself today before the eyes of his servants’ female servants, as one of the vulgar fellows shamelessly uncovers himself!” 21 And David said to Michal, “It was before the Lord, who chose me above your father and above all his house, to appoint me as prince over Israel, the people of the Lord—and I will celebrate before the Lord. 22 I will make myself yet more contemptible than this, and I will be abased in your eyes. But by the female servants of whom you have spoken, by them I shall be held in honor. 23 And Michal the daughter of Saul had no child to the day of her death.

If you have the attitude of David, if you throw caution to the wind, if you abandon yourself to the Most High, I promise you, the Spirit of God will come upon you and you will be filled with the Holy Ghost with the evidence of speaking with tongues.
How to Work and Flow with the Holy Spirit in the Vocal Gifts

Now, Father God, thank you for your Holy Spirit today. Help us, and educate us, in your ways. Teach us to flow, teach us to move in your anointing and power. The world needs the help that only you can give and we thank you for that in Jesus Mighty Name, Amen.

You guys have a great God week and we will see you next time for another edition of Light on Life.

Being Filled with the Spirit

__________
References:

Jim Wallis, The New Encyclopedia of Christian Quotations ↩

emeryhorvath.com

Equipping people to pursue God's glory

How to Work and Flow with the Holy Spirit in the Vocal Gifts

Podcast: Light on Life Season Ten Episode Forty-Three

by Emery Horvath

Listen to the Audio

Click to Listen | Right Click to Download |Subscribe in PlayerFM

Read the Notes

Accept the Challenge

Join the Conversation

Episode Resources:

We are currently teaching in the book of First Thessalonians. You can click on the links below to listen to some of these podcasts.

About Emery

Subscribe to the Podcast

Share the Love

Prayer

Podcast Notes

Working with the Spirit: A Different Perspective

Working with the Spirit: Not Despising Prophecy

Working with the Spirit: Defining Prophecy

Working with the Spirit: Everyone May Prophecy

Working with the Spirit: Who God Uses

Working with the Spirit: Love and Desire

Working with the Spirit: The Rest Is Easy

Working with the Spirit: The Difference Between Tongues and Prophecy

Working with the Spirit: It Takes Faith to Flow

Working with the Spirit: Throw Caution to the Wind

Listen to the Audio

Click to Listen | Right Click to Download |Subscribe in PlayerFM

Read the Notes

Accept the Challenge

Join the Conversation

Episode Resources:

We are currently teaching in the book of First Thessalonians. You can click on the links below to listen to some of these podcasts.

About Emery

Subscribe to the Podcast

Share the Love

Prayer

Podcast Notes

Working with the Spirit: A Different Perspective

Working with the Spirit: Not Despising Prophecy

Working with the Spirit: Defining Prophecy

Working with the Spirit: Everyone May Prophecy

Working with the Spirit: Who God Uses

Working with the Spirit: Love and Desire

Working with the Spirit: The Rest Is Easy

Working with the Spirit: The Difference Between Tongues and Prophecy

Working with the Spirit: It Takes Faith to Flow

Working with the Spirit: Throw Caution to the Wind

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