Ok. So I’m about ready to head down a path that just might put many on the edge. Some might want to string me up. I think I need to go down this path just to see what others have to say about this subject or just journal what I’m feeling in this season of my journey. I’m prepared to receive good and bad comments. So here I go again but I don’t think I’m on my own.
I have spent almost all of my life in the Church of God denomination. This is really the only denomination I’ve known. I did spend a few months with the Assembly of God under Ted Miller, a great Pastor in Rogers, Arkansas. Though I have spent all of my ministry years in the Church of God I have not been fully engulfed in the full doctrine of the Church of God. So this does not reflect the teaching of the Church of God. I have been with some great leaders in the Church of God that I respect very much. So I know when or if they read this they will know that what I write will be my heart and not just stirring up emotions or trouble. I would never think of disgracing or even leaving the Church of God. I think God can use me to provide change if any to a denomination that has influenced America and this planet in the worship and service to God.
I want to discuss being a Pentecostal. What is it? Am I one? I certainly believe in the filling and indwelling of God’s Spirit in me! Though I’m tired of hearing people say “I’m Pentecostal.” I want to say, "Tell me what a Pentecostal is?" The un-churched may call it a disease. You know several weeks ago I told NEW FAITH that we need throw away the term Christianity. We Christians have turned Christianity into something superficial. I look at it now as an exclusive club where you have to dress, perform, behave and believe a certain way or even know a certain group of people to even belong. I know it doesn’t describe every Christian but I think it describes 90%. I would say that if we can create a prison for Jesus it would be Christianity. I told NEW FAITH we should be Christ-Like which is the image or reflection of Christ.
So back to the original question of “What is it a Pentecostal?” I’m very familiar with the Day of Pentecost. I have quoted ACTS 2:1-4 many times; “And when the day of Pentecost had fully come…..” This day does not describe a Pentecostal. It describes an awesome event that occurred with the early church and set a tone for every believer. What has happened over nearly 2 millennia? I’m seeing the basis of the church is focused on the spiritual gifts and not so much on the giver of the gifts. We have created a prison for the Spirit of God and it is called Pentecostal! Sometimes I get the impression that to be a Pentecostal church one must have an organ, keyboard, drums and a singer that can preach and sing at the same time. The minister of music must be a cheerleader. The preacher must be able to stand on pews, slap a pulpit (and a few heads), shout the Spirit down while shouting a persons spirit up! There must be at least one message in tongues given and maybe even a person on the floor to be called a Pentecostal church. In fact I’m sure some people teach a class on how to preach a Pentecostal message. How insane is this? Whatever happened to preparing a message the way the Spirit of God leads? Maybe it is called having it decent and in order. Which means there must be an introduction, three parts (which the keywords rhyme) and a closure that leads to an altar call the can result in the above. I’m not saying this must happen all of the time. Though if it doesn’t happen enough then some back in the day (10-20 years ago) start getting nervous and begin thinking the Spirit of God is not moving. I may have just offended so many people by writing these few sentences. Still I find myself asking was this type of behavior recorded on the Day. I know the early church went to Jerusalem after Jesus ascended and praised God continuously. I know they were all together in one place, one mind and one accord. Then I read suddenly there was a sound. Nothing was built up. It happened. Nothing was worked up. Suddenly it occurred. Then there were cloven tongues of fire. I think over the centuries we have interpreted the fire as something so consuming that you just can’t stand it. You just gotta jump, shout and run. I wonder if it has ever occurred that it could have been one of those holy moment times that God didn’t speak through the wind though it was there. God didn’t speak through a fire though it was there
(read 1 Kings 19). It was a sound to announce the arrival of the empowerment of His Spirit. The appearance of fire in ACTS 2 can also be described like that as the flame of a candle. It was a constant steady flame that was not easily blown out of proportion. I take it that this moment signifies something that is real, good and beautiful. It was a holy moment. Could this have been a time when worship was introduced for the first time that didn’t require something tangible like first fruits or an animal sacrifice? It very well could have been a humbling, heart moving, worshipful time that brought people to a realization there is a holy God and right now He is revealing himself to me. They were described as a people drunken with wine not bourbon. It was subdued but not easily duplicated and it didn’t turn people away. In fact it prompted people to accept Christ! See when Jesus died not only did it open the door for us to be forgiven with out a sacrifice but His death allows us to present our worship without an animal sacrifice! The sacrifice is now intimate and heart driven.
I have been part of what I have described above. I have preached that way, I believed that way and I expected others to be the same way or they were missing out on what God has set for them. I don’t want anyone to mistake what I’m saying here. I believe in all the gifts of the spirit! I believe in the moving of God’s Spirit within each person and the empowerment of His Spirit. I don’t believe that I should direct NEW FAITH to step into a box and place the Sprit of God into a prison called Pentecostal. Instead, I want to direct NEW FAITH into the empowerment of the Spirit. Pentecostal isn’t even mentioned in God’s word. The word Pentecost is mentioned three times in the KJV and four times in The Message. Pentecost doesn’t reference a person or action it references a day or a celebration. This celebration occurred before the resurrection of Jesus. The empowerment of God's Spirit and the Spirit filled worship ocurred after the resurrection of Jesus. I think we may be guilty of exaggerating the yesterdays and over estimating our tomorrow. Yesterday ended last night and tomorrow never arrives. Let's us be responsible for this day. What can I do, this day, to carry out the redemptive plan of God?
I need to go now to reflect more. Hopefully I can add more tomorrow. I don’t want to write this one section and leave it forever and cause minds to wonder. Then I would have done more harm than good. I’m getting overwhelmed just trying to get the beating of my heart out here. This may seem random. I’m kinda typing as I think. Cause I want it to be raw and real. Sorta the way I have been the past several weeks. I know what I’ve written will be hard for much of the church to grab or embrace. Let me ask this before I go. Have we made sure that the empowerment of God’s Spirit is supernatural and not superficial?
More to come. -chuck (pastor@newfaith.cc)
3 comments:
Pentecost! I wonder at times if the hooting and hollering is nothing but a show. I've seen the Holy Spirit move in many ways some ways were a show and some were authentic but then the question comes to mind if your not witnessing God moving in some way then how do you know if your really reaching the people. If you read the bible about tongues it says something to the sense that when a message is given in tongues that deliverance or correction is taking place. So that leads me to ask if you don't see this then does that mean that were not reaching people to the point that their habits are being delivered or correction is being brought to there life. I feel that we've almost given people a way to out of conviction. Maybe even a loop whole to live as a Christian and if that's the case then we'll never see improvements and we'll always here about the same old complaints. It's depressing and miss leading when you teach, sing, preach and witness and you don't see any change or even a reaction to what you say. Why even go to church? Why do we say we believe in the gifts but don't see them? What's the point in putting on a show because that's what it is right? We try to entertain but it's so much of a production and we wonder why there's so much attitude between the leaders.
Wow,
awesome thoughts! I feel a lot of frustration coming from the first anonymous. It is hard when you feel friction from the ministers you are working beside.It is so awesome when everyone has the same vision of what the work is. That then gives everyone the permission to work toward the same goal! I love being Pentecostal! I love that each day God shows me how little I really know about Him or anything else. He has also opened my eyes to the prejudice I practiced about other believers who aren't Pentecostal. Wow! What freedom I have found in seeing more and more of the body of Christ! And yet, I am sure that I have caught just a glimpse of Him! I love praying in toungues! I love knowing a God who delivers and stirs and changes hearts! the best thing ever is to witness face to face God's grace, metamorph someone into a beautiful work of His grace. And what is really cool is while I am watching this happen all around me I know (because he is faithful to complete the good work He started in me!)that others are seeing growth in me! I MUST decrease so that He will increase. By the way, I want to say that I feel completely free to be me(although I keep changing) at New Faith . I just read the very chapter of Acts two nights ago! One accord! that will preach!
anonymous...
I'm kinda confused with reading what you have written. So I'm going to try to take a stab at it. I'm fully aware there are authentic and inspired moves of God. I think you may getting your opinion of how you think God should move and how he wants to do His work confused. Tongues does not bring deliverance or correction. It is the God-head working with us that brings the ministry.
We don't bring conviction so we don't give a way out. The Spirit is strong enough to speak to the heart. I'm not sure what you mean as a "loophole". The only thing I can really give someone is what I have and that is Jesus. Somewhere I have to have the faith to know that I don't make the change in someone but it's God that does. Also I need to have faith that God will guide us and them in that journey. I do agree that it is depressing that you do all that you can do and don't immediately see a change but that doesn't mean to stop. Even Jesus cried over Jerusalem because they wouldn't listen. Good question about why go to church. I know I don’t go to see who will speak in tongues or give a message. When you try to observe the gifts please understand there are more gifts in operation other than tongues. You can see them when you look at God's kingdom from a bigger view than just yourself and the inside of the church you attend. I'm not sure what you mean about a show and entertain. Do you think people are led to believe that a Pentecostal church should only have one identity? Then if that identity is not there then it is not Pentecostal. Attitude can happen between leaders when the ego and focus is personal. When the ego is gone and the focus is God’s plan of redemption then the attitude should leave. Much attitude happens when people don't want to morph or change. Change isn’t a new label but a new behavior or protocol on approaching God. Thanks for the post and I welcome more from you. -chuck
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