Pentecostal Expression - Asset or Liability?

I grew up in the Assemblies of God, accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior at a young age and was filled with the Holy Spirit when I was about 12 years old. As I matured in the Lord, I noted strengths and weaknesses in our Pentecostal expression. My involvement with Youth for Christ in Denver as a teenager exposed me to a non-Pentecostal stream of Christianity that was used by the Holy Spirit to win many young people to Christ. Contrasting my experience in both “streams” helped me understand the significance of the fullness of the Holy Spirit and the challenges associated with human responses to the Holy Spirit. When God called me to be a pastor in the AG I became more acutely aware of those strengths and weaknesses.

First of all, the work of the Holy Spirit is without question always an asset. However, our human embellishments can be a liability. When I went to Bethel Church in San Jose, CA one of the challenges we faced was that Pentecostal expression had become a liability because of the activity of a few bold and misguided people in the public worship services. People did not want to bring friends to church for fear of embarrassment. Furthermore, the gospel was being obscured by well intentioned people who thought they were being used by God. The fruit revealed that God was not involved in a significant portion of the expressions. This was a church with about 1,200 people in attendance at the time and growth was stymied by this poor reflection of the intention of the Holy Spirit. One of my goals became to turn our Pentecostalism from a liability into an asset. So, how do we insure we welcome the Holy Spirit’s work without tarnishing the outcome?

I think the first step is to teach people a sound biblical understanding of the Holy Spirit’s work and biblical response to the Holy Spirit. We have a tradition in the AG of manifestations of the Holy Spirit in public gatherings being shouted out from the audience, hopefully, at an appropriate time. This is an interesting reality in my thinking. The bible does not direct us to a single practice for the dissemination of what the Holy Spirit is saying to the church. Spontaneous interjections of messages from the audience can be effective or ineffective. When I first arrived at Bethel Church we had more than one occasion in which two people were trying to give a message at the same time. We had a 2,000 seat sanctuary and it was hard to hear across the room. Fortunately, I had a microphone and could address the problem. Of course, it is also important that what is being delivered is in fact from the Holy Spirit and not the musings of an attention-seeking or agenda-pushing congregant (been there – seen that).

The ultimate responsibility to insure Pentecostal expressions are an asset rests with the Pastor. There needs to be clear biblical teaching on the work of the Holy Spirit and our responses in the church. There may also be times when correction needs to be done either privately or from the pulpit. I’ve found that when you have to correct someone from the pulpit, mature spirit-filled believers are very appreciative. In fact, it is a relief for most of the church to know that messages will be judged and biblical control exercised to insure that our worship expression is pleasing to God and of value to all who are present. Those who are unhappy are usually those who want the freedom to do what they want in a service without accountability. They will often argue you are quenching the Holy Spirit.

In fact, I believe we release the Holy Spirit to do more among us when we resist aberrant expressions. When there are no boundaries, dysfunctional people take over and the Holy Spirit is quenched, not released. So, clear biblical teaching and correction is important to edifying Pentecostal expression.

It is also important to note that we are not biblically obligated to our tradition of shouting out messages from the audience spontaneously in public gatherings. I know this is a sensitive subject, but requiring a screening process before Spirit inspired words are shared with the congregation is well within biblical boundaries for the manifestation of the Holy Spirit. I have often thought there are people in the body of Christ who because of their personality will not shout out a message in a public gathering but may be used by the Holy Spirit, if we had a method whereby they can participate. If a message is submitted and approved before delivery, the messenger is assured of acceptance. Also, messages can be written down and read by another person. I have frequently received messages in writing people felt the Holy Spirit was giving. I then reserved the right to read the message at an appropriate time to the congregation or not share it at all, if I discerned it was not from the Holy Spirit or for the entire body.

And, let’s not forget the gifts of the Spirit are often in operation through the worship leader and/or minister of the word in their presentations as well as through messages that are immediately noted as coming from the Holy Spirit. It is a powerful and often life-changing experience when God speaks through someone to the body and that can happen in many ways. Nothing is more exciting for a pastor than to receive a specific revelation from God concerning what he or she is to share with the congregation. And I might say it is exciting for the congregation when they hear God speaking to them through their pastor. I want us to experience that dynamic and the dynamic of trusted Spirit-led congregants delivering a word from God without the encumbrance of misguided expressions that damage the work of the Holy Spirit and hold the church back.

There is no “one way only” to welcome gifts of the Holy Spirit into the life of the church, and every church leadership team must discern what is best in their ministry. Such things as size of gatherings, purpose of gatherings, uninitiated people present, timing of Spirit inspired manifestations, teaching cycle on the Holy Spirit’s work, and judging messages through screening or leader response factor into the way in which every church welcomes this aspect of the Holy Spirit’s work. May we, indeed, welcome the Holy Spirit’s work and guard against human abuse.