What a Pentecostal Church Ought to Do

Acts 3:1-10

(Occasionally I come across a sermon that resonates with me. Recognizing that there are points that will bless my congregation, I adapt the points and create a sermon that is applicable to those to whom I minister. I wish to acknowledge the Methodist pastor, Otis Mc Millian, for the idea and some excellent points.)

When Christ began building His Church, did He intend for His people to wander aimlessly in life without purpose? Certainly not! As there is a time and season for everything under heaven, everything created serves a purpose that exalts God, not to be flotsam, tossed by the ocean currents.

If Christ created the Church to serve a purpose, then what did He have in mind? What did Christ intend for the Church to do? Here are a few things I would like you to consider:

A Pentecostal Church ought to raise the level of expectancy.

Most acknowledge that Church provides a meeting place for them to approach God, to be blessed, and to leave with a hope for a better future. Is that all that the Church should be— a sedative that helps us cope with the stress of everyday challenges? No! Christ created the Church to raise the level of expectation the average person has about God and about the possibilities available in a relationship with Him.

God offers far more than we can ask or think. (Ephesians 3:20)When enslaved wished for freedom, not only did God give Israelites their freedom from Egypt, He also promised to give the Israelites a land that they could call their own, cities that they did not have to build, houses full of good things that they did not put there, and vineyards and orchards that they did not plant. (Deuteronomy 6:11) God’s desire to bless Israel far exceeded their level of expectation of what they could receive.

A visitor expects to find an encounter with God in a Pentecostal church. How then does the church raise their level of expectation?

The church can raise their expectation by creating a safe environment in which a visitor can enter. No one wishes to be verbally flogged in public for any perceived shortcomings. They need a hand up, not a beat down. They need compassion, not an execution. They need grace, not a gavel of judgment. They need forgiveness, not to be publicly impugned.

One must understand, however, that mercy does not translate into an acceptance of sin. Being seeker-sensitive can never compromise the necessity of being born-again, a life transforming experience as described in the book of Acts. The unyielding grip of sin can only be broken through repentance and a infilling of the Spirit of God. Good works, good words, and good intentions can never suffice. A Pentecostal church should raise the expectation from the seeker accepting Christ, to seeking to be saved and accepted of Christ.

A Pentecostal Church Ought to Produce Joy

Webster (1828 American Dictionary of the English Language) defines joy as the emotion evoked by well-being, success, or by the prospect of possessing what one desires. One Bible version translates joy as true happiness, and if anyone should exude true happiness, it should be Pentecostals.

We should be happy in as much as we have been made to be the sons of God. (1 John 3:1-2) We will never be abandoned by God (Matthew 28:20). We have been empowered by God (Acts 1:8), and we can labor with the knowledge that God will confirm His word by working with us. (Mark 16:17-18)

A Pentecostal church should produce joy in its city. When the evangelist Phillip preached in Samaria, the city was filled with joy as people tormented by unclean spirits were healed as were those that were crippled and lame. (Acts 8:7-8) A Pentecostal church ought to make a difference in a city that is troubled by drugs, alcohol, abuse, dysfunctional families, and broken marriages. The church was never intended to be a side-note on the backside of town, but a light as noticeable as a city set on a hill. (Matthew 5:14) A Pentecostal church ought to turn the city upside down by bringing solutions for problems, hope for a better day, and, more importantly, a joy that defies description.

A Pentecostal Church Ought to Manifest the Supernatural

The Apostolic proponents of the false doctrine of Full-Preterism claim that miracles were only intended by Christ to last until the completion of the Jewish Age, which they say ended in 70 AD. Clearly, they do not understand the purpose of the Church or its empowerment by God to impact the world. The Church was not created to co-exist with evil, but to utterly defeat it. The weapons of given to the Church are mighty through God, to the pulling down of satanic strongholds. (2 Corinthians 10:4) Despite the Full-Preterist bluster, the Church cannot pull down satanic strongholds by only human ability and resources. These strongholds can only be pulled down by God working with us, confirming His word with signs following. (Mark 16:20)

Paul stated in a letter to the Corinthian church that the Spirit had given each of us a special way to serve others. He then described nine gifts of the Spirit, the supernatural ministry of the Spirit through believers. Those gifts can be described as the Divine assisted ability to know supernaturally, to speak supernaturally, and to act supernaturally.

The responsibility of the Church to serve others did not end in 70 AD, nor did its responsibility to reach others. A Pentecostal church ought to manifest the supernatural.

A Pentecostal Church Ought to Effectively Evangelize its City

Not only should a Pentecostal church impact its city with joy, it should also make a noticeable impact in the city by bringing many of its citizens to a relationship with Christ. The Great Commission of Christ DEMANDS that we make disciples from every nation. (Matthew 28:19) Evangelism is the mandate of Christ, and the obligation of the Church. Christ came to seek and to save that which is lost, and His Church continues His mission. (Luke 19:10)

Evangelism demands that we place the interests of Christ above our own. It demands time, energy, and a willingness to engage those in need of Christ. It demands that we live beyond our personal interests and further the kingdom of God. The Church was never created to be a bless-me club, a social gathering to reaffirm among ourselves our beliefs. It was created to further the interests of Christ, the saving of those who are lost, and the expansion of His kingdom.

Many Pentecostal churches excel a one or two responsibilities of which it ought to do. Some excel at all. As the church does what it was designed to do, broken marriages are repaired, abuses are ended, and people are healed and come into relationship with Christ. The church becomes effective in driving out the demonic forces in its city, and God is glorified among all men.

Ministry to people, defeating evil, and glorifying God. It’s what a Pentecostal church ought to do.