"Full" Gospel Preaching: Words, Signs, and Wonders
Tuesday, May 12, 2009 at 1:44PM Slap me upside the head, but I recently slipped and spoke about preaching the "full" gospel.
Yes, I know, "Full Gospel" folks are self-righteous, holier-than-thou anti-intellectuals, and we Reformed types don't want anything to do with that kinda nonsense.
Acts 2: "When the Day of Pentecost came.... Peter stood up: 'This is what the prophet Joel spoke about.... What you now see and hear is his gift that he has poured out on us.'"
So, when I carelessly suggested that "the most effective missional churches of the future will be those that embrace and preach the full gospel," I was appropriately and immediately corrected.
We need to be careful. I need to be careful.
Preaching the "full" gospel sounds an awful lot like "The Full Gospel" we'd hear from God-TV, and we good Reformed folks certainly don't want any part of that kinda nonsense, either.
But here's the thing... Peter's first sermon was filled with references to supernatural stuff. The stuff that most Reformed people squirm about.
Many of us are pretty comfortable "doing mission" as a series of classes -- installments of philosophical indoctrination -- with a few Good Works and "Be Nice" lessons thrown in to make it all agreeable to even the most resolute of reprobates.
Dr. Timothy Brown, President of Western Theological Seminary, just published a great piece in the most recent rcatoday. I loved his title, "Oh My! We've Got to Do Something about That!" Dr. Brown's "Oh My!" shock comes from statistics suggesting that Christianity is suffering a dramatic decline in America. (Okay, so most of us in the RCA already suspected as much from our own denominational reports. But Dr. Brown had some even bigger numbers.)
"Even more stunning," says Dr. Brown (and I think this was his real point), "if the statistical sampling holds true, 46 million Americans identify themselves as having absolutely no connection to God whatsoever!"
I love Dr. Brown's essay. It's worth quoting a bit more:
"The Christian church does not make up the story of who we are. We have a story, our story, the one that will change this abysmal statistic." He then references "the story of Pentecost, the rushing wind, the tongues of fire...."
Okay, so 46 million Americans don't take God seriously. And Peter baptized 3,000 people in one day. How do we get from America today to scenes like we read in the book of Acts?
No brainer. Pentecost. Read the Book.
God says: "I will pour out my Spirit on everyone.... Your sons and daughters will proclaim my message; your young men will see visions, your old men will have dreams. Yes, even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit...."
"I will perform miracles...."
Peter says: "Jesus of Nazareth was a man whose divine authority was clearly proven to you by all the miracles and wonders which God performed through him. You yourselves know this, for it happened here among you."
Peter adds: "What you now see and hear is his gift that he has poured out on us."
After Pentecost, the story continues: "Many miracles and wonders were being done through the apostles, and everyone was filled with awe."
The masses were moved from indifference to "...filled with awe." Followed by repentance, conversion, baptism, transformation, discipleship, sanctification....
But starting with: "awe."
Not as in, "Awe, shucks." But as in: "Oh... my God!"
Our Reformed confessions, creeds, pastors, seminaries, and even Sunday School teachers all teach us that the gospel is to be proclaimed in Word and Deeds.
By "Deeds," we of course mean an externally focused church that behaves very nicely and loves people via charity and all kinds of kindly acts of service.
By "Deeds," we don't necessarily rule out signs and wonders -- miracles, healings, and deliverance.
But we just don't go there.
Jesus told Peter and the others to wait. He basically said, "Hold onto your Words and Deeds until I say you're ready. Until you've been powered up. In the meantime... pray."
Great, many of us are eager to proclaim the gospel. "Powered up," or not. After days and days of waiting and praying... or not.
So let's just do it.
But then, let's not be surprised when the 46 million folks who don't take God seriously don't take our God story seriously, either.
The success of the churches of Acts was rooted in a Spirit-powered full gospel proclamation, including Words, Signs, and Wonders. Take away the Signs and Wonders, and let's not be shocked.
Let's not be shocked to discover, as Dr. Brown puts it, that "while the American population has swelled 50 million since 1990, the church of Jesus Christ has shrunk."
Such are the mysteries of the Kingdom.
-- Dave Cheadle
FYI: This print, "Day of Pentecost," comes from page 390 of a 19th century edition of:
"The Complete Bible Gallery," by the famous illustrator Gustave Doré.
Reader Comments (8)
I am all for "full gospel" preaching. My recent exposure to preaching in missional churches presents me with a lot of emphasis on grace and love, "change the world" and "self-help" messages. I think the consistent missing component in what I am hearing each Sunday is repentance.
I consider "signs and wonders" front-line work of the Holy Spirit, meaning that when the Church moved into new areas there was a demonstration of divine power to draw attention to the preaching of the Word. Which I believe is why we see greater evidences of signs and wonders on the mission field even today. However, later in the Book of Acts and in the Epistles you see the greater emphasis placed upon the inherent power of the preaching of the Gospel. What we need is not more "signs and wonders" but a clear and powerful preaching of the Word of God and not, as noted, biblically-veneered pop psychology in the pulpit.
Bruce & Scott,
Thanks for your observations, re: Repentance and Powerful Preaching. Big stuff... good stuff... more Holy Spirit stuff!
In certain communities, we now face "Front Line Work" in Missions. Whole neighborhoods are largely unchurched and disinterested in "lame" manifestations of Christianity. Some of these folks are far more "spiritual" than some of our church members... some of these folks actually commune with "angels"/demons and gather in intimate fellowships to feast, light candles and experience mystical connections with "the transcendent."
They experience chills when they visit their Psychics, and they feel empowered when they tattoo demons on their necks. To them, church seems an awful lot like an old history class they used to resent back in high school: dry, irrelevant... dead.
Unless the Holy Spirit stirs them with supernatural conviction, the entire concept of "repentance" is lost on them.
Repent from what? They don't believe in sin the way we do.
Past revivals have counted on a bit of foundational cultural agreement re: Right, Wrong, Guilt, etc. People could hear good preaching, feel guilt over sin, respond to a call etc.
Pluralistic Post-Modern culture does not share that same baseline that we counted on in the past.
"Powerful Preaching" plays 24-7 on the AM dial, and these folks just hit SEEK to move on down the dial to something more "relevant."
"Who, then, can be saved?"
By the power of man, including great preaching, nobody. "But with God, all things are possible."
May the Holy Spirit empower great preaching, and may the proclamation of Christ's Kingdom find expression in Word and Deeds that wake up, shake up, and change the world. -- Dave Cheadle
Wow! Love it Dave. Bring it! I can only speak for the few churches that I am affiliated with and know that the concept of "reformed" and not seeing and expecting the miraculous to occur does not happen. We are seeing people healed every week. We are expecting God to present himself in the prophetic words that are given to us. Words that are not meant to draw attention to us, but words that are meant to draw others to Him. I have discovered that I can deliver a great sermon and the Word of God is preached. It is good but it has too often in our "church" culture brought attention to the earthly messenger rather than the original messenger God Himself. When God heals someone or when God gives a prophetic word they cut through and get to God right away. Happened yesterday. It is so much fun being a part of this and it is happening in the Reformed Church in America. It needs to happen even more today in America because we "know" so much that we have adequately pushed God out and have allowed our own intellect to be worshiped. God we will prepare the wood, bring the fire!
Yo, Tim... THANKS for the encouraging news:
"We are seeing people healed every week."
It's amazing when we can bring joy to our LORD, and I know that Jesus is filled with delight to see us obey as the disciples did when we join Him in His work of the Kingdom via powerful demonstrations and proclamations of repentance, forgiveness, healing, deliverance and transformation!
Also, it really made my day to hear that so many RCA churches "know that the concept of 'reformed'" is compatible with "seeing and expecting the miraculous to occur."
I agree with Scott Nichols who notes above: "I consider 'signs and wonders' front-line work of the Holy Spirit, meaning that when the Church moved into new areas there was a demonstration of divine power to draw attention to the preaching of the Word."
It is to Christ's magnificent glory that the RCA is ratcheting it up on the Home Mission Field. As this old church moves into new areas and begins Kingdom proclamations within unchurched communities, may the Lord unleash as needed any "demonstrations of divine power to draw attention to the preaching of the Word."
Yes, as you say, may God direct us in preparing the wood
as He prepares to "bring the Fire"! -- Dave Cheadle
I'd like to offer an alternative point of view to the majority of what I read here. Dave, since I know you personally, I feel I can address this matter with great compassion, and hopefully, humility- I pray it is so. I am a Reformed Church pastor, and what I say is hopefully for the edification of the church.
I was part of the Signs and Wonders movement since the 80's when Pete Wagner was teaching the MC510 course of the same name at Fuller (which I took- twice.) So, I'm very open to whatever God wants to do with us and in our churches. I have no "squeamishness" about the "supernatural stuff" that freaks out some RCA folk- but I DO take exception to the bill of goods that is sold us under the Signs and Wonders label.
Here's the logic that I think we should be highly critical of: The church is in decline; it is in decline because we don't operate in the power of the Spirit; if we DID operate in the Spirit, there should be signs and wonders; so let's do something to bring this condition about. That's basically it. Do all of you see how human-generated this whole thing is?
So we're all supposed to get on the bandwagon of signs and wonders, and start "making" things happen. And here I thought we were supposed to be the people that actually believe in the sovereignty of God! I'm concerned for you, brethren, and concerned for our churches, because this sort of theology is a lot more like paganism than biblical Christianity.
Tim, I rejoice that people are getting healed in your church! God can and will do that. But I doubt that it is because of some methodology. Furthermore, there are plenty of people in "dying" churches that believe in God's power to heal- and sometimes they receive healings too, believe it our not. Here is a test for you-- when somebody in your church dies- I mean, they're dead for a day or so- will you pray for God to raise them back to life? If we use the book of Acts as normative, then why is this not happening with frequency among those who believe God can do it?
My point is this...
What the contemporary signs and wonders movement has failed to produce- if that's the right word- in this country, anyhow, is many truly "biblical" miracles, such as raising the dead, or instantaneous restoration of sight to those born blind. Lengthening legs by a couple of millimeters doesn't quite cut it on the biblical authenticity scale. The mission field is a different matter, because we are agreed that God can and does use attesting signs in frontier mission situations. But, unless we see the "greater things than these" that Jesus talked about in the US, then we ought to look with skepticism on this tendency towards the experiential, as another humanly-generated methodology. Numbers of converts and powerful experience does not inculcate Truth. Preach Christ Crucified, pray for people in Jesus' name, seek God's wisdom and let Him decide the rest, I exhort you. Let God be found true, though every man be a liar.
Blessings, Eric
I"d like to put my two cents worth in on the "signs and wonders" conversation. I am an old-time charismatic RCA pastor who has seen some pluses and minuses of the charismatic renewal of the past.
I am very sympathetic with what David Cheadle wrote and believe also that S&Ws should be part and parcel of the church's ministry. It was very much a part of Jesus' ministry; so often in the Synoptics Jesus proclaims the Kingdom and then does a mighty deed as a visible proclamation. And this is carried on by the Apostles in the book of Acts. In fact, Acts is the continuation of Jesus" two-track ministry through the Apostles empowered by the Spirit. Pentecost is the transfer and empowering of Jesus' ministry of Word and Mighty Deed to the Apostles.
That brings me to my final point. Pentecost, which we celebrate this coming Sunday, is the heart of the matter. And the heart of Pentecost is the fullness of the Spirit which the ascended Christ gives to his people. Fullness of the Spirit comes first; then the signs and wonders. Fullness of the Spirit comes with repentance (emptying of the unholy) and asking to be filled with the holy.
Being filled with the Spirit is not a constant state. We need to be refilled daily which calls for daily repentance and seeking His fullness. Here's to a Spirit-filled Pentecost!
Gene Vander Well
Gene-
Thank you for your encouragement to be filled continually. Thank you also for the reminder for repentance. It is a struggle for us all to want the good of what God desires to give us all without the humbling pain of repentance. What a good encouragement.
Eric, you gave us a question of praying for people after they have died. The elders of the church will pray for God's mercy and grace in the midst of the pain for those that die and are prepared for God to work the supernatural miracle of bringing someone back to life. We know that this is happening around the globe and will joyfully see it happen in our midst too. I have asked them to pray diligently for me if God chooses to work this miracle and uses me in the process. I pray that you would pray the same if you heard something tragic happened as well. I would hope that all would pray.
I also know though as I study scripture and prayer that David prayed for his son and when word came that he died, he stopped pleading before God. I'm not sure why this happened one time and another time Jesus calls Lazarus back from the grave. We are following the commands of Luke 24 and whatever Jesus did or whatever Jesus prayed for we will pray for as we are clothed in the power that He has given to us and we expect to see the Kingdom come in the community that we are in and hope it spreads throughout. God have mercy if we don't follow this order placed before us in scripture or if we don't pray for those that are sick or died.