Scenario of a moving of the Holy Spirit…or maybe not?

It’s Sunday morning at your church and you’ve got a great crowd, lots of visitors, every ministry is fulfilling their call. Worship begins and the congregation is actively participating when all of a sudden everything comes to a complete stop as an overly emotional person begins to declare a message in a strange dialect in a loud, fast, staccato voice. What do you do next?

Purpose Statement:

Knowing the Person, Power and Preeminence of the Holy Spirit indwelling the believer with gifts and guiding the church with instructions and creativity to evangelize the world.

Pre-Requisites for being spiritually sensitive:

As we explore the topic of being spiritually sensitive within the setting of corporate worship, it is essential for the leader/pastor of the congregation to have the first three characteristics of a healthy church in place before moving on to the realm of the Holy Spirit.

• Biblical Priority

• Effectual Prayer

• Directed Praise 

It is imperative for the leader/pastor of the congregation to have a basic foundation of Biblical knowledge, a close personal relationship in prayer, and an ear to hear the Spirit.  Without this foundation, it is nearly impossible to sense when the Holy Spirit is attempting to move within the worship service. Each of these characteristics will lay the foundation for an orderly and edifying experience within the local church.

 TO HELP US GAIN PERSPECTIVE ON WHY WE NEED TO BE SPIRITUALLY SENSITIVE, LET’S BREAK DOWN WHO THE HOLY SPIRIT IS AND WHY WE NEED HIM.

Who is the Person of the Holy Spirit?

Consider the nature of water (H2O). Water is a single compound yet it exists in three states:  liquid, ice and vapor. It is made up of one-part hydrogen to two parts of oxygen, yet water is WATER!  The Holy Spirit is fully God and a member of the trinity; one of the three distinct persons Himself.  They are Father God, Jesus Christ the Son, and the Holy Spirit. John 17:20-22

 Why do we need the Power of the Holy Spirit?

 To give us the means to live an overcoming, victorious life, filled with the ability, necessary creativity, and accompanying gifts to win the lost to Christ. Acts 1:8

What does it mean to welcome the Holy Spirit within a worship service?

First things first. The Holy Spirit does not INTERRUPT worship services. He’s a complete gentleman. He needs to be invited into the service with prayer. The Holy Spirit is there to provide instructions, and to interject wisdom and knowledge into what is being said. 1 Corinthians 12

 How does the Holy Spirit speak to us?

The Holy Spirit speaks to us using total recall – meaning to call back, to bring back to memory, to remind. This cannot happen unless a well-acquainted student with the Word of God applies himself to avid study and listening while participating within a service. The voice of the Spirit is described in the scriptures as being neither loud nor harsh, not a voice of thunder, neither a voice of tumultuous noise, but rather as still and small, of perfect mildness, as if it had been a whisper. It can pierce even the very soul and cause the heart to burn. John 14:26 and Isaiah 30:21

 What is a move of the Holy Spirit?

Every worship service has three components. Prayer/Worship/Word. With these will come a response from the Holy Spirit to glorify Christ, win the lost, break chains, set captives free, destroy yokes, or bring healing and deliverance. BUT this cannot happen unless someone is listening! That person is you!       Luke 4:18 and Isaiah 61:1

 What do we mean by being Sensitive to the Spirit?

Sensitivity to the Spirit comes by listening. This cannot be stressed enough to the person leading the Church, the service, Bible study, class or ministry. Listening for instructions comes with practice and patience. The leader must be free to hear and respond with obedience immediately. Acts 13:2

What does the presence of the Holy Spirit feel like?

The Holy Spirit doesn’t have to come with a feeling or do-dads running up your spine.  An unction from the Spirit has everything to do with knowing the Word and responding when the still small voice reminds you of it. Get Still and Listen. 1 John 2:20

What is a message in tongues and why do we need interpreters?

A message in tongues come from the gift of tongues listed in the scriptures. This is when the Holy Spirit, when allowed, will give instructions.  Here are some key things to remember: 1 Corinthains 14:38-40

1. Know who your interpreters are, and introduce them to the congregation. These should be seasoned mature persons of integrity, not more than three. (Members of the pastoral staff, Deacons or Trustees or a known quiet intercessor) The pastor could serve as the lead interpreter. Acts 2:14 Knowing who the trusted interpreters are will set the congregation at ease and give a sense of established order. 1 Corinthians 14:26-33

2. Interpreters should be trained to give scripture reference within each interpretation so the pastor in charge has something to work with and build upon to edify the body. You can’t go wrong with the Word. 1 Corinthians 14:27

3. If a basic exhortation is given or a generic reference is made, the pastor should then provide scripture to direct the audience’s attention to the Word of God. A little salt with every instruction. 1 Corinthians 14:5

4. If an altar call is necessary in response to the what the Holy Spirit has said, a small statement should be made as explanation to the congregation of what just took place according to the scriptures. 1 Corinthians 12 by Gift; 1 Corinthians 13 by Love; 1 Corinthians 14 by Order. (The statement should include 1 Corinthians 14:12 This was for the purpose of edifying those present.

5. Remember to allow those who are newly baptized with Holy Spirit to make mistakes.  Such as overly loud intercession, praying for others rapidly, extravagant crying or outbursts of emotion. The pastor has the opportunity with these events to work on relationships and mentoring. Take advantage of it. Affirm in public and correct in private. 1 Samuel 19:18-24

What are the House Rules within the local church for use of gifts of the Spirit?

Each church should determine ahead of time their own rules of order for use of the gifts of the Spirit. For example: in larger churches a microphone may be placed down front so the person giving the message and interpreter can be heard.

In a smaller church setting, the person may be heard without the assistance of a microphone, and the interpretation may be summarized by the Pastor.

A member of the leadership team needs to be present when a word of knowledge or wisdom is given individually to someone within an altar service or prayer time. They should be trusted individuals of high integrity.

As with all gifts of the Spirit, proper instruction and training should be given yearly to prepare the congregation to eagerly desire spiritual gifts and to put them into practice. 

How does a church grieve the Holy Spirit?

To put it plainly, a church grieves the Holy Spirit when his power is coerced for the benefit of an emotional high or is ignored.  His purpose is to glorify Christ and win the lost.  The refreshing is the added benefit to repentance. Ephesians 4:30 and Acts 3:20

What to do with unbiblical manifestations?  

Remember God is the author of peace and not of confusion.  If there is confusion, the pastor should redirect from the pulpit with instructions, asking the congregation to be seated, musicians dismissed or invitation to prayer before continuing with the service plan. 1 Corinthains 14:33

In Summary:

When you have trained, listened and practiced active participation with sensitivity to the Spirit and his accompanying gifts, the discerning leader will know the difference between light and darkness, flesh and anointing, carnal and spiritual, demonic and freedom from oppression and the difference between meat and drink and righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost!  Romans 14:17

Additional resources:

• The Beauty of Spiritual Language – Jack Hayford

• Good Morning Holy Spirit – Benny Hinn

• The Reward of Worship – Jack Hayford

• The Gifts and Ministries of the Holy Spirit – Dr. Lester Sumrall

• The God I Never Knew – Robert Morris

• Gift and Giver - Craig Keener

• Growing in the Prophetic - Mike Bickle

• The Spiritual Gifts Handbook - Randy Clark