Are Pentecostals Biblical

Intro: since we have so many people coming into our church from other denominations, it is very important to stress that what we do at a Pentecostal church is backed by scripture. Tonight we will give you the reasons we do what we do, as stated in the Word of God.

ARE PENTECOSTALS BIBLICAL? Acts 2:4

1. Why do we clap our hands?

· Psalms 47:1-clap your hands all ye people; shout unto God with the voice of triumph. In some churches it is considered irreverent to clap your hands or to get louder than a whisper. But the people of God are always joyful, and one expression of that joy is clapping your hands.

2. Why do we lift our hands?

· Psalms 63:4-I will bless Thee while I live; I will lift up my hands in thy name.

· Psalms 134:2-Lift up your hands in the sanctuary and bless the Lord.

Lifting up your hands may be new to many who come into a

Pentecostal service. But all throughout the Bible you find the

People of God lifting their hands in surrender and expectancy.

Some may say, but that is Old Testament, but I Timothy 2:8

Tells us: I will therefore that men pray everywhere, lifting up

Holy hands unto the Lord.

3. Why does everyone pray out loud? In some churches one person prays while everyone else listens. But in Pentecost we believe in corporate worship and prayer. Everyone needs to express themselves to God in every service.

· Psalms 103:1-Bless the Lord, O my soul and all that is within me bless His holy name.

· I will bless the Lord at all times, His praise shall continually be in my mouth.

· Acts 4:24- and when they heard this, they lifted their voices to God.

4. Why is worship so intense?

· John 4:24—God is Spirit, and they that worship Him must worship Him in Spirit and in Truth. God desires worship, and you must worship with your spirit, not just some mental approach to God. God wants us to give it all we have in worship.

5. Why choruses and not all just hymns?

· Ephesians 5:18-19 “ And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess, but be filled with the Spirit; speaking to yourselves in

Psalms and hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.

6. Why do people speak out in tongues and prophecies?

· I Corinthians 14:3-but he that gives a prophecy speaks unto men to edification and exhortation and comfort.

· I Corinthians 14:1-follow after charity and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy.

· I Corinthians 12: 7 & 10—but the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal—to one the working of miracles, to another prophecy.

7. Why is there speaking in tongues and interpretation of those tongues?

· Acts 2:4- and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.

· I Corinthians 12:7 & 10—But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal—to another divers kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues.

· I Corinthians 14:5-I would that ye all spake with tongues.

· I Corinthians 14:27—if any man speak in an unknown tongue, let it be by two or at the most by three and that by course, and let one interpret.

8. Why are musical instruments a part of the Worship service?

· Psalms 150:3-5—Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet,

Praise Him with the psaltery and harp. Praise Him with the

Stringed instruments and organs. Praise Him upon the loud cymbals; Praise Him upon the high sounding cymbals.

Close: it is very important that you realize that what takes place here at Bethel has Biblical support. If the Bible says to do it, we do it, if the Bibles says not to do it, we don’t. That is our doctrine that we live by.