This is the second part of my series on what it means to be Penetcostal. You might want to read the previous post first.

What I believe Pentecostalism needs to be in the 21st century.

We need to get back to teaching what the purpose of the Holy Spirit. In Acts 1, Jesus last recorded conversation with disciples talks about the purpose of the Holy Spirit.

Acts 1:4 On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this
command: "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised,
which you have heard me speak about. 5For John baptized with[a]
water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit."
6So when they met together, they asked him, "Lord, are you at this
time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?"
7He said to them: "It is
not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority.
8But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be
my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the
earth."

The gift of the baptism of the Holy Spirit was to give us power so that we could live as witnesses for the Gospel.
I found this in my Bible School commentary on Acts, French L. Arrington says this, “The baptism with the Spirit of v.5 was another way of describing the supernatural endowment of power for service.”
What does a life of service look like? How about the visiting what the early church looked like.

The Fellowship of the Believers
42They devoted themselves to the
apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to
prayer. 43Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs
were done by the apostles. 44All the believers were together and had everything
in common. 45Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had
need. 46Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They
broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts,
47praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to
their number daily those who were being saved.

Sure there were signs and wonders done by the apostles. But that wasn’t the main focus. Teaching and fellowship, the breaking of bread and prayer. People held everything in common. People were selling their possessions to bless and support each other. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts. The signs and wonders were just a small part of the growth of the church. Kind of like how on TV commercials that Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes are a part of this complete breakfast, with toast, orange juice, fruit, milk and eggs. And yet we seek just the signs and wonders. Because they are sexy. I have yet to see revival meetings that centre around sell all you have invite strangers into your home. This early church made it their mission to look after the poor and downtrodden. Jesus ministered to the beaten, broken and rejected as well as doing the miracles. Jesus reached out to Zaccheus, the demon possessed man, the woman at the well, the one caught in adultery and the thief on the cross. When the disciples demonstrated a life of service they were following what Jesus had taught them.
Instead we, like the people in Jesus time embrace the miracle but reject the message, of a life of serving and hardship. A life of perseverance and sacrifice for the purpose of preaching the Gospel. I fear that the Western charismatic movement obsession with signs and wonders is closer to Simon the Sorcerer’s desire for power than for true ministry.