I chose Richard Simmons to signify the danger of goofiness in our spiritual walk. He just makes me laugh and I feel that a lot of times we only see the extreme (goofy Richard) in some charismatic theology. I am out there, but I do have fun at it.
Plato said that all philosophy (the way we think about life) begins with wonder.
Francis Bacon said that wonder dies with knowledge
The main problem with charismatic theology is that it is full of wonder – it seems to void of rational thought and intelligence. We value intelligence. Greeks valued intelligence – the Jews wanted signs.
Charismatic experience is all out wonder. There really is no explanation for some things; and the things we justify we can’t explain we justify. Justification by faith – or at least the lesser evil.
History (this is some great stuff to google)
§ History of Pentecostal & Charismatic faith
§ Early 1900’s
o
o Charles Parham
o William Seymour
§ 1920’s
o Denominational Acceptance & Growth
§ Pentecostal
§ Assemblies of God
§ 1970’s - Today
o Today: Radical Figureheads
§ Benny Hinn
§ Rodney Howard - Browne
§
§ Creflo Dollar
§ Morningstar
§ Reinhard Bonke
o Spirit Phenomena
§ Healing
§ Out of control
How does the label of charismatic history appear in light of these scriptures?
Jesus commented, "Even more blessed are those who hear God's Word and guard it with their lives!" As the crowd led, he took a fresh tack: "The mood of this age is all wrong. Everybody's looking for proof, but you're looking for the wrong kind. All you're looking for is something to titillate your curiosity, satisfy your lust for miracles. But the only proof you're going to get is the Jonah-proof given to the Ninevites, which looks like no proof at all. What Jonah was to
He told the dove merchants, "Get your things out of here! Stop turning my Father's house into a shopping mall!" That's when his disciples remembered the Scripture, "Zeal for your house consumes me." But the Jews were upset. They asked, "What credentials can you present to justify this?" Jesus answered, "Tear down this
Meanwhile in
John 4:47-49
It's written in Scripture that God said,
In strange tongues
and from the mouths of strangers
I will preach to this people,
but they'll neither listen nor believe.
So where does it get you, all this speaking in tongues no one understands? It doesn't help believers, and it only gives unbelievers something to gawk at.
I Corinthians 14:21-23
Are these biblical things happening?
§ Love
§ Healings
§ Disciples
§ Etc.
YES!
But there is also as imbalance danger:
§ Charismatic Actions vs. Great Commission
§ Charismatic Actions vs. Love of disciples (the mark of a disciple)
§ Charismatic Actions vs. Gospel message
The Charismatic actions, weird and inexplicable as some are, should not overshadow the message of the love of Christ.
Being the church and building the Kingdom.
We should pray and seek intimacy with the Creator – but we should always act out our faith!
Self Awareness
We need to come to a place of contentment in
§ who we are in Christ
§ who we are as a disciple
§ who we are in the global church
Too many times we focus on one of these three things and leads to IMBALANCE.
Charismatics simply want to feel God and experience His power. That is not a bad thing. It is when the selfish desire for experience clouds the God-desire for the disciple’s life.
I will close with a quote from Ravi Zacharias. “Until we see in ourselves the uniqueness of God’s touch, we will always want to be someone else and will live under the illusion that being someone else would be better.”
Know who you are – embrace it – and always seek to know your Creator more and more. Be careful to stay humble and unselfish, but go after God with all the tenacity you can muster.
