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The Purpose of Pentecost
Is evangelism necessarily a part of real revival?
By Rodney Howard-Browne
For more than 20 years, my life has been consumed with revival. I have prayed for it, dreamed of it, been an instrument of it, followed it and thrived in it. I have seen things called revival that weren’t, and revivals that were never labeled accordingly that should’ve been. But through all of these was a common desire to see the world turned upside down for God just as it was at Pentecost.
“The church does not need another Pentecost. The first one was sufficient.”
My uncle, Dr. F.L.K. Howard-Browne, was a great theologian in my native South Africa. Before he died 10 years ago at the age of 93, he penned the following words about Pentecostal revival in a writing called "What About Pentecost?"
What’s in a name? Some say that "Pentecost" means 50. Technically they are correct, but to every Spirit-filled child of God it means vastly more than a mere technical definition. There are words in our language that mean more to us than mere technicalities. For instance, the word Sterling stands for a certain quality in silverware. When we buy Sterling silver we know that we are obtaining a certain definite standard of silverware. We are assured of its genuineness. We know it will stand the test of time. We know it has value. We also know there are cheap imitations on the market, and if we are looking for quality, we know enough to let such spurious articles alone.
Pentecost! What does it mean? It represents a pattern—a standard. It signifies, in its spiritual significance, an empowered church. It represents a Spirit-filled experience. It stands for revival fires. It holds within its inner meaning a burden for the lost; conviction for sin; repentance and faith toward God.
The early church walked in the light of Pentecostal fires, and these were the results that followed: Not only was the gospel preached uncompromisingly, but also signs and wonders accompanied the preaching of the Word. Pentecost meant something more than a name to the early church. A Spirit-endued people aroused opposition from unbelievers. Persecution not only meant glory and shouting and great joy; it meant also being despised by the world—hated—stoned—being beaten with stripes—imprisonments—and many other trials.
Pentecost! What does it mean today? From a Scriptural standpoint it means as much as it ever did. It is a proven fact that those who are truly Pentecostal, with a Pentecostal message and a Pentecostal experience backed up with a Pentecostal life of holiness, will have Pentecostal results in Pentecostal meetings in a Pentecostal way. Instead of putting the soft pedal on Pentecost, let us magnify the work of the Lord as manifested in Pentecostal power and glory.
Pentecost has meant something wonderful to us. It has meant the mightiest revival the world has ever seen since the days of the apostles. It has meant the conversion of hundreds of thousands. Likewise, untold thousands have received the baptism of the Holy Spirit and have been set on fire for God. The sick and deformed have been miraculously healed. Restitution has been made in numberless cases. A life of holiness has been the experience of those who have come under the blessing of Pentecost. Churches have been revived. A great evangelistic movement at home and in foreign fields has been established. Sadness and sickness, sin and shame, half-heartedness and indifference have given way before the mighty God-sent avalanche of Pentecostal revival.
Empowered to Witness
When Jesus ascended to the Father, He promised to send the Holy Spirit, His power and His fire to live in us and with us. The first Christians were filled with this mighty power and the blessed Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. In Mark 16:15-20, Jesus commanded all believers to "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature." He said that signs would follow the believers. As they went out in obedience and preached the Word, as Jesus commanded, God confirmed the Word with the signs that followed. In His name, they cast out demons; they spoke with new tongues; serpents and any deadly thing could not harm them; they laid hands on the sick, who then recovered.
The true purpose of Pentecost was to empower the believer to be a witness of Jesus Christ (see Acts 1:8). This power would enable believers, down through the centuries, to carry the same witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ as the apostles did. The church does not need another Pentecost. The first one was sufficient. Each individual, however, needs to have his own personal Pentecost, where he is empowered by the Spirit to go to a lost and dying world with the good news of the gospel.
The upper room was never a hotel you check in to and never check out. It was a place of empowerment—120 filled and then, on the streets, 3,000 saved! This was the pattern for the early church, and this must be the pattern for the end-time church. The No. 1 sign that the Holy Spirit is moving and that a move of God is taking place is that souls are being saved!
Rodney Howard-Browne serves as pastor of The River at Tampa Bay Church in Florida along with his wife, Adonica. A renowned evangelist, he has played a major role in numerous revival meetings, including those in 1993 in Lakeland, Fla. Since last year, Rodney has embarked on a multicity "Great Awakening" tour to spread the revival fires across the United States.
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