Every pastor wants to lead a church where the Spirit of God is at work.  And every church member wants to be a part of a great move of God where each weekend they can’t wait to see what He is going to do next.  Each of us wants to be a part of a church where we witness and experience the type of supernatural life-change in our services that is talked about all week.

Dr. Crawford Loritts, my great friend and Senior Pastor of Fellowship Bible Church in Roswell, Ga, provides the profile of such a church.  The following are his thoughts on the eight signs of a Spirit-filled church.  This will provide a great barometer to measure your church against.

  1. A Spirit-Filled Church Is A Place Where Christ is Exalted (1 Thes 1:2-10) – A Spirit-filled church preaches Jesus, talks about Jesus, sings about Jesus, and makes Jesus the center of everything they do.
  2. A Spirit-Filled Church Has An Authentic Passion For His Word – There is no authentic, lasting joy apart from truth.
  3. A Spirit-Filled Church Has Intentional Unity (Eph 4:1-4) – Unity is not cheap.  It is the product of sacrifice.  The real depth of a person is determined by what causes them to walk away.
  4. A Spirit-Filled Church Has Deliberate Dependance (1 Cor 2:1-4) – Our reliance is on the supernatural work of God and not our competencies, resources, and experiences.
  5. A Spirit-Filled Church Is Where Prayer Persists (1 Thes 5) – One of the curses of affluence is that surrogate gods compete for the affections of our heart.  A Spirit-filled church prays without ceasing.
  6. A Spirit-Filled Church Has Supernatural Discernment (1 Cor 2:9-13) – Human wisdom is not always God’s wisdom.  As tough as it is for leaders to sometimes realize, God’s work is not always measured by what is measurable.
  7. A Spirit-Filled Church Is Where People Are Loved (1 Cor 12-14) – Pastors and leaders, here is a simple but profound question – Do you truly love those in your church?
  8. A Spirit-Filled Church Is A Place Where Sin Is Uncomfortable (Eph 2:19-22) – The spiritual vibrancy of a church is a reflection of the spiritual vibrancy of its members.  Spirit-filled churches are always marked by personal holiness.  The truth is that the Holy Spirit DOE S NOT accommodate sin.

Pastors and church leaders, does your church have these eight characteristics?  If not, what is an area that you will begin praying for God to do a great work in?

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