How the Charismatic Movement Hijacked Worship

The charismatic and Pentecostal movements have deeply shaped the modern church's understanding of worship, but often not for the better. One of the most troubling shifts has been the distortion of the Holy Spirit's person and work. Worship is now commonly judged by emotional intensity, dramatic experiences, or subjective feelings. But is this truly the measure of a Spirit-filled gathering?

Biblically, a gathering filled with the Holy Spirit is one that exalts Jesus Christ, not the individual's experience. Jesus said the Spirit would glorify Him, not draw attention to Himself (John 16:14). The Spirit convicts sinners, not entertains them. He illumines the Word, not replaces it. Since the Spirit is the author of Scripture, worship must be shaped and saturated by Scripture—not overridden by spontaneous outbursts or prophetic impressions.

Jonathan Edwards, during the First Great Awakening, rightly pointed out that emotional responses—tears, joy, peace, even trembling—are not in themselves proof (or disproof) of the Spirit's work. People respond differently, and emotions are not the fruit of the Spirit. Holiness is. A truly Spirit-filled church is not marked by spectacle but by lives being sanctified, sin being confessed, and Christ being magnified.

Even more troubling is the anti-intellectual spirit that often marks the charismatic movement. Study, theology, and sound doctrine are often downplayed or dismissed as "quenching the Spirit." But this is itself anti-Holy Spirit—for He is the Spirit of truth, wisdom, and knowledge (Isa. 11:2; John 16:13). The Spirit doesn't bypass the mind—He renews it. To despise serious theology is to despise the very means the Spirit uses to shape our worship and lives. Sound doctrine leads to sound worship. As R.C. Sproul once said, "How can we love what we do not understand?"

A preacher filled with the Spirit is not the most eloquent or electrifying, but the one who faithfully proclaims the Word. Worship that honours the Spirit is not chaotic or self-centred but reverent, biblical, Christ-exalting, and heart-transforming.

Let us return to true, Spirit-filled worship, where the Word is central, Christ is supreme, sinners are humbled, and saints are made holy.

Nino Marques