Ruthie Oberg Preaches the Word, Spirit, and Mission: The Heartbeat of Pentecostal Identity

This sermon, delivered during Missions Month, explores the historical foundations and essential characteristics of Pentecostal Christianity, specifically within the Assemblies of God movement. The speaker, Ruthie, a historian from the AG National Office, traces the development of Christianity from the early church through the Catholic/Orthodox split, the Protestant Reformation, and finally to the Pentecostal movement of the early 1900s. She emphasizes that being Pentecostal means three non-negotiable commitments: a return to biblical doctrine (the Word), experiencing what the apostles experienced (the Spirit), and engaging in cross-cultural mission (the Mission). The sermon challenges believers to be people who not only know Scripture and experience God's power but also actively participate in God's redemptive mission to the world. Through the powerful testimony of missionaries Mark and Gladys Bliss, who lost three children in Iran yet continued serving, the message illustrates the sacrificial nature of missions and the miraculous growth of the Iranian church despite persecution.