An Empowered Church

We are coming to the end of Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians, and in doing so we have seen and talked about a number of attributes God wants for His people. He wants this in your own life personally, and he wants it the life of First Bilingual Baptist.

Verses 12-13 tell us that God wants a respectful church and a peaceful church. According to verse 14, God wants an admonishing church, an encouraging church, a helping church, and a patient church.

Verse 15 tells us that God wants a loving church, not responding to evil with evil. And then, verses 16-18, remind us that God wants a church that is joyful, prayerful, and thankful. And as the end of the verse says, this is God’s will for us in Christ Jesus. This is how you as a Christian, and we as a church, glorify our Lord.

This morning, we’ll be focusing on verses 19-22, and we are going to add three more attributes to the list. The first one comes to us in verses 19 and 20. Let’s start unpacking what Paul is saying, and then I’ll give you what I hope is a helpful summary.

Verse 19 says, very succinctly—Do not quench the Spirit. He’s not talking about your own human spirit; Paul is talking about the Holy Spirit. And the command here is not to quench Him. What does that mean?

The word “quench” means to extinguish, or to suppress, or to rapidly cool. It’s a word that both in English and in Greek is associated most commonly with fire. A fire can be put out. It can be turned off.

To the biblical culture, fire wasn’t just a way to cook food; it was the primary source of light and heat. It was a necessary part of society, whether it was the smaller fire of a candle or an oil lamp or a torch, or the larger fires used as weapons in war. Fire was part of the technology of that time.

Imagine if someone came to your house and shut off the gas, the water, the electricity, or the internet. Any one of those would be an interruption to your life. And for those of you who have had to lose a utility for more than a few hours, you’ve seen it happen. Yor home depends on those things.

Well, more than our modern utilities, our lives depend on the power of God through His Holy Spirit. And sadly, sometimes, we shut Him off. We quench the fire of God’s Holy Spirit, and we may not even categorize it as an inconvenience.

Obviously, the Spirit of God can’t be killed. He can’t be turned off in terms of His essence or His existence. But He can be suppressed in terms of His function or His effect in our lives.

You need to be careful that you don’t go through life simply depending on Christ for salvation and assuming you don’t need anything else. That is not how the Christian life works.

Paul told the Thessalonians in chapter 1 that the Spirit empowered his preaching, and He worked in the Thessalonians so they would receive the message with joy. But that wasn’t the extent of His work.

What is the primary work of the Holy Spirit now, even after salvation? It is our sanctification. He is conforming us to the image of Jesus Christ.

Second Corinthians 3:18 says—And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

The Spirit of God is the dominating element in the life of a believer. That’s why Ephesians 5 instructs us to be filled with the Spirit rather than to be drunk with wine. In other words, don’t let alcohol control your life; make sure it’s the Spirit of God.

In Galatians 5, we are told to walk by the Spirit so that we don’t gratify the flesh. We’re told to live by the Spirit and keep in step with Him. As we do that, He is going to produce in us the fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

The question is, then, how do we quench that work? How is it that we can be working against what the Spirit wants to accomplish in our lives?

There’s a variety of ways that question could be answered, and I think it’s a good question to think about. But our focus today is going to be Paul’s focus, which He continues in verse 20—Do not despise prophecies.

I don’t think verse 20 is moving to a new, distinct command. I think it’s an expression and an example of verse 19.

What is the instrument God’s Spirit uses to work in your life? It is the word of God. In John 17:17, Jesus prays to the Father, “Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.”

God’s word is the primary sanctifying tool in your life. That is how the Holy Spirit works. This is why, from the very beginning, the people of God have gathered, not just as a Christian club, but as a people dedicated to hearing the word of God. Acts 2:42 tells us that the first group of Christians devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching.

The word “prophecy” basically means the proclamation of God’s truth. During the time of the Apostles’, God was continuing to give new revelation in order to complete what He wanted His people to know. In some cases, a prophecy could tell the future, but in many cases, it was an explanation of previous Scripture. For example, Peter’s sermon in Acts 2 was based on the Old Testament.

And where did those prophecies come from? Second Peter 1:20 says it didn’t originate with the man, it was that the man was being moves by the Holy Spirit. That’s how the Scriptures came to be.

So, the Spirit who produced God’s written word, now works through the written word to being people to salvation and to continue conforming them to the image of Jesus.

Just as a side note, some people want to use verses 19-20 as a defense for people today speaking in tongues or making new prophetic revelations. And maybe some of you have heard this passage used like that.

In response to that, I just want to point out that there is nothing here that indicates this was Paul’s point. If Paul were trying to make a defense of some spiritual gifts, I think he would have dedicated more space to that and been much more explicit, rather than just tack on a short exhortation at the end of the letter.

Also, even if someone believes we should be chasing certain spiritual gifts today, this passage cannot be used to mean there should be no limitations on those gifts. I say that because in 1 Corinthians 11-14, Paul gives explicit guidelines for how that church was to exercise certain gifts.

I believe that all Paul is doing is giving some general commands for the health of the church. Don’t quench the Spirit by despising prophecies. Don’t minimize the foundational component in the life and power of a church which is the preaching of God’s word.

In writing to Timothy, Paul told him that the church is the pillar and support of the truth. We are here to hold up God’s word to the world.

So, if you’re taking notes, here’s the summary packed into a phrase. This is the attribute God wants for His church: powerful declaration. Powerful declaration.

God’s power is unleashed in the lives of its people when the word of God is declared. That was such a foundational truth for the early church, and it has been completely lost in the American culture.

A lot of churches care more about being popular than about preaching God’s word. You will very easily find churches where the focus is something other than the word of God.

You can find churches focused on miracles and speaking in tongues and ecstatic experiences. And you can also find very professional churches focusing on production value and human methodology.

I praise God for larger churches where God has worked in people’s lives so that they love His word. But that is very different than a church that has a lot of people because it has adopted a methodology that appeals to a broader audience.

Jesus said there is a wide way that leads to destruction and a narrow way that leads to life. So, if you want a church that appeals to the wide way—if you want a church that appeals to the natural man—you’re going to have to minimize God’s word. You can still use biblical verses and phrases. You can still use Christian catchphrases, but the word of God can no longer be central. It can no longer be what forms your methodology or what dictates your message.

In the name of being winsome and attractive to the world, they water down Christ’s message, and as a result they strip the church of the power of God. They have quenched the Holy Spirit.

Think of it this way. Imagine that I want to give my kids a healthier meal this week. So, as part of their dinner tomorrow, I grill some asparagus, I roast some onions, I sauté some carrots and broccoli, and I top that with some salt and a little bit of butter. That would be an attempt to help them grow in appreciating the beauty of vegetables.

But what if, right after I cook the veggies, my wife comes, and she takes a ladle of nacho cheese and drenches it all saying, “Oh the kid are never going to eat that!” What happened? Is that going to help my kids love vegetables? Probably not, they’re just going to love nacho cheese.

That’s what happens in a lot of American churches. The people don’t love the word of God. They haven’t been trained by the word of God. They have been conditioned to come for something else, like the entertainment value or the food.

And pastoral teams, needing to fill that demand in order to keep people coming back has to start doing more and more. That’s how you get churches doing summer series on Hollywood movies. Yes, there may be some general Scriptural truths in whatever the culture produces, but the pastor is no longer preaching the word of God. He’s preaching a sermon lightly inspired by the word of God.

And eventually, what you get is churches that don’t even have to open their Bibles. They are just their to listen to whatever the person at the front wants to say, and it may or may not be backed up by Scripture.

So, the church grows numerically, the leaders convince themselves they are honoring God in evangelism, but what has really happened is that the church has removed the primary channel of God’s power among them, the word of God.

Just this past week, I read an article by the World News Group written by Carl Trueman, who is a Christian professor and author. He talked about this very thing and the article is titled “Turning Worship into a Clown Show.” It was an insightful reminder of what God wants in a church.

Now, lest I only focus on what’s going on out there, realize that you and I can do the same thing on a personal level. We take podcasts that are loosely related to Christianity, and we allow them to replace God’s word. We do the same with Christian music or Christian movies.

We take books on leadership or that have inspirational stories, and we assume they can have the same impact as the word of God. Listen, Chicken Soup for the Soul, or some sentimental video you found online is not going to help you get through your day the same way God’s word will.

Let’s not despise the powerful proclamation of God’s word in our churches and in our daily lives. God wants His people marked by powerful declaration.

Let me share a second attribute. Attribute number 2 is thoughtful discretion. Thoughtful discretion.

This morning, someone had the responsibility to open our time by reading the word of God and by praying. And right now, I have the responsibility of teaching from God’s word. But what is your responsibility? It’s not just to be quiet and pay attention. It is to test what’s being said. It is to be like the Bereans of Acts 17, examining the Scripture to see if this is the truth.

Look back at 1 Thessalonians chapter 5, and notice the first command in verse 21. What does it say? Test everything. Test everything.

Let me give you two synonyms for discretion: discernment and discrimination. Discernment and discrimination. In general, we live with this assumption that discrimination is a bad thing. And there are some kinds of discrimination that are wrong; they are sinful.

But if someone comes knocking on your door this afternoon, and says, “Hi, I’m from your internet company, and I need to go inside your house to check the wiring,” are you going to let that guy in your house? Not right away. At least I hope not. That’s a form of discrimination.

When I refuse to answer an email from a Nigerian prince, or to give my personal information to a guy calling me about life insurance, that is a form of discrimination. I am making a judgment call. Something smells fishy here. I am using discernment.

When you pick your fantasy football team, you’re being discriminatory. When you decide not to eat at a restaurant that got you sick before, that’s discernment. When you decide how to invest your money, you try to make an informed decision. You want the best possible outcome. You don’t want to be relying on something that could hurt you.

Well, when it comes to hearing someone teach God’s word, God wants you to discriminate, to distinguish whether this is healthy, sound teaching, or unhealthy teaching or false teaching. That’s not judgmental; that’s discerning.

Turn with me for a moment to 2 Timothy chapter 4. Just a few books ahead of 1 Thessalonians. There’s 2 Thessalonians, then 1 Timothy, then 2 Timothy. Second Timothy chapter 4. Look at what Paul says to the young man he is training.

Second Timothy 4:1-4—I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: [2] preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. [3] For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, [4] and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.

Don’t just listen on a preacher because you like how he sounds or because you agree with him. Make sure he is speaking the truth. Test what he says. Evaluate it. The standard of measure is not your preference; it is the word of God. Is he preaching the word? Be discerning. Be watchful. Be alert.

You can go ahead and turn back to 1 Thessalonians now. This principle of discernment or discretion applies to every aspect of life, but how much more to the teaching of God’s word?

And when you find what is good, when you find healthy, strong teaching, that sharpens you and shapes you according to the Holy Spirit, what does Paul say to do? Second half of verse 21—Hold fast what is good. Don’t let it go.

The idea here is: Don’t let it go. Hebrews 10:23 says—Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. 

This word for holding fast is used in Acts 27 in a nautical sense of holding a ship’s course. This word is to be what sets the course of your life and my life and the life of our church. If we give ourselves to that, then Paul’s final exhortation is going to be part of the result.

Verse 22 says—Abstain from every form of evil. 

The King James Version says to abstain from every appearance of evil, and that can give us a wrong impression about what Paul is saying. Some people use that translation to mean that we shouldn’t be doing anything that someone else might deem as sinful. They take it to mean, “Don’t even appear to be sinning!”

There’s wisdom in guarding our hearts and in honoring the consciences of others but staying away from any accusation of sin in this world just isn’t possible. Even Jesus was even accused of sin by His enemies. And that’s not what Paul is saying here.

Paul is saying, “Stay away from evil in whatever form it comes to you.” So, with regard to teaching: Stay away from false teaching. Don’t sit under that for an extended period of time. That’s evil.

Beyond that, don’t give in to the message or the culture of false teachers which are going to lead to worldliness and sin in your life. If a group is going to be relaxed about the Bible, then they are going to be relaxed about sin as well. If they want a message that appeals to the world, then aren’t going to be talking about repentance and judgment.

They might talk about self-improvement, but not about going to war with the sin in your life. They aren’t going to talk about taking up your cross daily to follow Jesus. They aren’t going to be promoting a message that says, all of humanity is damned to eternal judgment, and there is only one way to escape it. That’s the message of the Bible.

If you want to be cooperating with the power of the Holy Spirit in your life, give yourself to the word of God and do whatever it takes to pursue righteousness and holiness in your life.

And that brings me to our final attribute for today. God wants His people to be marked by a powerful declaration, by a thoughtful discretion, and lastly by a visible distinction. A visible distinction.

God wants a declaring church. God wants a discerning church. And God wants a distinct church. We need to look different than the world.

In some ways, that will manifest in the way we dress, but beyond that, it is going to be manifested in the way we live.

The Spirit of God has made us alive in Christ. We are dead to sin, and sin is dead to us, there needs to be a change in the direction of our lives. When we sin, there’s confession repentance. We want to make it right. When we’re sinned against, there’s forgiveness.

God expects His people to be different than the rest of the world. In the Old Testament, God made that clear with Israel. They couldn’t dress like the world. They couldn’t eat like the world. They were going to stand out. Even their haircuts were different—all so that they would stand out in the world.

Now, today we are not subject to the law of Moses, but we are under the law of Christ. And we are called to be distinct. God has children in every tribe and people and nation and tongue. But we are united in our love for Christ, our reverence for His word, and our pursuit of holiness.

Hebrews 12:14 says—Strive for...the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. 

As Paul wraps up the body of his letter to this young church, his heart is to see them continue to thrive in honoring God and being effective in the purpose of Christ. That should be our desire for our church too, and for every other church hear about.

As a member of our church, you can help us church stay on course by helping us continue to declare the word of God, by being a discerning listener, and by walking in holiness so that God’s people stand out and have a powerful testimony to the supremacy of Jesus Christ.