Seven Old Commands for a New Year - Part 2

And so I know last Sunday as I Was preparing just before I entered the pulpit and I was going over my sermon. I thought I'm never going to make it through all seven commands and sure enough. We stopped at number three. And we'll look at the four remaining for today. 1st Thessalonians, chapter 5 and verse number 16. Says Rejoice always pray without ceasing in everything. Give thanks for. This is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the spirit, do not despise prophecies test all things, hold fast. What is good abstain from every form of evil? Let's pray once again, our gracious father. As we come to this moment in which we hear and listen to the preaching of your word. Father, I pray that we understand that it is not the words of man. But it is your word to man. I'm nothing more than a messenger. Hey haraldur of your word. So father I pray that you use me as a vessel. That you feel me? Hide me behind the cross. So that so that through your word, people would see Jesus. Father, we love you. We ask all of these things and Christ name, amen. I said last Sunday is very easy for us. And honestly, I think it's really natural for us to many times dwell on the possibilities that can worry us. It's not the things that we know that can worry us just that just two possibilities. That are out there that can concern us and cause us to worry. And I think again, that's really kind of our natural instinct to do in our fallen nature is to worry about those possibilities but instead what we should do is dwell on those things which are good that we know is true and I know that's easy preaching and hard living for sure. But that is certainly the principle in which we should live those things and which we'd should dwell on or those things which are good and those things which we know to be true. Now again, what will the remainder a 2023 hold for us? We have no idea. We don't know. And so, instead of focusing on an uncertain future and all the possibilities that are out there, a economic recession, world war three, whatever it maybe instead of fixing our hard, upon those things, we should fix our heart and mind upon the things, which we do know. And that's the things I want to focus on and live as a church that we should live by in this new year. 7 things that are found in, I want us to focus on these seven things that are found in. Just this one short passage of scripture, just 43 words in our English translation that God commands for us to obey. I believe if we will Implement these seven commands in our life, if we will live by the seven commands, it will absolutely change our life. It would draw us nearer to God, no matter what happens in our life individually, no matter what happens to our church, no matter what happens in the world in which we live. As I mentioned last week that grammar in our text indicates that these are commands. They are imperatives that are to be obeyed. These are not suggestions. These are not Paul's recommendations to the church at Cecil anaika. These are commands from God as Paul is divinely inspired by the Holy Spirit to write these things. So, these are commands. These are imperatives and which we are to be obeyed, but noticed, not only are these imperatives but these commands are also in the present tense which speaks of a continuous action. Another word for these commands should control the way we walk through life. This should be the habitual pattern of our life that we Rejoice always and pray without ceasing and everything. Give thanks for this, the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. until we looked at the first three, but I want us very quickly to recap those first three commands that Paul gives us as he's riding to the church at Cecil anaika, The first command is Rejoice, always we see that in verse 16, Rejoice always, I remember, it's very wise to understand this instruction, as meaning rejoice in the lord always rejoice in the lord, always is not that we are to be not that we're to be. It's not that we're to Rejoice because a tragedy strikes. No it's not. That we are to Rejoice because of a hardship that we go through. However, it means we can rejoice in the Lord in the midst of experiencing a hardship, we can rejoice in the Lord in the midst of experiencing a tragedy. And remember this was the setting in Tesla nykaa. It was to A persecuted Church to whom Paul writes. It was to a church that was experiencing hardship and persecution because of their faith. In the Lord Jesus, Jesus Christ States. They had many troubles and Paul gives them this exportation to Rejoice. Always. Well, they are to rejoice in the lord. Always So how can we rejoice in the lord, always even in the midst of difficult circumstances? Or remember we mentioned last week? First Christians rejoice in the father's gift up his son to be our savior. We can rejoice in the lord always because God the father has sent his only begotten son. The Lord Jesus Christ. To be our savior to live the life that we could not live by the death that we should have died. And God raised him from the dead as Vindication and as an event occasion that he was the perfect sacrifice for sin forever. We can Rejoice, even the missing parts. And so a true Christian says, he's in the mist of persecution and hardship, no matter what the world may do to me, God has given his son Jesus for my salvation.

So has tragedy your hardship. Hit your home. Listen as Christians. We can Rejoice because we can save for this. We have Jesus. For this, we have Jesus that's a great phrase to remember when you're going through a difficult situation. You can just say that for Hayes for this Lord, we have Jesus. We have Jesus. A second source of Christian. Joy is a relationship with the father that Jesus has secured by his saving work. So a second source of our rejoicing is that because of Christ and because of what he did on the cross of Calvary, we now have peace with God, through our Lord, Jesus Christ is what Paul said, and Romans five, and verse one, we're no longer alienated from the Commonwealth of God, we're no longer separated from God because of our seeing, but we have been made knives. We have been made near unto God by his son, the Lord Jesus Christ. So we can Rejoice always in the Lord even the midst of tragedy. Because I only God, the Father sent his son Jesus, but because Jesus died on the cross for our sin. We have now. Peace with God. There's been a Reconciliation now. And we can Rejoice that we're no longer in tamizh against God. And then a third source of the Believers Joy. Is that we have the Bible's testimony to God's saving promises. That is we have a the full revelation of God to man God's. Holy word. And so this is not a man's world. This is God's word. We have the word of God to look upon. Not the word of man. God's word Usher's us. God, God's word encourages us to cast, your burden on the Lord, and He will sustain you. He will never permit the righteous to be moved. So we have the word of God that we can glean tooth, we can read and it's not that we are God has just given us only the memory that which we hear other men of God speak but we can see and we can read for ourselves the promises that God has made for us in his word.

so these in a myriad of other promises and able to Christian to rejoice, in the hope of the glory of God and even to rejoice in our sufferings, as Paul said, it's a very the very Act of rejoicing is rooted in the person of Christ. Rejoicing is rooted in the purposes of Christ and the Perfection of Christ. And so, therefore we can, as James tells us, we can count it all joy, even when tragedy strikes, because we are rejoicing in the Lord rejoicing in the Lord, not rejoicing this early in our circumstances, but rejoicing in the Lord, in spite of the circumstances. The second thing we noticed is verse 17 where it says pray without ceasing pray without ceasing. What does it mean to pray without ceasing? Well, it means Christians are to live in an attitude of continual prayer. Christians are to live in an attitude of continual prayer. Paul is not talking about how that Christians need to drop all other activities. So only asked to pray as if we live in a monastery and are monks. But rather, he urges us, the urges a hard that is always open to God. We are filled with the spirit and we're living in the spirit. We are controlled by the spirit and us. Having a heart that is always open to God. And hear Paul Advocates prayer, not merely as an action. But also as an attitude, the prayerful attitude that pulse seeks here was lived by Enoch. And the other Noah who according to the Bible walked with God, these two men, they lived and they walked in the very presence of God. Soulja pray without ceasing is it is remaining in an attitude and atmosphere a prayer. And that's the way we ought to live. That is why we ought to live the third thing. We looked at last week, Is Verse 18 and everything, give thanks and everything. Give, thanks, this is no doubt the most difficult of the seven commands. But it's very good here to be reminded that we do not obey these commands or any command that God has given to us in our own strength. If we are to obey a command that God has given us, we do so by the enabling power of the holy spirit of God and any command that God gives us, he gives us the ability through the Holy Spirit to a to obey them. There's not one command that God commands us to obey that he does not give us enabling power of the Holy Spirit to obey it. So, how are Christian to be thankful for trials? How are Christians be thankful in the midst of tribulation? Well, the answer is that our faith turns us away from ourselves which we are Prone to do work, the prone to focus on ourselves and our self only. Listen, the answer is that our faith turns away from ourselves and onto God where it should be. And of course we cannot. Thank God. It is not safe for all things. Including those things which are evil and displeasing to him, but we can and we should thank Him in all things in all circumstances. It also doesn't say that we are to give, thanks for everything. A key word is that little preposition the word in. It means, within in everything. Give thanks. And it's a reference to a place. In other words, that means that in the midst of every circumstance, we are to give. Thanks. what we have in this command is a command to trust in the sovereignty of God in the and the Divine Providence of God We may not always feel like crazy women. I always, I always feel like praying and thanking God, but in certainly, our circumstances may not be conducive to do these things. Yet, we are to do. So all the same, why? Because of the remainder of that verse says, what in everything give thanks for. This is, the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you, you are to give thanks and everything because this is God's will for your life. God's will. I believe this statement certainly belongs to all three of the commands, which preceded we are, we are to Rejoice always because it is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. We are to pray without ceasing. Why. Because it's the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you Now, been considering this thought this demand and everything, give thanks, I believe that obedience to this command is one of the greatest displays of Faith, God's children can experience and a testimony that will make a tremendous impact on unbelievers.

Command. We see in the scripture, not found a number. 19, verse 19 tells us this do not quench the spirit, do not quench the spirit.

Now, I know that sounds like a odd statement. How can an individual quench the spirit Will the holy spirit in both the Old Testament and even the New Testament is compared or is likened unto fire. And the word, the word quench was used as a as a extinguishing of extinguishing a fire. As a matter of fact, the adjective form of the Greek word is the Greek word asbestos, which we know as a fire, which is a fire retardant. So again, how can we quench the spirit? Listen, we quench the Holy Spirit when we refuse to obey the will of God, We request the Holy Spirit when we refuse to obey the will of God, as we are directed by the Holy Spirit. it's very important to realize that in Isaiah, 11:2 were given Some seven things that the Holy Spirit does and one of those seven is that he will guide us. He will counsel us and that's what Jesus also stated that the holy spirit will guide us into all things. It's so when we refuse to follow the council in the guidance and Leadership of the Holy Spirit, we then have quenched the Holy Spirit. Quenching the holy spirit is one of the two ways we sin against the Holy Spirit. The other is found in Ephesians 4:30 where Paul says and do not grieve the holy spirit of God. What, how do we grieve the holy spirit of God? While we grieve the spirit? When we see in by doing that which God has forbidden, when you do something that God has forbidden, you have been breathed the holy spirit of God. When you quench the Holy Spirit, we quench the Holy Spirit when we sin by not doing, what he has commanded us to do. Now there's a lot of ways in which a Believer can quench the Holy Spirit and not do in which the Holy Spirit has. Let us it may be that the Holy Spirit I had guided you to share Christ with someone but you refused, it may be that the Holy Spirit has wanted you to give a word of encouragement to someone or write a card of encouragement to someone, but you refused. It may be that the Holy Spirit has moved upon your heart that you should give a sacrificial offering to missions or to some need in the church, but you refused You see in doing that, you have been quenched the Holy Spirit and you have sinned, then against a holy God. I listen to me, this is a this is very crucial, this is very important as it relate to your joy. As it relates to you, living a powerful and Victorious Christian life because you cannot do. So, if you are constantly quenching the Holy Spirit, if you're constantly refusing to do that, which he is leading you to do, But notice this not only can individuals quench the Holy Spirit by not doing that which God has commanded but also a church can quench the Holy Spirit and greed the spirit as well so individuals can do this but also a church can do this. And remember Paul is riding to a church here. It is to the church if that's one. I've got Paul says hate to not quench the spirit.

Now the question is, how many members who are quitting quenching the spirit? Does it take to affect the entire church? I'm not sure. I don't know. There is an example in Scripture. In the Book of Joshua. In which one man's sin. Affected the entire nation. One man. remember when God gave the orders for the children of Israel to go into take Jericho, And they were not to take the spoils every night to take the gold in the silver and all those things that were costly, they were to bring that to the treasury of the Lord. But there was one man who disobeyed his name was Aiken and he took that which God had forbidden and he hid it under his tent, He thought he had hit it from the eyes of the Lord, but he certainly did not. And so, from that point, they go to the next battle. The next city, the city of AI, and they lose greatly, many men died. And as Joshua is pleading with God, as to, why God speak to Joshua and says, hey, there is CNN the camp. There is a man who has done that, which I have forbidden. And because of that, man, since the entire nation was affected, Again, this is very crucial. So we must be careful not to quench the holy spirit in our life so that we are not clenching, then the Holy Spirit, and the life of the church.

We must be careful not to quench. Not to grieve the holy spirit of God. And if we Should do so that we are quick to ask, God to forgive us and repent of that. because beloved listen, if the holy spirit is quenched, And unless it is dealt with. You can in the words of 1st, Samuel, chapter 4 verse 21, right? At Chabad, over the door of the church, which means the glory has Departed. Oh, that we would look into ourselves. Our individual sales and ask the holy spirit of God to examine us. That we have not grieve or quench the Holy Spirit. The next command do not despise prophecies. Do not despise prophecies verse 20. I hear is here is a command to listen to what is being read. Here's a command to listen to what is being preached from God's word and not to despise it. And we can legitimately apply this command to the preaching and teaching in the church. Again, Paul is writing to a church, do not despise prophecies and that we're prophecies. It is not speaking about those foretelling, the future. AAA profit was not one that just was foretelling future. Things, a prophet was a haraldur of the word of God.

And so Paul tells us do not despise prophecies, do not despise the hearing and listening of God's word. The word despise means to treat lightly. Or hold in a low view or to make of no account. So what Paul is referring to is those people who are guilty of hearing the word of God, priests in power, and in truth. And then simply ignoring the message. As if they heard nothing, treating it lightly, treating it, as if they heard, the the news on the TV or heard of the sitcom or whatever.

Thereby making it of no effect in our lives. so, instead of despising the word of God,

we are to elevate the word of God. We are two highly esteem and treat seriously God's word when it is red or talked.

If we're not careful, we can sometimes treat God's word so flippantly. So casually. We we go for the Motions of church when we come, we listen we go, we come. We listen to. We Go and it's very easy for us to treat it lightly and to take it for granted. Listen to Isaiah 66 verse 5. R e says hear the word of the Lord. You who tremble at his word. Hear the word of the Lord. You Who tremble? At his word. Do you tremble? At the word of God. Do you reference the word of God in your listening? Do you reference do you stand in all of the listening? And then applying the word of God. Sometimes I fear was hearing preaching or teaching, we approach it in our modern-day Americanized church as a form of entertainment.

when someone is animated, or Humorous. Tales a lot of stories people talk about how much they enjoy the message. My friend listen to me and I mean this is all my heart. I don't want you to enjoy the message.

I want you to be challenged by the message. Now there are some messages that I preach or any preacher will preach that we can Rejoice about, right? And we've been forgiven, we have Heaven as our home. There's a things that we can rejoice in the preaching is not for entertainment. Not for entertainment. When the word of God is taught in preaching, the power of the Holy Spirit, one of the most common response is ought to be is steaming the word. So highly that they tremble with conviction has the word of God is applied to their life. That is the way we ought to respond to the preaching of God's word.

The weather, it's opening up his word in your quiet time or in Sunday school or wherever it may be. It ought to be an attitude of hours of saying something like this bother. This is your word. And I want to listen carefully.

I want to hear what you have to say. And by your grace, I want to obey it. I tremble reference your word and I want to treat it with esteem and hold it. To its ultimate seriousness.

Paul says, do not despise. Prophecies. Notice the 6th command. Paul says, in verse 21 cast of all things. Test all things. This command really balances the command to not despise God's word. We are not to despise God's word, but neither are. We listen to me, but neither are we to blindly accept every message that claims to be from God's word.

So when God's word is being taught, when God's word is being preached, we are not to supposed to be gullible. And not even blindly accept, whatever the preacher says behind a Pulpit. No, Paul says, we are to test all things. It means to discern. it means to approve as where they took, then be received Hey listen. Everything that claims to be a word from God is to be tested by how it then lines up with scripture.

And I believe that we as a church as a whole As Christians, we fail to do this over the years. And we have allowed preachers false preachers to creep in unaware because people in the Pew, not been following that to mantoux test and approve everything. That the preacher.

Now, if it is genuine, what is a remainder that verse say? The remainder that verse says, test all things, hold fast, which is good holdfast, which is good. If it is genuine, we are to hold fast for the plane to it. We're just sees or to bring it close. We're to hold fast to what that, which is good. The word good means genuine that which is authentic. And so it is an attitude, that treats a word from God as precious and serious and understand that, we are responsible, then for our response to the genuine word of God. Test all things, hold fast to that, which is good. And honestly, that's another command. So there's really 8 to me as if you were to break it down. That way, past all things is one command, the other command is, once you tested it and prove to be good claim to it, hold fast to it. And then notice the 7th to man, what I'm calling, the seven Commander 22 abstain from every form of evil abstain, from every form of evil, the word abstain means to keep oneself from Stay away from it. The word translated, every form can mean every sword, or every kind of evil. so what Paul is saying is this rather than flirting with what could lead us into seeing we are to avoid Evil all together

as Paul said anything, since 5:40 in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them Abstain from every form of evil. When we avoid every kind of evil. As Paul says, we make no provision for the flesh. To gratify. Its desires. Every form of evil. So listen to me. Paul's message to this church in thessalonica. Is one that our generation of Christians, greatly needs to hear. Greatly needs to hear. Many of our churches are filled with those who have a week. Childlike faith. That is easily talked back and forth by every spiritual fan that comes along.

and if it's not that, then just the pressures of life and itself. Destroys them to such a point that they drop out of church.

I quit on the things of God.

And such a church culture like that. Will never impress unbelievers with a value, then of the Christian message.

Nor will it saved our Believers from flinching, the spirits Voice or stealing the joy that is ours in the Lord.

so if an 2023 you want to transform your relationship with God, And you want to be a light for Christ and a dark world. Start implementing in your life. These 7 commands.

Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing in everything. Give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you Do not quench the spirit. Do not despise prophecies. Abstain from every form of evil. Great verses to memorize.

If you memorize those versus you memorize 7 versus

And it will help you. In all aspects of life. The good times, the hard times. The difficult times. Oh, I pray that we would take this to heart as a church. Take it seriously as it is the word of God. Let's pray together. A gracious and kind Heavenly Father.

Lord, I'm thankful.

that you

by the Holy Spirit. Dwelling us and filling us. Have given us the power to obey. These commands.

Not just as a one-time obedience. but rather, as a way of life,

And father I pray that many here want to see you move powerfully in your life in this new year. And Lord, I met, they begin here. I just simply obeying. What you have written in your word. Lord, I pray. That you were transformed. Each of us individually.

And I pray that because of that you would transform our church. I pray that the spirit of Revival would break out. Because of what you're doing in and through us.

Father, I pray that those that are here that are never been saved. Father, I pray that you would draw them your son Jesus. Speak to them. Lord, I pray that you draw them convicted mother sin. Show them their need of a savior. And that they would call upon you today and be forever saved. Father, we love you. And we ask all of these things in Christ name. Hey man. Let's all stand.

I do pray, like I say that. You would hear the word of the Lord. And not despise it not to treat it lightly. But true. His holy spirit applied to our heart and life. If you have any questions as to what I Freestar be any questions about anything. I'll be out there in a full year and I would encourage you and I want you to come by and speak to me, I would love that but I do pray that you have a great rest of the day and a great rest of the week, may the Lord bless you as we are dismissed in song.