Don't Close the Door

Big Idea: Don’t close the door to the Spirit - Do test the spiritual

The Cambridge dictionary defines prophecy like this: “a statement that tells what will happen in the future” - by that definition, we have a whole array of prophets in our world today. For example, President Trump on the 31st March declared of this virus that’s plagued us: “It’s going to go away, hopefully at the end of the month. And, if not, hopefully it will be soon after that.”

But he’s not our only contemporary prophet. What about Bill Gates? He’s got some credibility, some track record - since he pretty much predicted this pandemic would happen ten years ago. Is his crystal ball still working? Well, I read this week Bill Gates saying “the covid-19 pandemic will be over by the end of 2021” - that’s not super-encouraging but unfortunately it feels more realistic. Bill’s words are backed by lots of computers and science - but still, at the end of the day, he is straying into the realm of prophecy.

And there are plenty more prophets around - mostly prophets of doom - which doesn’t make them wrong, by the way. John Bell, Oxford professor of medicine and Fellow of the Royal society declares: “we will get a second wave, and the vaccines won’t get here in time to stop the second wave.” And if covid doesn’t get us, we’re still not out of the woods, Greta Thunnenberg says: “People are dying. Entire ecosystems are collapsing. We are in the beginning of a mass extinction.”

A whole array of prophets and a wide array of futures they are foretelling! But all these “prophets” - well, most of them anyway - would claim they’re just using science and reason to predict what’s likely if you pressed them. They’d be clear they’re just talking about probable futures, about what’s likely to come. Even so, people get upset - typically we get upset at the predictions we don’t agree with while applauding and repeating the ones we do. Prophecy is divisive. Prophecy can be trouble.

And that’s just this “reasonable” sort of prophecy. What about a more supernatural form? What about the idea that a higher power might reveal something to us mortals, something about the future, something about the past, something about ourselves? That idea of prophecy can seem pretty far out there today - though there are plenty of people intrigued by it. That sort of prophecy, if anything, feels more dangerous still - higher risk, more divisive - more trouble. And that, that hot potato is what we’re going to be talking about today.

Maybe you’re here this morning and you’re just exploring faith and Jesus. If that’s you, we’re so glad you’re here. I know weird stuff like prophecy is obviously pretty far out there - but I have to tell you that the supernatural is unavoidably part of real Christianity. I mean, the absolute centre of what we believe is that a dead guy came back to life - that’s supernatural, no getting around it. I want to say to you that accepting the supernatural isn’t just for gullible no-brains - I have two first class degrees, one in computer science and one in theology. We have far more eminent scientists and thinkers among our church than me - and Christianity can claim many of the greatest thinkers of the last two thousand years. All of them signed up to a supernatural world. It doesn’t make you a fool. So if you’re exploring this morning, can I invite you to take the opportunity to explore our faith - weirdness and all?

As a church, we believe the Bible isn’t just another old book - it is God speaking to his people about who He is, who we are, what He’s done, and how we should respond. We take is seriously, read it like it’s true, and believe it should shape how we live today. We’re working our way through one letter in the bible bit by bit - that way, the Bible sets the agenda, not us. We’re talking about prophecy this week because our next section of the Bible talks about prophecy - believe you me, I wouldn’t choose to be speaking about prophecy this morning otherwise! 2,000 years ago, prophecy was a bit more of a normal part of life - though even back then, there were plenty of sceptics. Back then, like today, it often meant division and trouble - and it had meant trouble for the young church in Greece this letter was written to. We believe what this letter says about prophecy isn’t just relevant to them, back there - it’s still relevant to us here today.

Even among Christians, though, prophecy is a controversial topic where people have different opinions - so I need to say a few words about how we, as a church, approach issues like this first. There are lots of issues that Christians have divided over - in the past, and sadly still today. Sometimes you have to divide - when the core of our faith is at stake. But other times it’s over secondary issues, things that really aren’t right at the core of what we believe. As a church, we think the most important thing is that more people hear about Jesus - so we all agree to keep these secondary issues secondary for the sake of the gospel. The bible teaches us how we should handle these issues in Romans chapter 14: we’re not to treat with contempt or judge those who hold a different position to us - instead we’re to work for peace, and to try and build one another up.

This morning, I’m going to speak from my own position on prophecy as we explore what the bible has to say to us - and I’ll try to do that with gentleness and respect. But if you have a different view on prophecy, I want you to know you’re welcome here - you don’t have to agree with me on this to be a part of the church. And even if you don’t agree, I believe there are still principles regarding God’s active work through his Spirit in the world today that are useful.

Long intro, I know - but it’s important stuff. Let’s listen now to what the Bible has to say. We’re in First Thessalonians, chapter five, starting at verse 19. Helen is going to read for us today.

1 Thessalonians 5:19–22 NIV

Do not quench the Spirit. Do not treat prophecies with contempt but test them all; hold on to what is good, reject every kind of evil.

Thanks Helen.

First up, what is prophecy? We need to get our terms clear. And Christians have different views. I’m going to share my view - but again, if you don’t agree, know you’re welcome here.

Some people would say prophecy and preaching are interchangeable terms - so this would be prophesying right now that I’m doing. I think that’s difficult to square with the examples we see of the content of spoken prophecies in the New Testament - Acts 11:28 for example - and with the places where prophecy and teaching appear in a list as if they are different things - Ephesians 4:11 or Acts 13:1 for example.

Other people would say prophecy was only active in the earliest days of the church, and has passed away based on 1 Corinthians 13:8-12 - but I think it’s hard to see how the markers set out there for when prophecy will pass away have been met: “then we shall see face to face” … “then I shall know fully”.

I think what we’re talking about here is a message from God that is brought into someone’s mind by the Holy Spirit. 2 Peter 1:21 tells us “prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” - Peter’s speaking about the prophets of the old testament specifically there, but he describes prophecy in general for us still. I think we’re talking about an immediate inspiration, something that can happen in a moment - 1 Cor 14:30 speaks about a prophecy coming to someone even as others are speaking. I think we’re to expect both people with a sustained gift of prophecy - since 1 Cor 12:29 asks rhetorically “are all prophets?” and the answer is “no” - but as God’s Spirit lives in every Christian, all of us have the potential to hear from the Spirit and speak - on the day of Pentecost, in Acts 2:17-18, Peter quotes the prophet Joel speaking about God’s Spirit being poured out on all people, and them prophesying - like all those in the upper room do as the Spirit comes on that first day - even though they’re not all prophets. I think we’re talking about something which is often found in the context of a church gathering, but not exclusively.

In terms of the content of prophecy, in the New Testament we see prophecies which are foretelling for nations or individuals - famine is coming Acts 11; prison lies ahead Acts 21; and of course the book of Revelation which describes itself as prophecy. We see what looks like prophecy being directive - the sending of Paul and Barnabas off in mission Acts 13 - and prophecies which encourage and build people up - Acts 15:32 or 1 Cor 14:31. We don’t get as much clarity as many of us would like around the specifics - that’s probably why there’s disagreement - but that’s where I’m coming from today. Already looking forward to the Q+A!

In the earliest history of the church, recorded for us in the bible, we see plenty of prophecy around - though it doesn’t seem to be an everyday thing, except perhaps in Corinth. As far as we can tell from recorded history, it looks like prophecy in church becomes less and less common over the next few hundred years - at least it wasn’t written about as much. We don’t really know why - perhaps they didn’t need it as much; perhaps they didn’t seek it as much, perhaps it’s just not recorded as much.

Today, while some churches would expect prophecy at every gathering, and I believe it’s more common on the mission frontier, in my personal experience it’s been pretty rare - though I think it’s quite possible we’ve encountered “unlabelled prophecy”: God’s Spirit speaking through others, and we’ve just not been aware of it. I have no trouble believing the living God still speaks. Not in the same authoritative and lasting way He has spoken through his Son, and in the Bible - but in a personal, timely and specific way. I very much believe it’s real, here and today.

So that’s how I’m defining prophecy - that’s what I think we’re reading about here. But again, if you don’t agree, you’re really welcome. What does our bible passage tell us about prophecy?

1 Thessalonians 5:19–22 NIV

Do not quench the Spirit. Do not treat prophecies with contempt but test them all; hold on to what is good, reject every kind of evil.

I think there’s two big things we’re taught by this short passage, this short set of commands.

First, Don’t close the door

This idea, that God, by his Spirit, can speak to us suddenly and directly through someone might excite you - it certainly excites me - but hold your horses! It’s pretty obvious there are some serious risks out of the gate. Risk that someone could deliberately fake it, claim they are speaking from God when they aren’t. For money. For power. Just for kicks. Risk that we could get it wrong, and it was last night’s cheese talking rather than God. Risk that we want to hear from God so much, we imagine Him speaking when really there’s only silence. Risk that if someone else speaks, and we don’t, that we’ll feel less of a Christian. Risk that we’ll misunderstand what was spoken, even if it was from God.

Clearly there’s the potential for problems - in fact, Jesus himself predicts there will be problems, and the early church experienced them. What’s the natural response to these very real, very significant risks? What’s the best way to avoid these potential and actual problems? What’s the easiest solution? Close the door to it.

But remarkably, while there are big risks and real problems with prophecy, what we don’t get is “well, it was nice to sometimes hear God speak by his Spirit in prophecy but it’s too dangerous. It’s already gone wrong too often - this needs to stop. No more please.” That’s would be simple and clear for us. Just close the door. That would eliminate the risk. But we never hear that. Not even close. We don’t even get “yes, sometimes it’s helpful, but you just need to be super-careful” type of response. Instead, the bible gives us a strikingly positive view of prophecy.

It seems like closing the door to the risks of prophecy is exactly what’s happened in Thessalonica - and the team who started the church command it be opened again. Opened wide. “Do not quench the Spirit,” they write - implying that church was quenching the Spirit: putting out His fire, stopping what He’s doing, causing His work to cease. How are they doing that? “Do not treat prophecies with contempt,” they continue - implies that church was treating prophecy with contempt: their response to the problems and challenges of prophecy was to reject what’s being spoken, to ridicule the idea that we should listen to the Spirit through it. In doing this, they are obstructing God the Spirit.

There are risks. It seems easier and safer to just close the door. But the bible tells us these risks are worth taking. Don’t close the door. You’ll find the same thing in 1 Corinthians chapter 14. It’s obvious there have been problems in the church with these supernatural things, but the chapter starts and ends with a call to value prophecy nonetheless.

What does this have to say to you or to me? Well, maybe you’re just sceptical whether it could actually be for real and so you’ve kept your distance. Maybe you have consciously closed the door to it, decided that’s not for you. Maybe you’re just worried about how easily being open to it could go wrong and so you’ve avoided it. Maybe you’ve actually been burned when it has gone wrong and you don’t want to be there again. There are a bunch of good reasons to close the door, a bunch of strong arguments for it. But the bible treats prophecy as real. And although the bible acknowledges the risk, the problems which come with it, closing the door is not how it teaches us to respond.

Maybe you haven’t actually closed and locked the door and put the bolt across … but … you do seem to have put a table right in front of the door. Arranged the furniture of your life so it’s pretty near impossible for anything to get through that door. That can feel pretty comfortable - a notional acceptance that there is such a thing as prophecy, but zero practical expectation or desire for it in your world. A presumption that it only happens to other people in other places. That’s probably where I am most of the time if I’m honest. But that’s not how this passage urges us to arrange our life.

There’s a real danger we can quench the Spirit - or the writers wouldn’t need to command the Thessalonians not to. So how should we respond? How is it, practically, that we don’t quench the Spirit? Well, that’s not entirely obvious.

Here’s one thing: not closing the door isn’t the same as attaching a giant hoover to it and trying to suck in whatever is out there. We’re commanded “do not quench the Spirit” not “make that Spirit speak!”. The Spirit is not some sort of heavenly Spotify - or radio, if you’re a little older - where there’s always something on and all you have to do is tune in. It’s about not obstructing the Spirit rather than trying to suck something out of him. So this isn’t heading into a dark room, burning some incense, emptying your mind and waiting to see what you can draw in. Rather, if something does come to you, don’t get in the way.

So maybe that’s something practical we can do: if you’re a Christian, young or old, believe that God is quite capable of speaking through you - by his Spirit that lives within you. This really might happen to you - and I don’t know what it will feel like or be like. There’s not much description of the experience in the bible for us. But perhaps it means we should be willing to take a risk and pass it on when we think that might be happening - not just always close the door.

And the second command we read, do not treat prophecies with contempt, that’s about how we respond when someone shares something which may be from the Spirit. Do you reject it out of hand, write it off, ridicule the idea that God might have a message for you? Even though we know there’s a risk it might be wrong, we’re told that’s not to be our response. So practically: listen, pay attention, take note when someone shares something with you they think is from God - write it down, even. Thank them for daring to take the risk of speaking to you.

But we can’t stop here - we have to take this together with the rest of the passage.

Do test

There’s risk in embracing prophecy - like there’s risk in lots of things in life. We aren’t to let that risk stop us - but that doesn’t mean we can’t do anything to reduce it.

Driving is probably the riskiest thing we do on a regular basis. We know it’s risky so what are our options? On the one hand we could choose to sell the car and just stay home - but then we’d never go anywhere. On the other hand we could blindfold ourselves, step on the accelerator, and sing “Jesus, take the wheel”. But that’s not our only options for getting places! What about eyes open, seatbelt on, light on the pedals? Or climbing - with a rope. Parachuting - with a reserve.

GK Chesterton, famous dude, helpfully advises us: “do not be so open minded that your brains fall out” - and that is absolutely the case when it comes to prophecy. It’s another one of those frustrating tensions in Christian life where we can all too easily fall off of either side: so closed-minded that we hear nothing, or so opening minded that our brains fall out!

Alongside the urging to openness to the Spirit and prophecy here, we have a third command: “test them all.” The unavoidable implication is some things which present themselves as prophecy are not true - that’s why we need to test them. Some are good and some are evil, to use the language of the passage. There’s one really important thing this makes clear which I haven’t touched on yet today: prophecy in a different category to the bible in this critical way: it should be tested - it needs to be tested. We’re not just to accept it, but instead we always need to weigh up what we are hearing, consider whether it’s true or not. “test them all”. Prophecy is fallible. We can’t rely on it in the same way we can rely on the bible and take it as our authority.

Never swallow a prophecy whole right away without chewing. Never feel bad responding with “I’m going to test that.” Even if it starts with “thus sayeth the Lord.” - we’re straight up commanded to test them all.

Another thing this command implies is that all prophecy can be tested. It is, somehow, testable. We can evaluate it. But how?

A prophet-ometer? As far as I can see from the bible, this isn’t clear-cut and I don’t have a brilliant answer for you.

If it’s foretelling, a prediction of the future, the test we’re given in the bible is simply whether it actually happens or not. Deut 18:22 That might not be very convenient of course - because we’d rather know before the event happens - or doesn’t! Of course, if they had a track record of predicting things which actually happen, that might sway things!

If it’s teaching, the test we’re given is whether it agrees with the teaching of the Bible and exalts Jesus. 1 John 4, for example

Another way the bible teaches us to test prophecy is by it’s result, by what it achieves. The bible tells us the purpose of prophecy in the church is primarily encouraging, strengthening, building up and comforting. Is it doing any of these things?

I know that’s not very satisfying - but we don’t get all the input we want from the Bible - we get all the input we need.

Here’s one thing that is clear and helpful about testing: in the original language, “test” is plural - more than one person is doing it. We see the same pattern in 1 Cor 14:29 of plural testing: “the others should weigh”. So if you’re trying to test a prophecy, the bible doesn’t want you to keep it a secret, private, just between you and me. Instead it invites you - calls you, even - to involve other people - and there’s often great wisdom and safety in that. Thinking about us as a church, if you feel you have a prophecy for us, can I invite you to bring it to the elders for testing in line with this?

Finally, we’re given two outcomes to the test, and two responses here: hold on to the good, the true - clasp it tight, believe it, embrace it. Reject the evil, the false - the verb here is an exact opposite, so perhaps we could capture that symmetry with “hold on to what is true / let go of what is false.” Given how little insight I have into testing, I worry I will more often end up grey rather than black or white - I guess the danger there is that I treat something like it’s passed the test - or failed it - when neither is the case. I’m only to hold on to, to clasp, the good - what has passed the test. I’m only to reject, to let go of what has failed it. If I’m not there yet, I have more testing to do.

So what’s our practical application here? Well, have you swallowed something without testing it? taken something to be from the Spirit without testing it? because it sounded exciting, intriguing, mysterious? because you hoped, or wished it was true? Can I suggest if that’s you, that you share it - allow others to test it alongside of you.

And if you have something, but no clarity on whether it passes the test or not yet, don’t hold on to - or let go of it without that result. Involve others. Seek God.

So what does today’s passage teach us?

don’t close the door. Could the Spirit be speaking through you, or to you? Yes there’s risk, but the bible tells us this risk is worth taking. Share it; hear it - don’t close the door.

Don’t close the door - but do test them all. We can reduce risk here. It’s ok - essential actually - that we test these things. Involve others - don’t go it alone.

Let me pray...