The Healthy Church, Part 4-Strong Warnings for the Sheep

THE HEALTHY CHURCH, PART 4-STRONG WARNINGS FOR THE SHEEP Spring Valley Mennonite; May 29, 2022; 1 Thessalonians 5:19-22 On the way to church this morning I passed a signpost with a notice that a curve was approaching. It warned me of danger. In our message this morning, Paul issues several warnings of danger for the church. A warning is not a negative thing, but positive as it can keep us from dangerous situations. Most of you are aware that my undergraduate studies were in Forestry. This field of study enabled me to secure employment with the U.S. Forestry Service for two summers. One of those summers was spent fighting forest fires. The summer began with a week-long session of "fire school" in which we were instructed in fire behavior, safety procedures, cross country traversing, and practical training in using fire tools, and digging fire line. The final test was to successfully extinguish a fire that was deliberately set. We learned that fire requires three elements to burn: oxygen, fuel and heat. Digging fire line deprives the fire of fuel. Smothering the fire with dirt deprives it of oxygen, and spraying water cools it down and removes the heat. In this first encouraging letter to the Thessalonian Church, we find a series of very practical and fundamental commands from God. In addition to continually rejoicing, praying and giving thanks, he adds several closing warnings and commands. The first warning is to "quench not the Holy Spirit." I. QUENCH NOT THE HOLY SPIRIT Fire has many uses. It warms the body. It cooks food and boils water. It is used to refine metals. Fire consumes things, like that brush pile in the pasture. Fire is one of those things that is useful when controlled, but destructive when out of control. We've observed the destructive aspects of fire in out-of-control grass and forest fires. In the same way, fire is used to describe the judgment of God: hell is a place of fire. But fire for the believer refines and purifies. Peter tells us to not be surprised at the fiery trials we might undergo. Lawrence Richards describes this process, "The consuming fire that terrifies others is transformed by personal relationship with God to be experienced as a love that warms and transforms the believer."1 Fire was often seen as God revealed Himself. It was in a burning bush that God first spoke to Moses. It was with fire that God spoke His commandments on Mt. Sinai. The prophets often saw visions accompanied by fire as in Ezekiel 1. God's fiery image speaks of a burning holiness that demands sinful man keep his distance. The leaders of Israel's response to Moses upon viewing God's fiery majesty on the Mountain was, "...Behold the Lord our God has shown us His glory and His greatness, and we have heard His voice from the midst of the fire; we have seen today that God speaks with man, yet he lives. Now then why should we die? For this great fire will consume us; if we hear the voice of the Lord our God any longer then we shall die. For who is there of all flesh who has heard the voice of the living God speaking out of the fire, as we have, and lived? (Deuteronomy 5:24-26) Fire is also used to describe the Holy Spirit. At Pentecost the Holy Spirit appeared on the believers like "tongues of fire." Hebrews 12:29 tells us that "our God is a consuming fire." The Old Testament sacrifices were consumed by fire on the altars. We are not to "quench, put out, extinguish, stifle, retard, or smother " the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is essential in so many aspects of our Christian experience: The Spirit first enlivens us, then He regenerates, transforms, liberates, indwells, seals, empowers, and sanctifies. It is in His work of progressive sanctification that we have the ability to quench. Ephesians 4:30 gives us a valuable insight into the Holy Spirit when it says, "And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption." The Holy Spirit never leaves, but we can grieve Him, we can quench His influence in our life. Like pouring water on a hot fire, the Holy Spirit's power, guidance, fruit (the love, joy, peace, patience and so forth) are cooled down. We all have heard of the vibrant Christian life described as "being on fire." Conversely, we also describe some believers as being "cold." The fuel for the fire of the Spirit is the Word of God. Neglecting or minimizing the importance of reading and following the Word deprives the Spirit of fuel needed for our progressive sanctification. Likewise, we cool off the Spirit by harboring unconfessed sin, like water cools down a fire. The oxygen required for fire corresponds to our prayer and worship, our communication with God. "Cold" believers have quenched the fire of the Spirit. What are the characteristics of such believers? Since the Holy Spirit illuminates the Word, there is little interest in or understanding of the Bible. There is little intimacy with God, and an uncomfortable feeling of guilt and dread. One observing might see little difference between cold believers and non-believers, as there is little Christlikeness to be seen. Such believers lose the close guidance and ability to discern God's will. As the Holy Spirit is the source of power and strength to resist temptation, those who quench the Spirit easily fall victim to our adversary Satan. And such believers will find themselves under the disciplining hand of a loving, yet stern Father. This is not a place a believer should want to find himself. "Quench not the Holy Spirit." Paul's next warning is to: II. RESPOND PROPERLY TO GOD'S WORD Verse 20: "Do not despise prophetic utterances." Questions arise as we read this verse such as "Who is a prophet?" Is this only referring to the prophesies written in the Old and New Testaments? Is there a spiritual gift of prophesy, and is it valid today? We know and understand the role of the Old Testament prophet. Enoch was the first prophet, living in the ages before Noah. He was one of two (Elijah being the second) translated directly to heaven without dying. Abraham was called a prophet, as was Moses, called by God to lead His people from Egypt. He served as God's spokesman communicating His commandments which were to guide the lifestyle of Israel. God promised He would send other spokesmen to Israel, but they would have to meet certain tests: They needed to be Israelites, and they would speak in the name of the Lord. Their prophesies would be 100% accurate, and their words would always agree with other written revelations by God. Unlike the offices of King and Priest, the prophetic role was not inherited, and prophets could be anyone, male or female, that the Lord called to prophesy. The prophet's role was primarily to challenge the people of Israel to return to God and to live according to His commandments. A secondary role was to make predictions of the future. Mostly these predictions would concern the near future, but many of their messages dealt with the future unfolding of God's purposes. God spoke through Isaiah: "I am God, and there is no other; I am God and there is none like me. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: 'My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please." (46:11) In the New Testament, the term "prophet" is used to refer to Old Testament prophets, to John the Baptist (who was the last of the Old Testament prophets, as he called the people to repentance), to Jesus, and to other Christians in the early church. During the time when the New Testament books were still being written, there was the need in the church to hear God's particular directions. The Apostles delivered such words, as Paul is doing in this book. The Revelation, delivered by the Apostle John is the most widely example of predictive prophesy. But Ephesians 4, as well as other passages, list "prophesy" as a spiritual gift. Some believe that this gift no longer exists, as God has given us the New Testament which tells us all we need to know. In the case of predictive prophesy, I tend to agree with this view. Others see the gift of prophet simply as one standing up and proclaiming Biblical truth. All the warnings about false prophets certainly validate that those prophets provided guidance to the early church. All that gives background to this warning that we should not "despise prophetic utterances." In its simplest and most basic definition, prophesy is "truth telling." Perhaps we should concentrate on these "prophetic utterances" rather than on who delivers them. I believe that this warning is telling us that we are not to ignore Biblical truth, especially the words delivered in the spirit of a prophet-challenging God's people to obey the commandments of scripture as well as to take seriously the predictions dealing with the future. For example, how are we to prepare for a world which, as Paul's word to Timothy tells us, "...In the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, haters of good, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God." And, I might add, lovers of violence and death. Our attention this week has been drawn to the events in Uvalde Texas. Paul's prophesy about these last days tell us that we will increasingly need one another and the mutual encouragement we share. The world is in crisis and the only hope is the life-changing Gospel of Jesus Christ. I wonder if some believer in Uvalde Texas missed the opportunity to share Christ with the young man responsible for all those deaths. The Gospel message can change the very nature of those prone to violence and wickedness. Considering the existence of prophets and teachers claiming to hear from God, both in Paul's day and today, verses 21 and 22 are given: "But examine everything carefully, hold fast to what is good, abstain from every form of evil." We are to: III. EVALUATE WHAT IS CURRENTLY TAUGHT BY PAST REVELATION The New Testament letters are filled with the warnings against false teachers. Their teaching may not agree with Scripture, or those teaching may be living in a manner that does not agree with what they teach. We need to be discerning. Beware of any new unique or novel insights you might hear on Scripture. When I am studying and have a new thought about a verse-I check if anyone else has ever had that interpretation. If 2000 plus years of Bible scholars have never seen the verse that way, I'm probably wrong! In the Book of Acts, we learn of a church in the town of Berea. When Paul preached there, they studied scripture diligently to see if what he was saying was true. This is what Paul is saying here: we are to carefully examine any Biblical teaching to see if it agrees with the rest of scripture, for scripture never contradicts itself. Not all teaching out there is correct. Please speak with me if you find my teaching is contrary to what the Bible is saying. Paul summarizes these very practical instructions by saying, "Hold fast to that which is good, and abstain from every form of evil." What the Bible teaches is always good and right. As we study Scripture, we are given guidance on what is righteous and what is evil. And as we walk daily and hourly with the Holy Spirit, being careful to not quench the fire that burns away the dross in our lives, He will lead us into all truth. 1 Lawrence O. Richards, Expository Dictionary of Bible Words; 1985, Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids MI; "Fire" p. 280. --------------- ------------------------------------------------------------ --------------- ------------------------------------------------------------ 2