1. THE APOSTLE PAUL TO THE THESSALONIANS 1

2. A.THE SHEEP’S RESPONSIBILITIES TO THE GREAT SHEPHERD – PART 2: “DO NOT QUENCH THE SPIRIT; DO NOT DESPISE PROPHETIC UTTERANCES. BUT EXAMINE EVERYTHING CAREFULLY; HOLD FAST TO THAT WHICH IS GOOD; ABSTAIN FROM EVERY FORM OF EVIL. “ (5:19-22) 1.DO NOT QUENCH THE SPIRIT. 2.RESPOND TO GOD’S WORD. 3.BE DISCERNING. B.JOHN MACARTHUR’S CRITIQUE OF TODAY’S CHURCH IS NOT UNLIKE PAUL’S REBUKE OF THE GALATIAN CHRISTIANS RE: THE HOLY SPIRIT. “ARE YOU SO FOOLISH? HAVING BEGUN BY THE SPIRIT, ARE YOU NOW BEING PERFECTED BY THE FLESH?” (GAL. 3:3) 2

3. 1.SATAN NEVER CEASES HIS EFFORT TO DESTROY GOD’S WAY OF SALVATION,. 2.GOD’S WAY IS BY HIS GRACE WORKING THROUGH MAN’S FAITH. 3.SATAN’S IS JUST THE OPPOSITE! MAN’S OWN EFFORT AND WORK. SINCE THE TIME OF CAIN, MAN HAS SOUGHT TO MAKE HIMSELF RIGHT WITH GOD THROUGH HIS OWN GOODNESS AND MERIT. “YOU FOOLISH GALATIANS, WHO HAS BEWITCHED YOU ? THE ONLY THING I WANT TO FIND OUT FROM YOU: DID YOU RECEIVE THE SPIRIT BY THE WORKS OF THE LAW, OR BY HEARING WITH FAITH? “ (GAL. 3:1-5)  ‘DID YOU HAVE TO FULFILL SOME FURTHER REQUIREMENTS?’  ‘DID YOU HAVE TO GO THROUGH SOME SPECIAL CEREMONY, OR PERFORM SOME ADDITIONAL RITES?’ 3

4. C.TODAY MUCH OF THE EVANGELICAL CHURCH HAS MINIMIZED THE IMPORTANCE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT AND GOD’S WORD IN THE SPIRITUAL LIVES OF BELIEVERS. 1.LACK OF SPIRITUAL DISCERNMENT. i.WEAKENING OF DOCTRINAL CLARITY AND CONVICTION. ii.NO LONGER PREACH ABSOLUTE RIGHT VS. WRONG, INSTEAD, IT’S PC!! iii.RELUCTANT TO RISK OFFENDING UNBELIEVERS, INSTEAD WE PRESENT A ‘SEEKER-FRIENDLY’ MESSAGE. iv.CEASED EXERCISING CHURCH DISCIPLINE 2.WE HAVE A SPIRITUALLY IMMATURE CHURCH. D.THE APOSTLE PAUL GIVES THE THESSALONIAN CHURCH, THREE CLEAR ADMONITIONS: “DO NOT QUENCH THE SPIRIT; RESPOND TO GOD’S WORD; BE DISCERNING.” (5:19-22) 4

5. E.THE RESPONSIBILITY NOT TO QUENCH THE SPIRIT. “DO NOT QUENCH THE SPIRIT;“ (5:19) 1.REMEMBER WHAT THE MINISTRY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IS IN A BELIEVER’S LIFE. i.GOD THROUGH THE SPIRIT REGENERATES SINNERS. “THAT WHICH IS BORN OF THE FLESH IS FLESH, AND THAT WHICH IS BORN OF THE SPIRIT IS SPIRIT. “ (JN 3:6) ”AND YOU WERE DEAD IN THE TRESPASSES AND SINS.... EVEN WHEN WE WERE DEAD IN OUR TRESPASSES, (HE) MADE US ALIVE (REGENERATED) TOGETHER WITH CHRIST—BY GRACE YOU HAVE BEEN SAVED” (EPH. 2:1, 5) “ HE SAVED US, NOT BECAUSE OF WORKS DONE BY US IN RIGHTEOUSNESS, BUT ACCORDING TO HIS OWN MERCY, BY THE WASHING OF REGENERATION AND RENEWAL OF THE HOLY SPIRIT,” (TITUS 3:5) 5