Have you ever watched one of those shows where they clean up a hoarders house? It’s pretty disgusting as they show you all the piles of stuff and how the people live. There is a fear of letting things go, no matter how useless they are. Churches run into the same danger when they continue to do the same thing over and over. We need to learn how to hold on to what is good and get rid of the rest.
1 Thessalonians 5:19-21
Don’t stifle the Spirit. Don’t despise prophecies, but test all things. Hold on to what is good.
Seek Direction
One of the dangers the church faces is stifling the Spirit. Many do this unknowingly. It happens when we become too rigid in our methods and programs. Churches are dying all over the world because they are insistent on doing things the way they have done them for generations. God never intended for that to happen. He wants us to rely upon His Word and to seek him for direction.
Don’t Stifle the Spirit
Look at what Paul says. “Don’t stifle the Spirit. Don’t despise prophecies, but test all things. Hold on to what is good.” Notice that Spirit is capitalized? That means the Holy Spirit. We should want the Holy Spirit to move in our church. Many churches are dead because the Spirit had been stifled for decades. All prophecies should be tested against God’s Word. That’s the job of the Elders in the church. That which is good we need to hold on to, and that which isn’t we need to correct. Don’t toss everything out because we are afraid someone might do something wrong.
Hold on to What is Good
We need a fresh move of the Holy Spirit in our churches. There are too many churches trying to entertain or be relevant to the culture. The fear of losing people overrides preaching truth. We need to fall on our faces before God and ask Him to stir our hearts to repentance. Old systems and models need to be measured in the light of the Spirit’s leading. We need to hold on to what is good and then trust the Lord to lead us in the rest.