PROPOSITION: JESUS CHRIST IS RETURNING TO GET US, SO INDIVIDUAL CHURCH WORSHIP NEED TO BE DONE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CRITERIA BASED IN HIS WORD, AND IF WE WORSHIP THAT WAY, WE WILL BECOME BLAMELESS WORSHIPPERS WHEN JESUS RETURNS.

This passage is about corporate worship, because all the verbs are in plural not singular and this particular section is not so much about individual. The corporate worship is here emphasized and not private worship, although what we do in private affects what we do in corporate. Paul tackles concerning Jesus returns in chapter 4, then Paul gives the command of God for corporate worship, and laid down God’s requirements in worship when Jesus returns.

I –BLAMELESS CHURCH WORSHIPPERS REJOICE EVERMORE – v.16

I Thessalonians 5:16 “Rejoice evermore.”

I Tesalonica 5:16 “Magalak kayong lagi.” TAGALOG VERSION

This is the shortest verse in the Bible. Most of the people says the shortest verse in the Bible is John 11:35 which says “Jesus wept” (εδακρυσεν ο Ιησους) which is actually 16 letters and 3 words but the verse I Thessalonians 5:16 which says “Rejoice evermore,” (παντοτε χαιρετε) is only 14 letters and 2 words. Although it is the shortest verse in the Bible, it does not mean this is insignificant verse.

Basically, the words “Rejoice evermore” or “Rejoice always” is means be of good cheer, be glad, and be joyful in the midst of everything at all times. Every time we gather together for worship, we should do our best to be upbeat and glad as we gather to hear the preaching of the Word of God. All of us should be happy because it is Lord’s day, it is worship day, it is Sunday. All of us should be glad when we see each other in the church. There are some people in every church who are so negative, who will do to zap the joy away from you if you allow them and will affect your worship.

God commanded us to be “Be joyful” and to “Rejoice evermore” however, you cannot command a person who is sad for a right reason to be joyful, as God does not expect that to happen. But the verb of the word “Rejoice evermore is in the present tense which indicates the continual attitude of a person’s heart in worshipping God, should not be sad and depressed but of joy. Whenever and wherever we gather at the church to worship God and learn God’s Word, we ought to experience the joyful worship.

Paul says, “Rejoice in the Lord” (Philippians 4:4, 6), “in the Holy Spirit” (Romans 14:17, NASB) who is the originating cause, as well as the sphere of joy (I Thessalonians 1:6). Faith lays hold of the joy and keep the joy (Philippians 1:25 “joy of faith”). “Rejoicing in hope” (Romans 12:12), in being “counted worthy to suffer shame” for Christ’s name (Acts 5:41), and in falling “into divers temptations” (James 1;2). In verse 16, Paul instructs the Thessalonians believers to rejoice evermore when they come to the church to worship God until Jesus comes.

II – BLAMELESS CHURCH WORSHIPPERS PRAY WITHOUT CEASING – v. 17-18

I Thessalonians 5:17-18 “Pray without ceasing. ¹⁸In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." ¹⁸I Tesalonica 5:17-18 “Manalangin kayong walang patid. ¹⁸Sa lahat ng bagay ay magpasalamat kayo, sapagkat ito ang kalooban ng Diyos kay Cristo Jesus para sa inyo.” TAGALOG VERSION

In order for us to “rejoice evermore” (verse 16), we must “pray without ceasing” (verse 17).

A person who thanks God for everything as happening for the best, will have continuous joy.

The word “Pray” in Greek is “adialeiptoss” means without intermission. Pray without ceasing means not allowing prayerless gaps to intervene between the times of prayer. Let us hold dear the spirit of prayer; let our devotion be the paramount of our personal lives (Ephesians 6:18 “praying always”; Colossians 4:2 “continue in prayer”).

We must give emphasis on prayer in our church, and prayer should be a very important to our church, because prayer was also very important to God and personally important to Apostle Paul and important to the early church as well.

Many churches today are losing their vision of this very significant and essential thing. They remove prayer meetings by replacing with other activities and programs. God requires that a worshipful church must be a praying church.

Two aspects of prayer:

When we pray, we are moving toward God:

The word “pray” (προσευχομαι) proseuchesthe is a word that literally means to pray having the idea that we are moving toward God. That is why prayer should be considered to be very sacred. As we pray, we move toward the Sovereign, holy God so we need to pray all the time.

The concept of praying always or praying without ceasing is the concept of never allowing anything to stop you or to interrupt you to pray. We should have the attitude in prayer and we should reflect that prayer attitude at all times. Never be weary, neither faint, don’t give up on moving toward God through our prayers. Maybe you are at the point of your life of almost giving up on something you are praying about, this phrase “pray without ceasing” reminds you and change your mind. As you move toward God when you pray, don’t stop, something happens when churches pray.

When we pray, we should be thankful in everything and in all things:

We should always have the attitude of being thankful in everything and in all things, and we need to realize that we have the great privilege of approaching God in His throne corporately as a church as we pray. The church should be focusing on prayer and should have a continual thankful spirit. We are not to be thankful only during church anniversary or any specific occasion one time a year, but the Bible tells us to be thankful at all times, praying without any interruption.

Now after Paul gives the command to pray without ceasing in verse 17, Paul now wants this Thessalonians to be thankful in everything in verse 18 because “this is the will of God.” Therefore, it is the will of God for all the true believers of Christ in Thessalonian church to continue praying giving thanks in everything.

In verse 18, Paul tells the Thessalonians what are the things they need to be thankful, “In every thing give thanks:.” Even what seems adverse; for nothing is really so. (Romans 8:28 “all things work together for good to them that love God”; Ephesians 5:20 “Giving thanks always for all things”). So Christ prays be thankful (Matthew 15:36 “And he took the seven loaves and the fishes, and gave thanks”; Matthew 26:27 “And he took the cup, and gave thanks”; Luke 10:21 “Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth”; John 11:41 “Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me.”).

Notice the word “this” in verse 18, “is the will of God in Christ Jesus” (The Mediator in who that will is revealed – Philippians 3:14) The word “concerning (in Greek is eis means toward), you”. God’s will is the believer’s law. In I Thessalonians 5:16-18 there are three precepts namely: “Rejoice evermore” verse 16; “Pray without ceasing” verse 17; and “In every thing give thanks” in verse 18. We need to put commas after each of the three precepts making “this” refer to all three.

Paul wants this Thessalonians church to be aware that If the church does not pray, if the leaders and people of the church does not pray, that church is not doing the will of God, no matter how large attendance they have, since it is clear that the will of God for each true church is to be a prayerful church giving thanks to God for all things. Churches should have a consistent program and schedules on prayer meeting, women’s prayer meeting and men’s prayer meeting because simply …” this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” Amen!

III – BLAMELESS CHURCH WORSHIPPERS QUENCH NOT THE SPIRIT – v.19

I Thessalonians 5:19 “Quench not the Spirit.”

I Tesalonica “Huwag ninyong patayin ang ningas ng Espiritu.” TAGALOG VERSION

The phrase “Quench not the Spirit” refers to the Spirit being a holy fire: Where the Spirit is, He burns (Matthew 3:11 “he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire”; Acts 2:3-4 the Spirit at pentecost “like as fire”. “And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost”) Now in contrast of quenching the Spirit is rekindle the Spirit which in Greek word “anazoopurein” that is in II Timothy 1:6 “stir up the gift of God” KJV; “to kindle afresh the gift of God” NASB; “to fan into flame the gift of God” ESV. Now the verb “quench” is in present imperative which signifies a continual command. If Paul told the Thessalonians to rejoice evermore, to pray without ceasing, to be thankful in everything at all times, likewise Paul told the Thessalonians to continue quenching not the Spirit, for it is a continual command. Quenching the Spirit is literally putting out the fire of the Spirit’s work, it talks about the activity of the Spirit. However, “Quench” the Spirit is not like as some interpreters assumed that when someone uses extinguisher to puts out a fire, and it is gone, no it is not, because the Holy Spirit indwells the believers permanently, the Holy Spirit is always there within us. Therefore, what Paul is telling the Thessalonians of the word “Quench” means to stifle the Spirit, to limit or hinder the activity of the Spirit in our life by refusal to cooperate with the Spirit. Quenching occurs when we oppose or resist His leading and His control over us, we disobeyed and yield ourselves to sin.

It is possible for the Believers of Christ, to extinguish the flame of God’s working in the Believer’s lives and in the Church. When is the particular time God’s people quenched the Spirit? When they yield not to what the Spirit leads or prompts a person to do. It is the moment of time when someone says “no” to the preaching of God’s word and no to God’s revealed will of God. Once we get away after knowing the word and will of God, there is the immediate quenching of the Spirit’s work. That is why, there seems to be deadness to many so-called Christian churches. That is why believers have departed from pure accurate teaching and application from the Holy Word of God. That is why lot of church goers and lot of religious activities with a lot of religious people attendees without repentance, without revival, without returning to God, it is because the Holy Spirit has been quenched.

Now, if we quench not the Spirit, if we extinguish not the working of the Spirit in our lives and in the church, we can sense the very real presence of the Holy Spirit as God’s people gathered at the church. So, whenever we come to church, we should have a deep desire for a real sense of reverence for God that is produced by the Holy Spirit. There will also harmony between our will and God’s will, when the Holy Spirit is not quenched and at work in our lives and in the church.

We need to deal our rebellious attitude and submit in obedience to the Spirit’s direction and enablement. Paul teaches the Thessalonians that by being joyful always, praying without ceasing, giving thanks for everything for all of these three are the will of God, thus they must completely keep them so they may quench not the Spirit of God. The Thessalonians must yield to the Holy Spirit control and they need to be like Isaiah who said “Here am I.” Let the Spirit works in our lives, let the Spirit leads, let us obey and submit on whatever the Spirit wants us to be.

IV – BLAMELESS CHURCH WORSHIPPERS DESPISE NOT PROPHESYINGS – v.20

I Thessalonians 5:20 “Despise not prophesyings.”

I Tesalonica 5:20 “Huwag ninyong hamakin ang mga pagpapahayag ng propesiya,” TAGALOG VERSION

The word prophesyings here we are to understand, not the prediction of the future, but the preaching of the word, the interpreting and applying the Scriptures conducive to the instruction and edification of the Church, it is the science of interpreting Scripture, so that a prophet is an interpreter of the will of God. Therefore, prophecy in this passage be understood as meaning — interpretation made suitable to present use.

Paul prohibits the Thessalonians from despising prophesyings. Prophesyings were despised by some, as fanatics had brought discredit on all extraordinary manifestations of the Spirit (I Thessalonians 5:19). At Corinth subsequently prophesyings were despised as beneath tongues, but are shown by Paul to be a greater gift, though tongues be more showy (I Corinthians 14:5).

Probably most people who go to church want emotion or commotion, but never want a spiritual deep feeding of God’s word, on which prophecy is one of those doctrines that is not for shallow, stagnant level believer. Prophecy is meatier doctrine and apparently despised by some. Despise means to treat something contemptuously. In this Thessalonians church, the Apostle Paul conducted church doctrines and prophecy was well taught to the church. As a matter of fact, we notice from Paul’s epistles in I and II Thessalonians that there were some who have confusion concerning prophetic teachings. Possibly, at one service, somebody from among them shared same kinds of prophetic truth written in the books of Ezekiel, Daniel, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Zechariah. In addition, very possible this gift also revealed some of the prophetic events shared by someone from the book of Revelation, that is why not only some were probably confused but beginning to despise the instruction about prophecy, and some were not happy focusing on that prophecy, not only were getting tired of hearing it at the church but they were despising it. This Thessalonians probably wanted something different and more emotional happy happy experience and because of that, Paul says, no, do not despise prophesyings.

However, the time when Paul wrote I Thessalonians, the gift of prophecy was fully operative because the Bible was not yet completed. But this gift of prophecy would pass away when the time predicted would come according to Paul, which today it has (I Corinthians 13:8). Now that the book of Revelation has already been completed, so we have now the completion of all prophetic data. There is no longer a need for the gift of prophecy today, what is needed today in many churches is an accurate knowledge and understanding of the prophetic books that have been written concerning the future.

When this gift of prophecy was still operating, some people received direct prophetic revelation of information to teach at the church, and that includes all true prophetic details that is now revealed in the written Word of God. Therefore, the purpose of the gift of prophecy is to reveal prophetic truth through the spoken word that we now have in the written word. Churches needs today is for every believer who go to church to have a very serious focus on God and His word. Thessalonian’s church was a very early church and its focus was to be on teaching God’s word. Prophesyings was the ability to accurate communicate God’s word. Teaching the Word of God should be the major emphasis at the church. Paul warns the Thessalonians to despise not prophesyings. Let us not despise prophesyings when we go to church to worship to be blameless when Jesus returns.

V –BLAMELESS CHURCH WORSHIPPERS PROVE ALL THINGS – v.21a

I Thessalonians 5:21a “Prove all things;.”

I Tesalonica 5:21a “kundi subukin ninyo ang lahat ng mga bagay;” TAGALOG VERSION

The word “Prove” or “examine” NASB; or “test” ESV, (δοκιμαζω) means to test things, try things, to approve things.

Notice the word “everything” it speaks to what we are to prove in the church. God does not want His people in the church by simply believing anything and everything. Paul instructs the Thessalonians to carefully prove all things in light of the word of God. God does not want His people to be misled by some deceiver. We need to investigate everything first in light of truth. If you have and know the written word of God, you can test everything in light of the Holy Scriptures and that is your protection, guide against deceptive tactics of the devil and against the erroneous doctrines of the false teachers. That’s the benefits we have from the Bible. Some people offer you with their views, some people present their human opinion thru legalism, some people tell you about some prophetic vision, all of these things can be examined in light of Scripture. It is God’s desire for His people to develop sound. Solid, and scriptural faith.

We ought indeed not to “quench the Spirit” nor “despise prophesyings” but at the same time, be determine do not take “all” as genuine which professes to be so, prove or test them all.

There are means of testing existed in the Church: Some had the “discerning of spirits” (1 Corinthians 12:10; 1 Corinthians 14:29; 1 John 4:1). Another test, which we also have today, is to try the professed revelation whether it accord with Scripture, as the noble Bereans did (Isaiah 8:20; Acts 17:11; Galatians 1:8-48).

Paul instructs the believers in Thessalonica when they go to church to worship, they must prove all things, examine, test all things to be blameless until Jesus comes.

VI – BLAMELESS CHURCH WORSHIPPERS HOLD FAST THAT WHICH IS GOOD – v. 21b

I Thessalonians 5:21b “...hold fast that which is good.”

I Tesalonica 5:21b “panghawakan ninyo ang mabuti.” TAGALOG VERSION

As the result of proving all things, especially prophesyings, is holding fast (Luke 8:15; 1 Corinthians 11:2; Hebrews 2:1) the good: That means to hold yourself aloof from every kinds of evil.

The verb “hold fast” means to get hold of something and hold it tight. To hold fast that which is good means we are to do that with what is good. The specific word “good” (καλος) refers to everything that is excellent of good form by classification of God. Therefore, examining everything honors God, when it is established that is true and good, they will hold fast to it. They will hold fast to good doctrine and good teaching, to good people who are truthful and genuine, to good things. A church that is right with God will drawn good things and will hold fast to. Paul reminds this Thessalonians to hold fast that which is good after they examined and proved all things especially the prophesyings.

VII – BLAMELESS WORSHIPPERS WILL ABSTAIN FROM ALL APPEARANCE OF EVIL – v.22

I Thessalonians 5:22 “Abstain from all appearance of evil.”

I Tesalonica 5:22 “Layuan ninyo ang bawat anyo ng kasamaan.”

To abstain from all appearance of evil is applicable to any questionable thing.

The word “abstain” means to hold yourself back from something. Accept not even a professedly spirit-inspired communication, if at variance with the truth taught you (II Thessalonians 2:2). The context refers not to standing aloof from every evil appearance in ourselves but in others. For example, pretended spirit-inspired prophesyings. Listen carefully, The Christian often should not abstain from what seemed has the appearance of evil when really good. Let us use the illustration when Jesus healed on the Sabbath, and ate with publicans which wore the appearance of evil, but which were really good. This sense based on our context.

However, Paul wants the Thessalonians to stay away from pretended prophets and their prophesyings. The Thessalonians church must stand aloof from every such appearance when it is evil. That is what we need today in our churches.

Notice the beginning word in verse 23 “And”, it is a conjunction that gives a grammatical connection to the preceding verses and thus explains that once we have done these things mentioned in verses 16 to 22, it says the very God of peace will sanctify us wholly in our spirit, soul and body and be preserved blameless when Jesus Christ returns. Blameless means without fault when we face the Lord Jesus.

Our body which has the nature consciousness will be blameless, our spirit which has self-consciousness will be blameless, and our soul which has God consciousness will also be blameless.

If we apply all these things that Paul had given to the Thessalonians like: Rejoice evermore, pray without ceasing, in every thing give thanks, quench not the Spirit, despise not prophesyings, prove all things, hold fast that which is good, abstain from all appearance of evil, when Christ comes back to get us, we will be blameless physically, psychologically and spiritually when we face Jesus Christ.

When Christ comes back, we all want to be an honorable church worshippers and also to be an honorable people of God as we come to church to worship, but this demands a complete sanctification of body, soul and spirit. In verse 24 says God is faithful who will sanctify us. God will enable us to finish as a sanctified and blameless church when Christ returns.

Final thoughts as Paul ended this Thessalonian letter:

To pray for him and his ministry – v.25

I Thessalonians 5:25 “Brethren, pray for us.”

Paul does not solicit prayers from all the churches concerning his personal struggles in the mission field, but he requested churches to pray that God bless and use him together with his co-laborers who are with him in the ministry.

To Greet one another with a holy kiss – v.26

I Thessalonians 5:26 “Greet all the brethren with an holy kiss.”

In the first century, the command to the church was give each other a holy kiss.

To read his letter and taught it to all Brethren – v.27

I Thessalonians 5:27 “I charge you by the Lord that this epistle be read unto all the holy brethren.”

This reminds us that the written word of God must be taught accurately, systematically, contextually to church.

To let them know that God’s grace is with God’s people – v.28

I Thessalonians 5:28 “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.”

Without God’s grace, we are nothing and we accomplish nothing. Paul exhorts the believers in Thessalonians to let them realize that even in their lowest points, God’s grace is sufficient, God’s grace is always available and always with them no matter what.

Christ is coming back soon, do we have this criteria or requirements to be the church God wants us to be, blameless in His coming? Amen!