Do our actions quench the work of the Holy Spirit?

How serious are we for reaching people, regardless of their backgrounds, and teaching them to trust in the Holy Spirit?  Does the possibility exist that many of our churches may need an overhaul?  The Apostle Paul instructed the church of the Thessalonians to, “Quench not the Spirit.” (I Thessalonians 5:19 KJV)  The Prophet Isaiah used similar words to describe the passionate heart of Jesus Christ, “A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out.” (Isaiah 42:3 NIV)  Do our actions guide people to trust in the Holy Spirit for their lives?

What is the quickest way to kill a child’s natural desire in helping around the house?  If you are lucky enough to have a child that loves to help you with the housework, you should avoid taking advantage of the situation by turning his or her natural desire of giving and replacing it with a list of chores.  Even though your child may want to help you, he or she may become your worst nightmare because you possibly quenched his or her spirit.  This same analogy can be applied to the church.  There are many people who will dedicate a large amount of the time, talents and resources to the church because of the Holy Spirit’s work in their lives.  However, once the local church oversteps its boundaries…the work of the Holy Spirit may be quenched as a result.

If we are serious about reaching the lost, then it is essential that we do not quench the work of the Holy Spirit.  We should avoid trying to “change” people, but rather focus on making a difference in their lives by teaching how to follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit.  In other words, we should make a difference in others and depend on God to make the changes.  Otherwise, we are depending on our own rules to change people.  We must have confidence that our Christian leaders are teaching by example, so we can listen to them for guidance in applying the Word of God to our personal lives.  

What are a few warning signs that a local church, denomination or religious affiliation may be overstepping its boundaries and inadvertently quenching the work of the Holy Spirit?  How would an outsider perceive Christianity based off our examples?  Ask yourself, does the local church represent a group of “baptized believers” who observe baptism and communion, or a group of “believers” who come together to observe baptism and communion?  Does our worship represent a true awe of God or has it become trite?  Do our prayers focus on real issues or are they just skillfully crafted words?  Does the sharing of our financial resources represent the systematic adherence to a legalistic standard or an expression of love by giving out of thankfulness and gratitude to God?

One of the key questions we must ask ourselves – how big is our God?  Or do we have God in a box?  Most of us believe that God is awesome enough to create our universe out of nothing.  We believe the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ can save the world from its sins.  However, do we believe that the Holy Spirit can change people or do we believe that we need rules to change people?  Is there anything we are doing that may be quenching the Holy Spirit’s work in others around us who desire to know Christ?  What can we do to focus our testimony on helping others around us?

For starters, the Holy Spirit has entrusted every believer with a spiritual gift, or gifts, to use in keeping the “spiritual flame” alive in everyone around us.  The local church is intended to be alive and we should feel a heartbeat.  People should want to seek out our local churches because of the Holy Spirit working inside each and every believer.  Someone may have the gift of encouragement for helping people get through their trials and tribulations.  Another may have the gift of mercy and help those who are unable to physically or mentally take care of themselves.  Yet another person may have the gift of helps and always be ready to help others, who in turn can have their time freed up to share their spiritual gifts and individual talents with other people more efficiently.  The gift of leadership or government is essential for motivating others and running things in an organized manner.  Likewise, the gift of discernment is necessary for protecting the church from internal and external problems as well as maintaining doctrinal purity.  The missionary gift, or the gift of apostleship, allows the gospel to be taught over cultural barriers.  The gift of teaching helps apply the Word of God to our lives.  The list goes on.  Whatever spiritual gift(s) you possess, the Holy Spirit will use your natural talents as an outlet for your gift(s) as an expression of God’s love for others.

As individual believers, as well as groups of believers coming together as local churches, our main concern should be teaching people how to submit their lives over to the work of the Holy Spirit …not necessarily any particular denomination or religious affiliation.  In the workplace, does your boss continuously coddle you…even after you have been trained and been with the company for a while?  The same applies to the local church setting.  Do you expect the church to keep on pampering to your every whim and woe after being a Christian for a long time?  Worse yet, does your church go out of its way to ensure you keep getting coddled, instead of helping you grow as a mature believer?

In summary, people must sense love in our lives as well as our local churches.  The Apostle Paul uses the words, “Love must be sincere…Honor one another above yourselves….” (Romans 12:9 NIV)  The passionate heart of Jesus Christ is evident with the words of the Prophet Isaiah, “A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out.” (Isaiah 42:3 NIV)  As Christians, we need to follow the example of Jesus Christ and avoid quenching the work of the Holy Spirit in others, by being proactive and utilizing our God-given individual talents and entrusted spiritual gifts to help restore the smoldering wicks in the hearts of people within our communities.  Ultimately, when we submit our will over to the Holy Spirit, we help other people understand the importance of depending on God for all aspects of their lives and bring glory to God the Father…not any particular religious institution.

How do our actions impact people around us?

In the New Testament, we find Jesus Christ describing the church as – “For where two or more are gathered in my name, there I am with them.” (Matthew 18:20 NIV)  If Jesus is concerned about the smallest group of people gathering in his honor, just think about how much he cares about reaching out to all people.  Too often people today say the church needs an overhaul or that it is lacking a heartbeat.  How serious are the leaders of our local churches when it comes to reaching out to all people, regardless of their backgrounds?  Conversely, are we personally taking time for others or do we find it easier to just let our church leaders do all of the outreach work?  What impact, if any, does our personal life have on others?  Do our individual interactions with others really have any implications on how they may view the local church as well as God?  

In the Old Testament, we find the Prophet Haggai telling the Jewish people to reconsider their ways, after they laid the foundation of the temple and then sat around for 16 years doing nothing.  The Lord Almighty speaking through the Prophet Haggai said, “… These people say, The time has not yet come for the Lord’s house to be built.” (Haggai 1:2 NIV)  The Lord Almighty continued with the words, “You have planted much, but harvested little.  You eat, but never have enough.  You drink, but never have your fill.  You put on clothes, but are not warm.  You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it…Give careful thought to your ways.  Go up into the mountains and bring down timber and build the house, so that I may take pleasure in it and be honored….” (Haggai 1:6-8 NIV) 

In the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Corinthians, he makes it clear that Jesus Christ is the only foundation of the one true holy church with the following words, “For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ."  (I Corinthians 3:11 NIV)  Likewise, the church is comprised of every single person who believes and follows Jesus Christ, each of whom has his or her own special purpose in the church.  The Apostle Paul uses rhetorical questioning to explain the following analogy of comparing the growth of the church to process of growing a plant.  “For when one says, I follow Paul, and another, I follow Apollos, are you not mere men?  What, after all, is Apollos?  And what is Paul?  Only servants, through whom you came to believe – as the Lord has assigned to each his task.  I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow.  So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.” (I Corinthians 3:4-7 NIV)  The Apostle Paul further elaborated how each one of us should be careful how we build upon the foundation of the church.  (I Corinthians 3:10)

The ensuing question remains, what are our motives for building this church of believers – our own motives or God’s will?  How a local church interprets Hebrews 13:17 can be considered one of the main factors in determining if it will ultimately end up flourishing, failing or plateauing.  Does the church decide to apply the Word of God in a legalist, permissive or authoritative teaching style?  The author of Hebrews gives the instructions, “Obey your leaders and submit to their authority.  They keep watch over you as men who must give account” (Hebrews 13:17a NIV)   A more accurate interpretation of this passage, based off the original Greek language, would be – Have confidence in them that have the rule over you, and be willing to listen, for they watch over your souls and must give account.  In the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Romans, he explains how everyone must submit to governing authorities with the disclaimer…we are to do what is right in the eyes of God, since each of us must ultimately give an account of our own actions to God. (Romans 13:1-4; 14:12) 

Each and every person who calls him or herself a believer and follower of Jesus Christ has an important role in the local church, no matter how great or miniscule his or her contribution(s).  Therefore, each of us need to consider our own personal actions and how they impact others, be it in the church environment, our home, our workplace or any other place we may interact with others.  As fellow builders of God’s church, we should try to follow the example of Jesus Christ and honor him by avoiding any behaviors that may stifle the work of the Holy Spirit in another person’s life as well as our own.  In addition, our lives should emulate the passionate heart of Jesus Christ by finding ways to make a positive difference in others and ultimately bring glory to God.  As for a closing thought, if we were intentionally making friends with unbelievers like Jesus Christ did, would that change our approach for coming together as a church?