The last message that I brought
on this station was from the book of II Thessalonians, Paul's
second epistle to the church at Thessalonica. I'm going to
speak today from the first epistle to the church at Thessalonica.
I Thessalonians chapter 5. Now I want you to turn to this
scripture. You're familiar with it. There's several very short
verses together. 1 Thessalonians chapter 5 verse
16, beginning at verse 16. Rejoice evermore, just two words. The next verse says pray without
ceasing, just three words. The next verse says in everything
give thanks, for this is the will of God concerning you in
Christ. The next verse says quench not
the Holy Spirit. So I'm going to speak on those
short, powerful, verses as Paul writes to the church at Thessalonica,
closes his epistle to the church with these instructions. Now,
I call these the principles of grace. I could have called them
the rules of grace, but the word rule doesn't go with grace, does
it? I could have called it the laws
of grace, but the word law just doesn't go with grace. Rules. laws. Grace, no. Those who are objects of God's
grace do what they do out of love, not law, because they desire
to do it, not because it's a rule or a law and they're required
to do it. You see, Paul, when he wrote
to this church in chapter 1 of 1 Thessalonians, he said, I remember
without ceasing your labor of love your works of faith, and
your patience of hope. Faith, hope, and love. And that
love labors, and that faith works, and that hope is patient in waiting
on the Lord. So I'll call the message the
principles of grace. Not the laws or rules, but these
are the principles, characteristics of people. who are objects of
God's grace. I brought this message to our
church congregation several weeks ago and it was a blessing to
me. And I believe it was a blessing
to many of them. So would you open your Bible?
Perhaps you'd like to look at the scripture while I read it
and speak from it and teach these principles of grace. But here
in verse 16, here's the first one. It says in verse 16, rejoice,
rejoice, evermore. Rejoice evermore. Now this is
not outward emotion. You know that and I know that.
This is not an outward enthusiasm. This is not getting somebody
in front of a congregation to act as a cheerleader and whip
people up into some kind of frenzy of emotionalism and enthusiasm. This is an inward rejoicing. This is a spiritual heart rejoicing,
not in ourselves. but in our Lord. That's right. What does Paul say in Philippians
4 verse 4? He says, Rejoice in the Lord. Always. And again I say, Rejoice
in the Lord. And this is not just rejoicing
when we're in church or when we're with a group of believers.
It's rejoice evermore. Rejoice in the Lord always. Not Sunday morning. Sunday night
and Wednesday night, but evermore, evermore, always rejoice in the
Lord. This is one of the three marks
of true Israel. In Philippians 3, Paul said,
we are true circumcision, the true Israel of God, three marks. He says, number one, we worship
God in spirit, in spirit. Secondly, we rejoice in Jesus
Christ, in his blood, in his righteousness, in his person,
in his glory, in his work. Thirdly, we have no confidence
in this flesh. So this rejoicing is not in material
blessings. It's not in ourselves. It's in
the spiritual blessings. Spiritual blessing. God has blessed
us with all spiritual blessings. justification, sanctification,
redemption, regeneration. You know, one time the disciples
came to the master and they said, master, think of it. We were
out preaching and even the devils were subject unto us. And our
Lord replied, don't rejoice that the devils are subject unto you.
The thing in which you are to rejoice is your names are written
in heaven. Rejoice that your names are written
in heaven. Rejoice that all things work
together for good to them who love God. Rejoice in the inheritance
you have, undefiled, incorruptible, reserved for you that fate is
not away. Rejoice in the Lord always, evermore. And this rejoicing is not just
in good times, but in all times. Now listen to me. Rejoice evermore. Rejoice in the Lord always. Now wait a minute, again I say
always in the Lord, not just in good times. I've heard somebody
say one time, well my son went away to war and he came back.
The Lord is good. My friend, if he hadn't come
back, the Lord is still good. His coming back or not coming
back doesn't change the goodness of God. God is good and God's
good to us and we rejoice at all times I know I know I know
it's a lot easier to rejoice in the good times But that's
not what he says. He says rejoice evermore and
I say this let people Circumstances and conditions be what they will
Our God is unchangeable His love is everlasting his covenant is
ordered in all things and sure. And I'm told, and this is a principle
of grace, I rejoice in the Lord evermore. Always. Now I want
you to, you can't find this scripture real quickly, you write it down. Because you'll want to read it
again. Habakkuk. Habakkuk. Chapter 3, verse 17
and 18. Now listen. Habakkuk. Listen, although the fig tree
shall not blossom, and these people, their livelihood depended
on the fig tree. There's no fruit in the vine.
The grapes, their vines weren't bearing fruit. The olive tree
fails, no oil. The fields yield no grain, no
barley, no wheat. The flock is cut off from the
foal, no sheep, no lambs, no cattle in the stalls, no milk. Yet, those are hard times. Yet, the prophet said, I will
rejoice in the Lord and I will joy in the God of my salvation. That's rejoicing evermore. Principle of grace. All right.
Secondly, verse 17. Here's another verse. Pray without
ceasing. Pray without ceasing. Believers
can't always be on their knees. Doesn't mean that. Believers
cannot always be calling on God vocally, publicly or privately. There's got to be a time for
food, time for drink, time for sleep, time for rest. There must
be time for work. Man has to go to work, put in
his eight hours, come home, and then do his chores at home. They're
family duties. Mothers have children. As much as we'd like to be engaged
in prayer all the time, it's impossible. As much as we'd like
to be engaged in worship all the time, it's impossible. What
does this mean? Pray without ceasing. Well, the
meaning, first of all, is this, and I'll give you several things
that this means, pray without ceasing. Number one, it's to
pray daily. It's to pray often. It's to pray
about everything, everything, all things. It's to live in an
attitude and a spirit of fellowship with God, of communion with God. You and your wife live together. There are a lot of times you
don't talk. You may go on a trip in the automobile
and drive for two or three hours. She reads and you're just driving
along, not saying a word. But you're in communion, you're
in fellowship. You know she's there, she knows
you're there. She's dependent upon you and you upon her for
so many things. So this praying without ceasing
is to pray daily, to pray often, to pray about all matters and
to live in a spirit of fellowship and communion with God. Secondly,
the meaning of pray without ceasing is don't quit praying. Pray without
ceasing to pray. Don't cease. Don't quit. Don't stop. Don't give up. Sometimes it seems like God closes
His ears to our prayers. Sometimes it seems like the heavens
are brass and our prayers just come back. Sometimes it feels
like there's a cloud up there that you just cannot get through,
but don't quit. Don't cease to pray. John Bunyan
said, sooner expect a natural man to live without breathing
as to expect a believer to live without praying. He cannot live
without praying. without fellowship with God because
the Spirit of God lives in him. If any man have not the Spirit
of God, he's none of his. So prayer and worship is the
life of a believer. And then pray without ceasing
means this also. It means to pray at all times,
not just in trouble and distress. I know all of us
are much in prayer in time of trouble. We find it much easier
to pray when the way's difficult and when the night is dark and
long and sleepless. And we don't cease to pray, do
we? We pray through our troubles. But here's what he's saying.
Don't cease to pray when the trouble's over. Keep on praying. Pray without ceasing. You know,
prayer is not just asking and receiving. There's a whole lot
more to prayer than asking God to give us certain things. Prayer,
number one, is lauding the attributes of God. Listen, how does the
disciples' prayer begin? When they said, Lord, teach us
to pray. Not only teach us how to pray, but teach us to pray.
He said, when you pray, say, Our Father, which art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name. That's lauding the attributes
of God. Prayer is also praise to his
name. Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom
come. Thy will be done on earth as
it is in heaven. I haven't asked for anything.
But we're lauding the attributes of God. We're praising the name
of God. And prayer is thanksgiving for
the blessings of God. Thank you, Lord. Thank you. I have a zillion things to be
thankful for, don't you? Prayer doesn't have to be vocal.
Somebody says, well, I just can't pray aloud. Well, not many people
can. That's just fact. Not many can. I know we can say words aloud,
but I said pray. Not many people can pray aloud,
conscious of the presence of someone else. It's difficult.
It's difficult. A lot of preachers do a lot of
preaching while they're praying, but that's not prayer. It's preaching.
Prayer doesn't have to be vocal. There's public prayer, private
prayer, mental prayer. There's prayer that can be prayed
while we're engaged in the work and affairs and duties of life.
Pray. Pray without ceasing. Without
ceasing. Give thanks. All right. Thirdly,
It says here, principles of grace. Rejoice evermore. Pray without
ceasing. And I tell you, it takes grace. These are not simple, easy things. These are principles. Life principles. Here the third one is, in everything
give thanks. Boy, this is a tough one. Now
listen. In everything give thanks. This is a companion verse to
Ephesians 5.20 which says, listen, Ephesians 5.20 says this, Giving
thanks always for all things unto God our Father in the name
of our Lord Jesus Christ. Giving thanks always for all
things, yes, all things, for who I am, for what I have, For
what I am, for where I am, the songwriter says, content with
beholding his face, my all to his pleasure resigned. No changes
of season or place would make any change in my mind. While
I'm blessed with a sense of his love, a palace, a toy would appear,
and prisons would palaces prove if Jesus would dwell with me
there. Paul could have written that,
couldn't he? Paul says, I've learned in whatsoever state I
am to be content, giving thanks for who I am, where I am, for
my food, for my clothing, for my family, for my friends, for
the word of God, for true ministers of the gospel, for God's covenant
of grace, for his redeeming love, for the Lord Jesus, for His life
and blood, His righteousness, for the call of His grace, the
hope of eternal life, for all things in this life and the life
to come, giving thanks always for all things in everything. Now, what's this next line? This
is so important here. Now, listen to it. In everything,
good or bad, give thanks, for this is the
will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." Now listen to me, you believers,
listen. I can't explain how your troubles
and your trials and your disappointments are the will of God in Christ
concerning you at this time. I can't explain that, but I know
it's true. I know it's true. I know that
God is the first cause of all things. I know that Satan couldn't
touch Job without God's permission. I know that everything that happens
in a believer's life, all things, all things, are by the will of
God, and for the glory of God, and for our eternal good. And
all things are working together for good to them who love God,
to them who are called according to His purpose, And this is so
difficult, so extremely difficult, especially when our bodies hurt,
when our children are disappointment, when our plans fall and fail,
when we have to say goodbye to a dear, precious loved one, yet
in everything give thanks. This is the will of God in Christ
Jesus concerning you. I'm telling you the truth. There's
not anybody out there, not anybody out there who knows God and believes
the gospel, who has not been hurt, tried, gone through trouble,
tears, sorrow, heartache, pain. In this world you'll have tribulation. Man is born a woman a few days
and full of trouble, trouble. And yet the believer, for the
believer, for the child of God, if he's a child of God. And if
God says, if you know how to give good things to your children,
how much more should your father give good things to them that
know him and love him and ask him? Every good and perfect gift
comes from God. And sometimes these gifts are
in an unusual manner, an unusual way. But in everything, give
thanks. This is the will of God in Christ
Jesus concerning you. I love the way that the hymn
writer put those words. God moves in a mysterious way. Mysterious to us, known to him,
strange to us. His wonders to perform. He plants
his footsteps on the sea. He rides upon the storm. Ye fearful
saints, fresh courage take. The clouds you so much dread
are big with mercy. The clouds are big with mercy
and they will break with blessings on your head. Judge not the Lord
by feeble sense, but trust him for his grace. Behind the frowning
providence, there's a smiling face. And what he's doing is
for our good. and for the good of his children
and the good of his church, the good of his people. That's right. His purposes will ripen fast,
unfolding every hour, or the bud may have a bitter taste,
but sweet will be the flower. Rejoice evermore. Pray without
ceasing. In everything give thanks. For
this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. Now look
at that next verse. Quench not the spirit. Quench
not the spirit. I've heard so many bad interpretations
of that. I believe in declaring what this
means, it'll be well for us to state what it does not mean.
I'll tell you what that does not mean. It does not mean that
you can hinder the Holy Spirit in His work. It does not mean
that you can prevent, prevent the omnipotent, almighty Spirit
of God from accomplishing His will and His purpose. Our Lord
said the wind, the breath of God, the breath of God is the
Spirit of God. Bloweth where it listeth. He
blows where He pleases. And you can hear the sound and
you can see the result. You cannot tell whence it cometh
or whither it goeth. The Holy Spirit divides to every
man severally as He will. You're not going to hinder or
prevent the Spirit of God from accomplishing the will and purpose
of God, who said, I've spoken it, I'll do it. I've purposed
it, I'll bring it to pass. But what this is saying is this,
speaking to you believers, same people that He tells to rejoice
evermore. But sometimes we don't, but we're
told to. Pray without ceasing. Sometimes
we don't, but we're told to. In everything give thanks. Everything. That's hard to do. I don't always
do it. I wish I did. But I'm told to. These are things, principles
of grace for me. Now this one here. Quench not
the spirit in your life. And it means this. Don't neglect
and suppress the spirit of God and the grace of God. and the
fruit of the Spirit in your lives and in your fellowship. What
is the fruit of the Spirit? Love. When I don't love like
I ought to, I'm suppressing the Spirit. I'm neglecting the Spirit. See that? What's the fruit of
the Spirit? Joy. When I don't have the joy
of God and I don't express that joy, I'm quenching the Spirit. You see, the fire of the Spirit
burns to give light and warmth to all. in the house of God. Don't quench the fire. Don't
quench the fire by suppressing and neglecting the fruit and
graces and gifts and talents that God gives you. Love, joy,
peace. The Holy Spirit is the spirit
of peace. And when we disturb the peace in the home or in the
church, we're quenching the spirit. We're putting out the fire. We're
stopping the light and the warmth and the fellowship. What is the
fruit of the Spirit? It is love, joy, peace. It is
patience, gentleness, kindness, faith, humility. These things
are to be expressed and worked and exhibited and shown. And they're the Spirit's gifts
and the Spirit's fruit. And when I neglect these things
and suppress these things, I'm quenching, putting the fire out.
All of the graces and gifts and ability within us is the gift
of God and the ministry of the Holy Spirit. So when I don't
love and rejoice and give and forgive and generally glorify
God in my life, I'm quenching the Spirit in here. I'm not going
to stop God from doing what He's going to do. I'm not going to
hinder the Holy Ghost from sweeping down and taking control of hearts,
but I am not using my gifts for His glory." Quenching the Spirit. That's right. That's right. And then he says, fifthly, despise
not prophesying. The Old Testament was written
by the prophets. God spoke to our fathers with the prophets.
The prophecies of Christ's coming, The prophecies of Christ's work,
His person, His glory, His death, His righteousness, that's the
Old Testament. Don't despise the prophecies.
Don't despise the writings of the prophets. To Him give all
the prophets witness. Read the Scriptures. Christ died
for our sins according to the Scripture, the Old Testament.
He rose again according to the Scriptures. And then the New
Testament. That's the Word of God from the apostles prophesying
His preaching. Despise not preaching. Today
God has His true preachers. Yeah, a lot of false preachers,
but God has His true preaching. Don't despise the preaching of
the Word. I know that there's some bad preaching today, just
bad preaching. But there's some good preaching.
God still has His witnesses and God still has His true preachers.
And God saves by the preaching of the Word. And God comforts
by the preaching of the Word. And God teaches by the preaching
of the Word. And God reveals Himself through
the preaching of the Word. So despise not preaching, but
hold fast that which is good. Prove all things and hold fast
that which is good. Some people embrace anything
religious. Some people are critical of everything
religious. But the wise prove all things. And when they hear a true message,
they hold fast to that which is good. Principles of grace,
rejoice evermore, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks,
quench not the spirit, despise not prophesying, hold fast the
truth when you hear it, prove it, and hold it fast, and abstain
from every appearance of evil. And last, brethren, pray for
us. All right, principles of grace,
that's this message. Last week's message will be on
the six unforgettable gifts. $10, $2, we'll mail it to you. Here's the address. Till next
week, God bless you.