(1 Thessalonians) Marked Differentiations and Exortations — Willie Mullan

The last chapter of 1 Thessalonians. And again, I've given you the notes beforehand so that you can easily follow the Bible reading as we get along down through this wonderful chapter. This chapter divides very easily into two parts.

Paul's Differentiations in 1 Thessalonians 5

First of all, we have a number of differentiations made by the apostle in this chapter. He points out the difference between the Lord coming to the air for his saints and the day of the Lord on earth for sinners.

And there are a lot of marked differentiations in this wonderful chapter, and we will need to get them all on the line tonight so that this great subject, the day of the Lord and the Lord coming to the air for the saints, that we'll see the difference between these two great differentational works of God.

Then in this chapter, not only have we a number of differentiations made by Paul, but we have a number of exhortations given to us by Paul. And very wonderful and practical exhortations are here for us this evening.

These are the two parts of the chapter. You will notice that the chapter begins tonight with a word box. Of course, that immediately tells you that Paul is changing the subject from the last chapter. Do you remember how we dealt with last week's chapter?

We dealt with it like this. In the first eleven, twelve verses we talked about the practical results of Christianity. And then in the last part of the chapter we dealt with the personal return of Christ.

But did you notice that when Paul got down to the first eight verses of chapter four, and in those eight verses he was talking about sanctification from fornication? You remember how I went into all the details of this sanctification from fornication?

And when he got up well over to these young believers, then in verse nine he said, Bosh! Now he was changing the subject again. He was changing from practical sanctification to brotherly love. He wanted to say a word to them about brotherly love.

Bosh! I trust in brotherly love. You have no need that I write unto you. And then when he came down to the thirteenth verse, he said, Bosh! And he changed the subject again, so that he changed from the practical to the dispensational.

And he began to teach them the great dispensational truth of the Lord Jesus rising from the throne of heaven and coming to the earth to meet every believer. And we went into all the details last week of the Lord's return for his own.

And when he got this wonderful truth of the Lord coming to the earth for believers over to them, he said, Bosh! again. And that's at the beginning of the fifth chapter. And that's where we see him making a differentiation between the Lord coming to the air for his saints, and the times and the seasons, which doesn't apply to the church at all, and have nothing to do with the air but have to do with the earth.

The times and the seasons. Wonder do you remember anything about this phrase, the times and the seasons? But of the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I write on to you. You see, in the last verses of chapter four, he had to write to tell them about the Lord coming to the earth.

But of the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I write on to you. So that he's differentiating between the Lord coming to the earth for his saints, and the times and the seasons. They're two different things altogether.

The Times and Seasons in Acts 1

Let's go back to Acts, chapter one, just for a moment. The Acts of the Apostles, chapter one. And here we have our Lord Jesus Christ walking out to the Mount of Olives just before he ascended up into heaven.

Now, just to get the connection, let's, we'll read from the first verse. The former treaties have I made all Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandment unto the Apostle whom he had chosen, to whom also he showed himself alive after his passion by many infallible truths, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.

He being assembled with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. For John truly baptized with water, but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost, not many days' time.

When they therefore were come together, they asked of him saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore the kingdom to Israel? I want you to get the hold of that question. You see, they were still very limited in their outlook.

These men that were standing round him now on the Mount of Olives, they were all Jews, and of course the uppermost thought in their mind was, the kingdom back to Israel. And of course they thought now that the Lord out from the grave and glorified, living in the power of an endless life, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?

It just came from their very souls. Now here's the reply. And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons which the Father hath put in his own power. Tell me this just quickly now.

Does the times and the seasons have to do with the church? Go on, answer me. It is not for you to know. Is that plain enough? It's not for the church to know about the times and the seasons. The times and the seasons have got to do, first of all, with Israel.

They have a connection down here on earth. Likely to get the hold of that, because that's very important. There are a whole lot of Bibles to be delivered to you. It's not for you to know the times and the seasons.

You fellows have got a far bigger job on. You're going to be indwelt by the Spirit of God, and you're going to go out unto Jerusalem and to Mary and unto the uppermost parts of the earth, and you're going to be witnesses unto me, and that's your job.

Yes, he was teaching them the thing to leave alone. The Father will get without, so that you see this, that the times and the seasons have a connection with Israel on earth when the kingdom indeed will be restored, and Paul is making a differentiation, but in 1 Thessalonians chapter 5, he said, yes, the Lord will come to their butt of the times and the seasons.

There's no need that I write on the youth. That's a different thing altogether. I think it's well to see that differentiation. Let's go back to 1 Thessalonians chapter 5, and I want you to notice this.

But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you, for yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord shall come out of season and night. Now, he's making a differentiation here between the coming of the Lord for his saints and the day of the Lord for sinners.

That's a different thing altogether, isn't it? In chapter 4, it is the coming of the Lord for his saints, but the day of the Lord will come as of season and night. Now, the day of the Lord is that terrible time of desolation that's not very far distant in the future for this whole world.

Sinners that make a connection with us will not be here. Let me give you one or two things about the day of the Lord. You remember how I took you over this, but for us young believers and those who've just come to the class, we'll get to it a little bit.

The Day of the Lord in Joel and 2 Peter

Let's go back to the prophecy of Joel chapter 2. Joel chapter 2. Now, take your time and find the place, because this is a Bible reading and you'll need to know the words. I'm here tonight not to teach sermons, I'm here to teach you the book.

Now, here is what the prophet Joel said in the second chapter. Joel chapter 2. Go ye the trumpet in time, sound an alarm in my holy mountain. Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble. Dr. Bullinger, that great Hebrew scholar, points out that those who were dreaming land should have a capital T and a capital L, because there's only one place on earth that God calls the land.

That's the land of Palestine. Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, for the day of the Lord cometh. It's my turn, my Israel, you've made to tremble. You see, the times and the seasons and the day of the Lord are just the same thing.

You've no need that I write unto you about the times and the seasons, for ye shall hear perfectly that the day of the Lord is just another way of saying it. And the day of the Lord has a connection with Israel.

When God, by tribulation and wrath and fury, will purge out every bit of the wrath from the nation before the blessed King of Kings takes it over and makes it number one kingdom on earth. Watch this verse, verse two.

It will be a day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness. As the morning spread upon the mountains, great people and the strong, there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it, even to the ears of many generations.

A fire devoureth before them, behind them a flame burneth, and the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness. They and nothing shall escape them. You could go on reading the chapter, you'd only get all the details that we've discussed this long ago about this horrible, terrible, dreadful day of the Lord that's soon to come.

Have a look at it again, described in the New Testament, come to 2 Peter. 2 Peter, chapter three. 2 Peter, chapter three, verse eight, just to save time. But, beloved brethren, he's writing defense here, you remember, that's why he uses the word beloved.

Be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord of a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not flat concerning his promise that some men count flatness, but is wrong concerning to us words, and not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to the temple.

But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, is that the same saying as Jew and First Thessalonians, of course it is. Now, what's the day of the Lord? Will come as a thief in the night, any of the whips, the heavens, shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with spasmodic heat.

The earth, of course it's got to do with earth, all truth, and the works that are therein shall be burned up. He means, then, that all these things shall be dissolved. What manner of persons ought you to be in all holy conversation with Godliness?

My dear friends, let's get the hold of this. You know, Paul's talking in First Thessalonians about the times and the seasons that really have an application to Israel, and about the dreadful, horrible day of tribulation that will come upon the earth, the day of the Lord that will come as a thief in the night, a day when the land of Palestine will be blistered, a day when the elements shall melt with fervent heat.

It might be some years ago the expositors behind this book had trouble finding these things. You have no trouble tonight? Every man with common sense in this meeting knows that this is verily possible, it is.

Let lesser, let loose the heart of the power they have, and the whole world will be blistered in so many seconds. That's just the way we live. Only, you know, we've got a host we're not going to be here when it happens.

We're not going to be here. I said last week they didn't spend forty-three millions building anything on the Yorkshire Mills for the Church of Jesus Christ. God will look after His own. He lets us out, puts us away.

We'll find it's true above it all. We'll meet them in the air, and then the times and the seasons, and the day of the Lord will come. Paul is differentiating between the coming of the Lord for his faith, and the day of the Lord for sinners.

That's why he put the bus in there. Now let's go back to it. There's quite a number more of these differentiations. First Thessalonians chapter five. Watch it again. You'll read from verse one now. After having said in chapter four about the Lord coming to the earth for his faith, he said, But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you, for yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord too cometh as our faith in the night.

Remember that couldn't be the Lord's coming for His Church. Now the Lord's not coming for His Church as our faith in the night. You know, you don't know when the faith's coming, do you? It doesn't sound like I'm breaking wind tonight, does it?

I know. Then it may be this, the Church happens to know the Lord's coming. In the first chapter of First Thessalonians, at the end of the chapter, what did we read? All right, we'll go back and see. The first chapter ended like this, wouldn't it?

Verse nine, at the end of the verse, speaking of the conversion of these Thessalonians, he said, Ye turn to God from idols, that was their salvation, to serve the living and to God, that was their occupation.

What is this? And to wait for his Son from heaven. Even Jesus. Now, in the Revised Version, it reads like this. To wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, who shall fully deliver us from the wrath to come.

When the wrath to come is in the day of the Lord, and that will come upon the earth, where is other people in the night? But we're expecting the Lord to come at any moment. We're waiting for him. He's not coming like a thief in the night.

Isn't it what some people talk about the Lord coming about being a thief in the night, but nothing to these? We're actually waiting on him tonight. We're expecting him to come. One of the great saints had in a study before him every day, a little cream picture with these words, perhaps today.

And he saw this every morning, and then he remembered, who might come today. We're waiting on him. We'll wait for the things you don't know is coming. The things that have got to do with the day of the Lord.

But we're waiting for God's Son from heaven. Let me tell you on page one, you may come before this meeting is over, and God will pepper you. If you're left behind, you'll still enter the day of the Lord, and you'll not know a sign until sudden destruction comes upon your defenseless head.

Do you see the differentiation he's making? Do you see he differentiates, first of all, between the Lord's coming to the air for saints and the times and seasons on earth? Then he differentiates between the coming of the Lord for the saints and the day of the Lord for sinners.

And here he's differentiating between him expecting God's Son from heaven and sinners not expecting the thief in the mouth. These are great differentiations, aren't they? Now, watch this. I want everyone to watch the wording here as I read it over again.

Verse one. God of the times and the seasons brethren, British Ockington, believe, says brethren, what we, that's the same crowd, we believers of no need that I write on to you, for yourself, you believers ought to know, for when you shall say, oh no, oh no, he changed it, didn't he?

How did he change this to another crowd? For when they shall say. Didn't he just change? Why? Because this here's got nothing to do with you. He said, you know, you brethren know this. I don't need to write to you about the times and the seasons.

You know that the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night. You know that. For when then the ungodly will to say, preach and preach this. Tell me what they're saying now. Boy, I saw in that great magazine called Life, a big banner spread across a wonderful hall that held about ten or twelve thousand people waiting for Eisenhower in India somewhere.

The Prince of Peace has come. Well, if they think Eisenhower is the Prince of Peace, they're blocked. And he went all around the world, just talking from here to there and there and there, laying the foundation for peace.

Yes. He's a bigger fool than I thought he was. Then here's what your book says, and it has said it a long time. When the ungodly world shall say, preach and preach this. That's what they're saying tonight.

That's what they're saying. We're going to cut down the armies. We're going to make a pact. We'll not make any more of these terrible things. We're going to go all good boys and sit up in the corner. You wouldn't believe that, would you?

You'd be a fool if you knew. When the world shall say, preach, I'm sure they'll listen to us, then cometh sudden destruction upon them. Then sudden destruction cometh upon them. Such a world it will be.

You know, friends, we're always very near to this. Do you know if America, by their wonderful money-making ideas, taken Russia into a corner financially, well, Russia might make a hole in the wall to get out, and the blast might start.

I have a conviction in my mind that one night Russia will go and blast America. And I tell you that all the Americans are weeping for the coming. Man must first live and die. But I want you to get this, that this sudden destruction is coming upon the world.

How will you be? One of these days the soldiers come in suddenly too, and bless God, he'll be in the air before the bomb went on the earth. He'll just come one of these days, he'll lift us up. We're reaching for sudden deliverance.

They're wondering how they can beat the atomic bomb, aren't they? I'll tell them, put their trust in Christ and they'll beat it. The only shelter from its torn is Christ. When God blasted the earth with a bomb, there was only one way of salvation that I know of, and that was the ark, which is Christ.

And when God blasts the earth in a few weeks' time, maybe, by the Lord Jesus, we'll just have picked ourselves out of it just like a flash. And you see the differentiation. We're reaching for sudden deliverance.

The only way of escape is by the air through Christ. And the world will get sudden destruction. And did you see it twice, when we were living in Jewel, it said, and they shall not escape. And then we'll be doing it again, and they shall not escape.

They shall not escape. You see how well Paul can teach something. Well, when they shall say, peace and safety, then sudden destruction comes upon them. No, as to deal upon a woman, we'll say, and they shall not escape.

God pity the man that left behind. Then he comes back to the believers again, who said, but we, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you, you see. You see, that day, the day of the Lord, the day of sudden destruction, the day when the land of Israel will be blistered, the day when the elements shall melt the serpentine, he says, that day shall not overtake you, the people, not at all.

He said, you don't belong to the kingdom of darkness. But you know, God hath planned this for the kingdom of darkness. You know that our man and woman in this meeting tonight, I'm sorry to say that you're still in the kingdom of darkness, sir.

You're not saved, you're in the kingdom of darkness. You belong to the devil. When a man gets saved, this book says, he's translated out of darkness into marvelous light. This meeting's divided in two.

There are the children of darkness here. There are the children of light there, aren't there? Which was God said at the beginning of the Bible prayer, aren't there? And here's the teaching. Watch it. Verse five.

We are all the children of light and the children of the day. We are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep as do others, but let us watch and be sober, for they that sleep, sleep in the night, they that were drunken are drunken in the night.

But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the black plate of faith and love and foreign helmets, the hope of salvation for God has not appointed us to laugh. When you should say hallelujah behind that.

God has not appointed us, God has appointed us to obtain salvation. I thought these people were saved. Oh, they were saved. What, did he talk about obtaining salvation? Oh, well. Ah, you know, salvation is a tremendous big thing.

You know, I think that people don't get the full facts when they use the word salvation. You see, friend, when I was a poor, lost, down and out hell deserving guilty sinner on the broad road that led to destruction, I was in desperate danger of going to hell.

One day I met the Savior and I got saved from hell. I'll never be in hell. And you know, when I was standing on the broad road that was leading to destruction, I had a load of sin upon my conscience, and the guilt was weighing me down.

But I got saved from the burden of pain. I had to go all the way. And you know, when the Lord saved me from hell and removed the burden and saved me from the burden of guilt, then he began to save my body.

Christ Jesus came into the world not to destroy man's bodies, the Bible says, but to save me, save my body. Then he saved my character. Then he saved my home. I've got two labs here tonight, please. Save my home.

Then one day he's coming to the air to save me from the wrath of the wrath of God, who has appointed me to obtain salvation by the coming of Christ. Oh, what a wonderful thing. Why, there's a differentiation made between those appointed to wrath, those appointed to salvation.

Do you see all the differentiations? Look at your notes just now. Paul makes the differentiation between the Lord coming to the air for saints and the times and the seasons on earth. He differentiates between the coming of the Lord for saints and the day of the Lord for sinners.

He differentiates between saints expecting God's Son from heaven and sinners not expecting the thief and the thief. He differentiates between saints with a blasted hope and sinners with a false hope. So when men say, peace and safety, that's a false hope.

He differentiates between sudden destruction and no escape and sudden deliverance, the only escape. He differentiates between the children of darkness and the children of light. He differentiates between sleepiness and drunkenness and watchfulness and soberness.

He differentiates between those appointed to wrath, those appointed to salvation. Didn't he work it out well? My, that dot came in in the right moment, didn't it? Dot. My, Paul can see the things that are really different, can't he?

Exhortations Concerning Church Leadership and Christian Conduct

Now, I think that that may be for these differentiations that Paul makes in the first eleven verses of this chapter. And then he parks these expectations in the next eleven verses, that may take us to the end of verse twenty-two.

And I want to take time at some of these expectations that he gives to these saints who are waiting for God's Son from heaven. And the first thing he says is this, verse twelve,. And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love for their worthsake, and be at peace among yourselves.

You know, this is an expectation I think that we should take time to look at very carefully. You know, young believers should get to know that God hath placed in the local church room them that rule over you.

But you know, there are some of you youngsters, rebels, whom you don't want ruled over. No, you don't want to know those that rule over you, the rebels. Put your notes to the book now, and learn that God's faith with you for once in your life.

Oh, I know that some of you are not even in a local church. Oh, you're a free lot. You'll do as you like. You'll just obey the book in front of you, won't you? We just want a remission of your rule. Well, you'll be the ruler, and you'll do everything, and you'll do as you like, and you'll disobey God's words, and you'll make a new order of things, won't you?

No, you won't. You'll have to learn that God hath order, and that some of us have been placed in the place of rulership, and some of you, you fellows, would give us teach, would you? We'll just learn from tonight's foreword of the book that we need.

I expect some of you to learn, and it's time some of you had learned, too. Oh, you say, have I got to give you up, Mr. Moore? You have, yes. There are only three elders here, and not one of us ever dared once to lord it over God's heaven.

I think that I can speak for the other three and myself, that we're very humble sort of men. But remember up the back of us, we have to be the rulers here. If you get out there, and if you don't like it, get out.

That just happens to be God's will. But some of you, you fellows, don't want it, do you? And you may have to change the way you live. Now, in God's house there are rulers. Them that rule over you and abominate you.

Oh, boy, some people don't like you to talk up to them. They'd like to take the meeting off you. Happens to be that God sent me here as a ruler, and as long as I'm here, I'll rule. And I'll not be asking you what I'll be doing here.

I've been too long on the knees and too long at the butcher to take any mentions from some of you we love. I wish you had learned. And if you're not in a church, it's time you were, where somebody would rule over you.

Just how would this apply to you tonight, if you haven't got any ruler, or you want to be the boss of your own life? Well, that's not God's order. It happens to be you as a young representative. Well, I'll tell you there's a wee bit behind it still.

What's it? Verse 12 again,. And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which live among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love, for they'll not take.

Happens to be you have a lovely character like me. I don't. Happens to be that. Do you know sometimes when I've got to take some of you aside and put my arm round you and tell you off? Don't mind me, there's quite a number of you here know that I would do it and have done it.

Even then you're to love me. I'm only trying to keep you on the king's highway, son. I've got to give an account for my stewardship here. And if ever I take your side someday and put my arm round you and say, look, you're getting there, or I say something to you, you'll know I'm acting as a ruler for your good and for Christ's good.

And just remember the verse that's at the end of this chapter. Be at peace among yourselves. Well, there's always somebody disturbs the peace, isn't there? It would hardly mean a big assembly without getting somebody to settle the betrayals.

They'd disturb the peace. Well, now, if you've got something to say, would you come along and talk to the rulers about it? And stop trying to take the reins and rule the thing yourself when you weren't sent to do it.

Because if some of you at this Bible class were about to make the event, and that's just enough for you to know tonight, just come along and have a chat with the rulers. And thank God for the men here beside me.

There are rulers in this place like I've never seen anywhere else. My, the problems that the three of us have faced together. I'm sure it would do your heart good to know, but that's our business. But it's good to learn these things.

We would pass them by. Now, having talked to them about their regard for rulers, he goes on now to talk about their behavior among their brethren. He says, Now we have got you, brethren, warned, then got our own rulers.

Paul was well aware, you know, that some cake loves to take the bit between the teeth. But I'm ruler. I don't need warning. I need to be gently warned that they're not allowed to be rebels in the assembly of God's people.

You need to warn the unruly. And then you know, you need all these things. Watch it. Come first, the cable-minded. You know, in an assembly, you don't only get the unruly, you get that feeble-minded person.

The very least bit of a form at all upsets them, and you find them under the juniper tree and depressed and cast down and dismayed. You know, they need comfort, the joy of being allowed to do this work, you know.

Find out the feeble-minded. And here's a lovely wee bit. Support the weak. I tell you, I think that that phrase ought to be put for a witch sometimes. Support the weak. You know, you'll get a soul who has truly trusted Christ, who has put his all on the altar, and yet there's something in that soul's that really knocks them down again and again and again.

Well, he's a whittler, he's a ruff dude. It makes me think a lot. It makes me grieve. Oh, do you know, when you've trusted Christ, when there's times when he's very full of faith, because of Christ, when there's times when he's very full of faith, because of this temptation, there are times when he's all this talk.

He needs support, not criticism. Some of you would pick a medium. I will learn to support the weak. These are great exhortations. So what should they go in? They expound themselves, these, without me going too far.

Good faith for each, good all men. Why, that's a tremendous one. You know, that doesn't mean to be only patient toward all the saints, but patient toward all the sinners. And we have to be patient. Sometimes, you know, somebody comes and says, you know, somebody said this about you, and some sinner criticizes you, some sinner slanders you.

So you've just got to be patient. So if they spat in the face of Jesus Christ, God alone knows what they do with a character like me. Just be patient. And then he goes on yet once more, See that none render evil for evil unto any man.

Forever follow that which is good, good among yourselves and to all men. Mind you, that's something that needs practicing. Even if some young fellow has become unruly, even if there are rebels, even if they won't take the admonition, even if they don't recognize him, ah, be good to them.

Never do evil for evil. Just be good. How lovely we are. This is how you should behave yourself among your brethren. You should have regard for your rulers. Then this is your behavior among your brethren.

Rejoicing, Prayer, and Trusting God's Providence

Now comes some lovely expectations. They come very quick. You would think they were coming out of a machine gun. Rejoice evermore, pray without cheating and everything gives way. They just come like that.

You know, this is how you can glorify God in your life. You know, this is one of the expectations that really makes you sit up and say rejoice evermore. You know, I have a dear woman in hospital and about four weeks ago we thought we were going to lose her and she came very near the edge of eternity and then she picked up and was doing wonderfully well and then yesterday again she had to go in for another slight operation and yet this good brings in the word rejoice evermore.

You say how can it be done? I'll tell you. The Holy Ghost just takes your heart and mind and lets it sit away above the things of time until you see nothing to no one but a blessed Christ of God is on the floor.

Turn your eyes upon him. He makes you feel the most wonderful sense. And the shade of that grows strangely dim in the light of his glory and grace. Then you're able to quote the text, though the fig tree shall not blossom and the labour of the olive shall fail and there's no head in the stall and there's no meat in the field.

Yet I will rejoice in the Lord by his hand is on the helm. Everything is gripped and mastered and come to by him. Nothing will happen to by chance. He knows. He cares. He loves. He prays. That's his name.

He's working all things together for good. So then we look, why you can rejoice in the Lord, can't you? Thank God we have the Lord in times like these. Rejoice evermore. And you know, if you rejoice, you'll pray, won't you?

When you tell him everything. Oh, how you turn out your heart to him. You pray without patience. You bring every little squibble of your soul. You bring every little thought. You bring every little detail.

In everything you pray with prayer and supplicant, you pray evermore. So I tell you this, if you're looking up and you're talking, you're a good saint. In everything, by your faithful heart. Wonderful Christ of God dependent truth.

And if your life is rejoicing in this poem and praying in the dark and thanking in the valley, you're glorifying God. That's how you glorify God, son. What wonderful excerpt couldn't Paul preach? The more I read this, the further back I get what a preacher he was.

The Holy Spirit: Grieving and Quenching

Now these are wonderful exhortations. Our regard for our rulers. Our behavior among our brothers. Our glorying in our Lord. When he's a lovely one, Christ, not the Spirit. You see, that's our submission to ourselves.

You know, when you get saved, born again, you're inbred by the Spirit of God, then you should be filled with the Spirit. And two things will keep you from being filled. You can grieve the Holy Ghost. You can grieve him by your character, untruthfulness, or ungraciousness, or underhandedness, dishonestness.

You can grieve the Holy Ghost by your character. But you can quench the Holy Ghost when you're not prepared to serve the Lord when He wants you to serve Him. So if the Lord wanted some of you fellows to take a Sunday school class, oh no, you wouldn't do that.

Well, you're quenching the Spirit. But if the Lord wanted you to do some little job for Him, well, you're quenching the Spirit. You know, I came in here one day, just in through the door. I was wanting milk out of here somewhere.

I don't know how I'm going to say this, but I'm saying it anyway. And I saw my brother Carson down on his knees putting boards on the wall there. I said, I didn't know you were doing this. I said, you know, nobody knows you do these things.