Do Not Quench the Spirit

A Biblical and Practical Guide to Participatory Church Gatherings

De: Andrew W. Wilson

Narrado por: Virtual Voice

How does the New Testament describe church services happening? Does a church follow a liturgy with certain set prayers, hymns and ceremonies? Does the Pastor or Minister decide what happens in the service? Do the elders or deacons organize the service according to the wisdom given to them? What role does the Holy Spirit play? Does the Bible give any guidelines or say anything about how church services should occur? Do Not Quench the Spirit looks at how the New Testament describes church occurring in the days of the early Christians. It presents careful biblical expositions of key passages in 1 Corinthians 14, 1 Thessalonians 5, Ephesians 4, the Pastoral Epistles, the General Epistles, and the book of Acts. These passages describe the participatory, Spirit-led nature of church gatherings in New Testament times. The second part of the book looks at the practicalities of participatory church gatherings, exploring how we should apply this pattern today. It gives practical reasons why they are needed, warns of ways NOT to have participatory church gatherings, considers practical objections, and suggests steps for implementing them 'A plethora of works on church life and principles for growth exist today, but in Do Not Quench the Spirit, author Andrew Wilson presents us with fresh insights of urgent relevance for churches in decline in the Western world. This seminal study of church foundations and dynamics, of polity and practice, and especially of the development and individual exercise of spiritual gifts in the local church setting represents a quantum leap forward in understanding, biblically, the New Testament church. Here is a masterful defence of "participatory church meetings", robustly supported from Scripture itself - well-researched and interacting with the scholarly literature on the topic. This is mandatory reading for anyone serious about church renewal and growth, for those striving to recapture the vibrancy, fervour and power of the churches of the apostolic era' Dr. Mel Heazlewood, M.B, B.S, M.A, Th.L Medical doctor, church elder and regular missionary visitor to Africa