1 Thes.5:19,20 – TPT – Never restrain or put out the fire of the Holy Spirit. And don’t be one who scorns prophecies,
1 Ths.5:19,20 – Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies.
This could very easily be a word from the Lord for the modern day church, especially the churches in the USA. It is rare to find a congregation today in our country that allows the gifts of the Spirit to be in operation. Discouraging the use of the gifts would definitely qualify for quenching the Spirit. It seems that the gifts of the Spirit are welcomed at the beginning of a move of the Spirit of God but over time they tend to fall out of favor. I suppose there are many reasons for this, one of which is that the fire tends to diminish over time. Paul dealt with this problem in the church in Ephesus. If you remember the church there began when Paul laid his hands on twelve young converts who began to speak in tongues and prophesy. Years later Timothy became the pastor and Paul was reminding Timothy of the importance of the spiritual gifts exhorting Timothy to stir up the gift of God in his own life. Her is how Brian Simmons describes this passage.
“There is an implication in the context of vv. 19–20 that we put out the Spirit’s fire when we scorn prophecy. Prophecy is a valid gift of the Holy Spirit needed by the church today. There is no place in Scripture or in church history that indicates the gift of prophecy has ceased or disappeared. It is an active function of the Holy Spirit in the church around the world. We must not ignore, despise, or scorn any true gift of the Holy Spirit. Putting out the fire of the Holy Spirit (v. 19) is connected to scorning the prophetic ministry. We need prophets and prophecy to keep the fire (inspiration) of the Holy Spirit burning in our hearts.”
It is the gifts of the Spirit operating in a church that brings the sense of the supernatural on the scene. Without the gifts and the moving of the Spirit it is easy just to settle in to a dry format with the emphasis strictly on teaching. Teaching without the power of God tends to gravitate to just the opinions of a man. So maybe it is time for a move of the Spirit in our modern church world. When we gather together as a church remember what Paul said, “Do not quench the Spirit”.