Andrew W Wilson

Do Not Quench the Spirit Andrew W Wilson

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?

This book 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