Final Instructions: Don’t Quench the Spirit

Text: 1 Thessalonians 5:19

Theme: When he tells the Thessalonian Christians to not quench the Spirit, he is warning them — and us — not to dampen the effective working of the Holy Spirit in our lives and our congregation.

Date: 05/15/2022 File: Final_Instructions_04.wpd File #: NT13-05

In both Old and New Testaments fire is a metaphor used by biblical authors to describe the nature and work of the Holy Spirit. Fire speaks of purity, power, light, warmth, and on occasion, destruction. When the Holy Spirit is at work in our lives and churches, we have a warmth of love in our hearts, the light of truth for our minds, the power of will to resist temptation and sin, and a purity of soul that makes us pleasing to the Father. When he tells the Thessalonian Christians to not quench the Spirit, he is warning them — and us — not to dampen the effective working of the Holy Spirit in our lives and our congregation. As we look at our text this morning, I’d like for you to understand ...

• The Essence of the Holy Spirit

• The Enthusiasm of the Holy Spirt

• Some Application

I. THE ESSENCE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

1. when the Apostle commands believers to Stop quenching the Spirit, he is referring to suppressing the work of the Holy Spirit in our personal lives and also in the church

a. before I talk to you about quenching the Holy Spirit, let me give you some Holy Spirit 101

b. before we can talk about quenching the Spirit we need an understanding of what the Spirit is

The Holy Spirit is the Third Person of God

The Holy Spirit is the Power of God

The Holy Spirit is the Presence of God

A. THE HOLY SPIRIT IS THE THIRD PERSON OF GOD

1. when we speak of the essence of an object or a person, we’re referring to the core nature or most important qualities of a person or thing

a. if one’s essence refers to one’s core nature, then the core nature of the Holy Spirit is deity

b. God the Holy Spirit is as divine as is God the Father, and God the Son — after attribute we ascribe to the Father can also be ascribed to the Holy Spirit

1) the Holy Spirit is not an impersonal force, though He is all-powerful

2) the Holy Spirit is not a prize given to the super spiritual Christian, though He is the gift of God to believers

3) the Holy Spirit is not Jiminy Cricket sitting our your shoulder debating the devil, though He will always lead you into truth

4) the Holy Spirit is not a silent partner waiting patiently for the believer to invoke His power on command, though He is always present in our lives

2. the doctrine of the Trinity is complex

a. from the beginning of creation in Genesis to the end of time in Revelation, God refers to Himself as "us" or "our"

1) the Doctrine of the Trinity is one of the reasons the Jewish people have rejected and continue to reject Jesus as God’s Anointed One

2) the Doctrine of the Trinity is also the Christian doctrine out of which so much heresy has arisen

b. it’s hard to explain and it’s hard to wrap our minds around a God whose essence is that He is One God and not a plurality of gods, but who at the same time has revealed Himself as Father, Son and Holy Spirit

ILLUS. Dr. James White, one of my favorite theologians has said, “The doctrine of the Trinity must be true because no mere mortal mind could ever think this doctrine up!”

B. THE HOLY SPIRIT IS THE POWER OF GOD

“but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”” (Acts 1:8, NASB95)

1. because the power of the Holy Spirit is literally the power of God, His ability to act and influence is infinite, unlimited, and eternal

a. this mean that the power of the Holy Spirit is different from any other kind of power

2. 1st, the power of the Holy Spirit is witnessed as He goes forth to create and sustain the universe

a. all the way back in Genesis 1:2 we find the Spirit of God brooding over the primordial world ready to take the spoken word of the Father, and instantaneously transform it into the physical

1) don’t think that takes pronominal cosmic power? — go ahead; give it a try ... speak something into existence ... I’ll wait!

3. 2nd, the power of the Holy Spirit is witnessed by influencing the behavior of others and the course of events

“Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers. And the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon David from that day forward.” (1 Samuel 16:13, ESV)

a. although the Spirit did not permanently indwell God's people in the Old Testament, He worked through them and gave them power to achieve things they would not have been able to accomplish on their own

b. during his earthly life it was the Holy Spirit the led Jesus out into the wilderness to be tempted of the Devil

4. 3rd, the power of the Holy Spirit is witnessed when he convicts the world of sin, judgement and righteousness

“And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; 10 concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; 11 concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.” (John 16:8-11, ESV)

a. one of the reasons why unregenerate men hate the Confessing Church, and hate the preaching of the Gospel is because the Holy Spirit uses them to convict the lost of their sin and depravity

ILLUS. Folks, you need to understand that the abortion debate in this nation is not about one political view verses another political view where the majority win the debate. It is a battle between light and dark. It is a battle between evil masquerading as good, and good being vilified as evil. If you’re pro-life this morning, many in our culture will accuse you of being on the wrong side of history. Just smile and say, “True, but I’m on the right side of eternity.”

1) the spirit of this world says “anything goes” and “nothing is a sin” whereas the Spirit of the Lord says “the soul that sins, it shall perish”

2) the rage you see in the pro-abortion supporters is due, in part, to the convicting power of the Holy Spirit who reveals the truth which is being rebelled against — In Romans 1 Paul writes that men are very good at suppressing the truth

ILLUS. In his 1985 book The Holiness of God, R.C. Sproul writes that the Holy Spirit often uses the sanctified lives of the believer's life to make non-Christians uncomfortable. Sproul then tells the story of a well-known professional golfer who was invited to play in a celebrity golf tournament. His foursome included President Gerald Ford, fellow pro Jack Nicklaus, and Billy Graham. After the round was over, one of the other golf pros in the tournament asked, "Hey, what was it like playing with the President and Billy Graham?" The pro unleashed a torrent of profanities, and said with disgust, "I don't need Billy Graham stuffing religion down my throat!" With that he headed for the practice tees.

His friend followed, and after the golfer had pounded out his fury on a bucket of golf balls, he asked, "Was Billy a little rough on you out there?" The pro sighed and said with embarrassment, "No, he didn't even mention religion."

Sproul writes, "Astonishingly, Billy Graham had said nothing about God, Jesus, or religion, yet the pro stomped away after the game accusing Billy of trying to ram religion down his throat." What had happened? Simply this: The evangelist’s life reflected Christlikeness and the Holy Spirit used that to convict the conscience of the golfer.

5. 4th,the power of the Holy Spirit is witnessed when He regenerates a dead soul and gives new birth to a sinner

““Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 “The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”” (John 3:7–8, NASB95)

a. it is the Spirit who comes upon the lost sinner, opening his mind, softening his heart, and subduing his stubborn will to give the gifts of repentance and faith whereby the sinner comes to the Savior freely, and is made a new creation in Christ

b. Jesus called this the new birth, and it is the powerful, supernatural work of the Holy Spirit because the unregenerate man is dead in trespasses and sin, and it is the Holy Spirit who gives spiritual life to the spiritually dead

1) it will also take the phenomenal cosmic power of the Holy Spirit to resurrect the physically dead at the end of the age ... but because the Holy Spirit is God He is up to the task!

C. THE HOLY SPIRIT IS THE PRESENCE OF GOD

1. having trouble wrapping your mind around the doctrine of the Trinity?

a. try wrapping your mind around this — God in you

“Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.” (John 14:23, ESV)

1) only Christianity teaches that God lives in us

ILLUS. The Buddha does not claim to live in Buddhists. Mohammad never claimed that he would dwell in the lives of those who practice Islam. Neither Abraham or Moses enter into the lives of Jews. Zhuang Zhou does not take up residence in Taoists. But Jesus did say that he would send his spirit to live in us.

“And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, 17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.” (John 14:16–17, ESV)

2. what does the presence of the Holy Spirit accomplish in the believer’s life?

a. because of the Holy Spirit’s presence in God’s Elect, we will experience the Fruit of the Spirit — love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control

b. because of the Holy Spirit’s presence in God’s Elect, we will receive Gifts of the Spirit — Godly abilities to minister God’s grace and love to others

c. because of the Holy Spirit’s presence in God’s Elect we have the mind of Christ — it helps us understand God's plan in the world to bring glory to himself, restore creation to its original splendor, and provide salvation for sinful mankind

d. because of the Holy Spirit’s presence in God’s Elect we experience the fellowship of the Spirit — allowing us to experience love and unity with the Father, and love and unity with fellow believers

e. because of the Holy Spirit’s presence in God’s Elect we have power to resist temptation — when we are walking in the Spirit we will not fulfill the lust of the flesh

II. THE ENTHUSIASM OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

1. so much of what Paul encourages the Thessalonian believers to be about in his final instructions centers on living an enthusiastic, positive, Spirit-filled life

a. one of the marks of authentic Christianity is that believers will have an enthusiasm about their faith that is noticeable to others

1) the Greek word for enthusiasm means inspired by God

b. the implication is that a Christian will be excited about the things of God and disenchanted with the things of this world

2. as believers, we know in our hearts that we ought to be excited about such things as Bible study, prayer, worship attendance, and ministry

a. sad to say, many believers have no enthusiasm for such things

ILLUS. Like members of the Ephesian church in the Book of Revelation, many believers have lost their first love — that is, they’ve lost their passion for Jesus.

b. somewhere along the way they have lost their motivation for the things of God

3. what then, is the secret of a constant flow of enthusiasm in the Christian life?

a. what is it that will motivate the believer in his or her pursuit of spiritual things?

b. the answer is the fire of the Holy Spirit!

ILLUS. Christian author, Stewart Edinburgh, once wrote: “The supreme need of the church is the same in the twentieth century as in the first; it is men on fire for Christ.”

4. God wants you and I to be enthusiastic about life in Christ

a. He wanted the Thessalonian believers to be enthusiastic about life

b. But somehow, they had become negative, so in his final instructions the Apostle Paul includes the phrase, “Quench not the Spirit”

c. in other words, they are to stop doing whatever it is they are doing that is quenching the Spirit of God in their lives

A. THE ENEMIES OF THE ENTHUSIASTIC, POSITIVE, SPIRIT-FILLED LIFE

1. God wants us to be enthusiastic about the things in life that really matter

a. He wants you to be enthusiastic about your relationships with other believers

b. He wants you to be enthusiastic about those things which build the inner man in character and spirituality

1) things like Bible study

2) and devotional time

3) and worship

4) and service and ministry

2. but let’s be honest, the fact is, family reunions, sports activities, camping trips, and hours on the Internet offer infinitely more excitement to the average believer then does Bible study, worship or ministry

3. why is that?

a. from God’s viewpoint the answer is very clear — hardened hearts

b. when our hearts are hardened by sin we will always be more enthusiastic about the entertainments of the world then the character-building requirements of the faith

4. many believers lack enthusiasm about spiritual things because they have dampened the fire which produces the enthusiasm

a. remember when you first got saved?

1) do you remember your passion for going to church?

2) do you remember how you couldn’t get enough of God’s word?

3) remember how you wanted to go to every church fellowship because you couldn’t get enough of God’s people

b. what happened to the fire that once burn in your heart?

5. to the Thessalonians, Paul had to say, “Stop quenching the Spirit”

a. the same instruction is relevant for the church today

6. the New Testament speaks of three sins which a believer can commit against the Holy Spirit

a. The First Sin Is Resisting the Holy Spirit

““You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you.” (Acts 7:51, ESV)

1) resisting the Holy Spirit is when you say no to the Holy Spirit

ILLUS. For six long months I said no to the Holy Spirit when I felt God’s call into the ministry. I clearly understood the call, and I just as clearly said no to the Spirit’s leadership in my life because that was not what I wanted to do with my life.

2) when you resist the Holy Spirit, several things will happen in your life

a) God will stop working in your life and you’ll become miserable

b) you will no longer have a sense of spiritual peace — peace is a gift of the Holy Spirit and when you are resisting him they can be no peace

3) you will become deaf to other prompting of the Holy Spirit because you’ve tuned him out

b. The Second Sin Is Grieving the Holy Spirit

“Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. 32 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” (Ephesians 4:29–32, ESV)

1) like a wayward or rebellious child grieves the hearts of his or her parents when they act inappropriately, so too can the believer bring grief to the Holy Spirit when we act inappropriately

a) we act inappropriately when we do unChristian acts such as corrupt speech

b) we act inappropriately when we have unChristian attitudes such as bitterness

c) we act inappropriately when we neglect Christian duties such as failing to forgive one another

2) the word grieve means to wound the feelings

a) when we act or think in an un-Christlike way we are wounding the feelings of the Third Person of the Trinity

c. The Third Sin Is Quenching the Holy Spirit

“Do not quench the Spirit.” (1 Thessalonians 5:19, ESV)

1) the word quench, when used of fire, means to extinguish, to smother, or to stifle

a) Paul does not mean that we can diminish the essence of the Holy Spirit, but we can effectually extinguish the spiritual fire He builds within our heart

2) we quench the Holy Spirit when we disregard His presence

a) no one likes to be ignored

ILLUS One of the quickest ways you can extinguish the fires of passion within a marriage or a friendship is to take the other person for granted.

b) the same is true with the Holy Spirit in your life

3) we quench the Holy Spirit when we deny Him full possession of our life

“And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit,” (Ephesians 5:18, ESV)

a) this is one of those verses that loses something in the translation

b) the phrase be filled means to be filled once and for all for all time

4) we quench the Holy Spirit when we ignore His presence, disobey Him and sin

ILLUS. Robert Jeffres, pastor of the 1st Baptist Church of Dallas, Texas writes that any sin will quench the Holy Spirit, but four sins in particular will do so, because they so consume our thoughts and actions. They are Sexual immorality, Bitterness, Greed, and Worry.

a) the Holy Spirit is always prompting us to do the right thing

b) if we turn away when we feel His presence we quench His presence in our lives

c) when we feel the Holy Spirit impressing us to do something we must give expression to the impression

d) if we do not, it will lead to a suppression of our spiritual life

III. APPLICATION

1. how do we stoke the presence and work of the Holy Spirit in our lives?

A. HAVE COMPLETE TRUST IN GOD’S SPIRIT

1. in Matthew 3:11, John the Baptist announced that Jesus would baptize us with the Holy Spirit and with fire

a. that fire represents the presence of the Holy Spirit in us

2. there are only two things you can do with a fire

a. you can extinguish it — which is what many believers have done

b. you can stoke it — so that it burns brighter and hotter

3. when the fire of the Holy Spirit is fueled by our obedience, there is uncontainable enthusiasm for . . .

a. the Bible

b. for our life in Christ

c. for fellow believers

d. for lost people

e. for the things of God

4. enthusiasm is the key to great living!

ILLUS. After hearing him preach a skeptic said of Dwight L. Moody, “Moody speaks as if he had a monopoly on the Holy Spirit.” The response by another man in the crowd was, “Moody has no monopoly on the Holy Spirit, but the Holy Spirit has a monopoly on Moody.”

5. God asks us to trust Him implicitly

a. if we’ve trusted God with our eternal soul then why are we so afraid to trust the Spirit with our life tomorrow?

b. the Holy Spirit will never ask you to do anything He will not give you the ability to perform

c. the Holy Spirit will never ask you to do anything that is spiritually unhealthy

6. knowing this ought to lead us to complete trust in the Holy Spirit

I hope that you are tired of the mundane Christian life. God did not intend for it to be that way. The reason we are so often unenthusiastic about our Christian life and the things of God is that we have sinned against the Holy Spirit. We are quenching His presence in our life. I pray that this morning you will decide to give the Holy Spirit His rightful place in your life and experience the enthusiasm which only His free-flowing power can give.