11/09/08 “Fire Quencher”
1 Thessalonians 5:16-22
16 Rejoice evermore. 17 Pray without ceasing. 18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
19 Quench not the Spirit.
20 Despise not prophesyings. 21 Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. 22 Abstain from all appearance of evil.
(prayer)
Paul wrote these words to the early church in Thessalonica. He wanted to pass on to them some basic instructions for living out the Christian life, as well as, how to worship and glorify God as a church.
He gave them some things to do, and some things not to do!
We are going to focus on vs. 19… “Quench not the Spirit.”
That word “quench” means “to put out, to extinguish, to suppress, to squelch” -answers.com
Paul used the term in the sense of putting out a fire. (Extinguishing a flame.)
Our youth planned for a bonfire yesterday…it’s interesting how a fire is exciting…People are drawn to a good fire…camp fire, bon-fire, the warmth of a fire, the glow of the fire in the night sky.
(Have you all seen the DVD’s which are a fire burning and crackling? It’s supposed be like having your own fireplace without the hassle…it’s not the same thing.)
(Remembering...my parents cardboard Christmas brick fireplace with the light, and the round turning disc that made it look like it was a flickering fire.)
The Holy Spirit is often pictured throughout scripture as fire.
John the Baptist stated…
Matt. 3:11 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:
Remember when the disciples and other followers were gathered together that day of Pentecost…the Bible tells us that they were gathered there in one place, and one accord (one mind, one goal…to worship and glorify the Lord).
Scripture says that while they were sitting there, there was the sound of a rushing mighty wind, and the Holy Spirit filled the room.
And, it was then that the Holy Spirit began to indwell believers. And, the Bible says the sign of this great thing was…
Ac 2:3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.
Again, fire many times was used to illustrate the Holy Spirit working.
Paul warned this early church…don’t quench the Spirit!
Don’t put out the flame!
You need to understand the work of the Holy Spirit to understand the severity of the warning.
The Lord said that He would send the Holy Spirit.
He told the disciples before His death…
John 14:16-17
16 And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you for ever;
17 Even the Spirit of Truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth Him not, neither knoweth Him: but ye know Him; for He dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
Now, the Holy Spirit was not something new. The Holy Spirit has always been around. He’s always been at work.
He is part of the Trinity…God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit…separate, yet one God.
In the times of the OT, the Holy Spirit did not indwell the believer permanently, but God would move His Spirit upon those that believed.
The Holy Spirit would help that person understand God’s Word, and empower the believer to accomplish the Lord’s will.
Ex. The Bible says the Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon…he defeated the Midianites who were more than could be numbered. He did so with three hundred men who used lamps, trumpets, and pitchers.
The Bible says that the Spirit of the Lord came upon Samson when faced by a young, roaring lion…and Samson rent him in two.
The Bible says that when David was just a shepherd boy, the least of his family…the Lord anointed him to be king, and the Spirit of the Lord came upon him
The phrase “the Spirit of the Lord” is used at least 31 times in scripture.
It is followed by the words…
“came upon”
“began to move”
“came mightily upon”
“will come upon”
“shall rest upon Him”
“in the midst of the congregation”
“shall lift up”
“is upon me”
“fell upon me”
The Holy Spirit’s function has not changed. He still does what He always has done…however, after Christ’s death, His resurrection, and His ascension to the right hand of the throne of the Father in heaven…
The Holy Spirit not only comes upon the believer, but indwells and fills the believer, permanently…forever the Bible says.
He came, as scripture tells us…
John 16:13
Howbeit when He, the Spirit of Truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth: for He shall not speak of Himself; but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak: and He will shew you things to come.
The Holy Spirit reveals God’s Word, God’s Truth to us.
The Holy Spirit reveals to us, what the Lord is saying.
The Holy Spirit reveals to us, what the Lord is doing.
The Holy Spirit empowers us to live for Him.
It is impossible to say, or act as if you are right with God, and not be right with the Spirit!
It is impossible to say you are in tune with God, yet not be in tune with the Spirit!
It is impossible to be used by God, while quenching the very Spirit of God!
The work of the Holy Spirit is an important thing. It is a vital thing, a necessary thing, and an awesome thing!
The Spirit will even work on our behalf when we don’t even know what we need, or that we are even in need…
Rom. 8:26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
We don’t always know what we need, but for the believer the Holy Spirit speaks to the Lord on our behalf!
The Holy Spirit has a job to perform…and He will perform it…the question becomes will He be allowed to use you to accomplish what God has sent Him to do?!
Are you going to let the Holy Spirit do His job? Or, are you going to stand in the way!
Will you be one who fans the flame of the Spirit, or quenches the fire of the Spirit?
Fanning the flame is more than possessing the Spirit.
I possess the Spirit when I became saved.
But, being led by the Spirit is something that happens every day!
And, it is only when you are led by Him that you are fanning the flame (allowing Him to work) rather than quenching the fire (quenching the Spirit)!
There are tragedies in scripture when the Spirit was quenched…
The Bible says when Samson told Deliah where his strength had come from, from no razor being put to his head because he was a Nazarite (separated to God from birth).
The Bible says that she caused him to go to sleep, and had his head shaved…and yelled the Philistines be upon thee Samson…he got up to defeat them as he at times had done before…but his strength had left him because the Lord (the Spirit) had departed from him. (Judges 16:20)
Numerous times the Bible speaks of the Children of Israel going into battle without the presence (Spirit) of the Lord…and every time it was catastrophic.
What about in the NT when Ananias and Sapphira, members of the early church sold a piece of property…they were to give a certain amount to God, but they robbed God, they cheated God, they held back their offering…they lied about how much it was sold for…and Peter told Ananias…
Acts 5:3 But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land?
The Bible says that Ananias fell down dead…they carried his body out and buried him.
Scripture says his wife came three hours later, probably looking for her husband. Peter asked her the same thing he asked her husband, and she lied as well…they were in on it together…
Acts 5:9 Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out.
And, they did.
The prophet Isaiah wrote about those that went against the Spirit of the Lord…
Isa. 63:10 But they rebelled, and vexed His holy Spirit: therefore He was turned to be their enemy, and He fought against them.
Isaiah said that if you go against the Spirit of the Lord…God will be your enemy!
You think you have enemies…you think you have problems…you don’t want God against you!!
Stephen declared to those that were about to stone him…who thought they were doing the right thing…
Acts 7:51 Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye.
Paul warned believers…
Eph. 4:30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.
Jesus said…
Luke 12:10 And whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but unto him that blasphemeth against the Holy Ghost it shall not be forgiven.
That blaspheming is the utter rejection of Christ…
It is also attributing the work of the Lord, the work of the Spirit to the hand of satan.
There are numerous ways to quench the Spirit, as well as, flat out refuse, or strive against the Spirit of God…
And, at no time, is it ever just overlooked. At no time, does God Almighty wink at it, or shrug it off as some small thing!
The biggest problem in our world, in our country, and in our churches is so called Christians quenching the Spirit of God!
The Bible says…
Isa 40:13 Who hath directed the Spirit of the LORD, or being His counsellor hath taught Him.
You don’t tell the Spirit of God what to do…the Spirit tells you!
When you decide that you’re in charge…you just made God your enemy!
When you seek you own will, rather than the Spirit’s than you are quenching the Spirit!
It is no small thing!
Conclusion:
There are three things that are needed to have a fire…you need air, heat, and fuel.
Fire-green wood for fuel won’t burn…
Dead wood burns great…
Lighter fluid produces a flame, but not a consuming fire. The flames quickly die.
It only burns on the outside, but the inside remains green (full of water, sap, full of itself) unwilling to yield to the heat of the flame.
Dead wood burns quickly, and completely. It gives no resistance. It produces the hottest flame, and the greatest warmth…yet, it has to be dead to do so…empty of the things that would quench the fire.
What are you saying?
If you want to be led by the Spirit…if you want to be a fanner of the flame…
You have to die to self.
You have to die to what you want, and what you want to do.
You have to empty yourself out of you, so the Lord can fill you up with Him!
You need to understand that you are not the flame, the spark, or the fire…or the Creator of it…the Holy Spirit is…that’s His job.
That’s why when true revival starts, it always starts with you!
I told you there are three things that you need to have for a fire…air, heat, and fuel. You are not the air, and you are not the heat. You are supposed to be the fuel…
You don’t create the fire of God, but you can fan the flame, you can kindle the fire…you can fuel it…or you can quench it!
Romans 8:1-15
1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.
6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His.
10 And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
11 But if the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by His Spirit that dwelleth in you.
12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.
13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
“Quench not the Spirit of God”
…nor do the things that hinder His working…
…fan the flame…be the fuel…
…let the Spirit of God consume you!
