QUENCH
1 Thessalonians 5:12-28
#1Thessalonians5
INTRODUCTION… The Word Quench (etymonline.com/search?q=quench)
Some words in the English language are just weird or sound strange. “Nugget” is a weird word. “Fungus,” “kerfuffle,” “cattywampus,” are also weird words. Some words sound bad but aren’t. “Formication,” “squelch,” and “chunk” all just sound bad. I think that is also true for one of the words that we find in the middle of the passage we are going to read today. The word is… “quench.” It just sounds bad. If you call someone a “quench” that sounds bad. Or you get stuck in a “quench” and you just know you are never getting out. I got sick and all I could do was “quench.” It is just a bad sounding word no matter how you use it. And yet, it is not a bad word. It is actually a simple word.
The word quench means to satisfy one’s thirst by drinking. It also means to extinguish a fire. The two are related in my mind in that when I am hot and sweating, the drink cools me down just as a fire can be cooled down. It comes from a middle english word ‘quenchen’ which means to “extinguish or put out heat, light, fire, desire, hunger, or thirst.” Seems pretty related to “drenching something in water.” Again, not a bad word, but a simple one.
The word behind “Quench” is used 8 times in the New Testament.
One of the times caught my eye. I like Ephesians 6:15 which says, “In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one…” The ‘extinguish’ there in that verse is the same word as ‘quench.’ Because I watch too many movies with swords and shields and arrows and battles, I know that if you soak your shield in water or cover your shield in leather soaked in water, flaming arrows snuff out when they attack you. We see flaming arrows (or darts) being put out. Quench is the removal of fire.
Enough of that… let’s read the passage today and see what ‘quench’ has to do with 1 Thessalonians 5… and us!
READ 1 THESSALONIANS 5:12-28 (ESV)
We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, 13 and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. 14 And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. 15 See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone. 16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 19 Do not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not despise prophecies, 21 but test everything; hold fast what is good. 22 Abstain from every form of evil. 23 Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it. 25 Brothers, pray for us. 26 Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss. 27 I put you under oath before the Lord to have this letter read to all the brothers. 28 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
The Apostle Paul is closing out his first letter to the Thessalonians and as normal, he has some rapid fire commands, advice, suggestions, and all around good description of boundaries for us to follow. In his saying, ‘goodbye’ to the Thessalonians, he wants to lay out good solid one time shots for them to encourage their faith and strengthen them. That is his whole purpose… to encourage and strengthen. So, that is my purpose today as well… to encourage you and strengthen you.
VERSE 19
In the middle of these verses, in verse 19, the Apostle Paul says simply, “Do not quench the Spirit.” That verse jumped off the page at me and burned me a little. The verse has a lot of meaning simply because he uses the word “quench.” There are two ways that you and I can take this verse and I don’t think either of them are wrong.
The first way is that Paul is admonishing us not to get rid of the hunger and thirst of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Hungering and thirsting after God is a good thing. Matthew 5:6 tells us that a person who ‘hungers and thirsts’ after righteousness is blessed and satisfied. In John 6:35, Jesus Christ tells us that when we hunger and thirst after Him, we will not be hungry and we will not be thirsty… we are to seek after Him. Hungering and thirsting after God is a good thing. Paul says in verse 19 that we should not get rid of the hunger and thirst of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
The second way we can take this verse is that the Apostle Paul is admonishing us not to drown out the fire of the Holy Spirit in our lives and the intensity the Holy Spirit brings to us. Being ‘on fire’ with the Holy Spirit is a good thing. John the Baptist, in Matthew 3:11 (Luke 3:16), says that when Jesus comes He baptizes us with the Holy Spirit and with fire. Even in the Book of Revelation (4:5), the Apostle John’s vision sees the Holy Spirt equated with fire. The intensity and burning and consuming nature of fire is likened to the Holy Spirit and this is a good thing. Paul says in verse 19 that we should not drown out the intensity of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
ILLUSTRATION… Breathe on Me, Breath of God (Hymn #3); Favorite Hymns of Praise, 1972
Breathe on me, Breath of God, fill me with life anew, that I may love what You love and do what You do.
Breathe on me, Breath of God, until my heart is pure, until with You I have one will to do and endure.
Breathe on me, Breath of God, until I am wholly Yours, until the earthly part of me glows with divine fire.
Breathe on me, Breath of God, so shall I never die, but live with You perfectly in eternity.
Amen.
KEY QUESTION
As I looked over the verses around verse 19, I noticed recipes to hunger and thirst after and I noticed logs for the fire. Let me explain what I mean. My thoughts immediately went to the key question when looking at this verse: “How do I obey?”
I hear the words of the Apostle Paul and I want to obey. I want to have a life full of God, abiding in Christ, and one where the Holy Spirit is alive and active in me. I hope you want that too. So again… “How do I obey?”
Give me a practical answer! I looked around verse 19 and noticed ingredient to hunger and thirst after that would create in me a hunger for God and develop that righteous hunger that Jesus teaches about. By hungering and thirsting and pressing forward in these areas, I would keep the Holy Spirit hunger alive in me and draw me close to God.
Give me a practical answer! I looked around verse 19 and noticed logs for the fire that would stoke the Spirit’s presence in my life and allow me to burn bright for God and be consumed for Jesus Christ. By adding these efforts and thoughts in my life, I would keep the Holy Spirit bonfire burning large in me and draw me close to God.
“How do I obey?”
ILLUSTRATION… Breathe on Me, Breath of God (Hymn #3); Favorite Hymns of Praise, 1972
Breathe on me, Breath of God, fill me with life anew, that I may love what You love and do what You do.
Breathe on me, Breath of God, until my heart is pure, until with You I have one will to do and endure.
Breathe on me, Breath of God, until I am wholly Yours, until the earthly part of me glows with divine fire.
Breathe on me, Breath of God, so shall I never die, but live with You perfectly in eternity.
Amen.
VERSES 12-28
Here is the problem… as I looked around verse 19 in the passage, I noticed 12 different ingredients or logs for us to obey to increase our hunger and thirst or to add to the fire. That is too many… and yet they are all there. A sermon should have a minimum one point and at most four. People tend to remember only 7 items in a list if that. We are talking 12 here. 12 is too many to focus on or remember or even apply all the way. Last week we had 4 sermons… welcome to a passage that has 12 possible sermons.
So here is what I would like you to do, please get out your sermon notes found in your bulletin (if you haven’t already), and you will notice after the word “Application” there is the list of all 12 items I found in this last section of 1 Thessalonians. We are going to go over each one briefly… dig into them a little as to why the Apostle Paul mentions these to the Thessalonians… and then I am going to ask you to prayerfully mark a few of them, but we will get to that later. Right now, let’s just read over the list, fill in the blanks, and do a little thinking and mediating on God’s Word.
Honor Pastors (verses 12-13)
“12 We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, 13 and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work.”
This is a little embarrassing or self-serving since I am a pastor and I am the one saying this, but honoring your pastor and other ministers you know is a great way to burn more intense for the Lord. I will try and speak objectively about this and not place myself in this and I would add to this that elders are also in this mix. There are people who have dedicated their whole lives to serving the Lord and they sacrifice themselves, family time, and invite into their lives stress for other people, problems, and church politics. I would say most of the time Church life negatively impacts ministers, minister’s wives, and especially minister’s children. We should be overly thankful and respect and honor those people who bring us the Word, teach, visit us in hospitals, marry and bury, and all of the other leadership aspects of the church. Church leadership is a hard worthy task from the Lord.
By honoring those who labor among us in the Lord, we by extension are honoring the Lord and create a healthy church body where everyone is honored, loved, esteemed and valued.
Be at Peace (verse 13)
“13 Be at peace among yourselves.”
I think “peace” between people is sometimes a tall order. Arguments, differing opinions, politics, life choices, and so many other pressures come between us and make for hard conversations and brokenness. What does it take to be at peace? At the most… humbleness and stuffing pride. At the least… keeping our mouth shut.
Romans 12:18 (ESV) says, “so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.” By aiming for peace with people around us, we will be stretched and twisted and turned in ways towards righteousness and Christlikeness that make us completely uncomfortable and probably seem unfair. That uncomfortableness will grow us in the Lord and grow our hunger and thirst for God because we will be following after Him and breaking out of our normal natural nature which may keep us at odds with someone or a group.
Encourage hard work (verse 14)
“14 And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle… be patient with them all.”
The Bible does talk about idleness, laziness, or not working to our full potential. In the Book of Proverbs especially (6:6, 10:4-5, 10:26, 12:24, 12:27, 13:4, 14:23, 18:9, 19:5, 19:15, 20:4, 20:13, 21:25, 26:13-16) points out that being slack, enjoying too much sleep, letting too much go, and not being diligent in our work is not a wise way to live. Idleness invites nothing but ruin into our lives.
It is good and right and Godly to patiently help someone along who has adopted a work ethic that will not serve them well or their family well in their lives. This is a touchy conversation. This is not an easy effort. It feels a little like butting in I think, but if you have someone in your life who living in a way that hurts them, it is worth it to patiently encourage them to work hard.
By patiently encouraging someone to work hard, we are loving them in a difficult way. It may be difficult, but it is best. The Holy Spirit is alive and active in us in times when we are doing difficult things that are best.
Encourage the fainthearted (verse 14)
14 And we urge you, brothers… encourage the fainthearted… be patient with them all.
Life is not easy. Emotions are hard. When we know someone is having a difficult time and are brokenhearted or fainthearted or dealing with depression or sickness, and we reach out… we are being the hands and feet and heart of God. Psalm 34:18 says, “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.” When we reach out to someone who is hurting, we can be assured that it is always God’s will for us.
We will need to pray and rely on the Holy Spirit on what to say and what not to say when we are making the effort to encourage someone in the midst of a trial. Making the effort to encourage and praying with them will lead them to rely on the Lord, but us as well! We have to be filled with the Spirit to properly be able to give out and serve and love someone who is hurting.
Help the weak (verse 14)
14 And we urge you, brothers… help the weak, be patient with them all.
Again, life is not ever easy. I wondered what this word meant in verse 14 since the previous word mentioned was ‘fainthearted.’ The word in this part of the verse specifically means ‘physically weak.’ There is spiritual value and spiritual fuel that happens when we serve one another and especially when we serve someone who we know is hurting or can’t repay the kindness.
We help and love and serve because God is our motivation. Nothing else. Patient selfless service will bring the Holy Spirit’s fire into our lives and create a hunger and thirst after righteousness like nothing else.
Turn the other cheek (verse 15)
“15 See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone.”
The verse says not to repay anyone ‘evil for evil’ and I immediately thought of Jesus and His words in Matthew 5:39 and Luke 6:29 where He says the same thing. When we replace burning anger or the hunger for revenge in our lives with forgiveness and goodness, we fire up the Holy Spirit inside us. God’s people are not people who return evil for evil, but rather seek peace and forgiveness and justice and what is right.
This is another one of those areas where we will be stretched and twisted and turned in ways towards righteousness and Christlikeness that make us completely uncomfortable and definitely seem unfair. That uncomfortableness will grow us in the Lord and grow our hunger and thirst for God because we will be following after Him and breaking out of our normal natural nature which may keep us at odds with someone.
Rejoice (verse 16)
“16 Rejoice always”
Depending on the particular Bible you have in your hands, the verse might also say: “Rejoice evermore” (KJV, KJ21); “Rejoice always” (ASV, CEB, NASB, ESV, HCSB); “Always be joyful” (NLT, CEV, TLB)
“Always rejoice” (NET).
What is the source of joy? Joy, true joy, comes only from abiding in the presence of God. Joy, true joy, comes from an authentic personal relationship with Jesus Christ. When I say the words “abide in the presence of God” or “an authentic personal relationship with Jesus Christ” do you know what I mean?
I mean you have accepted Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior and you have the presence of the Holy Spirit in your life. I mean we are obedient to God and not actively pushing Him away with our lifestyle, sinful choices, and hypocrisy. I mean we are constantly trying to surrender our will to His will and allow Him to direct our mouths, heart, soul, and decisions. I mean we are allowing ourselves to be transformed to look more like Jesus Christ each and every day. I mean we on purpose spend time in prayer, reading Scripture, and listening to the direction of God. “Abiding in the presence of God” is the only source of joy that I can find in Scripture.
Focusing on joy in God fuels the Holy Spirit in our lives.
ILLUSTRATION… Breathe on Me, Breath of God (Hymn #3); Favorite Hymns of Praise, 1972
Breathe on me, Breath of God, fill me with life anew, that I may love what You love and do what You do.
Breathe on me, Breath of God, until my heart is pure, until with You I have one will to do and endure.
Breathe on me, Breath of God, until I am wholly Yours, until the earthly part of me glows with divine fire.
Breathe on me, Breath of God, so shall I never die, but live with You perfectly in eternity.
Amen.
Pray without ceasing (verse 17)
“17 pray without ceasing”
In each of our lives we face… Decisions and opportunities that have to be accepted or rejected;
Economic hardships and downturns; Temptation inside of us and outside of us that lead us into sin and away from God; The unknown and change; Stress and worry that keep us up and night; Relationship issues in marriage; Issues with children and grandchildren, in friendships, and with co-workers; Hearing bad news that breaks our hearts; Feelings of loneliness, loss, fear, and brokenness; Times of prosperity and blessings and goodness; Blessings of good friends and family and productive relationships; Criticism and restlessness… and so much more.
Prayer is communicating with the God of the universe and plugging into the Holy Spirit that will enable us with hunger and thirst and fire to face everything life throws at us. Prayer fills us up with the Holy Spirit. Prayer is an essential part that feeds our spirits and connects us with the Spirit.
Give thanks (verse 18)
“18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
Thankfulness in all circumstances fuels the Holy Spirit and opens our eyes and ears and heart to the many blessings and plans and workings that God is doing in us and around us. Thankfulness is an important ingredient in prayer, in worship, and in our relationships with other people.
The phrase ‘in all circumstances’ is shocking to us, but is nevertheless part of the hunger and thirst and fire of the Holy Spirit. When we fully trust in the plan and character of God, we can be thankful always because we trust in Him.
The Holy Spirit in us responds to us. God responds to us. He responds to our emotions. Thankfulness is a gateway emotion. Thankfulness is a fueling emotion. Thankfulness is a filling emotion. When we cultivate thankfulness in our hearts and in our minds, we crowd out the possibility of negative emotions or draining thoughts. Thankfulness takes over. Thankfulness fuels God in us and draws us close to Him.
Test prophecies (verses 20-21)
“20 Do not despise prophecies, 21 but test everything”
There are many voices in this world that claim to be good and claim to be from God. Just because something looks good or sounds good or sounds true does not make it so. Just because someone posts a Facebook video and claims to have a message from God does not mean it is from God. There are many voices in this world that would drown out the voice of the Holy Spirit in our lives and draw us away from God.
What are we to do? Verse 21 says ‘test everything.’ Test what you hear against the written Word of God. Test what someone shares with you by praying about it. Test what you read on the internet by asking a pastor or bringing it up in a small group. Test everything we hear and see and read and study so that we will sharpen our ears and hearts to God’s Truth. We cannot know unless we test it.
Digging in the Word, praying, and having fruitful spiritual discussions only adds to our hunger and thirst for God and fans the flame of faith our lives. The Holy Spirit in us responds when we dig in faith and want to live righteously according to the Truth.
Hold onto what is good (verse 21)
“21 hold fast what is good”
Our world is confused. Good is called bad. Bad is called good. Good is called evil. Evil is called good. The Holy Spirit will burn bright in us and our spiritual lives will be hungry and thirsty when we make the concentrated effort to hold onto what we know is ‘good’ even though everything we see and hear tells us otherwise. Standing firm in what is good will enliven the Holy Spirit in us and He will give us strength to stand faithful to the Truth.
Abstain from evil (verse 22)
“22 Abstain from every form of evil”
Some of this might sound familiar. Our world is confused. Good is called bad. Bad is called good. Good is called evil. Evil is called good. The Holy Spirit will burn bright in us and our spiritual lives will be hungry and thirsty when we make the concentrated effort to get rid of what we know is ‘evil’ even though everything we see and hear tells us otherwise. Rejecting evil thoughts, attitudes, prejudices, and ways of living will enliven the Holy Spirit in us and He will give us strength to stand faithful to the Truth.
ILLUSTRATION… Breathe on Me, Breath of God (Hymn #3); Favorite Hymns of Praise, 1972
Breathe on me, Breath of God, fill me with life anew, that I may love what You love and do what You do.
Breathe on me, Breath of God, until my heart is pure, until with You I have one will to do and endure.
Breathe on me, Breath of God, until I am wholly Yours, until the earthly part of me glows with divine fire.
Breathe on me, Breath of God, so shall I never die, but live with You perfectly in eternity.
Amen.
APPLICATION
1 Thessalonians 5:19 says “Do not quench the Spirit.” How do we obey that? How do we stay hungry and thirsty for God? How do we feed the flame of the Holy Spirit in our lives? Around verse 19 we have 12 different ingredients or logs for us to obey to increase our hunger and thirst or to add to the fire.
Here is what I would like you to do: Please get out your sermon notes found in your bulletin (if you haven’t already), and you will notice after the word “Application” there is the list of all 12 items I found in this last section of 1 Thessalonians that we briefly touched on. I am going to pray in a moment and then I am going to ask you to mark 4 to 5 things on the list.
We are going to ask the Holy Spirit to guide us in marking 4 to 5 of the things in the list that you feel drawn to do or to make an effort in over the next few weeks. Is there someone you need to make peace with? Someone to encourage or minister to? Is forgiveness needed somewhere? Do you need to pray more? Something good to hold onto or something bad to kick out?
We will pray. Then we will mark.
PRAYER TO GUIDE EACH ONE AS THEY LISTEN FOR GOD’S VOICE TO MARK THE LIST
Go ahead and mark 4 to 5 of the things in the list that you feel drawn to do or to make an effort in over the next few weeks.
CONCLUSION
* May you be encouraged today to hunger and thirst after the Holy Spirit.
* May you be strengthened today to fan the flame of the Holy Spirit.
