A Life Of Christ-Centred Consistency

Amen. Let's turn in God's Word.

First Thessalonians chapter 5. We're reading today from verse

1 Thessalonians 5 · chapter mention

19 right through to verse 28. First Thessalonians chapter 5,

1 Thessalonians 5:19

verse 19. Let's hear the word of God.

Quench not the spirit, despise not prophecy, prove all things,

hold fast that which is good, abstain from all appearance of

evil, and the very God of peace. Sanctify you holy, and I pray

God, your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved.

Blameness unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Faithful is he that calleth you who also will do it.

Brethren, pray for us. Greet all the brethren with an

holy kiss. I charge you by the Lord that

this epistle be read unto all the holy brethren.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.

Amen. Amen.

Now this morning we are continuing with our series of

expository sermons in the book of First Thessalonians Today.

My text is taken from First Thessalonians 5 verses 19 and 20

1 Thessalonians 5:19

and it reads as follows. Quench not the Spirit, despise

not prophesying. Here's the call to the church to

a life of Christ centred consistency.

Notice, as the Apostle Paul brings his letter to this young

persecuted church to a close, he does so with a series of short,

Christ centred, spirit LED, urgent exhortations that help

define and shape the ordinary Christian life.

Now, as I pointed out last Lord's Day morning, these are

not just random commands. Instead they are righteous

commands, not just spontaneous exhortations, but spirit LED,

Spirit guided exhortations. The last Lord's Day I set before

you 3 commands to this Christ centred church, namely REPWC.

And in everything give thanks. Why?

Because this is the will of God for the true born again believer

individually and for the true church congregationally and

universally. The will of God for all in

Christ Jesus is to rejoice evermore.

And I've explained that last week, but it's not what it is.

And also it's the will of God to pray without ceasing.

And I did the same, set it forth negatively and positively.

And the third command is to give thanks.

Then Paul adds to those 3 commands two additional

commands. Quench not the Spirit, Despise

not prophesying. Now notice these 5 commands are

all interconnected. They are not isolated commands.

You see, let me put it this way. A joyless church that's a

prayerless church will not only be a thankless church, but a a

joyless, prayerless, thankless church will end up becoming a

spirit quenching church, and then it will become a word

denying church. And that's the big danger.

And that's a real danger for the Free Presbyterian Church of the

75th anniversary year. It's interesting that Doctor

Martyn Lloyd Jones 75 years ago stated in preaching this text is

the tax for the church that was true in his day 75 years ago.

And if it was true back then, 75 years ago, surely it's even more

true now. What are we called to do in the

ordinary Christian life? Rejoice evermore.

Pray without ceasing in everything.

Give thanks, for this is the will of God and Christ Jesus

concerning you. And then he throws in two

additional commands. Quenched not the Spirit, Despise

not prophesying. You see, the true Church must

never ever be found guilty of quenching the Spirit and

becoming a word denying church. The moment it does that, it

ceases to be a true church. Look at the text.

Listen again to the words. Quench not the Spirit, the spies

not prophesying. What can we learn from these 7

words this morning? You know, when we look at these

words, think about them. We should pray even as David

prayed. Teach me, teach me as a prayer.

We've come to the House of God, we've come to worship the Lord.

We've come to offer praise to him.

We've come to pray even a silent prayer in our heart.

And you can pray in your heart right now, not even audibly.

You can just pray those two words.

Lord, teach me, teach me as a prayer.

May the Lord give us a teachable spirit.

Three things in the text that come to me.

One, the person that is mentioned, look at verse 19,

quench not the spirit. Now who is the apostle Paul

referring to the spirit. There's two options.

One, there's the human spirit or the Holy Spirit.

I do not believe it's a reference to the human spirit to

the spirit of man. I believe it's a reference to

the Spirit of the Maker. This is a reference to none

other than the Spirit of God. Notice the capital S quenched,

not the Spirit. This is a reference to the third

person of the Holy Trinity, one who is Co equal.

It Co exists and Co eternal with the Father and with the Son.

Now, I believe that the doctrine of the Holy Spirit is one of the

most neglected doctrines in the church today.

The Holy Spirit is often ignored, misunderstood and

misrepresented. Yet, as I said on Friday night,

what we believe about the Holy Spirit is foundational and

fundamental to Bible believing Christianity.

If we are an error in connection to the doctrine of the Holy

Spirit, that will lead to false worship, lead to a false

assurance, and lead to false salvation.

Now let's learn what the Bible teaches about the Spirit.

The person that is mentioned, the Spirit, the Holy Spirit, is

a actual person. The Holy Spirit is not merely an

influence or a spiritual force or an impersonal power.

The Holy Spirit is not an it. The Holy Spirit is a real person

and he possesses intellect. He displays emotions and he

exercises a will. I'm just going to quote the

references. I'm not going to turn to them

for having time this morning. He has a will.

First Corinthians chapter 12 verse 11 he speaks.

1 Corinthians 12:11

Read Revelation chapter 2 and 37 references in those two chapters

Revelation 2 · chapter mention

to these words. He that appears to hear, let him

hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

You see the Spirit speaks. He intercedes for us.

Romans chapter 8 verse 26 He commands.

Romans 8:26

Acts 16-6 and seven separate me, Barnabas and Saul, for the work

pour unto I have called them. He guides us into all truth over

there in John chapter 16 and in the verse 13 we read.

John 16 · chapter mention

How be it when he, the Spirit of truth has 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 show

you things to come. He can be lied to.

The story of Ananias and Sapphira in Acts chapter 5 and

Acts 5 · chapter mention

verse 34. Why has Satan put it in your

heart to lie to the Holy Ghost? You've not lied to men, but

you've lied to God. He can be insulted.

The book of Hebrews and Hebrews chapter 10 and in the verse 29

Hebrews 10 · chapter mention

actually tells us something that's interesting.

It says, Of how much sore punishment suppose ye, shall he

be thought worthy, who have trodden under foot the Son of

God, and have counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he

was sanctified and holy thing, and have done despite unto the

spirit of grace. The word despite means contempt.

He can be insulted in a very contemptuous manner.

He can be blasphemed Matthew chapter 12 verses 31 and 32.

Matthew 12:31

He can be grieved. Ephesians 4 and 30.

Grieve not the Spirit of God, for by your sealed unto the day

of redemption, and he can be quenched.

First Thessalonians 519. Now all of these human actions

and responses describe personality.

Only a real person can, will speak, teach, guide, be laid to

be grieved, quenched. The Holy Spirit is not a force.

He's not a force like gravity. He's a real person.

And in the Bible he has about 15 titles that describe his person

and work. These are 15 names whereby He's

known by, and one of them is the lovely name Comforter.

And that title Comforter demands and displays personality in John

John 14:16

14, verse 16. And I will pray the Father, and

he shall give you another comforter, that he may abide

with you forever. And then in John 15 verse 26, he

John 15:26

says this. But when the comforter has come,

we will send unto you from the Father, even the spirit of

truth, which proceedeth from the Father.

He shall testify of me. And again in the upper room

discourse. This is the third time, John 16,

John 16:7

verse 7. Nevertheless, I tell you the

truth, it is expedient for you that I go away, For if I go not

away, the Comforter will not come unto you, but if I depart,

I will send him unto you. Three times the Lord Jesus

called him the Comforter. No, that implies a person,

doesn't it? A person who comes alongside you

in your circumstance and situation.

A person who comes alongside you to help you, to counsel you, to

care for you, to comfort you. In other words, one who comes

alongside, who relates to you personally, who who understands

you despite your current situation and circumstance.

You see, a power can energise, but it cannot comfort.

Only a real person can take up that role.

True comfort is not mechanical, it's relational.

And of course, on top of that, there are personal actions of

the Holy Spirit. John 14, verse 26.

John 14:26

He shall teach you all things. He shall testify of Me.

He shall guide you into all truth.

These are not merely symbolic activities, but spirit LED

activities and they all require intelligence.

They all require will. They all require communication

and action. Now here's something I told them

on Friday night at the Bible study.

The personal work of the Holy Spirit in John 16, verses 7

John 16:7

through to 15. Read it carefully.

John 16 verses 7 through to 15 the Lord Jesus deliberately uses

John 16:7

the masculine demonstrative pronoun 12 times.

That masculine demonstrative pronoun is econos and it

literally means that one he to refer to the Holy Spirit.

So 12 times the Lord Jesus in that positive scripture referred

to the Holy Spirit as that one he of John 16, seven through to

15, rather than use the neuter gender Puma, which means spirit.

I believe that the Lord Jesus was deliberate.

He was making a theological, grammatical statement.

The Holy Spirit is not in it. The Holy Spirit is that one he.

He's a real person very quickly. He's also a divine person.

The Bible explicitly calls him God.

John 424. God is a spirit.

Acts 5, three to five. Peter said to Ananias and

Sapphira that was not lied to men but unto God, making direct

reference to the Holy Ghost. In Second Corinthians chapter 3

2 Corinthians 3:17

verse 17, we read the Lord is that spirit.

We'll add to these references where he's explicitly called

God. He possesses divine attributes

of eternality, omnipresence, omnipotence, omniscience.

He He is the creator and giver of life.

Job said Job 33 and 4. The Spirit of God hath given me

life. He's involved in the doctrine of

the Trinity included. He is included in the baptismal

formula, Matthew 28 and 19. He's included in the Apostolic

benediction, Second Corinthians 13 and 14.

The Holy Spirit is not just a real person, he's a divine

person, and the Holy Spirit's an active person over there.

In John chapter 16, verses 7 to 9, we read this.

John 16:7–9

Nevertheless, I tell you the truth is, it's speeding for you

that I go away. For if I go not away, the

comforter will not come unto you, but if I depart, I will

send them unto you. And when he has come, notice

those words, that one, he, when he has come, he will reprove the

world of sin and of righteousness and of judgement

of sin, because they believe not in me, of righteousness because

I go to my Father and you see me no more of judgement, because

the Prince of this world is judged.

It's the Holy Spirit's work to regenerate the dead Sinner into

newness of life. The Holy Spirit is the one who

applies Christ to the soul upon the gift of repentance and

faith. John Calvin said the Spirit is

not a dead thing, but a living fountain which must not be

obstructed. The Spirit of God is not a net,

He's not an impersonal force. The Spirit of God is none other

but God Himself, dwelling in the hearts of lies of His people

through faith in Christ. Remember Paul says in Romans

8:00 and 9:00, if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he, if

none of his, how do you know that you're in Christ?

How do you know you belong to the Saviour?

Not just because you give personal witness and testimony,

but here's the seal of God, the witness of the Spirit.

The Spirit of God has indwelt your human body.

You're indwelt by the Spirit, not just born of the Spirit.

So that's the person that's mentioned in our text.

Now let's go back to the text. OK, Quench not the Spirit.

Here's the prohibition that is addressed.

Quenched not the Spirit. Despised, not prophesying.

Now what does the word quenched mean?

Let me suggest. The word quenched means putting

out a fire. You you imagine a fire's lit in

your house and to quench it, you have to put it out.

Or maybe we'll simplify it. Think of without electricity and

you're going to bed and the candle's lit and you get into

bed and you've got the little flame in the candle and you want

to put it out. Well, rather than just blow it

out like what I would do, they used to have a little thing that

that smothered the flame on the candle, and then that quench

didn't put it out. You see, that's the picture

here. The word quench means to smother

the flame or to to put it out. Now the Holy Spirit's work in

the soul of man is like a a fire.

The word quench doesn't imply the Spirit's work like a fire is

powerful, yet it can be resisted.

It can be quenched. It can be smothered over.

Now we know what the Holy Spirit does.

He regenerates the dead Sinner and the newness of life.

That's one of his works. And you have they quickened who

were dead in trespasses and sins.

He can warm up a cold heart. Think of somebody going through

a winter time period in their Christian experience, and then

they're brought into a summertime period.

The Spirit of God warms up that heart.

He's the one who can purify and subdue our sinful activities.

He's the one who enlightens our dark mind, brings us

understanding. He's the one who leads and

guides us into all truth, the truth according to the Holy

Scriptures. Only the truth according to the

Holy Scriptures. He's the one who testifies of

Christ. He gives us an understanding of

who Christ is in his personal work.

And yet the amazing thing is this.

We've only discovered this, thought of this.

The spirits work. Can be hindered, opposed, and

quenched in the souls of men, even though it's operating like

a powerful fire. That fire can be smothered over

almost to the point where it can be put out very quickly.

Our time has already gone. Think of ways to quench the

Spirit's work. You see, we can quench the

Spirit by tolerating any unrepentant sin.

That's true personally. That's true congregationally.

For an individual to practise and persist in knowing sin by

indulging in open and secret sin.

That sin indulged in is like water thrown onto a fire.

The water puts the fire out. It was Thomas Watson who said

that sin is like the devil's sponge to wipe out the motion of

the spirit. Sin literally puts out the fire.

Sin extinguishes the flame of God's presence and power.

Sin remembers the transgression of the law of God.

The law of God is summarised in the 10 commandments and in the

context here. Thinking of the last verse,

verse 18, the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you, you

see, to indulge in persistent and practise.

No one's sin is rebellion against the will of God.

And by refusing to obey God, by refusing to do his holy will is

to resist that will to smother and dampen and extinguish the

fire of the Holy Ghost in our soul.

Here's another way. By resisting conviction, the

Holy Spirit convicts us. Conscience speaks to heart and

mind speaks the word of God to our soul, and then we silence

that word. Let me illustrate.

The Bible talks about Revelation 21 and eight, but the fearful

and unbelieving. Maybe you're here this morning.

You're not a born again Christian, but you know that you

need to be saved. You know you're a Sinner.

You know you've gotten the mortal soul.

You know that only Jesus Christ can save you.

You know you need to repent. You know you need to receive

Jesus Christ as Lord and Redeemer as He's freely offered

in the Gospel. You've heard this.

You've heard it repeatedly, but you've never actually followed

through on what you've heard. In other words, you've heard but

haven't actually obeyed. It was John Owen who said, when

the Spirit calls us to duty and we delay, we do as much as is in

us to stifle his voice. Is that true of you?

You've stifled the call to repent and believe.

The Bible says, behold, now is the accepted time.

Now is the day of salvation. Lord Jesus we read in the Book

of Revelation in Revelation chapter 3 and the verse 20,

Revelation 3 · chapter mention

which of course is directed primarily to the legacy in

church, could be used in the gospel.

Behold, I stand at the door and knock.

If any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come into

him, and will Sup with him, and he with me.

And yet, often times, despite the Neil pierced hand knocking

at their heart's door to gain entrance, calling out for you to

repent and believe, you have stifled that voice by remaining

disobedient to that 'cause that's what we mean by resisting

conviction. Another way, of course, is by

neglecting the means of grace. A fire dies out, you know, by

pouring water on it. That's one of the ways.

But a fire can also die out by withholding fuel, like a little

fire in your home. And don't keep adding logs or

fuel or peat. Then it goes out.

In other words, here's another way that we quench the Spirit.

We quench the Spirit by neglect. And how many today in the

professing church are neglecting the means of grace?

And one of those means, of course, is prayer.

Prayerlessness is a big sin today.

One Samuel 12 and 23. There's little private or public

prayer. And when there's little prayer,

there's little sense of God's presence and God's power.

And it's his will that we pray. Matthew chapter 6 and six.

Matthew 6 · chapter mention

When ye pray, enter in to the closet.

You think this morning of those who are out of Christ in our

family circles, our family members, where is the wrestling

with God for their conversion? Where's the cry heavenward,

Lord, save my children. Where's the pleading with heaven

as we stand in His mighty promises, asking not only for

the souls of our children, but asking for the souls of our

community and fellow countrymen? What about prayer for the

well-being of our country? One of the great prayers of the

past was John Knox. John Knox of Scotland and his

little house in the corner of Princess St there.

John Knox, a former converted Roman Catholic converted to

Christ, often prayed. He was heard to pray as the

people tramped past the street. Give me Scotland or I die.

You know, it's great to have Bible studies, great to spend

time and having fellowship and socialising, but we mustn't

neglect time at the throne of grace.

Sadly, today many souls are neglected and we neglect the

souls of our families and our children and our friends by

being prayerless in relation to their need.

Have we so little interest in the children that we haven't

given ourselves to prayer? Prayerlessness is linked to

thanklessness. You see.

Prayers expected, prayers commanded to neglect it.

We're we're, we're, we're really guilty of sin.

Another means of grace, of course, is Bible reading and the

study of the word and meditation.

King David said, oh, how I love thy law.

Psalm 119, verse 97. Job said, I've esteemed thy word

Psalms 119:97

more than my necessary food. The Lord Jesus said, what are

Matthew chapter 4 and verse four?

Matthew 4 · chapter mention

Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that

proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

And I believe, of course, in the word of God.

We have the word of God here in our English Bible, a God braved

word. And every word is pure and

precious, and, and, and, and plead and preserved and

powerful. And yet we often neglect it, we,

we misunderstand it. Queen Victoria said the secret

of England's greatness is the open Bible.

There should be room for Bible reading in our lives.

Maybe there should even be a room in the church for people to

come and and enjoy engage in Bible readings just in its own.

Another neglecting of the means of grace is absence from public

worship. Hebrews 10 and 25.

Forsake not the assembling of yourself together as the manner

of some is. We have to be honest.

Some deliberately don't come to the House of God in the day of

God to worship God through the Lord Jesus Christ.

They've got so careless that they really can't be bothered as

another way. Not a a cool formulism and

worship without the power and presence of God.

A a mere outward ceremony and performance, a loss of a living

quality. We have religion today in

Northern Ireland, rites and ceremonies, Paul says, a form of

godliness, but denying the power thereof.

How many love the ritual, the routine, the robes, the

possessions, the chants? And yet it's all meaningless.

What about a love for the world above the word?

James four and four first. John 215 and 16.

Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world.

If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in

him. A heart in love with the world,

the trinkets, the things of the world, but yet not full of a

love for the word of God. What about an evil tongue not

speaking the truth, cursing, lying, sowing discord?

The Bible says let no filthy communication come out of your

mouth by ignoring the inner promptings of the Spirit.

And here's another means, by despising the preaching of the

Word. You see, we cannot separate the

Spirit from the Word, the Word from the Spirit.

They go together. They are interconnected.

To despise preaching is to quench the Spirit.

The the Spirit works through the Word, never apart from the Word.

Charles Haddon Spurgeon said far too many, and he was in the 18th

century. Far too many today are sermon

tasters rather than truth receivers.

All of these means that I've mentioned are ways to quench the

Spirit very quickly. Warning against quenching the

Spirit. You see, what is the result of

quenching the spirit? Is there a serious consequence?

The answer is yes. The word quench means putting

out the fire, extinguish the flame.

And what's the result quickly? A spiritual coldness in the

individual Christian life, The life of the church.

A love for Christ cools. A spiritual loss of real

assurance, the spur of adoption whereby we were sealed.

He has grieved Romans 815 and 16.

There's a spiritual decline in biblical holiness.

The process of sanctification slows down.

Sin gains the upper hand. Sin is manifested in the life

and witness of the individual. And in the church there's a

spiritual prayerlessness that prevails.

The attitude is elders and ministers.

We don't go in for that type of thing.

A spiritual life within the soul and the life of the church

departs. It's all mechanics and and and

motions, but it's dry, it's cold, it's formal, it's lifeless

without the power of God, without the presence of the

Lord, a spiritual love for the truth of the word of God.

It's it's lost. You see, if if preaching of the

word is despised, and John Calvin took the word

prophesying, and by that he says it means the public exposition

of Scriptures. And where is the faithful

preaching of the word of God? Men are called to preach the

Word. That's what I do every Sunday

night and morning. Preach the word on Wednesday

night. And yet preaching is despised.

How do we despise preaching? We neglect the means of grace,

be indifferent toward it, level criticism against it, become a

selective hearer, accept the comfort that it brings, but

reject the challenge, reject the correction that it brings.

Many professing Christians can't say with David, Oh, how I love

thy law. They don't love every word.

To them it's not precious and pure and powerful and pleaing

and preserved. The Lord gave the word, every

word. The third thing I want to say,

and it's this, the prevention that is needed.

Quench not OK. In other words, do not do this.

We need the fire of the Holy Ghost.

The Spirit of God is the divine fire within the soul of the

regenerated Sinner. And how can we fulfil this?

Quench not, despise not, let me suggest, as we finish, cherish

communion with the Lord. There has to be a life of daily

prayer, a daily reading from the Bible.

God's presence and precepts should be sweeter and richer and

fuller and better. As we meditate in the Word, we

enter into a life of daily dependence on the Lord.

We grow in our relationship. As I said, the relationship gets

sweeter and richer and fuller and better.

Spurgeon never prayed for any more than 15 minutes at one

time. But then he said he never went

15 minutes a day without prayer. You see, he lived a life of

daily prayer. He lived by meditating on the

Word. He lived a life of daily

dependence on the Lord. You and I should cherish

communion with the Lord very quickly.

We should cultivate consecration.

We should present our bodies to Him dearly.

That's what we're told in the book of Romans.

In Romans chapter 12 there and verses 1 and 2, Paul says this.

Romans 12 · chapter mention

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God,

having preached or written 11 chapters in Romans, all about

the work of Christ, he says, I beseech you therefore, brethren,

by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living

sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable

service, if you go back to being indwelt by the Spirit.

And where his and where his blood bought possession, where

his offspring, the blood marks upon us, and we testify, Well, I

am his and He is mine. Then we will cultivate this

consecration. Our motto and mindset will be

holding us unto the Lord. I'll tell you something else.

As we come to a conclusion. There's constant confession.

We pray in the Lord's Prayer. Forgive us our trespasses as we

forgive those who trespass against us.

Confession of sin is daily. I must do it daily.

I must do it quickly. Let's learn to keep short

accounts with God. John Owen said be killing sin or

sin would be killing you. And we must kill sin daily.

We must kill it quickly, and if we don't do it then we will

quench the Spirit. I'm not talking about the sin of

murder, drunkenness and adultery.

What about the sin of pride, the sin of jealousy, the sin of

envy, the sin of covetousness, the sin of gossiping, sowing

discord? What about not loving the Lord

with all our heart and soul and mind and strength?

What about the sin of being just fearful?

Can't trust the Lord? He tells us to let go of our

figures. Whatever situation, whatever

struggles you have. What about the sin of unbelief?

You see, all of these need to be confessed.

We must cherish communion. We must cultivate consecration.

We must be constantly confessing our sins.

And lastly, there has to be continuous conformity.

If we're in Christ, as this text suggests.

The will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

In Christ we will learn quench not the Spirit.

In Christ we will learn. Despise not prophesying where

His were bought with the price, the precious blood we're born of

the Spirit and for his then his goal is to conform us into his

image. And again it was Calvin said

what we behold we become. And if we become like him, then

we will obey the Spirit's promptings.

Can I say this morning, let's learn to never slight the

sermon? If it's a word from God, don't

silence the Spirit who's prompting you to a richer and

deeper and greater relationship with the Lord.

And don't suffocate the grace of God in these ways that we quench

the Spirit that I mentioned. Let's heed the warning and let's

seek to it that we have the signs of grace in our heart.

May the Lord take these few thoughts and bless them to us.

We're going to sing in closing 465 and we're only going to sing

the first verse, and I'll pronounce the benediction 465.