1. 1 Thes.5:19-22 God’s Hedges Five Hedges, Four Verses

2. I Do Not Quench The Spirit, 19 Quench: suppress, stifle Nu.11:1-2 Often figurative 2 Sm.21:17, David 2 K.22:17, God’s wrath S.S.8:7, love Mk.9:48, fire

3. Holy Spirit – Quenched? Ac.7:51, resisted This is perverse unbelief Ep.4:30, grieved (Gn.6:5-6) 1 Th.5:19, quenched Calloused conscience Hb.10:29, insulted

4. Fire extinguishers Water (direct approach). Ep.6:16 Hb.11:34 (cf. Dn.3). Jd.23 Wet blanket (smother it) Mt.12:20 Weak, doubters, spiritually sick Mt.13:22. 2 T.4:10, Demas Wear it out (neglect) Mt.25:8. 2 Tim.1:6

5. II Do Not Despise Prophecies, 20 Prophecy: inspired utterance, forth-teller Perhaps they valued tongues above prophecy (as Corinth) It’s easy to appeal to what is flashy What we really need is the word of God

6. Despise Regard as nothing, treat w. contempt May despise by: Hating the message, Je.36 Ignoring the message, Hb.3:7 Mt.24:37-39 Neglecting the message, Hb.2:3. Mt.22:5 2 Tim.4:3-4

7. III Test All Things, 21 Coins; dump; doctrines Test all things Some avoid spiritual tests 1. “I don’t argue over the Bible” 2. “We’ve done this for years” 3. “Great names approve it” (2 Th.2:1-3)

8. The divine testing instrument Word of God Dt.13:1-5 Highest test was not signs, but the Word already confirmed by highest signs 1 K.13, God’s word was firm 1 Jn.4:1-6, give them a test

9. IV Hold Fast What Is Good, 21 Hold firmly We test (20) not just to reject the bad, but to keep the good What is good “Don’t have to hold out, hold up, hold on, or hold anything!” 1. 1 Co.15:2 2. Ph.3:12

10. 3. Col.2:19 Not just attached to members 4. 1 Tim.6:12 Olympic games 5. 2 Tim.1:13 Thousands depend on opinion 6. Hb.3:6 (14) 7. Rv.3:11

11. Hold on or else… Backsliders Backsliders begin by letting go of something they once held fast; they gradually slip away... Denominations Denominations preach the impos- sibility of apostasy…

12. V Abstain From Every Form Of Evil, 22 Abstain: hold from, keep oneself from, keep away Opposite of hold fast, 21 every kind Every form of evil = every kind of evil

13. Many ways to go wrong every form Keep away from every form that wickedness may assume (4:3): 1.Immorality 2.Retaliation 3.Ingratitude 4.Rejection of prophecy…

14. “If there be any manifestation of evil, however slight, shun it at once. Flee from the lion's roar, and you need not dread his teeth”