Strength for the Church
Zechariah 4:6-10
6. So he answered and said to me: "This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the LORD of hosts.
7. ‘Who are you, O Great Mountain? Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain! And he shall bring forth the capstone with shouts of "Grace, grace to it!"‘"
8. Moreover the word of the LORD came to me, saying:
9. "The hands of Zerubbabel Have laid the foundation of this temple; His hands shall also finish it. Then you will know that the LORD of hosts has sent me to you.
10. for who has despised the day of small things? For these seven rejoice to see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel. They are the eyes of the LORD, Which scan to and fro throughout the whole earth."
Purpose:
To give light, life and hope to Gods people during trying circumstances and to promote Spiritual Revival in their hearts causing them to return to the Lord.
Introduction:
Zechariah the prophet writes about 8 visions he received after Israel’s return from captivity. One of these visions is in chapter 4, giving to the Zerubbabel, and leader of the Israel. What it takes to rebuild the temple after destruction. There is a building of our Spiritual Temple that is rebuilding not by might and not by power but by my Spirit saith the Lord.
I. Preparing the way for the true Israel, The Church
1. The angel who had left return- to arouse Zerubbabel spirit- Spiritual awakening
a. John 5:21 "For as the Father raises the dead and gives life to them, even so the Son gives life to whom He will.
b. 1 Kings 19:5 and as he lay and slept under a juniper tree, behold, then an angel touched him, and said unto him, arise and eat. Thru discouragement and thoughts of failure the prophet is awakened by angel to arise and eat- physically and spiritually.
2. Vision of the lamp stands, and 2 olive trees: Verse 2 What do you see? I see a lamp stand with a bowl on top of it, on the stand there is 7 lamps and 7 pipes to the 7 lamps. (Think God’s number might be 7) verse 3 he says 2 olive trees – one on the right and one on the left of the bowl.
3. What are these he asks? Angel says do you not know?
II. This is the word of the Lord
1. Message given to Zerubbabel in support of the vision that his work will be accomplished through the grace of God alone.
a. Not by might- not by a great army- the word might and power are alike. Might and power together means what is to be produced is not by any human means.
b. The promise to finish the work of the lord is by divine aid, by my spirit.
c. The operations of the spirit are manifold and his aid alone will bring things to completion. The oil is the grace of the Holy Spirit, and the lamps are not supplied by human hands, but directly from the olives. A supply that never runs dry. The Spirit of a living God.
III. A..Spiritual life and power
John 5:24. Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.
Ezek 37:14 and shall put my spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I shall place you in your own land: then shall ye know that I the LORD have spoken it, and performed it, saith the LORD.
IV. The power that enables to win
1. Who are thou oh great mountain?
Is there a mountain in your way?
Is there a way provided/ obstacles removed?
Zechariah 10:11-12
11. And he shall pass through the sea with affliction, and shall smite the waves in the sea, and all the deeps of the river shall dry up: and the pride of Assyria shall be brought down, and the scepter of Egypt shall depart away.
12. And I will strengthen them in the LORD; and they shall walk up and down in his name, saith the LORD.
2. Those mountains shall be brought down to a plain.
3. We have the power- God is fountain head of the spirit’s power. In the lamp stand that gives the light to the church to function and shine in a dark world. We have the flow of power in 2 olive trees (symbolized Sons of fresh oil thought Jesus Christ our Lord and high priest.
We are the church of Jesus Christ, living and shining not by might, or by power (in the flesh) but by Gods Spirit in every circumstance.
We can not pursue God’s purpose without encountering a mountain. We must realize that all hell will come against us. There is always opposition, discouragement and unbelief.
Mt 17:20 And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.
When capstone or cornerstone was place on the finished foundation the people begin to shout and praise the lord for his grace.
Ezra 3:10-12
10. And when the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the LORD, they set the priests in their apparel with trumpets, and the Levites the sons of Asaph with cymbals, to praise the LORD, after the ordinance of David king of Israel.
11. And they sang together by course in praising and giving thanks unto the LORD; because he is good, for his mercy endureth for ever toward Israel. And all the people shouted with a great shout, when they praised the LORD, because the foundation of the house of the LORD was laid.
12. But many of the priests and Levites and chief of the fathers, who were ancient men, that had seen the first house, when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes, wept with a loud voice; and many shouted aloud for joy:
Grace, Grace unto it!
Is there a mountain in your way?
Has the opposition in your path stopped you from working on your temple?
. Not by might...but by my Spirit—As the lamps burned continually, supplied with oil from a source (the living olive trees) which man did not make, so Zerubbabel need not be disheartened because of his weakness; for as the work is one to be effected by the living Spirit
Hag 2:5 According to the word that I covenanted with you when ye came out of Egypt, so my spirit remaineth among you: fear ye not.
Man’s weakness is no obstacle, for God’s might will perfect strength out of weakness (#Ho 1:7 2Co 12:10 Heb 11:34).
Ho 1:7 But I will have mercy upon the house of Judah, and will save them by the LORD their God, and will not save them by bow, or by sword, or by battle, by horses, nor by horsemen.
2Co 12:10 therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.
Heb 11:34 Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.
V. Gods going to have a Church filled with strength glory and power
Jesus said I will build my church on the rock and the gates of hell can not prevail against it.
Eph 1:22. And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,
Eph 3:10. To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,
Eph 5:27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
Closing: Can you image with me for a minute. The church likened to lamp stand with a bowl on top of it. There is 7 lamps and 7 pipes to the 7 lamps and on each side of the bowl is a olive tree pouring in the bowl the anointing and power of the Holy Spirit, causing the church to shine in a darkened world.
That’s what I want in my life. How about you
