BY MY SPIRIT
Zech. 4:2-9
INTRODUCTION
A. HUMOR: FOOTBALL A DULL GAME
1. A Tennessee hillbilly girl moved to Texas. She attended her first football game at Bower’s stadium at SHSU.
2. After the game she told her new friends, “That was the dullest game I’ve ever gone to. At the beginning they flipped a quarter, and the whole rest of the game they kept saying, ‘Get the quarter back!’”
B. SCRIPTURE
2 He [the Angel] asked me, "What do you see?" I answered, "I see a solid gold lampstand … and seven lights on it, with seven channels to the lights. 3 Also there are two olive trees by it, one on the right of the bowl and the other on its left." 6 So he 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 Almighty. 7 "What are you, O mighty mountain? Before Zerubbabel you will become level ground. Then he will bring out the capstone to shouts of 'God bless it! God bless it!' " 8 Then the word of the LORD came to me: 9 "The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this temple; his hands will also complete it. Then you will know that the LORD Almighty has sent me to you.” Zech. 4:2-3,6-9.
C. THESIS
1. We are still on the Burly Series today & we’re looking at being “Strong in Spirit!” Zechariah’s vision showed how it’s necessity that we depend upon God’s Spirit.
2. The back-story of this passage is that Israel, because of sin, had been defeated by Babylon. The Temple of Solomon was destroyed and about 50,000 of the leaders and their families of Israel were forcibly removed 800 miles away to Babylonian territory.
3. After King Cyrus of Persia conquered Babylon, He gave permission for all Jews to return to their homeland, resettle it, and rebuild their Temple. But the people who had moved into their territory tried to stop them from rebuilding the Temple.
4. At last, God raised up two prophets, Zechariah and Haggai, to stir-up the spirit of His people so they would rebuild the Temple (Ezra 5:1-2) & the Temple was completed four years later in 516 BC.
I. FIRST: GOD IS AMONG HIS PEOPLE
A. MEANING OF THE SYMBOLS
1. God showed them a vision of a golden lampstand/ Menorah with its seven burning lights. This same type of image was shown to John on the island of Patmos when he saw Christ in the midst of the 7 candlesticks, representing the seven churches of Asia (Rev. 1:12-16).
2. You see, you may not feel it, you may not see it, or be aware of it, but God is with you at all times, to help you, if you will call upon Him!
3. “In Him we live and move and have our being.” God says, “I am with you and will save you and deliver you” Jer. 42:11. He says, “I will never leave you nor forsake you;” “I am with you always, even to the end of the world!” Heb. 13:5; Matt. 28:20. He is Emmanuel, “God with us.” Never doubt it; stake your life on it. God is with you and will never leave you!
4. Secondly, Zechariah saw two Olive trees from which oil was flowing to the Lampstand with anointing. The 2 Olive trees represent Zerubbabel & Joshua the High Priest.
5. But more important is the OIL! This is the Holy Spirit flowing through leadership out to all the people of God. The Holy Spirit is what changed the situation they were in, from one of hopelessness, into victory. The Holy Spirit filling YOUR LIFE will do the same thing!
B. GOD’S PROMISE OF VICTORY
1. "This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: 'Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the Lord Almighty.' 'What are you, O mighty mountain? Before Zerubbabel, you will become level ground.' Then he will bring out the capstone to shouts of 'God bless it! God bless it!'” Zech. 4:6-7.
2. The “mighty mountain” before Zerubbabel was the task of rebuilding Solomon’s Temple. That Temple was probably the greatest building built in ancient times. It took 286,000 men seven years to build it. 30,000 men cut trees; 70,000 were carriers; 80,000 were stonecutters. The budget for its building was $87 billion. No wonder it seemed an impossible task to complete. But God promised that this mountain/challenge would be moved!
C. WE ALL HAVE MOUNTAINS
1. Your mountain may be...
Sickness marriage problems
Financial troubles family conflicts
Problems at work anxiety/ depression
2. They seem impossible to overcome. But God’s promise of victory is certain -- It’s ‘Not by might, nor by power, but By My Spirit, says the Lord.
II. HOW WE WILL OVERCOME OUR MOUNTAINS
A. NOT BY MIGHT OR POWER
1. God used two words to describe how He would NOT accomplish His purposes: “Might” and “Power.” These two words are very different.
a. “MIGHT” (Heb. Chayil) means “collective force.” God says, “I will not bring revival or blessing to your situation through…
1). the collective of Government or charities;
2). NOT by social media or cultural revolution;
3). NOT by Scientific or medical advancements; or
4). Even the evolution of mankind to a higher form.”
b. “POWER” (Heb. Kowach) means “individual force or effort.” God’s NOT going to bring revival to His Church (or resolve your problems) through the efforts of a few talented or wealthy individuals. As much as I applaud media and mission outreaches, God says His Kingdom won’t come through them.
2. Instead, God will manifest Himself and enlarge His kingdom by the work of the Holy Spirit!
B. BUT BY MY SPIRIT
1. “Zerubbabel” means “born in Babylon.” All this man ever knew was life under the Babylon empire. It’s the same with us.
2. God’s message is, “You were born under the world’s system; all you’ve ever known was how the world operates, and how it does things – it’s methods, it’s faulty wisdom, it’s fallen worldview, etc. You DON’T know MY ways, so I’m going to teach you My ways.”
2. Just like Zerubbabel, we were born into this carnal, natural world, and all we’ve ever known is the natural way of doing things. To us, the things of the Spirit are mysteries and unknowns. But God’s not content to let us stay that way. He knows that the only way we’re going to be successful, is to learn to be filled with and cooperate with the Spirit.
3. Humor. A man went to work for the Peace Corps, working on a farm. He was asked to milk a cow. When the farmer came back, he found the man feeding the milk to the cow. “What are you doing?” he asked. “Well, it seemed kind of thin so I was running it back through a second time.” That could be said of many “Spirit-filled” Christians – we need to be run back through a second time!
III. WHY DO WE NEED THIS EMPOWERING?
THE HOLY SPIRIT HAS COME TO:
1. INDWELL BELIEVERS 2. CONVICT OF SIN
3. IS POURED OUT ON BELIEVERS 4. GLORIFY JESUS
5. TO BE OUR TEACHER 6. IS OUR SPIRITUAL DYNAMO
7. GIVES US SPIRITUAL LIFE 8. HE’S OUR “HELPER”
A. SO WE CAN THINK GOD’S THOUGHTS!
1. “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, & my thoughts than your thoughts” Is. 55:8
2. Peter never would have imagined God would send him to non-Jews with the Gospel, but that was God’s desire (Acts 10).
3. The ability is in the mind. If you could hook your fingers to Beethoven’s mind, then you could play like him. If you could get God’s thoughts in you, then you could do what only He can do!
B. SO WE CAN PRAY GOD’S PRAYERS!
1. Our prayers are so limited! Where are the men and women who can go up Mount Carmel and pray and see the sky filled with clouds? The Holy Spirit can help us do that!
2. Where is the prayer of faith that saves the sick and sees them raised up? We need the Spirit of Jesus!
C. SO WE CAN DO GOD’S WORKS!
1. “Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father” John 14:12.
2. Jesus says we can do the same works He has been doing! Now, we can’t do them through human means, but if we rely on the Holy Spirit to guide us and supply us the power, then we can do them.
IV. HOW DO WE RECEIVE THIS POWER?
A. KNOW THAT IT’S GOD’S PLAN FOR YOU!
1. Jesus said, “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For … in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit." Acts 1:4-5
2. “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” Acts 1:7.
3. “When the day of Pentecost came … Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house ….They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.” Acts 2:1-4
4. Christianity without the power of the Holy Spirit, is like the shuttle without its booster rockets; the shuttle can't get into orbit without those rockets. It's the same with us without the Holy Spirit.
B. YOU MUST GET HUNGRY FOR IT
1. You must want it. Not passively, but actively. A.W. Tozer said, “Revivals come only to those who want them badly enough. The problem is not to persuade God to fill us, but to want God sufficiently to permit him to do so. The average Christian is so cold and so contented with his wretched condition that there is no vacuum of desire into which the blessed Spirit can rush in satisfying fullness."
2. Don't expect someone else's experience! Some people experience lightning, flashing lights, and fireworks; others experience quiet and deep worship. Just ask God to fill you and let Him decide how to do it.
3. During prayer, God may place "words" in your mind or they may well-up from inside -- "... out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water." John 7:37-49. Open up your mouth and speak the words God gives you by faith.
CONCLUSION
A. ILLUSTRATION: “POWER BENEATH US”
1. A Visitor at the Dead Sea fell into the water. He began to flail his arms. At last he was exhausted. Then he found the water bore him up. The water of the Dead Sea is so heavy with salt and other minerals that when he lay still, he found he floated on the surface.
2. He could not drown so long as he resigned himself to the power of the deep. So it is with us: there’s a power beneath us and around us waiting to bear us up. We need to cease from our own fruitless efforts and release ourselves into God’s loving embrace and undergirding power!
B. ALTAR CALL
1. Sing hymn, “By My Spirit,” p. 197. “Is there a mountain in your way? Do doubts and fears abound? Press on, O hear the Spirit say, This mountain shall come down. Q – How many of you have a mountain you need victory over? Come to the altar on this side.
2. How many want to be filled or refilled with the Spirit? Come to the front on this side. Seek the Lord while He may be found. They that hunger & thirst shall be filled. He will give His Spirit to them that ask Him! Let’s pray!
