You’ve Got the Power
Zech. 4
What would it be like to live without power?
You could ask the Amish, who choose to live without electricity in their homes. Some of them even refuse to use gas powered engines. I really admire people like that. I have no desire to follow in their footsteps, but I do admire them.
Some of you recall when electricity first came to this part of the country. You remember what life was like before light bulbs, and electric refrigerators, and air conditioners. You hear people say, “I don’t think I could make it without my air-conditioner” and you say, “Oh yeah, you could.” That’s because you have lived without electrical power for many years.
You can live without power. But why would you want to?
Some Christian seem to live powerless lives. They have electricity in their homes, and drive gas powered cars. But they seem to live with no spiritual power from God working in them. They live as if they have no power to resist temptation, no power to defeat worry or discouragement, no power to face the hard challenges of life. Instead of God’s strength, they feel their own weakness. Instead of enjoying victory, they seem hopelessly defeated.
But the Bible says that if Jesus Christ lives in you, all Heaven’s power is available to you. But you have to put that power to work. Tonight from Zechariah 4, I want to help you do that. I want to show you 3 truths about how to put God’s power to work in your life:
I. YOU PLUG INTO HIS POWER BY HIS SPIRIT (v. 1-6)
This is the prophet’s 5th vision from God to the Jewish exiles rebuilding the Temple. It’s mainly addressed to Zerubbabel, their ruler. God tells him the power you need to do this work only comes from My Spirit.
It’s not clear in vs. 1 whether Zechariah is literally asleep or just in a daze when the angel wakes him up, but as soon as he’s fully awake, the angel asks What do you see, Zechariah?
I see a lampstand of solid gold. Its seven branches are fed oil from a bowl at the top, which apparently is fed by two olive trees on either side of the lampstand. This reminds him of the golden lampstand (Heb. Menorah) that stood in the Tabernacle and the original Temple.
That’s what Zechariah sees but he’s not sure what it means. So he asks the angel, who seems to think Zechariah already knows the answer. But he explains it all to him in vs. 6 (read) Now does that clear everything up for you? Do you understand this vision now?
No? Don’t be alarmed. Numerous speculations have been made about the interpretation. Most of them don’t agree. Some say the angel doesn’t really interpret the vision; others say you have to skip some verses before he actually explains what Zechariah sees. I’m no scholar, but I believe the key to understanding this vision is to relate it to the context of the prophecy.
First of all, remember this message is addressed to Zerubbabel, the leader of the Jewish exiles. God wants to encourage him as he leads these people in rebuilding the Temple. He does that here by telling Zerubbabel this work cannot be done by mere human power or ingenuity. He will need God’s power to do this work, and that means He will need God’s Spirit.
In this context, I think it’s reasonable to assume the lampstand represents the Temple. The oil of the lampstand is a familiar Biblical symbol of the Holy Spirit. What the angel is saying to Zerubbabel is just as the lamp must have oil flowing in it to shine its light, so you must be plugged into My Spirit if you want My Power working in your life. You only plug into God’s power by His Spirit. Jesus told His disciples before He ascended:
Acts 1:8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you…
To be plugged into God’s power means you have the Spirit working in your life. How do you do that? First of all, you must receive the Spirit. This happens when you get saved.
Romans 8:9 But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.
If you are a Christian, the Holy Spirit already lives in you. You don’t have to pray Him in, or beg Him to come in—He’s already there. His power is already in you. Like electricity you cannot see or touch, the power of the Spirit is already a part of your life if you’re a Christian. He wants to work in you and through you, but in order for that to happen, you also must
Ephesians 5:18 …be filled with the Spirit,
To be filled with the Spirit means to be controlled by the Spirit, to surrender your life to His direction and leading. That happens as you obey God’s Word and fellowship with the Him in prayer. Being filled with the Spirit does not mean speaking in tongues, doing weird things, or always following your “holy hunches.” It is true the Spirit does lead us in many ways, but always be careful: it’s very easy to dress up your own desires as the leading of the Spirit. But when you are led by the Spirit, that’s when the Spirit of God works in your life.
Does God’s Spirit live in you? Then God’s power also lives in you. Are you being led by the Spirit? That’s the difference between having God’s power working in you, or living powerless.
Many years ago a man who lived far out into the country decided to get power connected to his home. On the day the power company came and hooked the wires from the pole to the house, a friend came to see the man, and asked him why he hadn’t turned on the lights yet. “Well,” the old fellow replied, “I wanted to be sure and give the electricity plenty time to get here from uptown to my house.”
You don’t have to wait to access God’s power. The Spirit lives in you now. You’ve got the power—all you must do is use it. With all the power of the Holy Spirit working in your life, what can you do? Zechariah once again speaks to Zerubbabel and says
II. NO JOB IS TOO LARGE OR TOO SMALL FOR HIS POWER (v. 7-10)
Different work requires different amounts of power.
If you want to run a hair dryer, or a TV or a microwave, you plug into a regular ____volt outlet. If you want to run a clothes dryer or some air conditioners, you need more power, so you have to use a _____outlet. If you want to tow a rowboat, you can probably use almost any vehicle. If you want to tow a load of logs, you’ll need more horsepower. Different work requires different amounts of power. But the beautiful thing about God’s power is He can handle it all. No job is too big, nor is any job too small.
God’s power can handle big jobs. Zerubbabel and his friends faced some “mountain-sized” problems in the rebuilding of the Temple. Like today, Israel was surrounded by many enemies, each one bent on their destruction. I’m sure there were also the usual complainers and naysayers among the builders themselves. It was not easy, and I’m sure there had to have been times when even Zerubbabel felt like giving up. That’s why God speaks to the “mountains” threatening to defeat Zerubbabel in vs. 7: who do you think you are, mountain? You’ll be leveled before Zerubbabel! He will not be defeated by you because he has My power. He will put the capstone-the last stone that finishes the Temple-in place! And everybody will shout ‘God Bless the Temple!” Vs. 9 says on that day they will know God has fulfilled His Word through Zechariah. No mountain will stand in the way; no job is too big for God’s power.
God’s power can handle small jobs. For who has despised the day of small things? (v. 10a)
Apparently, somebody has. It seems there were people then whose ancestors are still around now. This whole thing’s a waste of time. This rinky-dink shack we call a Temple won’t stand. Nobody cares about what we’re doing here, nobody notices.
But vs. 10 paints a different picture. These seven…are the eyes of the Lord. 7 is the number of perfection, and the 7 eyes of the Lord represent His omniscience, or all-seeing, all- knowingness. God looks at this “little” work, and He rejoices. The Lord Who sees everything sees Zerubbabel with the plumb line= putting the finishing touches on the Temple and He rejoices! Yes! God says. This small job has a big place in my plans! Many will worship God in this Temple; many will remember how God kept His promise and brought His people back home. This “small job” will have a big impact in God’s scheme of things.. God’s power shows up in even the “smallest” jobs.
How does God’s power need to work in your life?
Maybe it’s a big job: changing jobs, or changing a heart; repairing a relationship, healing a body, coming up with money to pay your bills.
Or maybe it seems like a small job: motivating you to pray more, or come to church more faithfully, or helping you be more merciful or forgiving. Whatever or wherever you need God’s power to work in your life, remember this: no job is too big for Him to handle, no job is too small for Him to notice. God’s power, working through His Spirit, is always enough to handle whatever your need or problem.
What job do you need God’s power to handle tonight? Don’t be afraid to bring it to Him. His power is always enough to do whatever needs to be done, but there is one more very important point Zerubbabel and we need to understand:
III. HIS POWER WORKS THROUGH HIS PEOPLE (v. 11-14)
Power has to be channeled to do any good. Electrical power is channeled through wires to your home, and then through a transformer to wires in your home. The wiring is the channel, the conduit, the instrument through which the power flows.
God’s power, by His Spirit, also uses a conduit, a channel, an instrument through which His power flows- you and I. God does not empower things; He does not fill animals with His Spirit. His Spirit and His power work only through His people. This is the point of vs. 11-14.
Zechariah is still curious about the two olives trees, and so he question his angelic host, who again seems to think Zechariah should already know. But he goes on to explain in
Zechariah 4:14 “…These are the two anointed ones, [sons of fresh oil] who stand beside the Lord of the whole earth.”
That certainly clears things up, doesn’t it? No? Well, let’s think about the context again. People were anointed in Israel to set them apart for some special mission for God. Kings were anointed, priests were anointed, prophets were anointed—all with oil, as a sign of the Spirit and a sign they were chosen by God to serve Him. Zerubbabel was anointed as Israel’s ruler. So was the high priest Joshua. These two olive trees represent these two men, through whom the Holy Spirit (the oil) flowed into the Temple. They were channels of God’s Spirit and His power. God’s Spirit seeks people through which His power can flow.
Matthew 10:19-2019But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak. For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak; 20for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.
John 7:37-38 37On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. 38He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”
Acts 1:8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
Throughout the Bible, from Samson to Moses, from David to John the Baptist, the Holy Spirit works through people. People who stand with the Lord of the whole earth, who are filled with His Spirit, who are not only willing but eager to do God’s work in this world.
You don’t have to a priest or a preacher. You don’t have to be perfect or sinless. All you have to do is be filled with the Spirit, and eager to do God’s will wherever you are right now.
The Holy Spirit is still looking for people through which God’s power can be demonstrated to this world. He’s looking for young people and older people, singles and married, rich or poor, man or woman- He can use anybody. Could it be you He’s looking for?
When D.L. Moody was visiting England he heard Henry V. Arley say, “the world has yet to see what God will do with a man who is fully and wholly consecrated to the Holy Spirit.” Moody would later comment, “He said ‘a man.’” He did not say a ‘great man’ nor ‘a learned man’ nor a ‘rich man’ but simply ‘a man.’ …I will try my utmost to be that man.”
This is what God is asking of you and me tonight: will you be the person who is fully and wholly consecrated to God? He’s not asking you to be a preacher, or a missionary, but only a fully committed Christian, in your job, at your home and church, wherever you are, whatever you do.
Seems a horrific storm had hit about the middle of the church service. The wind got so strong, the lightening so severe, the preacher told everybody to bow their head and they’d all pray. The preacher began, “Oh, Lord, send us the spirit of the children of Israel, send us the spirit of the children of Moses, send us the Spirit of the Promised Land.” About that time and old man spoke up and said, “Lord, don’t send nobody else. Please come yourself. This ain’t no time for children.”
He has come Himself into our lives by His Holy Spirit- the Spirit of power, who can help us handle anything, Who wants to flow through us and work through us. You’ve got the power through Him. Will you use it?
