Strength For The Church

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.