Longing For The Power Of God 06/16/21

Bible tonight turn to Zakaria chapter 4. We're going to start in another vision. Zechariah Chapter 4. And we're going to I'm going to read verses 1 through 14 cuz that's the entire chapter and I think I mentioned Sunday, probably. He might have a chance to read that this week. Anybody read it. Anybody one in the back. Yes. Did you understand that Vicky? Okay. Well, I didn't understand any of the first time I read it. So we're going to look at this together tonight. Maybe we can, with all of us sitting here, maybe we can understand if there's a Quran chapter four. Now remember so far we've talked about this, this book is about Hope and hopeless times. And so the people here, we talked about they were longing for God's peace. Remember, we read that vision, and then Justice was next, and then presents God's present longing for that. Remember, that vision? And then last time I think we did the Lord longing for God's righteousness. So tonight, We're going to try to figure out what the people are longing for. Now you already know by peace Justice presents and righteousness, it's some type of attribute of God. So, just think of that as we are reading this phone cuz I cry chapter 4. Let's look at verse 1 through 14 says, No Angel who talked with me came back and wakened me as a man who is waking out of his Fleet. He seems many Vision just warm out here, he going to sleep in. So the Angels come by and they wake him up and he said to me, what do you see? So I said, I am looking and there is a lamp stand of solid gold. With a bowl on top of it. And on the stand seven lamps, With seven pipes. To the seven lamps, a golden lampstand with a bowl. We can picture that and almost and seven lamps. And 7 pipes to the seven lamps. So I'm assuming us-49 pipes At 7 going to eats lamp seven lamps. Billy says to olive trees are bought one at the right of the bowl and the other at its left. So a lamp stand. With all these like lamp coming up off of it, pipes. Indiana Olive Tree on either side of it. So I asked her and spoke to Angel, who taught me saying, what are these? My Lord, then the angel who talked with me answered and said me, do you not know what these are? And I said no, my Lord. so, he answered and said to me now, Verses 1 through 5 is Vision. So we've already talked a little bit about it when he says I don't know what these are and he said no my Lord. So he answered and said to me but he doesn't explain what these things are until we get to verse 10. So this is kind of little interlude, a little parentheses here and verses 6 through 9, or the first part of 10. Is the application of what he's going to explain from 10 to 14.

So let's just move the 10 first and go to 10 to 14. Then we'll come back to 6 to 9. So he says, well, I don't know what they are. And so he said to me verse 10, For who has despised the day of small things for these seven Rejoice to see the Plumb line in the hand of the removable. They are the eyes of the Lord, which scan to and fro throughout the whole earth. Then I answered and said to him, what are these, two olive trees at the right of the lampstand in that is left. And I bother answering me one of these two, Olive branches that drip into the receptacles of the two gold Pike from which the golden oil drains, so these trees were putting oil into the bowl and the bowl. Had these pipes coming out of, it was feeding the Wicks of the golden lampstand so that these, which would never go out because it was constantly being fed with oil from The Olive Tree So you have two trees oil coming out of it into a bowl. And then the from the bowl, going into the Wicks of the lamp stand. First 13, didn't you answer me and said, do you not know what these are? And I said no my Lord. So he said, these are the two anointed ones, who stand beside the lore of the whole earth. Well, he just explain what the lampstand kind of, and the Wicks, and the bowl and the trees, all that is. So that's the explanation. Now, look what he says in verse 6 through 10. So, he answered me and said, this is the word of the Lord, to zerubbabel. Now, the roof of all is the governor. Remember, Joshua was the high priest. The ruble is the governor of Judah. This is the word of the Lord to the ruble. Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit says, the Lord of hosts. Now, this is one of the most well-known verses in the Bible, especially the most well-known and Zachariah. So for the next to Wednesday night tonight, and next Wednesday, we're going to focus basically on after we explain what these weeks and lampstand is we going to focus on verse six and then we also going to focus on the first part of her stent. But he says not by might nor by power. But by my spirit, says, the Lord of hosts, who are you old great Mountain before the rouville, you shall be, plain and he shall bring forth the Capstone with shouts of Grace, Grace to it, more over the word of the Lord came to me saying the hands of the ruble have laid, the foundation of this Temple, his hand shall also finish it. Then you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you. And then look what he says. The first part of verse 10. For who has despised the day of small things. So, we're going to focus.

On verse 6, not by might nor by power, but by my spirit and we're going to focus on the day of small things. Now, what we need to do is we need to kind of explain what we've just read, Because if you how many of you really understood what we just for hitting very difficult, I'm just telling you now by reading that. What do you what attribute of God do you think this is talking about what are the people longing for here? Do you have any idea whatsoever? Verse 6 will give you the idea, not by might nor power. Speaking of military might have power. But by my spirit, says, the Lord of hosts talking about the Holy Spirit, we going to get intimate, more late later, but in the Bible, or oil is used to symbolize the Holy Spirit. And what was it? That was filled with these bowls oil. The Holy Spirit was feel in this bowl. That was then it was going down to the Wicks where these lights never went out. Play Jesus said you're the light of the world. Our light should never go out because we have the Holy Spirit living within us. Let me tell you what this to talk about. They were longing. Just like, we are for the power of God. the power of God in their life and don't remember or remember, don't despise the small things in life, don't despise the small thing, don't despise the small churches, don't despise

The hug, don't despise the smile, don't despise the encouraging word, that you can say, to someone, that's not a drop in the bucket.

Because it's not by might nor power, it's not by our gifts or talents, what does it by? But by my spirit the Holy Spirit well, in these years that Zakaria Ministry, Many people were in and I'll just say it like this nostalgic Lee remembering judah's former glory. What you have to understand here is he says that jerubbaal is going to finish with his hand. He's going to finish the temple that what we have to remember is before Babylon. Invaded Judah for about four hundred years Jerusalem, had the Temple of Solomon. Remember David wasn't allowed to build it, but Solomon, his son was and it was one of the greatest spectacles in the world just labeled with gold. I mean, it was like one of the Seven Wonders of the World, the temple was back then, but then because of Judas, Disobedience Babylon and came in and destroyed the temple took all the artifacts. All the expensive vessels out of it and took it back to Babylon. And now, here are the people trying to rebuild a temple. That was so big and so expensive. And here they are with no hope discouraged. And here they are three or four. I'm trying to build the temple back to people would be looking the style directly remembering Judith former glory. And then in, like I said, and 587 the temple was destroyed by Babylon all the wealth was carted off. Many people fled the area and they went to Egypt and some of them had to go to Babylon and 0. Phoenicia. There was an area called that Jordan and those Left Behind were just impoverished. They were homeless and they were trying to piece their lives back together and their future Bleak. This is Twin. This story takes place. Just imagine yourself if you just had a multi-million-dollar mansion to live in and all of a sudden one day it's all gone. And you don't have no money to build it back, you had no insurance money. You had not, you had nowhere to live. I just think of it like that and then when you do, you want him back.

You going to build an apartment, maybe two or three room. That's what you going to live in. All the people can remember by how used to be. Oh, how beautiful? And now look what we're doing. Well, you're nosy, people started thinking about why the tragedy had happened, what God was doing in the midst of it profits like Ezekiel were sent and he tried to make sense of everything that was happening and he offered them words of Hope and even if all they were in Exile, they noticed during the time of Daniel that God was beginning to do something, and it was going to be like a new Exodus, you know, when they exited you do from Egypt and all they were once again, they were hoping that they were going to enter the promised land again. And they were going to rebuild the Temple From the Ashes In the people began praying and singing and all and all of a sudden their confidence got up. Not only was God going to put his rollback on the map, but he was going to heal the Brokenness of the whole world. Remember chapter one, when we read that, he was going to bring peace and all. And then Cyrus the Persian ruler, he allowed them to go back and start building around 5:37 BC. And all of a sudden optimism was high and expectations were high but the work stalled. They were stalled because for 17 years. Nothing had happened for a lot of reasons they were poor, they were discouraged. They had enemies and God sent haggai and Zachariah to minister to them in the high priest, Joshua. The governors are available and they finally got things going about 5:20 BC. I want to show you what the people thought of what they were doing, because this is key right here. So I want you to look at a scripture here that we're going to put up on the screen as the chapter 3, the Pick-4.

Now, listen to this. But many of the priests and Levites and heads of the father's house, has old men who had seen the first temple Solomon and David wept with a loud voice. When the foundation of this Temple was laid Before Their Eyes, yet many, the younger ones shouting for joy. Why would they, why would they be weeping when the temple was starting to be built? Because they saw it, it was going to be nothing like Solomon's Temple. It was just trash to them and they started weeping. And look at the next So that the people could not discern the noise of the shout of Joy from the noise of the Weeping of the people for the people shouted with a loud shout. And the sound was her a far-off. Now look at haggai chapter 2, verse 3. What it says who is left among you, who saw this temple in its former glory and how do you see it? Now, in comparison with it? Is this not in your eyes as nothing? You know, there's always people like that when you go through something and you lose something, you start to build it back. People say why I remember how you used to be, this is nothing the way it used to be. This is all this is terrible. What are y'all doing? This is useless. This is nothing like Solomon's Temple of the foundation, is a tenth of the size. What are we going to put in it? And they were just so exhausted. Right? And they just they started weeping. It said this, this is not going to work. And what does God say? Don't despise the small things Because God works in small things and we going to see that as we move through this. So they scoffed at it at the people trying to rebuild it. They just said this thing. This this is just pathetic, compared to what it used to be. And then they started making fun of them. And it says, here that they said for who has the spies the day of small things, I think this is a play on words cuz the prophets used to say. Well, the day of the Lord is coming in, these old people are looking at that, right? The day of the Lord. Yeah, well then you must have a small Lord because this is not the day of the Lord. This is the day of the small things and we can do better than this. Well to them and look pitiful and meager little potential to accomplish what God said. He wanted to accomplish in the world. That's the backdrop. That's where we are. So let's talk about this lamp stand and let's talk about the oil a little bit. So if a person is wanting to the angel comes and says or after I cry, what do you see? He says well I see lampstand of gold bowl on top of its am seven lamps on it, 7 lips or whatever. On each of the lamps that are on top of it. This would be like, what is called the Hebrew word. Here is a menorah us a 7 alarm lamp stand with a single lamp if you will, at the end of each arm.

This bowl again situated. There it kind of function as a reservoir if you will and it fed a continuous supply of oil to the Wicks of the lamps. In any verse 3, Zakaria cease to olive trees one on each side. Well they supplied the bowl with the oil and kept it running all day and night that ensured that the lights would never go out. Now if you think about this lamp stand being made of gold that you can associated with the furniture, I believe in the Tabernacle. Because the Tabernacle it was a tree shaped lamp stand and it was a reminder of the Tree of Life, The Tabernacle as a, whole, if you will, and all the furniture was kinda, I would call it a renewed version of the Garden of Eden. It's the place where God was present with his people. And so the burning of the lamps represent, God's presence among his people. The lampstand itself, I believe represents. God's people, first of all, Israel Judah here. But later the church, Because there's a lot of references to a lamp stand to Israel and to the church in scripture. I don't have these up on the screen but let me read this to you. This is what it said of Israel arise Shine for your light has come, the glory of the Lord rise upon. You see Darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the people, but the Lord rise upon you in His Glory Appears over here, you will come to your life and Kings to the brightness of your don't. Cuz Isaiah said that I listen, what else he says. Again, for Zion's sake, I keep silent for Jerusalem sake. I will not remain quiet till her righteousness, shine out like the dog, her salvation like a blazing torch in Jesus called his disciples and the light of the world. He said, let your light so shine before men that they may see your good deeds and that they may praise. And glorify your father in Heaven, matter fact, and Luke chapter 12. He told his disciples, make sure you keep your lamps burning. But what is he talking about? What do you need to keep your lamps burn? You need all a continuous supply of oil. And then in Revelation and I want to show you this one Revelation, remember, it's kind of like the New Testament version of Zachariah, Jesus. It says, was standing among the seven golden lamp stand in. This is what Jesus says in Revelation 120. The Mystery of the Seven Stars, what you saw in my right hand and the Seven golden lamp stands, the Seven Stars are the Angels of the seven churches. Now this was the letters to the seven churches and he saying that the the Seven Stars are the Angels. I don't know if this means actual angels of the church is or if this means the pastors of the churches because the word Angels, there is the word for Messenger, so it may be a real angel or he may be talking about the seven pastors of those seven churches. Then look what he said and the Seven lampstands which you saw are, the seven churches. So we see here that this represents Israel, and the Old Testament, the lampstand, it represent the church in the New Testament. Now, let's talk about the Holy Spirit and oil.

I want to give you and I I think I put these on the Fly here. Here it is there. The Holy Spirit as oil, I want to go through these five things here that oil does and then applied to the Holy Spirit. First of all, lubricates, You don't have any friction when the Holy Spirit is active in your life. The Holy Spirit, he kind of promotes if you will smoothness. Hehehe abolishes the wear-and-tear and every service for God all lubricates. We know that second all heels, remembering Biblical times what they would use to heal wounds wine in oil. so is a healing mechanism and no one, but the spirit of God Can heal a broken heart. You know that only the Holy Spirit can heal a broken and Wounded Heart by life. Going sideways, Sorrows, unpleasantness grief, the oil lubricates. And it heals third or whites who is it that illuminates? The Bible for us to understand it's the Holy Spirit. He like, who is it? That illuminates our path. So we know decisions to make and places to go. The Holy Spirit? Does that he like fourth oil? It warms doesn't matter if it's a lot of person that matter of yourself, a member of the body of Christ, who's grieving, When our hearts are cold, the holy spirit, will warm and his power, God will penetrate and he will encourage US during times that we are down. It, just warms Our Hearts by the Holy Spirit does and then fifthly it polishes when you promised me know what you do, you take off the rough edges. Do you know that you polish it down where it's just smooth? Well, when we're saying we have a lot of rough edges, but through the Holy Spirit his power, he kinda he stiffs us. He sends us. He polishes us and makes us smooth for the Lord. So this is talking about this lampstand is the church Israel during this time, Judah and the oil is the holy spirit. So let's go back to verses 6 through 10 and talk about this historical application. That we have here. Despite God saying jerubbaal will build this Temple and he will finish it. The people were saying, at least some of them. They called it a small thing. This is useless. It's no good doing well. Accompanying this Vision. Hear the Lord says you will do it and it may be small. But you going to do it not by your might and power but by my spirit, says the Lord. Might and strength here is talking about for like a military force. The point is that God's program is not going to be at Van through political means or military means, but through a small but God ordained effort in rebuilding the temple from. Just some normal people, that's how God works. God can work and Military and he can work in political platforms. But God works through individuals and through the church and many times he works and things that start small How many people was at the first church ever created in Acts about a hundred. And now, what does the church do today? It ministers throughout the entire world We talk more about that a little later. But these efforts they were scorned as lacking might and strength, but they appeared weak and impotent. Do you know that? That's how Christians appear to the world? Could just wake use God as a crutch. You talk about Jesus all the time. You're just afraid to die you. All right. You always got to be talking about when I die. I'm going to heaven. But just admit the fact knowing you. Are, you going in the ground, you going in the grave. And that's it. You're just afraid to admit it. You just want to use religion as a crutch. That's the way, the world sees Jesus Christ, but the Lord says that, even though this project may be small, It will accomplish his purposes and it will be accomplished through his power and not the strength of the people. That's what he's saying and he gives me description of how this is going to happen. I'll look at it in verse 7. He says, who are you great old great Mountain before zaruba Bowl. You shall become a plain. That this is where in the vision that this Vision here encourages us as well. You see the removable? He was a man, he had lots of problems. He was trying to carry out God's work and he was surrounded by enemies. He was surrounded by people who were saying this is awful, you all not even build the foundation if it's not, if it's going to look like this. So his own people didn't like it. You only probably had three or four or five people who was behind him. He was fighting the people who were LaFarge it, the people had no vision. They had a lack of faith. And there he was trying to do God's work in the midst of all that, and I'm sure the word look like a mighty Mountain to him. They were an obstacle that human power could not remove, but God said, you do the work that I called you to do, and you be strong and you complete it. Because the Lord himself he said I will make this mountain a plane, you know, that he can make it as flat as he want to make it. Not what you have to understand by this God is saying the Victor. He's going to be one by my spirit. Not by your power, or might. Well we have to understand something about the ancient near East. The first task that you have when you was going to build a temple was to clear. A piece of land and most time they either want it on the mountain or elevated piece of land, because that typology their pictures will the higher. You can get the temple, the closer it is to God, the closer, it is to happen, so they would always built on a hill or some type of elevated land. In following the duration of platform here, it says, and in this is unique here, it says that they will look at your snap. Who are you? Oh, great night before. So you shall become a plane and he shall bring forth the Capstone. It says here. Well, what is a Capstone? Another words, the top Stone. Well, in those areas in the near East, in those days when you built something continuity of, it was was just Supreme it had to be exactly. Like it was like, the old Temple, but it also had to be in the exact place as the old Tampa. That's why it says here. I think the hands is rubel. It says the river bowl that he laid the foundation of this Temple and it says the Plumb line in the Hannah Jurupa, what's a Plumb line? Something, you measure the walls with So he was measuring making sure everything was just right. Well, why is that? Well, it had to be built on the same spot, geographically, it had to it. Had to be a matched up in the topstone. What they would do is the first stone laid on the new Temple would be the stone taken from the old Temple. So they would take a stone from the old Temple and they would put it in that would be the tops on the Capstone of the new. In other words, God was with us in the old Temple. And this symbolize is that he's going to be with us in the new Temple as well. So in response, the people shouted, Grace Grace, why would they say that? Because it's the people's way of saying, this is God's doing not man's. They say it is God's grace that we're going to do that. So they recognize God's work in that now. So he starts addressing zaruba boy after this.

How are the second part goes to Zacharia and he assures Zakaria, that's Aruba Bowl. Would indeed finish this? And then all of a sudden who is it? Who despises the Small? Things no one should despise anything that is small as unimportant, you see bound up in these early stages of the Temple. Are the purposes of God for his people, but not only his people for the entire world. Later on, we have to understand that hidden inside the apparent. Weakness of this small thing is, the power of God Spirit. That's what he's talkin about here. So through the lens of Faith, what once appeared weak is now shown to be strong. And what once appeared to be impotent is now shown to be the instrument of the spirit's power. What once appeared to be a small thing is now shown to hold within it. The purposes of God, not only for Israel, but for the world as well. And that's what we'll talk about next week because we going to look at this, we going to say, okay, it's the spirits power that he's talked about, how does that apply? How did Jesus for fill this vision? And we'll talk about Jesus's life, but then I wanted to look at what how does this apply to me? Because most of us probably just feel like as a Christian, we are just kind of small people. No one knows me. No one knows who I am. Just a few people. It just seems like we have a small Ministry. We can just do this. Small things, what good? Is it? The world is this crumbling? If I go and wash dishes at a soup kitchen for the homeless, what good is that? That's just a small thing, but that's what God works. He works through small things will see that next week. Let's pray. Father, we do. Thank you and praise you and love you tonight. Lord. This is a difficult passage Lord and we just pray that you give us the understanding and insight that we need to understand this floor, not only that, but to see Jesus in it, which will look at next week and also to apply to our own lives Lord. We know all of us here. Many times in our life, we just feel very small when we look at our own life in our own Ministry, Lord, help us to see That you work in small things.

You work with a young boy with a few rocks and a slingshot. For we know that you will work with a basket and a rope or we know that you work with those who are afraid and who are scared to step out and do your bidding, we know that you give up courage that you instill in your Holy Spirit. And we know that you're working in us and you will until the day of redemption Lord help us never to despise the small things in life, or we look forward to coming back again. Next, Wednesday to speak with each one. That's here is a travel home in Christ's name. I pray. Amen.