God's Work by God's Power

Pastor Melinda Song

Zechariah 4:1-6 (NIV)

1 Then the angel who talked with me returned and wakened me, as a man is wakened from his sleep.2 He asked me, “What do you see?”

I answered, “I see a solid gold lampstand with a bowl at the top 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.”

4 I asked the angel who talked with me, “What are these, my lord?”

5 He answered, “Do you not know what these are?”

“No, my lord,” I replied.

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.

INTRODUCTION

In 538 B.C. the conqueror of Babylon, Cyrus of Persia, issued a decree allowing the Jews to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple. Led by Zerubbabel (also known as Sheshbazzar in Ezra 1:8), about 50,000 Jews returned home to rebuild the temple but the temple still remained an uncompleted ruin after 16 years.

God then raised up the prophets Haggai and Zechariah to remind His people of His promise and to stir up the people from their slumber so that they would begin again to rebuild the temple of God in Jerusalem.

Zechariah’s His name means ‘Yahweh Remembers’ and he encouraged the people with the fact that God remembers His covenant.

In the vision Zechariah saw a golden lampstand. This lampstand could not be the seven-branched menorah. It was probably a cylindrical pedestal, made out of gold, with a bowl on top. The bowl, or, in some translations, the flared feature on top of the column, had seven lamps, each with seven pinches, or spouts, to hold seven wicks.

Besides the lampstand, Zechariah also saw “two olive trees by it, one on the right of the bowl and the other on its left” (v. 3). In verse 12, the prophet asks: “What are these two olive branches beside the two gold pipes that pour out golden oil?”

The word “branches” could also be “clusters” of fruit on the olive trees. Presumably, “the golden oil” from the crushed olives is channelled to the lamps through these two pipes in order to keep them burning.

The prophet asked the angel for an interpretation of the vision three times (vv. 4, 11, 12) because he had never seen a lampstand with a reservoir, and certainly not one with self-filling lamps that are fed with a constant supply of olive oil from two olive trees.

The angel doesn’t actually answer Zechariah’s first request for an explanation. Instead he gave a word for governor Zerubbabel. It is this: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty. (v. 6).

Any work this group of returnees from exile were going to do would only be accomplished by the power of the Spirit of God. They had tried to rebuild the temple by their own strength but failed (Ezra 3:8–13). Relying solely on human resources, human wisdom and human strength, their efforts were worthless.

Only God Can Do God’s Work! The vision and the promise that God gave Zechariah in the sixth century B.C. is applicable for us today.

First we have to recognise that there will be…

A. THE PROBLEM(S)

Zechariah 4:7 (NIV)

“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!’” 

Zerubbabel was the people’s leader in Jerusalem. He had the responsibility to finish the work of rebuilding the temple but the work had ground to a halt. Before him lay the mountain of rubble that used to be the once glorious Temple of Solomon. The task seemed impossible.

We cannot pursue God's eternal purpose without encountering a "great mountain.”

- lack of finance or human resources

- obstacles  

- threats

- opposition   

- discouragement

- doubt/unbelief

There will be problems but the mountain will be levelled. Zerubbabel must trust in…

B. THE PROMISE

1. It is NOT BY MIGHT!

The Old Testament uses the word MIGHT more than 100 times to refer to collective strength and resources of a group, such as the armies of Pharoah or of Israel or of Babylon.

In other words, the Temple is not going to be rebuilt by the people pulling their collective strength to get the job done.

a. Not by might of NUMBERS

When Solomon built the temple, he employed 150,000 men. He had 3,000 foremen on the job. Only 50,000 people had returned from Babylon, including the aged, women and children.

There is nothing wrong with the mega-church concept. We want to thank God for the overwhelming number of people at the Christmas service. It is always a joy to worship with a big congregation, to have new people worshipping with us, who will eventually make TOP their home church.

And we have to guard against inverted pride in small numbers - where people think they're wonderful because they're small.

God can and God will do things on a large scale, and we rejoice to see many souls saved for the kingdom of God but it is not in the strength of numbers that blessing comes.

BIBLE ILLUSTRATION: Gideon had 32,000 soldiers which when compared with 135,000 Midianites is not much. Then God comes along and says: 'Get rid of your soldiers down to 10,000 men', and he sends all the ones who are fearful home. Then through another strange exercise - which there are whole lot of different interpretations of - God whittles down his numbers to 300. 300 versus 135,000 but Gideon routs the enemies of the Lord, 'The Sword of the Lord and of Gideon!'

What a lesson to us! We are very numbers-orientated but take PPN for example, whether few or many, what does it matter, if God is in the midst?

TOP is not a big church, neither are we a small church but if we put our trust in numbers. Our trust must be in God alone.

Psalm 20:7

Some trust in chariots and some in horses, 

but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. 

b. Not by might of MONEY

Solomon also had an unlimited funds. They had meagre funds. The task seemed impossible.

It is good to belong to a church which is able to pay its bills. Thank God for all of you who gave to the Giving Christmas. The final collection came to RM9,600. Do you know why God sent RM1,600 over our target? God already had in mind 16 secondary school students who had no longer qualifies for our Love Project which is only for primary school students.

Next week is our Harvest Mission. God is on the move in TOP so prepare your hearts to sow into God’s kingdom. If we think that giving generously is enough, we are missing the point. Bro. Jason our Missions Director also has plans for mission trips in 2018. And the Church Board has designated funds for local social and community works

God’s work will not lack God’s provision but if we are putting our trust in money instead of in God, then we will be rebuked.

“NOT BY MIGHT,” says the Lord Almighty because He is the ALL MIGHTY God.

1. It is NOT BY MIGHT, and

2. It is NOT BY POWER!

The Old Testament uses the word POWER more than 100 times to refer to the strength of individual men and women. The Temple is not going to be rebuilt by Zerubbabel’s master organisation or by the skills and abilities of any one craftsman.

We must not put our trust in our own power or our own efforts.

a. Not by power of HUMAN WISDOM

Our education, our clever ideas, our brilliant schemes, our ingenious slogans won’t achieve anything by themselves. The Bible says that “the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight” (1 Corinthians 3:19).

There is no amount of human intellect or skills sufficient to accomplish the work of God effectively. It is not by our might, power, or abilities, but by the Spirit of God, that we accomplish God’s plans and purposes for us in life.

b. Not by power of HUMAN STRENGTH (HARD WORK)

Don’t get me wrong. There is a place for human wisdom and hard work. And we can’t just sit back and put our feet up and expect God to do the work without us playing our part. But if we put our trust in human wisdom or hard work, instead of in God, nothing will happen either!

1 Corinthians 1:24b-31

…Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength. 

26 Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28 He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, 29 so that no one may boast before him. 30 It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. 31 Therefore, as it is written: “Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.”

On another thought: All of this means that none of us should think for a second that we can leave the work to other people. We cannot say, “Here I am Lord, send somebody else.” The work of building the church is not just the responsibility of a few “special Christians”, but of EVERY Christian.

ILLUSTRATION: Once upon a time there were four people named Everybody, Somebody, Anybody, and Nobody. There was an important job to be done and Everybody was asked to do it.

But Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it. Anybody could have done it.

But Nobody did it. Somebody got angry about it, because it was Everybody’s job.

Everybody thought that Anybody could do it, and Nobody realized that Everybody wouldn’t do it. It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody and Nobody did the job that Anybody could have done in the first place.

Very often in church, Nobody does the job that Anybody could have done in the first place. God wants to use each and every one of us.

There is no task too insignificant or too small. The Lord Almighty asked: "“Who despises the day of small things? " (Zechariah 4:10). God’s number is infinity so "little is much when God is in it!"

All of us CAN do something for God because it’s not by might, not by power…

BUT BY MY SPIRIT says the Lord Almighty.

C. THE POWER

The olive oil is a symbol of the Holy Spirit (Lk. 4:18; Acts 10:38; Heb. 1:9; 1 Jn. 2:20). The bowl of oil fed by pipes from the olive trees symbolised God’s inexhaustible and abundant power through the Holy Spirit. Human effort without the supply of the “oil” of the Holy Spirit would burn itself out.

What the golden olive oil was to the seven fluted oil lamps the Spirit of God is to all aspects of any work done in His name; God’s work done in God’s way will never lack God’s provision and power. Those who resist this principle will learn the hard way that they will be powerless to do God’s work.

ILLUSTRATION: THE POWER MUST BE USED

A young missionary, Herbert Jackson, was given a car to help him in his work. The car was a major asset, but it had one difficulty—it would not start without a push or a jump-start. Jackson devised a system to cope with the car’s inability to start. When he was ready to leave his home, he went to a nearby school and asked permission to bring some of the children out of class to help him push-start his car.

Throughout the day, he was careful to always park on a hill or to leave his engine running when he stopped for short visits.

For two years the young missionary used what he believed was an ingenious method to enable him to use the car.

When poor health forced the Jackson family to leave the field, a new missionary arrived to lead the mission. When Jackson explained to the new missionary his methods for starting the car, the young man opened the hood and began inspecting.

“Why, Dr. Jackson,” he interrupted, “I believe the only trouble is the loose cable.” He gave the cable a twist, pushed the switch, and the engine roared to life.

For two years, Dr. Jackson had used his own devices and endured needless trouble. The power to start the car was there all the time—it only needed to be connected.

(Source: Living Beyond Your Capacity, Paul Chappell)

Look again at the lampstand.

Lampstands in the Bible signify testimony, or the witness of God on the earth. Here it represents Judah, but it also represents the church in the New Testament. In Revelation chapter 1 through 3, lampstands are mentioned several times, and of course Jesus is walking through seven lampstands representing the seven churches of Asia Minor. 

1)     We have the Fountain Head of Power.   "A lampstand of solid gold with a bowl on top of it" (Zechariah 4:2). God the Father is the Fountain Head of the Spirit's power

Luke 11:13

If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” 

Luke 24:49

I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.

2)     We have the Fullness of Power. The "seven pipes" (Zechariah 4:2). Seven is the number of completeness and fullness. Some scholars believe that there were 7 times 7, or 49 pipes! All this and more is promised to us when we are filled with the Holy Spirit (Eph. 5:18).

3)     We have the Function of Power. The "seven lamps" (Zechariah 4:2). These lamps had one function: to give light.

TOP is a lampstand, a lighthouse to the community. The church exists, and likewise every Christian, to shine in a dark world (Matthew 5:16).

4)     We have the Flow of Power.  "Two olive trees" (Zechariah 4:3). Historically, these trees represent Joshua the Priest and Zerubbabel the King (or ruler) (Zechariah 4). Ultimately, the olive trees symbolize Christ our Lord as Priest and King.

It is only by a personal and perennial relationship to Jesus as Priest (calling for a life of prayer and intercession) and King (calling for a life of dedication) can the endless supply of oil be poured out “so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe” (Phil. 2:15).

So, the bottom line is that all our living and shining is not by might nor by power (in the flesh), but by God's Spirit.  This must now be our corporate and personal lifestyle - living and shining by the Spirit in every circumstance and at all cost.

CONCLUSION

When Zechariah preached to the people, Christ had not yet gone to the Cross and ascended to heaven, and yet He could assure the people of a constant supply of His Spirit. Today Christ has completed the work He came to do. He has risen from the dead and He has ascended up to the right hand of God, and He has poured down the Spirit to strengthen His church with His might.

If Zerubbabel must believe the word of Zechariah, so must we. We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.

How does Christ strengthen us? He strengthens us by His Spirit and by His Word.

Let us not be discouraged by the problems which confront us day by day. Let us not be discouraged by our own inability and weaknesses—for when we are weak, then we are strong. 

Let us, rather, be much in prayer waiting upon the Lord. Let us be dependent upon Him. Let us seek by His grace to be obedient to His Word and calling. 

In Him and through Him we shall attempt great things for God. We can not do God's Work without Him. He has chosen not to do His work without us.

Therefore we need to get together.

It is not by might

It is not by power

But by His Spirit.