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Sermon - August 25, 2024




Zechariah

Rev. David Ryan

I gotta tell you –

I love studying the word of God –

I feel like as a pastor, one of the most important things I do in the week

Is to prepare the sermon I will preach on Sunday.

I try to get to it early –

Because it’s so important.

I usually set aside time to write my sermons

On Tuesdays –

Because if something happens Tuesday, I still have Wednesday,

If something happens Wednesday, I still have Thursday, Etc.

I want to have the time to get deep into the word

To meditate upon it

To read and study what others wiser than I have said about it

I can’t leave that till the last minute.

 

This week, I had a really full week

So I had to back up a day

And write on Monday.

And what I really love

Is when I learn something new.

Now, its true.

I don’t start out with a high bar!

I have studied the word and preached from it

For almost 40 years now.

I do know some things

But I also know that there is a lot I don’t know!

This week, I learned something new –

Something pretty exciting.

I have long been familiar with the key verse

Of the text this morning.

“No by Might, Nor By Power, but by my Spirit Ssays the Lord.

I learned it a long time ago

In the song that we are going to sing

To end our time together –

But I confess to you

That I did not really know its context.

And its context is important – Context is always important.

While we can lift up a single verse of scripture

And memorize it, sing it, etc.

It’s better if we know and understand the

Context – it gives it a fuller meaning usually.

First a bit of background.

Remember that I said there are 12 minor Prophets.

5 Major Prophets, 12 minor.

They are called minor not because there words are less important

But simply because their collected works are shorter.

The 12 minor prophets are divided into

Pre-exile and post exile prophets.

9 pre-exile – that is before the time of Babylonian exile –

And 3 post-exile – after Cyrus, the Persian King, who took over Babylon

Sent the Jews back to their homeland.

Last week we looked at Haggai –

This week it’s Zechariah.

Their time overlapped.

Zechariahs first prophecy was actually a little earlier

Than Haggai’s first.

 

Haggai tends to be more plain spoken.

He lays it out as it is.

Zechariah shares more visions –

The book of Zechariah has 6 chapters

And within those 6 chapters there are 8 visions recorded.

We don’t know much about Zechariah himself –

It was a common name –

In scripture 27 different Zechariah’s are mentioned!

His name means “God remembers” which is a good name

For a Prophet during the restoration of Isreal –

His ministry was mainly one of encouragement.

While Haggai seemed to focus on the rebuilding of the temple –

Zechariah seemed more concerned with the rebuilding

Of the people themselves.

His main message was a call for the people to return to God.

Not just return to their homeland

Not just a return to the buildings

But a return to their spirituality as the people of God.

The call to return is voiced not as a command

But as an invitation.

God could command us to be in right relationship with him

But instead, God invites us.

One of the commentators that I was reading used the image

Of God wooing us.

I’m a romantic at heart.

I love that word “wooing” –

It’s not a word we use much, I guess.

 

 

But the idea is that God does all he can

To make himself attractive to us –

He showers us with love and attention

God wants first place in our hearts, friends.

And think of all God does to invite us there.

You are so loved.

I know sometimes we worry about being loved

At least I do.

I have been described as being pretty needy –

And I confess to that.

But I also confess that God has supplied all I need!

His love for us is complete!

He loves us directly through the Holy Spirit

And also through those He has placed in our lives.

I received a gift this past week –

And the person who gave it to me knew

How much I would like it – even the package that it came in.

I loved the gift

But even more, I loved knowing that this friend really “gets me”

They know me.

It’s a wonderful thing to be known.

And no one knows us like God!

He gets us.

He knows what we need, and he gives it to us.

Praise God.

 

Now, I said that Zechariah shares 8 visions.

1.   Man among the Myrtle Trees

2.   Four Horns

3.   Surveyor with Measuring line

4.   High Priest

5.   Lampstand and Olive Trees

6.   Flying Scroll

7.   Woman in a basket

8.   4 Chariots

I want to focus on the 5th this morning –

Because it's within that vision that we get

The verse hold in my memory from Zechariah.

“Not by might, nor by power but by my Spirit” says the Lord.

Again- the context makes our understanding of this verse even richer

In his vision, Zechariah is awakened by an angel – he must have been sleeping.

And the angel asks him, what do you see –

Zechariah replies that he sees a golden lampstand – with seven pipes, leading from two olive trees.

Now, it makes sense, since the people were being called

To rebuild the temple, that elements of the temple

Would be shared in a vision.

 

The golden lampstand originated in the tabernacle –

And then was also a part of the temple –

Its job was both symbolic and practical –

It symbolized the light of God

And practically, it gave light to the area.

But Zechariahs’ vision included something that was

Not originally found in the tabernacle – or temple –

Two olive trees.

Caring for the golden lampstand was one of the more tedious

Duties of the priests serving the them temple

 

They took constant care.

They had to continually be refilled with oil

Cleaned of soot

And have their wicks maintained.

They were fueled by a pure, specially prepared

Olive oil.

I know we have some fans of the series “The Chosen” –

Again, a series I highly recommend.

If you are a fan, you may remember that the disciples,

Under the leadership of the father of James and John –

Started an olive oil business – and that they were selling to the

Temple – to provide oil for the lampstands.

Now, here, in this vision –God had provided olive trees –

And was feeding the fuel to the lampstands –

Directly from the trees!

NO need for human processing.

God was feeding the lamps directly.

Zechariah asks the angel –

What does this mean?

Than angel replies – don’t you know?

Zechariah says no – tell me.

And the angel responds to the verse we know so well

Not by might, nor by power

But by my spirit says the Lord.

Now, the word used for Might here – refers to

The collective strength of the people –

The strength of the whole – like the strength of an army

Or the powers of the general government.

 

And power refers to the strength or resources of an individual.

God is saying – you will not be successful

Because of your corporate strength

You will not be successful because of any one individual

 

You will only have what you need

Because of what I myself will supply-

It is only by the Spirit

That you will be successful

He was talking about what the Hebrew calls =

The Ruah – The divine breath of God.

That same spirit that hovered over creation

And called it into being.

That same Spirit that opened and closed the red sea

That same spirit that brought life to the dry bones in Ezekiel s vision

It is only by that Spirit that we live and breath

It is only by that Spirit that Zerubbabel – the governor

Could do what God was calling him to do.

It is only by that Same Spirit, folks

That the church can be the church

It is only by that Same Spirit

That we be who God calls us to be.

It is not a matter of us striving

It is not a matter of us depending on our own resources alone –

They will never be enough –

But it’s about us being connected to God

Receiving and living in his holy spirit.

 

 

Oh we need that holy oil!

In youth group we used to sing a song –

“Give me oil for my lamp, keep me burning burning burning

Give me oil in my lamp I pray!

Give me oil for my lamp keep me burning burning burning

Keep me burning till the break of day.

 

  • Oil is a great image for the Holy Spirit.

  • Oil lubricates when used for that purpose – there is little friction and wear among those who are lubricated by the Spirit of God.

  • Oil heals and was used as a medicinal treatment in Biblical times (Luke 10:34 :And went to [him], and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and...) – the Spirit of God brings healing and restoration.

  • Oil lights when it is burned in a lamp – where the Spirit of God is there is light.

  • Oil warms when it is used as fuel for a flame – where the Spirit of God is there is warmth and comfort.

  • Oil invigorates when used to massage – the Holy Spirit invigorates us for His service.

  • Oil adorns when applied as a perfume – the Holy Spirit adorns us and makes us more pleasant to be around.

  • Oil polishes when used to shine metal – the Holy Spirit wipes away our grime, smoothing out our rough edges.

And don’t we need all of that?

My My My

Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit says the Lord.

 

Friends, it is essential that we get this life giving oil

From the Lord.

How did the lampstand in the vision get the oil –

From the olive trees –

Through the pipes.

Through the connection.

We need to make sure our connection with God is there!

We get connected to God

Through our faith in Jesus Christ.

And I think we keep the channels open through prayer.

We need to be a praying people

Confessing to God –

We need your Spirit Lord.

We have to confess that we cannot do it on our own –

But only through the power that the spirit gives.

We need to make sure we are not trying to do it on our own.

What we attempt on our own will surely fail

But with God all things are possible.

That’s not to say we don’t have work to do –

We talked about that last week –

We have things to do

We have gifts that God has given us to use.

But we do that work

Aware of our dependence –

Aware of our need for connection to God.

Constantly praying

Constantly surrendering

Constantly abiding

Constantly trusting

Not by our own might  - collectively

Not by our own power – individually

But by the Spirit of the Lord.

Thank you Lord!

Thank you Lord for planting those olive trees

 

Right by the lampstand

Thank you Lord for the pipes that let the oil flow

Directly to the lamps.

God has given us what need, friends,

In Jesus Christ.

Trust in him.

Believe in him

Draw your strength from him.

Do not try to live on your own.

Your own oil will not be enough.

Your flame will sputter out and die

And there will be darkness.

Draw your oil from the holy spirit.

It is a never ending supply.

Only through him can you be all you are called to be

Only through him can you do all you are called to do.

As a church, let us commit again to God’s way, God’s will for us.

As individuals, let us commit again our way to His way.

Give us oil for our lamps, Lord – keep us burning burning burning

Give us oil for our lamps we pray!

Not by might,

Nor by power

But by my spirit says the Lord!

Amen.

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