I'm going to ask you to take
your Bibles and turn with me to the book of Zechariah. It's just before Malachi. It's
the next to the last book in the Old Testament. I made a few
comments from this book a few days ago, but there's something
that I'd like to look at. this morning for a few minutes.
Zechariah 13. I'd like to look at verses 7,
8, and 9. Zechariah 13, verses 7 through
9. The scripture declares, and this
is the Lord, God of heaven speaketh, Awake, O sword, against my shepherd,
against the man that is my fellow, saith the Lord of hosts. Smite
the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered, and I will turn
mine hand upon the little ones. It shall come to pass that in
all the land, saith the Lord, two parts therein shall be cut
off and die. But the third shall be left therein. And I will bring the third part
through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, will
try them as gold is tried. They shall call on my name. I
will hear them. I will say, it is my people. They shall say, the Lord is my
God." This is an amazing passage. of Scripture. The Father is speaking to justice. He's speaking to the sword of
His justice. And He says to justice, O sword, awake, stir up yourself. against my shepherd, against
the man that is my fellow, my associate,
God says to justice, wake up, wake up, and smite him. the man who is
my shepherd." Now, with the Lord speaking to the sword concerning
the shepherd, that gives us this assumption. There's a flock. If there's a shepherd, there's
a flock. And this shepherd has this responsibility to take care
of them, lead them, guide them, direct them. But I tell you what
else we know from this verse right here. God is just. Awake,
O sword, smite, smite the shepherd. Now who is? this shepherd. Well, you know who he is. This
is the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord is my shepherd. And the one of whom this verse
speaks in Zechariah actually quoted this verse. The Lord quoted
this. I'll read this, Matthew 26, 31.
The Lord Jesus said, It says, then Jesus saith unto
them, all ye shall be offended because of me this night, for
it is written, I will smite the shepherd and the sheep of the
flock shall be scattered abroad. He said, now listen to me, all
of you, he's talking to his apostles, all of you are going to be offended
You're going to be enticed to sin. That's what that means.
You're going to be offended because of me this night. He said, it's written concerning
me, I will smite the shepherd, the sheep of the flock shall
be scattered. They're going to be caused to disperse. You're going to be caused and
have occasion given you to distrust me, and you're going to desert
me. You're going to be scattered.
You're going to leave me. This is the one of whom the prophet
Isaiah spoke. He shall feed his flock like
a shepherd, gather the lambs with his arms, carry them in
his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are young. This is
the shepherd. Now the shepherd, the Lord Jesus
Christ, is the man who is God's fellow, His associate. God Almighty gave unto His Son
this commission, the one, the Lord said, who sent me, the shepherd. He came into this world for this
purpose, to seek and to save His sheep. He has a flock, a
flock that the Father has given Him. And now, with the responsibility
of redeeming, of saving the sheep, this is what's going to have
to happen. God's going to smite Him. We fell in the garden. And there's
not one man, one woman in this congregation this morning, or
in this world, or ever has been in this world, or ever will be
in this world, born in Adam, that's not worthy of being cast
into hell. Now listen, all have sinned and
come short of the glory of God. There's not one that doeth good. Not one. We're all as an unclean
thing. Every one of us are deserving
of hell. But Almighty God, according to
an everlasting covenant of grace, purposed that God was going to
save a people deserving of everlasting damnation, leave this world without
being found in Christ. And let me tell you what the
end is. We're going to be in hell. That's just the way it is. We're
going to be cast out. Here is the shepherd. It's coming
to this world. Now this is, the Scripture says
the mystery of godliness. God was manifested in the flesh. God was manifested in the flesh.
Why? To satisfy every demand of justice. To establish righteousness
in this world and to make the law honorable. What does the
law say? The soul that sinneth is going
to die. The soul that sinneth. He knew
no sin. the holy, just Lamb of God. But being made sin, the
Father says, Awake, O sword, and smite the shepherd. What
do you think the Father is going to do to everyone without the
Son? If He smites the shepherd, Do
you think he'll fail to smite everyone without the shepherd? Almighty God has a people. He's
going to save them. We're going to find ourselves
in dire need. Awake, O sword, against my shepherd,
against the man that's my fellow, the Lord of hosts. Smite the
shepherd, the sheep shall be scattered. and I will turn my
hand upon the just ones." Awake. Now the scattering of the sheep
was foretold hundreds and hundreds of years before it actually happened. That was written in the prophets,
in Zechariah. But then the Lord in time in
Matthew reminded him of it. He said, now listen, this was
written of me, but I'm telling you that tonight you're going
to be offended. You're going to be caused, tried
to distrust me, and you're going to leave. You're going to leave.
You're going to be scattered. Do you know that just in Him telling
them that, what a comfort that was in their recovery. I know just a little bit about
myself. And what a comfort it is to me
that the Lord would reveal to me. Marvin, you would leave. But I won't leave you to yourself.
You'll be scattered. Without His word of encouragement
in telling me what I am. The Lord said the sheep's going
to be scattered. But then He said in the latter
part of verse 7, I will turn mine hand upon the little ones.
not turn his hand in judgment. That he did to the shepherd. And then when we were scattered,
he said, I'm going to turn my hand to the little ones. I'm
going to restore them. I'm going to allow them to return. I'm going to gather them. I'm
going to bring them unto my hand. Mercy. to reveal to us what we
would do. And here's the sad part. I've
got that tendency in my heart, my old man, that does it and
does it and does it. Prone to wonder. Lord, I feel
it. Somebody might say, well, I remember
one time when I left the Lord I haven't stopped. I'm continually
in that old man doing it. There's just a tendency in that
old man to continually leave. That's what that old man's going
to do. But he said, I'm going to turn
my hand. I'm going to bring you back. I'm going to restore you.
Is there any believer in this congregation this morning that
does not say in his heart and know and admit in his heart,
there's a battle that goes on in me all the time? And I don't justify it. I don't
condone it. I hate it. I told you before, I can't even
pray without leaving. You try to pray and tell me that
you don't find yourself off somewhere thinking, where did I go? Scattered. Gone. But don't you know that
these disciples, after leaving him, were comforted when they
realized that the Lord had told them that they were going to
do it, but he said, I'm going to turn my hand. I'm going to
restore you. Verse 8, it shall come to pass
that in all the land, saith the Lord, two parts therein shall
be cut off and die, but the third shall be left therein. In all
the land. Where is that? Everywhere. Everywhere. In all of this earth. Everywhere. That's where God's people are
scattered. Out of every nation and kindred and tribe and tongue,
this is where they are. They're scattered in all the
land. But here's what's in all the land. It's going to come
to pass that in all the land, saith the Lord, two parts therein
shall be cut off and die. A third is going to be left therein. In all the land, everywhere,
everywhere where God has a people, an elect, a selected, A chosen. The Lord has a people that He,
before the foundation of the world, chose to salvation. I mean, read 2 Thessalonians
2.13 and tell me that God doesn't have a people. Read Ephesians
1.4 and tell me that God doesn't have a people. You must say,
do you mean to tell me that God selected before the foundation
of the world who He was going to save? Absolutely. Say, well, I just have a hard
time believing that. It doesn't change the truth. The Lord says, I chose you, put
you in my Son before the foundation of the world, that you should
be holy and without blame. That's who the Lord prayed for.
John 17, 9, he said, I don't pray for the world. The Lord
didn't pray for the world to be saved. He said, I pray, read
it, John 17, 9. I pray for those that you've
given me out of the world. That's who I'm praying for. He
cried from the cross, those that were wagging their heads. He
saved others. Couldn't save himself, that's
right. Love bound him, duty bound him. He said, my meat is to do
the will of Him that sent me. The shepherd's going to be smitten.
He's going to redeem His sheep. No, He's not coming down. He saved others. He couldn't
save Himself. First utterance, to my understanding,
from the cross. First utterance. Father, forgive
them. They know not what they do. For
whom was he praying? Well, according to John 17, 9,
not the world. He was praying for those that
he was going to call out of darkness here, that as of yet didn't know
him. And those that would leave him,
Father forgive them. They don't know what they're
doing. But in verse 8, This is what's going to come to pass.
It shall come to pass. It shall. But in all the land,
two-thirds are going to be cut off. In every place where God has
raised up a people, in that place, there's tears. Always. Always. Always. The Scripture
says in 1 Corinthians 11, 19. Now listen to this. Do they have to be there? Do
the tares have to be there? Do the tares have to be there? Yes, they have to be there. For there must be also heresies. Heresies means different parties,
different opinions. There must be heresies among
you that they which are approved, that is God's elect, God's people,
approved of God, approved by Christ, may be made manifest. There must be heresies. The scripture
says, you smite the shepherd, sword, The sheep are going to
be scattered. I'm going to turn my hand of
mercy upon them, and I'm going to gather them back. And it's
going to come to pass. I'm going to gather them back.
It's going to come to pass that in every place where I have a
people, there's going to be some tears among them. And two-thirds
are going to be cut off and die. There's going to be a remnant.
left according to the election of God's grace. Two-thirds. Two-thirds. This is God's Word. I mean, I'm reading out of God's
Word, and this is what God said. I know what the world says. This is not fair. This is right. If God says it,
it's right. If the Lord declares it, it's
right. And His Word is not going to
return void. The Lord Jesus told the Jews,
He said, you know what you're going to be judged by? You're
going to be judged by the Word that I speak. This is going to
come up again. This Word is going to come up
again. In the day of judgment, this Word... Now let me ask you
this. What are we going to say in the Day of Judgment? When
God Almighty says, this is it. My Word is not going to return
void. It's going to accomplish the
purpose for which it's sent. The Lord said, it's going to
come to pass. And all the land says there are
two parts shall be cut off. And they're going to die. They're
going to be Cut away. And they're going to die. But the third shall be left therein. All that the Father giveth me,
they're going to come to me. They shall come to me. They're going to come in their
heart. And they're going to be given a new heart, made willing
in the day of God's power. They're not born with it. They're
not born with that heart. Let me tell you what their heart
says, the heart with which they're born in Adam. They're going to
say this, that's not fair, that's not right, that's not the way
I see it, I don't believe it. Lord, deliver me from that. Lord,
deliver me from that heart. Give me a heart that says, Lord,
as you say it is, it is. Lord, have mercy on me. Lord,
don't cut me off. Pass me not, O gentle Savior.
While you're calling others, Lord, don't pass me by. Lord,
if you pass me by, I'm going to be cut off. That's just the
way it is. I may find myself going to hell saying you're not
fair, but I'm going to tell you something. I'll still be in hell.
Crying throughout eternity. You're not fair. You're not fair.
You're not fair, but you're just. You're just. Yeah, He's fair.
He said, I'm a just God. I'm a just God. And I'm a Savior. Let me ask you this. That third
part that's going to be left. That third part that He's going
to bring. How is He going to bring them? Well, verse 9 says
it. I will bring the third part through
the fire. I will refine them as silver
is refined and will try them as gold is tried. Listen to this,
they shall call on my name and I will hear them. I will say
it is my people They shall say, the Lord is my God. Now I want you to notice in closing,
this is what the Lord said in that verse. He said, I will bring. I'm going to tell you the definitions. I'm very needful to know exactly
what these words mean. I'm going to give you the definitions.
I will bring, meaning I will gather I will cause to come in. I'm going to cause you to come
in. I'm going to give you a new heart. I'm going to birth you
from above. I'm going to give you a new spirit.
I'm going to give you a new love. I'm going to give you a new understanding.
I'm going to give you faith. And you're going to believe me.
You're going to believe me. I will bring the third part to
the fire. I will refine them. That is, I'm going to prove them
as being true. I will refine them as silver
is refined. And I will try, same word, same
meaning as refine. I'm going to prove them. I will
try them as gold is tried, and they shall call on my name."
You know, I grew up, now listen, I grew up in free will, just
man honoring religion. And I've heard this, they go,
Oh, my name. I've heard men say, now listen,
all you have to do is just call on the Lord. How do you do that? Well, I'm going to give you this
sinner's prayer. Father, I've sinned. Father, I've sinned. Save me. Save me. And they just
give me a prayer. I just repeat it. You know what
that means? That means that I can hear and
I can talk. That's what it means. I heard
what you said. This word right here, they shall call, they're
going to cry out from their heart for help. They're going to mean
it. They're going to see themselves
as needy sinners. When old blind Barnabas was on
the side of the road and he heard that Jesus of Nazareth was passing
by, That's who he heard, who's Jesus of Nazareth is passing
by. What did blind Bartimaeus say?
Jesus, thou son of David, you who are the Messiah, you who
are God, have mercy on me. They shall call on my name. They'll call on me in my character. as the just and merciful God. Lord, save me. And listen to
this. He said, I'm going to hear. I'm
going to hear. Where two or three are gathered
together in my name, I'm in the midst of you. I believe there's
two or three here. I believe there is. And the Lord
said, I'm here. And I hear. I listen. I will hear. That is, I'm going
to answer. That he hears is no doubt. But he said, I'm going to answer.
And I'm going to say, that is, with a promise. I'm going to
give you my word. I'll give you my word and my
word is as good as my ability. I mean to do it. At least when
I said it, I meant to do it. I mean to do it. But what if
I'm hindered? What if I can't? He said, I will
say with a promise. It's my people. He said, I'm
going to promise you something. You're my people. I'm going to
give you my word. You're my people. And they're
going to say the same thing with a promise. The Lord is my God. They're going to say in their
heart with a promise. Not something that they came
up with, but with a new heart and a new man and a new mind
that does not sin. There's a new man in there that
doesn't sin. Who said that? God said it. That which is born
of God sinneth not. This world, this man, these people,
all born in Adam, we would never choose affliction. in distress,
to be brought through the fire. But obviously, that is the only
way that we're going to come. Two-thirds are going to be cut
off. They're going to die. They're going to be fine. They're
going to go through this world, and they're doing good, and they're
just going to be happy-go-lucky. And then all of a sudden, they're
going to die. But a third, a third is going
to be left, and I'm going to bring them. But I'm going to
bring them through the fire. I'm going to show them what they
are. I'm going to show them who I am. Yea, all that will live
godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. Acts 14, 22, we
must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.
This is a profitable lesson. We need it. David said it's good
that I've been afflicted, that I might learn. Let me tell you
something. Every affliction that we go through, affliction of
body, mind, soul, spirit, whatever, whatever, whatever, we're always
reminded, I need Him. But let me ask you this, are
they going to endure? Those, the third, are they going to
endure? I love this example, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
Nebuchadnezzar told them when they, they didn't bow down. They
played the music and they didn't bow down and he came to them
basically said this, obviously, you that didn't hear or you didn't
understand, obviously there's a problem. In just a minute,
he said, I'm going to cause the music to start again. Now when
you hear the music, this statue that I've raised up to myself,
to my honor, my glory, when you hear the music, you bow down
or I'm going to throw you in that fiery furnace right there.
I love this answer. Oh Nebuchadnezzar, We are not
careful to answer thee in this matter. If it be so, our God,
whom we serve, is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace,
and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O King. But if not,
be it known unto thee, O King, that we will not serve thy gods,
nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up. The Lord
is going to try his people. I tell you, the greatest trial
that a believer suffers is the trial of this war that goes on
inside. There's a battle that's being
fought. We're going to be tried. We're going to be refined. Why? Because God's people are not
reprobate silver. They're not fool's gold. They're
not. They're not. They're the Lord's people. They're
not tares. They're the Lord's. They're the
sheep. They're the wheat in our need of that loving correction. He said, I'm going to correct
you. I'm going to bring you. And I'm going to say to you with
a promise, you're my people. And you're going to say back
to me, you're my God. That's what God's people say.
Right now. You that know Him, let me tell
you who He is to you. He's the God of all grace who
does as he will in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants
of the earth and nobody stops him. Nobody stays his hand. Lord bless the word to our heart
for Christ's sake.