Good evening and welcome to our
continuing study in the book of Zechariah, The Gospel According
to Zechariah. We've been looking at chapter
4 here for some time and looking at how the Lord spoke to Zechariah
and how he was used to bring to us the glorious gospel of
our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. So if you'd turn with me tonight
to Zechariah chapter 4, I would like to read verse 6 because
verse 6 is sort of the hallmark of this chapter. In fact, it's
sort of the hallmark of this whole book. We find out that
throughout the Old Testament, as well as the New Testament,
it was not the works of men, it was not even the holy works
of men, as working on the tabernacle or in the temple, that was what
caught God's eye. But as it tells us here in verse
6, not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord
of hosts." And that's how God works. It's not by the power
of people, it's not by the will of people, it's not by the might
of people, but it is by the Spirit of the Lord. That's how he does
his business. And that's kind of where our lesson is going
to lead us tonight as we follow this through in the book of Zechariah
chapter 4. And I'd like to start reading
there with verse 8. And we notice here in verse 8,
as so often found in the scriptures, that the Lord speaks. Now, whether
the Lord speaks, as we read in the book of Genesis, it doesn't
just come out and say, the Lord said this. But wherever we read
in the word of God, we could take this verse and say, moreover,
the word of the Lord came unto me. And that's Zechariah in this
book, but any book We find in the scriptures any book that
we find from Genesis to Revelation We could put that at the heading
the Lord spoke. This is the Word of the Lord
And it should not be taken lightly But it should be taken with great
reverence by the Church of the Living God that this is God's
Word to us All right. Moreover the Word of the Lord
came unto me saying Hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation
of this house. Now. This is the construction
of the second temple remember Zerubbabel is the governor that's
been Appointed by the Lord and he has left the Babylonian captivity
under Cyrus the king Cyrus was named many years before he was
born as being the the shepherd of the Lord concerning the return
of Judah and Benjamin back to Jerusalem and to Judah. And this
man, Zerubbabel, was the governor, and he speaks so highly of our
Lord being King of kings and Lord of lords. This King, our
King, the Lord, the King of Glory, is the one that truly builds
the house. Upon this rock I will build my
church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it."
He is in the building process. Since the very beginning, when
the first person was saved, until the last person is saved, he
is continuously building his building, building the church.
he adds to the church daily such as should be saved. Those appointed
on that day to be saved in the covenant of grace, he will make
sure that they hear the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, the
true Savior, the only Savior, the Savior that saves, that he
would have This one added to the church. That's his appointment
now. Mr. Rubel has noticed here in This
verse of scripture that he has laid the foundation of this house
What a beautiful picture of our Savior his hand shall also finish
it now There's gonna be some time between the beginning and
the end there's going to be some disruption But the disruption
that comes is always as a result of the providence of God God
needed some people to be born In order to build it whatever
reason we find it was that God is in charge of all these things
He was in charge of the stoppage. He was in charge of the letters
that went back to the king of Babylon he was in charge of the
renewal of building it and So he is the king here He is the
governor here just like he is today and everything that happens
in this world Everything that happens in our country, everything
that happens in our home falls out for the furtherance of the
gospel. And that's so valuable to remember that even though
in difficult times like we're going through here in our country,
difficult times, the illnesses and so forth, that this is all
falling out for the furtherance of the gospel. He said here in
Zechariah chapter four and verse nine going on, his hand shall
also finish it and thou shall know that the Lord of hosts has
sent me unto you. So we have this king, the Lord
of hosts, the one who rules in the armies of heaven and among
the inhabitants of the earth, and none can stay his hand or
say, what doest thou? This is the one that has come
to build this house. The hands of Zerubbabel hath
laid the foundation. All right, verse 10. For who
hath despised the day of small things? We looked at that recently
about the small things that God uses, and to the world it looks
like small things, to the world it looks like insignificant things,
to the world it looks like nothing is happening, but God is directing
his gospel through his preachers to the people that he intended
to hear it, and to the world it's no big show, to the world
there's nothing happening, but to God he is in business and
going about to save his people from their sins, deliver them
from the sin that we acquired, imputed to us in Adam, and the
Lord imputes his righteousness to us and allows us to stand
before Almighty God without spot or blemish. Zerubbabel also has
in his hand a plummet, and the Lord has in his hand the gospel.
The gospel is the measure of the preaching, If it doesn't
hold a standard, if it isn't perpendicular, if it isn't correct,
it's not the gospel. It doesn't matter how many degrees
or what part of a degree it is out, we cannot add one thread
of our righteousness to the robe of righteousness that's imputed
to us. There's nothing can be added. We stand with as the gospel
declares those he saves cease from their own work cease from
it and no more dependent dependence upon that work no dependence
upon our good deeds no dependence upon our going to church as a
measure of our position before God. We don't go to hear the
gospel because we want to get better. We go because we want
to hear what the Lord has to say to us and encourage us to
comfort us. Comfort ye, comfort ye my people,
is the directive to God's preachers. Comfort ye my people. And in
the same message, that's what God brings to rock the very foundations
of those that are in religion or in their own self, those that
he has appointed unto salvation from before the foundation of
the world, he will bring, as it goes on to tell us here in
this passage of scripture, he will bring. this great difficulty
in their life through the preaching of the gospel, and then he gives
them the new birth, and the Lord is glorified in it all. He has
in his hand a plummet, and in that plummet there are seven,
there are the eyes of the Lord, which run through and fro through
the whole earth. And we want to stop right here
and say this, that that isn't just eyes rolling around through
the world. The Lord is trying to find out what's going on.
He knows what's going on. That's what he wants to tell
us here. He is omnipotent. He is omnipotent. He is omnipresent. He is omniscient. He has all of these characteristics,
these attributes. So He's not wondering what's
going on in the world. He's letting us know that He
knows and has purposed what's going on in the world. And then
verse 12, And I answered again and said unto him, What be these
two olive branches which through the two golden pipes empty the
golden oil out of themselves? Well, we're going to stop here.
I do want to say with regard to that last verse, and we won't
cover it much today, but this, he's asking a question. I'm thankful
that the Lord permits us to come to his word and then go to him
saying, Lord, what is this? What does this mean? How can
I see Christ here? Now, so often when we come to
that place, we know what that passage is not meaning. It doesn't
mean any ill effect on the gospel. It doesn't mean that the Lord
is less than the scripture tells us. We're not going to bring
the Lord down. He's not going to bring himself
down in the word. So we can go to the scripture
even though we don't understand it, and we read foolishness and
commentaries, and they say that this is some characteristic or
attribute that is not as glorious as the rest, we can walk away
and say, I know that that's not the truth, because that's not
what God does. He never causes His people to
think less of Him. He's always the Savior that saves. He is the Redeemer that redeems.
And He will be successful in everything He does. He will not
try to do anything. Well, let's back up here for
just a moment and look at these words found in Zechariah chapter
4. But before we get looking at
that, let's go over to the book of Haggai. Just back up one book
in your Bible, and you'll find the book of Haggai. And Haggai
and Zechariah were contemporaries. And Haggai writes some of the
same things that we find there in the book of Zechariah. Haggai
writes some of these things. It tells us here with regard
to small things, and it looks like it's insignificant things.
And even people found fault with the way that that second temple
looked as Haggai brings out here Haggai chapter 2 and let's just
start here with verse 1 it says in the seventh month on the 7th
and 20th day of the month came the word of the Lord by the Prophet
Haggai saying so once again, the Lord is bringing his word.
It's not wasted word It is glorious word and those who know those
who know Christ, those who are known of Christ, known in Him,
they understand that this is the Word of God and it's glorious. And we're looking at things here
as we look for Christ in the Old Testament because he told
those two on the road to Emmaus, he said, in all the scriptures,
in Moses and in the prophets and in the Psalms, the things
concerning himself, Well, he didn't skip over Haggai or Zechariah. He went through those books to
share with those folks the glorious things spoken of him. There's
where we're going. Speak unto Zerubbabel, the son
of Shealtiel, the governor of Judah, and to Joshua, the son
of Joshedek, the high priest. Here are two offices our Lord
holds. He is the governor. He is the
king. He is also the high priest. He is the high priest after the
order of Melchizedek. Nowhere in the law did it ever
say that there would be a high priest after the order of Judah It always was after the order
of the Levitical priesthood, but when it came to this priest,
he's after the order of Melchizedek, of the tribe of Judah. He is
not in that Levitical line. It tells us here that the high
priest and to the residue of the people saying, verse three
now, who is left among you that saw this house in her first glory? So there are a number of folks
that had reached the age that they could remember going into
captivity. They'd remember the house before it was destroyed
by Nebuchadnezzar. And as they're brought back,
this house pales in a physical way from that of the first. The
glory of that first house was in the shine. The glory of that
first house was in the gold. The glory of that first house
was in the silver, and the cedar trees, and the carvings, and
all of that. And the glory of that first house
was in a physical lampstand, in a physical mercy seat, the
physical cherubims, all of gold. But the glory of the real house
is the Lord Jesus Christ. All those things were made after
the pattern seen in the mount. But the law of these things were
just a shadow of good things to come. So this prophet, asked
regard to those who had seen the first house, and he says,
how do you see it now? Is it not in your eyes in comparison
as of nothing? There's no comparison between
that house that was built under Solomon and this house that is
built. But Haggai is going to go on
and say, this house is going to have more glory than that
house, according to the word that I covenanted with you when
you came out of Egypt, so my spirit remaineth among you, fear
ye not. For thus saith the Lord of hosts,
Yet once in a little while, I will shake the heavens and the earth
and the sea and the dry land. That's not just an earthquake
that he's talking about. He's talking about his power being
demonstrated when the gospel is being preached. Talking about
the power of the gospel being preached on the day of Pentecost.
His gospel being preached out there to one Ethiopian eunuch. Gospel being preached to one
maniac of Gadara. The gospel being preached to
one woman at the well. His word shivered their timbers. His word broke up what they had
believed in themselves and how they believed in their own religion
and their own free will and all that stuff. He just comes and
shakes that up. The gospel does that and he does
it everywhere he goes. He's not lacking in power when
it comes to the preaching of the gospel. It is the power of
God unto salvation. So when he comes, he comes with
power. He comes to shake up. He turned
those people's lives upside down, and it's declared with regard
to the preaching that Paul had, and the rest of the apostles,
they turned the world upside down. What? They didn't do it,
but the power of God did that. When they went out on those mission
ventures, we find a Philippian jailer turned upside down, shaking
to the timbers. And how glorious that is, that
God would come with power and demonstration of the spirit,
and not just mediocrity that religion has. They want it all
in a show, but this is in the heart. So the Lord said he would
come, and he will shake it. And he will shake the heavens
and the earth and the sea and the dry land. Everywhere there
is his lost sheep, he will shake it with the preaching of the
gospel. And it will be so different. that it will make religious people
so upset that they will say even to the Lord Jesus, depart from
our place, depart from us, leave us. We're just happy the way
we are. I will, verse seven, I'll shake
all the nations and declare all, and the desire of all nations
shall come. Now there's only one desire of
all nations and that's the Lord himself when he makes us Look
at him with great desire. He is the one that He told abraham
all nations of the earth shall be blessed you through you through
the preaching of the gospel The son of god will come the son
of man will come through the lines of abraham Now he tells
us in verse 8 with regard to all that finery that was in the
first temple And it's not here. He says the silver's mine. The
gold is mine. That's not the point It's not
the beauty of the building It's the glory of the Savior. He owns it all. He owns the cattle
on a thousand hills. They are His. The gold that was
in the first did not represent Comparatively speaking represent
him it was just gold and it's just a mineral but the Lord is
the glory of the house so the glory of the latter house of
this latter house shall be greater than the former saith the Lord
of hosts and In this place will I give peace saith the Lord of
hosts so he's speaking about some 400 years later after this
temple was built and The Lord of glory is going to be around
this temple and that is going to be the glory It wouldn't be
in the sacrifices. It wouldn't be in the Passover.
It wouldn't be in the in the the finery of the dress of the
priest it wouldn't be in the the all of the Respect that went
on it wasn't even be in the building even as his disciples said look
at this building Isn't this a beautiful building and he looked at it
and he said destroy this temple in three days I'll raise it up
again and they said how can that be it took was it 38 years for
that temple to be built and Destroy it in three days. How are you
going to do that? But he spoke of the temple of his body he
came on purpose to save his people on purpose to and to die for
them on purpose, to be buried, and rise again the third day
on purpose. God is a God of purpose. So,
he tells us here these wonderful blessings about this temple.
Yes, it isn't quite to the eye what the other one was, but when
it comes to spiritual things, this is going to be greater because
the Son of God, the Son of Man, the God-Man, Emmanuel, is going
to be here and preach some messages that is going to stir up people.
Though Zerubbabel was prudent and diligent in rebuilding the
temple, the ultimate glory must be given to God. Zerubbabel had
been raised up by God. Zerubbabel had been given the
marching orders by God. The directions to build the temple
had been given by God. The plummet had been given by
God. All of these things. And Zerubbabel could take nothing
away and say, this is of mine because he's only a messenger
of the Lord. He's only a servant of the Most
High God, and he would take none of that glory upon himself. Well,
turn with me as we think about these things. It was God that
gave success when there was so much action against it. You know,
sometimes we think that there's nothing happening, but God's
not allowing that to take place. Things are happening. Things
are happening in generation to generation, and he's going to
have his word put wherever it is necessary so that his people,
his lost sheep, could hear the gospel and God would grant blessing
to the new birth and they would be born again, saved by the grace
of God, and worship him, the true and the living God. Well,
let's just look over here In the book of 1 Corinthians chapter
3 and verse 6, as we notice these words with regard to the building
of this second temple of all the work of God, wherever it
is, from the very creation, man did not contribute in the creation.
He's just part of the creation. If it wasn't for God coming down
and breathing into his nostrils the breath of life, he'd have
just laid there in the dust as the form of a man. If it wasn't
for God coming down to those, that great multitude in the Valley
of Dry Bones, they'd just still be dry bones. So let's look over
here at 1 Corinthians chapter three and there in verse six
when it shares with us this very action of God. Now I realize
that we're breaking into Chapter of Scripture in the middle of
it, but let's clean what we can and take the time to read the
rest of this if you would Paul writing to the Corinthians, but
it's not Paul. He's only the secretary it's
the Holy Spirit delivering the message to these Corinthians
and wanting them to know that Beyond a shadow of a doubt, by
the authority of God, by the authority of this preacher that
he called out of darkness to marvelous light, this one is
only sharing what God gave him to share. It's not after men's
wisdom. He didn't get it from men. He
got it from God. And that's where the gospel comes
from. Men may be used to declare it, but for us to understand
it or believe it, it must be revealed to us. Blessed art thou,
Simon Barjona, for flesh and blood hath not revealed this
unto you, but my Father which is in heaven. It is a revelation,
and without that revelation, we'll not see anything with regard
to the gospel. We'll just see history, we'll
see words, we'll put our faith in our faith, we'll put our hope
in our hope, and we'll never see that it must be the faith
of God's elect, the faith of Jesus Christ, the hope given
to us by the one who is our hope. Well, let's notice here now in
1 Corinthians chapter 3 verse 6. The Apostle Paul writes this,
I have planted. Now we can just see as Paul is
used figuratively as the one who throws out the seed, the
parable of the sower. A sower went forth to sow and
the Lord interpreted that by saying that the seed is the word
of God. Now there are four areas that that seed fell. Now in a
field it might have been great irregularities that shared with
us where that seed fell. Let's just don't take an acre
and divide it into four equal parts. Let's look at it that
there's sections of that acre that is stony ground, and there's
sections of that acre that is thistles, and there's an area
there where the birds can get to it very easily, and we find
out that the Word of God was sent out and it landed in the
places that it fell on purpose. It's not random. God is not random
with the gospel. The gospel has a perfect purpose,
and that is, it will fall, the good seed will fall where it's
intended to fall, and the rest just falls. But it's on purpose. Some of it fell on stony ground.
We got that piece out there in that acre of ground that's stony
ground. that we have to work around.
It's just nothing there that will grow. We got that area there
that the thistles have taken over, and nothing will grow there. And then we have that area along
the edges there where the birds come in and steal what they want,
and that's just on purpose. God does it hands full on purpose,
if you please. Well, Paul planted. Now Paulus comes along, And he
waters. What does he do? He casts out
the seed. He waters. He brings this. He
just goes over it again. He goes over the truth again.
He goes over the preaching again. He goes over the gospel again.
He goes over the gospel of Jesus Christ, the righteous. Jesus
Christ, the Savior. Jesus Christ, the only Savior.
Jesus Christ, the God-man. Jesus Christ, purpose from eternity
to come as a man for the suffering of death. This, the gospel is
preached again. But we notice that there's only
one way. Those men could not produce a
lick. Now when men get involved in
trying to produce something, they only produce something that
is faulty. They only produce what they are,
religious people, more Pharisees. But when the gospel goes out
and God is pleased for it to fall on the good ground, it says,
gave the increase. God gave it. How much Zerubbabel
was in charge, how much he carried that plummet line, how much he
did there is irrelevant if the Lord's not in it. It's just irrelevant. We hear of people saying we're
the largest growing group, religious group in the world. Well, religious
group, yes. But the truth is not in it. Truth
is not in it. There are a whole lot more Pharisees
in the days of the Lord Jesus than there were believers. The
Lord was not in it. The Lord was with his people.
He was with 11 out of 12 when 5,000 left him. And he didn't go after him and
say, let's compromise here, because we need the tithe. We've got
a building going here, and we need the tithe. No, he just let
him go. And how glorious it is that God
would work the work. He is the one that gave the increase. And that's what he did in the
days of Zerubbel. He's the one that prompted it
to be built, and he's the one that had it completed. If you'll
turn with me to the book of Acts chapter 21, we look at the same
thought. Acts chapter 21, again, the apostle
Paul coming back from preaching the gospel in the hinterlands,
out there where other people had not gone, other people had
not been called to go. The gospel was preached in and
around Jerusalem to the lost sheep of the house of Israel,
he called it at one time. And yet that line has been moved
out over time. The disciples were moved out
over time. They went out to the other parts
of the world. Here in the book of Acts chapter 21 and verse
19, the apostle Paul comes to the church there at Jerusalem.
He visits with James, but he had this to say. And when he
had saluted them, when he had honored them, he said, we're
so glad to be back with you, but let me tell you something.
He declared particularly What things God had wrought among
the Gentiles by his ministry. What God had wrought among the
Gentiles by the preaching of the gospel. He is only an instrument
in the hand of the Lord. He did not convince anybody of
the gospel. That's God's business. He didn't
convince one child. He didn't convince one adult.
He didn't convince anybody. The convincing is done by the
Holy Spirit, and then that's real convincing. When God does
the business, when we convince somebody, they can be unconvinced.
When God convinces somebody, they cannot be unconvinced. They
are His people. He will lose none of them. So
this verse of scripture shares with us so much about what it
is. I remember getting a letter one
time from a fellow that was in Alaska, and he had visited every
home in Alaska. Now, what a farce. What a farce
is that? What a lie is that? Because you
couldn't do that in a lifetime. I don't think in my lifetime
I could visit every home in Oregon. That would be an impossibility
if I started at 15 years of age and lived to be 100. A man telling
me that he's visited every home in Alaska, that is a farce. It's
just to make filler for a mission report. Paul never did that. Where do we read that he went
he went down by the riverbank? Because there was one by the
name of Lydia there whose heart the Lord opened the Lord sends
us on particular Purposeful ministries doesn't waste time We trust him
in it. We leave it with him We preach
the gospel and leave it with him and when he brings forth
the fruit it will be truly fruit and they will rejoice in the
Lord God Almighty Turn with me, if you would, to the book of
Philippians, chapter 2, verse 13. In Philippians, chapter 2,
verse 13, we read here as the Apostle Paul, once again, is
used by the Holy Spirit, the secretary of the Holy Spirit,
to write this letter to those at Philippi. He said, for it
is God which worketh in you, both to will and to do, of his
good pleasure. Now, God is the first reason
for all things. Spiritual things, physical things,
if he's not the beginner, if he's not the author, if he's
not the one that prompted it, if he's not the one that produced
it, if he's not the one that purposed it, then it's going
to be of no avail. If it's our creation, it will
fail. If it's His creation, it will
sustain. How blessed is that? No wonder
the Lord said, the gates of hell will not prevail against it because
I'm in the work. I am in the work of building
the church. You are only ambassadors, your
only declares, your only reporters, your only telling you, telling
the folks what I have written in my word to tell them. Don't
hold back on the word. Don't make it softer. Don't make
it more pleasing. Preach the word. It should be. It should be something that is
criticized. It should be something that is
not held by natural man. There is an offense to the cross. There is an offense. Now, we
don't have to be offensive about it, but there is an offense of
the cross, and God deals with that. He's the one that produces
that. People get upset with the preaching of the gospel of God's
free and sovereign grace in Christ Jesus. That's the intent. It is a critical thing. There is a critical thing about
preaching the gospel. It is offensive to people. It's
offensive to our religion. It's offensive to our free will.
It's offensive to our natural standing before God. And it should
be that way. That's the way it should be.
to take the offense of the cross out is not preaching the gospel
you just cannot preach the gospel and Not I said this before I'll
say it right now again. I just mentioned it. We don't
have to be offensive about it Preaching the gospel will take
care of that by itself. God will do that by himself There's
power in the preaching of the gospel well If you'll back up
with me, or let's just notice and see, for it is God which
worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. It's
God working in us. All right, now let's go back
over here to the book of 2 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians chapter 3, 2 Corinthians
chapter 3 and verse 5. Here we have these words again
written to Group of Saints at Corinth and yet the Apostle Paul
shares with us shared with them unless you believed in vain There's
going to be people in every local congregation that have not trusted
Christ They have not been given the faith. They've their their
I've not been given the heart to believe, but they're in there
and they think they are, but their works betray them. Now, it's not my business to
go around and try to find out if they are or aren't. That's
God's business. But there are going to be those
who are contrary to the gospel. And over time, they'll demonstrate
that. They'll go on to a different gospel, which Paul said to the
Galatians is not another gospel. It's just the same old works-oriented
Phariseeism that's always been around. Here, in the book of
2 Corinthians, writing to those folks there in Corinth that he
said, unless you believed in vainly, brought out the gospel.
Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything as
of ourselves, but our sufficiency is of God. Get past the point
of thinking that you're valuable in this. God is our sufficiency. Christ is our sufficiency. The
blood is our sufficiency. The gospel is our sufficiency.
And he will work it according to his eternal purpose. So be
faithful. in declaring that to our families,
to our friends. We don't have to be offensive
about it. God will take care of that for us. All right, let's
think about this for a moment. Zerubbabel could do nothing if
the watchful, powerful, gracious providence of God did not go
before him and move him in the work. It took the providence
of God. That's those seven I's going
throughout the world. It's the providence of God where the gospel
is taken is by the providence of God. There's somebody here
that needs something. I remember a dear, dear friend
of mine was in a place where it didn't look like there was
much going on. And I said, there's only one reason you are here.
That is there are some sheep here. Well, from looking back
over many years of preaching the gospel, apparently there
were only two that were there and they both died of cancer.
and then he's moved on. So if there is no church in a
place, it's because God purposed no church there. There, for the
moment at least, there is no elect in that place. Now we'd
like to have a church fellowship in Portland. We'd like to have
a church fellowship in Seattle. We'd like to have a church fellowship
all over our state here. But if there isn't a church there,
it's because the Lord has told us through his word, I don't
have any lost sheep there. Now when lost sheep are born
and grow up to the age that God has determined before the world
began, that he's going to bring the gospel to them, then the
gospel will be brought to them. God is going to move us to a
place to hear the gospel or God's going to move someone who knows
something about the gospel so that we can hear it. That's God's
activity. Our sufficiency is of God. In the Psalms, Psalm 127, Reflects very highly on the building
of the temple the tabernacle the temple or building the church
in all ages turn with me here to the book of Psalms Psalm 127
Psalm 127 has this to say about building the house in How many times I've heard this
being portrayed as building a physical? Well, that's probably true too,
but let's just keep in mind that the Bible is a spiritual book.
And those without Christ, they cannot look at it from a spiritual
standpoint. It's only a physical standpoint.
That's why so much nonsense has been preached and so many commentators
commented on such nonsense that it's just they cannot look at
the Bible from a spiritual standpoint. They can't see any spiritual
application to it. So we have to grind to a halt
and say it's all physical. That's basically what the modern
version of eschatology is. It's just we can't see anything
spiritual In israel, we can't see anything spiritual in the
temple. We can't see anything spiritual
in the tabernacle We can't see anything spiritual in creation.
We can't see anything spiritual So we're going to make it all
physical and that's why they look at the book of daniel the
book of revelation with such a foolish Ideas because they
can't see it spiritually if they saw it spiritually they see Christ
That's the truth of it. All right here in the book of
the psalm psalm 127 and verse 1 It says accept the Lord Now that's Jehovah. Capital L,
capital O, capital R, capital D. That's the way that the translators
translated the name Jehovah. Remember that the name Jehovah
is only applied to the true and the living God and to no one
else. Other names of God in the Old
Testament were also applied to false deities. But this name
is always applied to the Lord God Almighty. He is Jehovah. Accept Jehovah. Accept the Lord.
Build the house. They labor in vain that build
it Except the Lord keep the city now people say I'm keeping myself. I'm sanctifying myself I'm progressing
Italy getting better and better. That's not what the Bible says
our Sanctification is of the Lord we get it in the new birth
of Christ Cannot add to it and if we think we can we're saying
that the sanctification that we have in Christ is not sufficient
That we must add to it and that's the same thing that people feel
in religion about salvation He wasn't sufficient to take care
of it. So I must get involved to hear people say that God has
done all he can do what a fallacy what a Fallacy is that God never
tried to do anything? He is going to work it out just
as he said here except the Lord build a house They the bill that
labored in vain except the Lord keep the city except the Lord
keep us we fall The watchman walketh, but in vain we can't
even take care of our own spiritual well-being Requires God and we
thank him for it or we'd be lost in a devil's hell we commit enough
Sin in our mind traveling on the way to church to send us
to a devil's hell Aaron going into the Holy of Holies committed
enough sin in his mind to send him to a devil's hell and Yet
the Lord said I will lose none and I will present them spotless.
So it's his activity. It's his work It's his purpose
on the line Except the Lord build a house They labor in vain that
build it except the Lord keep the city the watchman walketh
But in vain God rules the church as well as the world Providence
that governs the nations of the world governs for the blessing
of growth of the church he is his he has his sheep and in and
all among every nation people and tongue in fact as Revelation
5 9 let's just travel over there for a moment Revelation 5 9 Let's
look at that and we find in that passage of Scripture that Again
the Lord sharing with us the great blessings that the Lord
has for his people wherever they are It says here and they sung
a new song saying thou art worthy to take the book and to open
the seals there a boy the blessedness of this great God our Savior
the Lord Jesus Christ in everything he intends to do he is absolutely
successful Everything that's been purposed. He will be successful.
He's lost not one battle. He's lost not one war he will
be Successful in everything he does and will be welcomed back
to the father with great glory after three days and three nights
in the heart of the earth resurrected in glory notice this he said
here and was Dallas for thou was slain and has redeemed us
and Past tense he didn't make us redeemable. He redeemed us
To God not to the world not to ourself not to our church, but
to God by thy blood out of every kindred and tongue and people
and nation He has redeemed us out of God's Providence goes
into every nation people tongue and there he finds his lost sheep
He knows where they are He is very purposeful in getting them
to the the gospel at the right time through the preaching of
the truth of the gospel the Lord Jesus Christ and now these these
this providence is providential to get us to hear the gospel
at the right time the appointed time would it please God and
Then we find that his providence is fulfilled. His people are
saved They glorify him they bow before his throne. They meet
together at the feet of the Lord Jesus Christ how glorious this
is that he would do all of this on the behalf of sinners and
Even while we were yet sinners Christ died for us How he could
do that knowing full. Well what we are what we were
that is a glorious Part of the redemptive work of God. It's
all of grace Zerubbabel was used as Build the temple to lay the foundation
to set up the walls those seven eyes that he had run true and
fro Drooble and straight with his plummet and see that it all
laid out well And that's what God is doing as his providence
goes forth It is also called the seven spirits of God in book
of Revelation chapter 1 and verse 4 and Revelation chapter 5 and
verse 6 and God's Spirit is here Zechariah in the book of Zechariah
as he sees and portrays the glorious gospel of Christ in this governor's
a ruble And in a high priest, Joshua, the son of Joshua. God did not call on Zerubbabel
to do half a work. God did not call on his purpose
to go halfway and then leave the rest up to someone else to
finish. He will finish the work. Our Lord never attempted to build. He builds. He is the author and
finisher of our faith. Zerubbabel began a good work
and he will complete it to the end. The Lord Jesus Christ did
not begin a good work and then fail. He has a good work and
he will accomplish it. Hebrews chapter 12 and verse
2, he is the author and finisher of our faith. He is the one that
begins our faith. He's the one that gives us our
faith. and he's the one that will complete our faith. We won't
need it when we stand in his presence because we'll see him
as he is. He had begun a good work, he
will perform it to the end. That's what he tells us in the
book of Philippians chapter 1 verse 6. Faithful is he that calleth
you who also will do it. Just turn with me for one verse
there, 1 Thessalonians chapter five and verse 24. 1 Thessalonians
chapter five and verse 24. Let's look at that verse. Faithful,
1 Thessalonians chapter five verse 24. Faithful is he that
calleth you who also will do it. Faithful, God is faithful. We're unfaithful. Preachers are
unfaithful, but he is faithful. He has called on that the gospel
will go forth and he will declare it. We'll not know the results
of it. God has the results in his hand
God has his results in his purpose. It will accomplish the thing
where unto he sent it That is a we can take that to the bank.
So as we close for tonight We're just so thankful that Zerubbabel
is a type and a shadow and a picture of our great God and Savior the
Lord Jesus Christ and that he has a plummet in his hand. He's
the one that has declared the gospel and keep the gospel according
to his gospel. Don't change it one iota. Don't
make it easier to be believed because natural man cannot believe
it. We must be given that belief. Well, we'll look here again next
time in the book of Zechariah chapter four. Lord willing, we'll
conclude this chapter four as we see that once again, Zechariah
asked a question about those two olive trees and those pipes
that bring that oil to the candlestick, and we'll have to fall back there
again. It's not by power, not by might, but by my spirit, saith
the Lord. Well, God bless you until we
are able to meet again.