Well, come with me to Zechariah
chapter 8. Zechariah chapter 8. And I've
called the message, Run the Race Looking Unto Jesus. And the title,
of course, comes from Hebrews chapter 12 and the first two
verses. But that admonition, that encouragement to run the
race looking unto Jesus resonates with what we have in Zechariah
chapter 8, which is a chapter of encouragement for God's people
to continue, to press on in this life, in this fallen world, With
all our sin and all the troubles and all the evil of this world
around us, nevertheless, pressing on with Zion in view. I got a
piece yesterday that arrived in a bulletin late from one of
our friends in America. And it was a piece by Joe Terrell,
who's no longer with us. He was taken to glory just over
a year ago. But I thought it was so good,
it sums up very much the spirit of this. I want to read it out
to you. Brethren, at all cost, press on. Brethren, as redeemed
sinners, we have the greatest privilege in all the world, to
be counted among the people of God, and gather with them to
worship our God and Savior, Jesus Christ. As enlightened sinners,
we have the greatest work to do, Make known in this world
the glories of the Savior who has saved us. As children of
God, we have the most glorious destiny in all the world, to
be made like the Lord Jesus Christ. In light of all these things,
do not the troubles and the disappointments of this life become small? Oh,
let us, with sincere hearts, press on to lay hold of the wonderful
salvation for which God has laid hold of us, letting nothing distract
us from the goal. We will never regret the loss
of anything which is lost for the sake of Christ, but Oh, the
regrets of the Esau's of this world, who for comfort, for riches,
for worldly success, for self-vindication or anything else, draw back from
their dedication to Christ and his gospel. You know, it was
said of Esau that he sold his birthright for a mess of pottage.
His birthright? was the gospel, the gospel in
the family that he was in. He's the gospel and he drew back
from that. He drew back from that, what
for? A plate of stew, a mess of pottage. Brethren, at all
costs, press on. The end is glorious to those
who persevere. So, the message of Zechariah
so far is this. that God will accomplish the
triumph of his kingdom. And how does he picture it? He
pictures it in the restoration of the temple at Jerusalem. The
restoring of the temple that had been destroyed before the
70 years of captivity in Babylon. There was a solid foundation
laid, a solid foundation, and an altar was set up. The foundation
was there, and in the kingdom of God. a solid foundation is
laid. It's the foundation of assured
redemption, of accomplished redemption, of the qualification by that
redemption of the people that God loved from eternity. How
does he do it? In that one, the man, behold
the man, whose name is the branch, the branch out of a dry that
branch out of the root of Jesse, who is the Messiah, the Messiah. God himself come that he might
save his people from their sins. In chapter 7, it underlined that
our only way to approach God is through the Christ of God.
You know, should we weep? Should we keep these feasts?
Should we go through these ceremonies? No, no, no. Come through the
way God has prescribed, which is Christ. Christ is the way,
the truth, and the life. No man comes to the Father but
by Him. The people that He has are as
brands plucked from the fire, and those people, if you're amongst
them, we do know our God and are strong to do exploits in
His name. They know whose they are. Do
you know whose you are and whom you serve? They know where they're
going. We're going to a glorious eternity. Do we know who, do we know what
has qualified us for that? The doing and dying of our God
in our Lord Jesus Christ. But we're left here, in this
world, for a while, in weak flesh, in sinful flesh, which never
gets any better. It never gets any better. We
know we grow in grace and knowledge, but the flesh never gets any
better. So God's Spirit gives reminders to encourage us on
the journey of this life. You know it's portrayed in so
many ways, excellently in Bunyan's Pilgrim Progress, that we're
on a journey to the celestial city. It's a narrow way. The
world doesn't go along this way. The world is on the broad way
that leads to destruction. but we're on the narrow way that
leads to life. It's set before us. Run the race
that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and the
finisher of our faith. This is what Zechariah chapter
8 is about. Literally, historically, it looked
to the restoration of Jerusalem's prosperity following the return
from Babylon. We read it before, read it again
at your leisure. In its historical context, it's
saying that that place that had been flattened by Nebuchadnezzar
and his Babylonian armies would be restored to prosperity that
the scattered people would come back there and to a certain extent
it was fulfilled historically at the time but truly it's not
to teach us that at that time two and a half thousand years
ago God brought some Jews back to Jerusalem and they started
to get prosperous again no it's not it's not there for that it's
as Romans 15 verse 4 says these things all of these things are
written for our learning for our learning, upon whom the ends
of the world have come, for our patience and for our comfort
of the scriptures. Why? That we might have hope. A hope. There's some articles
in the bulletin, one by Henry Mahan, one by Don Faulkner, one
on election and one on a good hope. So read those articles.
You see, what this is saying is in that time, Jerusalem will
prosper. But for the people of God, what
are we going to learn? It's written that Jerusalem will
prosper. Why is it written? For our learning. that we, through patience and
comfort of the scriptures, might have hope. What do we learn?
Firstly, that God's kingdom is certain, absolutely certain. In this world which tries to
distract you from that fact or that truth, The Word of God,
the Spirit of God applies it. God's kingdom is certain. Therefore,
press on with the work in God's strength. You builders in that
old ruined Jerusalem, press on, pick up the stones, build that
temple, restore it to what it was like. Press on with the work
in God's strength. And then thirdly, towards the
end of the chapter, bear the fruit of the grace of what God
has done and finally rejoice in the Lord. That's our points
this morning. First of all then, God's kingdom
triumph is sure. The triumph of the kingdom of
God is certain. As we few believers meet here,
to this world all around, we're insignificant. We're ignored. We're ridiculed. We're despised. We're regarded by organized religion
as non-viable. Look at you, there's no strength.
Why don't you join with somebody else and get a few more people?
Why don't you join in with this approach? We're non-viable. But
God is for us. God is for us. The word of the
Lord of hosts came to me saying, thus says the Lord of hosts,
I was jealous for Zion with great jealousy, and I was jealous for
her with great fury. God is for his people. God is
for us. He calls us the apple of his
eye. He calls his people his jewels. In Malachi, when I make
up my jewels, his jewels. God is for his people. God is for us. And if God be
for us, who can be against us. Who or what can be against us?
Oh, well, there's this... God is for us, who can be against
us? He is jealous. This jealousy,
in human relationships, we look on jealousy as being a negative
characteristic, but when God talks about him being jealous
for Zion, He's jealous for his land, it says in Job. He's jealous,
and what that means is, or what it implies is two things. There's
a love, which is an overwhelming love, and there's a hatred. There's
an overwhelming, powerful love for the object. He's jealous
for his people. He loves his people with an everlasting
love. And he hates, God hates anything
which would distract his people from that love and from that
eternal purpose of God. You see, he's jealous for his
people. He's jealous for his land. Not
he's jealous of it. It's that love and hatred in
balance. Believer, We are numbered in
the multitude chosen in Christ. If you love... Read those articles!
If you believe God, then there's the assurance that you are numbered
with that multitude which was chosen in Christ before the foundation
of the world. who were loved by God, loved
by God with an everlasting love. How do we know that? He tells
us, Jeremiah 31, I have loved you with an everlasting love.
He's written the names of his people before time began in a
book A special book. It's called the Lamb's Book of
Life. Those whose names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life. Why
are they written there? Because God wrote them there.
Why did he do it? Out of nothing other than pure
grace. He didn't see anything of benefit
in those people that he loved. He just loved them with an everlasting
love. and we're jealously protected
by God. Jealously protected. Verse 7
talks about a people. I will save my people from the
east country and from the west country. It goes on again throughout
this chapter. A people saved from every tribe
and tongue and kindred. Israel, says Isaiah 45, 17. Israel, the Israel of God, the
people of God, the elect of God. Israel shall be saved in the
Lord with an everlasting salvation. You shall not be ashamed nor
confounded. You shall not be condemned in
the judgment, is what that's basically meaning. You shall
not be ashamed nor confounded, world without end. You're gods
forever. Israel shall be saved in the
Lord with an everlasting salvation. Saved from what? Saved from sin. Saved from the consequences of
sin. Saved from the condemnation of sin. Saved from the hell of
eternal separation from God because of sin. It's a state of being
settled in God's kingdom of peace and prosperity, of longevity,
eternity in fact. Verse four, it says there, thus
saith the Lord of hosts, there shall yet old men and old women
dwell in the streets of Jerusalem, and every man with his staff
in his hand for very age. That was literally fulfilled
in a situation where so many had been killed and scattered.
There they were. What's it picturing? Leaning
on the staff, his staff in his hand for very age, leaning on
his staff is picturing Christ. leaning on Christ, trusting in
Christ to the very end for eternity, trusting in Christ constantly.
And then verse five, and the streets of the city, the streets
of Jerusalem, the streets of the kingdom of God, the streets
of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in the
streets. It's a picture of peace where
there had been armies raging through with violence and death
and bloodshed. Here is a picture of boys and
girls playing in the streets. It's a picture of peace. But
how is it fulfilled? That's written for our learning.
What does it teach us? It teaches us that God is coming
for all of his people, for all of his children, because we read
that Christ said, Behold, I and the children whom God has given
me Who is it? Lift up your heads, O ye gates,
be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors. The King of glory shall
come in. Who is the King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, he's
accomplished salvation. Lift up your heads, O ye gates,
and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors. And the King of glory
shall come in. Who is the King of glory? The
Lord of hosts. Behold, I and the children whom
he has given me. And it confirms the other prophets.
Look at some other prophets just for a moment. Micah chapter four
and verses one to four. Book of Micah, just turn back
a few pages, Micah chapter 4. But in the last days it shall
come to pass that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall
be established in the top of the mountains. and it shall be
exalted above the hills, and people shall flow into it. And
many nations shall come and say, come and let us go up to the
mountain of the Lord and to the house of the God of Jacob. How
pleased and blessed was I, we sang at the start, to hear the
people cry, come let us seek our God today. Come to the house
of God, the house of the God of Jacob, and he will teach us
his ways, and we will walk in his paths. For the law shall
go forth of Zion, the law of the gospel, the law of the truth
of God shall go forth from Zion, and the word of the Lord from
Jerusalem. And he shall judge among many people, and rebuke
strong nations afar off, and they shall beat their swords
into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks. How different
to this world. where rather than talking about
beating swords into plowshares, they constantly seem to be talking
about beating their wealth into yet more weapons to fire at one
another. And their spears into pruning hooks. Nations shall
not lift up a sword against nation. Neither shall they learn war
anymore, but they shall sit every man under his vine and under
his fig tree. And none shall make them afraid,
for the mouth of the Lord of hosts has spoken it. A glorious
kingdom of prosperity. Jeremiah 31. Just look here. We'll just limit it to these
two. Jeremiah 31 and verse 11. Verse 11 down to verse 17. Jeremiah
31 verse 11. For the Lord hath redeemed
Jacob. and ransomed him, paid the ransom
for his release from the hand of him that was stronger than
he. Who's that? That's from Satan, from the hand
of Satan. He's redeemed him, he's ransomed
him, he's paid the release price from the hand of him that was
stronger than he. They shall come and sing in the height of
Zion, and shall flow together to the goodness of the Lord,
for wheat and for wine and for oil and for the young of the
flock of the herd. And their soul shall be as a
watered garden, and they shall not sorrow any more at all. Then
shall the virgin rejoice in the dance, both young men and old
together, for I will turn their mourning over sin into joy, and
I will comfort them, blessed are they that mourn, for they
shall be comforted, and make them rejoice from their sorrow,
and I will satiate the soul of the priests with fatness, and
my people shall be satisfied with my goodness, saith the Lord.
Thus saith the Lord, a voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation.
This is speaking of when Herod killed the children of two years
old and under. Rachel, weeping for her children,
refused to be comforted for her children because they were not.
Thus saith the Lord. Refrain thy voice from weeping,
and thine eyes from tears, for thy work shall be rewarded, saith
the Lord, and they shall come again from the land of the enemy,
and there is hope in thine end, saith the Lord. that thy children
shall come again to their own border. This is the promise.
This is what chapter 8 of Zechariah is telling us. It's fulfilled.
When we look at Revelation 14 and verse 1, we see there the
promises of God concerning his people fulfilled. At the end
of that dreadful chapter 13 of Revelation speaking, of the two
beasts of Satan, of the dragon, in this earth. And that's the
world that we're living in these days. And in this world, the
very next verse, verse one of chapter 14, and I looked, says
John. He's on earth, and he says, I
looked, and lo, a lamb stood on the Mount Zion. And with him,
144,000, having his father's name written in their foreheads.
He's with us, he's with his people in this world. You say, Oh, that's
too good to be true, isn't it? You know, I remember somebody
once hearing the gospel preached so clearly and saying, it's too
good to be true. But it isn't too good to be true.
It's true. That's why it's so good. It is
so good. Look at this in verse 6. Thus
saith the Lord of hosts. If it be marvellous in the eyes
of the remnant of this people in these days, should it almost
be marvellous in mine eyes, saith the Lord. There's a use of that
word marvellous. You know, we tend to think of
it only as being, oh, wonderful, oh, such a desirable, such a
lovely, wonderful thing. But, you know, certainly I come
from the north. And in certain dialects in the
North, somebody would say, if he just thinks that something's
never going to happen, he goes, well, that would be a marvellous
thing, wouldn't it? That would be a marvellous thing.
Meaning, it's impossible. Don't be ridiculous. It's difficult.
It's too hard. It's too hard. Well, look, if
you've got a margin, if you've got a margin in your Bible, marvellous
is hard or difficult. Is it too difficult for God?
Is it too difficult? Is it marvellous in your eyes?
Marvellous in these days? Am I, God, amazed at this, saith
the Lord of hosts? Is it marvellous? Is it hard?
Is it difficult? Sinners who are incompatible
with God and by God's very basic nature and character must be
condemned to eternal separation from Him. Too difficult? Is it marvelous for sinners to
be fitted for eternal communion with God? As God said to Abraham,
is anything too hard for the Lord? They talked about the rich
man not being able to enter the kingdom of God. It's harder for
a rich man, said Jesus, to enter the kingdom of God than for a
camel to go through the eye of a needle. The disciples said,
well, then who shall be saved? And Jesus said, with man it's
impossible, but not with God. Not with God. Is anything too
hard for the Lord? Is anything too hard? No, of
course not. Are we insignificant, believing
him, trusting him? Are we unviable as a testimony
to the truth of God? We're certain to arrive in glory.
We're certain to arrive in glory. There's no doubt about it. Luke
chapter 13. And verse 29 says this, they
shall come from the east and from the west and from the north
and from the south and shall sit down in the kingdom of God. What a glorious promise! Our
Lord Jesus Christ said that. It applies to you and me if we
believe in Him. So you will certainly reach the
goal. In their day, they will certainly
reach the goal and restore that city and Jerusalem with its temple,
which was a picture of the Kingdom of God, but it was just a picture.
Picturing the reality, you will certainly, believer, you will
certainly reach the goal. So press on, which brings us
to the next point. Press on with the work. For them,
the work was building and restoring the temple. How is the kingdom
built by God's people today? For them they put stone upon
stone in the temple, and then in the days of Nehemiah, stone
upon stone in the walls around Jerusalem itself. How is the
kingdom built by God's people today? You see, the gospel is
represented by the temple. And in the gospel, the church
is the temple of the living God. Paul says to the Corinthians,
do you not know that you are the temple, each individually,
but corporately, you are the temple of the living God. The
church built not out of quarried stones, but out of living stones. As Peter says, 1 Peter 2 verse
5, ye also, believer, you as lively, living stones, are built
up a spiritual house. a holy priesthood. But how are
the living stones quarried? You know, they quarried the stones
out of the ground to bring them to Jerusalem to build and restore
the temple. How are the living stones quarried
from the earth which is the children of wrath even as others? The
answer is this, simply, by preaching. by preaching, by witnessing.
This is the work. This is the work, preaching and
witnessing and bearing testimony. And verse 9, the foundation is
laid. Thus saith the Lord of hosts,
let your hands be strong. Ye that hear in these days these
words by the mouth of the prophets, which were in the day that the
foundation of the house of the Lord of hosts was laid, that
the temple might be built. There was a foundation laid,
and what is the foundation? It is redemption that is accomplished. Christ has come. He was promised
to come, and he has come, and he has accomplished redemption.
The promise is sure. Sometimes people will do it if
I can, but there's a big if there. But when God promises, he does
it. The redemption is accomplished.
The promise is sure. Every, every, living stone chosen
before time shall hear the call of God in time to embrace the
truth of God that has saved them from sin in the blood of the
Lamb. So let your hands be strong.
Verse 9. Let your hands be strong. Don't
let them hang down. It talks about hands hanging
down and weak knees. I know more about that every
day. I get a bit older. His weak knees. In what? What
are we to be strong in? What are the hands to be strong
in? in God and in his promise. In Hebrews chapter 12, we read
the first three verses, but in verse 12 of chapter 12, we're
encouraged, lift up the hands which hang down and the feeble
knees. Get on with it, keep going, lift
up the hands that hang down. Let your hands be strong, it
says in verse 9 of Zechariah 8. 2nd Timothy chapter 2 verse
3, Paul encourages Timothy to endure hardness. This Christian
life, this walk, this pilgrim's progress is going to be difficult,
Timothy. As a good soldier of Jesus Christ,
endure hardness. Put up with hardness. As 1 Corinthians
15 verse 58 says and encourages, therefore, my beloved brethren,
Be steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the
Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in
the Lord. That's the call of God to us
here. Wherever he has his people, keep
declaring the truth of God's kingdom. Keep declaring the truth
of redemption accomplished, of the atonement made in the blood
of Christ. Keep declaring the satisfaction
of divine justice, not in what you do by your works, but in
what Christ has done. Keep declaring the glorious hope
that is the kingdom of God in eternity. Where are we? Wherever people are, wherever
he has his witnesses. It might be a little village
hall like this. It might be a great big thriving church with lots
of people. It might be just a gathering on the internet. Do what you
can with the vineyard that God has given you, is what he says
to his people. Wherever he's placed you, just
focus on doing what he's given you to do where he's placed you.
Don't be concerned to put the world right. Do you know, I find
it fascinating in these days, Especially, you know, we've studied
in great depth the book of Revelation in recent years and seen how
things are playing out exactly as God has said. And I read some
really good material about the evil that's going on and about
how It's all completely against the Kingdom of God, nevertheless
perfectly in the purposes of God. And there's a tendency to
rise up and say, I must join this organization and protest
about what they're doing here, or protest about what they're
doing there. And we must do something to try and stop the downgrade
of our society into whatever it might be. No, believers, don't
be concerned to put the world right. Do you know what Jesus
said? He said he was calling people to follow him. And one
man said to him, yes, I'll follow you, but I must go and bury my
father first. He's just died. I must go. And
you know what Jesus said to him? It sounds harsh, but this is
what he said. He said, let the dead bury their dead. Let this
world just get on with itself. Do you know, I'm more and more
convinced that our purpose is not to fight against the bad
political leaders that we have around the world. God has put
them there. They're God's instruments for
his purpose to bring this world to nothing. That's the fact.
That's truth. So, verse 15. Look what God says. Again, have I thought in these
days to do well unto Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. Fear
ye not. God says concerning his church
in this world today, he says to his people living in isolation
and small companies and even on their own in this world today,
he says, I know that I'm going to do well to my kingdom. Don't
be afraid. Don't be afraid. Then, next point,
quickly. Bear the fruit of grace, verses
16 and 17. These are the things that ye
shall do. Speak ye every man the truth to his neighbor. Execute
the judgment of truth and peace in your gates. And let none of
you imagine evil in your hearts against his neighbor, and love
no false oath. For all these things I hate,
saith the Lord. Now, remember last week we looked
in chapter 7, and we use some verses in Micah chapter 6 to
apply what it really means. You see, you might think superficially
it's saying that our salvation and our bearing the fruit of
grace is all about our own personal efforts, it's all about our own
works, but it isn't. In Micah it was, in the Lord,
in the Lord. Walk with God, love justice,
in the Lord. Love mercy, in the Lord. It's
gospel grace, gospel grace. And that's what this is. It's
bear the fruit of the gospel in accordance with what J.C.
Philpott called gospel precepts. Speak truth, speak truth. Speak every man the truth. What's
the truth? I am the way, the truth, and
the life, said Jesus. Christ is the truth. Bear the
fruit of the truth, which is Christ. Bear the fruit, because
in Ephesians 2 and verse 8, you know these verses well, but we
need to read them carefully to see what they really say. By
grace are ye saved, through faith. It's by the grace of God that
you're saved, and you know about it by the gift of faith that
he gives. And even that faith is not of yourselves, it's not
something that you did that others haven't done, it's the gift of
God, by his sovereign grace. It's not of works that you do
that you make progress in the kingdom of God, because you would
always tend to boast about it, because We are his workmanship. This is the work of God, said
Jesus to the Jews in John 6. What's the work we should do?
This is the work of God that you believe on him whom he sent. We are his workmanship, created
in Christ Jesus. unto good works, which God hath
before ordained that we should walk in them." Walk in gospel
precepts. Bear the fruit of the grace of
the gospel is what that's saying, I think, in verses 16 and 17.
And then, to finish, rejoice in Christ Jesus. Verses 18 to
23 is talking about fasts and feasts. The fast of the fourth
month, and of the fifth, and of the seventh, and of the tenth.
So shall be to the house of Judah, look, what are those feasts to
be, those fasts to be? Joy and gladness and cheerful
feasts. Jerusalem in those days was going
to prosper again. There was going to be people
growing old, children playing in the streets. truth and peace
and cheerfulness and gladness. Yes, it was a picture of prosperity,
but it's for our learning. This is the kingdom of God that
we're talking about. It's a cheerful thing. It's a glad thing. Thus saith
the Lord of hosts, it shall yet come to pass that there shall
come people and inhabitants of many cities. There's a great
gathering incoming. And the inhabitants of one city
shall go to another saying, let us go speedily to pray before
the Lord and to seek the Lord of hosts. How pleased and blessed
was I to hear the people cry, come, let us seek our God today. I will go also, yea, many people
and strong nations shall come to seek the Lord of hosts in
Jerusalem and to pray before the Lord. It's talking about
a great gathering in. I'm not going to put any numbers
on it or any of that sort, but there is a multitude that no
man can number. that John saw there in heaven.
And if we're a part of it today, and if there is yet more gathering
to do, it is by his people proclaiming the truth of the gospel of grace.
coming to seek the Lord. Look at it in verse 23. Thus
saith the Lord of hosts, in those days it shall come to pass that
10 men shall take hold out of all languages of the nations,
even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying,
we will go with you, for we have heard that God is with you. People in this world saying,
you've got the truth of God, And what is it to take hold of
the skirt? It's to grab hold of, let me
follow, you know, through a crowd sometimes you say, oh, let's
hold hands or hold on to my jacket as we're going through this crowd.
Take hold of the skirt of him that is the Jew. Who is the one
that is the Jew? Surely it's our Lord Jesus Christ,
isn't it? Isn't this picturing coming to
Christ? Taking hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew is picturing
coming to Christ. So, However small, however insignificant,
however non-viable we may seem to the world around, believers,
we have a commission from God. to preach the word, to testify
to God's truth, to show that we are his. Who are the true
circumcision? We quote it so often, but it's
just such a touchstone of a text. We are the true people of God. We are the true Israel of God
who worship God in the spirit. who rejoice in Christ Jesus. They shall be feasts of cheerfulness
and gladness, it says in verse 90. We rejoice in Christ Jesus.
We rejoice in the fact that with me there is no hope, but in him
there is 100% certain hope. And we hold out the skirt of
Christ, if I can put it that way, for seekers to take hold
of it. Amen.