I’m not that tall, let’s just get that out there. It’s not a big deal but it can lead to some comical situations.
Last week I was taking part in a formal event where I was standing beside an official who was no less than six foot six. Someone in the crowd was overheard to wryly comment, ‘Now there’s the long and the short of it!’
Know what? It didn’t matter. We were there to do a job. He played his part, I played mine and the whole thing went fine.
See, it really doesn’t matter whether we are big or small, many or few. The important part is that each one does their duty and fulfils the role in life they have been given to play. It’s called honour.
It illustrated well our sermon this week which follows below. God’s people were having a day of ‘small things’ when it would have been easy to feel discouraged and vulnerable. At times don’t we all!
But God sent His message through the prophet Zechariah to encourage them to keep practising their faith. He was with them by His Spirit and would help them finish what they had started.
(First read Zechariah ch4 and Acts ch1 vs 1-8 in the Bible)
We can understand the Apostles’ question about the kingdom here in Acts 1. Israel had been waiting a long time for their monarchy to be restored, centuries in fact. It had once been independent, prosperous and powerful under Kings like David and Solomon. While they obeyed God they prospered but when they turned to worldly idols things went downhill rapidly. The nation divided and was conquered. Jerusalem and its magnificent Temple were destroyed. While these had since been rebuilt the nation had remained for centuries a tiny vassal state ruled by the emperors of Babylon, then Persia, Greece and now Rome.
But now the Messiah had come. Jesus of Nazareth had preached and performed miracles with divine authority, offered His life as an atonement for human sin and risen triumphant over death! So these Jewish disciples are naturally wondering, is this the time for our nation to be fully restored?
We’ll come back to that.
Meanwhile let’s rewind to 539 BC when a modest number of Israelites have returned to rebuild Jerusalem and the house of the Lord in preparation for their promised Messiah.
It was hard work! They faced constant opposition and discouragement. So God sent prophets like Zechariah to motivate and encourage them. Here in ch4 the prophet assures them that despite many disappointments and setbacks the Temple will be completed with God’s help.
Let’s notice three things here.
Firstly this was ‘a day of small things’. Israel had been a numerous people living in a large territory. The Temple of Solomon had been epic in scale and adorned with the costliest treasures. Some elderly folk could remember those days and it seemed that the new temple was a poor shadow of the former one. These were a humbled people living in modest times. A day of ‘small things.’
Did that mean their work was insignificant? Not at all! The Lord says He is with them and He foresees success.
‘the seven eyes of the Lord that range throughout the earth will rejoice when they see the chosen capstone in the hand of Zerubbabel’. That needs a bit of explanation! In scripture the number seven represents God. Six is a human number, seven is a divine number. God’s ‘eyes’ are thought to be going throughout the world. In other words the Almighty Who sees and knows everything (including the future) is confident the Governor Zerubbabel will finish the restoration they have begun.
‘Days of small things’ can be discouraging, even heart-breaking but we mustn’t abandon our faith. God is still working and He will bring about His purposes in His way and time.
We note secondly this was also a day of spiritual promise. The Governor was given a word of personal encouragement, ‘Not by might nor by power but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty. They had little might or power of their own. They weren’t allowed a king or an army. They were surrounded by hostiles. The odds were stacked against them humanly speaking but what human beings do is only part of the picture. It’s what the Holy Spirit can do in human hearts that brings about the greatest change.
Obstacles that seem like mountains are removed as the Lord builds His Church. People are liberated from cruel bondages, hearts and attitudes are changed by redeeming love, persecutors become apostles and enemies become friends as the Spirit works grace inside of us. Inspired by the example of Christ, guided, taught, empowered and equipped by the Spirit, God’s people discover courage to serve in all kinds of challenging circumstances.
Rebuilding this temple took Zerubbabel and his companions twenty years. It required patience and perseverance. They had to keep going even when they felt like giving up. Christians today need to keep practising our faith that Jesus will keep His promise and build His death-defeating Church using very ordinary people like us who seek to honour and obey Him.
A third thing we have here in Zechariah 4 is a vision of global witness.
The prophet sees a menorah, a seven branched Jewish lamp stand fed by precious golden oil. Either side are olive trees. The new Temple would soon shine God’s light and truth again for all the world to see. The leaders of this small band of workers, Zerubbabel the Governor and Joshua the High Priest would be given a special anointing from God to serve in the propagation of this light. They would be witnesses, serving ‘the Lord of all the earth.’ This picture is echoed in Acts 1 and here we’re back with Jesus’ patriotic disciples and their natural concern for their homeland and people.
‘Lord are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?’
In reply Jesus instructs them to leave the future of their nation in God’s safe hands. He has a bigger plan for them and for us!
Just as God’s Spirit helped Zerubbabel and Joshua overcome the challenges of their ‘day of small things’ He would now fill and empower the Apostles and all Jesus’ followers to be His witnesses at home, among our neighbours ‘and to the ends of the earth.’ We are to witness to Jesus, the Light of the world, throughout the world. In so doing we are building a spiritual ‘house’ of worship and obedience and preparing for His return in glory to the world!
‘You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you and you will be my witnesses,’ says Jesus the Saviour, the Son of God.
This is how His Church is built. This is how God’s Kingdom comes.
Last week I was taking part in a formal event where I was standing beside an official who was no less than six foot six. Someone in the crowd was overheard to wryly comment, ‘Now there’s the long and the short of it!’
Know what? It didn’t matter. We were there to do a job. He played his part, I played mine and the whole thing went fine.
See, it really doesn’t matter whether we are big or small, many or few. The important part is that each one does their duty and fulfils the role in life they have been given to play. It’s called honour.
It illustrated well our sermon this week which follows below. God’s people were having a day of ‘small things’ when it would have been easy to feel discouraged and vulnerable. At times don’t we all!
But God sent His message through the prophet Zechariah to encourage them to keep practising their faith. He was with them by His Spirit and would help them finish what they had started.
(First read Zechariah ch4 and Acts ch1 vs 1-8 in the Bible)
We can understand the Apostles’ question about the kingdom here in Acts 1. Israel had been waiting a long time for their monarchy to be restored, centuries in fact. It had once been independent, prosperous and powerful under Kings like David and Solomon. While they obeyed God they prospered but when they turned to worldly idols things went downhill rapidly. The nation divided and was conquered. Jerusalem and its magnificent Temple were destroyed. While these had since been rebuilt the nation had remained for centuries a tiny vassal state ruled by the emperors of Babylon, then Persia, Greece and now Rome.
But now the Messiah had come. Jesus of Nazareth had preached and performed miracles with divine authority, offered His life as an atonement for human sin and risen triumphant over death! So these Jewish disciples are naturally wondering, is this the time for our nation to be fully restored?
We’ll come back to that.
Meanwhile let’s rewind to 539 BC when a modest number of Israelites have returned to rebuild Jerusalem and the house of the Lord in preparation for their promised Messiah.
It was hard work! They faced constant opposition and discouragement. So God sent prophets like Zechariah to motivate and encourage them. Here in ch4 the prophet assures them that despite many disappointments and setbacks the Temple will be completed with God’s help.
Let’s notice three things here.
Firstly this was ‘a day of small things’. Israel had been a numerous people living in a large territory. The Temple of Solomon had been epic in scale and adorned with the costliest treasures. Some elderly folk could remember those days and it seemed that the new temple was a poor shadow of the former one. These were a humbled people living in modest times. A day of ‘small things.’
Did that mean their work was insignificant? Not at all! The Lord says He is with them and He foresees success.
‘the seven eyes of the Lord that range throughout the earth will rejoice when they see the chosen capstone in the hand of Zerubbabel’. That needs a bit of explanation! In scripture the number seven represents God. Six is a human number, seven is a divine number. God’s ‘eyes’ are thought to be going throughout the world. In other words the Almighty Who sees and knows everything (including the future) is confident the Governor Zerubbabel will finish the restoration they have begun.
‘Days of small things’ can be discouraging, even heart-breaking but we mustn’t abandon our faith. God is still working and He will bring about His purposes in His way and time.
We note secondly this was also a day of spiritual promise. The Governor was given a word of personal encouragement, ‘Not by might nor by power but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty. They had little might or power of their own. They weren’t allowed a king or an army. They were surrounded by hostiles. The odds were stacked against them humanly speaking but what human beings do is only part of the picture. It’s what the Holy Spirit can do in human hearts that brings about the greatest change.
Obstacles that seem like mountains are removed as the Lord builds His Church. People are liberated from cruel bondages, hearts and attitudes are changed by redeeming love, persecutors become apostles and enemies become friends as the Spirit works grace inside of us. Inspired by the example of Christ, guided, taught, empowered and equipped by the Spirit, God’s people discover courage to serve in all kinds of challenging circumstances.
Rebuilding this temple took Zerubbabel and his companions twenty years. It required patience and perseverance. They had to keep going even when they felt like giving up. Christians today need to keep practising our faith that Jesus will keep His promise and build His death-defeating Church using very ordinary people like us who seek to honour and obey Him.
A third thing we have here in Zechariah 4 is a vision of global witness.
The prophet sees a menorah, a seven branched Jewish lamp stand fed by precious golden oil. Either side are olive trees. The new Temple would soon shine God’s light and truth again for all the world to see. The leaders of this small band of workers, Zerubbabel the Governor and Joshua the High Priest would be given a special anointing from God to serve in the propagation of this light. They would be witnesses, serving ‘the Lord of all the earth.’ This picture is echoed in Acts 1 and here we’re back with Jesus’ patriotic disciples and their natural concern for their homeland and people.
‘Lord are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?’
In reply Jesus instructs them to leave the future of their nation in God’s safe hands. He has a bigger plan for them and for us!
Just as God’s Spirit helped Zerubbabel and Joshua overcome the challenges of their ‘day of small things’ He would now fill and empower the Apostles and all Jesus’ followers to be His witnesses at home, among our neighbours ‘and to the ends of the earth.’ We are to witness to Jesus, the Light of the world, throughout the world. In so doing we are building a spiritual ‘house’ of worship and obedience and preparing for His return in glory to the world!
‘You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you and you will be my witnesses,’ says Jesus the Saviour, the Son of God.
This is how His Church is built. This is how God’s Kingdom comes.
RSS Feed