NOT BY MIGHT, NOR BY POWER, BUT BY HIS SPIRIT

Trevor Ferguson

December 26, 2024

 

Haggai 1:7-15 KJV

[7] Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways.

[8] Go up to the mountain, and bring wood, and build the house; and I will take pleasure in it, and I will be glorified, saith the LORD.

[9] Ye looked for much, and, lo, it came to little; and when ye brought it home, I did blow upon it. Why? saith the LORD of hosts. Because of mine house that is waste, and ye run every man unto his own house.

[10] Therefore the heaven over you is stayed from dew, and the earth is stayed from her fruit.

[11] And I called for a drought upon the land, and upon the mountains, and upon the corn, and upon the new wine, and upon the oil, and upon that which the ground bringeth forth, and upon men, and upon cattle, and upon all the labour of the hands.

[12] Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the LORD their God, and the words of Haggai the prophet, as the LORD their God had sent him, and the people did fear before the LORD.

[13] Then spake Haggai the LORD'S messenger in the LORD'S message unto the people, saying, I am with you, saith the LORD.

[14] And the LORD stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people; and they came and did work in the house of the LORD of hosts, their God,

[15] In the four and twentieth day of the sixth month, in the second year of Darius the king.

 

Zechariah 4:6-10 KJV

[6] Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.

[7] Who art thou, O great mountain? before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain: and he shall bring forth the headstone thereof with shoutings, crying, Grace, grace unto it.

[8] Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

[9] The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also finish it; and thou shalt know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me unto you.

[10] For who hath despised the day of small things? for they shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel with those seven; they are the eyes of the LORD, which run to and fro through the whole earth.

 

INTRODUCTION

The Old Testament documents the history of the human race and focuses on the experiences of the people of Israel, from the call of Abraham up to the time of the return from the exile Babylon and the re-settling of the Jewish people in Jerusalem. In first Corinthians 10, we are told that these things were written as examples or warnings to us so that we should not fall into the errors of Israel. The passage goes on to warn us to be careful, lest when we think that we are standing strong, we fall. Verse 13 of 1^st Corinthians 10 however provides a reassuring word, reminding us that God has a way of escape for all the challenges or problems that we may face: Let me quote the verse for those who may not be familiar with it: “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it”. We can be assured today that the challenges that we face will not overcome us, but God will provide a way of escape. In Ezekiel 37 and are reminded that regardless of the deadness of our situation, God can give us new life! Ezekiel 37 also reminds us that despite setbacks, defeats and negative experiences, God can restore us to vibrancy and strength. Ezekiel prophesied to the people during the period of Babylonian captivity and as prophesied by Ezekiel, the people were eventually brought out of captivity and resettled in their own land. However, the resettling was not the end of their challenges, the books of Ezra, Nehemiah, Haggai and Zechariah document the challenges faced with settling, rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem and rebuilding the temple. Today, we review some passages from the books of Haggai and Zechariah as we seek to learn from experiences and apply these lessons to our current situation. The key verse for focus is from Zechariah 4:6 - “This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.”

 

EXPOSITION

The Israelites returned from Babylonian captivity around 538 B.C. They planned to build a new temple in Jerusalem, but after building an altar on the original temple site and laying the foundations for the new temple they were ordered to cease the work due to opposition by the other people in the region. They appealed against the decision and after several years the restrictions were lifted and the rebuilding of the temple allowed to proceed. However, even after the barriers were lifted, the people failed to push ahead with the building of the temple, but instead focused on their own houses and other matters. The prophet Haggai confronted the people, challenging them to resume building the temple and assuring them that God was with them and would help them. Zerubbabel, the governor, and Joshua, the high priest, led the people and responded quickly to the message of Haggai. Within three weeks after Haggai gave his first message, they began their work on the temple. Haggai then came with another message, again reassuring them that God was with them.

Zechariah began his prophetic ministry shortly after Haggai and together they encouraged the leaders and the people to complete the building of God’s temple.

With the ongoing encouragement from Haggai and Zechariah the temple was completed eventually completed round about 515 BC, about three years after Haggai and Zechariah began to prophesy. This demonstrated that with encouragement, even the most arduous task can be completed to God’s glory.

Let me share a few lessons gleaned from the passages in Haggai 1 and 2 and Zechariah 4. These lessons are likely to be applicable to your current situation!

Lesson #1: Do not abandon God's work because of problems, opposition, or competing priorities

While we acknowledge that the initial cessation of the building of the temple was because they were ordered to stop, after the restriction had been lifted the people, the people were more focused on building their own homes, rather building God’s temple. The problem was that they had lost their passion for the work of God. Let us ensure that we keep our priorities in the right place, while personal matters are important, these should not be used as an excuse to neglect the work of God. We must balance our time and priorities and keep God’s work in its proper place! All that we have ultimately comes from God and belongs to God. We are merely stewards of God’s property. Let us therefore ensure that we give back to God of our time, our talent and our treasure. Do not abandon God's work because of problems, opposition, or competing priorities!

 

Lesson # 2: Do not despise small things, or small beginnings

Some of the leaders of Israel may have been disappointed that the new temple would not be as large or magnificent as Solomon’s temple, that had been destroyed some 50 years earlier. We see this in Ezra 3:12, where while the younger people rejoiced at the laying of the foundations of the temple, many of the older persons wept as they remembered the splendor of Solomon’s temple. Some may also have been disappointed that the present structure was a mere foundation and not a finished product and therefore not motivated to work. Zechariah admonished the people in Zechariah 4: 10 "… Do not despise these small beginnings, for the LORD rejoices to see the work begin, ..." (NLT). God is delighted when we work for him, even if we do not have much to give! Remember the widow’s mite! Remember also the boy with the five barley loaves and two fishes. God appreciates our sacrifices, even when they are small and can turn our small offerings into massive blessings.

For you, things may not be as great as previously experienced, the number of persons attending services may not be as large as in former years; other aspects of the worship service may not be a grand as they use to be, and many may be longing for some of the past glories. However, regardless of how small things are today, let us put out every effort and give it our best. God is able to use what we have to achieve great things. If fact, Haggai prophesied in Haggai 2:9 that “the glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former”. God is able to take our little and make it much!

Give it your best and let God multiply your efforts!

 

Lesson #3: God stands with his people even in times of adversity

A consistent theme from the prophesies of Haggai was that God was with them. Haggai stated in chapter 1:13 and again in chapter 2:4 – “I am with you saith the Lord of Hosts!” This is echoed in several other passages of scripture. Moses remined the Israelites in Deuteronomy 31:8 “… the LORD, He is the One who goes before you. He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed.” (NKJV)

In Isaiah 43:2, we are reminded: “When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee”. In Matthew 28:20 Jesus reminds his disciples: “… lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the age” (NKJV). In John 14:18 Jesus reminded the disciples: “I will not leave you comfortless, I will come to you”. We can be assured today that God is with us and will be with us. Things may not be what we want it to be today, but as the song reminds us “with Christ is the vessel we can smile at the storm”! Let’s go sailing on. God is with us!

 

Lesson # 4: God can reduce your mountain to mere rubble

In Zechariah 4:7, Zechariah declares: “Who art thou, O great mountain? before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain: and he shall bring forth the headstone thereof with shoutings, crying, Grace, grace unto it”. Sometimes we look at our tasks and they seem monumental! We do not know where to start, much more how we will finish. Often, this paralyzes us, and we end up doing nothing. Zechariah is here reminding us that nothing is impossible with God. God can take our mountain and reduce it to mere rubble. David was able to take down Goliath, Samson was able to conquer the Philistines and Gideon was able to defeat the Midianites. There is absolutely nothing too hard for God! Whatever mountain we are facing today, God will reduce is to mere rubble. Let us trust Him to work it out.

 

Lesson #5: Victory or Success does not come by might, nor by power, but by God's Spirit

This last lesson is the overall theme of today’s message. In Zechariah 4:6, the prophet states: “This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts”! Let us personalize it and apply to our individual lives: “This is the word of the LORD unto me: Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts! Victory will not by our own strength; victory will not be dependent of the number of people in attendance; victory will not be dependent on skill or eloquence of the preacher; victory will not be dependent on the skill of the musicians or the size of the choir! Victory will depend on the extent to which we are plugged in to God, to the extent that we are hearing from him and obeying his voice. David reminds us in Psalm 20:7-8: “Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God. They are brought down and fallen: but we are risen, and stand upright”. So today, we will not focus on our abilities or lack thereof. We will not focus on numbers or lack thereof. Instead, we will look at our Red Sea and remember the words of Moses Exodus 14:13 ; “… Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever.” There was no way that the Israelites themselves could have parted the Red Sea, but with God, Red Seas and just small problems. The scriptures tell us that God sent a great east wind, parted the waters and the Israelites went through on dry land. We serve a God who is great and powerful. There is nothing too hard for him! So let us trust him today. Not by might, no by power, but by my Spirit saith the Lord of Hosts!  

           

APPLICATION & CONCLUSION

The word of God today came to encourage us. Your church may be facing many challenges; as individuals you may also be facing many challenges. But let us arise and build God’s house. We must set our priorities in order and get on with God work. We will not despise small beginnings. We will always remind ourselves that God is with us and that he can turn our mountains into mere rubble. We will always keep in mind that victory is not in our own strength or power but is dependent on the Spirit of God. Let us commit to trusting him today

 

If you are not yet saved, today is a great day to begin to put your trust in him. Let me remind you that the message of salvation requires repentance, water baptism in the name of Jesus Christ and the infilling of the Holy Ghost. Put you trust is God today! God bless you today in Jesus’ name!

After This Hour

Trevor S Ferguson

March 29, 2024

 

John 12:23-27 KJV

[23] And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified.

[24] Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.

[25] He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.

[26] If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour.

[27] Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour.

 

Hebrews 12:1-2 KJV

[1] Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

[2] Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

 

INTRODUCTION

Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection is the most pivotal period in human history! It is through the sacrificial death of Jesus on the cross of Calvary that humans today have the hope of salvation. God had determined from the time of Adam’s sin that through the seed of the woman He would bring redemption for man, but to accomplish this there was no simple mechanism. Sin required the penalty of death and justice required that the penalty be paid. One solution rested on the principle of redemption, where a redeemer could pay the price required to liberate someone from enslavement or a binding obligation. In the Old Testament religious system, however, the redeemer was required to be a near kinsman; so, in addition to being willing and able to pay the redemption price, the redeemer needed to be a close relative of the person needing redemption. When this principle was applied to humanity and sin, there was a requirement to have sinless human being who was willing to suffer death on the behalf of all humanity. No human being on earth met these criteria, so God had to devise another plan, thus necessitating the entry of Jesus Christ into the world. God had to robe himself in flesh, enter the human race as a regular baby, fully human and limited by human frailties; endure the normal growth processes, all for the ultimate purpose of laying down his life on the cross, to pay the price of man’s sins. The suffering on the cross was excruciating; but the challenges were not limited to the time on the cross. Jesus knew from He entered the human race, that he came for one purpose, to lay down his life for the sins of mankind! In the gospel of John, John referred to this time as “his hour.” Today I will explore the problem of suffering by examining Jesus’ use of the concept of “his hour.” I will share with us that has we face various test and trials, our focus should not be on the hour of testing, but more on the victory that comes after enduring or overcoming our test and trials. Hence, the title of the message today is: After this hour! There is victory after this hour.

 

Here at South Camp Road, we are going through an hour of testing! Many of us in our personal lives are going through our personal hours of tests and trials, but God’s word today reminds us that there is victory after this hour!

 

EXPOSITION

The concept of ‘his hour’ was first introduced in John 2:4 when Jesus responding to his mother’s statement that there was no wine at the wedding stated that his “hour was not yet come.” Commentators assert that this statement suggested it was not yet time for him to begin his public ministry, or not yet time for him to begin working miracles, but here we begin to see this concept emerging. In John 7:30 and John 8:20, again Jesus again refers to “his hour” being not yet come, but this time more clearly referring to a time of adverse experiences associated with His passion. Let us look at these verses for further clarity.

John 7:30 “Then they sought to take him: but no man laid hands on him, because his hour was not yet come”.

John 8:20 “These words spake Jesus in the treasury, as he taught in the temple: and no man laid hands on him; for his hour was not yet come”.

In John 12:23 Jesus now states that the hour had come! That the hour had come is again stated in John 13:1 and John 17:1. That the hour had come meant that it was now time for Jesus to go through a period of intense suffering. His willingness to go through with this hour represents a great triumph over the flesh and brought for us the hope of salvation.

 

No human being likes suffering. In fact, times of expected suffering are viewed with dread and fear. Most people would go to great lengths to avoid pain and suffering. The passage in John 12:23 -27 gives as a picture of how Jesus, in his humanity, struggled with the expected pain and suffering as he anticipated going to the cross. He fully recognized that the price of the cross was his very life, but He was also cognizant that laying down his life would open the door the better things as we see in verse 24 and 25. Look again at what he says:  

Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.

Therefore, there was a clear benefit to him laying down his life, but that did not make it easy! In verse 27, Jesus posed a question, and provided an answer which serves as key verse for the message today.

Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour.

The central thought here is that the hour was necessary and was indeed the whole purpose for which he came! If Jesus were to be delivered from this hour, then the whole purpose of saving humanity would be thwarted! Rather than seeking deliverance from his hour, he sought that God would glorify his name through the sacrifice that he would make on the cross. Ultimately, He endured the cross and brought a great victory for humanity! Hebrews 12:2 relates the final result of him going through this hour:

Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

 

We thank today that Jesus was willing to suffer through his hour of testing and thus bring hope and salvation to humanity! Out of suffering can come great victory! After Crucifixion Friday comes Resurrection Sunday! The disciples on Crucifixion Friday were despondent and scattered in fear; but this was because they did not have a full view of Resurrection Sunday! After this hour of suffering, there is a bright new day filled with hope and great victory!

 

How does this apply to us and the sufferings we experience today? I would like to share with us four principles that we learn from Jesus enduring his hour. If we apply these principles, it will help us endure our personal hour of testing so that we can experience the victory after this hour.

 

PRINCIPLE #1: THERE IS A PURPOSE FOR YOUR TEST!

Jesus was not called to go to the cross because of God’s displeasure, or to punish him for sins he had committed. In fact, he knew no sin! 2^nd Corinthians 5:21, tells us: 'For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.' The whole purpose of his hour of testing was to save humanity from sin.

 

Similarly, Job did not suffer because he had committed great sin, but the purpose of Job’s suffering was to prove to Satan that man could serve God because of God’s intrinsic goodness, and not only for things which he could receive from God. During his time of suffering Job did not know that, but despite his lack of understanding of the purpose of his suffering, Job still held on to his integrity. We too can endure and overcome even if we do not understand the purpose of our test.

 

In John 9, we meet a man who was born blind. The assumption of many was that the cause of this misfortune was that someone had sinned – either the man or his parents! Jesus however points out that there was a greater purpose for the man’s dilemma. In John 9: 3 we read:

“… Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.”

The man who was born blind to provide an opportunity for the works of God to be manifested in him.

 

Today the purpose of your suffering may not be made plain to you, but rest assured there is a purpose for your suffering.

 

PRINCIPLE #2: THERE IS A TIME LIMIT ON YOUR TEST

Most of us have taken tests in various examinations. One common feature for almost all tests is that there is a time limit. Similarly suffering is for a defined time. The word ‘hour’ as used in these passages may be defined as “a certain definite time or season fixed by natural law (Thayer Dictionary in Strong’s Concordance). Job declares in Job 14:14

“… all the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come.”

Trouble will not last always! It has a set time. Your problems are not permanent. Your change will come! God will show up; It may take long but God will show up. I am always impressed by Job 38! After all the arguments, after all the despair, the scripture simply says: Then the Lord answers Job out of the whirlwind …! God will show up. There is a time limit on your test!

 

PRINCIPLE #3: YOU HAVE THE CAPACITY TO PASS THE TEST

This principle is based on the passage in 1^st Corinthians 10:13. God always provides a way of escape so that we can overcome in our hour of testing. Look at the text: There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. If God allows it, you can bear it.

 

Going back to Job, we see that it was God who raised the matter of Job’s faith in the conversation with Satan. If God was not confident that Job as able to endure his period of testing, he would never have allowed Satan to touch him. We also recall the episode when God tested Abraham faith in Genesis 22. While God had asked Abraham to offer his son Isaac, he simultaneously prepared a ram, to be in place when Abraham was ready to make a sacrifice. At that time Abraham was unaware if the ram caught in the thicket, God had already made preparation! There is a way of escape. You may not see it, but it is there! God will not allow you to be tested beyond your capacity. You have the ability to pass this test.

 

PRINCIPLE #4: AFTER THE TEST COMES THE REWARD.

Finally, today, I want to remind us that after the test, there comes the reward. Let us look at Hebrews 12:2:

Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Let us look also at Philippians 2 :8-11:

And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Now, let us look at 2^nd Timothy 4:7-8:

I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.

The rewards are not only for eternity, but also for the present time. Let us look at Mark 10: 29-30:

And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel's, But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life.

 

After the test comes the reward! Let us endure because our reward is sure.

 

APPLICATION & CONCLUSION

So, we see today that Jesus struggled with the anticipation of the suffering that he would endure on the cross, but pushed ahead as he realized that his suffering was for a greater purpose. His willingness to endure affliction bought for us the hope of eternal life. We too in our Christian life must endure suffering tests and trials. While the purpose of our sufferings may not be as grand, we can be assured that whatever God allows in our lives has an important purpose. The purpose may not always be plain to us, but we are assured today that all our suffering is for a set time and God will not allow us to be tested beyond our capacity to bear it. We are also reminded that after the test comes the reward, both in this life and in the life to come.

 

Let us comfort one another with these words. God bless you in Jesus’ name.