NOT BY MIGHT NOR BY

P0WER BUT BY GOD’S

SPIRIT
ACK ST PAUL’S MOYALE
FIRST SERVICE (ENGLISH)
7TH MAY 2023
 USUAL
TEMPLE
FURNITURE
Dennis Mutuku
apprentice:
iServe Africa
SCRIPTURE READINGS
PSALMS 147:1-12
ZECHARIAH 4:1-10
REVELATION 21:1-14
 1.Then the angel who talked with me returned and
woke me up, like someone awakened from sleep. 2.
He asked me, “what do you see?” I answered, “I see a
solid gold lampstand with a bowl at the top and
seven lamps on it, with seven channels to the lamps.
3. Also there are two olive trees by it, one on the
ZECHARIAH 4 right of the bowl and the other on its left. 4. I asked
the angel who talked to me, “what are these, my
Lord?” 5. He answered, “do you not know what they
are?” “No my lord” I replied. 6. So he said to me, “This
is the word of the lord to Zerubbabel: “not by might,
not by power but by my spirit says the lord Almighty”
 7 “What are you, mighty mountain? Before Zerubbabel you will
become level ground. Then he will bring out the capstone to
shouts of ‘God bless it! God bless it!’” 8 Then the word of
the LORD came to me: 9 “The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the
foundation of this temple; his hands will also complete it. Then you
will know that the LORD Almighty has sent me to you. 10 “Who
dares despise the day of small things, since the seven eyes of
ZECHARIAH 4 the LORD that range throughout the earth will rejoice when they
see the chosen capstone in the hand of Zerubbabel?” 11 Then I
asked the angel, “What are these two olive trees on the right and
the left of the lampstand?” 12 Again I asked him, “What are these
two olive branches beside the two gold pipes that pour out golden
oil?” 13 He replied, “Do you not know what these are?” “No, my
lord,” I said. 14 So he said, “These are the two who are
anointed to[b] serve the Lord of all the earth.”
  WHAT IS HAPPENING?
 SHAKAHOLA THINGS FASTING/ STARVED TO
DEATH/SELLING EVERYTHING/TO SEE JESUS/GO TO
PARADISE.

STARTER  PAUL HAS ADRESSED THIS IN HIS SEVRAL LETTERS/

ENCOURAGES TIMOTHY TO STUDY TO SHOW THYSELF
APPROVED
 FAILURE TO STUDY UTACHOCHWA….
 FEEL FREE TO QUESTION STAFF DON’T FOLLOW
BLINDLY.
  The book is set after return from Exile (Babylonian Exile)
Ezra 5:12

But because our ancestors angered the God of heaven, He

gave them into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar the Chaldean,
King of Babylon who destroyed this temple and deported the
people to Babylon.
Zechariah prophesied together with Haggai and challenged
the people to see to it that the temple was rebuild and plan of
BACKGROUND OF God achieved.

ZECHARIAH Earlier Jeremiah had predicted that the Exile would last for
70 years then God would restore His presence through temple
rebuilding but from the look of things it seemed that non of
this promises was ever to be.

Zech 1:1-6 starts by urging the generation to turn back to

God and not to be like your ancestors.
From Exile only 50,000 people returned and this included
Adults, children and women returned from Exile.
  Nearly 20 years after returning from the Babylonian exile in the
time of Cyrus (538 BC), God’s people were discouraged. The
foundation of the temple had been laid shortly after the initial
return, in 536 BC, but powerful opposition had prevented any
further progress on rebuilding the temple. And, there was little
evidence of the kind of spiritual renewal that the earlier prophets

BACKGROUND OF had anticipated. Jewish sovereignty had not been restored. A

moral reformation of the people had not occurred. Jerusalem
ZECHARIAH was still only partially rebuilt and had no significance among the
surrounding nations. Under the circumstances, many people
concluded that theirs was a “day of small things” (Zechariah
4:10) in which God was absent from his people. Many viewed
faithful obedience as useless. It seemed to make more sense to
forget God and to pursue the best life possible.
  As Zechariah rubs his eyes trying to wake up, he
sees a solid gold lampstand with seven lamps. This
image was familiar as it was part of the temple
furniture.
In addition to the lampstand, Zechariah saw
something that was never in the temple - two olive
By My Spirit, Says trees that supplied oil for a large bowl which in turn
the Lord fed the seven lamps with oil through seven pipes.
Zechariah’s vision Now in the temple the lampstands had to be
VS 1-3 continually refilled with oil, but in this vision,
Zechariah sees “self-filling” lamps, fed directly
from two olive trees.
 Zechariah asks for an explanation of the vision.
 ORDINARY
LAMPSATAND
THE VISION
IMAGE
 What are these, my lord? Zechariah saw the vision, but didn’t understand
what it meant.
 Zechariah lived in a time of uncertainty; the remnant of Israel had
returned from exile, they had attempted to rebuild the temple but
adversity discouraged them and the work had stopped and actually
- former work was destroyed by their adversaries. The
regressed as their
people were gripped with discouragement and fear. God called the
prophet Zechariah to give them hope and courage to renew their work in
building the temple and re-establishing its services. The visions
emphasized that it wasn’t by their might or power, but by the Holy Spirit
that the work would be accomplished –
 Also, the task of preparing each
heart as a purified temple for
the Lord’s indwelling can
ultimately be accomplished only
Point by cooperating with Him; His
Spirit accomplishes that which
human effort is powerless to
achieve.
  Zerubbabel was the governor of the returned exiles, and had
the responsibility to direct the finishing of the work of
rebuilding the temple. To Zerubbabel the work of rebuilding
the temple was so massive it seemed like a great mountain.
Here God promises that by His Spirit, that great mountain will
be leveled into a plain.
 Zerubbabel would bring forth the capstone with shouts of
“Grace, grace to it!” This is God’s assurance to Zerubbabel
THE MEANING that not only will the work be finished, but Zerubbabel ,
himself shall finish it, setting the capstone and declaring that it
OF THE VISION was all a work of grace.
 “There is nothing that Satan fears so much as that the people
of God shall clear the way by removing every hindrance, so
that the Lord can pour out His Spirit upon a languishing
church and an impenitent congregation. If Satan had his way,
there would never be another awakening, great or small, to
the end of time. But we are not ignorant of his devices. It is
possible to resist his power. When the way is prepared for the
Spirit of God, the blessing will come. Satan can no more
hinder a shower of blessing from descending upon God’s
people than he can close the windows of heaven that rain
cannot come upon the earth. Wicked men and devils cannot
hinder the work of God, or shut out His presence from the
assemblies of His people, if they will, with subdued, contrite
hearts, confess and put away their sins, and in faith claim His
promises.
  God wanted Zerubbabel (as well as all His faithful followers)
to know that the Holy Spirit would continually supply his need,
just as the oil trees in the vision continually supplied oil to the
lamps on the lampstand. God wants His supply and our
reliance on the Holy Spirit to be continual.
 "Those who bear responsibilities need to place themselves
where they will be deeply impressed by the Spirit of God.You
should have as much greater anxiety than do others for the aid
of the Holy Spirit and for a knowledge of God as your position
Applications of trust is more responsible than that of others.
 Nothing is more needed in our work than the practical results
of communion with God."
 When the work is done through human might or power we
tend to take credit for it, but when the work is done by the
continual supply of the Spirit, then it is all to the glory of God’s
grace.
  His hands shall finish it: When the
there are not only
resources to the work, but also to
the work. God is a finisher
 “Being confident of this very thing, that he
which hath begun a good work in you will
More perform [it] until the day of Jesus Christ” (
encouragement Philippians 1:6).
for Zerubbabel.  For who has despised the day of small
4:8-10 things?
 God does not despise the day of small
things. He can

Consecrating our littles to Him will

bring a wonderful increase.
 Do we despise the day of small things? it is
impossible to do God’s work because the resources aren’t
there, the opposition too strong, the talent lacking-- or do we
neglect doing our part because we think it’s “too little” and
insignificant?
 “Those who have the smallest gifts are not excused from
using the very best gifts they have, and in so doing their
talents will be increased.
 Though the work was empowered by the Spirit of God,
Zerubbabel still needed to take up his plumb line and move
forward with the work. God could have instantly, miraculously
finished the work, but that isn’t God’s way of doing things. He
desires to build our characters by inviting us to co-operate
with Him.
  Who then can turn the written Word of
God into life giving oil ?
 No, it's not any human being, for all
humans must first receive the truth
through this life giving source.
Application  It's not by might nor by power, but by
my Spirit, says the Lord.
 Who are the ones who stand in the
Presence of God yet communicate
heavenly truth home to the hearts,
minds and souls of mankind?
  The other ONE Who stands in the
Presence of God, is the Holy Spirit.
 “Without the Spirit of God a
knowledge of His word is of no
avail. The theory of truth,
unaccompanied by the Holy Spirit,
RESPONSE cannot quicken the soul or sanctify
the heart”
 The truth of God's Word is brought
to life in the hearts and minds of
people by Christ through the
 Yet, reading scriptures without the Holy Spirit, also gives the
wrong spirits opportunity to lead us astray.
 Without the guidance of the Holy Spirit we shall be continually
liable to wrest the Scriptures or to misinterpret them. There is
much reading of the Bible that is without profit and in many
cases is a positive injury. When the word of God is opened
without reverence and without prayer; when the thoughts and
affections are not fixed upon God or in harmony with His will,
the mind is clouded with doubt; and in the very study of the
Bible, skepticism strengthens. The enemy takes control of the
thoughts, and he suggests interpretations that are not correct.
 Thus we need to study the two witnesses, comparing scripture
with scripture in prayerful attitude, asking the Holy Spirit to
guide us into all truth.
 His presence fills us with conviction, truth, wisdom and
understanding, steadfastness, discernment, commitment,
courage to stand true to God, and changes our carnal
natures into Christ-like characters to shine for God!
 There is a danger in our world today to bypass the Bible
and think our impressions are the Holy Spirit. This study
shows that we definitely need the Holy Spirit to
understand scripture, Who will bring its message to life in
our lives; yet also notice from this vision that the oil is
drawn from, and based on the testimony of the two
witnesses, the old and new testament scriptures. God's
Holy Spirit will not lead you to depart from this testimony.
Any "spirit" that leads away from the testimony of the two
witnesses, is not the Holy Spirit.
 The Holy Spirit has been given to us to guide us in
the study of the word. Jesus promises, "The
Comforter, which is the Holy Spirit, whom the Father
will send in My name, He shall teach you all things,
and bring all things to your remembrance,
whatsoever I have said unto you." Those who are
under the training of the Holy Spirit will be able to
teach the word intelligently. And when it is made the
study book, with earnest supplication for the Spirit's
guidance, and a full surrender of the heart to be
sanctified through the truth, it will accomplish all that
Christ has promised.

 Not by might, nor by power But by my

Spirit says the Lord.