Old Llantrisant Hill
Introduction
- Summary of previous sermons - Knowing God together
- Without faith and repentance - one cannot know God
- Vision 1 - God has a people very near to His heart
- Vision 2 - A Sovereign God
- When meditating on God's word - ask 'What does this passage tell us about God'
- Zech 2
- Focusing on God's promises v4-5
- Zechariah's third vision
- A prophetic vision - debate over when/how it would be fulfilled
- A message for all of God's people - then and now
- The third vision
- A man with a measuring line - the restored community of Zechariah's day
- The work not just limited to rebuilding the Temple
- The city of Jerusalem had to be rebuilt
- An angel - the Angel of the Lord (the Lord Jesus)
- An urgent message
- Looking at its application for us today
- A divine promise
- God is calling His people to pay attention to His promise and rejoice
- Fulfilled a few years later in Nehemiah
- Also a future fulfillment - Heb 12:22, Rev 21:10
- Thus, the message still speaks to us today
- 'Western' Christianity may be declining - but Jesus is still building His Church
- All the promises of God and 'yes' and 'amen' in Him
- "I will be a wall of fire all around her and I will be the glory in her midst"
- 3 promises: extension, protection and divine indwelling
A Promise of Extension
- Previous promises that the land would be restored - but the people had limited expectations
- The city could not be measured with a line
- The city cannot be contained by walls
- Not vulnerable to danger and attacks
- Wall-lessness - because it would contain a great multitude of people
- Intentions beyond the Jewish community
- Application: do not put limits where God has not intended them
- Do not think as the Jews who rejected the Messiah because of their limited view/understanding
- Do churches today place limits - examples
- Do not impede those who come to worship
- The Church is not confined to boundaries
- God will still protect us - we do need to construct walls for protection
- Have we put up limits?
A Promise of Protection
- "I will be a wall of fire all around her"
- The city was looking for physical protection from a wall
- Yet God Himself will be their protector
- A wall of fire all around Jerusalem
- Examples of God as Protector
- Application:
- Let God be our protection
- God is building His Church - 'if God is for us, who can be against us?'
- Consider the promise of Jesus to never leave nor forsake us
- Heb 13:6
- The forces against the Christian are mighty and strong - we cannot protect ourselves
- Rev 21:27
A Promise of Divine Indwelling
- "I will be the glory in her midst"
- Application:
- As a Christian - do not forsake the potential of God's Divine indwelling
- Putting up limits and protections will reduce God's indwelling in us
- Only in His presence is fullness of joy
The Need of Separation
- v6
- Separate yourself - respond to this great promise
- Separate yourself from the things that defile - do not put up walls
- Do not become too comfortable with what you know
- Do not conform to the world around you
- This call to separation continues today - to holiness
Conclusion
- God cares for His people - they are the apple of His eye - v8-9
- This verse speaks of Jesus (v9b)
- Sing and rejoice - v10
- God is aroused from His holy habitation - v13
- What is our perception of the Church?
- Do we fail to know God's indwelling presence?
- We must align ourselves to God's way