Refined

Zechariah 13:7 "Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, saith the LORD of hosts: smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered: and I will turn mine hand upon the little ones. 8 And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith the LORD, two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left therein. 9 And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The LORD is my God." [1]

I.   Scattered

     A. Shepherd

     B. Sheep

II. Selected

     A. Two thirds

     B. One Third

III. Secured

     A. My People

     B. My God

Introduction:  This is traditionally the fifth Sunday following the Pentecost experience with God when the disciples, or those who follow, became little Christs, or those who lead, who would carry Him in themselves and do His work throughout this world so that we will be  prepared for His return. That is the reason we are still here.

Had Jesus only come to rescue so that we might be saved, then why did His disciples not leave when He left?  He died to set us free so that we would be saved to spend eternity with Him in heaven.  Right?  That is most certainly the truth, but all that could be saved were not here yet when He ascended back to heaven.

Therefore we have a task here for us now for those who accept the call.  Not all who are saved and have accepted His salvation will accept the task that comes along with salvation.  Many will sit idly by and continue to wait for His return.  They are saved but they are not following.  They are waiting.  Some will be disciples ready to serve and feed and love.

It is for those disciples that the Holy Spirit equipped the church.  It is for those disciples who love Him, and others, that the gifts are given so that they would provide for the needs of others and not for themselves.  It is for the little ones, the little Christs, that the Holy Spirit equips.

Today we will go back again to the prophets in the Old Testament who prophesied Jesus’ coming here as a man.  Zechariah knew that there were false prophets in his time who were leading people away from the truth into a place that they could explain.  Here we go again.  For the Christian, the time we live in seems like a foreign place because it most certainly is.  There are those who insist that things will be better when everybody conforms to their way of thinking.

The questions today are the same as in Zechariah’s day.  Are we His people?  Is He our God?  Are we bell sheep or simply sheep?

Scripture:  The scripture is Zechariah 13:7-9.  When you have found it please rise to your feet for the reading of God’s written word.

Prayer: Please be seated

Message:  Today’s text was written hundreds of years before Jesus lived His earthly life.  Zechariah had a vision of what the Savior would go through in His final days here.  He also had a vision of what would happen to Jesus’ followers.

How many know of a preacher named Rex Humbard?  OK!  Now, how many of you know about a man named Elvis Presley?  Elvis’ apparent favorite preacher was Rex Humbard.  He preached Elvis’ funeral.  Rex met Elvis and told him that he believed Elvis to be Jesus’ bell sheep.

Sheep are very stupid animals.  They are easily led astray and will follow a new leader for little or no reason at all.  They will follow that leader to their death.  The shepherd who is smart will find the apparent lead sheep and hang a bell on its neck.  If the sheep break from the main flock, the shepherd can find them by the sound of the bell and the other sheep will most likely be with that sheep.

That made quite an impression on Elvis.  The world looks for that one who has the natural charisma to lead.  When that person is lined up with Jesus, awesome things happen.  People know that Elvis was the king of Rock and Roll but fewer know how much Elvis loved Jesus unless they really looked.

The focal text speaks of a shepherd who is the fellow or equal partner with the Lord.  Jesus was pierced with a sword and God saw the sheep scatter without their shepherd.  Someone had to hang a bell on the bell sheep until the shepherd would return to bring them back into the flock but the sheep were not without that gentle touch while the shepherd was away.  God put His hand on the little ones.  We need comfort.  Jesus said in John 14:15-18, “15 If ye love me, keep my commandments. 16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; 17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.” [2]

In verse 8 of our focal text today we hear a theme that we discussed the last night of our study on the Revelation.  Two thirds or 66.66666% of the people, sheep in this illustration Zechariah used, will be cut off from the flock.  They will decide to leave.  Only one third or 33.333333% will decide to stay together.

Does Zechariah say that everything is going to be peaches and cream for the remaining one third?  NO!  The few that stay will be refined with fire.  It’s not enough that the few stay with the flock.  They must be pure.

Those folks down in the Gulf States understand what it is to be refined.  The stuff in the bottom of a cracker or refinery is useful but it is in the top where the power comes from.  Tested and purified by fire.

Is that the church?  Is it this church?  Are we silver or are we what is left when the silver is made Sterling?  Are you 14 carat gold or gold plated so that only the part people see is gold colored?  Solid gold is gold through and through.  Not just that part that the world sees.  What does Jesus see?

What name are we calling on?  The politicians would like you to trust them and call their names on the ballot box.  The actors and others in the media want to be your bell sheep so that you will be led astray and be a part of that 66.6666% who are lost.  It is not easy to stay pure.  It is so easy to follow the wrong bell.

There in verse nine is that little colon again.  Those two little dots one over the other.  Only through the Holy Spirit are we sealed and secured so that we can realize Jesus’ voice and call in His name.  When we, his sheep call on His name, He will hear us.  There’s another colon…   He will, “say It is My people.”  Another colon, and we shall say, “The Lord is my God.”  Refined as the purest gold; secured.

Prayer:

Invitation: Romans 10:9 says, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” [3]

Last week our recital verse was Psalm 33:12, “Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance.” [4]

One Nation Under God must include one believer under God, One person under God, One Christian Under God.  Little Christs.

Jesus expects us to perform the work He left for us, that we are called to do.  He left us with the Holy Spirit to enable us to do that.  Yes if you truly received Him as Savior you are truly saved but are you a disciple if you don’t follow Him?

Do you want to be a bell sheep?  The word is disciple.  It takes discipline.  It means saying yes and meaning it so be careful when you say yes that you can sound the bell and follow through.  The altar is open.  Are you truly ready to say no to self and yes to THE LORD.

Answer as we stand and sing…

[1] The Holy Bible: King James Version. (1995). (electronic ed. of the 1769 edition of the 1611 Authorized Version., Zec 13:7–9). Bellingham WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
[2] ibid., Jn 14:15–17).
[3] ibid., Ro 10:9).
[4] ibid., Ps 33:12).