You are shepherded by the Great Shepherd! The 3 rd Sunday before Advent Zechariah 10:1-4; 11:4-17...

You are shepherded by the Great Shepherd!

The 3rd Sunday before AdventZechariah 10:1-4; 11:4-17 & John 10:1-16

IntroductionZechariah 9 ended on a high note with a glorious hope!

16 The LORD their God will save them on that day

as the flock of his people.

They will sparkle in his land

like jewels in a crown.

17 How attractive and beautiful they will be!

Grain will make the young men thrive,

and new wine the young women.

Introduction Zechariah 9-11 – massa or oracle;

the message is a “burden” Promises of renewal, restoration

(chapter 9) turned into God’s judgment – WHY?

Introduction Failure of “sheep and shepherds” –

metaphors for Israel and her leaders respectively!

What should be our response?

These things happened to them as examples and were written down as

warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come. (1 Cor 10:11)

Introduction This message is for BOTH the

sheep and shepherds

For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd;

he will lead them to springs of living water.

And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” (Rev 7:17)

1. Shephered to be witnesses

• The overarching theme of Zechariah & the Bible is missions!

… for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Rom 3:23)

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Rom 6:23)

I [Jesus] have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. (John 10:10b)

Shepherding in Palestine

Staff

Rod

Shepherds in Palestine typically carries a staff and rod – the 2 “staffs” in Zech 11:7

1. Shepherded to be witnesses

• Does God only love Israel and not Tyre and the surrounding nations? NO!

• What or who is our common enemy?• God loves all the nations as Creator! Glorious things are said of you … “I will record Rahab and

Babylon among those who acknowledge me — Philistia too, and Tyre, along with Cush — and will say, ‘This

one was born in Zion.’ ” Psalm 87:3-4

1. Shepherded to be witnesses

Israel called to be a light on the hill!

Israel, Egypt, Assyria & Babylon

2. Shepherded to be matured

“Ask the Lord for rain in the springtime”Zechariah 10:1a

•Rain typically fall in autumn & spring!

•Witnessing is important but it is NOT the goal in the Great Commission!

What is God’s goal?

2. Shepherded to be matured

Is God short of faithful witnesses? NO!

•“if they (crowd of disciples) keep quiet the stones will cry out!” (Luke 19:40)

•Creation is far more efficient than us!

There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard. (Psalm 19:3) (NKJV)

2. Shepherded to be matured

Why “ask for rain in the springtime” or “latter rain” (NKJV)?

•Latter rains are needed to mature and bear fruit! God is not finished with us!•If there is no spring rain famine and no seeds for planting more famine

God’s goal is to shepherd us unto MATURITY!

2. Shepherded to be matured

God shepherding us to …

God’s ongoing deliverance …

Past Be a Christian – repentance of sins

Israel’s exodus from Egypt

Present Grow as Christian – our sanctification

Israel’s exodus and return from Babylon

Future Matured Christian – our glorification!

Israel’s restoration in the coming Kingdom of God!

2. Shepherded to be matured

Maturity ---- teleios (discipleship)

God gives to the church the 5-fold ministry for ….

“until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become

mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” (Eph 4:13)

Discipleship is NOT optional!… he who began a good work in you will carry it on to

completion until the day of Christ Jesus (Phil 1:6)

3. Shepherded to walk in the power of the Holy Spirit

Ask the Lord for rain in the springtime

•Not by might or by power but by the Holy Spirit (Zechariah 4:6)

•Be open to the Holy Spirit working in and through us!

•We are justified i.e. relationship to God restored – we need to hear Him

3. Shepherded to walk in the power of the Holy Spirit

• What are you afraid of?

• Ministry e.g. evangelism is difficult – we are never adequate in our abilities

We are inadequate for ministry BUT through the power of the Holy

Spirit of Christ we are more than ADEQUATE!