You are shepherded
by the Great
Shepherd!
The 3rd Sunday before Advent
Zechariah 10:1-4; 11:4-17 & John 10:1-16
Introduction
Zechariah 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
Shepherds in Palestine
typically carries a staff and rod
– the 2 “staffs” in Zech 11:7
Staff
Rod
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 …
Past
God’s ongoing
deliverance …
Israel’s exodus
Be a Christian –
repentance of sins from Egypt
Present Grow as Christian Israel’s exodus and
– our sanctification return from Babylon
Future
Matured Christian Israel’s restoration
– our glorification! 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!