You are shepherded by the Great Shepherd!

1
You are shepherded by the Great Shepherd!

• The 3rd Sunday before Advent
• Zechariah 101-4 114-17 John 101-16

2
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.

3
Introduction

• Zechariah 9-11 massa or oracle the message is
  a burden
• Promises of renewal, restoration (chapter 9)
  turned into Gods judgment WHY?

4
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 1011)

5
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 717)

6
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 323)
• For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of
  God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
  (Rom 623)
• I Jesus have come that they may have life, and
  have it to the full. (John 1010b)

7
Shepherding in Palestine
Shepherds in Palestine typically carries a staff
and rod the 2 staffs in Zech 117
Staff
Rod
8
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
  873-4

9
1. Shepherded to be witnesses
Israel called to be a light on the hill!
10
Israel, Egypt, Assyria Babylon
11
2. Shepherded to be matured

• Ask the Lord for rain in the springtime
• Zechariah 101a
• Rain typically fall in autumn spring!
• Witnessing is important but it is NOT the goal in
  the Great Commission!
• What is Gods goal?

12
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 1940)
• Creation is far more efficient than us!
• There is no speech nor language where their voice
  is not heard. (Psalm 193) (NKJV)

13
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
• Gods goal is to shepherd us unto MATURITY!

14
2. Shepherded to be matured
God shepherding us to Gods ongoing deliverance
Past Be a Christian repentance of sins Israels exodus from Egypt
Present Grow as Christian our sanctification Israels exodus and return from Babylon
Future Matured Christian our glorification! Israels restoration in the coming Kingdom of God!
15
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 413)
• 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 16)

16
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 46)
• 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

17
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!