The Great Shepherd King

Nikolle Bauder • Mar 09, 2022

Notes from Pastor Lance Shumake's message on Zechariah 10 and 11:


It’s hard to overstate the importance of leadership. Everything rises and falls based on it.


Under good leadership, people thrive. Under bad, people suffer.


No matter if you’re talking about a country, a workplace, a war, or a family – the success of that group is largely determined by the leader. That person is the one who others look to for guidance, counsel, and protection.


In the Bible, a story told over and over again is how God would raise up a good king who would lead his people to worship the Lord, make sacrifices, and obey His commandments. Under such leadership, the people would flourish! And then… the next king would rise to power and be someone who would lead the people away from God. As a result, the people would suffer. (...see the book of Judges for an in-depth look at this.)


Our sermon text this week (Zechariah 10 and 11) covers part of an oracle that God is speaking through Zechariah to His people. In Zechariah 9, Zechariah’s prophecy revealed that a new King would be coming. In chapters 10 and 11, a theme of leadership develops.


Through the text, we learn that when there is bad leadership among God’s people, consequences are played out among them. 


Consequences of bad leadership…

  • People don’t worship God (10v1)
  • People don’t listen to God (10v2a)
  • People are exploited and oppressed (10v2b)
  • People are scattered and lost (10v2b)


God’s response to bad leadership is that He will send the ultimate Shepherd King to lead us. 


The oracle continues in Chapter 11 with God telling Zechariah to act out a parable for the people. So Zechariah does as God says and acts out the role of a good shepherd, leading his people away from their destruction. In his hands are two staffs, one named Favor and the other Union. Favor is the blessing of God on His people; Union is the unity He brings with other people.


When Zechariah sees that the people are not listening and are continuing to walk toward their slaughter, He breaks the staff of Favor. This represents God breaking His covenant with His people because they’ve separated themselves from God and turned their backs on Him. 


And then he breaks the staff of Union. When our relationships with God aren’t in alignment, neither are our relationships with other people.


When he sees the people still aren’t listening, Zechariah walks away frustrated. This action shows us that sometimes God lets us go our own way (even in the path of destruction) because God knows that the idols of our hearts will never satisfy.


Romans 1:24–25, “Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.”


In contrast to the bad leaders, Zechariah gives us a glimpse of what the promised Good Shepherd will be like in verses 10:6-12.


His sheep will be…


—strengthened

—saved (we needed a Savior more than we needed a guide)

—restored (only because of His compassion and love, neither of which we deserve)

—made joyful

—redeemed (with the precious blood of Jesus)

—brought back

—gathered

—strengthened (repeated for emphasis)


In this, Jesus leaves no doubt. He tells us, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd." - John 10:11–16


Jesus also says, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.” - John 10:27–28


When we consider how to lead this side of heaven, we must look to our Good Shepherd on how to lead well.


“And Jesus called them to him and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” - Mark 10:42–45

Jesus is Much More Better

15 May, 2024
Notes from Lance Shumake's sermon on Sunday, May 12, 2024. Sermon text: Romans 5:12-21 Adam ruined it for everyone —sin came into the world through Adam —death came into the world through sin —death spread to all men because all sinned “God has always dealt with mankind through a head and representative. The whole story of the human race can be summed up in terms of what has happened because of Adam, and what has happened and will yet happen because of Christ.” —Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones Jesus is the true and better Adam “Cranfield explains, ‘That one single misdeed should be answered by judgment, this is perfectly understandable: that the accumulated sins and guilt of all the ages should be answered by God’s free gift, this is the miracle of miracles, utterly beyond human comprehension.’ The final word from God could have been “Condemned, on the basis of many trespasses.” Instead, it is “Justified, through the gift of Jesus’ righteousness.” That is why Paul declares that the gift is “much more” or “much better” than the result of Adam’s trespass.” —Daniel M. Doriani, Romans Through Jesus grace abounds and grace reigns Discipleship Questions: What are some reasons we might not like the idea that we all sinned when Adam sinned? What can help us embrace the idea that we all sinned when Adam sinned? How does that idea set us up for the good news about Jesus and what He accomplished? How does the truth from this passage build our assurance of our salvation? In what ways is what Jesus did much more powerful and better than what Adam brought us? How have you experienced the reign of grace in your life despite the reign of sin and death in the world? How can we experience the reign of grace through Jesus in everyday life?

No Fear of Judgment

08 May, 2024
Notes from Ky Martin's sermon on Sunday, May 5, 2024. Sermon text: Romans 5:6-11 God has already done the work needed to save us He took the initiative “God has addressed the cause of the offense… Although he is the offended party, God has removed the offense. God has extended “the olive branch.” -Jay Smith He justified us He reconciled us Reconciliation is an objective event that God accomplished by removing the barrier of sin that separated himself from humanity. This result is independent of humanity’s response although it formed the basis for an individual’s subjective appropriation.” Jay Smith Appropriate: “To set apart for or assign to a particular recipient.” Christians need not fear judgment day 2 Corinthians 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil. Discipleship Questions: How does it change your outlook on life to know that you have peace with God? In what ways have you experienced the greatness of access to God’s grace? How does future certainty bring us lasting hope? Describe a time when you experienced joy in the midst of suffering. How has God used suffering to grow your faith and mature you? What are some ways you have experienced God’s love being poured into your heart?

The Joy of Justification

29 Apr, 2024
Notes from Lance Shumake's sermon on Sunday, April 28, 2024. Sermon text: Romans 5:1-5 We find joy in the blessings brought by justification —peace with God —access to God’s grace Hebrews 4:16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. —hope of the glory of God “Christian hope is not uncertain, like our ordinary everyday hopes about the weather or our health; it is a joyful and confident expectation which rests on the promises of God, as we saw in the case of Abraham. And the object of our hope is the glory of God (2), namely his radiant splendor which will in the end be fully displayed. —John R. W. Stott, The Message of Romans We can even find joy in our sufferings “Various kinds of sufferings will come to us, but we can rejoice in them when we recognize that they serve a purpose: to develop our Christian character. In verses 3b–4 Paul shows how a godly response to suffering can initiate a series of virtues, culminating, strikingly, in hope. Note, however, that Paul is not saying that we should rejoice because of suffering. Evil things are still just that—evil—and we never should be happy about them. But by looking beyond the suffering to its divinely intended end, we still can rejoice in the midst of them.” —Douglas J. Moo, Encountering the Book of Romans —suffering produces endurance “ We know this, especially from the experience of God’s people in every generation. Suffering produces perseverance ( hypomonē , endurance). We could not learn endurance without suffering, because without suffering there would be nothing to endure.” —John R. W. Stott, The Message of Romans —endurance builds character —character gives us confident hope Discipleship Questions: How does it change your outlook on life to know that you have peace with God? In what ways have you experienced the greatness of access to God’s grace? How does future certainty bring us lasting hope? Describe a time when you experienced joy in the midst of suffering. How has God used suffering to grow your faith and mature you? What are some ways you have experienced God’s love being poured into your heart?
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