SEARCHING WITH A SEEKING GOD

Ezekiel 34:1-16
Purpose:  To encourage us to see lost people.
Introduction:
# God came searching for Adam and Eve in the garden after they had sinned.  With the first man and woman we see an attribute of God that is conveyed throughout scripture, namely He is a God who searches for those He loves.
I.	The prophets revealed a seeking God (11).
	A.	Ezekiel scolded the kings by using the shepherd analogy.
		1.	The political leaders of Israel were given responsibility to care for the 				people.
		2.	The shepherds, however, killed the best of the flock for their own 					consumption.
		3.	The shepherds were not caring for the sheep.
	B.	God says He will take responsibility in light of human failure.
		1.	Since the shepherds did not care, their flocks were removed from them.
		2.	God says, “I will search for the lost” (16).
II.	The seeking God sends His Son Jesus.
	A.	Jesus declares Himself to be a Good Shepherd (John 10:11).
	B.	Jesus further modeled the seeking process, for “Jesus went out . . . and called 			disciples“(Mark 2:13).
	C.	Jesus tells us the parable of the Good Shepherd (Luke 15:1-7).
		1.	The Good Shepherd is one who seeks the lost sheep.
		2.	The parable was told by Jesus in response to these words of the critics, 				“This man welcomes sinners.”
	D.	Jesus tells His disciples, “As the Father sent me, so send I you” (John 20:21).
	E.	Jesus turns to His disciples and says, “I want you to go make disciples like I have 			done” (Matt. 28:19-20).
III.	Seeking God has two applications:
	A.	God has sought  you.
 # Trent Delfer, a franchise quarterback out of college was not taken until the 6th or 7th pick in the NFL draft.  He was astonished.  When interviewed about Tampa Bay possibly taking him, he said, “Oh yes, they have expressed an interest in me.  I would like very much to be on that team.”
		1.	“You have not chosen me, I have chosen you.”
		2.	Human striving is met halfway by a human-seeking God.
	B.	Our responsibility is to be God-like.
		1.	We love because He first loved us.
		2.	We are to be holy, because God is holy.
		3.	We are to seek lost people, because God seeks.
Conclusion:
# Dave Hadaway, an Anglo minister of youth in a Korean congregation, went with his senior pastor to visit a man who was dying with cancer.  The man threw them out of the house.  Dave and his pastor spent hours in prayer along with the congregation.  One day the man accepted Christ.