Seeking, Saving, Sorting Ezekiel 34:11–16, 20–24; 1 Corinthians 15:20–28; Matthew 25:31–46

Grace mercy and peace to you, from God our Father, and our Lord and Shepherd, Jesus Christ.

Our message is based on our readings, and we’ll look at many more verses that teach us about Jesus in His roles of seeking, saving, and sorting.

In our Old Testament, our Lord says, Behold, I, I myself will search for my sheep and will seek them out… 12 As a shepherd seeks out his flock when he is among his sheep that have been scattered, so will I seek out my sheep, and I will rescue them from all places where they have been scattered… 15 I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep… 16 I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak.

This was to be the role of the Messiah when he first came to earth to seek out save His people, and when He comes again to sort and gather them for eternity.

Jesus referred to this prophecy in Luke 19:10 when he said, For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

Jesus came to die for all, and it’s His desire that all would believe and be saved. 

1 Timothy 2:4 tells us that He wants all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 

Sadly, not all will hear and believe this truth. So Jesus, who came to seek and save, must also sort when He comes again to bring His found and saved people to their eternal destiny in glory. 

This sorting is described in our Gospel. 31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. 34 Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world….  41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.  46 And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

How it will break His heart, for Jesus to have to say those words; how it will grieve Him to have to sort people on the Last Day, because some just won’t repent and embrace His grace now.

But how happy He will be for those who believed and stayed faithful; so happy to bring them home with Him, to see and love and bless them every day forever!

But before this sorting that brings His faithful into eternal glory, our Epistle teaches us, there will be a raising: 21 For as by a man came death, (Adam) by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead (Jesus). 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. 

Those who sought after and believed in Christ, will be raised in a state of glory, to live in glory. Those who sought after sin and self, will be raised in their fallen state, to live an eternally fallen life, and suffer a just and eternal punishment. 

How tragic this will be; but it doesn’t have to be; not for anyone who will just have a change of heart and believe. In a moment, everything can change, for now and for eternity.

Although Jesus is coming soon, it’s not too late to come to Him and meet Him in faith. In fact, now is the best time to do so. When is the best time to believe in Christ? Today is always that day.

Isaiah 55:6 says, Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near.

Today is the day. Don’t put it off until tomorrow, because tomorrow becomes the next day, and then the next, and then the next, and it ends up never happening. 

Any day we live without Christ in our life, is a wasted day. 

We’ve been given just so many days in this world. The best way to squander them is to live them for yourself. The best way to make the most of them, is to live them all for Christ.

Paul says in Philippians 1:21, For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

1 Chronicles 22:19 encourages us, Now devote your heart and soul to seeking the 

Lord your God.

Jeremiah 29:13 says, You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

Psalm 27: 8 My heart says of you, “Seek his face!” Your face, Lord, I will seek.

In Psalm 27:4 the psalmist says, One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord… and gaze upon the beauty of the 

Lord.

How beautiful it will be to see the face of our Lord some glorious day. Until then, we seek to live in His presence by faith, for He has promised those who follow Him, Lo, I am with you always.

1 Chronicles 16:11 says, Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always. 

As we seek to live in the presence of the Lord, we gain strength for living, the power to remain faithful.

We live in His faithful presence, as we believe and live in His Word. We seek him as we learn and keep His Word.

Psalm 119:2 says, Blessed are those who keep his statutes and seek him with all their heart. 

Psalm 119:20 says, I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands.

When we stray from God’s Word, and seek the things of the world instead, then we waste our days and our life. But when we return to the Lord, and seek His ways, then our days begin to matter again.

Jesus says in Matthew 6:33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness.

Seek His righteousness, that is forgiveness from Christ. Living in His grace makes today a blessed and meaningful day.

And seek to do what is good and right today, what is of Christ, what honors God. Seek to avoid what is wrong, what is of sin and self.

Romans 2:8 says, But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger.

Jesus came to save us from that wrath. 

He promises us in Matthew 7:7 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.”

In John 6:37 He promises, “Anyone who comes to me I will never turn away.” Not today, nor that day we stand before the throne.

For all who seek and follow Christ, there will be rejoicing. 

1 Chronicles 16:10 says, Let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.

Psalm 40:16 says, May all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; may those who long for your saving help always say, “The Lord is great!”.

Let us seek and follow Christ every day, until that great and glorious day, when we stand and rejoice!

Until that joyful day, may God’s peace, which passes understanding, guard your heart and mind, in Christ Jesus, our Savior, who is coming in glory soon. Amen.