We are back for part two of our series, "The Three Doors" where we are taking Matthew 7:8 and breaking it down into its parts. Last week, we kicked things off with "The Ask." We talked about having that bold, toddler-like confidence to bring our needs to the Father, knowing that because of Jesus, the "No Entry" sign has been taken down.
Today, we’re moving to the next level of the promise in Matthew 7:8: “For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.”
Have you ever been at a massive stadium concert or a huge sporting event, and you’re trying to find that one friend who said, "I'm by the snacks!"? You don't just stand at the entrance and hope they walk into you. You start moving. You're scanning the crowd. You’re checking your phone. You might even climb up a few bleachers just to get a higher vantage point. You are on a mission because you know they are there—you just haven't locked eyes with them yet.
That’s the heart of seeking. If "asking" is the invitation, "seeking" is the pursuit. It’s the intentionality that says, "God, I know You are here, and I’m not going to let the 'crowd' of my busy schedule or my loud problems keep me from seeing Your face."
We see this beautifully in the story of Zacchaeus in Luke 19. Zacchaeus had heard that Jesus was coming to town, and he wanted to see Him. But he had two big problems: the crowd was massive, and he was short. He could have just stayed on the sidewalk and "asked" for a glimpse. He could have complained that the "tall people" were in his way. But the Bible says in Luke 19:4, "So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way."
I love that! Zacchaeus didn't just "look" for Jesus; he positioned himself to find Him. He went above the crowd. He put in the effort to get a clear view. He wasn't going to let his limitations—his height or the crowd—stop his pursuit.
And just like Bartimaeus from last week, when Jesus reached that spot, He stopped. He looked up and said, "Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today." Zacchaeus was seeking a glimpse, but he found a relationship. He was seeking a moment, but he found transformation in Jesus.
You see, we often think we’re the ones having to do all the hard work of seeking God. But the Gospel tells us that Jesus is the ultimate Seeker. He’s the one who left the ninety-nine to find the one lost sheep. He’s the one who "ran ahead" to the Cross to meet us in our mess. We aren't seeking a God who is hiding; we are seeking a God who has already made Himself available. Our "seeking" is simply us climbing the tree to see the One who is already looking for us.
Let's position ourselves to see God.
Take a moment and ask yourself: "What is the 'crowd' that’s blocking my view of God right now? Is it anxiety? Is it a busy calendar? Is it a disappointment?" Ask the Holy Spirit to help you "climb the tree" today—to position your heart in a place of worship and focus where you can see Him clearly again.
Let's pray for the "seekers" in our city. There are so many people who are hungry for something real but don't know it’s Jesus they’re looking for. Pray that God would remove the scales from their eyes and lead them to a "sycamore tree" moment this week. Pray that our church would be a place where every seeker finds a Savior who is ready to go home with them.