Seeking Seekers: How to Seek God’s Face and Come Down From Shame (Luke 19)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHnkd1aSYz0

There is something deeply revealing about the way God speaks to us when we turn our attention to His Word. Scripture says that He exalts His Word even above His name (Psalm 138:2). That alone should tell us something. If God places that much weight on His Word, then whenever we open it, we are stepping into something sacred. We are stepping into something alive. We are not approaching a book for information. We are approaching a living voice that is still shaping hearts, still restoring identity, and still calling people out of hiding. When we come to the Word with humility instead of false confidence, and with hunger instead of assumption, God always meets us there.

One of the most important lessons I’ve learned in walking with Jesus is that seeking Him is not the same thing as seeking improvement. It is possible to want your life to get better without really wanting God. It is possible to want your problems fixed without actually wanting intimacy. But Scripture consistently reveals that God responds to those who want Him more than outcomes. “You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13). Not when you seek answers. Not when you seek comfort. Not when you seek relief. When you seek Him.

That is why Jesus said, “If My people… will humble themselves and pray and seek My face…” (2 Chronicles 7:14). He did not say seek My hand. He said seek My face. We must learn truly how to seek God's face. There is a difference. His hand represents what He does. His face represents who He is. And everything in the Kingdom flows from relationship before it flows into provision.

In Luke 19, we are given one of the clearest pictures of what it looks like to seek God with your whole heart. Zacchaeus was not just a tax collector. He was the chief tax collector. He had betrayed his own people. He had grown wealthy through intimidation and corruption. He lived under layers of shame. He was rejected socially, spiritually, and culturally. And yet Scripture says, “He wanted to see who Jesus was” (Luke 19:3). That desire mattered more than his reputation. That hunger mattered more than his past.

Because Zacchaeus was short, he could not see over the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree. On the surface, that looks practical. But spiritually, it was costly. He had to elevate himself publicly. He had to expose himself. He had to be seen. He had to accept the fact that everyone would notice him trying. Shame always wants you hidden. Hunger is willing to be visible.

When Zacchaeus climbed that tree, he was climbing his mountain of shame. He was choosing desire over dignity. He was choosing hunger over hiding. He was choosing vision over fear. He knew that if he climbed, people would talk. He knew people would judge. He knew they would remember his sins. But he also knew that seeing Jesus mattered more than protecting his image.

And when Jesus reached the spot, He looked up and said, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today” (Luke 19:5). They had never met. Yet Jesus knew his name. He knew his story. He knew his heart. And He did not hesitate. He did not shame him. He did not lecture him. He invited him.

Jesus did not climb the tree to meet Zacchaeus in shame. He called him down into intimacy. That is always the pattern. God will meet you where you are, but He will not leave you there. He sees you in your struggle. He acknowledges your hunger. Then He calls you into something higher.

Zacchaeus came down immediately and welcomed Him gladly. Think about that. He went from hiding to hospitality in one moment. From isolation to intimacy. From shame to joy. “The kingdom of God is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Romans 14:17). That is what entered his house that day.

But not everyone celebrated. Scripture says “all the people” began to mutter. Not some. All. They called him a sinner. They questioned Jesus’ judgment. They implied that holiness should avoid broken people. What they revealed was not discernment. It was self-righteousness. They believed they deserved Jesus more than Zacchaeus did.

Yet Jesus was never interested in perfect resumes. He was always interested in hungry hearts. “The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10). But more specifically, He seeks seekers. He responds to those who know they are lost and still reach for Him.

Zacchaeus did not argue with his critics. He did not defend himself. He stood up and spoke to the Lord. “Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor. And if I have cheated anybody, I will pay back four times the amount” (Luke 19:8). No one told him to do that. No one demanded it. It flowed naturally out of intimacy. When you truly encounter Jesus, repentance becomes self-discipline. Restoration becomes instinct. Honor becomes motivation.

He did not change because he hated himself. He changed because he loved Jesus. Shame had never fixed him. Honor did.

And Jesus responded, “Today salvation has come to this house… this man too is a son of Abraham” (Luke 19:9). In one moment, identity was restored. What had been lost through compromise was returned through surrender. Salvation was not just forgiveness. It was restoration. It was deliverance. It was wholeness.

That is why Psalm 34 says, “I sought the Lord, and He answered me; He delivered me from all my fears” (Psalm 34:4). The word “sought” there can also be translated “required.” I required the Lord. I needed Him. I depended on Him. I could not substitute anything else for Him.

And verse 5 continues, “Those who look to Him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame” (Psalm 34:5). Radiance is not emotional hype. It is the result of being seen by God and still embraced. When you look at Him, you begin to shine with His glory. Moses shone after being with God (Exodus 34:29). Stephen’s face shone as he testified (Acts 6:15). Presence changes appearance.

Shame is often a signal that our focus has shifted from His face to our failures. When that happens, the invitation is simple: look again. Draw near again. Lift your eyes again. “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you” (James 4:8). Not because He wandered off. Because He has always been close.

Sometimes we grab onto things that look like God but are not God. Comfort. Success. Religion. Routine. Distraction. Familiar patterns. They resemble safety, but they cannot save. Like a child grabbing the wrong leg in a crowd, we attach ourselves to substitutes until we realize we are still lost. When that moment comes, God is already there.

Jesus does not wait for us to get perfect before He responds. He waits for us to get honest. When Zacchaeus climbed that tree, he was saying, “I need something I don’t have. I require something I can’t produce.” And Jesus answered.

That is why holiness matters in this story. Holiness does not mean you never fail. It means you belong to Him. It means you are set apart for His purposes. Ephesians 1:4 says that God chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before Him. That was His intention from the beginning.

When Zacchaeus came into Jesus’ hands, Jesus called him holy. When we place ourselves fully in His hands, He calls us holy. Not because we earned it. Because we belong to Him.

Seeking God is ultimately about surrender. It is about climbing down from shame, releasing substitutes, letting go of false security, and stepping into intimacy. It is about requiring His presence more than His provision. His voice more than His validation. His face more than His favor.

Jesus is still walking through cities. He is still scanning crowds. He is still looking for people who will climb. People who will risk being seen. People who will choose hunger over hiding. People who will say, “I require You.”

And when He finds them, He still calls them by name. He still invites Himself into their homes. He still restores identity. He still brings joy. He still delivers. He still saves.

He is seeking seekers.

And if you are willing to seek Him, you will find that He has been seeking you all along.

At Riverside Church, we believe every person is created to encounter God, be transformed, and reveal Jesus to the world. These teachings are part of that journey.

Learn more about our vision at onechurchqc.org/vision, browse additional messages at onechurchqc.org/teachings, or visit onechurchqc.org for service times and next steps.

If you’re looking for a Bible-based, Spirit-filled church in the Davenport and Quad Cities area, we invite you to join us in person and experience God’s presence for yourself.