Sunday, September 6, 2009

Sunday Reflections

What a great day at Gateway Fellowship

I really enjoyed seeing the people of @GFchurch this morning. We had an amazing time of worship led by Scott Finch I really enjoy hearing our people connect in worship and sing praises to their Creator. We began a new series this morning called, "Who Are You....?" and we will be answering a different question for the next few weeks. Today we looked at the story of Zacchaeus and asked the question, Who Are You Listening To?" The scriptures found in Luke 19 tell us the story of Zacchaeus and gives us a snapshot of the voices he was hearing. We looked at the fact that there is an "internal" voice that we often hear which tends to be one of contradiction to the things of God. The is another voice that we hear at times. We will call it the "intermediate" voice and it is one that brings about a conviction to things of God. It makes us ask questions like, "what am I hear for" and "Is this really what life is all about?" We can also see that there is an intimate and inviting voice that we hear. It is the voice of the Father and it is one that brings conversion to God. In verse 5 we see this take place in Luke 19. Jesus tells Zacchaeus to come down, for I am going to your house today. When we hear the voice of Jesus, it often gives us a sense of urgency and anticipation.

Zacchaeus walked through all of these voices. I am certain that He went through the internal voice questioning his very reason for wanting to go see Jesus. The questions and reasoning of such things like; "people will think I am silly", "people will make fun of me", "someone of my social stature should not do this" This internal voice is one that leaves unrest which brings us to the intermediate voice where Zacchaeus began to ask questions like; "Is this really all there is to this life?". If his answer to such a question was yes, then he surely would have never climbed the tree. Zacchaeus knew that had to be more! Even in the midst of the voices he heard in verse 7 which were the grumblings of men saying "He has gone to be the guest of a sinner", Zacchaeus repented. He did not care what others thought. He knew there was more. You see he had overcome the internal voice, he was working through the intermediate voice and now he was hearing the initiating and intimate voice of the Father and the words were as such; "Come down, for I must stay at your house today" then we see in the last verse these words, "Today salvation has come to this house".

Will you move away from living a life of self and move towards a lifestyle that will listen and answer to the initiating and inviting voice of the Father?

~ I love our church
~ I love our people
~ I love what He is doing in us
~ I love what He is doing through us
~ I love that He is not done with us

Other GFchurch staff blogs:
Zach Snow's Blog
Scott Finch's Blog

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