Where To From Here? Series

WHERE TO FROM HERE?

- Read Isaiah 6:1-8

INTRODUCTION

The passage we just read begins “In the year that king Uzziah died.” Now, many approach this statement, they read of the passing of the king and think of it as just a historical marker; a way to tell exactly when this vision took place. For some it may be no more than that, but for Isaiah, it was much more. This was a monumental & life shattering event in his life. King Uzziah had died.

This means nothing to us unless we think about who king Uzziah was. King Uzziah was a godly man. He was a godly king. Uzziah became king at the age of 16. He loved God and served Him. The Bible records that Uzziah “did right in the sight of the Lord.”

Uzziah loved the land. He was a farmer. He had cisterns dug all across the country to help water the land because he loved his people.

Uzziah was militarily successful and had no trouble recruiting troops. He had over 300,000 soldiers in his army, and he equipped them with body armor and bows. He built towers in Jerusalem and in the desert to help defend against invaders. He built large weapons to launch huge arrows and catapults to launch huge stones. The Lord gave him success against the Philistines.

Under his leadership, Israel’s borders were expanded and new cities were built. Not since king Solomon had the country been so blessed and so proud. Uzziah reigned 52 years, and during that time the nation saw blessings and prosperity. Now, King Uzziah had died and Isaiah was overcome with despair. He was depressed and discouraged.

He had placed his hope in something, in someone, and things had not turned out like he planned. My friend, the Devil will often allow things to come against us to discourage us, to depress us, to cause us to be frustrated and want to give up. He often does it to Christians.

How many times have we been excited about a new building or a new program, thinking this is going to turn the corner for us? This is the thing that’s going to make the difference, only to have things not work out quite like we’ve planned?

How many times have we been excited, with things going well, when all of a sudden we lose a loved one, or we lose a friend, and it seems that the wind has been taken out of our sails? Let me ask you, have you ever invested your life into the life of another person, only to seem them fall or to see them turn away from the Lord? You love a family. You invest your time with them. You love the children and disciple the parents, only to have the whole thing come apart before your very eyes. You begin to wonder, what’s going on? What’s happening? Lord, now what?

Have you ever been walking with the Lord? You’re growing and excited when all of a sudden you slip up and you find yourself falling into the same destructive, sinful cycle you thought you’d escaped. You’re almost tempted to throw in the towel, to quit on the whole thing.

My friend, I want you to know that that is one of the favorite weapons of the Devil. He would love nothing more than to keep you and I discouraged. He would love nothing more than to have us feeling defeated and overwhelmed where we would never attempt great things for the Lord again.

This evening my friend, I want to remind you of the same things the Lord reminded Isaiah of when he was tempted to be discouraged. First, I want you to remember that God is still on the throne.

I. GOD IS STILL ON THE THRONE

- Isaiah 6:1

When Isaiah was discouraged, God gave Him a vision of His Holy and mighty self, still seated on the throne of heaven. My friend, I want you to know that God is still in control.

Don’t you know the Israelites were discouraged when they reached the banks of the Red Sea with the Egyptian army hot on their heels? Again, they thought it was all over when they could find nothing but a small boy with a sling to stand against the giant Goliath. Their enemies thought it was the end for Daniel when he was thrown to the lions. Don’t you know, the disciples were discouraged when Jesus was crucified and they were left alone? They thought the end had come.

My friend, when you discouraged and frustrated, remember, God is still on the throne. He is still in control.

A while back I got discouraged, I got frustrated. Things were not going the way that I had planned for the church. I was getting tired of people problems and an outreach we had just attempted seemingly flopped. I didn’t know what to do.