Isaiah Series

CLOSE ENCOUNTERS SERIES

16 – THE PROPHET ISAIAH

This morning, we’re continuing with our sermon series, entitled CLOSE ENCOUNTERS and we’ve been talking about the lives of some of the greatest in the Word of God and seeing how they have had CLOSE ENCOUNTERS

And it’s been encouraging! Because we are understanding that no matter…

--who we are

--what we’ve done

--where we’ve been

We too can have CLOSE ENCOUNTERS

Now, this morning, we’re going to bring to a conclusion this phase of the SERMON SERIES in that we are no longer going to be discussing the lives of people in the word of God

Now, so far, and by way of reminder, we’ve talked about…

--Adam

--Abraham

--Joseph

--Daniel

--Job

--Moses

--David

--Simon the Cyrenian

--Hannah

--The Canaanite Woman

--The Woman with the Issue of blood

--The woman in the parable of the unjust judge

--John

And last week, we finished a 2-part look at the APOSTLE PETER

And oh, I wish I could go on with these, because I wanted to look at others like…

--Paul, the Apostle

--Joshua

--Some others as well

Now, we are not going to finish CLOSE ENCOUNTERS, because when I get back from camp meeting, we won’t be looking any longer at the PEOPLE of CLOSE ENCOUNTERS, but we will be looking at THE PRACTICE of CLOSE ENCOUNTERS

Where we’re going to be looking at personal, practical things we can do to have CLOSE ENCOUNTERS

But today, I want to finish out our look at the people of CLOSE ENCOUNTERS by talking with you about ISAIAH

Because of all the people in the Bible, the great prophet ISAIAH had one of the most dramatic CLOSE ENCOUNTERS in the Word

And this being WORLD MISSIONS SUNDAY, I believe that this will tie in real well

Let’s read…

Isaiah 6:1-9 ( KJV ) 1In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. 2Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. 3And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. 4And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke. 5Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts. 6Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar: 7And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged. 8Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me. 9And he said, Go…

INTRODUCTION

Without question, Isaiah is the great statesman prophet of the Old Testament

Unlike the other lesser known prophets, Isaiah walked among royalty

He was a frequent to the JEWISH WHITE HOUSE in Jerusalem

He enjoyed audiences with the KING

Unlike Amos, who was a simple plowman, or Ezekiel who was a priest, Isaiah was a STATEMENT

He was a kind-of Billy Graham of his day, only with a stronger message

His ministry spanned the reigns for four kings

He was married to a PROPHETESS and his children were mightily used by God as well

When you read the entirety of the book of Isaiah, you will see how his prophecies span time and eternity

He spoke to the present condition of the people then, but he saw for into the future

He prophesied of the…

--the virgin born Lord in 9:6

--the crucified Lord in chapter 53

He saw the millennial kingdom, where the lion shall lay down beside a lamb, and a little child shall play on a snake’s hole

He spoke of a time of unparallel peace when…

Isaiah 2:4 ( KJV ) …they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.

His writings rival that of any in English literature

Some of said that the book of Isaiah is in itself a little Bible

The book of Isaiah has 66 chapters, the Bible has 66 books

The book of Isaiah, in the first 39 chapters speak of judgment, but then, abruptly, in the last 27 chapters, there is a message of grace and of the coming Christ