Evangelist Herman E. Wesley III
LIVE COAL
Isaiah 6:1-8 (emphasis 6)
Prepared for Delivery at the Southwestern Christian College Annual Lectureship, Terrell, Texas
Wednesday Evening at 7:15, November 26, 2008
Graham-Kennedy-Farmer Auditorium
PRELIMINARIES
President Evans, Vice Presidents Maxwell, Howie and Foster, Supporting Administration and Staff, Board Members, students, fellow vineyard workers, brothers and sisters, friends and visitors. My spirit is humbled tonight to have been asked to speak on this forum, at this time. To deliver, what is termed on the program, an Inspirational Message. 28 years ago, on Wednesday night, on this platform, at this time, I was honored to represent this school as I spoke to the brotherhood for the first time. Now, 28 years later, I am in this same position again. I don’t need to tell you that as I appear, on this night, I appear much more bruised, tested and ready than I was 28 years ago. I have been “flavored by the fire.” Then, I spoke of the Lord. Now, I know the Lord. I am blessed to have my wife, Sonja, with me tonight as well. I don’t have a lot of fancy accolades for her. Suffice it to say she’s my best friend.
Would you meet me, please, in the book of Isaiah, chapter 6, and the runway verse for this short flight, in the New King James Version, will be number 1:
THE TEXT
Isaiah 6:1-8
1 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple. 2 Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3 And one cried to another and said:
“ Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts;
The whole earth is full of His glory!”
4 And the posts of the door were shaken by the voice of him who cried out, and the house was filled with smoke. 5 So I said: “ Woe is me, for I am undone! (Point One) Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, The LORD of hosts.” 6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a live coal which he had taken with the tongs from the altar. 7 And he touched my mouth with it, and said: “ Behold, this has touched your lips; (Point Two) Your iniquity is taken away, And your sin purged.”
8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: “ Whom shall I send, And who will go for Us?” Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.” (Point Three)
I know our time is limited, so would you please just give me a few moments to address this thought from verse 6, where the Record reads:
6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a live coal...I want to speak about...
LIVE COAL. LIVE COAL.
INTRODUCTION
Anyone reading Isaiah’s first two messages might be inclined to ask, "What right does this man have to pronounce judgment on the leaders of our land and the many worshipers in the temple?" The answer is in this chapter where we read Isaiah’s account of his call to ministry. Before he announced any "woes" on others, he first confessed his own sin and said, "Woe is me!" He saw the Holy One of Israel, the majesty of God, and he could not keep silent.
King Uzziah died in 740 B.C. and was one of Judah’s greatest leaders, even though in his latter years he was disciplined for disobeying God (2 Chron. 26:16-21). A great king may have left his throne on earth, but the greatest King was still seated on the throne of heaven. According to John 12:41, this was the Lord Jesus Christ.
Only here, in this passage, are the seraphim mentioned in Scripture. The Hebrew word means "to burn" and relates these creatures to the holiness of God. This is why they repeat the chorus, "Holy, holy, holy" before the throne of God. For young Isaiah, the outlook was bleak. His beloved King had died, his nation was in peril, and he could do very little about it. The outlook may have been bleak, (any of ya’ll been there before?) but the uplook was glorious! No matter how bad and dismal and discouraging things looked, God was still on the throne and reigning as the Sovereign of the universe! From heaven’s point of view, "the whole earth" was "full of His glory" (Isa. 6:3; see Num. 14:21-22; Ps. 72:18-19). When your world tumbles in, I have found that it’s good to look at things from heaven’s point of view!
Life has a tendency to move us about, and as we move about on our separate journeys, there are intersections we reach that form and conform us for ministry. Sometimes we meet this intersection because of personal decisions and actions that are self-inflicted. Sometimes it is due to the direct leading of the Lord. However, whatever the circumstances may be, God is always aware of our position, and the life that seeks to learn from experiences will be blessed.
Here Isaiah stands in the very presence of God, and in this presence, the presence of the Holy One, he comes to understand some things about himself that only the presence of God can reveal. As he stands there, recognizing his undone and unworthy condition, he acknowledges his failures, his shortcomings, his sinfulness, and the Word says that the Seraphim, from around God’s Throne, takes flight, picks up some tongs, grabs hot or LIVE COAL from the altar, and places it on Isaiah’s lips...Let me give you three things about LIVE COAL real quick tonight...
LIVE COAL EXPOSES YOU!
LIVE COAL PURIFIES YOU!
LIVE COAL PREPARES YOU!
I. LIVE COAL EXPOSES YOU...
It reveals who you are! “ Woe is me, for I am undone! (Point One) The sight of a holy God and the sound of the holy hymn of worship brought great conviction to Isaiah’s heart, and he confessed that he was a sinner. Unclean lips are caused by an unclean heart (Matt. 12:34-35). Isaiah cried out to be cleansed inwardly (Ps. 51:10), and God met his need. Before we can minister to others, we must permit God to minister to us. Before we pronounce "woe" upon others, we must sincerely say, "Woe is me!" Isaiah’s conviction led to confession, and confession led to cleansing (1 John 1:9).
Like Isaiah, many of the great heroes of faith saw themselves as sinners and humbled themselves before God: Abraham (Gen. 18:27), Jacob (32:10), Job (Job 40:1-5), David (2 Sam. 7:18), Paul (1 Tim. 1:15), and Peter (Luke 5:8-11). While we minister to others we must be careful that we do not fail to allow God’s Word and His Directives to minister to those of us who seek to lead, and every now and then life will place you “smack-dab” in the Glorious Presence of God, and you will come face to face with your own inequities, your own sin, and if you’ve been there before, and can honestly acknowledge it, you know it is a blessing! Why, you ask, is it a blessing? Because...
II. LIVE COAL PURIFIES YOU...
It is from the altar of God! “ Behold, this has touched your lips; (Point Two)
In our text, the nation needed the Lord, and the Lord wanted a servant to minister to the people. Isaiah volunteered to be that servant. He did not feel it necessary to argue the authenticity or the effectiveness of his call with the Lord, as did Moses (Ex. 3:11-4:15) and Jeremiah (Jer. l:4ff), but accepted the appointment and made himself available to his Master.
That live coal that touched his lips was designed to purify Isaiah. I imagine someone saying, live coal has to burn, but it is the burning process that purifies! I don’t know if his lips were charred in the process! I don’t know if there were evident scars indelibly marked on his lips; all I know is the coal was live, or hot, and I know I don’t need to tell you that there are some situations and circumstances we run up on that are hot! Ya’ll ain’t got to say amen, just let me finish my lesson!
Over the past few weeks there has been a great amount of national discourse concerning our nation’s economic condition. We don’t really know how we got here, but we have found ourselves in a great, big mess!
Well, I stopped by to tell you tonight that AIG, FORD, CHRYSLER, GM AND CITIBANK are not the only ones in need of a bailout! There are times in life when, if we’re really honest, we need a bailout, too! We don’t really know how we got here, but we find ourselves in a great, big mess! Spiritually bankrupt! Emotionally bankrupt! Morally bankrupt!
There are some husbands, tonight, who need a BAILOUT! There are some wives, tonight, who need a BAILOUT! There are some children, tonight, who need a BAILOUT! Are you hearing what I’m saying? We don’t need an intervention! We don’t need a 12-step program! We don’t need TIME-OUT...WE NEED A BAILOUT! HELP ME SOMEBODY! I’M GETTING BAILED OUT RIGHT NOW!
I’m not gonna call the modern day roll...but let me reach back and call on some witnesses...
Even some of the most famous people in the Scriptures had pasts to be ashamed of...
Noah became drunk. LIVE COAL.
Moses killed an Egyptian. LIVE COAL.
Rahab was a prostitute. LIVE COAL.
David committed adultery.
Solomon did evil in the eyes of the Lord.
Jonah ran away from the Lord. LIVE COAL.
Peter denied Jesus.
Paul persecuted the followers of Jesus. LIVE COAL!
The next time your past, and people from your past, tries to keep you from following God, just remember...you’re in good company!
These were LIVE COAL experiences that shaped these great leaders of God’s revolution, and LIVE COAL is still producing strong saints today!
Let me let you in on a little secret. Baptism washes your sins away, but it does’nt get rid of your issues, and in case you didn’t know, church folk have issues...
DIVORCE. ABUSE. ALCOHOLISM. PROMISCUITY. HOMOSEXUALITY. LISTEN...
GOD wants to bring you face to face with your issues to save you! We have a bend towards SCHIZOPHRENIA in our approach to ministry....what are you saying, brother Wesley? I mean, we say the church is a hospital, but “we don’t want no sick folk in the church!” We say, “Jesus is a healer”, but we don’t want to administer the medication...
CHILDREN OF GOD, AND SERVANTS OF THE MASTER HAVE LIVE COAL EXPERIENCES...NOT DESIGNED FOR OUR DESTRUCTION, BUT FOR OUR SALVATION!
I remember as a child, I stole a bag of potato chips. When I got home, Momma said, “where did you get those chips?” I said, “I took them from the store.” My momma marched me back down to that store, gave the store manager .10 for the chips, and .10 for allowing her to tear me up in the store! To this day I get nervous around potato chips!
-She whipped me because she loved me!
-She whipped me because she wanted me to be better!
-She whipped me because she wanted me to be saved!
You may remember that in a very trying time for Peter, Jesus told Peter, in essence, “you’re gonna go through something. It’s gonna be bitter. It’s gonna be lonely. It’s gonna be revealing. BUT I’M PRAYING FOR YOU THAT YOUR FAITH FAILS YOU NOT!” Listen, brothers and sisters...
Your body may fail!
Your spirit may fail!
Your sense of direction and discernment may fail…
But whatever you do, keep your faith!
You might not keep your head!
You might not keep your courage!
You might not keep your cool!
You might not keep your conviction!
You might not keep your friends!
You might not keep your influence!
You might not even keep your church!
But whatever you do, wherever you go, whatever you experience, For God’s sake and for your sake KEEP YOUR FAITH!
...AND WHEN YOU ARE CONVERTED, AFTER YOU GO THROUGH WHAT YOU GO THROUGH, DON’T HIDE OUT. DON’T ACT LIKE NOTHING HAPPENED. DON’T BE A PHONY...USE WHAT YOU WENT THROUGH TO STRENGTHEN YOUR BRETHREN!
Don’t let Satan, through Pride, take your message from you.
-There are others who are being touched with LIVE COAL!
-There are others who wonder if they can ever
come out!
-There are others who imagine that God has abandoned them, and He has no more use for them!
-There are others who are trying to climb out of the dungeons of disappointment and caverns of shame!
...And somebody needs to tell them, I’ve been there before, I understand where you are, I can relate to your sense of failure, but I got some good news for you! I got some strength for you! It ain’t over, till it’s over! SOMEBODY OUGHTTA SAY AMEN! GOD IS A GOOD GOD! GOD IS A FORGIVING GOD! HIS PEOPLE ARE GOOD PEOPLE! HIS PEOPLE ARE FORGIVING PEOPLE! HIS CHURCH IS A GOOD CHURCH! Never underestimate what God can do with one willing worker, and remember, those Whom He Loves He Chastens! He’s getting you ready, because...
III. LIVE COAL PREPARES YOU...
It Clarifies Your Message
There’s a great multitude of messages in the life of God’s servant, but every now and then, He sends you something to clarify the message tailored to you! Your life gives you a message...for some, it’s a message of benevolence, for others, it’s a message of Christian education, for some, it’s a message of missions and evangelism, and for some, it’s a message of hope and restoration...forgiveness and mercy...know what God’s message, through you, to the masses is supposed to be, and also be mindful that your own experience with LIVE COAL...
Certifies Its Authenticity
This may not be the message that the brotherhood gives you. This may not be the message that brings you fame and fortune. This may not get you a bunch of gospel meetings and revival service invitations. This message might not be high on the Lectureship list of sermons that must be preached! But rest assured, in every state of the Union, in every congregation, in every home, somebody needs to hear the message that “It Ain’t Over, Till It’s Over!”
-Somebody needs to know that God still brings sight to the blind, and deliverance to the captives!
-Somebody needs to know that God still delivers from the fiery furnace and from the Lion’s Den!
-Marriages that hit rough spots can still be smoothed out!
-Children who have gone astray can still come back home!
-Folk who have stumbled in darkness can still make their way to the light! and...
-God still has the uncanny ability to pick folk up out of the miry clay and set feet upon a rock!
Rest in the knowledge that this is the message that has come to you from the Lord!
-People still need to be healed!
-People still need to be encouraged!
There’s still a group of us that are coming up on the rough side of the mountain, and I’m here tonight to tell you, you can make it! In the words of President Barack Obama, YES YOU CAN!
The Lord did not give Isaiah much encouragement! Isaiah’s ministry would actually make some people’s eyes more blind, their ears more deaf, and their hearts more callused. Verses 9-10 are so important that they are quoted six times in the New Testament (Matt. 13:13-15; Mark 4:12; Luke 8:10; John 12:40; Acts 28:25-28; Rom. 11:8). God does not, from the beginning, deliberately make sinners blind, deaf, and hardhearted; but the more that people resist God’s truth, refuse to hear God’s truth, the less able they are to receive God’s truth. But as a preacher, we must proclaim the Word no matter how people respond, for the test of ministry is not outward success but faithfulness to the Lord.
God told Isaiah that his ministry would end in seeming failure, with the land ruined and the people taken off to exile (Isa. 6:11-12). But thank God, a remnant would survive! Isaiah needed a long-range perspective on his ministry or else he would feel like he was accomplishing nothing.
"Go and tell" is still God’s command to His people (v. 9; see Matt 28:7; Mark 5:19). He is waiting for us to reply, "Here am I; send me."
I was sinking deep in sin, far from the peaceful shore;
very deeply stained within, sinking to rise no more...But the Master of the Sea heard my despairing cry, from the waters lifted me, now safe am I...Here am I; Send Me...
CONCLUSION
Send me, because...
I’ve been in the pit...
I’ve seen the darkness...
I’ve been in the belly of a fish, specially prepared by God for me!
Send me, because...
I’ve seen your forgiveness...
I’ve experienced your mercy...
I’ve become a recipient of the God of multiple chances!
Send me, because...
I’ve been in the Holy presence of God...
I’ve seen the Majesty of His Power...
I’ve experienced the reach of His Love!
Held by the “Grip of His Grace!”
I have come to understand that He does His best work after the crucifixion!
Send me, because in the intense heat of the night, in the swelter of the moment, in the red hot fire of the furnace, the angel has grabbed hold of the tongs, reached into the very altar of God, took hold of some LIVE COAL, and MY LIPS...GOOD GOD ALMIGHTY...MY LIPS (WIPE) HAVE BEEN TOUCHED!
NOW THAT, BROTHERS AND SISTERS, IS BEAUTY OUT OF ASHES!
