Preached at Perfected Praise Worship Center
Oklahoma City, OK
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Bishop@perfectedpraisewc.org
www.perfectedpraisewc.org
TITLE: A DIRTY MOUTH
SCRIPTURE: ISAIAH 6:1-8
I don’t know how you feel this morning, but I feel truly blessed to be here. This is the first Sunday of a new month, beginning of the final quarter of the year. We have already transitioned into Fall and the month of October ushers in an exciting time of year for the next 90 days or so. It is a blessing to be at PPWC this morning. It is here in the midst of God’s house where we are able to join with other brothers and sisters in Christ to receive gifts from God – join together in worship – Praise – Fellowship – thanksgiving.
You and I come into this house this morning and we are able to encounter the Living God through the Word and today we also celebrate this first Sunday with sacraments. Majority of the time this sanctuary is filled with Praise. However, despite all the wonderful ways that God reveals Himself to us, we have to admit that we are not privileged to see God in all His fullness.
• Sure, we look forward to the day when we do
• That glorious day when Christ parts the clouds and comes again to take us home
• But for now, we rely on faith
• For most of us that’s enough
At times, even those who are known and referred to as ‘heroes of faith’ longed to see God and when they were not able to see Him face to face, with their own eyes, they encountered stumbling blocks on their faith journey.
• Remember Jesus’ disciple by the name of Thomas?
• Thomas will forever be associated with doubting - he needed to see and to touch His Savior to believe – he required something more tangible
• But our God responds, “BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO DO NOT SEE, YET BELIEVE”
• But is Thomas really different from us?
My brothers and sisters, how do you think that you would react if Jesus suddenly appeared in all His glory, right here in this very Sanctuary this morning? Would you be frightened or excited?
• Maybe you would feel a certain sense of vindication, thinking, “Well, that shows all those foolish unbelievers, doesn’t it?
• I guess we know where they’ll end up, don’t we?
• You might even be thinking: Well, it’s certainly about time, Lord! We’ve been praying ‘Thy kingdom come’ for centuries!
• What took you so long?
• What would our reaction be?
This morning, however, we hear of a man who did get to see God - even though it was a vision - yet he saw the Almighty in all His heavenly glory. Isaiah didn’t enter the temple in Jerusalem that day expecting this to happen. Oh, I wish I could stay there for a while. This Major Prophet was living a life of faith, just like you and me today, walking by faith and still believing and trusting. It would be most likely that Isaiah is there in the Temple celebrating Yom Kippur – The Day of Atonement.
• The day when the Jews, God’s chosen people go to the temple, and the priest passes through the general courtyard, into the Holy Place, and then into the Most Holy Place, the Holy of Holies
• Into the place where the Ark of the Covenant was kept
• The place where God promised to dwell with His people
• There the blood of the sacrifice would be sprinkled on the ark
• By that blood God’s people, His children, were forgiven their sins and welcomed back into God’s family
But this day that Isaiah entered the Temple was a bit different for him. For as he is there gathered with the other worshippers to watch as the priests parts the curtain and enters the Holy of Holies, he is allowed to see what he only was able to imagine. He sees with his very own eyes that which you and I long to see - he sees God, face to face. He sees:
• Almighty God
• Creator of all things
• The Great I Am
• In all His Splendor, Majesty, and Glory
Isaiah has seen much, but nothing like this - During the lifetime of Isaiah, he would see the FALL OF THE NORTHERN KINGDOM OF ISRAEL -- He would see Judah experience its last “GOLDEN AGE” when Uzziah and Jotham reestablished Judah’s borders -- He would see the time of King David and King Solomon. As a matter of fact, we see in our text that Isaiah’s vision in Chapter Six begins with the death of King Uzziah. History also records that Rome was probably founded during this same time.
Isaiah would witness Judah at the height of its power. But he would also witness the kings wavering between Ahaz, who would close the temple and fall into sin and unbelief; and the reforms of Hezekiah, who would reopen the temple and bring about religious renewal and ervival for his people.
• The book of Isaiah spans for more than a half of a century
• His writings are quoted by more New Testament authors than any other prophet in the Old Testament
There is something significant that lead to Isaiah being in the Posture and Position to be so blessed of God. The chapter begins with - IN THE YEAR THAT KING UZZIAH DIED, I SAW ALSO THE LORD - This is more than a date on a calendar. It becomes very evident when you look at some of the background in the life of Isaiah and realize that Isaiah was a nephew of King Uzziah. They were both close to the same age, and they were both very fond of each other, to the extent that there is every evidence that Uzziah was somewhat of an idol in Isaiah's life. Isaiah was placing loyalty and affection upon Uzziah that rightly belonged to God, and when Uzziah died and the idol was removed, Isaiah's eyes could not help but turn to the Lord.
May I pause in our discussion of this passage of Scripture to emphasize that sometimes God has to permit these crisis experiences to come into our lives in order to fasten our eyes securely upon Him.
• It is possible to let individuals come between us and God
• It is possible to let desires, goals, careers, and occupations come between us and God
• It is possible to let things, vehicles, house, travel come between us and God
• When that happens, God finds it necessary to remove that which stands between us and Him
This crisis experience in Isaiah's life meant that he not only saw someone for the first time besides Uzziah in his life, he saw the Lord in a new light. He saw Him as Master and Controller of his life. This was a vision that he had. He went into the temple to worship. I dare say that he went into the temple because his heart was full of sorrow at the death of Uzziah. He went into the temple to brood upon his own problems, but his eyes were directed toward the Lord, and he found something deeper than the solution of the sorrow of his own heart.
• When he looked there in the temple, he saw the throne
• He saw the Lord sitting upon the throne
• He saw Him sitting there in all of His royal robes to the extent that the train of the robes was so long, in Isaiah's eyes, it filled the entire holy place
• The word temple here does not refer to the entire building, but it refers to the holy of holies
What a profound effect this had on Isaiah. He was in awe – where we get our word awesome. Today, our culture, both religious and secular, has little room for awe of the Holy. We don’t gather in our Churches any longer to feel the awe of God.
• “Awesome” is a pre-teen’s word for the latest video game, not a response to the presence of God
• Church has become a place to feel as comfortably at home
• Not where we go to be awed by God’s majesty
• The transcendence of the God who is utterly beyond us is seldom on our radar
Today's Evangelicals have become largely mute when it comes to God’s holiness: the “seeker-sensitive” mega-churches don’t attract thousands of feel-good baby-boomers by harping on the fear of God! If they speak at all of God’s awesomeness, it is the intimate awesomeness of having Jesus as your good friend.
Notice again the effect it had upon Isaiah. As his eyes were filled with this vision of the Lord - as his eyes were filled with the vision of the seraphim, calling ``HOLY – HOLY – HOLY - LORD God of hosts." Isaiah can probably be considered the greatest prophet in the Old Testament next to Moses and Elijah. His description of God’s glory filling the Temple is spectacular. And what was Isaiah’s reaction? And all he can do here is cry out to the Lord. Here is this great Prophet and he cries out “WOE IS ME! FOR I AM UNDONE; BECAUSE I AM A MAN OF UNCLEAN LIPS…” Okay, Okay, I know that most of us in this the 21st Century can’t get with what Isaiah was saying. Let me help you in terms that we can understand. Isaiah cries out to God saying I HAVE A DIRTY MOUTH!
Oh yes, we can relate to this Prophet as he is standing in the midst of the Temple with a glimpse of the Lord with a dirty mouth. Isaiah stood, knowing he was enveloped in the thick darkness of his own sin - and that everyone, all mankind was as unclean as he was. He knew that God’s purity and holiness cannot be near the sin of mankind - that the holiness of God brings unimaginable wrath upon sin. Isaiah articulates so well the fact of the matter for all of us from the moment of conception - we’re lost. Standing in the presence of God and seeing Him face to face was no exciting thing for Isaiah.
As He stood in the presence of God, he knew that there was nothing that he could do to save himself from the impending death. Even standing there in the Temple as a faithful worshipper, Isaiah knew that he was no different than any other person in the Temple that day. He could do nothing to appease the wrath of God or earn His forgiveness. There he stood, face to face with His God, feeling naked and ashamed, all of his sin and imperfection exposed. Just as Adam and Eve stood in the Garden of Eden - naked in their sin and shame. Isaiah realized, yes I am in the Church, but when we come into the presence of the Lord, everything that does not look like God, rises to the surface and we quickly realize that we have a dirty mouth.
• Every lie, every deceit, every hateful word, every piece of gossip that has dripped from the lips has stained them with sin
• And the worst place for sinners, as Isaiah found out, is the presence of God
• For the presence of God is holy and mighty and just and therefore death to the sinner
You see, my Brothers and Sisters, this is the reaction of those who gather in the Sanctuary and get even a small glimpse of the holiness of God. They are crushed by the reality of their sin. We see exactly how dark our souls are, their pride and self-righteousness removed. Make no mistake, for the saved it is still not a pretty sight and less so for sinners, it is a fearful thing to be delivered into the hands of the almighty God. That’s what happens when people experience the holiness of God. And when they see God a new light, in his true holiness, it exposes everything and everyone who is not holy. And our sins become so easy to see when we are in the presence of God.
What about us this morning? You have come into God’s house this morning, into His temple, we could say. We come here and we stand this morning in the presence of the very same God whom Isaiah trembled before. Isaiah knew that he was not worthy to join in song with the seraphim proclaiming the holiness of God, he knew he wasn’t even worthy to be standing in the presence of God and to see Him. My fellow saints, you and I are no different. You and I also are men and women of unclean lips, you and I live in the midst of a people of unclean lips. We too have a dirty mouth.
• We have unclean lips
• We have unclean hearts
• We have unclean minds
• We have unclean bodies that sin all too often
And like Isaiah you and I are not worthy to even be here in the presence of the Living God. How dare we come into God’s house, into His presence with all of our sin clinging to us. Here in this house this morning as we gather before His altar, you and I stand naked and exposed:
• All of our sins
• Even those which we guard so close to our hearts so that no one will ever find about
• All of them less evident to our neighbor but are evident to God
Such moments if we let them can change us, as MOSES – ISAIAH – PETER were changed. None of them could go back to business as usual. They worshiped the Holy One - then went to do God’s work – TO LIBERATE SLAVES – SPEAK THE WORD OF THE LORD – FISH FOR MEN. We know what Moses, Isaiah and Peter did because their deeds were recorded in Scripture. But there are many others whose encounters with the Holy and whose work for God are not widely known. You too can be changed this morning by entering into the very presence of the Lord.
DID YOU NOTICE WHAT THE SERAPHIM DID WHEN ISAIAH BEGAN TO TALK ABOUT SIN? The same thing you and I ought to do. He went to the altar. This altar was the altar of burnt offering. It was the altar upon which the sin sacrifice was placed which carried the weight of all the sins of the people.
But look at the altar now. You don't find any sacrifice on it, do you? All you find are burning coals - which indicate that the sacrifice has been consumed. Judgment has been passed, and the burning coals are evidence of a consumed sacrifice accepted by God which made possible forgiveness. There was nothing in the coal as such, but it came from the place where God's just demands were met, and that is the reason the seraphim could lay the coal upon Isaiah's lips and say, ``YOUR SIN IS FORGIVEN. YOUR INIQUITY IS PURGED."
What happened to Isaiah here in our text? The death sentence promised in Exodus 33 has not been revoked, that law is still on the books, but our Father in Heaven has granted you a reprieve a pardon. For Isaiah, that pardon came that day in the temple when one of the seraphim went to the altar, where there was still some smoldering coals from the sacrifice that Isaiah had offered earlier and it took one of the HOT COALS AND BROUGHT IT TO ISAIAH’S MOUTH AND TOUCHED HIS LIPS WITH IT. And so Isaiah's lips are touched, and he is free: he is united to that burning fire – he is united to Christ and forgiven and cleansed.
• As Isaiah’s lips were seared, his sins were seared
• Permanently erased from God’s memory
• He was forgiven, made clean
• Made pure and holy and then he could go out to God’s children proclaiming the holiness and the love of God
What Isaiah received only in a vision: you receive here today in reality. For the same Christ that was CRUCIFIED AND CONSUMED FOR YOUR SINS - SAME CHRIST WHO ROSE AGAIN TO BRING YOU EVERLASTING LIFE - SAME CHRIST H AS COME TO CLEANSE YOU AND MAKE YOU HIS OWN. My brothers and sisters in Christ, just as Isaiah was made clean and pure by the touching of a coal to his lips, so also you are made clean and pure this day as we prepare to partake of the Lord’s supper and every time our lips are touched with the very body and blood of your Savior, Jesus Christ. All the glory and holiness that was and is God is fed to you in this most holy meal.
--Somebody is here today with a dirty mouth
--Feel like you have let God down this week
--Condemned in your sin no more, you now stand with the angels and archangels and all the saints of heaven, forever glorifying your God with the threefold hymn of praise
--“HOLY, HOLY, HOLY, LORD GOD ALMIGHTY, HEAVEN AND EARTH ARE FULL OF YOUR GLORY”
