1. You’re the Preacher!
A mother watched her son begin to drain of energy as the week went on. By the end of the week he’d lost his desire to get out of bed. She heard the alarm go off through his bedroom door. Apparently he just kept punching the little snooze button on the top. Finally, after 3 or 4 extra rings she walked in and said, ’Son, it’s time to get up.’ He peeked out from under the covers, ’Can you give me a good reason to get up?’ She said, ’Yes. First, it’s Sunday - time for church. Second, you’re 43 years old and you know better. Third, you’re the preacher and they expect you to be there.’
2. If someone asked you, “What do you do when you go to church?” What would you say?
• Sing
• Give Money
• Take Communion
• Say Prayers
• Read the bible
• Endure a Sermon
3. Perspective
A man told of an experience he had in the wilderness of West Virginia. He was strolling through a field when he heard the joyous chirping of a robin. He enjoyed its melodious praise for a while before his eyes caught sight of the bird. It was perched high in a wild apple tree, and there was an unusually bright object reflecting from its nest.
Soon curiosity overcame caution, and he climbed the tree. From his higher perspective he saw that the reflection had been nothing but a piece of paper ingeniously woven into the robin’s home. But that was not the end of the matter. Meticulously he removed the paper from the nest and unfolded it. There before him were the faded remains of a hymnal page! Printed on the wrinkled sheet were the words: “Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord, God Almighty; early in the morning our song shall rise to Thee.....”
In the sacredness of that moment the ground over which the robin had built her nest and on which the man stood was transformed into holy ground.
4. What would happen if we changed how we view what we do at church?
• “We are going to meet God!”
• Not checking off activities on a Sunday AM
• Encountering the Living God
5. Consider Isaiah’s Experience with God – Isaiah 6.1-8
I. Changes in Perspective for Our Worship – From “What I Get?” to “What I Give?”
A. From: Sing some songs to: Praising God – Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. Hebrews 13.15
B. From: Giving Money to: Blessing God with the First Fruits of His Gifts
C. From: Taking Communion to: Remembering God’s Perfect Sacrifice and His Power in the Resurrection of Jesus
D. From: Saying Prayers to: Honoring God with the words of our hearts
E. From: Reading the Bible and Listening to Sermons to: Hearing God’s words for our lives (Shema – Deuteronomy 6.4)
II. Changes in Perspective Produce Expectations (Isaiah 6.1-8)
Checking Direction:
Back during the days of the sailing ships, a young boy was traveling with his father. The boy was amazed at all of the activity and work that was required on the ship.
He watched everything the sailors did. He noticed that every night the captain would stand on the deck and point a funny looking instrument at the sky.
When he asked his father what the captain was doing, his dad replied, “That funny looking instrument is called a sextant. The captain is able to use it to shoot the stars and determine our bearings. He can then see where we are and find out if we are going in the right direction.”
A. Expect God’s Presence (Isaiah 6.1-4)
In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3 And one called to another and said:
“Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!”
4 And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke.
1. Encountering God Changes Lives – Ours and those who follow – Abraham; Moses
2. A Reminder – Matthew 28.20
B. Expect a Time of Self-Examination (Isaiah 6.5)
5 And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for 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!”
1. God’s Word is Our Mirror (James 1.22-24)
22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. 24 For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like.
a. See Yeshua (Jesus)
b. See ourselves – Fruit of the Spirit vs. Works of the Flesh
2. God’s Word Gives Us Right Standards
a. It is easy to compare ourselves with each other or our culture and feel good
We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves. When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise. 2 Corinthians 10.12
b. What happens when we compare ourselves to Yeshua (Jesus)? Luke 5.1-11
On one occasion, while the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, he was standing by the lake of Gennesaret, 2 and he saw two boats by the lake, but the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. 3 Getting into one of the boats, which was Simon's, he asked him to put out a little from the land. And he sat down and taught the people from the boat. 4 And when he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” 5 And Simon answered, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.” 6 And when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking. 7 They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. 8 But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” 9 For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish that they had taken, 10 and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.” 11 And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him.
C. Expect a Reminder of Grace (Isaiah 6.6-7)
6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.”
1. Goal of worship is not Guilt-Induction – is a time of refreshing (Acts 3.19)
2. One of the Powerful aspects of the Lord’s Supper is the Grace-Reminder
Richard Foster in his book Celebration of Discipline writes the following: “To worship is to experience Reality, to touch Life. It is to know, to feel, to experience the resurrected Christ in the midst of the gathered community. It is breaking into the glory of God, or better yet, being invaded by the glory of God.”
a. Baptism is an experience and expression of Grace – Romans 6.1-4
b. We are reminded that we are not condemned in Christ – Romans 8.1
c. There is a powerful aspect of grace in our relationship with him – 1 John 1.7
3. Expression of Gratitude
Victorious athletes react to their victories in a number of ways.
• Some shake hands
• Some embrace their teammates or friends tightly
• Some weep openly
• Some laugh uncontrollably
• Some shout and dance
• Some sit in awed silence
D. Expect an Inspiration to Serve (Isaiah 6.8)
8 And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.”
A Sunday School teacher was teaching her children the benefits of unselfishness. She concluded by saying, “The reason you are in the world is to serve others.”
After a moment’s silence, a little girl raised her hand and asked, “Then what are the others here for?”
1. How do you respond when you receive a gift from someone? Thanks/Reciprocate
2. We have a similar reaction when we encounter God – he does not beg for servants – it is a natural response
1. In Bible times the Jewish people looked at their homes as a “Small Temple”
a. Table = altar
b. Father = Priest
c. Parents instructed children in Torah
d. Family participated in worship activities – Sabbath rituals, etc.
Even though the Temple was destroyed, the Jewish people live on
2. Glad He’s Done
Jim Dunn was serving as the pastor of the First Baptist Church, and his wife, Gladys, was very friendly and welcoming to people.
One particular Sunday when the sermon seemed to go on forever, many in the congregation fell asleep.
After the service, to be sociable, she walked up to a very sleepy looking gentleman. In an attempt to revive him from his stupor, she extended her hand in greeting, and said, "Hello, I’m Gladys Dunn."
To which the gentleman replied, "You’re not the only one!"
