5/11/14
I want to talk with you this morning about God’s calling on your life. Every person in this room is called of the Lord to do something. You were masterfully designed by God to fulfill purpose. There a joy and contentment when that purpose is being fulfilled. There is a sense of frustration when it is not happening. God has put a variety of different gifts in us – the fulfillment of God’s call in your life will not look exactly like the fulfillment of God’s call in my life. God has given to every person a uniqueness that makes you particularly special in your relationship with Him. Our finger prints are different; our DNA is different; our voices sound different. Different gifts, different personalities, different abilities—all for the glory of God. What has God called you to do? How will you respond to His plan for your life?
Follow with me as we read Isaiah 6:1-8.
First look with me at the
I. CONTEXT of Isaiah’s experience in verse 1
Isaiah says this happened “in the year King Uzziah died.”
What is the significance of that context? Who was King Uzziah and how did his death position Isaiah to receive this revelation?
Uzziah was godly man and a successful king. He began reigning when he was only 16 years old and he ruled for 52 years. The Bible tells us that he led Judah to victory over enemies who had dominated them for years. He fortified the defenses of the nation and he lead God’s people into a wonderful time of prosperity. 2 Chron. 26:4 summarizes his life this way, “And he did what was right in the sight of the LORD….”
Isaiah had grown up under the shadow of this powerful leader. As king, Uzziah was a protector for Isaiah, a mentor, and a friend. The death of Uzziah shook Isaiah’s life. Isaiah had lost someone that he deeply loved and admired. But that was not all. The way Uzziah died was the most disturbing part of all. This king had been a godly leader for many years.
What do you do when someone you have looked up to and admired, fails miserably? What do you do when a person that you have come to respect and count on, turns away from the path? This is exactly what happened with King Uzziah. In his latter years, Uzziah became prideful. God had mightily blessed him as king. But the office of king and office of priest were to be kept strictly separate. The joining of those offices was reserved for the King of Kings Messiah only. Uzziah took it upon himself to step out of his calling into a place God had not given him. He went into the temple to burn the incense. The priests were horrified and tried to stop him—but there was no stopping this man. At least Uzziah thought that. Suddenly God struck him with leprosy. It was that leprosy that killed him.
For the king to die was always a time of great vulnerability for a nation. Political turmoil almost always followed. But for this godly leader to die under the direct judgment of the Lord in that way, left the whole nation wondering what was next. If their king was under that kind of condemnation from the Lord, what did that mean for the nation?
That’s the context of Isaiah 6 – a time of desperation and turmoil, a time of personal grief and disappointment. What do you do when the people you relied upon prove unreliable? You do what Isaiah does here. You look to the Lord in prayer. There is Isaiah at the temple—and suddenly God pulls back the curtain of heaven and gives Isaiah a peek.
This revelation is first of all a message of
II. COMFORT.
“In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord on a throne….” All is well, Isaiah. The one who is really in charge sits on the throne. If we don’t know the context of this vision, we can easily miss the comfort that God is giving through this revelation. Yes, the great king of Judah has fallen. Yes, the nation is experiencing a turbulent time. But when all is said and done, here is the Lord on a throne.
He is high and lifted up. The glory of His robe flows throughout the temple. It is a scene of indescribable glory and majesty. This is where the real security of Israel is found. This is the incomparable God who rules—not only Israel, but the whole earth. Heaven is His throne and the earth is His footstool. He sits on the circle of the earth and the inhabitants of the earth are like grasshoppers. He is God and there is no other. Men may fail, great men may fail – but the King of Kings continues to rule. The kingdom of God stands firm; His will will ultimately be done.
The cry of heaven is “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts.” Did you catch the phrase “the LORD of hosts”? What does that mean? It’s a reference to the armies of heaven—the host of God. He is LORD of host—He is surrounded by mighty angels that do His bidding.
These seraphim are mighty angels; they declare the glory and majesty of God. Seraphim is the plural of seraph—the root meaning of that word is fire. They are ablaze with holy fire. They worship God zealously as they cry “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is fully of His glory.” Supernaturally Isaiah has been looking into the temple of heaven where God dwells. But now that glory of God comes down where Isaiah is. God’s presence comes rushing into the temple where Isaiah is praying. The door posts shake at the power of His presence as the Seraphim cry “Holy, holy, holy.” The temple is filled with the glory of God.
It is a revelation of who God is that births true worship. It’s not a matter of having the best band, the latest songs, or the right rhythm. It is a matter of seeing Him! One glimpse of Jesus and you will worship—not because somebody gave you just the right atmosphere—but because the revelation of His love, His power, His grace, His glory—breaks forth in worship from the heart. That’s one reason you can’t become a true worshipper apart from the word. That’s one reason you can’t become a true worshipper apart from personal relationship with the Lord. True worshippers worship from the spirit—not the soul—from what we see in the heart.
So there is a message of Comfort in this vision for Isaiah;
But there is also a dramatic Concern that breaks out in his heart as well.
III. CONCERN about his own spiritual condition.
“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 my eyes have seen the King, The LORD of hosts.”
Jesus said, “The abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” So unclean lips area manifestation of unclean hearts. By human standards, Isaiah was probably a very godly priest at this time.
But, the closer we get to God, the more sensitive we are to anything in us contrary to His nature. God-sensitive people are also sin-sensitive people. I used to wonder why the first people to respond to an altar call were the people most devoted to the Lord. Then I began to realize something about myself. During seasons in my life when I had become preoccupied with other things and drawn back from the Lord, I had a high toleration for my own sin and an environment of sin. But during those seasons when I was drawing near to the Lord, I would find myself asking forgiveness for minor infractions— I would rush into the best parking place and suddenly realize how selfish that was, a slip of the tongue would immediately result in conviction and repentance, getting ticked at somebody who cut me off in traffic was not acceptable. Do you know what I mean? Here is Isaiah in the manifest presence of the Lord. With his increased awareness of God’s presence, came an increased awareness of sin. Oh that God would increase our awareness of Him! That we would be a people—not living in condemnation—but very, very sensitive to anything that would grieve the Holy Spirit.
“Woe is me (said Isaiah), 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 my eyes have seen the King, The LORD of hosts.”
How do I deal with this incongruity? How can I reconcile my own short comings with coming into the presence of a holy God? And the answer is in our text. The answer is the provision God has made for us at Calvary. “Then one of the seraphim flew to me having in his hand a live coal which he had taken with tongs from the altar. (The altar is where the blood sacrifices were offered to God for the atonement of sin). And he touched my mouth with it, and said, ‘Behold this has touched your lips; Your iniquity is taken away, And your sin is purged.”
God has His own answer for your sin. He did not tell Isaiah to go and try harder to do better. That’s the kind of answer we come up with. God’s answer is to cleanse the sin by the provision of the sacrificial offering of our great High Priest, Jesus. Isaiah confessed his sin; God cleansed it. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us of all unrighteousness.”
Having received cleansing from God, Isaiah now hears
IV. The CALL of God on his life.
Verse 8 “Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: “Whom shall I send, And who will go for us?”
This is what God is asking you, and you, and you, and me this morning? Who is available for the task at hand? Who is willing to pay the price? Who will lay their life before me and say, “Here am I! Send me.”
Prior to hearing this call, Isaiah was already a believer in Jehovah. This is not a call to get saved. This is a call to get busy. This is a call to get devoted. This is a call to take up your cross, deny yourself, and follow with everything that is in you.
This is not a call to attend church on Sunday morning. It’s a call to lay your life on the altar and invest your time the way God wants it invested. The early church devoted themselves to the word, to fellowship with one another, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer. I don’t know who I’m talking to this morning—but God is saying to somebody: “Your living way below My intentions for your life.” You are encumbered with many things that won’t count for anything in the eternal scheme of things. I’ve got something much better for you than that. Follow me and I’ll make you fishers of men, not just fishers of fish! Follow me and your life will really count for something. Young people, choose that it now, not later!
I was saved when I was 14 years old; but I was 22 when I saw the Lord and heard Him say to me, “Who, who, who shall I send.” Do you hear the Spirit speaking to your heart? “Who will lay down their own agenda and sell out to Me? Who, who, who? When I said to the Lord, “Here am I send me,” it cost me a lucrative career. At 23 I was a CPA in one of the largest firms in America. I was already slated for promotion to a Sr. position. God said lay it down and follow Me. I laid it down and I don’t regret doing it. I am virtually penniless; I have no retirement, but I have the strength to work. I look back on my life knowing something happened that mattered. And I look forward to more of the same. I want to say something to all the young people here—decide now to lay it all down for Him. Say to the Lord now, “Here am I send me.” I want to say to all the old people here—don’t lay down—renew your commitment afresh. “Here am I. Send me. The rule of the kingdom is whosoever will. Be one of those whosoever will people.
V. The CHOICE is made by Isaiah to say yes to the Lord.
Notice his commitment comes BEFORE He knows the assignment. He didn’t ask what the assignment was before he volunteered. You can’t do that and truly call Jesus Lord. If He is Lord of your life, your answer is yes regardless of the assignment. In the rest of the chapter we find out that the assignment will not be easy. He will labor & labor and instead of being a booming success, he will fail to turn the people around. I would not like that assignment, but we don’t pick the assignment—God does that. The church of America is filled with people who are actually looking to use God to fulfill their own agenda. They are not even thinking about laying down their lives for others. They are trying to get the most for the least effort. The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the earth looking for those whose hearts are loyal toward Him. People who are so in love with Him, they would do anything to please Him. I want to be one of those people. Jesus said to one potential follower, “Foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of man has nowhere to lay his head.” In other words--If you’re looking for a life of ease and comfort, if you’re looking to lavish all your energy on your own success and well-being, you probably won’t say yes to the kind of call I’m offering you. But if you’re looking for a life full of meaning and purpose, if you’re looking for a relationship with someone who will never leave you or forsake you—then come on and begin the adventure.
Jesus gave a parable in Luke 14 about a Lord who had prepared a huge banquet. He invited people to join Him; but they were too busy with their own agendas. One said that he had just bought a piece of land and really needed to check it out. Another had an excuse just as legitimate. He had bought five yoke of oxen and needed to test them. I think Jesus was just showing us that these were good sounding excuses. The other representative excuse was that guy was getting married. I’m amazed at how people in our society think a good excuse is the same as actually doing what needs to be done. When my students give me their excuses for not turning in papers—they are all good excuses—grandma in Ohio died, I had a sick kid, the dog ate my paper—whatever—I simply tell them how sorry I am to hear they are going through that—and then I give them a zero on the paper that they did not do.
When life is all said and done, there will be a final grade. Isaiah did not give God a well-crafted excuse—he gave Him an unreserved yes.
Who shall we send (says the Lord this morning) and who will go for us. Who will, who will – the only person that can give Him the answer for your life is you. Each one of us must hear His call and answer.
Invitation
