Major League #1
Send Me
Dr. Marty Baker | Isaiah 6:1-8 | June 16, 2024
Good morning. Happy Father’s Day and Welcome to Stevens Creek Church. We are so glad that you are here. I want to welcome all of you in our South Campus and also in our Grovetown Campus.
I like to start with something funny.
Did you hear about the two good ol' boys, Buck and Skeeter, who met in a small group at church? These fellas loved baseball. They weren’t just baseball fans; they were baseball fanatics. In the summer, if they weren't working or at church, they were watching baseball.
One day, Buck and Skeeter were talking about the afterlife. They wondered if there'd be baseball in heaven. Buck said, "Everything's perfect in heaven …"Surely there's baseball!"
They made a pact: whoever kicked the bucket first would contact the other and let him know whether they had baseball.
Tragically, at the end of the summer, Buck passed away. His friend Skeeter was heartbroken but clung to their pact, hoping for a sign from Buck.
A few weeks later, Skeeter had a vivid dream. Buck appeared, "I've got good news and bad news."
"Tell me the good news first," Skeeter said. "The good news is, there's baseball in heaven! The fields are immaculate, the games are exhilarating, and every player gives their all. It’s everything we dreamed of and more."
"That's amazing!" Skeeter said. "What's the bad news?" "The bad news is, you're scheduled to pitch next Tuesday."
Today we are starting a brand-new series called Major League. Just as Major League Baseball showcases top players, this series will spotlight the major prophets of the Old Testament—Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel. Over the coming weeks, we will explore the lives, messages, and enduring legacies of these four remarkable prophets.
The major prophets are the hall-of-famers in the Old Testament. The term "major" has nothing to do with the achievement or importance of the prophets, the title major prophets developed over the years because of the length of their books.
Today, we're diving into the Book of Isaiah which was written about 700 years before Jesus was born. It's famous for its detailed predictions about the coming Messiah, its powerful vision of God's holiness, and its messages of judgment and redemption.
Isaiah was a statesman who delivered messages to both common people and royalty. Isaiah prophesied for 60 years during the reign of 4 kings.
In Isaiah chapter 6, we are introduced to the first king and his name is Uzziah. That’s confusing. The Major Prophet is Isaiah with an “I”. The King is Uzziah with a “U”.
I know that you may be saying, “Marty, this is a lot of history, does this even relate to me?”
King Uzziah’s reign was marked by political turmoil, moral decline, and widespread falling away from the faith.
To be fair, King Uzziah was one of the better kings in the Bible. When you think of the most notable kings, there's King David, King Solomon, and then Uzziah. He ruled wisely for over 40 years, turning Jerusalem into a fortified city and giving the people a strong sense of security.
Great leaders protect their nation and make their people feel safe. Great Dads protect their families and make their families feel safe.
But his story has a tragic end. In 2 Chronicles 26:16, it says, "When he was strong, he grew proud, to his destruction." Uzziah got too full of himself, claimed priestly rights, and was struck with leprosy by God, and spent his remaining years in disgrace.
When King Uzziah died, his death brought national mourning and uncertainty.
Isaiah was struggling after the King passed away. He was confused, hurt, and worried about what was going to happen next.
In times of change, you question everything. You may wonder, what am I supposed to do now? What’s my purpose?
Maybe some of you feel that way now. Your world has changed and you are trying to figure out your next step. Some of you feel like you have lost your purpose. You are confused. You are hurt. You are worried.
You are like Isaiah. He went to the Temple because He needed direction, he needed comfort, He needed peace. Isaiah went to the Temple. He ran towards the presence of the Lord.
Big Idea for today’s message:
When life seems out of control, don’t lose hope, remember God is sovereign.
Turn in your Bibles to Isaiah 6. I am going to read the passage and then we will look at each verse individually.
Isaiah 6:1-4
1 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple.
2 Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying.
3 And they were calling to one another: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.”
4 At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.
In the context of an empty throne, the first thing Isaiah saw was the Lord’s majesty. Look at 6:1:
Isaiah 6:1
In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple.
The word “Lord” is the title Adonai, which refers to His absolute sovereignty as King of Kings. Isaiah lost his hero but found the Holy One in the process. To be "high and lifted up" means there is nothing above God.
Isaiah is saying something like this: “In the year that we lost our human king, I saw the real King.” There’s no reason to panic when God is on the throne. Sometimes it seems like everything is falling apart but it's not. The Sovereign One is holding everything together.
The word sovereign literally means to reign over all. To say that God is sovereign means that He is the supreme ruler and that He has ultimate power.
God is in control. He is working behind the scenes for your good and His glory.
God knows everything that's going to happen. He knows every attack, every disappointment and every unfair situation. God is going to make things right. He is going to bring something good out of this situation. He is going to turn it around.
When you go through difficult seasons, you have to remind yourself that God is sovereign. He is still on the throne; He is bigger than this sickness, greater than this addiction, more powerful than the enemies that you are facing.
God is sovereign...
• God is sovereign over nature.
• God is sovereign over spiritual powers.
• God is sovereign over nations.
• God is sovereign over people.
• God is sovereign over circumstances.
• God is sovereign over all of it.
Isaiah is in a season of chaos and he went to the Temple to clear his mind, to seek the Lord. You need to put yourself in a place where you can hear from the Lord, where you can find peace.
During this chaotic time in Isaiah’s life, God makes a personal appearance.
Isaiah 6:1
In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple.
The train of a robe is the long, trailing fabric that adds elegance and signifies status. Isaiah continues:
Isaiah 6:2
2 Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying.
This is the only time in the Bible that we see the word seraphim. They are a specific group of angels whose calling is to attend to God's holiness. The word “seraph” means “to burn.” They covered their faces because they were in the presence of holiness, covered their feet to show humility, and flew to signify their ongoing obedience to go wherever God sends them.
The most incredible thing about them is not their appearance but their message.
Isaiah 6:3
3 And they were calling to one another: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.”
4 At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.
When we want to emphasize the importance of something in English, we underline, and use italics, boldface or capital letters. We may then follow it with an exclamation point or two.
The Jewish people used repetition when they wanted to emphasize something. To say a word three times in succession is to elevate it to the superlative degree. When the angels say, “holy, holy, holy,” they are emphasizing the awe-inspiring splendor of God’s holiness.
This is the only attribute of God that is repeated 3 times. The Bible never says God is love, love, love or truth, truth, truth, or mercy, mercy, mercy. But it does say that He’s holy, holy, holy.
Look at the last phrase of verse 3: “…the whole earth is full of his glory.” The word “glory” refers to His weightiness. The whole earth is full of his greatness.
Isaiah 6:4
4 At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.
The entire temple begins to tremble. It’s like an erupting volcano. Smoke indicates that he is in the purifying presence of God. This is a manifestation of His tremendous majestic holiness, much like the shekinah glory cloud in the wilderness.
Again, this is happening in a moment when Isaiah was trying to figure out what’s going on. He was confused. The King is dead. The nation is in political turmoil. The people had drifted away from their faith. It was chaos. This is the moment that God showed up.
Isaiah saw the Lord…high and exalted…seated on a throne. When God is on the throne of your life, you have no reason to panic.
Today, I want to remind you that God is in control and He is with you.
• I don’t know how tomorrow is going to play out. But it’s ok because God is with you.
• I don’t know what’s going to happen with the situation I’m facing right now. But it’s ok because God is with you.
• I don’t understand how the current worry is going to resolve. But it’s ok because God is with you.
With God on your side, there’s nothing you will face He can’t handle. Isaiah recognized the Lord and then what?
Isaiah 6:5
“Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.”
When Isaiah realized his own mistakes, he cried out, “Woe is me.” I like the NKJV: “I am undone.” Or “I am lost.”
Isaiah starts to fall apart because he saw God as holy, and maybe for the first time in his life he saw himself as unholy. Maybe for the first time, he admitted his mistakes.
Have you done that? Too many of us never do that. We live in a constant state of denial.
Denial is when people refuse to accept the truth about their sinfulness, actions, or addiction.
This could have been the moment in Isaiah’s life where he took step #5 of the 12 Steps which says,
Step 5 of the 12 Steps:
”Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs."
To admit means that we come clean, we confess, and we acknowledge our mistakes.
Notice what happens when Isaiah recognizes his own sin. God extends mercy.
What is mercy? Mercy is undeserved forgiveness and unearned kindness. Mercy is set in motion at the exact time Isaiah recognizes his misery.
Isaiah 6:6-7
6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar.
7 With it he touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.”
Atonement is the process of making amends for our sins or wrongdoings. When Jesus died on the cross, he paid the penalty of our sins and restores our relationship with God.
Here’s the point:
If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and if you believe in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead, you will be saved.
Think of it as settling a debt or repairing a broken relationship. Jesus' death and resurrection restored our relationship with God, allowing us to be forgiven and experience spiritual renewal.
Isaiah, after having his sin atoned for, finally hears God's voice.
Isaiah 6:8
8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”
Have you ever heard the voice of the Lord? I believe that God wants to speak to you. He may speak through this message, through reading the Bible, through a gentle prompting, through an open door or maybe through a closed door. God is like a shepherd who leads and guides his sheep.
In this story, Isaiah went to the temple in Jerusalem. He was grieving the passing of King Uzziah, he was distraught by the political unrest and discouraged by the lack of faith in the community. Isaiah went to the Temple because he knew that the presence of the Lord was there.
It was in the Temple where Isaiah heard the voice of the Lord. Have you ever slowed down long enough to hear the voice of the Lord?
This is a summer-time message. Some of you are planning a vacation. Could it be that God wants to speak to you this summer? You need to slow down and be attentive. You need to step away from your routine so that you can hear God’s voice.
Today is Father’s Day … some of you Dads need clarity about your life, your family, or your work. You need to make room for the Lord to speak to you.
Summertime is a great opportunity for you to slow down and hear the voice of the Lord.
It was in the summer of 2004, I was on vacation and Lord spoke to me and it changed my life forever.
SecureGive Story
It was June 6, 2004. Our church was in a capital campaign, and we were faced with a hard reality. Like all churches back then, we could only accept cash and check donations. But I realized something – I didn’t actually use cash and checks in my everyday life. I lived with a debit card in my hand.
So if someone was prompted to give to our church, could they? What would happen if someone was prompted to donate while they were at church?
I started looking for a bank card donation system for the church. For nearly a year, I called banks, church software companies, stewardship companies and so forth. Everyone said the same thing … that’s a great idea, but we don’t do it. For nine months, I searched.
Then, we went on vacation. We went to Hilton Head in June 2004.
On June 6, 2004 at 5:45 AM …twenty years ago this month …. the Lord woke me up with a prompting: I’ve called you to do this. Walk through the doors that I will open for you.
I put together a team of developers and in March 2005, we introduced the nation’s first giving kiosk here at Stevens Creek. From this prompting, SecureGive was born. What was only intended to fill a need in this church turned into so much more. Because God had immeasurably more in store.
20 years later, we’ve been able to partner with thousands of churches to raise billions of dollars for Kingdom work.
As I look back, I’m reminded of God’s faithfulness. When we walk through the doors that He opens, the Lord shows up in big ways.
I want to encourage you with that today. I believe that God wants to speak to you today.
Some of you may be called into ministry this summer. You may be called to join our launch team for our North Augusta campus. You may be called to start a family or start a business.
Walk through the doors that the Lord opens for you. Step in faith and see what He does.
Back to the story. Not only did Isaiah hear the Lord’s voice, but he quickly responded by saying, “Here I am. Send me.”
Isaiah 6:8
8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”
Isaiah surrendered his life and work to the Lord. Isaiah was willing to do whatever God asked of him.
God is still looking for people who are willing to step out in faith and trust Him.
Closing Prayer
