A New Year, New Times?
This passage of scripture brings us into the high command center of God himself. Here Isaiah sees the Operation center of the Universe! Here He is reminded of God’s sovereignty, his awesomeness, His authority. Here he is reminded God answers to no one, on the contrary, all who exist must give an account to Him. Isaiah therefore reminds us no one lives to himself. Our decisions affect other people; many of whom we would not even be aware. Our influences can be profound.
Know this mostly, all of us will see this same scene that Isaiah proclaims. Since God is eternal, and changes not, this will be the exact same scene we shall see!
Here we find as well that Isaiah was awed inspired by what he saw, he was moved by it. In fact, he was moved to a distinctive decision as a result of what he saw and what he knew.
This experience for Isaiah came at a pivotal time for he and the nation of Judah. Isaiah lived at a time where Uzziah, who had just died, had ruled some 52 years on the throne of Judah. But his death reflected a changing time.
II Chronicles 26 we read of Uzziah’s Piety- he sought Zacharia’s help. His Prosperity is seen in his popularity, his buildings… both a federal and a reserve military, his husbandry. But in the end, he was a man of Pride. Part of his pride was his presumption, and paid for it. Worship in Israel was a sham and it began with the king, the one in Allow me to categorize that experience for you and draw some parallels... THERE ARE SOME ABSOLUTES, SOME THINGS UNCHANGEABLE THAT ARE STILL TRUE TODAY AND MUST BE A PART OF OUR WORSHIP IF WE ARE TO BE A SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE…
1. Here is a picture of Absolute Power vv. 1-2
“Sitting” at ease, rest, no worry. Nothing out of His control.
“high and lifted up” No one above Him. He is sovereign, has total control, total command, total knowledge.
“train of his robe filled the temple” this symbolizes for us the judiciary aspect of Almighty God. Sovereign Judge. Judge Judy, Judge Wapner, People’s Court, the U.S. Supreme court, the Florida supreme court, all of em put together can hold even a candle to this Judge!
2. Here is a picture of Absolute Praise vv. 3
“holy, holy, holy” In today’s lingo…
Ain’t No Like This One!
Ain’t no one to whom we must give account like this one!
Illus. Here at FBC Candlelight Christmas events are designed to be special, set apart, unique. There is an intended design and eye toward holiness to that night all by itself. My whole intention behind the lights, the trees, the manger scene front and center, the darkness, everything about the evening I designed to set is apart and distinct from the common and ordinary. I designed it that way to remind us that not only is this season special, but our whole years is special because God is. We highlight this time of the year to point out His holiness.
Illus: I have often longed for the sense of the holiness of God that Catholicism captures in its worship. I know they miss it on some basic Bible doctrines, but church and its services ought to reflect awesomeness of God.
Candle Light Christmas is designed to remind us of the Holy Awesomeness of God. Let us not forget this basic... God is Holy. He deserves our worship.
“Be Still and know that I am God" says the scriptures.
Sometimes, perhaps, we live un-holy lives. There is no un-holier moment than we come to a worship service with not an eye, or worse, a heart toward worship.
I think you excelled yourselves in the Choir at the Candlelight Christmas 2000. It was your coming out party. You did well, very well. LET THAT BE THE BEGINNING OF BETTER, AND MORE SERIOUS INTENDED WORSHIP.
We Baptist in general need to improve on our attitude and stance on worship. Unfortunately, we are not known for our Public Worship of God. Often our buildings and sanctuary tell that story all by itself without our even showing up.
3. Here is a picture of Absolute Provocation vv. 3-4
“holy, holy, holy” note, of the many things God could have allowed Isaiah to see and thus record for us, it is these three words He chose instead.
I think it was a reminder to us how different he is from us, but how different we are to him, and that because of our sin.
I think God was communicating to him that the nation was becoming worse in its sin. I think Isaiah caught that too because note what he says… “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; “
Note, these were God’s chosen people too. I believe folks, God is still provoked at our sin. No, we are not a people who must work for salvation, but never let us forget, we have that salvation, and are still under the watch of Holy God.
And to Him we give an account and to him we do live. The life that we live, we live knowing we can have an impact upon people of whom we are around. If we live in such a way in light of the fact that our lives are supposed to be a worship to God, then we can have a positive impact upon people, a Godly impact, an impact that says I too have the same understanding that Isaiah has!
4. Here is a picture of Absolute Purity vv. 6-7
Again, though we are reminded we are sinners, we are reminded here we are saved sinners. This same act of holy cleansing Isaiah received, we too received through Jesus Christ our Lord.
None of us should expect to be completely free from our sin. However, there will come a day when Jesus comes to take us home in which we will be changed. I often read that passage of scripture at the graveside… I Thessalonians 4.
So, while we cannot completely improve ourselves here, we can so look for His coming that we seek to purify what we can.
- That does not mean to have a holier than thou attitude. - -- That does not mean to so deny our sin, that everyone else sees it saves us.
- That does not mean that since we can’t beat it, then give in to it completely.
5. Here is a picture of Absolute Presentation vv. 8-10
Because of what Isaiah saw, because of what he knew, he realized he needed to include the knowledge of this One in his everyday living.
Illus: When we have an experience, a special vacation, a special moment with our spouse, our children, or when we come to some landmark in our careers, jobs, or having had accomplished something… what do we do? We memorialize it. We seal its memory with the purchase of some object, or likewise, or we linger in it in our mind, emotions.
If it is some kind of dramatic experience, we come away having made a decision. A resolve if you will to do something, or, not to do something like that again, or to revisit that so we can relive that experience.
Illus: My son temporarily lost at Walmart!
So likewise, church worship ought to be a time, everytime, that when we even come close to a holy event, or place, and in one sense, though not “holy” it ought to be a place where people are made aware of the holy, we come to life changing, life directing decisions. At times like that in church life, we make decisions, which are in positive support and favor of God.
We Should Leave Saying “Here Am I, Send Me!
That is the whole purpose of God revealing himself to us. He calls us to serve Him. For one, he is the only one truly worthy of a totally committed life. He has left us here to serve him. Every worship service ought to re-enforce that reality.
6.Here is a picture of Absolute Pondering vv. 11-13
Isaiah found himself then wondering about the future. What human being does not? When looking to the future, we can make educated guesses and assumptions based upon what we already know. But by and large, we have no knowledge of what will happen in the future. When in such a state, Isaiah is given a promise to remember… “The Holy Seed Shall Be Its Stump…”
In essence, God was telling Isaiah, no matter how bad it gets; it’s never out of my hand. When you have suffered all there is in life to lose, there is still a remnant of God’s Love, enough so that no matter how small, God can bless it and make it grow!
Even if we are to suffer loss, it will never be complete loss. Always hope. God is always involved. He may not do things the way we want them done, we may have to suffer, but we are not without comfort and help in that mix.
Ponder with Me for a moment about Gift giving….
Gift giving indicates, though not always true, what a person gives us for a Christmas gift can be an indication about how they feel about us. Now, please do not leave here this morning and go tell someone my preacher said you hate me because of the gift you gave me! No, no, do not go there.
Motivations for gift giving: A. Pure, B. Others are done out of guilt, because they gave to me.
C. Giving makes me feel good. But note this...Some where in all the giving… there is the self.
Illus: I introduce to you a lady by the name of Claire Weigand – Beckman. A lady, as written about in the January 2001 issue of Reader’s Digest, bought a table at a yard sale for $25, and that after she talked em down from $30 because that was all the cash she had on her. Took her table to PBS’ Antique’s Roadshow. They asked her how much she thought it might be worth… Said she… “probably $20,000.00” The table was a John and Thomas Seymour original from the 1794-1808 cabinet making shop. A rare find… to make a long story short,She wound up selling it at a Sotheby’s auction for…. $490,000.00. That’s almost a 20,000-fold increase. Talk about a profit !!!
How much are we worth to God? I would rather guess, much more than that evidenced by the gift of his son.
What were your responses to your various gifts?
Everything from shrieked joy and surprise to a muffled snicker.
In light of all that I just said, when it comes to the worship of God, there are absolutes to genuine worship. If we expect anything from a new year from ourselves, if we have any goals to which we hope to attain, if there be any greatness to which we attain, then let it be this one thing… A life devoted to the worship of God. “Whatsoever you do, do all to the glory of God.” Spend 2001 in awe of the grandeur of God. Let yourself be moved to new understandings of his being awesome. A New Year, New Times? Make it A New Time with a Resolve as never before to Serve the things of God as you have done so before !
