A. INTRODUCTION: ISAIAH 6:1-13
1. Spiritual prosperity. Uzziah was one of the great kings of Judah that restored the glory and power of David. "He did right in the sight of the Lord" (II Chron. 26:4).
2. Healthy prosperity. "Sixteen years old when he began to reign, and he reigned two and fifty years" (II Kings 15:2).
3. Military prosperity. "Warred against the Philistines . . . God helped him against the Philistines" (II Chron. 26:6,7). "Built towers in Jerusalem . . . built towers in the desert" (v.9). Had 307,500 soldiers.
4. Abundant food. "He digged many wells . . . much cattle . . . he loved husbandry" (v.10).
5. Technology. "Invented . . . bulwarks to shoot arrows, and great stones" (v.15).
6. Sinned. "When he was strong, his heart was lifted up to his destruction for he transgressed against the Lord his God, and went into the temple of the Lord to burn incense upon the altar of incense" (v.16).
7. Died in judgement. "Fourscore priests . . . withstood Uzziah . . . while he was wroth . . . the leprosy even rose up in his forehead" (v.18, 19). "He dwelt in a several house" (v.21).
8. Buried in honor. "Buried him with his fathers in the field . . . which belongeth unto the kings" (v. 23).
B. DEFINITION OF ENCOUNTER
An encounter occurs when (1) God intentionally meets with you, (2) in a time of great personal need, (3) through unexpected circumstances, (4) telling you something about Himself, (5) you learn something about
yourself, (6) preparing you for a specific task, (7) even though you don’t fully understand all the mysterious elements of the encounter.
1. God met Isaiah. God had always been in the temple, but Isaiah had not seen God there. God encountered him there. "I saw also the Lord" (v.1).
2. In time of great need. Isaiah in grief. "In the year that king Uzziah died" (v.1).
3. Unexpected. There are times when we look to political leaders rather than God.
4. Learning about ourselves. Isaiah had been a courtier, young and successful. He needed to see himself as God sees us. "Woe is me, for I am undone, because I am a man of unclean lips" (v.5).
5. To better know God. Isaiah had to see God’s holiness, "Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory" (v.3).
6. Equipping you for a task. Isaiah was to become a prophet to the nations. "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I send me" (v.8).
7. Mysterious element. Isaiah didn’t understand the results of his service. "Go and tell this people, hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not" (v.9).
C. TEN PRINCIPLES ABOUT ENCOUNTERING GOD
1. God comes to us when our dreams collapse. From Isaiah we learn that God may be around the corner of busted dreams.
2. Don’t confuse financial prosperity with spiritual prosperity. ’He gave them their request; but sent leanness into their soul" (Psa. 106:15).
3. We are never so important that we can break rules in serving God. "I keep my body in submission, so that when I preach Christ to others, I don’t become a castaway" (I Cor. 9:27 ELT).
4. When we have an inflated self-opinion, God breaks us in an encounter. "Ye also appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity" (Matt. 23:28).
5. When our dreams fall apart, God gives us a new task through an encounter. "Write the vision plainly so that those who run can read it" (Heb. 2:2 ELT).
6. God is concerned about our sin when He encounters us. "Your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, so that he cannot hear" (Isa. 59:2).
7. When we see God more clearly in our encounters, we then see our sin. "When I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead" (Rev. 1:17).
8. God can cleanse us in our encounter to equip us for service. "He that covereth his sins shall not prosper, but whosoever confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy" (Psa. 28:13).
9. God loves the church and will encounter us in His sanctuary. "My soul has a deep desire to be in the courts of the Lord’s house, because I meet God in His sanctuary" (Psa. 84:2 ELT).
10. We must faithfully carry out our task whether or not we are successful. "Shall the clay pot say to the potter, why are you making me like this?" (Isa. 45:9 ELT).
If you have never really accepted Jesus as your personal Savior, would you do it right now? Do not delay or put it off. If you would like to receive Christ by faith, pray this simple prayer in your heart:
Dear Lord, I acknowledge that I am a sinner. I believe Jesus died for my sins on the cross, and rose again the third day. I repent of my sins. By faith I receive the Lord Jesus as my Savior. You promised to save me, and I believe You, because You are God and cannot lie. I believe right now that the Lord Jesus is my personal Savior, and that all my sins are forgiven through His precious blood. I thank You, dear Lord, for saving me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
If you prayed that prayer, God heard you and saved you. I personally want to welcome you to the family of God. Please contact me at eltowns@liberty.edu and tell us about your salvation experience so that we can rejoice with you.
To get Dr. Towns’ home page for books, www.elmertowns.com
