"In Christ"
"I Saw The Lord"
Isaiah 6:1-8
Introduction: John F. Kennedy
Man like no other
Youngest ever elected to his office
Youngest to leave (to be assassinated)
Span of 2 yrs 9 mos
Forever changed our perception about ourselves and our world.
His were the days of Camelot
That idealized dream of peace and prosperity
During that 2 yrs 9 mos "The United States enjoyed its greatest prosperity...blacks made greater progress in their quest for equal rights than at any time since the Civil War."
[Http://www.worldbook.com/fun/berlinwall/html/john_kennedy.htm.]
Man achieved what only God could do previously when he reached the heavens and looked down upon the earth.
So enamored with this man were we that his death has forever scarred our psyche. Ask anyone of age and they can tell you exactly what they were doing when they heard the news that John F. Kennedy had been assassinated.
Uzziah was a John F. Kennedy
His father was forcefully removed from the throne
Uzziah, himself, was only 16 yrs old when he began to reign
reigned for 52 yrs
longer than any king before him
either of the Northern Kingdom or the Southern Kingdom
extended Judah’s territory
subdued Ammonites
fought Philistines
controlled Edom
fortified Jerusalem
was so good at being king he tried to usurp the priests and offer incense in the temple.
And yet even after he was struck with leprosy as a punishment the people still loved him.
Lepers-were outcasts
-were unclean
-to be avoided at all costs
Yet Uzziah still reigns supreme as the peoples favorite
Until that dreadful day when Camelot was shattered. Uzziah has died. And joy, which filled the streets during his reign, quickly turns to mourning as despair settles across the land. Tears and confusion well up consuming even his enemies.
And yet it is in the midst of this national mourning that Isaiah declares, "In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and his train filled the temple."
I. God Is In Control
Immediately Isaiah draws a contrast between the earthly king and our Heavenly king. Uzziah the great king may be dead, but Yahweh, the Lord is still on the throne.
The people had put their trust in Uzziah. He was Judah. As long as he reigned life was great. But now he’s dead and confidence has plunged. The market has dropped. Yet, in the midst of this ruin Isaiah declares, "The earthly ruler is gone, but our heavenly ruler remains." God is on His throne. God is in command. His glory fills the temple. His servants declare, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory."
Why should we mourn an earthly king when our heavenly King is on the throne?
"Put not your trust in princes, in a son of man, in whom there is no help. When his breath departs he returns to his earth; on that very day his plans perish." Psalm 146:3-4 (RSV)
II. God Is Everlasting
The glory of Uzziah has faded, but the Glory of God pours forth continually. The Hebrew phrase "his train filled the temple" doesn’t mean a one time act. It’s not like trying to shove a woman and her large wedding gown into a small car. Once they’re in, they’re in. The phrase means He continually fills the temple (I Kings 8:27). On and on and on. Without end. Uzziah may have perished, but the Lord of glory continues to fill the temple. And, He will continue to fill the temple tomorrow, and the next day, and the next, and the next, and the next. Uzziahs come and go; Camelots rise and fall, but the Lord of Glory remains forever.
He is everlasting. And it is to Him the seraphim declare, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts." Not just is He worthy, nor is he especially worthy. But the reiteration connotes that God’s holiness is above all others.
III. God Is Worthy Of Praise
Not only is He in control. Not only is He everlasting. But He is worthy of all our praise
Christ’s triumphal entry
Tell your servants to be quiet
If they are quiet the rocks will cry out
"The heavens are telling the glory of God; and the firmament proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours forth speech, and night to night declares knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words; their voice is not heard; yet their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world." Psalm 19:1-4 (RSV)
The seraphim sing aloud, "Holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory."
As creatures taken from the dust of the ground and infused with the Spirit of God we are made for worship. We have been engineered for the express purpose of giving glory to God.
There are three facets of worship we ultimately experience. The same three which Isaiah faced.
1) Praise originates from the person of God.
Ill. Mean, bitter person walks in the room. You "feel it". There is an air of their coldness
Just the same praise originates from God. By His very presence one is compelled to praise Him.
2) Worship exposes the sin of our lives.
Compared with a genius we’re not very smart.
Compared with Bill Gates we’re not very rich.
Compared with Hollywood we’re not very good looking.
Compared with God we’re not very good.
Like Isaiah when we look upon the holiness of God we can’t help but to notice our sin and the sin of our culture. It’s like attending a formal black tie dinner in jeans and a T-shirt. We can’t help but to notice we are out of place. "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!" We are confronted with the stark reality of His purity and our profanity. And like Isaiah we are in need of His cleansing touch.
3) Worship leads to participation
To call God worthy is to enter into His worthiness. God’s activities are made known to me. By proclaiming them I become a part of the activities themselves.
Ill. Rooting for a team. I become a participant in the rivalry and success of the team. The team becomes "My" team. My resources (money, time) go towards my team to encourage success. When the team wins, I win.
