Uzziah Must Die
We’re living in, perhaps, the most critical period of time in the history of the church. In the past few weeks, we’ve seen the entire atmosphere of the whole world changed forever. America will never be the same way it was prior to September 11th. The church has also changed. We, as believers, have been forced to look at our personal level of faith and our daily testimony: how we are lining up with the word of God in our lives.
We’ve even asked the same questions the unbeliever is asking:
a. Where was God on that fateful day?
b. What was He doing?
c. Why did God let this terrible thing happen?
Where was God on Sept. 11th?
a. He was in the World Trade Center towers.
b. He was on board the four planes that were used as weapons of destruction.
c. He was at the Pentagon.
What was He doing?
a. He was watching over His word to perform it.
b. God was insuring that man’s right to choose was enforced.
c. He was also present to receive those who had made a decision to accept Jesus as their Savior and Lord.
Somewhere in the WTC towers, a believer had just arrived to begin what they thought would be a normal workday. They were perhaps reaching out to turn their desktop computer on when a plane came crashing into the building. But, instead of flipping the switch on the computer, they found their hand in the grasp of Jesus. God had received them unto Himself in glory.
On a more personal note:
a. Where was God when you got pregnant out of wedlock?
b. Where was God when you got that young girl pregnant?
c. Where was God when you stole that candy bar from the 7-11?
He was right there with you, defending your right to have dominion in the earth and over your own life. We, however, must live with the consequences. America’s confidence has been shaken.
The notion that we are untouchable, unhurtable, invincible has forever been proven a lie. What we had been trusting in has been revealed to be flawed. Our confidence: our faith in ourselves, in our military, in our power, in our wealth, in our “goodness” has been called into question.
We have to choose this day who we’re going to serve.
Read Isaiah 6:1
In verse 1, we see that Isaiah saw the Lord the year King Uzziah died.
The first thing we need to do is to find out who Uzziah was. Uzziah was king of Judah. He was considered a ‘good’ king, in that he did what was right in the sight of God. But Uzziah became prideful and sinned against God by burning incense in the temple, which was the duty of the priests. As a result, he was smitten with leprosy and he was a leper until he died.
Uzziah was a great king and Isaiah apparently looked up to him. Isaiah was a man of God. He was a prophet. Yet, he didn’t see the Lord until Uzziah died. Why? Because he had more respect for Uzziah than he had for God. He depended on Uzziah more than he depended on God. Instead of having his eyes on God, Isaiah had been trusting in the king. It wasn’t until that which he had placed between himself and God had been removed that he was able to see the God he was called to serve.
There is an Uzziah in each of our lives, and he needs to die if we’re going to see the Lord as we need to see Him. Uzziah takes on many forms. He’s not necessarily a man or woman. My Uzziah may not be the same as your Uzziah. Uzziah is that which you’ve put in a place of trust above God.
The first commandment says, “I am the Lord, thy God; thou shalt have no other gods before Me”. Many of us have lost possessions and loved ones because they became god to us and God had to get them out of the way so we could see Him.
America became arrogant in its power and strength. We thought we didn’t need God anymore. We thought no one could touch us. We thought we were invincible; we thought we, as a nation, were like a god. No one would dare attack such a strong and powerful nation. We’ve forsaken the principle this country was founded on: “In God, we trust”. We should have known that this day was coming. The Bible has been warning us for thousands of years.
Read Matthew 24:4-8
Read II Timothy 3:1-8
Let’s find out how Uzziah must die:
1. First, you must know that we’ve become our own Uzziah.
It’s time for Uzziah to die. It’s time for the church to rise up and take its place in the world. We can do what no one else can do.
The President represents America. The Body of Christ represents God! Who is going to tell the unbeliever who God is, if we don’t? Who’s going to tell the world what God says, if we don’t?
2. You must understand whose job is it to kill Uzziah? Yours!
Many of us are struggling today in our bodies, in our finances, in our relationships, in other areas of life because Uzziah is on the throne and has to be taken down. You have to crucify your own flesh. You have to kill your own Uzziah.
God has to become #1 in our lives. God is our source. Not the things He gives us. We have to look unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith. We have to choose this day whom we will serve. God or Uzziah.
After Isaiah’s eyes were opened, when Uzziah died, he was a changed man. Now, he was fit for the Master’s use.
Since that fateful, horrible day September 11th, that we’ve relived many times since, things have begun to change. We have begun to remember the Lord, our God again. Again, we are singing “God bless America” Again, we’re seeing people praying in public, and no one is criticizing them.
Men and women of God are being asked what America should do. Many personal and national problems have proven to be unimportant. A movement has emerged to reintroduce prayer back into schools. Americans everywhere are calling on the name of the Lord again. We have to make sure they call on the right God. The one, the only, the true and Living God. The Father of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
3. When our Uzziah has been put to death, then we too will be able to say - Here I am; send me! (Isaiah 6:8)
