The Favor Of God Series

Intro: I remember my brother in law Curtis coming up with the best app of all time. There was a bug on the wall and he grabbed his phone and said “I got an app for that,” and proceeded to smash the bug with his phone. With the introduction of the I Phone, I Pad and all the smart phones and other technology those words have become part of our vocabulary. The amazing thing about it is that God had apps long before Steve Jobs and Apple. God’s truth His principles for living, His promises for his children, His commands for His children have to be applied.

You can be a child of God and not have His favor in your life. You can have grace to forgive your sin and miss the favor of God or His best for you in this life.

William Booth founder of the Salvation army saw this time of people hungering for apps on smart phones but missing the greatest apps of all, said, “The chief danger of the twentieth century will be; religion without the Holy Ghost, Christianity without Christ, forgiveness without repentance, salvation without regeneration heaven without hell.”

What we will find in this series is that God has resources for us to deal with daily life. First we must realize there are no quick fixes. Even when we are introduced to Jesus for the first time we still have to make Godly decisions, have Godly attitudes and surrender our daily life to Jesus Christ.

Where does this all begin? Proverbs 29:18 “Without prophetic vision people run wild, but blessed are those who follow God’s teachings.”

It can literally mean without divine communication people run around wild. We need to be headed in a direction together Immanuel.

I) We need to get a clear vision of Jesus

John 12:41 “1 Isaiah said this because he had seen Jesus’ glory and had spoken about him.”

What is the importance of seeing Jesus? What you believe about Jesus affects everything else you do. .

A) The High and exalted master (Adonai)

He is above the temporary things of our life. The natural disasters, the natural desires, the natural mistakes, Adonai, Lord Master, God is above it all. However, he is interested in you. He will invade your circumstances and become master of it all if you only invite Him.

B) The Holy master

Job 42:5, 6 “I had heard about you with my own ears, but now I have seen you with my own eyes.

6 That is why I take back what I said, and I sit in dust and ashes to show that I am sorry.”

Isaiah saw how different God is. Job saw how different God is.

Everyone has a story but that story is merely a sentence in the History of God’s glory.

C.S. Lewis said, “How little people know who think holiness is dull. When one meets the real thing, it is irresistible.”

II) We need complete confession of sin

Isaiah said woe is me! Isaiah 6.5 is an expression of deep sorrow and grief. Do you really want a vision? A true vision of Jesus will result in an overwhelming understanding of your sinfulness.

Why is God light? To shine on the darkness of our rebellious hearts and allow us to confess what He already knows.

Isaiah finally realizes His religion just like his generations. It is shallow and filled with self pleasing excuses. So we see that the result of really seeing Jesus as He is, is confession of the sins that separate us.

Psalm 1:17 “The sacrifice pleasing to God is a broken spirit. God, You will not despise a broken and humbled heart.”

Brokenness leads to confession. Confession leads to cleansing.

So many want seekers and people that come to Sunday worship to be comfortable. God wants us to be amazed at His holiness and overwhelmed with our sinfulness.

Confession of our inability is the permission for God to begin to work in and through us and receive the recognition for what is happening in our life.

What does Isaiah’s confession reveal?

a) Unless we have been cleansed by Jesus’ work on the cross and His resurrection our worship is worthless.

b) Unless we have been cleansed by Adonai, the Lord, Jesus we will not hear His call.

III. We need complete cleansing of sin

After Isaiah came clean and confessed His sin before God Jesus took the initiative just like He did when you accepted the gospel. When God could have totally destroyed Isaiah with the Holy blast of His breath instead He cleansed Him.

It is clear Isaiah’s encounter with God changed Him. What has your encounter with God done in your life? God invites and even commands us to be like Him. 1 Peter 1:13-16 “Therefore, with your minds ready for action,[i] be serious and set your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the desires of your former ignorance. 15 But as the One who called you is holy, you also are to be holy in all your conduct; 16 for it is written, Be holy, because I am holy.”