A message to encourage us in tough times but also to help us realise we’re still commissioned by God! 22/09/13 - Life Church.
Isaiah 6: 1-6 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: with two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. 3 And they were calling to one another: ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.’ 4 At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.5 ‘Woe to me!’ I cried. ‘I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.’6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 With it he touched my mouth and said, ‘See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.’ 8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?’ And I said, ‘Here am I. Send me!’
This is such a well known passage that most Christians have heard it preached. I want us to discover four things from this:
Where Do You Go When Your Heart Hurts?
The passage we just read begins “In the year that king Uzziah died.” Now, many approach this statement, they read of the passing of the king and think of it as just a historical marker; a way to tell exactly when this vision took place. For some it may be no more than that, but for Isaiah, it was much more. This was a monumental & life shattering event in his life. King Uzziah had died.
This means nothing to us unless we think about who king Uzziah was. King Uzziah was a godly man. He was a godly king. Uzziah became king at the age of 16. He loved God and served Him. The Bible records that Uzziah “did right in the sight of the Lord.”
Uzziah loved the land. He was a farmer. He had cisterns dug all across the country to help water the land because he loved his people.
Uzziah was militarily successful and had no trouble recruiting troops. He had over 300,000 soldiers in his army, and he equipped them with body armor and bows. He built towers in Jerusalem and in the desert to help defend against invaders. He built large weapons to launch huge arrows and catapults to launch huge stones. The Lord gave him success against the Philistines.
Under his leadership, Israel’s borders were expanded and new cities were built. Not since king Solomon had the country been so blessed and so proud.
Uzziah reigned 52 years, and during that time the nation saw blessings and prosperity. Now, King Uzziah had died and Isaiah was overcome with despair. He was depressed and discouraged.
He had placed his hope in something, in someone, and things had not turned out like he planned.
Question: where do you go when your heart hurts? Isaiah went to worship God. He has gone to the temple. he has gone to the place where he cane pray, seek the Lord and find encouragement.
Where do we go when our heart hurts? We go to the TV, to our friends, to our fridge! We go all sorts of emotional places. We seek diplomatic solutions to spiritual problems. we look for those who will understand, who will be sympathetic.
But we need to turn to the Lord. Isaiah in the the middle of his struggle turned to God!
It was this attitude not the situation that propels him into the crosshairs of God’s purposes. This would not have been a one off occasion for him - this was his habit!
He knew there was healing there:
Psalm 51:17: My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise.
Psalm 147:3: He heals the broken-hearted and binds up their wounds.
Keep our attitude right! Life is tough - seek the Lord.
What Do You See When Look to God?
When Isaiah was discouraged, God gave Him a vision of His Holy and mighty self, still seated on the throne of heaven.
Friends, I want you to know that God is still in control.
The Israelites were discouraged when they stood before the Red Sea with the Egyptians in pursuit.
The Israelites were discouraged when a teenager went out with a sling and five stones to face a giant.
Daniel’s friends were discouraged when he was thrown in a lions den.
Jesus’ disciples were discouraged on crucifixion day.
Have we ever bee discouraged? Have our trials overcome us.
Sometimes life is like a bag of liquorice - it takes all sorts.
Life has been pretty hard in the Jackson household lately. We have had to contend with Barbie’s accident last year, her recent surgery to solve her should and neck problems, her incapacity during this time, Sam having an accident that left us with one car (half a car if you believe Barbie), my father (an unbeliever) has prostate cancer and I’ve been referred to a consultant for an ongoing elbow issue.
Keep our perspective right! Life is tough - but God is still on the throne!
Where Have We Gone When Our Sin is Confronted?
In the middle of this amazing vision - and I am not trying to unpack this for us today - Isaiah is confronted with his own sin, his own uncleanliness in the presence of the Holy God!
He expects to die!
Exodus 33:20: ‘But,’ he said, ‘you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live.’
6:5: ‘Woe to me!’ I cried. ‘I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.’
Notice two quick things here: Isaiah os first concerned about himself and his condition before God, but then immediately about the condition of the nation!
God is still calling the broken, hurting, sinful people that he has always called. He calls us to Himself and cleanses and forgives our sins!
He is still calling imperfect people! Someone put it like this:
~ Noah was a drunk
~ Abraham was too old
~ Isaac was a daydreamer
~ Jacob was a liar
~ Leah was ugly
~ Joseph was abused
~ Moses had a stuttering problem
~ Gideon was afraid
~ Samson had long hair and was a womanizer
~ Rahab was a prostitute
~ Jeremiah and Timothy were too young
~ David was an adulterer and a murderer
~ Elijah was suicidal
~ Isaiah preached naked
~ Jonah ran from God
~ Naomi was a widow
~ Job went bankrupt
~ John the Baptist ate bugs
~ Peter denied Christ
~ The disciples fell asleep while praying
~ Martha worried about everything
~ The Samaritan woman was divorced (more than once)
~ Zacchaeus was too small
~ Paul was too religious
~ Timothy had an ulcer
~ Lazarus was dead!
(Unknown Author)
We need to allow the coal of God’s presence to cleanse the imperfect so God’s power, strength and glory are seen in our weaknesses (2 Cor. 12:9).
Keep our hearts right. Life is tough - remain open to correction and His forgiveness.
Where Have We Gone When We’re Already Sent?
Friends, we do not have to be popular to be used.
We do not have to be educated in order to be used. The majority of the disciples had little education.
We do not have to be politically savvy and connected.
Isaiah’s heart leapt when he heard the Lord ask,
Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?’
His response? And I said, ‘Here am I. Send me!’
So many Christians are waiting to be sent in the same way. God is gracious. He comes and calls us to a ministry or a specific area. We all seem to be waiting for the verse 8 of Isaiah but avoiding verse five (conviction of our sin) and verses 6-7 (the hot coal of cleansing).
What God is looking for is people who understand that they are already sent!
Matthew 28:19-20: Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.’
Did we hear those words of Jesus? Therefore go...
The moment we were saved we were sent!
Sent people. People sent to be used. People on the go. People sent to pray. People sent to tell.
We are sent. Life is tough - go be the answer not the problem!
Wrapping it Up:
We too can have the Isaiah experience if we keep the following in mind:
- Keep our attitude right! Seek the Lord.
- Keep our perspective right! God is still on the throne!
- Keep our hearts right. Remain open to correction and His forgiveness.
- We are sent! We are part of the answer (salt and light) not part of the problem.
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