Trong Hiện Diện Của Đức Chúa Trời
I remember reading a story of a woman who, at the end of the worship service in her church, noticed a man on the front pew who was totally immersed in worship. She wondered when the last time she worshipped like that had happened in her own life.
When we turn to Isaiah 6 it’s like we are entering a new dimension, one where we see the heart of Isaiah the prophet, one where we enter the very sanctuary of God. A place where we feel we shouldn’t be, but a place where we cannot turn away. It’s like entering a great library or museum… we automatically become quiet and reverent. We enter, not in fear but in awe as we witness the exchange between God and His prophet. A powerful encounter that takes place with a redemptive impact.
About 700 years before Christ was born in Bethlehem, the sad announcement was made, “THE KING IS DEAD”. King Uzziah, the eleventh King of Judah, had died
The heart of Isaiah, the prophet, was broken. Uzziah was not only his king, but he was also his friend. King Uzziah had served Judah for 52 years. Isaiah served the King for 40-50 years. In his heartbreak, Isaiah made his way to the Temple to worship and to seek comfort and renewed faith.
Crisis and tragedy often result in a seeking and humbling of ourselves before the Lord. We turn to Him in crisis and loss looking for answers, looking for comfort and looking for direction.
Maybe you have faced a crisis in your life, we all have been there. If not, you will be there someday but know this… when you come before the Lord truly seeking His face, He will answer you! He will reveal Himself to you, He will confront you and challenge you and you will be changed!
Let’s see what we can learn from Isaiah 6 this morning… READ PASSAGE
I. The Uncertainty of the Times:
“In the year that King Uzziah died…”
Our passage focuses on two leaders of Israel: one a King the other a prophet.
First, King Uzziah was one of the most successful Kings of the Southern Kingdom. His name literally means “Jehovah is strength” and his life illustrates the meaning of his name. Uzziah became Judah’s eleventh King at age 16 and held the second longest tenure as Judah’s King (52 years).
a. Early in his career he was victorious over all enemies. He strengthened his kingdom and improved the economic status of his nation.
b. In 2 Chron 26:15 we learn that King Uzziah was an intelligent military tactician. He invented and make weapons. He became famous for these inventions. He was a strong organizer and his fame spread even to the Egyptian Dynasty. During his monarchy the nation enjoyed a bright spot in the world’s history.
c. There cannot be a better success story than King Uzziah. Unfortunately, it doesn’t end there. 2 Chronicles 26:16-18 “But after Uzziah became powerful, his pride led to his downfall. He was unfaithful to the Lord his God, and entered the temple of the Lord to burn incense on the altar of incense. 17 Azariah the priest with eighty other courageous priests of the Lord followed him in. 18 They confronted King Uzziah and said, “It is not right for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the Lord. That is for the priests, the descendants of Aaron, who have been consecrated to burn incense. Leave the sanctuary, for you have been unfaithful; and you will not be honored by the Lord God.”
Second, the prophet Isaiah ("the salvation of Jehovah").
Isaiah was the son of Amos (Isaiah 1:1; 2:1), who was a man of humility. His wife was called "the prophetess" (8:3), either because she was endowed with the prophetic gift, like Deborah (Judg. 4:4) and Huldah ( 2 Kings 22:14-20 ), or simply because she was the wife of "the prophet" ( Isaiah 38:1 ). He had two sons.
He fulfilled the functions of his office during the reigns of Uzziah (or Azariah), Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah (1:1). Uzziah reigned fifty-two years (B.C. 810-759), and probably began his career a few years before Uzziah's death, around B.C. 762. Isaiah may have prophesied for a period of at least sixty-four years.
His first call to the prophetical office is not recorded. A second call came to him "in the year that King Uzziah died" (Isaiah 6:1). He exercised his ministry with firmness and boldness. He concealed nothing and kept nothing back because of fear. He was also known for his deep spirituality and reverence toward "the holy One of Israel."
Life happens, people are born, and people die and life must go one. The reality is that our hope is not in people but in the Lord Jesus Christ so that whether our leaders or brothers or sisters in Christ fail or fall into sinfulness we can continue in the faith and hope that only comes through Jesus.
Times are uncertain these days and the generations who follow us will face even more uncertain times because of the social and moral changes that are happening in our society today. The lack of interest and respect for the body of Christ and His church is growing. But we have a command in Philippians to not become discouraged or disheartened:
Philippians 1:6-7 “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
We need this now in the uncertainty of the times we live in today.
II. The Urgency for answers:
I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple.
When times change, when the comfortable becomes uncomfortable and when God reaches down stirs the waters of our normal routines we are suddenly and passionately driven to our knees to seek His face, to look for answers and direction. It is in these moments when all the worldly things are removed from our hearts that we are open to hearing our Lord speak to us in powerful ways that dramatically change our lives. Crisis breeds desperation and desperation draws us to the throne room of the only one who can provide answers and encouragement.
Isaiah sought comfort in the time of crisis by coming to the Temple to fall before the God of Israel. He may have sought answers; he may have sought direction for himself and for Israel or he may have sought refuge for himself.
How passionate, how intentional and how faithful are the prayers of God’s people when crisis comes to them as individuals and as a nation? Jeremiah 33:3 “Call upon the Lord and I will answer you and show you great and mighty things which you do not know.”
We see this in the early church as Peter and John were preaching the gospel and were arrested by the Sanhedrin and put in jail. Then later as Peter was in jail and released by an angel of the Lord he went to where he knew the church was meeting and praying for him. Crisis tends to bring us to our knees in passionate and focused prayer.
For Isaiah the situation became critical… who would be King? What type of King would reign over Israel? Would the next King be good or bad and what role would Isaiah have in speaking the “word of the Lord?”
Many are living this out in their lives today with the insecurity, uncertainty and chaos of our times.
III. The Unveiling His holiness
Then the Scripture tells us that Isaiah saw an awesome sight.
I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him were seraphs, 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.
There may have been a time when you looked up at the clear night sky and saw the bright shining stars of the Milky Way and it gave you a sense of smallness compared to the void of the universe where God’s marvelous creative hand is revealed, and it humbled you.
When Isaiah came broken and unsure into the place of worship God revealed Himself in a unique and powerful way. A scene that lifted Isaiah’s eyes to the very throne room of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
Here Isaiah viewed a scene which would change his life and ministry forever.
He saw the Lord high and lifted up, he saw the Lord’s robe which filled the temple with glory; He saw the seraphs each with six wings who were calling to one another “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty. The whole earth is filled with His glory.”
WOW! Anytime we come broken, in need, seeking, asking and searching before the Lord God, He will reveal Himself. It’s when we come with no sense of need, when we come with pride, hypocrisy; when we come out of obligation or when we come with un-forgiveness and hate in our hearts that we leave the same way we came.
Jeremiah 29:13 “You will seek me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart.”
It’s only when we come into the presence of the living and Holy God that we see Him as He truly is and ourselves as we truly are!
When was the last time you came before the Lord, broken, humble, surrendered, searching and asking?
God answers our prayers but not before He cleanses and renews our hearts.
IV. The Unleashing of sin:
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 seraphs 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.”
There is no question, as is revealed throughout Scripture, that when you come into the presence of our Holy God that you will be changed. For Isaiah, the reality of his sin in the presence of God’s Holiness became almost unbearable. Our sin is magnified in the glory of His presence.
Too often those who are Christ-followers fail to realize the magnitude of their sin. Yes, we are forgiven through faith in Jesus Christ, but we must never forget that it is only by His grace and mercy that we have access to the Father.
Psalm 51:16-7 You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.
Isaiah was God’s prophet… he had served God faithfully yet when he was given a view of the throne room his sin became overpowering.
V. The Unhindered surrender
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!”
Psalm 51:16-17 “You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it. You take no pleasure in burnt offerings. My sacrifice O’God, is a broken spirit, a broken and contrate heart, you God will not despise.”
Listen, we can get so caught up in “doing church” and worship that we miss what true worship is.
CONCLUSION:
2,000 years ago, there was the announcement that the Nazarene had been crucified. Jesus was dead and buried and it shook the very foundations of the earth. Many mourned, many worried and those who knew Him and loved Him were afraid and uncertain about the future.
Then on a Sunday morning another announcement was made “He’s Alive!” Sin and death had been overcome and the very gates of heaven were open to all to come and receive God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ.
GOSPEL
And finally, Jesus gave the command, the commission for all who have trusted in Him to “Go and make disciples of all nations…” Beginning in Jerusalem, then Judea, then Samaria and finally the rest of the world.”
So, what will we do with that command? Until we come before God in brokenness and humility, seeking His face and confessing our sin we will not change? When we do come before Him in brokenness and humility and confessing our sin and being forgiven, He will renew us and send us without hindrance to impact our community and our world for Christ.