The Mission
In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. 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. And they were calling to one another: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.” At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke. “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.” Then one of the seraphs flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. With it he touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.” 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!” (Isaiah 6:1-8)
At 8:45 AM on September 11, 2001, life as we know it in America was forever changed. While our government scrambled to attach a name to our perpetrators, those of us who follow Jesus already knew whose hand was ultimately behind the attacks. We mourned not only as a nation, but worldwide at so great a loss of life. Thousands perished in a moment…a mere twinkling of an eye. We watched in horror, as beloved family and cherished co-workers were snuffed out in a matter of seconds. This was a deed that could only be accomplished at the hand of the master of evil himself. The question that weighed heavy on everyone’s heart was, “How do we respond?” How should we respond when life’s trials are more than we can bear?
The mood that was in our country on that day was much the same mood that we find in the sixth chapter of Isaiah. In this chapter of Scripture King Uzziah had died. There had not been another king like him since Solomon. He began his reign at 16, and it lasted 52 years – truly a remarkable tenure. Under his leadership the nation of Judah had grown and known tremendous prosperity, peace and stability. But with Uzziah’s death came the death of hope for many. Judah was facing the transition from one very popular and proven ruler to an inexperienced and less favored successor. Would Uzziah’s son be able to lead them? To the north, the Assyrians were gaining power and were gulping down nations all around them. They were pushing closer and closer every day. An even larger threat was presenting itself in the rising kingdom of Babylon. It was a frightening, depressing & violent time in the history of the nation. And yet Isaiah finds hope and provides an example for us to follow. When we are confronted with an uncertain future:
1. We Need A New Vision Of God “In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple.” (Isaiah 6:1) When fear grips our heart we need a fresh vision of the Lord. Isaiah said, “In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted....” It was depressing to think of what was going to happen to the nation with the death of the king. Judah was in need of continuing great leadership if the nation was going to remain free and prosperous. All of this was now uncertain with Uzziah’s death and Isaiah was in despair. Isaiah needed a vision of God to bring him out of it. With the death of Judah’s king, Isaiah needed to see not an earthly king but The King of Creation - the Sovereign of all the earth whose Kingdom will never end.
Prior to his ‘heavenly experience” Isaiah had been in the presence of king Uzziah on many occasions. Uzziah’s throne and his attendants were majestic. The military power and the royal authority contained in the palace of the king were overpowering, even intoxicating. The colors and the grandeur of ceremony which was played out each day would impress anybody. But Uzziah’s court could not even be compared to what Isaiah saw in his vision of God. He was thunderstruck. So majestic and powerful was the presence of God that it devastated him. There was smoke and fire, and worship like he had never experienced. The whole place was shaken by the awesome presence of God, but nothing was shaking more than Isaiah. He flew to the floor and landed on his face. And Isaiah saw that God’s glory was not limited to heaven. As the burning seraphs flew back and forth, they called out to one another: “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory” (Isaiah 6:3). Isaiah may have had the idea that God’s glory was confined to heaven, but he now saw that God’s glory extended to all the earth - a glory greater than any earthly king.
2. We Need A Transformed Heart. When Isaiah saw who God really was, he also saw who he really was, and he thought he was done for. He thought he would die. “Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! " Something essential was taking place in Isaiah’s life. His heart was being transformed as he spent time in the presence of God. Perhaps Isaiah had not thought of himself as unclean before this. As he compared himself to the other people in the nation he may have thought of himself as a fairly decent person. And in fact as a prophet of God, he may have been the most righteous man in the nation. But when Isaiah stopped comparing himself with other people, and compared his life with the holiness of God, he saw what a moral failure he really was. Isaiah saw his sin and confessed it, and when he did, his sin was cleansed. His guilt and shame were taken away and his heart was transformed.
3. We Need A Mission To The World. “Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” With charred lips Isaiah cried out, “Here am I. Send me.” At first it almost seems strange to the context of the passage that God would be asking for assistance. But as Isaiah raises his hand to volunteer, he teaches us a very important lesson. Isaiah’s attention had been diverted from what was wrong in his life to what was wrong in this world. As bad as his situation was, it was only a microcosm of a much bigger issue. Isaiah had encountered God. He had seen the one, true, and living God. He had been cleansed from his sin, and his heart was full of excitement and gratitude. He wanted to be used by God, and God gave him a mission in the world. His heart and mind were full as he considered the awesome task of speaking God’s Word to the needy people around him. Despair turned to hope as he realized he could be used by God to lead people from despair to hope.
Isaiah’s mission was to take the Word of God to a needy despairing world. That same mission has now been passed on the Church. Now more than ever, the men and women of God who stand on the promise of eternal life, hold the key to offering deliverance for those who sorrow – whose hearts are filled with fear. Now more than ever, we, who are the church – the called out ones, must carry that message of hope to this generation of survivors. Christ stands at the door with outstretched arms saying, “Come unto Me, all ye that are heavy laden and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and LEARN OF ME.”
Will You Accept Your Mission?
Live the Victorious Life,
PT
At 8:45 AM on September 11, 2001, life as we know it in America was forever changed. While our government scrambled to attach a name to our perpetrators, those of us who follow Jesus already knew whose hand was ultimately behind the attacks. We mourned not only as a nation, but worldwide at so great a loss of life. Thousands perished in a moment…a mere twinkling of an eye. We watched in horror, as beloved family and cherished co-workers were snuffed out in a matter of seconds. This was a deed that could only be accomplished at the hand of the master of evil himself. The question that weighed heavy on everyone’s heart was, “How do we respond?” How should we respond when life’s trials are more than we can bear?
The mood that was in our country on that day was much the same mood that we find in the sixth chapter of Isaiah. In this chapter of Scripture King Uzziah had died. There had not been another king like him since Solomon. He began his reign at 16, and it lasted 52 years – truly a remarkable tenure. Under his leadership the nation of Judah had grown and known tremendous prosperity, peace and stability. But with Uzziah’s death came the death of hope for many. Judah was facing the transition from one very popular and proven ruler to an inexperienced and less favored successor. Would Uzziah’s son be able to lead them? To the north, the Assyrians were gaining power and were gulping down nations all around them. They were pushing closer and closer every day. An even larger threat was presenting itself in the rising kingdom of Babylon. It was a frightening, depressing & violent time in the history of the nation. And yet Isaiah finds hope and provides an example for us to follow. When we are confronted with an uncertain future:
1. We Need A New Vision Of God “In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple.” (Isaiah 6:1) When fear grips our heart we need a fresh vision of the Lord. Isaiah said, “In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted....” It was depressing to think of what was going to happen to the nation with the death of the king. Judah was in need of continuing great leadership if the nation was going to remain free and prosperous. All of this was now uncertain with Uzziah’s death and Isaiah was in despair. Isaiah needed a vision of God to bring him out of it. With the death of Judah’s king, Isaiah needed to see not an earthly king but The King of Creation - the Sovereign of all the earth whose Kingdom will never end.
Prior to his ‘heavenly experience” Isaiah had been in the presence of king Uzziah on many occasions. Uzziah’s throne and his attendants were majestic. The military power and the royal authority contained in the palace of the king were overpowering, even intoxicating. The colors and the grandeur of ceremony which was played out each day would impress anybody. But Uzziah’s court could not even be compared to what Isaiah saw in his vision of God. He was thunderstruck. So majestic and powerful was the presence of God that it devastated him. There was smoke and fire, and worship like he had never experienced. The whole place was shaken by the awesome presence of God, but nothing was shaking more than Isaiah. He flew to the floor and landed on his face. And Isaiah saw that God’s glory was not limited to heaven. As the burning seraphs flew back and forth, they called out to one another: “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory” (Isaiah 6:3). Isaiah may have had the idea that God’s glory was confined to heaven, but he now saw that God’s glory extended to all the earth - a glory greater than any earthly king.
2. We Need A Transformed Heart. When Isaiah saw who God really was, he also saw who he really was, and he thought he was done for. He thought he would die. “Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! " Something essential was taking place in Isaiah’s life. His heart was being transformed as he spent time in the presence of God. Perhaps Isaiah had not thought of himself as unclean before this. As he compared himself to the other people in the nation he may have thought of himself as a fairly decent person. And in fact as a prophet of God, he may have been the most righteous man in the nation. But when Isaiah stopped comparing himself with other people, and compared his life with the holiness of God, he saw what a moral failure he really was. Isaiah saw his sin and confessed it, and when he did, his sin was cleansed. His guilt and shame were taken away and his heart was transformed.
3. We Need A Mission To The World. “Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” With charred lips Isaiah cried out, “Here am I. Send me.” At first it almost seems strange to the context of the passage that God would be asking for assistance. But as Isaiah raises his hand to volunteer, he teaches us a very important lesson. Isaiah’s attention had been diverted from what was wrong in his life to what was wrong in this world. As bad as his situation was, it was only a microcosm of a much bigger issue. Isaiah had encountered God. He had seen the one, true, and living God. He had been cleansed from his sin, and his heart was full of excitement and gratitude. He wanted to be used by God, and God gave him a mission in the world. His heart and mind were full as he considered the awesome task of speaking God’s Word to the needy people around him. Despair turned to hope as he realized he could be used by God to lead people from despair to hope.
Isaiah’s mission was to take the Word of God to a needy despairing world. That same mission has now been passed on the Church. Now more than ever, the men and women of God who stand on the promise of eternal life, hold the key to offering deliverance for those who sorrow – whose hearts are filled with fear. Now more than ever, we, who are the church – the called out ones, must carry that message of hope to this generation of survivors. Christ stands at the door with outstretched arms saying, “Come unto Me, all ye that are heavy laden and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and LEARN OF ME.”
Will You Accept Your Mission?
Live the Victorious Life,
PT
posted by Larry | 12:03 PM
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