From Singing To Going: How The Greatness Of God Fuels The Mission Of The Church

When Americans went to the grocery store to pick up their copy of Time magazine in 1966, some of them were startled by the cover. On the cover was a question, just three words long. The question was written in large blood red letters against a black background.

“Is God dead?

America was quickly becoming a secular nation, even back as early as 1966. God had served his purpose. Now that we thought we understood the origin of the universe and we had mastered electricity and nuclear bombs, what need did 20th century people have for Him?

As Christians we know God is not dead; He is very much alive. The Bible presents us with no dead Savior but with a living Lord.

And yet, for many of us, God seems to be dead.

I mean God seems to be dead in our experience. Our prayers feel like they don’t make it past the ceiling. Our heart isn’t in it when we come here to sing and worship God. We can’t make ourselves read the Bible. We live as though He isn’t real.

I have been there, which is why I feel confident in telling you what you’re experiencing.

I also know that if we are ever to be made alive again, it will have to be through God’s own living word. So let’s look into God’s living word and let’s allow His life-giving word to bring us to life again today. We’re going to see four progressions of worship this morning.

First notice with me, the progression from tragedy to worship.

[SLIDE: PROGRESSION #1…]

Progression #1: From Tragedy To Worship

Tragedy meets us right off the bat in Isaiah 6.

King Uzziah’s death marked the end for Israel. His death would mean eventually the death of the nation. While Uzziah was king, Israel prospered. God blessed them. They were powerful. They could defend themselves. They built beautiful buildings and towers in Jerusalem. Crops were plentiful. Harvests were joyful. Foreign countries respected Uzziah and they respected Israel.

Do you know why?

2 Chronicles 26:4 (ESV)

And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord.

But it didn’t last. Like Solomon, Uzziah became proud. He turned away from the Lord.

And so, when Uzziah died, Assyria to the north was gaining annexing territory right and left. Within just a couple of decades, Assyria would come and tear through Israel and leave death and destruction behind them [Eerdmans Dict. of Bible]. It was like it was in this country in the days and months and years after 9/11. Or in Europe in 1940, as Belgium fell to the Nazis, and then France, and it seemed Britain was next.

Uzziah is dying. The nation is mourning. Dark clouds are gathering on the horizon and people are scared. And Isaiah comes on the scene and is called into the ministry at this time in history. As the king lays on his death bed, Isaiah is given a vision of the King of Kings.

Church family, there is no better gift that we could we be given than a fresh vision of who God really is. There is no better gift that we could seek from Him than a fresh vision of who He really is.

Who is He really? He is unspeakably holy.

What does it mean to be holy? What does it mean to say that God is holy? A cut above the rest? But even saying that is not saying enough. He’s not just a cut above the rest. He’s in a class all by himself.

To say that God is holy is to say that He is unique. There is no one who comes close to Him in greatness and majesty and power. Among all the so-called gods of world religions, both ancient and modern, only Yahweh is holy, holy, holy. We’ve got a couple of Michaels here this morning. My middle name is Michael and so is Shawn’s and so is my son Noah’s. Michael is a Hebrew name. Its meaning is a question: “who is like God?” David the psalmist cried out, “O Lord, who is like you?” (Psalm 35:10). King Solomon answers: “O Lord, God of Israel, there is no God like you” (1Kgs 8:23 ESV).

So How holy is He? He’s so holy that one holy doesn’t do it justice. The angels around him take His holiness and raise it to the third degree — “holy, holy, holy!” -- each “holy” exponentially increases the emphasis.

In the midst of all the worry and panic over the death of their leader and fear of the future, in the face of imminent tragedy, Isaiah is given the gift of a lifetime — a fresh vision of God. Isaiah always knew God is holy, just like we do. Now that He has seen God, Isaiah falls on his face before this King who is so holy that even the angels must hide their faces and cover their feet.

Isaiah saw the Lord of hosts — that’s a name for God that points to His power and ownership over all creation. He is the warrior of heaven with all his angels as his troops. Isaiah saw Him seated on a throne. As a King, He’s wearing a robe. His robe is so bright and brilliant that it fills the whole temple — it’s all Isaiah can see. Angelic beings are around Him, attending to Him, singing His praises. When they cry “holy, holy, holy”, the temple shakes at the majesty of the One they’re singing to.

That, church, is our God. And that is how He is present with us this morning.

What if you could get a glimpse of God, like Isaiah did? What if you really saw Him as He was? Would that help your faith? Would that breathe new life into your tired souls? It did for Isaiah.

I pray that God will give all of us a glimpse of His glory and greatness. If He did, not only would we have no problem singing at the top of our lungs; we also wouldn’t want to stop singing His praises.

From tragedy to worship.

Notice with me the next progression: from worship to conviction.

[SLIDE: PROGRESSION #2…]

Progression #2: From Worship to Conviction

It would be helpful for us if we could get a glimpse of God in all His glory.

But seeing God in all His glory often gets us more than we bargained for. When God reveals Himself to us, when He opens our eyes, our first reaction can be unpleasant.

Isaiah has that same reaction.

“And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. And I said, ‘Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips” (Isa 6:4-5a ESV).

[SLIDE: ISAIAH’S FEAR OF GOD]

Isaiah’s fear of God:

“I am lost!” ESV/RSV/NRSV

“I am ruined!” NIV/NASB/CSB

“I am doomed!” CEV

“I am undone!” KJV/NKJV

“I am lost!” I am ruined! I am undone! I am doomed!

It’s hard to comprehend what Isaiah is experiencing right now. When he says, “I am ruined, I am undone, I’m doomed”, he uses a word that means complete devastation.

You’ve seen those pictures of destruction from tornadoes out in the midwest. You’ve seen the total devastation where entire neighborhoods made up of big strong homes just reduced to splinters. That’s the picture here with Isaiah. Why is Isaiah reacting like this? Isaiah seems to think that his death and possibly God’s judgment are imminent. Why? “For I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips” - and here Isaiah gets right to the heart of the problem - “for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts” (Isa 6:5 ESV).

Did you notice what specifically Isaiah thought of when he saw the majesty of God? Not just that he was a sinner; but that he was guilty of unclean speech. “I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts” (Isa 6:5 ESV).

In the face of the incredibly bright, brilliant majesty and holiness of God, Isaiah was suddenly aware that there was nothing that could come out of his mouth that could withstand the perfect scrutiny of a blindingly holy God. Nothing he could say could possibly be free from sin. Any word spoken would necessarily dishonor the Lord. Coming into the presence of God changes everything, and this is what I mean when I say that we get more than we bargained for.

Some of you have read some of A. W. Tozer’s books. This is what Tozer says about God’s holiness.

We must not think of God as highest in an ascending order of beings, starting with the single cell and going on up from the fish to the bird to the animal to man to angel to cherub to God. God is as high above an archangel as above a caterpillar, for the gulf that separates the archangel from the caterpillar is but finite, while the gulf between God and the archangel is infinite.” [Tozer, Knowledge of the Holy, printed in Ortlund, Isaiah, PTW p77]

You see, church, God is holy, which means God is pure. God is pure, His word is pure, His temple must be pure, His priests must be pure, our worship must be pure — you and I must be pure.

The problem, of course, is that you and I are not pure by nature. Until we come to Christ for cleansing, our impurity separates us from a pure God. Yet we are made for relationship with God. We are made to worship God. Incredible as it may sound, we are made for friendship with this holy and pure God.

Our problem is not that we are imperfect. Our problem is sin. Our problem is not that we slip up from time to time. Our problem is sin. Our problem is not that we are weak and frail. Our problem is our sin.

We are not good people who mostly do good things; we are bad people who do bad things and good things, and even the good things we do are tainted with our selfishness. We give our tithe check, and our heart swells with pride. We stand up and pray at home before dinner or here at church during the service, and we want people to hear us and think well of us.

How can impure people like us have a friendship with a pure God?

The first step is conviction. You will have a clear sense of God’s holiness. And along with that you will have a clear sense of your own sin.

But God doesn’t leave us in that position of fear and shame. He comes to us in forgiveness. This is the next progress: from conviction to forgiveness.

[SLIDE: PROGRESSION #3…]

Progression #3: From conviction to forgiveness

I want you to picture a man laying in the middle of a dirt road. There’s a chain attached to one of his feet. The other end of the chain is secured to a rock. He’s face down, exhausted. He was pulling the chain and crawling slowly, but now he’s just worn out.

This was a real photo of a man in Cuba that was printed by the Canadian Press. The caption under the photo says that this man is pulling this rock by a chain, foot by foot, inch by inch, because he is on a pilgrimage to a sanctuary dedicated to Lazarus. Why is he doing this? Because he is taught that doing things like this will relieve his guilt. [Craig Brian Larson, 750 Engaging Illustrations for Preachers, Teachers & Writers (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2002), 30]

We hear stories like that and we think it’s either funny or sad. But we do the same thing. How many of us have come here this morning dragging a rock?

We have nothing to offer God! When Isaiah saw the Lord, high and lifted up, Isaiah did think of his preaching skills or his calling as a prophet; he did not boast about his godliness. The only thing on his mind before God was how he failed to measure up to the standards of this holy God before whom we stand small, weak, sinful. That is to say, he knew there was nothing he could bring to God. He had nothing to offer God but “I’m sorry”.

And oh, church, how that moves the heart of God! Look at what Isaiah receives when he confesses his sin: Isai 6:6-7

Isaiah 6:6–7 ESV

Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.”

Those two words: your guilt is taken away — your sin atoned for — it’s the picture of complete and total forgiveness. First the sin is atoned for; the shed blood of Christ on the cross symbolizes that He gave His life in our place. Someone has to die for our sin. Jesus is the Someone. His blood appeases the wrath of God and brings peace and reconciliation between us and God. Sin atoned for. All that remains is the guilt. What do you know? And then our guilt is taken away.

Friends, there is forgiveness available. But to have it, you have to put down your rock.

[SLIDE: PROV 28:13]]

Proverbs 28:13 ESV

Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.

To hear a person confess sin moves the heart of God. He is compassionate.

The Bible says, “Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy” (Prov. 28:13 ESV).

[SLIDE: 1JOHN 1:9]

1 John 1:9 ESV

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1John 1:9 ESV).

Raise your hand if you’ve seen that old 1930s movie The Power And the Glory. There’s a character in that movie known as the whisky priest. A long time ago the Mexican government persecuted Roman Catholics. The movie is about that persecution. If you were a Roman Catholic priest in Mexico, you had three choices: renounce your faith, flee the country, or be shot.

The Whisky priest — he’s the good guy in the story — he’s trying to go around ministering to his people despite the fact that what he’s doing is illegal. But he’s also trying to atone for his past sins. He’s captured and is executed by the firing squad. On the morning of his execution, he faces a terrible realization. He has nothing to show for all his work and ministry. The thoughts of this priest on the last day of his life is that he now has to go to God empty-handed, with nothing to offer him.

If he had only known that the only qualification for going before God at all is that you bring nothing to Him! Friends there is forgiveness available! God wants to give it to you! He doesn’t want you to carry your guilt over past or present sin. But you have to be willing to go with nothing in your hand. You have to put down your rock.

From tragedy to worship. From worship to conviction. From conviction to forgiveness. Lastly, from forgiveness to mission.

[SLIDE: PROGRESSION #4…]

Progression #4: From forgiveness to mission

Isaiah has come from a place of tragedy. The king is dying. The Lord revealed Himself to Isaiah in the temple. Isaiah saw the holiness of God, the majesty and greatness and glory of God. He immediately became aware of his own sin. He confessed his sin. God forgave him. And that’s the end of the story — right?

I mean, that’s how it goes, right? We come to see our need for our salvation. We trust in Christ. We’re born again. We’re forgiven of all sin, past, present and future. And that’s it — nothing left but wait for heaven and have a good time while we’re at it.

That’s how a lot of believers think. Is it how you think?

“And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, ‘Here I am! Send me” (Isa. 6:8 ESV).

You see, when we see God for who He really is, and we see ourselves for who we really are, everything in our lives shifts.

Remember Copernicus? The whole world for thousands of years believed the entire solar system revolved around the earth. Now we understand that the earth and every other planet in the solar system revolves around the sun.

Before we come to Christ, we are the center of our universe. When we place faith in Christ and we are regenerated, born again to new life, all that is done away with. Jesus is the center of the universe, and we understand that we orient our lives around Him. What is He calling us do? Follow Him. How do we do that? We go where He goes.

[SLIDE: FOLLOW HIM TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH…]

“If you want to follow Jesus Christ, you must follow him to the ends of the earth, for that is where he is going.” [John Stott, The Preacher’s Notebook: The Collected Quotes, Illustrations, and Prayers of John Stott, ed. Mark Meynell (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2018).]

“And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?”

Out goes the call! “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?”

And so that the entire planet might know something of the glory of God that Isaiah just saw, he steps forward and says: “Here am I; send me.”

From tragedy to worship. From worship to conviction. From conviction to forgiveness. From forgiveness to mission.

[RETURN TO TITLE SLIDE]

Conclusion and call for response

I’m going to take just two of those.

Forgiveness first.

Imagine the area of your life where you struggle the most to achieve likeness to Christ.

This is where you have the most guilt and shame. It is an area of your life that you do not want to let God into. And for good reason. You haven’t shown anyone else that room. Why would you show God? What would He think?

Now imagine God coming to you, touching you, and assuring you personally that you are forgiven of that very thing. How would that change your life, your faith?

God wants you to know that He has forgiven you. If you have placed your faith in Jesus Christ and you intend to follow Him even if you do so very poorly, God wants you to know that you are forgiven.

If you have not trusted in Christ, then you are not forgiven. And the Bible says very clearly, “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him” (John 3:36 ESV).

The Bible says just as clearly that anyone who desires salvation, nothing should stand in your way from coming to Christ. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16 ESV).

You are forgiven if you have trusted in Christ. And you must know that you are forgiven if you are ever to serve Christ.

Lastly, missions. The greatness and glory and majesty of Gd fuel the mission of the church. We want the whole world to know and love God as He is.

Hudson Taylor was the founder of China Inland Missions. He opened up China to missionary work in the 1800s. At the age of 64, he said this: “God chose me because I was weak enough. God does not do His great works by large committees. He trains somebody to be quiet enough, and little enough, and then He uses him.” [John Stott, The Preacher’s Notebook: The Collected Quotes, Illustrations, and Prayers of John Stott, ed. Mark Meynell (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2018)]

Out goes the call. “And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?”

And so that the entire planet might know something of the glory of God that Isaiah just saw, he steps forward and says: “Here am I; send me.”