Here I Am Send Me

Introduction

We’ve come now to the last part of our series entitled “Be Thou My Vision”. And we are exploring the theme of “Seeing God” from Isaiah 6. We’ve learn so far that “Seeing God” is what it means to be a Christian.

Our salvation can be summarized as God in his grace opening our spiritually blind eyes to perceive Him for Who He is and who we are in light of Who He is. Just like Isaiah when he saw the Holiness of God and realized his own sinfulness prepares Him for God’s cleansing of his own sin.

But then we also saw that our sanctification is also a growing awareness of seeing God as Paul reminds us in 2 Corinthians 3:18 “And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.” When we open the Word, engage in discipleship in the church - our goal is to see God in the face of Jesus Christ through the Spirit.

But the story doesn’t stop there. Isaiah’s vision and cleansing is a way for God to prepare Him for His service. Which leads us to our passage today in vv.6-13. This passage tell us Isaiah’s commissioning for God’s service as a prophet to the nation of Judah. This gives us a blueprint as believers how to engage and fulfill our own calling from God effectively and faithfully. (NOW THAT WE SEE GOD, WE WANT OTHERS TO SEE AS WELL)

God’s goal for Isaiah is not just for Isaiah to be cleansed. His cleansing is a preparation for His commission. Similarly, as believers God’s goal for us is not just to be saved, his goal for us is that we become willing and joyful servants that joins His mission in the world.

In fact, we can outline the passage like this: Conviction - Cleansing - Commissioning.

One pastor outlines it like this: Upward Look - Vision of God; Inward Look - Conviction of one’s sinfulness and then Outward Look - Service to God. (RENEWAL OR REVIVAL LEADS TO SERVING)

This is a principle throughout the Scripture. This reminds us that Gospel will shapes us to be missional. The Gospel will change our wicked self-centered heart and give us a bigger heart that doesn’t just love me but include others as well. A burden and a compassion for the lost. In fact, one of the mark that we have been deeply changed by the Gospel is our desire for others to be saved as well. (evangelism)

How can we effectively engage and fulfill God’s missional call for our lives?

I would want us 4 Key Principles here in our passage (To effectively fulfill it):

Outline:

The Sovereign of Our Call

The Posture of Our Call

The Challenge of the Call

The Hope of the Call

The Sovereign of Our Call

When thinking about fulfilling God’s calling for our lives in the area of evangelism, our mind should not begin with the task at hand nor the strategy of fulfilling it or the difficulty of it. Our mind should begin in the One who calls us to it. Ministry does not begin with us. It originates from the call of the Sovereign God.

If you’ve been Christian for quite well, you probably hear a message based on Isaiah 6:8 on a youth camp and the immediate emphasis is on the evangelism and one should respond like Isaiah “Here I am! Send Me”. If we go there immediately in thinking of our responsibility and ministry of evangelism without properly contextualizing why Isaiah was so willing and so ready to respond to God’s call - then I think we miss the gravity that God wants us to feel about this.

Why was Isaiah’s immediate response when he overhear God’s voice “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” - Here I am! Send me! Why? He didn’t ask question where, location, duration. If my client will give me a project, I will ask some few question to know the scope and expectation. Isaiah on the other hand just says “I’m here, send me!” You can see the willingness and readiness in his heart - without hesitation!

(Note: Not all people in the Bible whom God calls responded like Isaiah. When God calls Jeremiah, he exclaim I am but a child - Jeremiah 1:6 “Then I said, “Ah, Lord God! Behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am only a youth.”” . Moses gives 5 excuses. So how come Isaiah respond without hesitation?

We’ll let’s go back and look at the context.

Isaiah as I said, has just a divine encounter with Holy God. What did he saw in verse 1 - He saw the LORD “Adonai” the Master, high and lifted up - exalted above all, he saw the immensity of the majesty of God as the train of his robe filled he temple. He saw the holiness of God as the seraphim declare God’s holiness.

(So his responsiveness is grounded in the Greatness of God)

And as a result he saw his own sinfulness. His vision of God gives him the right perspective of himself - his own sinfulness and need of God’s grace. He saw himself as man deeply need God’s cleansing. And God by his grace cleanse him by sending the seraph to touch Isaiah’s lips.

(So his responsiveness is also grounded in the Greatness of God’s Grace Toward’s Isaiah)

Everything in here is grounded on God...

After that in v.8 Isaiah says Isaiah 6:8 “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.””

Why would God ask this question? Whom shall I send? Who will go for us? At first it seems like God isn’t sure who to send and is need some of information. But God as we know in the Scripture isn’t like that. He is Sovereign high and lifted up. He is self-sufficient in Himself. He doesn’t have any need or lack. So what’s the goal of this question?

The goal of this question is to highlight to us the beautiful interplay of Divine Sovereignty and Human Agency (Participation). In God’s Sovereignty, God knows whom He will send and is willing to go. Yet He invites us to respond to His Sovereign call WILLINGLY to accomplished His mission.

This is an OPEN and RELATIONAL invitation which Isaiah overhears. God wants us to participate in his mission willingly and joyfully serving Him. You need to understand this perspective as you serve Him. God won’t force you to serve Him. He invites you to JOIN WITH HIM. In Partnership with Him. That is ministry. That is evangelism. It is partnering God using His resources to accomplish His purposes for his glory.

Isaiah’s READINESS and willingness to respond to God’s call is grounded in his understanding of the Greatness of the God who Calls Him. He understood the depth of his sin and greatness of God’s grace. He also understand God’s desire for us to be participants and agent’s of His mission to the world.

What does this mean to us? If we are going to be used by God effectively, our ministry and service to Him must be rooted in our own personal encounters with Him. Our personal worship of God fuels our work with God. We should not neglect the habits of seeking to grow a deeper understanding of God’s character and His heart for the world. It begins with knowing the Sovereign of our call.

The Posture of Our Call

What do I mean by this? When Isaiah respond to God’s call, notice he doesn’t say “Here am i, I will go”. Notice he says “SEND ME”. In my years of study, I haven’t really ask that from that angle. It seems a bit passive. Why would He wait on God to send Him? Isaiah should have initiative.

We need to understand the historical context of the time. At that time, for Isaiah to say “I will go” would be presumptuous. A servant of a King can only do something in the name of the king when the King has properly empowered him to do a certain task in the name of the King. He must be sent or empowered to operate in the name of the King.

So Isaiah need to be formally “commissioned” so that he can have a sense of “empowerment” from God to do what He calls Him to do. His confidence to the task at hand relies on this reality - He was solemnly commissioned by God.

Our confidence in doing ministry must reside from the fact that we are “sent” by God.

Whenever we do ministry or do evangelism in sharing the Gospel we must remember that we are doing that not on our own authority but based on the authority of the One who calls us to join Him in His mission to the world.

Just like Isaiah, we are also commissioned solemnly by our Lord Jesus Christ in Matthew 28, whom we all know as the Great Commission.

In Matthew 28:18 our King Jesus beings it this way “...“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” Think of any powerful leaders of nations that you admire. Their authority is limited to a certain or state. But not the one who calls us - He has ALL authority in heaven and on earth… In other words, go with confidence from God in doing ministry for Jesus, reaching the lost, parenting your children, making disciples, reaching your friends - do it knowing that you are solemnly fulfilling the call of the King.

Is that how we view discipleship and evangelism? My problem is that I forget that, we forget that. But viewing it that gives us courage and boldness. Not only that it give us clarity and purpose for our lives. We are not aimlessly wandering or merely engaging in good deeds for their own sake; we are participating in God's redemptive plan for humanity. This perspective helps align our priorities and actions with God's mission, giving our lives a clear and compelling purpose.

So Isaiah heard the call, and respond to the solemn call of God. Does it mean that everything that everything will be easy since this is grounded from the call of God?

The Challenge of Our Call

Look with me in vv.9-10. Isaiah 6:9–10“And he said, “Go, and say to this people: “ ‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand; keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’ Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and blind their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.””

Isaiah’s ministry is kind of strange. God says to him that his ministry basically is one of “hardening”. That his message will be rejected by the people to whom he was called to speak and then it will harden their hearts which invites God’s judgment upon them.

One of the job of prophet is to call people to repentance. First they would rebuke the people of sin. And then warn them if they didn’t. Then they would pronounce judgment if they continue in wickedness but then give hope. For Isaiah, God prepares him that his audience will not repent, instead their hearts will be harden. Thus their hearts becomes dull, ears heavy, blind their eyes…

Interestingly this two verses, was quoted by once by the four gospel writers Matt. 13:14-15; Mark 4:11-12; Luke 8:10; John 12:40—and once by Paul in Acts 28:26-27.

In Matthew 13:14–15 [Jesus applied this passage to the unbelieving Israel]“Indeed, in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says: “ ‘ “You will indeed hear but never understand, and you will indeed see but never perceive.” For this people’s heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them.’”

Jesus applies this to the unbelieving Jews of his time. This prophecy has been fulfilled by their complete rejection of the Messiah. This reflects that Israel is in the hardened state by their rejection of the Messiah.

God hardened their hearts because they first hardened their hearts toward God. Theologians call this judicial hardening. Once you reject God’s message, there is a tendency that your heart will grow hardened. God says to Isaiah that’s the main theme of ministry.

That’s not quite encouraging. But we need to be reminded of this reality - that as we serve and obey God’s call, we need to expect resistance to God’s message. If Jesus was rejected so should we. A pupil is not greater than his master. Not all people will appreciate our ministry. Not all people will appreciate our following God’s leading in sharing the Gospel.

The presence of sin in one’s heart makes it hostile against God.

So what does this mean? It means that we need to be utterly dependent on God to fulfill what He has called us to do. We need to pray continually on behalf of the people we are trying to reach.

We need to also continue to be faithful in doing the ministry that God has called us to do despite of the results. Our job is to obey. Our job is to share. And leave the results to God. Be faithful and leave the results to God. Success in ministry is not numbers driven but faithfulness driven.

So although Isaiah’s ministry is characterized by rejection and unbelief, God gives him an assurance of hope… that’s not the end of the story.

The Hope of the Call

Isaiah 6:11–13 “Then I said, “How long, O Lord?” And he said: “Until cities lie waste without inhabitant, and houses without people, and the land is a desolate waste, and the Lord removes people far away, and the forsaken places are many in the midst of the land. And though a tenth remain in it, it will be burned again, like a terebinth or an oak, whose stump remains when it is felled.” The holy seed is its stump.”

Where’s hope in that? Notice the several imagery God uses here to communicate that his plan is not destroy Judah but eventually to restoration and renewal.

He uses an image of Terebinth and Oak. Both terebinth and oak trees are known for their strength and longevity, making them symbols of stability and resilience. Even when these trees are cut down, their stumps can sprout new growth. This characteristic speaks to the potential for renewal and regeneration.

The stump - The stump represents what remains after judgment has passed. It appears lifeless and finished, yet it holds the potential for new life. This is a powerful image of hope and restoration.

The holy seed - The term "holy seed" is a metaphor for the remnant of Israel that will survive the judgment. Just as a seed contains the promise of new growth, this remnant holds the promise of Israel's future restoration. They are "holy" because they are set apart by God for this purpose.

Even in the severest judgments, God preserves a remnant for the purpose of restoration and renewal. This principle underscores the truth that God's ultimate desire is not to destroy but to redeem and restore. God’s judgments are purposed not just for punishment but for the eventual restoration and deepening of the relationship between Him and His people.

In mission and evangelism, this translates to maintaining hope for the transformation of individuals and communities, even those that seem most resistant to the Gospel. It underscores the belief in the power of God to regenerate and renew, inviting us to see beyond current realities to God's capabilities.

The idea of a remnant—that even in widespread unbelief or apostasy, there will be those who remain faithful—can guide mission strategies. It encourages the identification and support of believers who, despite being in a minority, can be pivotal in God's plan for revival and growth.

REVIEW

In closing, let us go forth from this place not in despair or fear but filled with the hope and assurance that our God is at work. May we, like Isaiah, say with boldness and conviction, "Here am I! Send me." Let us engage in God's mission with the confidence that our efforts are underpinned by the promise of His presence, the power of His Spirit, and the certainty of His victory.

May the Lord bless our endeavors to share the Gospel, to reach the lost, and to be instruments of His grace and truth in a world that so desperately needs the hope we carry. Amen.