Meeting God (FBC)

Meeting God

Isaiah 64:5-7

INTRODUCTION

ILL- Jordan at 10 years old (2007)- tickets and going to Hannah Montana/ Miley Cyrus concert. (Jonas Brothers)

How bad do we want to meet God?

Isaiah 64:5–7 ESV

5 You meet him who joyfully works righteousness, those who remember you in your ways. Behold, you were angry, and we sinned; in our sins we have been a long time, and shall we be saved? 6 We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away. 7 There is no one who calls upon your name, who rouses himself to take hold of you; for you have hidden your face from us, and have made us melt in the hand of our iniquities.

Our ticket to God's presence is righteousness.

5 Truths Concerning Righteousness

1. God Meets With the Righteous (5a)

Isaiah 64:5 ESV

5 You meet him who joyfully works righteousness, those who remember you in your ways. Behold, you were angry, and we sinned; in our sins we have been a long time, and shall we be saved?

ILL- Tour of Capital when 17

VIP Tickets - Grandfather friends with Senator Boren

Went behind closed doors- Nixon’s desk - bugged.

Tour of Whitehouse- unable to have access to Oval Office.

God is holy and only meets with the righteous who are waiting for him.

Isaiah 64:4 ESV

4 From of old no one has heard or perceived by the ear, no eye has seen a God besides you, who acts for those who wait for him.

“wait”= patiently looking for, but not willing to go without him.

David was anointed king as a boy. Even after he was a man and Saul was going mad he waited for God’s timing.

David had opportunity to kill Saul while he took a break in a cave. He cut a piece of his robe. But David waited for God’s timing.

David did not want to be king without God,

2. Man Is Not Righteous (5b)

Isaiah 64:5 ESV

5 You meet him who joyfully works righteousness, those who remember you in your ways. Behold, you were angry, and we sinned; in our sins we have been a long time, and shall we be saved?

Man cannot be righteous on our own.

Romans 3:10 ESV

10 as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one;

Romans 3:23 ESV

23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

It is not possible for us to be in the presence of God on our own.

God is holy. his holiness is compromised if he blesses sin with his presence.

“and we sinned” = confession- start of repentance.

You won’t change until you admit you have a problem.

But- not enough to just feel bad for your sin. However, conviction must lead to repentance.

3. Man’s Righteousness is Polluted (6a)

Isaiah 64:6 ESV

6 We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.

ILL- Sewer in our backyard.

Sinking spot starts getting wet.

Neighbor fixed- left a clean out. Fountain of stink.

Unclean- not worthy to be in the presence of God.

Think of the worst filth imaginable and sin is even more disgusting to God.

4. Man’s Righteousness is Dead (6b)

Isaiah 64:6 ESV

6 We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.

“fade like a leaf”

ILL- kids find big beautiful leafs in Fall.

End up in a million little pieces.

“like the wind”

You never rake your own leaves in Oklahoma. But you rake everyone else’s leafs.

The cause= our iniquities.

We need to stop justifying our iniquities and repent.

5. God Provides Righteousness (7)

Isaiah 64:7 ESV

7 There is no one who calls upon your name, who rouses himself to take hold of you; for you have hidden your face from us, and have made us melt in the hand of our iniquities.

Romans 5:1–2 ESV

1 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

“there is no one who calls upon your name.”= no one comes to God on their own initiative. God always takes the first step.

“you have hidden your face.”= we are not seeing the manifest presence of God.

The all of 2 Chronicles 7:14 - humble self, pray, seek God’s face.

2 Chronicles 7:14 ESV

14 if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

God did not wait until man earned it or ask for it.

Jesus came to a world that did not want him.

ILL- Story of Magi

Saddest part was when they got to Jerusalem no one else was looking for Jesus.

Romans 6:23 ESV

23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

God took first step toward us.

But he doesn’t force himself on us. He offers as a gift.

“melt in the hand of our iniquities”

Because of Jesus we no longer have to “melt in our iniquities”

“in our iniquities”= it’s our fault.

Isaiah 1:18 ESV

18 “Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.

God takes the first step toward us.

Romans 10:13–17 ESV

13 For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” 14 How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? 15 And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” 16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” 17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.

CONCLUSION

Are you prepared to meet with God?

Eyes like fire- burn or warm?

You must have the right credentials. Only provided by Jesus.