LIVING A LIFE OF FAITH

CURRENTS – SERMON 5

LIVING A LIFE OF FAITH

(ESV)

INTRODUCTION:

WE’VE TALKED A LOT RECENTLY ABOUT THE DIFFICULTY OF LIVING IN THE MIDST OF A CULTURE THAT REALLY WANTS TO EVICT GOD FROM EVERY ASPECT OF LIFE…

BUT THE QUESTION WE NEED TO ANSWER IS WHAT IS IT THAT WILL MOTIVATE ME TO LIVE OUT MY FAITH, EVEN WHEN IT’S UNPOPULAR…

EVEN WHEN IT’S UNDER ATTACK…

EVEN WHEN I MAY HAVE TO STAND ALONE???

WELL, I BELIEVE A GOOD PLACE TO START ANSWERING THIS QUESTION IS IN ISAIAH, CHAPTER 6…

SO TURN THERE WITH ME AND LET’S READ VERSES 1 THROUGH 8…

STAND – READ – PRAY

ISAIAH’S VISION OF THE LORD, AND HIS RESPONSE TO THAT VISION IS A POWERFUL REMINDER OF WHAT IT TAKES TO LIVE IN A CULTURE THAT IS DISINTERESTED IN THE THINGS OF GOD…

ISAIAH WAS A PROPHET DURING AND AFTER THE REIGN OF KING UZZIAH, WHO RULED OVER ISRAEL AROUND 740 TO 700 B.C.

THE NATION OF ISRAEL WAS LIVING IN A TIME OF DECLINE…

A NATION THAT WAS “DEAF AND BLIND” TO THE WORD OF GOD…

AND ISAIAH’S VISION HELPS US TO UNDERSTAND WHAT CAN MOTIVATE US TO LIVE A LIFE OF FAITH IN THE SAME TYPE OF CULTURE…

LET ME POINT OUT A FEW TRUTHS THAT THIS PASSAGE MAKES CLEAR…

HERE’S THE FIRST ONE…IN ORDER TO LIVE A LIFE OF FAITH…

1. YOU NEED A RIGHT VIEW OF GOD…

a. 1 IN THE YEAR THAT KING UZZIAH DIED I SAW THE LORD SITTING UPON A THRONE, HIGH AND LIFTED UP; AND THE TRAIN OF HIS ROBE FILLED THE TEMPLE. 2 ABOVE HIM STOOD THE SERAPHIM. EACH HAD SIX WINGS: WITH TWO HE COVERED HIS FACE, AND WITH TWO HE COVERED HIS FEET, AND WITH TWO HE FLEW. 3 AND ONE CALLED TO ANOTHER AND SAID: “HOLY, HOLY, HOLY IS THE LORD OF HOSTS; THE WHOLE EARTH IS FULL OF HIS GLORY!” 4 AND THE FOUNDATIONS OF THE THRESHOLDS SHOOK AT THE VOICE OF HIM WHO CALLED, AND THE HOUSE WAS FILLED WITH SMOKE.

b. ISAIAH WITNESSED WHAT FEW PEOPLE HAVE EVER WITNESSED…

c. A MANIFESTATION OF GOD HIMSELF…

d. NOW, BEFORE YOU GET ALL THEOLOGICAL ON ME, I KNOW THAT THE BIBLE SAYS THAT IT IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR A MAN TO SEE GOD AND LIVE…

e. SO WE HAVE TO ASSUME THAT THIS WAS MOST LIKELY A VISION THAT GOD GAVE TO ISAIAH…

f. AND EVEN THE VISION WAS TOO MUCH FOR ISAIAH TO TAKE IN…

g. BUT LET ME SHARE WITH YOU SOME OF THE THINGS THAT THIS VISION TELLS US ABOUT GOD…

h. FIRST, HE IS ABOVE ALL…

i. THE FACT THAT HE IS “HIGH AND LIFTED UP” REMINDS US THAT HE IS TO BE EXALTED AND THAT WE ARE TO BE HUMBLED BEFORE HIM…

i. SECOND, HE IS MAJESTIC…

i. THERE IS NONE WHO COMPARES WITH HIM…

ii. ISAIAH SAID THAT THE TRAIN OF HIS ROBE FILLED THE TEMPLE…

1. THE TRAIN IS THE BACK EDGE OF THE ROBE…

2. SO THE BACK EDGE OF THE ROBE OF GOD WAS ENOUGH TO FILL THE TEMPLE WITH THE MAJESTY AND THE GLORY OF GOD….

iii. HE IS HOLY…

1. THE REPETITIOUS CRIES OF “HOLY, HOLY, HOLY” FROM THE SERAPHIMS THAT FLEW AROUND THE THRONE ARE AN INDICATION OF THE INCREDIBLE HOLINESS OF GOD…

2. GOD IS INFINITELY HOLY…

3. HIS HOLINESS IS UNMATCHED…

4. HE IS THE ORIGINATOR OF HOLINESS…HE IS THE POSSESSOR OF HOLINESS…AND HE IS THE DEFINITION OF HOLINESS…

5. HOLY IS NOT A WORD THAT DEFINES GOD…IT IS A WORD THAT IS DEFINED BY GOD…

iv. AND THIS PROCLAMATION OF HOLINESS BY THE SERAPHIM CAUSED THE FOUNDATIONS OF THE TEMPLE TO SHAKE AND SMOKE TO FILL THE TEMPLE…

j. THE POINT HERE IN IS THIS…

i. WE DESPERATELY NEED TO HAVE A RIGHT VIEW OF THE PERSON OF GOD…

ii. HE IS NO WEAK DEITY…

iii. HE IS THE MIGHTY GOD, THE HIGH AND LIFTED UP, HOLY GOD, WHOSE GLORY AND MAJESTY ARE UNRIVALED…

iv. THIS IS THE GOD WE SERVE!

2. YOU NEED A RIGHT VIEW OF YOURSELF…

a. 5 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; FOR MY EYES HAVE SEEN THE KING, THE LORD OF HOSTS!”

b. WHEN ISAIAH ENCOUNTERED GOD IN THIS VISION, NOT ONLY DID HE RECOGNIZE SOME THINGS ABOUT GOD, BUT HE ALSO RECOGNIZED SOME THINGS ABOUT HIMSELF…

i. WOE IS ME…

1. ISAIAH’S SIN FILLED HIM WITH A SENSE OF HOPELESSNESS AND HELPLESSNESS…

2. HE WAS MORE THAN JUST REMORSEFUL FOR HIS SINS…

3. HE KNEW THAT BECAUSE OF HIS SINS, HE WAS INCAPABLE OF BEING IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD…

4. IN HIS OWN STRENGTH, HE WAS HELPLESS…

ii. I AM LOST…

1. OTHER TRANSLATIONS USE THE WORD RUINED OR UNDONE HERE, WHICH, IN MY OPINION, IS A BIT MORE ACCURATE.

2. THE WORD TRANSLATED “LOST” HERE IS A WORD THAT MEANS TO BE DESTROYED, OR TO BE BROUGHT TO SILENCE…

3. AND WHAT ISAIAH IS SAYING IS THAT WHEN HE LOOKS AT HIMSELF IN LIGHT OF THE GLORY AND MAJESTY OF GOD…

a. HE RECOGNIZES THAT THERE IS NOTHING GOOD IN HIM…

b. THAT HE IS A SINNER…

c. THAT HE IN NO WAY CAN COMPETE WITH THE MATCHLESS GLORY OF GOD…

4. AND THIS REALIZATION BRINGS ISAIAH TO SILENCE…

iii. THERE IS NO AMOUNT OF BRAGGING, OR CONVINCING THAT ISAIAH CAN DO TO CHANGE HIS STATURE…

iv. HE IS UNDONE BEFORE GOD…

c. THEN HE RECOGNIZES THE FACT THAT IT IS NOT JUST HIM ALONE WHO IS UNDONE, BUT EVERYONE HAS THE SAME ISSUE…

i. HE SAYS THAT HE IS A MAN OF UNCLEAN LIPS DWELLING IN THE MIDST OF A PEOPLE OF UNCLEAN LIPS…

ii. ISAIAH REMINDS US THAT NONE OF US ARE ANY BETTER THAN ANYONE ELSE…

iii. EVEN THOUGH IT MAY APPEAR THAT SOME ARE A LITTLE FARTHER DOWN THE ROAD OF FAITH, WE ALL HAVE THE SAME SIN PROBLEM…

1. THIS IS WHY WE ARE CALLED TO SHARE OUR FAITH WITH OTHERS…BECAUSE WE ARE ALL ALIKE…

2. WE ALL ARE BORN WITH THE SAME NATURE…

d. THE SAME IS TRUE FOR YOU AND ME…

i. WE ARE IN A HELPLESS SITUATION, BECAUSE OF OUR SINFUL NATURE…

ii. NO AMOUNT OF STRIVING, NO ACCUMULATION OF GOOD DEEDS, NO MATTER HOW HARD WE TRY...

iii. WE ARE ALL WOEFULLY LOST, PEOPLE OF UNCLEAN LIPS…

iv. AND WE ALL HAVE THE IDENTICAL NEED…THE NEED TO BE REDEEMED…

e. THE GREAT NEWS IS THAT REDEMPTION IS AVAILABLE…

3. YOU NEED TO BE REDEEMED…

a. 6 THEN ONE OF THE SERAPHIM FLEW TO ME, HAVING IN HIS HAND A BURNING COAL THAT HE HAD TAKEN WITH TONGS FROM THE ALTAR. 7 AND HE TOUCHED MY MOUTH AND SAID: “BEHOLD, THIS HAS TOUCHED YOUR LIPS; YOUR GUILT IS TAKEN AWAY, AND YOUR SIN ATONED FOR.”

b. WHAT ISAIAH GIVES US HERE IS A PICTURE OF THE REDEMPTIVE ACT OF GOD…

c. ISAIAH’S REALIZATION THAT HE IS UTTERLY SINFUL BROUGHT HIM TO THIS PLACE OF WOE, BECAUSE HE KNEW THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WITHIN HIMSELF THAT COULD GET WHERE HE NEEDED TO BE IN ORDER TO INHERIT THE PRESENCE OF GOD…

d. IF GOD HIMSELF DID NOT ACT, HE WOULD BE LOST FOREVER, WITHOUT HOPE…

e. BUT GOD DID ACT…

f. LOOK AT WHAT HAPPENED…

g. THE SERAPHIM BRING A HOT COAL FROM THE ALTAR…

i. THIS SIGNIFIED THE REMOVAL OF THE ISAIAH’S GUILT AND HIS SIN.

h. AND LISTEN TO WHAT HE SAID TO ISAIAH…

i. THIS HAS TOUCHED YOUR LIPS…

1. GOD HAS ACTED…

ii. YOUR GUILT IS TAKEN AWAY…

1. YOU ARE NO LONGER GUILTY BEFORE GOD BECAUSE HE ACTED…

iii. YOUR SIN IS ATONED FOR…

iv. GOD’S REQUIREMENT FOR THE PAYMENT OF YOUR SIN DEBT HAS BEEN SATISFIED…

i. NOW HERE’S WHAT I NEED YOU TO REALLY SEE THIS MORNING…

j. AS WE THINK ABOUT HOW TO LIVE A LIFE OF FAITH…AS WE THINK ABOUT WHAT SHOULD MOTIVATE US TO LIVE OUR LIVES…

k. NO, GIVE OUR LIVES TO CHRIST AND FOR CHRIST…

l. THINK ABOUT ISAIAH’S VISION…

m.HE SAW THE LORD…IN ALL HIS MAJESTY AND HOLINESS…HE HAD A RIGHT VIEW OF GOD…

n. HE SAW HIMSELF…IN ALL HIS SIN AND SHAME…AND HE KNEW THAT NOTHING HE HAD TO OFFER WOULD BE ENOUGH TO SECURE SALVATION…HE HAD A RIGHT VIEW OF HIMSELF…

o. AND HE RECEIVED REDEMPTION FROM THE ONLY ONE WHO IS CAPABLE OF REDEEMING SINFUL PEOPLE…GOD HIMSELF…

p. YOU AND I ARE IN THE SAME PLACE…

i. WE SHOULD BE OVERWHELMED BY THE HOLINESS AND MAJESTY OF GOD…WE NEED TO HAVE A REALISTIC UNDERSTANDING OF OUR SINFULNESS AND WHAT THAT DOES TO US…AND WE MUST BE REDEEMED, NOW ACCORDING TO THE SACRIFICE OF JESUS…

q. THE ONLY THING LEFT FOR US TO DO THEN, IF WE HAVE BEEN REDEEMED…IS TO ANSWER THE CALL…

4. YOU NEED TO ANSWER THE CALL…

a. 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.”

b. GOD CALLS US TO MANY THINGS…

c. HE CALLS US FIRST TO SALVATION…

i. MAYBE THIS MORNING, HE IS CALLING YOU TO SALVATION…

d. THEN HE CALLS US TO OBEDIENCE…

i. LAST WEEK, WE WITNESSED TWO WHO FOLLOWED THE LORD, IN OBEDIENCE TO SCRIPTURE, IN BELIEVERS’ BAPTISM…

ii. THAT’S ONE OF THE FIRST STEPS OF OBEDIENCE FOR THE BELIEVER…

iii. BUT THERE ARE MANY MORE AFTER THAT…

e. HE ALSO CALLS US TO SERVE…

i. WE ARE NOMINATING DEACONS, AND TRYING TO FIND PEOPLE TO SERVE IN A VARIETY OF CAPACITIES…

1. SUNDAY SCHOOL

2. COMMITTEES

3. TEAMKID

f. MAYBE IT’S TIME FOR EACH OF US, LIKE ISAIAH, TO ANSWER THE LORD WITH THE WORDS…"HERE I AM, SEND ME”…