Radical Call To Radical Servanthood
Radical Call To A Radical Life • Sermon • Submitted
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Introduction
Story of King Uzziah
He started his reign at 16 years old
He was a young man doing a job that took a ton of responsibility…leading a kingdom…God’s kingdom.
But his reign was actually incredibly successful
He had an army of over 300,000 trained men
He went ot war against the Philistines
he rebuilt towns and strongholds
He even was an inventer of somethign that was used on towers to shoot arrows and hurl large stones from the walls
How does a young man like that accomplish so much...
He sought God during the days of Zechariah, who instructed him in the fear of God. As long as he sought the Lord, God gave him success.
2 chron 26 5
He was able to accomplish so much because of the mentorship of others...
He had a great man of God that he looked to to instruct him in the “fear of God.”
However...
After we read about all of his accomplishments it says this:
But after Uzziah became powerful, his pride led to his downfall. He was unfaithful to the Lord his God, and entered the temple of the Lord to burn incense on the altar of incense.
In Jerusalem he made devices invented for use on the towers and on the corner defenses so that soldiers could shoot arrows and hurl large stones from the walls. His fame spread far and wide, for he was greatly helped until he became powerful.
In Jerusalem he made devices invented for use on the towers and on the corner defenses so that soldiers could shoot arrows and hurl large stones from the walls. His fame spread far and wide, for he was greatly helped until he became powerful.
15
only read from “his fame...”
At some point along the way he forgot that he was powerful not because of himself…but because of God...for the will of God.
So one day he decided that he was more than a king…
So he entered the temple of the Lord to burn incense on the altar of incense....
Azariah the priest with 80 other courageous priests followed himin and confronted him.
He starts to flip out on them and in the middle of him yelling at them
His skin breaks out in leprosy..
And now a man who started so strong
led for half a century 52 years…was 68 years old now...
Decides to end his story with pride
King Uzziah had leprosy until the day he died. He lived in a separate house—leprous, and banned from the temple of the Lord. Jotham his son had charge of the palace and governed the people of the land.
21-
The heart is this...
Pride declares “I’ve done...” and “I’m powerful...”
He began as the servant of God doing the will of God in the fear of God
While humility says “He has done....” and “he is powerful...”
He became the champion of God (in his own mind) ultimately doing God’s job to stroke his own ego
Transition
So His pride left the people with a king who quickly went from warrior/general to man dying alone in his house.
Can you imagine the fear and the hopelessness of this situation for the people of Judah
It’s in this setting that God called the prophet Isaiah.
And we see in His call a huge difference between his response to God’s call to servanthood compared to the pride of Uzziah
Turn with me to page 470
Turn with me to page 470
Setting
We get this glorious setting of the Lord’s presence in the temple
Probably the same place Uzziah stood in pride we see nothing but responses of fear and humility
We have this beautiful picture of the Seraphim…which was a kind of angelic being...
It shows that God has a whole lot of “Created things” that we don’t see.
But look at their posture before God...
They cover their faces: So not to see the glory of God in it’s fullness
They cover their feet: As a sign of reverence to a king
And they keep 2 wings ready for action.
I think the Seraphim are a picture of the posture we should have as we serve
Our fear and respect for God being king does not keep us from moving
Servanthood Should Act In Fear and Mobility
Servanthood Should Act In Fear and Mobility
You see Uzziah started this way...
He feared God and was mobile enough to act in ways that he needed to acft
But then pride came in and he removed the wings from the eyes
and started to treat God with contempt
Then he removed the wings from his feet
and started to not fear God
But instead he elevated his service to God to a role only the messiah would have as a priestly king
When we serve God
In whatever way that is in your life
We make sure we act in fear and mobility
Look at what Jesus describes here in in his sermon on the mount:
“Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
You see when we live in the fear…the reverence of God
We don’t seek the glory for the work that is accomplished
Rather, instread we
“The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else.
Transition
Vs. 5
Servanthood has a proper view of one’s self
Servanthood has a proper view of one’s self
When we look at ourselves and then the work of God before us...
It should seem like a daunting task
It should seem like an impossible task
This is why I am honored to serve alongside the 3 men I get to serve with
I can tell you first hand that each of these men are not only Godly men
They are humble leaders that see the work of God as something bigger than them
I can remember his
Ever get nervous before you serve?
Good!
26-
Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him.
But a proper view of one’s self is not about a depressed view of yourself but of seeing yourself correctly
Servanthood
For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.
We should think sober
Or like a sane person
Transition
vs. 5-6
The seraphim brings the coal from the alter..the coal from teh sacrifice…and uses that to purify him
Servanthood Is A Gift From God
Servanthood Is A Gift From God
We get the opportunity to serve
Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.
We should be “faithful stewards” of God’s grace
How is your stewardship of God has gifted you with?
This is why we must understand the things we use to serve him are gifts
Transition
It’s easy to see the easy kinds of tasks as a gift…or the ones where you see the results you were hoping fo
But look at his call
vs. 10ff
Servanthood Is About The Obedience Not The Result
Servanthood Is About The Obedience Not The Result
The hearts are hardened by their rejection of the truth
ISaiah 20 God commands him to walk around naked for 3 years
Pragmatism and the church
Results are not our measure of success but it is our obedience
4-16
But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere. For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are an aroma that brings death; to the other, an aroma that brings life. And who is equal to such a task?
How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”
Go strong, don’t give up…let’s fulfill the work of God together
1-2: Seraphim
3-4 setting
5: Isaiah’s response
6-7: God’s response
8-13: Isaiah’s call
The church is plan A and there is no plan b