God's call, God's glory

You know you are ready to be God’s vessel when...

Imagine you’ve just landed your dream job. You’re working for a cruise line! Sure, the hours are long, but you’re getting what you’ve always wanted. You get to enjoy the sun and the sea and the breeze. You can visit new and exciting places. The food is fabulous, even for the ship’s crew. And you know that you’ll get to regularly meet new people. This is the life! Your main responsibility is arranging the top deck so that people have space to lounge in chairs, walk around, observe the scenery, and enjoy the available activities. This goes great for awhile. After all, you’re enjoying the sunshine on a cruise ship. But then your job starts to get a bit old. Every day in the morning you arrange the deck furniture the way it’s supposed to be. By lunchtime, the guests have moved things around again so that you have to rearrange. This happens again in the afternoon and evening. Sometimes you wonder what these people are doing, moving things around so much; don’t they have better things to do? One day, your shift starts a bit later, and you go out onto the deck to find that lounge chairs - and everything else, for that matter - have all been moved to one side of the deck. Okay, now your convinced that there’s a conspiracy. The guests have all decided that the main way for them to enjoy their cruise is to move deck chairs around and watch you reset them. That’s probably why they paid to go on this cruise in the first place. You’re so upset that you blindly begin an hours long task to rearrange the furniture. About midway through you find it is becoming harder to keep the chairs in place. They like to slide on their own. And then you realize, the ship is listing to one side and chairs sliding along the slope.

Yes, you’ve been arranging deck chairs on the Titanic. The futility of your efforts stand in contrast with the enormity of a much bigger concern: a sinking ship. Suddenly your little task seems pointless, because you’ve been exposed to something much bigger.

You might say this example of arranging furniture on a sinking Titanic is a bit far-fetched. You may be right, but doesn’t this sort of scenario play out in people’s everyday lives? Have you ever found yourself concerned with - or consumed by - things that ultimately don’t matter?

We live in a world where there is such a thing as binge-watching, where some are addicted to shopping, where people have good hobbies that they allow to overtake their lives. Have you ever come across someone like that? Or there are people into physical fitness or healthy eating who have taken things to an obsession level. While I’m stepping on toes here, did you know that the average smartphone owner checks their phone every 12 minutes? A 2017 study by Asurion found this by surveying 2,000 people. 1 in 10 people actually checked their phone once every 4 minutes! A third of people reported anxiety when separated from their phones.

I am not downplaying fitness, phones, or hobbies. I am saying that we are prone to major on the minors. We take small things and elevate them to exalted positions. Every now and then we are fortunate enough to see what is really important.

This is what happened to Isaiah in . He encountered God, and his life was altered. Isaiah saw God in his glory and was forever changed. That encounter with God ordered his priorities and established his life direction. That’s what we want. An encounter with God brings direction to your life, showing what is truly important and what isn’t. Like Isaiah, God is calling us to represent him in the world. Are you ready? Isaiah’s encounter with the living God reveals three signs that you are prepared to be a vessel for God. We will look at those today as we investigate .

Isaiah 6:1–8 ESV

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. 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. And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!” 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; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!” 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.” 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.”

God is calling us to represent him in the world. Are you ready? Isaiah’s encounter with the living God reveals three signs that you are prepared to be a vessel for God.

Isaiah begins in verse 1 saying his encounter took place “in the year that King Uzziah died.” A little back story is in order. Uzziah was a righteous king who reigned 52 years in Judah. He led Judah to prosperity, reconquering lost territory and fortifying the land against threats. Interestingly, these defenses included machines on the walls to launch arrows and rocks. Judah’s renown increased during this time. However, 11 years before his death, Uzziah was filled with pride and attempted to offer incense in the temple. The priests tried to stop the king, who was unauthorized for this task, but Uzziah refused in anger, and God caused him to break out with leprosy while the censor was still smoking in his hands. Uzziah’s son, Jotham, became the public face of the king who remained sequestered for the rest of his life. Uzziah himself became a microcosm of the nation who had become prideful and blinded by its prosperity. The people were disqualifying themselves in their hypocritical actions. For 11 years, the nation functioned in a status quo without true direction or realization of how far they had strayed. God’s people had accepted a shadow of what it meant to follow God but were spiritually disfigured like their king. What is the first part of knowing we are ready to be God’s vessels in the world? We begin to know when God’s holiness shakes you to the core.

Uzziah was a righteous king who reigned 52 years in Judah. He led Judah to prosperity, reconquering lost territory and fortifying the land against threats. Interestingly, these defenses included machines on the walls to launch arrows and rocks. Judah’s renown increased during this time. However, 11 years before his death, Uzziah was filled with pride and attempted to offer incense in the temple. The priests tried to stop the king, who was unauthorized for this task, but Uzziah refused in anger, and God caused him to break out with leprosy while the censor was still smoking in his hands. Uzziah’s son, Jotham, became the public face of the king who remained sequestered for the rest of his life. Uzziah himself became a microcosm of the nation who had become prideful and blinded by its prosperity. The people were disqualifying themselves in their hypocritical actions. For 11 years, the nation functioned in a status quo without true direction or realization of how far they had strayed. God’s people had accepted a shadow of what it meant to follow God but were spiritually disfigured like their king. What is the first part of knowing we are ready to be God’s vessels in the world? We begin to know when God’s holiness shakes you to the core.

When God’s holiness shakes you to your core

I find it interesting that we really get no description of God here. No physical characteristics, no expression on his face. Besides being told that God is sitting and has a robe, all of the description is about the surrounding space. He is on a throne and is high and lofty. Throughout the book of Isaiah we are implored to exalt God to his rightful high and lofty position. We are warned about putting ourselves or anything else in that position. makes it clear.

Uzziah was a righteous king who reigned 52 years in Judah. He led Judah to prosperity, reconquering lost territory and fortifying the land against threats. Interestingly, these defenses included machines on the walls to launch arrows and rocks. Judah’s renown increased during this time. However, 11 years before his death, Uzziah was filled with pride and attempted to offer incense in the temple. The priests tried to stop the king, who was unauthorized for this task, but Uzziah refused in anger, and God caused him to break out with leprosy while the censor was still smoking in his hands. Uzziah’s son, Jotham, became the public face of the king who remained sequestered for the rest of his life. Uzziah himself became a microcosm of the nation who had become prideful and blinded by its prosperity. The people were disqualifying themselves in their hypocritical actions. For 11 years, the nation functioned in a status quo without true direction or realization of how far they had strayed. God’s people had accepted a shadow of what it meant to follow God but were spiritually disfigured like their king.

and describe an earthquake that occurred during Uzziah’s reign. Josephus references this event and claims the earthquake happened when Uzziah offered the unauthorized sacrifice. This is not described in Scripture, but it finds parallels in Isaiah’s account later – foundations shaken while smoke filled the temple.

I find it interesting that we really get no description of God here. No physical characteristics, no expression on his face. Besides being told that God is sitting and has a robe, all of the description is about the surrounding space. He is on a throne and is high and lofty. Throughout the book of Isaiah we are implored to exalt God to his rightful high and lofty position. We are warned about putting ourselves or anything else in that position. makes it clear.

When we see God on his throne, our priorities become ordered.

I find it interesting that we really get no description of God here. No physical characteristics, no expression on his face. Besides being told that God is sitting and has a robe, all of the description is about the surrounding space. He is on a throne and is high and lofty. Throughout the book of Isaiah we are implored to exalt God to his rightful high and lofty position. We are warned about putting ourselves or anything else in that position. makes it clear.

Clear picture of God

Isaiah 2:11 ESV

The haughty looks of man shall be brought low, and the lofty pride of men shall be humbled, and the Lord alone will be exalted in that day.

Throne

High and lifted up

Likewise, shows God lifting up those who lift up him.

Train of robe filled temple

Isaiah 57:15 ESV

For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite.

When we see God on his throne, our priorities become ordered.

Does God occupy the most exalted place in your life?

The seraphim in this scene could answer unequivocally, Yes. They are the only ones described as being “above him.” Of course, they are not greater than God, but the ones whose job it is to extol God’s greatness at all times have indeed been lifted up to a lofty position. God invites you to do the same. says,

James 4:10 ESV

Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.

James 4:9 ESV

Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom.

James 4:8 ESV

Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

We examine this scene and try to wrap our minds around it, but we come away with only a dim awareness of it. The bigness of God practically drips from the pages.

Psalm 11:4 ESV

The Lord is in his holy temple; the Lord’s throne is in heaven; his eyes see, his eyelids test the children of man.

Isaiah found himself, not before his disfigured human king but before the glorious King of Kings. He wasn’t in the Jerusalem palace but the heavenly throne room. When do you begin to become a vessel for God? When God’s holiness shakes you to the core. Take a moment to put yourself in Isaiah’s position. He saw God in his holiness! Israel had the temple of God, carrying the presence of God in the Most Holy Place. But from the start, when Solomon built the temple, it was clear that the temple couldn’t contain God’s presence. The priests couldn’t even minister in the temple during its inauguration because the smoke of God’s presence filled the place. And here was Isaiah in heaven, seeing God on the throne. God’s robe trailed down toward earth, filling the temple - just the hem of the robe. God’s fullness radiates through whatever space he occupies.

For Christians that should shake us to the core, and then we should be reminded that God has named our bodies as temples for his Spirit. The vast, holy, powerful, awesome God has chosen to dwell with us, in us, through us. Child of God, this describes you.

When we see God on his throne, our priorities become ordered.

Is he on the throne of your heart?

When your sin is fully confessed

Sin must be fully confessed

When we become aware of God’s holiness, we also become aware of our own sinfulness. Isaiah didn’t soak up this heavenly scene of glory and talk about how amazing God was. He talked about how sinful he was. When do you begin to become a vessel for God? When your sin is fully confessed. Isaiah had been chosen as a prophet for God. As I mentioned earlier, the people of Judah had drifted spiritually, and they faced the coming judgment of God. This means God used Isaiah to repeatedly preach a warning message about God’s judgment. One key word that begins these messages is the word, “Woe.” Woe is meant to alarm, to strike fear. It is like saying, “Be afraid. Be very afraid.” In the preceding chapter, Isaiah brings six different messages of woe to various people. He is an effective mouthpiece for God, willing to share these warnings. But when Isaiah encounters God, his message shifts. “Woe is me,” he declares! Forget about all of the others. I’m in trouble.

Maybe you’re like Isaiah. It’s easy to point the finger at others but hard to spot your own faults. When it comes to being a vessel for God, the elements are linked. God’s holiness must shake us to the core if we are to realize our sin and fully confess it. As I look at Isaiah’s confession, I see some important aspects of it that we should emulate. First, real repentance was present. Isaiah wasn’t ho-hum; he was broken. He wasn’t casual; he was distressed. Confession of sin isn’t the mere recitation of inconvenient facts. It is a conviction from a broken heart. Second, Isaiah was specific. He did not simply say he was sinful. He declared himself to be a man of unclean lips.

We need to go back to Uzziah, whom Isaiah mentioned at the beginning of this section. There was a major earthquake during Uzziah’s reign. and describe this earthquake as having occurred during Uzziah’s reign. Josephus references this event and claims the earthquake happened when Uzziah offered the unauthorized sacrifice. This is not described in Scripture, so we can’t know for sure. Even if the earthquake didn’t come during this event, the legend may have come up that the earthquake came during this event. Again, the Bible doesn’t get specific on the timing. Think about the parallel, though. An earthquake comes while the smoke is wafting from the censor in Uzziah’s hand, and God’s judgment comes to Uzziah in the form of leprosy. In Isaiah’s encounter, smoke is filling the temple and the foundations are shaking like there’s an earthquake. It’s possible that when Isaiah felt the earthquake and saw the smoke he was reminded of the disfigured king who did not heed the warning from the priests and knew he was vulnerable to a similar judgment. It isn’t hard to think why Isaiah was so broken about his sin. We have to be broken about ours, too.

The dread of carrying our sin must exceed our desire to keep it hidden.

The dread of carrying our sin must exceed our desire to keep it hidden.

“Better out than in,” is a phrase that might describe this need. Is it a need for you? Child of God, have you gotten used to carrying your sin? Has the dread of carrying it note yet exceeded your desire to keep it hidden? You cannot progress as God’s vessel if you will not confess your sin.

Do you remember the movie, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory? Charlie and his grandfather are among those who tour the factory, and they can expect a lifetime supply of chocolate at the end. This grand expectation comes crashing down when Wonka informs them that they voided the contract by drinking the fizzy soda and contaminating the clean room it was in. Wonka pulls out a copy of the contract and finds the obscure spot that explains their offense, and then he clearly says, “You lose.” Charlie’s grandfather is outraged and begins to leave with Charlie, but Charlie stops and returns a piece of prototype candy that he had been asked to swipe as a trade secret. It was only after this act of “confession” that Wonka’s tune changes. “You lose,” turns into, “You won!” It was all a test. Charlie thinks he’s won a lifetime supply of chocolate, but Willy Wonka tells him he’s won so much more. He is to be the heir of the company. Isn’t that how it is with sin? We hang onto it with a small-minded view of what the stakes are. And we lose. But when we confess it, we win big. We win far greater than we ever imagined.

I mentioned that the dread of carrying our sin must exceed our desire to keep it hidden. It’s also true that the joy of confessing our sin must exceed the pride of concealing it. The joy of winning big can motivate us. We’ll see that combination of dread and coming joy for Isaiah who did confess his sin.

And he confessed it out loud. Because he did, he received cleansing from an angelic being. Maybe that will happen for you - I don’t know. I do know that God tells us to confess our sins to each other. tells us to do this.

James 5:16 ESV

Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.

James 5:19 ESV

My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back,

So an added benefit to our sin confession is more effective prayer. So confess your sin to a trusted believer both because you dread hanging onto it and you have joy about getting it out in the open. When Isaiah did this, he was on track to becoming an effective vessel for God.

Psalm 51:1–3 ESV

Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin! For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.

When God’s mission becomes your passion

You know you’re an effective vessel for God when God’s mission becomes your passion. We’ve got this stellar example from Isaiah’s life as he responded to God’s mission. God asked, “Whom shall I send?” and Isaiah responded, “Right here. Send me!” Think about it: Isaiah had no clue what the mission was yet! He was all in. This only happened after his sin was confessed and atoned for. For some, the burning coal to the lips is confusing. It’s like the burning glory of God cauterizing our sin wound so that we can serve him. Some see this coal as representing Christ. Either way, God’s power alone cleanses Isaiah and unleashes him for ministry.

People try to fake this, by the way. They want to appear to be on mission for God but with passion for their own mission. It doesn’t work that way, though. As a matter of fact,

If you want to follow God’s mission, you must sacrifice your own.

But let’s face it. Your own mission is small potatoes compared to God’s. It’s like being invited to enjoy a steak dinner, and you protest because you were going to eat a cheese sandwich. Like an opportunity to attend Universal Studios or Disney that you pass up in favor of a neighborhood park around the corner. Like being called to impact the world one life at a time but you can’t see past your own. Jesus shared that we cannot serve both God and money. We also can’t serve God and me. Living God’s mission comes at the expense of our own, but our mission becomes elevated when it aligns with God’s. So what is God’s mission? It’s all about furthering God’s glory. God wants us to increase his glory.

Like an opportunity to attend Universal Studios or Disney that you pass up in favor of a neighborhood park around the corner.

Like being called to impact the world one life at a time but you can’t see past your own.

Jesus shared that we cannot serve both God and money. We also can’t serve God and me. Living God’s mission comes at the expense of our own, but our mission becomes elevated when it aligns with God’s. So what is God’s mission? It’s all about furthering God’s glory. God wants us to increase his glory.

This is what the Seraphim were all about. They openly declared God’s glory. Many translators think the declaration, “The whole earth is full of his glory,” would be better translated as a mission: “May the whole earth be full of his glory.” Just as God’s robe filled the temple, his glory will fill the earth. And he invites us to be a part of that.

Like an opportunity to attend Universal Studios or Disney that you pass up in favor of a neighborhood park around the corner.

Like being called to impact the world one life at a time but you can’t see past your own.

Zeal to know and further God’s glory should be our all-consuming passion.

Could you imagine walking up to one of the seraphim in this scene and asking, “Hey, when is your shift over?” They’d look at you cross-eyed. It’s probably a good way to get a hot coal thrown at you to make you leave. Seraphim don’t clock out. They wouldn’t dream of it, because they are consumed with God’s glory.

Psalm 72:19 ESV

Blessed be his glorious name forever; may the whole earth be filled with his glory! Amen and Amen!

When more people come to saving knowledge of Christ, God’s glory increases. The earth becomes a little more full of God’s glory when a new disciple is made. As you hear this, your takeaway can’t be, “If I hear God speaking audibly, asking for volunteers, I’ll be sure to respond.” The holy God of the universe has already called you to make disciples. That increases his glory. When Isaiah encountered a holy God and confessed his sin, he was quick to say, “Sign me up,” so that he could be about God’s mission and further God’s glory.

Ear to the ground

Ear to the ground

Takeaway can’t be, “If I hear God speaking audibly, asking for volunteers, I’ll be sure to respond.” The holy God of the universe has already called you to make disciples.

Father’s Day is coming up. For a few of you that might be your big takeaway of the morning. Four years ago my son, Wesley was born on Father’s Day. I remember what a neat feeling that was. In 2005, Toby Hawkins felt something else: dread. On that Father’s Day, his eleven-year-old son, Brennan, had been missing from a Boy Scouts camp in the Utah mountains for two days. I couldn’t imagine the fear of losing a child on Father’s Day. Crews continued searching for Brennan another two days. Rescue teams feared the worst. But by noon the next day, Brennan was found. A 43-year-old house painter named Forrest Nunley found him after searching further out on his ATV. Brennan was standing on a trail. He was muddy and wet but otherwise okay. Toby Hawkins received his son back because a 43-year-old house painter got involved. Nunley heard about the missing child on the radio and decided to take off work to help. He drove two hours to be part of the search effort. God wants us to be in the business of helping lost people be found. It takes our willingness to say yes, to be passionate about his mission, even as we’ve been transformed by his holiness.