GOD & GOD ALONE

we've been in the series on gospel fluency in my heart. My desire My Hope Is that every single one of us would grow not just in our understanding and knowledge of the Gospel what we need to grow in that. But that we would grow in our proficiency and our ability to apply the gospel and end in the both of our Focus has been on applying the gospel to our own lives. Mmm, and we're going to begin to transition on next week into the gospel Community. How do we then learn to grow in our ability and proficiency Our Gospel fluency in bringing the gospel to other? And that's a challenge because because we got so many caricatures of of what bringing the gospel to others looks like right whether it's the angry Street Preacher standing up on the on the corner with a sign telling everybody how Mad God is or or or people standing up with a sign that says John 3:16 and and or or whatever it is passing out tracks not have this these ideas of what that mean. And far too often those ideas of what it means to bring the gospel to others.

They're not good pictures right that there are far too many jerks for Jesus out there right at the end justifies the means we think that because we're trying to to tell people the good news. It doesn't matter how we do it or where we do litter or or the attitude of the tone. And and so we end up.

Frankly we end up doing more damage than good far too often. And how we do it in and as we move into the transition of thinking about how we do it. My heart is just heavy that that we understand that. It's it's all about God. It's all about God.

No, we're not just bringing a message Rogers bringing a principal. We're not just bringing an idea. What would call to bring the presence of God With Us into the reality of other people's lives? Mmm into the whole sermon this morning if God shows up. Everything Changes

But if we miss God nothing matters. We got shows up everything changes. But if we miss God matter what we do.

At the end of the day it is about God. We've been talking the last few weeks about gospel fluency and prayer gospel fluency in the scripture gospel fluency and worship if you if you study the Bible 3 hours a day, if you pray on your face for 2 hours a day if you saying and worship and do all that stuff, but you don't encounter and experience. A waste of time.

We need God to show up. We need an encounter with God for the gospel to become a part of natural organic part of who we are for us to become fluent in the gospel. It only happens in the presence of God. And for the gospel to be applied into someone else's life. Through you whether that's another follower of Jesus. Or that somebody that you never heard about him at all in order for that to happen. God has to show up.

It's God and God Alone. Let's look at this text together this morning. First of all, I want to see I want you to see this you will know. That you have encountered God. When you Savor him I like that word saver. I like that. I don't know that we Savor well in our culture anymore. We become a fast food people everything so quick. How many of you feel like life is just moving a little too slow for you.

There was a day when many hands would have gone up. But today is not that day. That's not the world that we live in our world is so fast paced it is so like have you ever eaten a meal and then realized you didn't taste a thing? Like how was it? I don't know. It's done, right? To savor this space to save her to relish to Delight in to be satisfied in something or just good music to just sit down and listen to a piece of music. Look at a painting. Enjoy the beauty of God's artwork Creation. instasaver it

I don't think we do that in much in our lives today, and I think that Becomes essentially true went with God as well. We we got to fit God into our daytimers. We said God into our worship service. I got I'm going to give you 90 minutes, but if that preacher goes too long.

I need the address.

And I and I got to miss some of that football game where I got to let you know I got I got you I got you clocked in.

I'm going to do my God time. I'm going to move on.

That's not encounter.

This far too many in the church that Ayana to talking about EMC but I'm talking about him seeing that in the church. There's far too many in the in the church today to whom God is an idea to be believed rather than a person to be loved and treasure.

The difference is encounter.

And when you truly encounter. Not just the idea of him not just a thought, but the person of him the power of him the glory of him.

Whets the appetite it's stimulates the affection we Delight in his Beauty. Isaiah had that experience in in chapter 6 here it says in the year that King Uzziah died. I saw the Lord.

sitting upon a throne high and lifted up in the train of his robe filled the temple.

I was read this thinking that that this was a vision that he had like he was at home get some bad Tex-Mex. You went to sleep. He had this dream. He has this Vision but I don't think that's what's happening to text at all. I think I think converse one that tells us where he is. I think he went to the temple to worship. It's not he done it before. I don't think and here's the tragedy. I don't think he expected to meet God.

He went to the temple to offer sacrifice. He went to the temple to offer his prayers. He went to the temple to give his arms, but I think the last thing he was expecting was to see God. In the year that King Uzziah died I went to town and I saw the Lord.

Sitting on a throne high and lifted up in the train of his robe filled the temple above and still the seraphim each had six wings with two they cover their face with two they covered his feet with two foot. freaky angels

the cat like the normal Angels make you want to wet your pants and fall on your face videos are Uber Angels the seraphim they stand in the presence of this and he's tearing it. One call to another and another called to another another another another color is constant round of calling out enough one call to another safe. Holy. Holy holy.

Is the Lord of hosts the whole earth is full of his glory what?

What a moment.

Holy there cry, holy.

Hebrew language very simple interest in language. There's no superlative form in the Hebrew language. Turn orange can convey the idea of of magnitude or greatness in Hebrew. They do it through repetition it all throughout the Old Testament you if you won't see it in your English translations very well, but in the Hebrew, you'll see it feel like in Genesis chapter 14. There's a battle going on between God's people and some of the other things and and in the middle is battle a bunch of the Kings on the other side going through this area that's full of these bitumen or tar pits and end in the in the text. It says in the Hebrew it says they went into the tar pit pits. That's probably cheaper language conveys magnitude like a hole wasn't a pit. It was the prettiest of the pits, right? They went into the pit pit. You don't want to go on a pit, but you really don't want to go in a pit pit.

What's negative it works positive as well in in in second Kings chapter 25 actually dealing with it the the artifacts within the temple. Nnnn, many of them are made of gold and many of them are made of silver and it's chapter 25 if he's talking about the bowls of the gold gold and the silver silver. Are English translations will call it fine gold Exquisite gold shiny silver. And yes, if you want to give the superlative of something you bring repetition repetition like that.

There's only one place in the Old Testament. when you find a three-fold repetition

Right here and Isaiah chapter 6 I think chapter 6 The Angels they're describing their proclaiming. They're praising. They're worshipping God. They are looking at his present and they go holy. Holy as a word that means unique. Superlative that's what it means. This is the best of the best. When you when you talk about something being holy you're talking about it being infinitely unique and greater than anything else. The God's love is a holy love infinitely unique and greater than any other love God's power is a holy power infinitely unique and greater than any other power. Here are the seraphim and they're trying to describe God's holy. This is the one that is infinitely unique and above with the word also means beautiful.

delightful attractive and appealing I don't I grew up here in about Holiness all my life. I never heard about it being beautiful Holiness was about keeping the rules. A holy person doesn't drink dance or chew or go with girls. Who do

A holy person has the right haircut dresses up on Sunday has a big old King James Version.

We think about list and rules and and all that sort that we think about the most common definition of Holiness is separation from sin and and there's an element of that. That's true. Of course God is infinitely uniquely separate from sin.

The main emphasis do the angels are trying to get a way to not sin.

So what they're proclaiming You Are Holy you are beautiful. You are delightful few are unique. There's nothing and no one like you.

Let me say it once we go that's not enough. Your holy holy holy. You're the holy of holies being unique and superlative is enough. We got to take it to another level your holy. That's still not enough. The only time in the Old Testament, they throw in the third one. You're the holy of the holies category.

nothing like

this is so me this morning. You're looking at me and you got a little bit of that deer-in-the-headlights. Look, where have you gone? I know about the Bible I heard about on shut up a church by

You'll know you've encountered God when you Savor him because of his goodness and his Beauty and if you haven't if you don't know what I'm talkin about, if that doesn't make sense to you, you need to stop listening to me and start talking to God right now and asking him to let you see him in that way. That you would Savor him because without that nothing else. I'm going to say matters anyway.

The Crying Out holy holy. Holy is the Lord for the most brilliant. She's beautiful and I said in the whole earth is full of his glory.

Glory it's one of my favorite Hebrew words one of the few that I remember from Seminary. So it's my favorite just by the virtue of that.

It means heaviness. It means Wayne. Glory

in our culture of fleeting Fame in our culture of 15 minutes of Glory Glory in our culture getting a Superbowl ring.

getting best-selling book or movie getting getting on Entertainment Tonight

Glory it's it's light for Mirror.

God's glory is heavy. Weight is substantial the whole earth is full of his waiting. In other words the importance of god the powers of the substance of God. Is what shapes and upholds the entire universe? The whole earth is full of his glory and the foundations of the threshold shook. The boys have him who called in the house was filled with smoke. That's what God's glory. Does it shakes. Read through the Old Testament read through the New Testament every time. Actually shows up. The ground shakes every time we got meet with Moses on the mountain. There are earthquakes and lightning and fire and smoke.

On the day of Pentecost when the heavens are pirates and the spirit comes out there earthquakes and rumbling noise when God shows up shakes everything around him because of his glory his waiting us.

I don't think that's how we treat God in our culture. Certainly, not outside of the church and sadly not inside the church.

We want to God that makes our life easier. We want to God that upholds our agenda. We want to God that makes us Healthy and Wealthy we want to God that acts and behaves in ways that make sense to not lose ways are not our ways. The spots are not our ways and thoughts are higher than the heavens.

We come to God and was the guy that I'd really like you to get me out of hell. I'd really like to go to heaven. And I'd really like you to help me live the American dream.

And that's not much of a god.

Nowait substance to it. We got shows up. He doesn't show up so that you can fit him into your agenda when God shows up. He shakes the foundations so that you might be shaken out of your stupor and slumber.

You might fall into his agenda. Will call. Stop. Called us to him.

That is heavier than anything.

compared to everything else

God matters more

compared to everything else Compared to God everything else has no wait.

God's glory is the substance. Of the universe God's glory. Is what your heart hungers for in the deepest and truest recesses of your spirit. You were made by God for God and you will never be satisfied until you are satisfied in him.

We're chasing after money. We're chasing after golf. We're chasing after retirement. We're chasing after pleasure. We're chasing after Netflix were chasing after.

We need to stop. and shaver the waiting heaviness substance the Beauty and the brilliance

we know we've met God. when we favor him just for who he is.

Secondly, we know we've encountered God. When we sorrow over our sin. All their egos Baptist preacher talking about Sin again.

People don't want us are over there sin in the church. I've had people tell me in this church as they were leaving this church. Just don't want to feel bad about my sin. Tragically from my perspective. There's plenty of churches around where they can go and sit week after week and never be confronted with the reality of God's holiness and never once have to wrestle with the reality of their broken there. Here's the deal anytime anyone in all of history in the scriptures meets with God. They are broken into sorrow over their sin every time. every time Peter Jesus comes out to Peter after after it's been depart from me. I'm an unclean man. Joe Poor Joe man. He had a really bad day.

and then a few more I need some really bad friends. He was getting really bad advice and and Joe if he wants his day in court with God and and lesson of job is simply this be careful what you ask for because sometimes God will give it to you. Until God says, alright you want your day in court lines dude. It's on. I got just shows up and God reveals himself to Joe and what does Joe do my ears had heard of you. You've been a nice idea to me God. But now my eyes have seen you. And I can only do one thing I Repent in sackcloth and ask it says it.

Peabody an accusation against.

When we really encounter. Like if you really see God. You will sorrow over here sit. You'll sorrow over it Isaiah. the profit Isaiah the prophet and we know a few things about Isaiah. He was came from an elite fairly wealthy family. He was prominent. He was a prophet he was gifted in his speech. And he was waiting for his time on the stage. Isaiah was one of those young man who knew how to get it done better than everybody else and he was waiting for his time to shine if they if he's all funny that he will just get out of the way. I can fix everything cuz I know how it's supposed to be and and he's got the gift is got the Charisma. He's got the ability to speak in his mouth in an oral culture being able to speak. Well is everything

Now he has finally died. His time is coming up. This is what he's been waiting for and he goes into the temple and he sees and everything that he thought he knew goes out the window.

Nme declares he says woe is me.

We don't talk that way. I'd love to meet somebody to talk to him as me.

But we went up profits as well. It means something. Profits with a mouth pieces of got as such profits had two primary roles one. They pronounce the blessing of a prophet blessed you in the name of the Lord you were blessed. But if a prophet Road you

if a prophet came and said, well I'm to you you are in trouble if blessing and curses. In the language of cursing for the prophet is the language of Woe.

Understand what I say and he pronounces a curse upon himself to me.

Yoda me for I am lost.

I'm a man of unclean lips. Madewell in the midst of a people of unclean lips and my eyes have seen the king the Lord of hosts. when he sees the singular unique superlative Beauty and Brilliance and goodness and glory of God move to radical repentance in the Deep sorrow over his sin. That's simply the way it works.

That works on a human level you go to the gym working out your working out in front of the mirror. Cuz you want to see the gun show, right and you're working out your moving off you go from those 20 to 25 to 40. You're feeling really good about yourself. You're standing for the mirror. You're doing the poses. You're feeling really good right until a real weightlifter walks in the room.

You know what? I'm talking about right like that dude walks in he's got his headphones on he's got like a 12-gallon thing a raw eggs.

He's got muscles on his pinky that are bigger than your quads.

You think you're doing good? And then you see that and how do you feel I'll send you were feeling great now so you feel small. You feel weak if it right like.

You wake up. You're doing your hair. You're looking like men my beard game is strong this morning, right? And then you get out and you see a better beard.

The struggle is real y'all.

That's just the way it work. That's just the way it works now. If it works that way in human relationships, you see somebody with bigger muscles with a better beer. You see somebody pretty rich are stronger faster you feel bad about what do you think will happen to you if you see the Perfection and beauty of God, but I think you're going to see God that ain't ever going to happen. You're going to see God. No, you're awesome. I thought I was awesome. I was comparing myself to the guy next to me at church and I was looking pretty good. But now I seen you you're awesome, and I'm not.

World is me la. Tell you what to do God. I'm not coming to you with the answer. I'm coming you with a question. I'm not telling you how to be God. You're going to tell me how to be mad. Read you and use you. I want you to leave me so you might use me.

I'm done. I'm going to clean on Worthy. I'm a mess.

the next verse

Oh, hold on.

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You'll know you're in, you know, you've encountered God when you're set apart. to serve him

people that encounter God Don't go. That was awesome.

I'm going to go do whatever I want to do next.

If you encounter the one who is not just holy and not just holy. Holy the one who is Holy Holy Holy when you encounter the one who is perfect in his Beauty. You don't go all that was nice. I wonder what the next thing has to offer.

Did you repent you sorrow? This next verse. This has been one of the seraphim flew to me.

That sounds cool, right? And there's a lot of things in the Bible reading that like man. I wish I could have been there but this is not one of them.

wings for faces Let me go to the altar of fire in front of the Lord and it takes tongs. And it picks up this hot coal of fire in the Old Testament up to this point up to this point fire has only ever meant one thing. It's meant judgments and destruction. Salat ever met any time God shows up and there's fire.

Isaiah seen God he's just pronounce a woe upon himself. Now the seraphim goes and gets fire and starts flying towards him and he's like this.

It's been a good run.

Any touched my mouth? Said behold, this has touched your lips your guilt is taken away. and your sin is a tone for

Tim Keller is one of my favorite features. He says this all the time. He says you are more wicked than you dare to believe and you are more loved than you dared to Hope. through the grace of God I see that in the state you are way more wicked than you even want to dare to believe yourself certainly don't want to show anybody else. What's your way worse than you thought you were? and at the same time you mad love when you ever hoped you are. You're not loved because you're performant. You're not love because of your production. You're loved in spite of your performance and production. We are simultaneously simple and loved at the same time because of the amazing grace of our God. If the angel would have come with that call and smoke him he would have got exactly what he deserved.

Nobody could have said all I said and deserve it. You deserve that he knew it. She acknowledged. He called it upon himself with the beauty of God's grace is he does not treat us as our sins deserve in that moment that angel brings any touches. The thing that Isaiah said was unclean You're right. Dude, your mouth is unclean sizzle.

Your sins are tone for you Army clean. Stand up.

when God meets with people our natural response is sorrow over our sin, but God doesn't come and Shay my That doesn't come to break us. He comes to rebuild us. You'll know you've actually encountered and met with God when the waiting is of God breaks your heart over your sin. And in that moment when you know that you deserve nothing but condemnation from God and instead he gives Grace the natural and only out for the heart is gratitude and joy and Delight God whatever you want. That's what I want to do.

Why is it that so many people just want to show up on Sunday morning and don't want to do anything else with or for God. Why is it that serving God is seen as an inconvenience. The answer is simple. It's because we haven't seen When you see him everything changes if you don't see him nothing matter.

I heard her voice of the Lord saying whom shall I send and who will go for us? And then I said here I am send me.

Send me.

We have far too many people. in the church They're being sent out of the church on mission for God. And they haven't seen him.

They haven't savored him. They haven't sorrowed over their sin. And I haven't been set apart and Sanctified by his Gray. And if you if you haven't had any of that happen. Nothing's going to happen out there.

There's there's no gospel fluency. There's no gospel Ministry. There's no gospel games unless we've had an encounter with God.

God shows up everything changes.

We sometimes get surprised over who God uses. You know how God could take the Kia so got to take these broken people. Take these weak people. What is other option?

Turn over everyone. Nope. Nope.

I can use that.

I can fix that. I can redeem that I can feel that. I can shine through that. That's what God.

That's what the gospel.

when that happen only when that happen

we become fluent in the gospel. It naturally comes out of us. Because of what we've encountered and what we've experienced if it hasn't happened.

No matter how many books you read doesn't matter. If you go through Vangelis an explosion of matter, if you got a cat attract tattooed on your arm, right? It doesn't matter. What does matter how loud you

Does it matter if you go to Seminary doesn't matter if you've got all the right answers if you haven't met God none of it matter.

But when God shows up. Church everything change I have one question one question alone for you this morning. Do you want that kind of encounter? with God

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