A Kingdom Vision Sermon Week 1.2

Intro/Welcome

Beginning a New Series today

What if you could see things they way God does? (you can to some extent through his word)

Would that change how you view events in your life?

Events in the culture?

Global events?

Human beings are meaning makers, we are constantly trying to understand the world around us.

The truth is there is a greater reality than what we can see, what we can touch, what we can feel.

There is a deeper truth.

If we could see thing the way God does it would change how we live. This is what we mean by having a Kingdom Vision.

It causes us to ask deeper questions…like “what is God up to in all of this?”

When you see God as he truly is, you begin with the understanding that he is Both GOOD and all powerful.

Today we will hear from a man who encountered to Living God and was forever changed by it.

The first step to getting a Kingdom Vision is to recognize who the True King is.

Pray

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The Setting of Isaiah 6

Isaiah 6:1 CSB In the year that King Uzziah died...

This is around 740 BC, after a long prosperous reign of Uzziah (2 Chron 26)

about 20 years before the fall of the Norther Kingdom (Israel)

This was Isaiah’s call to the ministry of Prophet

The role of a prophet was to pronounce judgment for sin and call people to return to the Lord.

In Isaiah we also see the promises of God to save his people one day through the mysterious figure of the Suffering Servant in Isaiah 40-55.

In Isaiah’s day as in our own day, there is temptation to turn away from the Living God to put our trust in other things and to ultimately worship false Gods.

In the Bible this is called Idolatry.

Idols are typically good things that have become God things.

Examples: money, sex, desire, power…etc.

Every culture has idols and remarkably they don’t change a whole lot in essence, though they may in appearance.

We have our own idols: The Individual, Freedom

The only thing that can save us from the worship of false Gods is an encounter with the real one.

This is exactly what Isaiah experiences.

Isaiah’s Encounter with God

Isaiah 6:1–4 CSB In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a high and lofty throne, and the hem of his robe filled the temple. Seraphim were standing above him; they each had six wings: with two they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. And one called to another:

Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Armies; his glory fills the whole earth.

The foundations of the doorways shook at the sound of their voices, and the temple was filled with smoke.

Isaiah has a vision of God Almighty!

Let’s make a couple observations — Propehtic language highly symbolic

The Lord — Yahweh — This is the Lord who revealed himself to Moses

Seated High on a Lofty Throne — He is king, ruler of all things.

His robe filled the temple —

The Temple = Heaven,

His robe = his authority — it fills the entirety of heaven.

He has absolute rule and authority in heaven.

The Seraphim — Angelic Beings — worshipping the Lord

Holy (3x) — Hebrew way of magnification, 3 is unheard of

The Lord of (Angel Armies) — He is Lord of all the heavenly host

His glory fill the earth — “may his glory (his reign and presence) fill the whole earth”

The foundations shook —

This is an intense experience.

This is just the voices of the angels, imagine if God spoke.

Experience

This must have been terrifying.

Example:

near death experience

combined with the most beautiful sunset

standing next to a raging train

It’s breath-taking

What is Isaiah’s response?

Isaiah’s Response

Isaiah 6:5 CSB Then I said: Woe is me for I am ruined because I am a man of unclean lips and live among a people of unclean lips, and because my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of Armies.

Despair, brutal honesty.

This is to be totally undone, totally exposed

This is uncontrollable vulnerability, there is no where to hide.

It’s terrifying.

It’s what we wall will experience standing before the White Throne in Revelation 20.

What hope will there be?

This is what the world forgets. This is what Idols lure you away from.

The reality of sin, pain, suffering, personal responsibility.

We are all on a quest to avoid, numb out, escape, ignore the reality of sin.

Idols make promises they can’t keep, the pull the veil over your eyes

Idols will lead you to death and you will love them along the way, while being helplessly addicted to what they offer.

Our culture is progressively ‘forgetting’ and actively denying the reality of sin.

That is that sin exists in every human heart.

The problem ultimately isn’t ‘out there’ it is ‘in here’

We need to deal with our own sin as well as the sins of others.

‘No one is without sin’ — Romans 3

The human heart (and our cultural view) is full of contradictions.

It is ultimately illogical.

How can we on the one hand promote sexual freedom yet condemn (those who are willing to) the evils of sexual exploitation and rampant sexual addiction?

The answer?

Jeremiah 17:9 “The heart is deceitful”

We want to deny all truth, well really just any truth that would put any kind of restriction or moral accountability upon us.

The system can’t work.

It’s what we are seeing.

Why?

Idol Worship — The Worship of False Gods.

What is the Idol? — individual human freedom.

Is that a bad thing?

No of course not, until it becomes the ultimate thing.

until it becomes the God that we all have to bow down to.

B/C at some point, someone’s individual freedom is going intrude upon mine, or vice versa.

What do you do then?

We need a standard, we need a barometer, a compass.

Idols - make promises they can’t keep.

Isaiah was an Idol Worshipper just like his entire culture.

His standing before the Ultimate Pure, Righteous, Holy God almighty left him no where to turn.

His response:

I am undone, a sinner, unclean an my people are to.

We are lost — there is no hope

But God is not just Righteous, Holy and Just, he is a God of Love

Thank God!

God’s Glory revealed in Grace

Isaiah 6:6–7 CSB Then one of the seraphim flew to me, and in his hand was a glowing coal that he had taken from the altar with tongs. He touched my mouth with it and said: Now that this has touched your lips, your iniquity is removed and your sin is atoned for.

Isaiah at his worst, exposed, vulnerable and doomed is extended grace.

a glowing coal taken from the altar with tongs — altar were used for sacrifice — atonement.

glowing coal — refinement by fire (john the baptist, Matt 3:11-12)

touch — physical contact — the incarnation

lips — from the heart comes your words out of your mouth (total cleansing)

iniquity removed — expiation — removal of guilt — The Cross

sin atoned for — propitiation — just retribution for sin — The Cross

Isaiah has been completely forgiven of the sin of idol worship.

This the magnitudinal experience of God’s grace.

Awareness of sin and unworthiness

Experience of grace — undeserved, unconditional love displayed in atonement

This is for us!

The Cross.

Isaiah’s Response

Isaiah 6:8 CSB Then I heard the voice of the Lord asking: Who will I send? Who will go for us? I said: Here I am. Send me.

What is the response of someone experiencing grace?

Worship

of the one true God

obedience to Him.

God’s Call for a servant

“i’ll do it”

Whatever it is, you are so worthy, so wonderful, so lovely, I will do anything for you.

Isaiah will have a hard ministry — as we’ll see next week.

Application

You and I can encounter God right here and right now

In his word.

The conviction of Sin, the experience of Grace.

Are you ready to do what God calls you to?

Would you truly say “Here I am, send me”

Let’s Pray