A Kingdom Vision Sermon Week 1

Welcome/Intro

Good morning / Pastor Justin

Can you believe it is August 2020?

This has been a crazy year (at least we are half way through it!)

A large portion of our church wondering ‘what is school going to look like?’

Will there be any football this fall?

How much longer is this going to go on?

Will there be resolution to the racial issues in our country?

We still have a presidential election!

There’s a lot of uncertainty, a lot of Anxiety.

We need clarity now more than ever.

KINGDOM SERIES

We are starting a new Series Today called “A Kingdom Vision”

This is something we need more than ever.

To have a Kingdom Vision is to begin to “see as God sees”

to have a Kingdom Vision is to ask in light of everything going on: ‘What is God up to?’

He really is good, and really is all powerful —

What are his purposes in all this? personally? corporately? Nationally?

Having a Kingdom Vision restores our confidence in the only secure and truly good being in all of existence. God himself.

We are going to be camping out in the Book of Isaiah for this series.

Today we will begin with the most important element of having a Kingdom Vision.

Having a Kingdom Vision begins by seeing the One True King

We’ll be in Isaiah 6:1-8 Today

Let’s Pray

Pray

Give us eyes to see and ears to hear.

Isaiah’s Vision

Context

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)

History of Israel (Southern/Northern Kingdom)

This is one of the neat places in Scripture where you have connections between different books.

2 Kings, 2 Chronicles and Isaiah.

Isaiah was a prophet that was working mostly in Judah.

He was dealing with the Social, Political and Spiritual issues in his day.

Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible Isaiah (Person)

Isaiah worked to reform social and political wrongs. Even the highest members of society did not escape his censure. He berated soothsayers and denounced wealthy, influential people who ignored the responsibilities of their position. He exhorted the masses to be obedient rather than indifferent to God’s covenant. He rebuked kings for their willfulness and lack of concern.

It’s amazing how little has changed in nearly 3000 years.

Isaiah is as relevant to day as he was in his own day.

We don’t have many details of Isaiah before his call to be Prophet, but he likely was connected to the royal family and enjoyed some level of prestige and status.

What he have here in Isaiah 6 is his conversion and call to the office of Prophet

The Throne Room in Heaven

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.

This is one of the Most Powerful scenes in all of the Bible.

Isaiah is taken up in a Vision into the VERY PRESENCE OF GOD ALMIGHTY

Observations:

Prophetic Language is often symbolic

What is being communicated to us?

**ANNOTATION

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.

**END ANNOTATION

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

This is Total Purity, Righteousness, Holiness, Majesty and utter Perfection.

He has seen the glory of the One True King

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.

Ill: have you ever had to confess to wrong

Cultural Blindness to Sin

This is what we are prone to forget.

especially in our culture where words like “sin” and “evil” are being written out of mainstream language.

We don’t like this picture of God

We have grown numb as a people to this reality.

You need to know...

This is what we will all experience standing before the White Throne in Revelation 20

It’s the same Throne that John sees

It’s the same throne that Daniel and Ezekiel see

This is the deeper reality to which the Bible reveals to us.

God is utterly holy and pure and righteous, and you and I are not.

We tend to compare ourselves to other people

But In comparison to God we are all lost, undone and unclean.

All people, everyone, everywhere

republicans, liberals, democrats

The wealthy and the poor

oppressor and oppressed

straight, married, single, gender-nonconforming

black, white, and every other color

Every tribe and every nation

“all have sinned” Romans 3:23, ‘all are sinners’

all are in the situation Isaiah finds himself.

What hope is there?

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.

It is in our Worst that God reveals his Best

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

Observations:

**ANNOTATIONS

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

sin atoned for — propitiation — just retribution for sin

**END ANNOTATION

Grace

Isaiah has been completely forgiven of all of his sin

This the inexpressible experience of God’s grace.

Experience of grace — undeserved, unconditional love displayed in atonement

It is this experience that radically transforms Isaiah’s life.

This is what grace does

It is the only thing that can undo all the evil and sin in the world.

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

There was Worship before in the Holiness of God that led to despair.

But Grace takes worship to a whole other level: gratitude and humility

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.

This is the only proper response to God and seeing him as the the One True King

but a benevolent King.

What about you?

This grace is also offered to you and I.

This is the Beauty of who God is.

Same Message 3000 years later

Isaiah 40-55 — Mysterious figure of the Suffering Servant

Isaiah 53:5–6 CSB 5 But he was pierced because of our rebellion, crushed because of our iniquities; punishment for our peace was on him, and we are healed by his wounds. 6 We all went astray like sheep; we all have turned to our own way; and the Lord has punished him for the iniquity of us all.

This episode ultimately points forward to Christ.

Who would be taken to the Alter of the Cross

He would burn with Passion and Purity for His people.

He would touch their lips through the incarnation

He would transfer his righteousness to them and absorb their sin and shame hanging on a cross.

He would remove their iniquity

He will atone for their sin.

Then he would resurrect from death and usher in an entire new way of living

by the power and spirit of the resurrection.

He would restore all that was lost

And on that day when you and I stand before the Great White Throne of Judgment

We too will be unworthy

But we will also will know the one who suffered and made satisfaction on our behalf.

Application

You and I can encounter God right here and right now

In his word.

The conviction of Sin, the experience of Grace.

If you have not Known Jesus yet, do it now, today.

GIVE YOUR LIFE TO JESUS TODAY

We are not promised another day.

Begin your new life.

For those who have believed,

have you forgotten who God is, his utter holiness and righteousness

His sovereignty and power over all things

nothing is a surprise to him

have you become numb to sin in your life?

Have you become susceptible to the systems of this world that have no biblical foundation?

Have you forgotten the power of God’s grace in your life?

Let’s go back to our first love! To Christ! and then..

Are you ready to do what God calls you to?

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

Let’s Pray