Seeing the Lord
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Introduction
Introduction
On the cusp of our fall revival.
Are you prepared to be transformed by the preaching of God’s Word?
Are you praying to catch sight of God’s will for you this month?
Are you pining to hear from the Lord Himself?
The prophet Isaiah lived in a time of national upheaval and unrest. His nation was divided. Empires were rising and falling and the nation was in trouble. We see in the book of Isaiah that God disciplines His people. God restores His people. And in the midst of all of that, God promises a suffering servant, a saviour, who will purge mankind of his sin.
It is from the book of Isaiah that we get such lifeline verses as:
But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings as eagles; They shall run, and not be weary; And they shall walk, and not faint.
Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on thee: Because he trusteth in thee.
Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; Though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
Isaiah was tasked with bringing a message to a people who would not listen. He was given messages of judgment and woe. He was a man in touch with God Almighty. He was a man consumed with the message of the Holy One of Israel.
He hated sin. He despised hypocrisy. He preached courageously and boldly stood for the truth. And it all began when Isaiah caught sight of the Lord. {492}
In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: The whole earth is full of his glory. And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke. Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts. Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar: And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged. Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.
Here is Isaiah 6 we get a glimpse into how Isaiah’s ministry started. We see what changed and transformed his life forever, and that was Seeing the Lord.
Divine and Spectacular (1-4)
Divine and Spectacular (1-4)
In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: The whole earth is full of his glory. And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke.
The Description
The Description
The Lord — sometimes we forget that He is Lord
— He’s In Charge!
— He’s on His throne
— Earthly rulers will live and die, kingdoms will rise and fall, but the King of Kings and Lord of Lords is forever on His Throne
— Think about what that must have meant for Isaiah, whose king had just died
— Nothing shakes the throneroom of God. Nothing can remove Him from that throne. Nothing takes Him by surprise, He is THE LORD and He is in charge. Don’t ever doubt it.
— You can live your life in a whole different mindset when you see God as the Lord of the Universe.
High and Lifted Up
Not because He sits on a tall throne, but because He is so far above all that is or ever will be — He is on another level.
The Lord is high above all nations, And his glory above the heavens. Who is like unto the Lord our God, Who dwelleth on high, Who humbleth himself to behold The things that are in heaven, and in the earth!
Who is like unto thee, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like thee, glorious in holiness, Fearful in praises, doing wonders?
There is just nothing that you can compare God to. He has no equals, He has no peers, He is high and lifted up.
I am the Lord, and there is none else, There is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me: That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, That there is none beside me. I am the Lord, and there is none else.
What He’s Not
The Man upstairs
Your buddy & pal
Your personal wish-granter
What He Is
The Almighty, Infinite, Creator God, the Lord of All the Universe
The sole owner and sustainer of the world and everything in it
The giver of life
The One Who holds you accountable for your own life
The One Who can declare what is Right and what is Wrong
The One to whom all men will one day answer to and be judged by
STATEMENT — He is High and Lifted Up, He’s the Lord, and you need to see Him as such!\
(The Description)
The Devotion
The Devotion
Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: The whole earth is full of his glory.
Notice what the Angels are saying — Holy, Holy, Holy
In the Hebrew language, repetition of words is used to form a sort of superlative. For example, “perfect peace” in the English translation is literally “peace peace” in the Hebrew. “Pure Gold” is literally “gold gold.” When Genesis describes a place full of tar pits the Hebrew literally says, “pits pits.” And here, as the Angel voices cry out and describe the character of the Almighty God, His holiness goes beyond the normal bounds of the language, because He is not just Holy, Holy, He is Holy, Holy, Holy. His holiness is above expression, it breaks even the boundaries of descriptive language, and it’s completely beyond our comprehension.
Friends, you and I need to catch a glimpse of the Holiness of God.
He’s Lord, He’s High and Lifted Up, He’s Holy.
(The Description)
(The Devotion)
(Divine & Spectacular)
Distressed by his Sinfulness (5)
Distressed by his Sinfulness (5)
Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.
His Despair
His Despair
Woe Is Me
When Isaiah saw the Lord, he did not have a high opinion of himself.
When you catch a glimpse of Who God really is, and are faced with the awesomeness of His attributes, you will quickly realize just how completely wretched and inadequate you are.
There are those today that will tell you that you are enough. They will tell you that you are fine just the way that you are. That God affirms you and requires no change from you. But let me tell you today, that if you see God for Who He is, you will realize just how short you really fall of His glory.
Men Who Were Humbled in the Presence of the Lord
Abraham
And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, which am but dust and ashes:
Jacob
I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies, and of all the truth, which thou hast shewed unto thy servant; for with my staff I passed over this Jordan; and now I am become two bands.
Job
Behold, I am vile; what shall I answer thee? I will lay mine hand upon my mouth.
David
Then went king David in, and sat before the Lord, and he said, Who am I, O Lord God? and what is my house, that thou hast brought me hitherto?
Paul
This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.
Peter
When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.
There are many more, but the point is this, when you see the Lord, you realize that what the Bible says is absolutely true that
For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
(His Despair)
His Destiny
His Destiny
I am undone — destroyed, ruined, cut off, caused to cease, silenced
Isaiah could not compare to the Awesomeness and Holiness of God. In light of God’s glory, Isaiah had no excuses or defence, he was certain he would be destroyed and perish.
Left to ourselves, Destruction is the destiny of all of the human race.
I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.
He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
And what is it that condemns us? It is the same thing that condemned Isaiah:
(His Despair)
(His Destiny)
His Damnation
His Damnation
Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.
When Isaiah saw the Lord, he finally saw just how vile and offensive his sin was.
Think about what he confesses, think about that sin that he declares would earn him destruction and hell! His words were unclean. He had a dirty mouth.
Statement — In our estimation, a dirty mouth, as unappealing and as inappropriate as it may be, certainly does not seem so shocking, so vile, so wicked. But when Isaiah saw the Lord, he realised, perhaps for the first time, that there is no such thing as a small sin, as a permissible sin. No, it is not true that all sin is equal in God’s eyes, the Bible tells us that there are abominable sins, there are sins unto death, there is even an unpardonable sin. But what Isaiah realized is that sin is sin! And it is wholly and completely vile and horrid and unable to enter into the presence of God. It is an offense to His Holiness, and the only alternative is hell.
Question — If you were to see the throne of God, what it is in your life that you would finally declare sinful? What is it that you have rationalized and reasoned with yourself over? What is it that you have been making excuses for, because when you see the Lord for Who He is, you will see your sin for what it is, damnable and destructive, and utterly offensive to God.
(His Despair)
(His Destiny)
(His Damnation)
His Discovery
His Discovery
for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts — this revelation of who God is, is what transformed Isaiah’s entire life.
(Divine & Spectacular)
(Distressed by his Sinfulness)
Discharged from his Shame (6-7)
Discharged from his Shame (6-7)
Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar: And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.
The Source of the Purging
The Source of the Purging
Isaiah did not purge his own sin, he had nothing to do with it.
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Likewise, forgiveness of sin has nothing to do with your actions, you cannot cleanse yourself. It has to do with you accepting what the Lord has done for you on the cross.
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
(The Source of the Purging)
The System of the Purging
The System of the Purging
having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar
Commentary — In the Old Testament, however, fire is not a cleansing agent but the expression of the active, even hostile, holiness of God (Gen. 3:24; Num. 11:1–3; Deut. 4:12, 33, 36). This, however, was fire from the altar, the place where holiness accepted, and was satisfied by, the death of a substitutionary sacrifice (Lev. 17:11). The live coal thus encapsulates the ideas of atonement, propitiation, satisfaction, forgiveness, cleansing and reconciliation, and of these spiritual realities Isaiah, the formerly doomed sinner, is left in no doubt when the seraph explains: “Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.”
Isaiah was cleansed by a perfect, substitutionary sacrifice made before the God of Heaven — the Sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ.
But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
The only thing that can cleanse your sin is the blood of Christ. And there is no other way of salvation but by faith in Jesus Christ.
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.
(The Source of the Purging)
(The System of the Purging)
The Sufficiency of the Purging
The Sufficiency of the Purging
No more iniquity, no more sin. It was taken away and purged.
Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.
Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people, Thou hast covered all their sin. Selah.
Do you have God’s full and lasting forgiveness?
(Divine & Spectacular)
(Distressed by his Sinfulness)
(Discharged from his Shame)
Isaiah saw the Lord, he recognized his sin, he was cleansed from his sin, and immediately we see him desiring to serve the Lord.
Desiring to Serve (8)
Desiring to Serve (8)
Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.
He’s Attendant
He’s Attendant
You have to be present in order to hear God’s voice.
Put yourself in a position to hear from the Lord.
Be in your Bible, daily
Pray and ask God to conform you to His Son
Be in church every moment you can, under the strong preaching and solid teaching of God’s Word
You cannot be of service if you are not in attendance!!
There’s a whole world of Christians out there accomplishing little for Christ because they never allow themselves to be challenged to do so!
(He’s Attendant)
He’s Astute
He’s Astute
Statement — This voice, known to Isaiah as the Lord, Jehovah, the God of Israel, is also attributed to Jesus Christ in John 12:41, and the Holy Spirit in Acts 28:25. Isaiah heard the voice of the triune God, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, three in one.
When God speaks, we should listen.
When the Word is preached, you should be begging God to speak to your heart.
When the Word is taught, you should be longing to grow in your knowledge of the Lord.
When you read your Bible, you should expect it to make an impact in your life that day.
When God speaks, do you care enough to listen?
(He’s Attendant)
(He’s Astute)
He Answers
He Answers
Isaiah responds to God’s call.
How responsive are you to God when He speaks?
Listening is one thing, doing something is another.
But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
He’s Agreeable
He’s Agreeable
Send Me
Isaiah was willing and ready to be the instrument of God’s plan and purpose. In light of seeing the Lord Isaiah wanted nothing more than to be used
If the word of God does not fall on a willing heart, the power of God is pushed away, and the blessings of a life transformed by the Spirit are left untapped.
Song
Open my eyes, that I may see
Glimpses of truth thou hast for me;
Place in my hands the wonderful key
That shall unclasp and set me free
Silently now I wait for thee
Ready, my God, thy will to see
Open my eyes, illumine me, Spirit divine!
Conclusion
Conclusion
Has God opened your eyes this morning?
Have you caught a glimpse of how High and Holy He really is?
Have you seen yourself for what you are, woefully unclean, a sinner?
Have you seen your sin for what it is? An affront and offense to God and His holiness, and enough to keep you out of His presence and on your way to hell?
Have you cried out to Him for cleansing from your sin? Have you ever called out to Him for salvation? If you haven’t you can. If you have, but still cling to that sin, call it what it is, and cry out for forgiveness and repent.
Do you want God to chart the path of your life? That’s the best way to live, following His will and way. Are you attendant to His voice? Are you Consistently in a place where you can hear from Him? Are you listening for Him? Are you responding in obedience to Him? Are you willing to do what He calls you to do?
When you see God for who He really is, you are ripe for revival. Has your view of God been accurate lately?
INVITATION — HEADS BOWED, EYES CLOSED —
ALTAR CALL [STAND] — Piano plays — Randy Leads
If you are here this morning and you aren’t sure you know Jesus as you personal Saviour, it would be our joy to take a Bible and show you how you can know you have eternal life — when we start to sing, you step out from your seat and come forward, and I’ll introduce you to someone who can answer your questions from the Bible
If you are here this morning, and God’s convicted your heart and shown you that there needs to be a change in your heart and mind, or your behaviors in life — it’s time to respond to Him — when we start to sing, you step out and come pray at this altar, give it over to God, and surrender to His perfect peace today.
As we sing, you step out of your seat, and come.