A Glorious New Year
Notes
Transcript
1 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. 2 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. 3 And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!” 4 And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. 5 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!” 6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.” 8 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.”
Explain the Title - The Glory of God is so needful, needed
The New Year is here..
we look forward to a better year..
Every year-end people attempt to make the New Year better by their own efforts in changing themselves selves, and resolving to do things differently. Eliminating some bad patterns of behavior.
We formulate the so-called New Year’s resolution.
What are some of your New Year’s resolutions?
Looking at our phones less often
Do an act of kindness
Be more thankful
These are all to make the new year better.
2020 however is such a unique year that many think that it was such a bad year that it can only get better. You know the saying there is no way but up.. people are not even so keen about coming up with a New Year’s resolution — they are saying:
“Just get us out of 2020!”
If you are thinking this way, thing again. This is the mindset of the world. The world’s outlook is dependent on the circumstance.
We are not sure if things will get better in 2021. It may get better, it may get worse.
The Bible actually tells us that in the bigger scheme of God, things are going to get worse.
What should our attitude be?
No Matter What Happens.
1. God Remains on His Glorious Throne.
Isaiah saw this vision in the year King Uzziah of Judah died. It may be before or after this king died but it was in that same year that the LORD showed him this vision.
This is highly significant because the 52-year reign of this king Uzziah was prosperous and marked by self-reliance and pride. In fact king Uzziah himself, although he was a good king for the most part became disobedient to God when he entered the temple to offer a sacrifice which was something that only the priests were allowed to do. God struck him with leprosy for the rest of his life because of his pride.
The king’s attitude was representative of the sin and pride of the whole nation. They have strayed away from God. For the most part because of the prosperity and success during that time.
Listen: It does not take committing a grave act of sin to stray away from God. Usually, like Israel, the sparkle of the world promises to fulfill desires for ambition, self-affirmation, security, or another ordinary human desire..
Nothing inherently wrong with all that there is an abundant life that Jesus promised that he can sufficiently meet. You are missing out.. I suspect you know what I am talking about.
In 2021 and beyond, We need to:
2. Experience the Glory of God.
That while the whole nation of Israel lost their way, God remained to be the constant and He remained in glory.
Isaiah described His glory..
“and the train of His robe filled the temple” (Isaiah 6:1b)
May be the Incarnate appearance of Jesus, we don’t know.. vision of John in Rev.
God is much bigger than what religion makes him out to be.
Israel at that point had a small view of God, that they thought He was confined in the temple, the holy of holies and even in the ark of the covenant.. while they had their sinful ways..
We may think we can confine God in our own compartments in life, and have control for the most part but the truth is.. He is the One in Control.
We cannot limit God in our confined spaces, His glory fills the earth.
Creatures Seraphim (describe) - Saraph is a Hebrew word that means burning
3 And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!”
Our God is big and in 2021 think big and desire nothing less than His glory in your life!
Through the means of grace, praying to Him, reading our Bibles and involvement in the church, we have a God-ordained pathway to experience a portion of the glory of God.
4 And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke.
Talks of His awesome power. The smoke represents God’s glory.
3. Attain to true Humility
5 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!”
When we experience the glory of God, we will be so aware of our sinfulness, so underserving we are of Him.
That self awareness is true humility.
When we encounter the glory of the resurrected Christ, we experience a piercing humility that cuts our hearts. Woe is me! I am so undeserving! This piercing humility affects our being, our actions.
Piercing humility affects the way we approach God in worship. (talk)
Piercing humility affects the way we approach others.
Humility pierces inward, you won’t even look outward at the fault of others.
True humility shows others the holiness of God, not “I am holier than you”.
6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.”
This is Isaiah’s experience, he was cleansed from his sins when the seraphim touch is lips with burning coals from the altar. Fire in the Bible symbolizes purification.
Isaiah was told: “your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.”
4. Live as God’s Forgiven People
In the New Testament, we do not need to be touched by burning coals from the altar to receive God’s forgiveness.
By the grace of God through Jesus Christ and His finished work. Our sins past, present and future have been atoned for.
He has given us His Spirit which gives us freedom to behold the glory of the Lord.
17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.
We are no longer like Isaiah.. like Moses
We will not experience the full blinding-light glory of God until we stand before Him face to face. But we have been given a taste of that glory by the grace of God and access to His throne of grace in Christ.
6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
5. Shine the light of the glory of God.
8 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.”
This is famously called Isaiah’s commission.
Some of you are probably wondering, when is God going to commission me?
The truth is He already has. The Lord Jesus has personally commissioned us:
19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
It all goes back to this, we don’t hit the reset button.. we march onward to heaven’s drumbeats fulfilling the Great Commission of the Lord.
Since you have experienced the glory of God by the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ.. obey God wherever you are.