Guide us God: A Prophetic Call

Intro:

2 Peter 1:19-21

Today, I want to preach on the topic of [Guide us God], the subject of my message is, [A Prophetic Call].

We live in an age where people are worried. Worried about the present. Worried about the future. Worried about what to do. Worried about where to go.

There is a sense of confusion and perplexity about what will happen next.

I decided to go to the internet for advice on what to do when we are dazed, confused, and worried about the future. I’ve heard that if it is on the internet it must be true, so I chose to try that theory out and see how it works.

I don’t have time to share all that I read, but I want to highlight a few suggestions.

I found one article entitled, “How to Stop Being Dazed and Confused About Your Future.” Here are some of their steps:

Understand that it’s alright not to know.

You don’t need to know what tomorrow will look like. What you have is this day, so focus on it, make the most of it, and let life decide what will happen next.

Trust the natural flow.

Trust that the universe knows what’s right for you.

These were just two of their suggestions.

Another article called, “How to Stop Worrying About the Future.”

Schedule Time to Worry

Some people find it helpful to schedule 30 minutes each day just to worry. If worrisome thoughts creep in at any other time, put them aside by telling yourself you have a scheduled time to worry. Your goal is to worry only during your scheduled 30 minutes each day.

There were many more suggestions, but I noticed one consistent absence— any reference to God. As I think of all the questions people have and the confusion the consumes people, I can’t help but remember— we serve the ONLY ONE who knows the future!

With the rapid changes is society, it is seems that it is hard to know what to do.

Who has ever had these questions— what is next? What do I do? How do I handle this now?

As I pondered this dilemma, I remembered the words of the Apostle Peter.

2 Peter 1:19–21 NLT

19 Because of that experience, we have even greater confidence in the message proclaimed by the prophets. You must pay close attention to what they wrote, for their words are like a lamp shining in a dark place—until the Day dawns, and Christ the Morning Star shines in your hearts. 20 Above all, you must realize that no prophecy in Scripture ever came from the prophet’s own understanding, 21 or from human initiative. No, those prophets were moved by the Holy Spirit, and they spoke from God.

All throughout Scripture, there were times when people needed guidance. There were situations and people did not know what to do. Then there were times people thought everything was just fine, and God sent a prophet to speak.

When we think of the word prophetic, notice the imagery of Peter’s words— prophetic words are like a lamp or light shining in a dark place.

There have been times when we’ve traveled that I woke up in the middle of the night and could not quite remember where I was. I would get out of bed and just a little bit of light would give me the direction that I needed.

We live in dark times. And dark times require light to shine. Peter shows us that the prophetic, direction from God, can help us know what to do.

I want to spend a little time looking at some of the prophetic words of the Prophet Isaiah. I want us to see that what he has to say will be like a light shining in the dark.

In a day when we need guidance from God, I feel the Lord wants to issue a prophetic call to us. He wants to direct us by the leading of the Spirit. He wants to speak to us at just the right time, with just the right words, and just the right message.

All of this happened for Isaiah at a young age. Let’s turn to Isaiah 6. I want to focus on the moment God called Isaiah to the prophetic ministry.

We will study, [What He Saw], [What He Said], and [What He Sensed].

Let’s begin

1. What He Saw

Isaiah 6:1-4

Isaiah lived in a time in Judah’s history where everything seemed okay on the surface. People lived their lives. But underneath the surface, God’s people slipped into moral darkness, depravity, and decay.

Everything for Isaiah changed when the King of Judah, Uzziah, died. His death came as a result of his willful disobedience and rebellion against the Lord.

He became prideful and ignored God’s clear instructions and was struck with leprosy. God selected the earthly king Uzziah’s death as the time He would invite Isaiah to experience the heavenly king’s throne room.

Isaiah does not tell us what he was doing, but he does inform as to what He saw. He looked and saw the Lord sitting on a lofty throne in heaven.

The train of God’s robe was significant. In those days, when one king conquered another king’s army, would take the train of the defeated king’s robe and sew it onto the victorious king’s robe.

The longer the train of the robe, the more that king had defeated his enemies.

Now, in the throne room of heaven, Isaiah sees that the train of God’s robe fills the temple! Every kingdom if under His domain and power.

Isaiah saw this. He also saw the mighty seraphim flying around leading the throne room in worship to the Lord:

Holy

Holy

Holy is the Lord of hosts

The WHOLE EARTH is full of His glory

Imagine what this did for Isaiah. He had access to the very throne room of God.

Why would the Lord to this?

Judah began to enter into a time of spiritual darkness. Their earthly kings chose to ignore the direction of God, the people were starting to get lost.

But in the darkness, God shows Isaiah His glorious light that the people need to learn about.

James 1:17 NKJV

17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.

When Satan attempts to cloud our judgment, darken our path, and distract us, we have the Father of lights, who sits on His throne in heaven, who fills the whole earth with His glory!

His is high and lifted up

He has defeated every enemy and adversary

He is enthroned in the praises of His people

This is what Isaiah saw. But we need to see...

2. What He Said

Isaiah 6:5

Woe is me.

What does woe mean?

Woe, An exclamation denoting pain or displeasure. At times it is an expression of regret or sorrow about the miserable situation.

Often, when we see the word woe, it is followed by a pronouncement of judgment.

In Isaiah 5:20-23, he already pronounced woes, signs of God’s sorrow, displeasure, and regret of the people’s actions.

Woe to those who oppress others

Woe to those who drink and live their lives to pursue drunkeness

Woe to those who who put God to the test

Woe to those who are morally twisted, calling good evil and evil good

Woe to those who are arrogant and wise in their own eyes

Woe to those who live in immorality

Already, God used him to pronounce His judgment on the sins of people. But in the presence of God, surrounded by His glory in the throne room, Isaiah cried out WOE IS ME.

He felt sorrow. Why would he feel sorrow in the presence of God?

Being in the presence of a pure and holy God, Isaiah realized how much he needed God.

Exodus 33:20 NKJV

20 But He said, “You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live.”

God told Moses that he could not see His glory and live, and now Isaiah is in the room where the whole place is filled with the glory of God.

Whenever we are in God’s presence, He wants to remove what does not belong in us. In deep conviction, he said the right words, I am unclean and I have seen the King!

How did God respond?

He showed His grace and mercy.

Isaiah 6:6-7

One of the seraphs flew to him taking a burning coal from the altar, placed it on Isaiah’s lips and purified him from his sins.

What does this tell us about God?

He was in the position to annihilate Isaiah, instead, He purified and forgave him.

In the Hebrew, one of the definitions of prophet is “to see, gaze, or look at.” Prophets could see what others could not. And for Isaiah, it started when he gazed upon the throne of God.

That moment in God’s presence and glory changed everything!

We see what He saw— God’s throne room.

We heard what He said— I am unclean.

What about...

3. What He Sensed?

Isaiah 6:8

Isaiah was a changed man. After being purified from his sins, he overheard God speak. The Godhead conversed, who will go for us?

God saw the condition of His people. He needed someone who was willing to provide guidance from God for people who quickly sliding deeper and deeper into darkness and confusion.

Isaiah began to sense something within him. He heard the conversation taking place, and he began to share God’s burden and desires.

Let me say here quickly, when we truly encounter Jesus and spend regular time in His presence, we will want what He wants.

We will share His desires

We will share His burdens

We will share His heart for people

Isaiah began to sense something in him change as he cried out, HERE I AM. SEND ME! God heard Isaiah’s willingness and gave him the message.

Isaiah 6:9-10

Isaiah recieved a peculiar message. The people were in such darkness, they were on a path of continued disobedience. Judgment was inevitable for them.

Why did God give Isaiah this message?

Isaiah was to declare God’s truth, but God also let Isaiah know, the people will not listen. They hardened their hearts to the Lord.

It is good that God told him this, for Isaiah might have been discouraged by the lack of response. But he did have one question.

Isaiah 6:11-13

Shocked by the message, Isaiah wanted to know how long he had to preach this to them?

The answer— until God sent His judgment. Why was this necessary? He planned to send judgment on their sins to get them to return to Him.

Not everyone would return, but a tenth, a remnant, a small group would. God knew that He could do more with a small group of people who believed than with a large group of those who disobeyed.

He listened, and he went to do all God called him to do.

Close:

I have read this chapter more than once. And I have always wished that it would have been written in reverse.

I would rather God:

Declare his Judgment

Cleanse Isaiah’s sin

Reveal His glory

I always feel that that it is really encouraging to read at the start, but the longer the chapter goes, the more discouraging it gets, which is true.

Why then did God START with a revelation of His glory instead of a declaration of His judgment?

It was Isaiah’s encounter with God’s glory that enabled him to stay the course with God’s assignment.

The throne room changed Him. Once he recieved guidance from God, anything was possible. His encounter with the Lord, kept him going.

It was as though the light that emanated from the throne room, stayed on Isaiah, and brightened his path in the cold and dark world.

It hit me as I wrote this message, had he not experienced God in the powerful way that he did, he never could have made it with people who continued to delve deeper and deeper into darkness.

God called him, he answered, and he never looked back.

The prophetic is unique in that it requires faith to believe that God can actually provide direction and leading from the Holy Spirit.

But if we want guidance from God, we have to believe that the God we cannot see also sees what we cannot.

He knows the future.

He knows His plans for us

He knows what He wants to accomplish.

Now, let’s conclude with an explanation of Isaiah’s call from the words of Jesus.

Matthew 13:10-17

Just as Isaiah saw God, the disciples saw God through the person of Jesus. But there was something different about Him. He spoke in parables that did not always make sense.

But the disciples kept coming back to Jesus for more. They showed their hunger to know more Him more. To which Jesus answered, God has allowed you to know the secrets of the Kingdom.

God is giving you direction that He is not giving others. Many have heard, but closed their ears, many have seen, but they shut their eyes.

But not you, you have opened your eyes to hear from the Lord and God has blessed you for that. You have a sincere desire to know all you can from me and for that reason, I will lead you and guide you.

We have to decide this morning, will we be like Isaiah and the Disciples?

Will we continually come to Jesus to hear from Him?

When we need guidance and direction, will we stay faithful to call on Him?

And when we’ve encountered His presence and power, will we will humble ourselves and identify, I am undone, I am unclean, I do not even deserve to be in His presence?

If we do, then He will come and show us, on our own, we are not worthy, but because of His blood, He has made us worthy to stand before Him.

We live in a day where we need guidance.

We face a barrage of questions.

Many times we might feel dazed and confused.

But God has a solution. He issues a prophetic call to each of us, telling us, there is so much more you can see, there is so much more you can say, there is so much more you can sense, all you have to do is call on me and I will answer.

I feel that the Lord has a prophetic word for each of us—

Hebrews 4:16 NKJV

16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

There is a place we can go in God that we have not yet been. When we get there, we will find that He provides the guidance we need.

So will we answer HIs prophetic call?

Will we listen to the word of the Lord that welcomes us into His holy place?

For in that place, we can worship, repent, receive direction, and guidance, straight from the throne of God.