Sunday Praise & Worship 10:00
Christian Education - 10:00 - Casual Dress - Loving Childcare
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What an audacious thing it is to speak on God’s behalf! Anyone who tries calls attention to themselves because cynics will work hard to prove that a self-proclaimed prophet’s life is anything but holy. We even have a phrase for it: Destroy the messenger. Even Jesus Christ said that a prophet is not without honor except in his own country, meaning that people who watched you grow up will have a hard time accepting a message you claim to carry from heaven. So here at the outset of Isaiah’s ministry of prophecy (not so much telling the future as it is about telling the truth about what’s going on now), we might do well to pay close attention to both why and how God launched this particular man on a lifelong journey to carry the light to people in darkness. There is a vision of worship in a heavenly temple, filled with God and God’s glory. Don’t pass over this powerful fact too lightly. Did Isaiah see this vision in a dream, when his earthly king had succumbed to death? Or did this future prophet catch a glimpse of a heavenly reality beyond the limitations of this life on earth? When our ambition calls to us, the goal will always be limited to our mortality—but when heaven calls, not even death itself can limit what God can accomplish in us. Isaiah becomes aware of God’s awesome presence in the temple and the mighty chorus of seraphim, heavenly angels hovering around God and singing that the earth is also full of God’s glory, shaking the foundations of the sanctuary with their song. They do not sing that God’s glory will one day fill the earth—they sing of an eternal reality. The future prophet does not join in their song, but cowers in sudden awareness of the glaring lack of God’s glory in his own life. Spend a few moments in prayerful thought about this powerful truth. God’s glory and holiness fills the earth. Prophets, including Jesus Christ, came to announce this truth, saying “The Kingdom of heaven is here”, but they always added another imperative: Repent (turn). At the outset of his calling, Isaiah knows in his own life what he will be inviting the people of God to realize: he is nothing without God. Yet to be desperate for God is not a bad place to be. One of the seraphim purifies Isaiah’s lips with a coal from the altar, removing Isaiah’s guilt and forgiving his sins. What happens next? Jesus once said to his disciples that people who were not against God were for God—there was no room for fence-sitting. When we turn to God for forgiveness, we find ourselves not only free from sin but free for joyful obedience. God asks the heavenly hosts who will go as a messenger to God’s people. Isaiah, now filled with God’s glory, does not hesitate: “Send me.” Questions for Reflection 1. The forgiveness—obedience connection works both ways. In other words, our obedience shows us that God has forgiven and filled our lives with glory. In what ways do you live as a testament to God’s freedom from guilt and sin in your life? In other words, where has God sent you? What does this tell you about God’s forgiveness and mercy in your life? 2. Why do you think Isaiah felt unworthy as he witnessed God’s glory fill the temple? No one accused him of anything. How do you feel when you worship at Skyline (or in any church)? What aspects of the worship described in Isaiah 6 do we (you and the rest of us) need to incorporate more faithfully at Skyline? 3. We have spent some time reflecting on the many ways God gifts and equips us for the work of ministry. Think deeply and prayerfully about Isaiah 6:1-8. What does Isaiah offer to God? What does God give to Isaiah? 4. Now think about the ways God sends you and the rest of us at Skyline. Why do we engage in acts of ministry in the church and in the world? What is our purpose? What are we trying to do? For next week: Please read Psalm 107:1-22 (Key Verses: 21-22; Theme: Worship—Lost in Wonder Love and Praise. Give God thanks for all God has accomplished in your life. |
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Key Verse: Isaiah 6:8 “Then I
heard the Lord asking, ‘Whom should I send as a messenger to my people? Who will
go for us?’ And I said, ‘Lord, I'll go! Send me.’”