Here am I! Send Me!

1. Here am I! Send Me! Isaiah 6:1-8

2. The church’s work in this present world greatly involves evangelism.

3. The church’s work in this present world greatly involves evangelism. • D. T Niles said, “Evangelism is one beggar telling another beggar where he found bread.”

4. The church’s work in this present world greatly involves evangelism. • D. T Niles said, “Evangelism is one beggar telling another beggar where he found bread.” • Joseph Aldrich declared, “God’s evangelistic strategy in a nutshell: He desires to build into you and me the beauty of his own character, and then put us on display.”

5. The church’s work in this present world greatly involves evangelism. • D. T Niles said, “Evangelism is one beggar telling another beggar where he found bread.” • Joseph Aldrich declared, “God’s evangelistic strategy in a nutshell: He desires to build into you and me the beauty of his own character, and then put us on display.” • Charles Spurgeon said, “Our great object of glorifying God is to be mainly achieved by the winning of souls.”

6. The church’s work in this present world greatly involves evangelism. • D. T Niles said, “Evangelism is one beggar telling another beggar where he found bread.” • Joseph Aldrich declared, “God’s evangelistic strategy in a nutshell: He desires to build into you and me the beauty of his own character, and then put us on display.” • Charles Spurgeon said, “Our great object of glorifying God is to be mainly achieved by the winning of souls.” • “I’m just a nobody telling everybody about somebody who can save anybody.”

7. Evangelism is important, because Jesus made it important.

8. Evangelism is important, because Jesus made it important. • “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 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, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” (Mt 18:18-20, ESV).

9. Evangelism is important, because Jesus made it important. • Mt 18:18-20. • “You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8, ESV).

10. Yet, long before he came to this world, Jesus appeared to Isaiah in tonight’s text.

11. Yet, long before he came to this world, Jesus appeared to Isaiah in tonight’s text. • John informs us that it was Jesus whom Isaiah saw in this passage.

12. “Though he had done so many signs before them, they still do not believe in him, so that the word spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: ‘Lord, who has believed what he heard from us, and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?’ Therefore they could not believe. For again Isaiah said, ‘He has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart, lest they see with their eyes, and understand with their heart, and turn, and I would heal them.’ Isaiah said these things because he saw his glory and spoke of him. Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue” (Jn 12:37-42, ESV).

13. John quotes from Isaiah 6:10, and then he declares that Isaiah saw Jesus’ glory.

14. John quotes from Isaiah 6:10, and then he declares that Isaiah saw Jesus’ glory. • We wish to study this text that we, too, might see Jesus’ glory & declare, “Here am I! Send me!”

15. Isaiah 6:1-8

16. This text likely represents Isaiah’s call & thus, chronologically this passage belongs at the very beginning of the book.

17. This text likely represents Isaiah’s call & thus, chronologically this passage belongs at the very beginning of the book. • But, in chapters 7 & 8, Isaiah goes to Ahaz’s court &, humanly speaking, he fails miserably.

18. This text likely represents Isaiah’s call & thus, chronologically this passage belongs at the very beginning of the book. • But, in chapters 7 & 8, Isaiah goes to Ahaz’s court &, humanly speaking, he fails miserably. • This passage informs us why Ahaz disregards Isaiah’s message.

19. “Keep on hearing, but do not understand; keep on seeing, but do not perceive. Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and blind their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed” (vv 9-10, ESV).

20. Tonight, we wish to explore Isaiah’s call & see what he saw.

21. Tonight, we wish to explore Isaiah’s call & see what he saw. • What did he see?

22. Tonight, we wish to explore Isaiah’s call & see what he saw. • What did he see? • A HOLY GOD. • AN UNHOLY SERVANT. • A HOLY GOD WHO NEEDS HOLY SERVANTS.

23. vv 1-4 A HOLY GOD

24. “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. 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. And one called to another and said: ‘Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!’ And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called and the house was filled with smoke” (vv 1-4, ESV).

25. Isaiah sees the Lord “high and lifted up.”

26. Isaiah sees the Lord “high and lifted up.” • That phrase occurs elsewhere in Isaiah in relation to God.

27. Isaiah sees the Lord “high and lifted up.” • That phrase occurs elsewhere in Isaiah in relation to God: e.g., “Thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: ‘I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite” (57:15, ESV).

28. Isaiah sees the Lord “high and lifted up.” • That phrase occurs elsewhere in Isaiah in relation to God: e.g., 57:15. • But the concept doesn’t just occur in relation to God.

29. Isaiah sees the Lord “high and lifted up.” • That phrase occurs elsewhere in Isaiah in relation to God: e.g., 57:15. • But the concept doesn’t just occur in relation to God. • “The LORD of hosts has a day against all that is proud and lofty, against all that is lifted up—and it shall be brought low; against all the cedars of Lebanon, lofty and lifted up; and against all the oaks of Bashan” (2:12-13, ESV).

30. Isaiah sees the Lord “high and lifted up.” • That phrase occurs elsewhere in Isaiah in relation to God: e.g., 57:15. • But the concept doesn’t just occur in relation to God. • 2:12-13. • The point seems to be: There are many who extol themselves as “high and lifted up,” but only God is the One who is truly “high and lifted up.”

31. As Isaiah sees the Lord “high and lifted up,” he notices that the train of his robe filled the temple.

32. As Isaiah sees the Lord “high and lifted up,” he notices that the train of his robe filled the temple. • The Assyrians, whose invasion is foretold in chapter 8, often pictured their kings on a grand scale next to other men.

33. As Isaiah sees the Lord “high and lifted up,” he notices that the train of his robe filled the temple. • The Assyrians, whose invasion is foretold in chapter 8, often pictured their kings on a grand scale next to other men. • Again, the imagery is that the Assyrian kings think of themselves as “high and lifted up,” but only God is truly “high and lifted up.”

34. Isaiah sees seraphim in the attendance of God.

35. Isaiah sees seraphim in the attendance of God. • The Hebrew for “seraphim” literally means “burning ones.”

36. Isaiah sees seraphim in the attendance of God. • The Hebrew for “seraphim” literally means “burning ones.” • I do not know if Isaiah speaks of a class of angels or if he speaks of a fiery appearance.

37. Isaiah sees seraphim in the attendance of God. • The Hebrew for “seraphim” literally means “burning ones.” • I do not know if Isaiah speaks of a class of angels or if he speaks of a fiery appearance. • The point is that heavenly beings are in attendance to God.

38. Isaiah sees seraphim in the attendance of God. • The Hebrew for “seraphim” literally means “burning ones.” • The seraphim call to one another, “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!”

39. The phrasing of “Holy, holy, holy” sets God apart from that which is not holy.

40. The phrasing of “Holy, holy, holy” sets God apart from that which is not holy. • Twenty-five times in Isaiah the prophet refers to God as “the Holy One of Israel.”

41. The phrasing of “Holy, holy, holy” sets God apart from that which is not holy. • Twenty-five times in Isaiah the prophet refers to God as “the Holy One of Israel.” • In Isaiah, the prophet speaks of both the coming Assyrian & Babylonian Captivities.

42. The phrasing of “Holy, holy, holy” sets God apart from that which is not holy. • Twenty-five times in Isaiah the prophet refers to God as “the Holy One of Israel.” • In Isaiah, the prophet speaks of both the coming Assyrian & Babylonian Captivities. • As “the Holy One of Israel,” God is separate from the sins of his people.

43. The phrasing of “Holy, holy, holy” sets God apart from that which is not holy. • Twenty-five times in Isaiah the prophet refers to God as “the Holy One of Israel.” • In Isaiah, the prophet speaks of both the coming Assyrian & Babylonian Captivities. • As “the Holy One of Israel,” God is separate from the sins of his people. • Therefore, “the Holy One of Israel” has a right to judge his people for their sins.

44. The whole earth is full of God’s glory.

45. The whole earth is full of God’s glory. • We can surely see God’s glory in the things that he has made.

46. The whole earth is full of God’s glory. • We can surely see God’s glory in the things that he has made. • But, I don’t think that’s what the seraphim have in mind.

47. The whole earth is full of God’s glory. • We can surely see God’s glory in the things that he has made. • But, I don’t think that’s what the seraphim have in mind. • The context of the Book if judgment upon Israel & Judah.

48. The whole earth is full of God’s glory. • We can surely see God’s glory in the things that he has made. • But, I don’t think that’s what the seraphim have in mind. • The context of the Book if judgment upon Israel & Judah. • Because “the whole earth is full of his glory,” God can use the Assyrians to judge Israel & the Babylonians to judge Judah.

49. The whole earth is full of God’s glory. • We can surely see God’s glory in the things that he has made. • But, I don’t think that’s what the seraphim have in mind. • The context of the Book if judgment upon Israel & Judah. • Because “the whole earth is full of his glory,” God can use the Assyrians to judge Israel & the Babylonians to judge Judah. • Also, all peoples are accountable to God.

50. Until we see God as holy, we have no need to evangelize.