In His Presence: 8

GETTING INTO HIS PRESENCE
Isaiah 6: 1-8

1 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. 3 And they were calling to one another:
“Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.”
4 At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.
5 “Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty.”
6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 With it he touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.”
8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?”
And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”

This text written around 740 BC by the prophet Isaiah...

I. We got into His presence how?

1. In His House
v. 1 "I saw the Lord..." or I 'understood' the Lord ... while in his house...
Heb 10:25 "Do not forsake assembling..." Church attendance is not a Biblical option...

2. In Prayer v. 1 "...saw God high and lifted up." Isaiah is in prayer, and has a fresh encounter with God.

II. When in His presence...

3. You Will See Him As He Is
People will say, "I have my view of God," but what is "God's view of God"? That is what's important (v. 1) -- Isaiah saw God as He is, "on the throne" as King of Kings

4. You'll See Him Holy and Perfect...
v. 2-3 "Holy Holy Holy..."

5. ...And Awesome
(v. 4) "the posts were shaken..."

III. What happens when we really meet him?

6. Brokenness and Cleansing and Forgiveness

v. 5 -- "Woe is me..." You don't strut into or out of God's presence..(Illus: Look into a magnifying mirror and see how you 'really' are

v. 6-7 .. 1John 1:9 "If we confess, God is faithful and" will purify us ...

Isaiah 5: the prophet "beats up" the others
Isaiah 6: he beats up himself

7. A Willingness To Be Completely God's
v. 8 -- "I heard the voice ask, Who do I send...Who will go?" Isaiah heard...

8. A Willingness to Serve With Abandonment
v. 8 "Send me..."

Why do churches struggle for workers? They haven't had an encounter with God, maybe?...

-30-