PART 2 of 3 from Isaiah 6:1-8 - What can Isaiah’s experience with God teach us about Holiness?

Hello Everyone,

Last month, we began a study based on a sermon I preached at Sussex Wesleyan Church entitled, When You’ve Been Touched By God – on the reality and expectation of transformation when touched by God. Working from the prophet Isaiah’s experience, the first point I highlighted when you’ve been touched by God was you would know that you had been touched by God. Things would be different from that point on just as the lives of great men and women where changed by the touch of God. I made the statement and asked the question:

Brother and sisters, people need hope. People want to know that there is more than just constant struggle – the “If you can’t beat him, you might as well join him (the devil and the flesh)” life. This motto seems to be the foundation of many Christian lives today. Is there a place of victory? … The Scriptures do not settle for anything less than His touch – the testimonies of godly men and women do not settle for anything less. Dr. Steve Deneff (Beulah Camp speaker in 2004) said in his book that Jesus is about more than just forgiveness – Christ will not settle for less. I will not settle for less that a touch from God. Why then should you? When you’ve been touched by God, you will remember.

Secondly, when you’ve been touched by God;

2. YOU WILL EXPERIENCE A PROFOUND BIBLICAL TRUTH ABOUT GOD – Read vs. 2-4

Isaiah 6:1-8 - Isaiah's Commission

¹ In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple.

² Above him were seraphs, 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 seraphs 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!"

What made the touch of God so profound is that he did not experience just and experience of God’s presence, but the power of a biblical truth about God he did not know about God. This is why the word of God preached well is such a magnet for the Holy Spirit’s presence in corporate worship. In the seventh chapter entitled “Serving God In The Assembly Of His People,” Eugene Peterson’s book Engaging with God states the following about where the presence of God is strongest and therefore when the when the people of God should minister one to another. He writes:

As the gospel or ‘the word of Christ’ is proclaimed and applied in the congregation, so Christ himself makes his character and presence known and impresses his will on his people. … [The Apostle] Paul actually expects Christ to be encountered as his people share with one another a whole range of verbal ministries in the congregational gathering (198).

You see Isaiah’s experience wasn’t just about an encounter with God. Isaiah experienced a truth encounter. In other words, Isaiah learned something about God. Why is this important, not to mention Eugene Peterson’s keen observation? God is not just interested in giving people memories.

God wants to make us better by the truth;

Illustration #1 Many of you are familiar with the ALPHA outreach. We see little posters on lawn and at bus stops. One of the many things I appreciate about ALPHA is the Holy Spirit Weekend – around week 5 or 6 of 10 weeks. It’s purpose is to take what participants have come to know in the previous weeks and move it 18 inches lower to their hearts.

• It is the word of God that set people free.
• It is the word of God that cleans as Jesus told the Disciples.
• It is the word of God that is as a sword with the ability to see into our motives.
• It is the word of God that amazed the crowd when Jesus taught.
• It is the word of God that is the theme of the Bible longest chapter Psalm 119.
• It is the word of God that Jesus said he came to fulfill and which would never pass away.

People get excited about the truths they learn;

Illustration #2 Ever wonder where the saying ‘Eureka’ comes from? Archimedes the Greek mathematician shouted the statement upon his discovery of the formula for buoyancy. The term literally means I have found it! Legend has it he ran around naked in town. Archimedes was changed a truth. You too will experience an Aha-I-have-found-it moment when you experience a revelation of a biblical truth about God.

People fall in love with God and each other when they discover God’s truth;

Illustration #3 A couple months back I was at Rushwood Park Wesleyan Church in Asheboro, North Carolina. I had a truth encounter during a communion service. I was there with a group of pastors who were working various FLAME courses. All week I had been learning about and probing deeper into the scriptural teachings about surrender and the fully devoted life. I knew God was asking for more of me. He was asking for deeper surrender. I knew it. He was pointing His finger at me like the old army recruitment poster with Uncle Sam, “I want you.” I was reluctant after all I had been preaching and teaching the deeper life for years. I was a pastor doing the God thing full-time as a profess. Maybe the conviction about going deeper with was just Satan making me feel guilty. I was afraid to give of my all to Christ at this new and deep point because of I did not think I could keep my part of the commitment or barging. Ever feel as if your commitments to God as just lip service? I was about to experience a profound truth encourage about sanctification.

The break in my reluctance came when during a communion service with all the pastor on the final night. I was at the altar my prayer in preparing myself before receiving the bread and cup. Once again God’s Spirit asked me for deeper surrender. Convicted, I responded silently in reverence that I did not think that I was able to give him deeper surrender. I was afraid to go deeper although I knew I had to. God spoke to my heart saying “You are right you cannot keep your death to self commitment to me. That is the Spirit’s work. I just want you to use your willingness to be made willing.”

This melted my heart. My eyes filled with tears. I had learned something profound about the God’s expectations; All He asked me is an openness, permission if you will, from me to let Him do in me what he wants. I just need to be willing to be made willing. At that moment my heart was filled with such love that I did not care about anything else or about my pathetic excuses. I encountered a grace and a truth about God as did Isaiah.

A few points that Isaiah learned about Holiness. Please look at the text again.

1. Throne – God’s is the sole ruler of all things even our situation - vs1.
2. Robe filled temple/seraphs/smoke – symbolizing God’s honour and respect.
3. Three times holy – the only thrice used word about God’s distinctiveness. od.

What is the Holiness of God? (Quote R.C. Sproul p. 14-17)

Holiness of God is God’s utter separateness and God’s utter difference. But if this truth just represents words on a Bible page and does not affect us it is useless. Pray that the words come alive.

Application: If we need the Holy Spirit to encounter the truth? How? Jeremiah 33:3 "Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know."

1. Holy Spirit responds to our humility – Foster calls silence a spiritual discipline.
2. Holy Spirit responds to our asking – Write your prayers. Practice journaling.
3. Holy Spirit responds to our obedience of His at the moment – This is faith like a seed.
4. Holy Spirit responds to corporate seeking. Have you ever been to the altar ever?

This is my prayer for Sussex Wesleyan Church – to not just know about Christ, but to have experienced him and his truth.

When you have been touched by the Lord you will remember, you will experience a powerful biblical truth.

In PART III next month, we will discuss the third principle of holiness, a truth often missed in a world of false religion and artificial piety, the choice to exchange our sins for His all sufficient supply.

The Blessings and power of Christ till then,
Pastor Neville,
April 29, 2005