Woe, Lo, Go- Isa.6:1-9

Introduction: One morning while fasting and praying, seeking the Lord and trying to find as to what the Lord wanted to do with me for the remaining years of my life, the Lord woke me up with a vision, likened to the vision of Isaiah that I had been considering for a sermon. I found myself weeping in my bed and sensed that God wanted me to get out of bed and spend some time with Him. It was there, prostrate on the floor of my bedroom that I saw the Glory of our Lord Jesus Christ, I saw the depravity of my heart and saw a glimpse, just a glimpse of the world of souls and the individual soul perishing and it still breaks my heart today.

A little background associated with Isaiah may help us understand his frame of mind. King Uzziah (called Azariah in the book of Kings) had died, of all the kings, king Uzziah of Judah was a master builder, architect, shaker and mover (2 Chronicles 26:1-15). The southern kingdom had prosperity and then he became prideful, took the censor to offer incense in the temple (which was the office of the priest) and was stricken with leprosy. He co-reigned with his son Jotham until His death. The reason that this is mentioned is that Isaiah was probably wondering, “what are we going to do now that Uzziah is gone. God knew that he needed a vision, for “without a vision the people perish” – Prov.29:18. let us now experience with Isaiah what he saw in His vision in chapter 6, verses 1-9.

Read: Isa.6:1-9 – (Stand for prayer and the reading of God’s word)

I. Vision of Isaiah – Without Vision the People perish – Our country is perishing.

A. Woe – Vision - A word of Confession – “Woe am I for I am a man of unclean lips and I live among a people of unclean lips.” Why did he see himself as a man of unclean lips? Because he had seen the Holy Lord. Let us therefore enter into the temple with Isaiah.

1. Upward view of God – high and lifted up – Holy Holy Holy – thrice Holy, there is no unholiness in Him, He is pure, pure in all aspects, to us, pure in Love. Focus on our Lord Jesus, sitted on His throne in the Heavens, the glory and brightness of His person, brighter than the sun shining in its strength with angelic beings surrounding His throne crying out Holy, Holy, Holy and the train of His beautiful, glorious robe filling the temple. As the stars in the sky forming the train of His robe that Moses saw as Jesus turned and walked from Him, hiding Moses in the cleft of the rock. There is not one miniscule speck of sin in Heaven, except the prostrate form of Isaiah, the sinner. The Glory of God emanating from Him covers the whole earth. Read: Rev. 21:23 – “and the city had no need of the Sun or of the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God has illumined it and its lamp is the lamb.

2. A vision of Height – Isa. 55: 9: “for as high as the heavens are above the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, my thoughts higher than your thoughts.” Can anyone fathom the person of God, No! a thousand times No! We will spend eternity worshipping our Lord and Creator, the Holy God, three in one.

3. A vision of Holiness – Is best expressed to us on the Cross of Christ, The passion of Christ, burning fire of His love. As the “burning bush” that was not consumed, will you turn to it as Moses did and take off your sinful fleshly works and sin nature as He absorbed the wrath of God for you? How do you see yourself now? In Luke 6:43 – Jesus says that a bad tree produces bad fruit and a good tree produces good fruit, and what proceeds from the mouth comes out of the heart. How are your lips, clean or unclean? Will you examine the fruit that is coming out of your heart and mind? Will you be truthful and ask for that burning coal to be applied to your lips?

B. Lo – Vision - A word of Cleansing – verse 7.

1. Inward view of his depravity – Many of us are familiar today with the “Hobbit” or “Lord of the Rings” series written by Tolkein. Tolkein and C.S. Lewis were among two of a group of Christians who used to meet and talk about the deep implications of scripture. In the Lord of the Rings I would like to focus on Smeagol, a pitiful ugly creature who was all absorbed in himself and his “ring.” Most of us cringe when we see that pitiful creature and recoil from it, saying “I’m not like that!” But as Pogo states in the comic strip, “we have met the enemy and the enemy is us!” Smeagol is a representation by Tolkein of our sin nature, it is that creature within us that needs to be crucified daily, you can’t reform him, he needs to be nailed to the cross. We need to believe and walk in the new nature, the new creation that God has made. Jeremiah said, “our hearts are insanely evil.” (13:10) Don’t run from it, confess it in the sight of God, expose it to the Light and walk in truth before God and man.

2. A vision of depth – of the recesses of His own heart - Jesus speaks to the religious leaders of His day who were great pretenders and evaluated them as follows: “Woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which on the outside are beautiful, but inside you are full of dead man’s bones and all uncleanness. So you too, outwardly appear as righteous to men , but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness (doing my own thing).” Are you a great pretender, a hypocrite? I was. I had prayed to accept Christ, and for 37 of my 50 years as a Christian, I lived a life of a hypocrite, not following Christ, doing things my own way. I saw great things happen in my life and even preached a gospel while not living what I preached. Had I died in that state I may have been separated from God for eternity (at least that is what my feelings tell me). I then asked myself the question, “Do I know Christ or know about Christ.” Many of you know about Christ and quite frankly you care more about what others think about you than what God thinks about you. Depravity goes deep, but the cleansing goes deeper if you repent.

3. A vision of Hellishness – Jesus spoke over 30 times in scripture of Hell, of torment and suffering. As I laid prostrate before the Lord I saw thick walls of separation. Walls constructed by myself, walls constructed by yourself, unwilling to repent of judgmental, critical attitudes against others and now you are separated from others, from God, the source of all goodness and love and grace that you need so badly. Because you have refused to repent, because you have been contented with knowing about God and not knowing God (Jn.17:3). No one else to judge, just you, alone, looking at yourself and gnashing your teeth because you could have known God had you been willing to humble yourself before Him and repent.

C. Go – Vision - A word of Commission – vs. 9

1. A vision Outward – he saw the world – “a people of unclean lips,” just a himself, a sinner in need of salvation, of cleansing.

2. A vision of Breadth – He looked horizontally to all the people in the world without Christ. two people every second are entering a Christ-less eternity, it is almost too much to comprehend, it approaches the infinite as we contemplate it. But what about your neighbor, member of your family, friends you know? Will you step out of your comfort zone where you remain satisfied to know about God or if you know God, will you remain afraid to speak truth to your neighbor, truth that could save them from an eternity of suffering? Do you care more about what they will think of you or what your heavenly Father and Lord thinks of you. Did you care enough to say anything?

3. A vision of Hopelessness (hell) – Who will go to rescue them? “Go and tell this people.” God has commissioned you, will you obey? Will you Go! Will you get out of your comfort zone to speak to those around you, risking their disapproval, praying for them before hand, seeking the Lord on their behalf? Matt.28:19.

Conclusion: Three questions:

1. Woe - Do you come to church seeking God’s hand or His face? Will you now worship the Lord and bless the Lord for His sake and not ask Him to bless you.

2. Lo – Will you be sensitive to the Holy Spirit and Repent?

3. Go – Will you pray and Go! God has commissioned you.