Monday, July 27, 2015

The Isaiah Project: Calling, 7/26/15

Sermon July 26, 2015  The Isaiah Project- calling  Isaiah 6:1-8

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. 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. And they were calling to one another: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty;   the whole earth is full of his glory.” At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke. “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.” Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. With it he touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.” 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!”

Explain the series and topic for the day
          Come to the waters, dependence, my thoughts, your thoughts.
          Salvation.  A time when many nations would come to the mtn of the lord

To be called….What a difference one life can make.

Woods Chapel Church

John Woods started a  Presbyterian Church in 1861.
150 years later, it still stands, and there are 4 other woods chapel churches in the area.
150 year anniver of lees summit….
One person can make a difference.

We think that we cant, but we can.

Tell isaiah’s story
                Encounters god
       Feels unworthy – this is better than acting like you are gods gift
to the world…..
                God cleanes him – makes him worthy
                He goes out in the name of the lord

Explain that this is typical of a biblical pattern
                Adam and eve – called….. unworthy……hiding…
                Moses
                Jonah- called.  Ran away…. In a fish….used by god…
angry about it
                Mary – the virgin- called….unworthy….but willing…
                Paul

                Each encountered God
                Each felt unworthy/hid
                Out of their comfort zone
                God continued his call on each
                They went out to do his work

Outward focus
The Christian life is an outward life.  Inward yes, to learn and love.  Then outward. Indeed.

my story
                I am not adam, moses or the virgin mary, but we are all precious in gods site
                you encountered God
                you felt unworthy/hid
                God continued his call on each
                going out to do his work

and so for you in the pews
                you are not adam, moses, or the virgin mary
                but you are loved and precious
                maybe you feel unworthy – that is better than feeling like you are gods gift to the world
                god still calls you, cleanses you
                will we go out to do his work?

Excuses

I don’t want to hear the call because my life is about me
I am too young………. I am inexperienced……… I am insecure……… paul told timothy not to despise his youth.
We need young people
                I am too broken
                I am too old – betty perkins, bill carter
                I am too afraid

Explain that excuses don’t make it with god
He accepts only unconditional surrender……

But what about this instead…..
When overwhelmed by the presence of God, all excuses fall away

Lets shift gears for a moment.
If you have shut me out, come back in…….
Its not about going somewhere, not about going to Africa, not about going to Nicaragua, not about going to seminary….

It is about making yourself available….
God I give myself to you……..
For anything that you want, for what ever I can do….

What can you do?  Do it for God. Do it as unto the lord
Do you walk?
Walk and say thank you?
Do you listen?  Listen w a heart of love
Do you breathe?  Be aware of this miracle and say thank you god

Can you think? Then pray for others…
Do you write notes?  Write notes to others for the Lord - diane
Do you talk to people? then bring encouragement?  - phil accardo
There is something that every believer can do

Its not called to do something necessarily
It is called to willingly give your self to god

Do all the good you can to  all the people you can in all the ways that you can.


Missional entanglement
Redemptive entanglement

The story of the pony…………
Breaking us, makes us willing


What if they pony sees the master and loves the master and senses his purpose…………..
You aren’t called to be broken and crushed, tho that’s what it takes for some……
We are certainly invited to see the master and love him and find our purpose in him

 All are called, his hand is upon you
                Calling you
                Absolutely to everyone, everywhere

God is still calling
Please be one who will say, here I am, send me.


No comments: