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Bobby Stafford |
Here Am I, Send Me |
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Christian Work |
September 28, 2014 |
Sunday AM Sermon |
Here Am I, Send Me
Read: Matthew 9:35-38 "Then Jesus went about all the
cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel
of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the
people. But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for
them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no
shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, The harvest truly is plentiful;
but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send
out laborers into His harvest." NKJV
Introduction:
Why are the laborers so few? Why does it seem so many are
retiring from the workforce, leaving the ranks of the Lord’s army, no
longer laboring in the vineyard?
Teachers don’t volunteer, they are drafted. Personal
workers have to be shamed into spreading the gospel. This is not as it
ought to be! The answer is this: When Christians truly learn and
understand all God has done for them, nothing will keep them from being
the best workers for the Lord that they can be. They will feel a great
impelling urgency to work while it is still day.
One of the grandest visions in the Bible which portrays
the reasons and the motivations for becoming a laborer in the vineyard
is found in Isaiah 6:1-8.
"In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord
sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe
filled the temple. Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with
two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he
flew. And one cried to another and said: Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of
hosts; The whole earth is full of His glory! And the posts of the door
were shaken by the voice of him who cried out; and the house was filled
with smoke. So I said: Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of
unclean lips, And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; For
my eyes have seen the King, The Lord of Hosts. Then one of the seraphim
flew to me, having in his hand a live coal which he had taken with the
tongs form the altar. And he touched my mouth with it, and said: Behold,
this has touched your lips; Your iniquity is taken away, And your sin
purged. Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: Whom shall I send,
And who will go for Us? Then I said, Here am I! Send me." NKJV
Background:
During the latter half of the 8TH Century B.C. a prophet
came on the scene by the name of Isaiah, a "forth-teller" for almost
sixty years. He spoke to the nation of Judah. He lived in Jerusalem, two
hundred years after the kingdom was divided. During this time, four
kings would reign on the throne of Judah: Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and
Hezekiah. Isaiah’s name means, "Jehovah is salvation," which is the
central theme of the book. He was called the Messianic Prophet because
he gave us many previews of the coming Saviour and his work of
redemption. In our text, he presents us with the description of Isaiah’s
call to the ministry as well as a picture of the coming Messiah.
Theme: Why Become a Worker for the Lord?
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Isaiah Saw the Glory of God. (Isaiah 6:1-4)
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He sees God reigning on His throne of glory.
[This is the pre-incarnate Christ. John 12:40-41] The throne is
a place of honor.
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"The train filled the temple." The skirts of the
king’s robes filled the temple. This is a picture of His
grandeur and majesty.
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"Seraphim" – fiery ones See: Psalm 99:1-3 Each
seraphim had six wings. One possible explanation is one pair
shaded the head from seeing the full radiance of God’s glory.
This is an indication of reverence and awe for God. One pair
covered the feet which were soiled from serving and not fit for
the pure presence of God [a comparison between their lowly state
and God’s exalted one]. The last pair kept it hovering so as to
be ready to carry out the wishes of Jehovah [to execute His
commands]. This should make us aware of His greatness and our
frailty!
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They kept crying [three times for emphasis],
praising God for His greatness. He is the Lord of hosts, ruler
of the hosts of heaven; one reason He is supremely worthy of our
worship. "His glory is in His holiness." (Psalm 29:2) The whole
earth is full of His glory. (Psalm 19:1)
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His glory is also seen in His grace toward
mankind. Even though man sinned and deserved to die eternally,
God’s grace caused Him to send His only begotten Son to die in
our place.
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As the heavenly chorus sings, the posts of the
door shake and smoke fills the house. This indicated that
divinity was present. This is an awe-inspiring scene.
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Isaiah Sees Himself (Isaiah 6:5-7)
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Isaiah sees himself in a way he had never done
before, in a new light. After beholding the greatness of
Jehovah, he realizes he is as nothing, insignificant. Seeing
God’s holiness forces Isaiah to see how unworthy he was, a
sinner. Note Job’s consciousness of guilt in Job 42:5-6. Peter
voiced a similar thought in Luke 5:8.
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He was "undone" – cut off, destroyed. He felt
doomed to destruction. (Isaiah 33:14) He uses the analogy of
unclean lips. King Uzziah had become a leper when he disobeyed
God. (II Chronicles 26) So he uses the terminology dealing with
lepers. (Leviticus 13:45-46) Isaiah sees himself as a spiritual
leper, a sinner.
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God has an answer for Isaiah’s sinfulness. It is
the coal or stone from the altar of burnt offering, which was
started by the Lord and kept continually burning.
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Sin is taken away, atoned for. Fire is an emblem
of purifying. Man is unclean apart from God; he is unfit and
unworthy. Only God can cleanse us and prepare us to carry the
message to others. This idea is clearly seen in Psalm 51:10-13.
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Isaiah Hears God’s Call (Isaiah 6:8)
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God calls for volunteers. Isaiah responds. Why?
He had seen God’s glory, been cleansed of sin, and was ready to
work. He was grateful for all that had been done for him! Note
this in II Timothy 2:21. "Therefore if anyone cleanses himself
from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and
useful for the Master, prepared for every good work." NKJV
Conclusion:
When we realize our own sinfulness and remember what
Christ has done for us, we will become active workers and carry out the
Great Commission. Are you going to answer the call of the gospel? "Here
Am I, Send Me!"
Bobby Stafford
September 28, 2014
