Dear Church Family, an update for the week of July 25, 2010…
Thank you to Gloria Kama and her staff for organizing the “High Seas Expedition” for VBS this past week. There were 90 registered along with the many helpers and team leaders. Some of the VBS crew led the praise singing in worship today.
Thank you to Greg Ing for giving the Children’s Message today from Acts 1:8. He encouraged Christians to go out into the world to tell others about Jesus. There have been many methods of transportation over the years, from foot, to sail boats, then power boats, airplanes, and who knows what in the future (rocket ships?) but the main thing is not about how to get from here to there, but to tell others about Jesus.
Thank you to Pastor Eric Yata for the message from Isaiah 6:1-7, “Holey, Holey, Holey”. Pastor Eric shared a personal story from his past which involved losing a basketball challenge. The payoff for his loss included an act of humiliation, which he felt discouraged and dismayed. In this passage, the prophet Isaiah is brought to a point of discouragement, ruin and inadequacy in light of the holiness of God. In this moment, he is radically changed by God.
1) Why is God holy?
God is holy, because He is the sovereign One. (v.1) 1In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of His robe filled the temple. King Uzziah was a great king of Judah. He was the most famous since King Solomon, and they were in a time of great prosperity. With King Uzziah now dead, there was a great question, now who were the people to follow? Isaiah saw the Lord high and lifted up so he pointed the people to Jesus. Man will fail, but God will not. Who do you put your trust in?
God is holy, because He is the sacred One. (v.2) 2Above Him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. The seraphim covered their face, so they would not see Jesus; they covered their feet as they were considered unclean; they flew and served God with the other set of wings. They were separated from the holiness of Jesus, even though they were angelic beings. The seraphim demonstrated reverence before God. What is the view that you have of God? What do you focus on? What He can do for you? Don’t put God in a box, just thinking He is like a genie, who will give us what we want. There are many parts of who God is, including being just, righteous and holy. These attributes magnify His love and kindness. In similar contrast, we can appreciate heaven as opposed to hell; His grace, which covers our sin. This should cause us to praise Him all the more.
2) What God’s holiness does?
God’s Holiness causes us to stand in awe and praise Him. (vv.3-4) . 3And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!” 4And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of Him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. Three times the seraphim repeat the triad of declaration. Holy is the Father, Holy is the Son, Holy is the Spirit. There is none other like Him. Who do you praise and how often? We are encouraged to praise Him all during the week, everyday, all the time.
God’s Holiness causes us to see our own flaws and imperfections. (v.5) 5And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for 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!” When we look at our own sinfulness, we can see the holes in our lives. (Holey, holey, holey) It isn’t enough to just make the surface impressions look good. Through confession and repentance, we can ask God to forgive the words and actions of our lives that fall short. God wants to change us and make us holy. He doesn’t expect us to be perfect, but repentant.
3) What God did for us?
When we repent, God provides His sanctifying grace. (vv.6-7) 6Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.” Here we see the picture of God’s purification and cleansing of our sin. God is the refiner of our souls. He sent us His Son, Jesus, who purifies us with His own shed blood. Jesus came to die for our sins. When we see our sovereign God in his sacred holiness, we can only respond in awe and praise. We will also see our own sinfulness and ask Him to forgive us and sanctify us by His grace. Confess and turn away from sin and turn toward Him.
Have a blessed week in awe of the holiness of our Lord, God,
Stan, for SLZJCC