Scripture: Isaiah 6:1-10; Luke 5:1-11; [1 Corinthians 15:1-11 and Acts 9:1-19]
- Epiphany 5
Theme: Coming to Faith -
All three individuals (Isaiah, Paul and Peter) come to faith through:
1. An epiphany/encounter with the LORD
2. Acknowledging and confessing their sinfulness
3. Accepting God's purifying touch
4. Partnering with Jesus in sharing the Good News
INTRO:
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and Jesus Christ our LORD!
Through the ages there have been some fantastic trios. For example, how many have enjoyed the antics of the Three Stooges (Larry, Curly and Mo) and the Marx Brothers ( Chico, Harpo, and Groucho). Music lovers no doubt have enjoyed the trio of the Bee Gees (Robin, Maurice, and Barry Gibb), Destiny's Child (Beyoncé Knowles, Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams), Peter, Paul and Mary or for those with finer tuned ears, the Three Tenors (Placido Domingo, José Carreras and Luciano Pavarotti). Then there is Little Joe, Hoss and Adam from the Ponderosa and the Good, the Bad and the Ugly with Clint Eastwood. And to top it off we have the 3 Little Pigs, the 3 Bears and Huey, Dewey, and Louie. Biblically, we can point to Noah's sons (Shem, Ham and Japheth), the Great Patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac and Jacob), the Three Hebrew Children (Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego) and the inner circle of disciples (Peter, James and John).
This morning, our scripture passages link together another great trio; Isaiah, the prophet, Paul the evangelist and Peter the Apostle. All three of them share similar faith journeys. Faith journeys that in many ways parallel our own faith journeys.
I. All three men experienced an encounter/epiphany with the LORD
a. For Isaiah, it happened in a vision in the House of the LORD. In His vision the prophet sees sitting on His throne, high and lifted up. He is overwhelmed with the sound of heavenly voices praising God, being surrounded by celestial smoke and being in the company of the seraphim. In his spirit he feels the very foundations of the Temple shake as God is given glory and honor.
b. For Paul, Acts 9 tells us that his encounter happened while he was riding his horse on the way to the city of Damascus. Paul who calls himself "one untimely born" never expected to have such an encounter. Suddenly, Paul is struck down by a heavenly light and hears the voice of Jesus speaking to him. This is the same Jesus for whom Paul has been rejecting as Messiah and Lord. For three days Paul suffers sightlessness until at the hands of Ananias, God gives him back his sight.
c. For Peter the encounter happened in a boat on the Sea of Gennesaret (Galilee) on a preaching/fishing trip. Jesus used Peter's boat as a platform to teach and preach to the people who had gathered around the seashore. When he had finished speaking, Jesus instructed Peter to let down his fishing nets so that Jesus could reveal to Peter His true identity through the miracle of a great catch of fish. The miracle was being able to catch a boat load of fish at worst of times to fish. No one expected Jesus to catch anything at that time and with all the noise that had taken place on the boat and on the shoreline.
In a Temple vision, during an ordinary horseback ride and on a fishing boat each man experienced an encounter/epiphany with the LORD. It is comforting to know that the LORD reaches out to all of us in many different ways. He spoke to the Samarian woman at the local water cooler, Mary in the comfort of her home, Amos on the hillside taking care of his sheep and the Prodigal son sitting in a hog lot.
The LORD is not limited by time, place or space. He reaches out to people in all kinds of places. C. S. Lewis' epiphany occurred on a night he spent talking to J. R. Tolkien and Hugo Dyson. It was through their conversation that C. S. Lewis felt a deep touch by the LORD. Billy Graham encountered the LORD at an evangelism service lead by Dr. Mordecai Ham. Dr. Charles Colson encountered the LORD through reading C. S. Lewis's book Mere Christianity.
All of this reveals to us that the LORD is always seeking us, reaching out to us and doing all He can to bring us to Him. He reaches out to people in hospitals, in work lunch rooms and even in bars and taverns. It was in a bar that John Crowder encountered the LORD.1 So, no matter where we find ourselves or someone else finds themselves that place can be a place where God creates an altar in which they can meet Him. There is nowhere on earth that a person cannot meet God and experience a whole life transformation.
II. All three individuals acutely acknowledged and confessed their sinfulness
A. For Isaiah it was the result of hearing and being in the presence of those who could proclaim
Holy, Holy, Holy is the LORD of Hosts;
the whole earth is full of His glory!
In that atmosphere of ultimate holiness and purity, the prophet comes under conviction and cries out his own ungodliness. "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." In the midst of holiness, he knows all too well how much he has missed the mark of the LORD.
Isaiah in the midst of his encounter/epiphany with the LORD, acknowledges and confesses his need for purity. He confesses to the LORD that his lips, his voice, that which makes enables him to a prophet is alas polluted with sin. He confesses that in his own heart, he is unable to join in with the heavenly voices as they acknowledge the holiness of God. Can you imagine his frustration? Here he was a prophet, a man who was suppose to be able to speak for the LORD and yet in the midst of hearing those angelic voices, he understands his own sinfulness, his own depravity.
B. For Paul it the result of the blinding light and hearing the voice of Jesus, whom had been persecuting. Paul came to the full understanding that he had been fighting against God's only Son. Paul came to understand that in persecuting Jesus, he was in fact fighting against God. HE calls himself the chief of sinners ( 1 Timothy 1:15). The physical blindness that Paul found himself had in fact enabled him to have clearer spiritual vision that he had ever experienced.
Paul responds to his encounter/epiphany by confessing his sin through the act of absolute fasting and prayer. He submits to a three day period in which he will not drink anything nor eat anything. He will spend the next three days confessing his unworthiness to the LORD.
C. For Peter it was getting a glimpse of the power and knowledge of Jesus. Peter knows that only the LORD had the ability to control the waters and the fish that live in those waters. In witnessing Jesus miracle, Peter knew that Jesus must be the LORD. Peter began to understand Jesus' true identity as Messiah and LORD of the Universe.
Peter doesn't know anything else to do beg for Jesus to leave. Peter cries out in agony over his own sinfulness. He doesn't know what to do. All he knows to do is to cry out in pain and openly confess both his sin and the holiness of Jesus.
Not all people respond like these three individuals. When Caiaphas was in the presence of Jesus, he didn't bow down, instead he desired to kill Jesus. When Nebuchadnezzar was in the presence of God, he didn't bow down but considered himself equal to God. The same was true of Pharaoh in the time of Moses. Even though 10 different tests were shown to him of God's power and majesty, Pharaoh refused to bow down and acknowledge his own sinfulness. Not everyone responds appropriately to an encounter with the LORD.
The Bible says that only the fool tells himself that there is no God and refuses to acknowledge God's holiness and majesty.
Psalms 14:1 The fool has said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that does good.
Proverbs 1:7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Perhaps, the greatest gift God has given us humans is the gift of free will. We can be like Isaiah, Paul and Peter and use that free will to acknowledge our sinfulness or we can reject the truth and lie to ourselves and to the world. However, when we reject the truth and do not confess our own sin all we show is our own ignorance and foolishness. And if we continue to live that way we will find ourselves condemned to a Devil's Hell.
III. All three men experienced God's purifying touch
A. For Isaiah it was quite astounding. In Isaiah's vision, one of the seraphim fly and pick up a live coal off of God's altar. The seraphim then places the fiery coal on the prophet's tongue. Instead of it burning Isaiah to death, it purified his heart and lips so that he becomes a changed man. That coal did not destroy the prophet, rather it purified the prophet. I love the message that the seraphim gave to Isaiah - "Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for." Gone, Isaiah is your sinfulness, gone is your ungodliness and unworthiness. Our Lord certainly has a style for the dramatic.
B. For Paul it was the receiving of his sight through the healing hands of Ananias. Ananias lays his hands on Paul and the scales on Paul's eyes fall off and He is filled with God's Holy Spirit. "Once I was blind, but now I see." What a way to experience God's purity and transformation.
C. For Peter, it seemed less dramatic. Peter saw no seraphim, felt no shaking and there were no physical scales to fall off his eyes. For Peter, it was the gentle touch of Jesus' hand helping him up. It was the voice of Jesus speaking calm assurance. "Do not be afraid." It was Jesus accepting Peter's confession and inviting Peter to follow Him.
On the surface Peter's epiphany/encounter looked a lot less dramatic, but actually of the three epiphanies, Peter had the greatest transformative experience. Isaiah is touched by an angel, Paul is touched by a Spirit-filled believer but Peter experienced the touch of Jesus Christ Himself.
This morning, did you know that all of heaven throws a party when a person comes to faith? Luke 15:7 reminds us of this very fact: "Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over 99 righteous persons who need no repentance." All of heaven rejoices when we accept Jesus as our Savior and LORD.
IV. All three men became God's partners in sharing the Message of Salvation
The LORD invited all three to partner with Him in sharing the message of Salvation.
A. For Isaiah it was a wonderful and yet difficult task. Isaiah willingly accepts God's mission to be His spokesperson. He intends to take those purified lips and tell everyone the Good News. However, it would not prove to be an easy assignment. For Isaiah was to go and speak to people that would choose not to either listen or understand. God did not guarantee Isaiah that his ministry would be a success.
In fact, God told Isaiah that while he would attempt to show his listeners the truth, they would choose to remain in darkness. God told Isaiah up front that even though Isaiah would attempt to bring them new life, his listeners would instead choose to have dull hearts, heavy ears and blind eyes. This must have been a difficult message for Isaiah to hear but he does not shy away. He has surrendered everything to Jesus. How people would respond would be their use of God's freewill. It was his responsibility to simply be God's mouthpiece. It let us know that not every ministry will succeed. Not every prophet or minister will be able to bring people to faith. We all have free will.
B. For Paul it too was a wonderful task but also a rather taxing one. Paul witnessed tremendous spiritual growth during his ministry. Most Bible scholars believe that Paul was instrumental in helping to plant approximately twenty new churches for the LORD. A great deal of our New Testament consists of Paul's correspondence with those churches.
However, Paul ministry was not always easy. Paul had to face extreme times of trials and struggles that wreck his body, taxed his mind and wounded his heart. He faced horrible beatings, imprisonment and even stoning. He endured malicious gossip and outright slander. He dealt with people who were determined to destroy his reputation and career. Paul endured years of imprisonment and house arrest. Paul was called an anti-christ, a false apostle and a worker of evil.
It is true that Paul enjoyed the glory of being taken up to the third heaven ( 2 Corinthians 12:1-6) but he also experienced being tormented by a thorn in the flesh, being ship wrecked, bitten by a snake and rejected by his family and friends. In spite of all of that, Paul was forevermore rejoicing in his partnership with the LORD. Listen to how Paul explains it to Timothy, his fellow worker:
"For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith, Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the LORD, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me, but also to all who have loved his appearing." (2 Timothy 4:6-8 ESV)
C. For Peter it too was a wonderful, but at times a difficult task.
Standing with the eleven, Peter lifted up his voice and addressed the crowds that first Pentecost morning (Acts 2:14). At the end of his sermon, over 3,000 souls were baptized and were added to the Kingdom of Heaven. Can you imagine all the excitement and joy Peter and the other disciples felt in being able to be used in such a mighty way for the LORD?
Peter further received the power to restore broken bodies and lives through the name of Jesus Christ. Acts 15:5 tells us that people who were placed in the path of his shadow at times received healing. Can you imagine the joy all of that brought Peter? Just a few years earlier the Apostle was a sinner casting himself in the bottom of a boat to a man and now he was a man preaching and healing people in the name of Jesus. Nonetheless, Peter too suffered great persecution through repeated beatings and imprisonment (1 Peter 4:12-19). But like Paul he rejoiced in his times of trials and temptations ( 1 Peter 5:1-11).
This morning, I believe many of us can look back with wonder at our own encounter/epiphany with the LORD. We may not have enjoyed our time of being convicted by our sinfulness, but once we crossed that barrier and acknowledge it, we were able to experience the true freedom that comes through redemption, renewal and restoration. And I believe that many of us enjoy our partnership with the LORD in sharing the Gospel. We enjoy being filled with His Holy Spirit witnessing for the LORD. However, many of us can also testify that we have faced our share of trials, temptations and persecutions.
Jesus tells us that all of that will come to pass. He tells us that at times, His disciples will face hardships, persecutions and heartaches ( John 15:18-25; Matthew 10:16-25 and 1 Peter 4:14-16). Jesus tells us that we will have to face difficult times if we decide to follow Him, witness for Him and fulfill the Great Commission. But he also tells us that there will be times when we see great miracles and anointing of His Holy Spirit. Jesus tells us that His partners we will see both great success but also at times endure great trials. It is here that we can choose one of two ways:
+We can be like the early disciples after the death of Jesus attempted to hide (John 20:19-23). We can choose to run away when we face trials, temptations and persecutions.
+Or we can pray for the power of God's Holy Spirit like the disciples did in Acts 4:23 - 31. As a result, they received a new anointing of the Holy Spirit which enabled them to speak the word of God with great boldness. They did not shy away from the struggles they simply as for more grace and more power from the LORD.
Greg Laurie shares this story from the life of John Wesley2
The great preacher John Wesley was riding along on his horse one day when he realized that three days had passed, and he had not been persecuted in any way. Not a single brick had been thrown in his direction. He had not been hit by an egg. So he actually stopped his horse and said out loud, "Could it be that I am backslidden or I have sinned?" Slipping down from his horse, he knelt on one knee and asked the Lord to show him if there was anything wrong with him spiritually.
A man who disliked Wesley saw him kneeling in prayer, so he picked up a brick and threw it at him, barely missing the preacher. When Wesley saw the brick fly by, he said, "Thank you, Lord! I know I still have Your presence."
No wonder he was such a powerful preacher.
This morning, Jesus invites all of his disciples to go and share the word, to make disciples and baptize them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit and to teach them to observe all of Jesus commandments. He tells us that He will assure our success. He also tells us that we may face trials and persecutions in doing that task. However, we do not have to do it alone. We are called to partner with the LORD in the power of His Holy Spirit (Acts 1:4). And we are to always remember Jesus' final words in Matthew - "Behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." (Matthew 28:20).
This morning, God invites all of us to experience what these three individuals experienced
+An encounter with Him as the Living Christ
+An opportunity to confess our own sinfulness and ungodliness
+An opportunity to experience His forgiveness and purity
+An opportunity to partner with Him in saving the world
This morning as we close let us turn and sing - I SURRENDER ALL
1 You can read about John's unusual encounter with God at http://www.thenewmystics.com/Articles/1000041072/Home_Page_of/About_Us/John_and_Lily/Johns_Story.aspx
2 http://www.christianpost.com/news/for-righteousness-sake-90486/
