"Is Our Sunday Service Missing Something?”

NOW THAT WE UNDERSTAND WHAT WE NEED TO CLEAR OUR SPIRITUAL VISION LETS LOOK AT ISAIAH CHAPTER SIX AND EXAMINE THE AFFECT SEEING GOD CAN HAVE ON OUR WORSHIP.

Isaiah 6 SEEING GOD – HEARING GOD – RESPONDING TO GOD

(v. 1) Our number one priority in a worship service is to see the Lord. Not to make this into a Sunday machine. We’re not cranking out a product like Ford cranks out automobiles, or a bakery cranks out bread. This is a worship service not a massive classroom session.

A deep sense of need draws us to worship.

(v. 2) Seraphs – flaming angels. They evidently reflected the brilliant light of the glory of the Lord. They were the angelic choir around the throne of God. They flew around the throne of God. Who are the angels of this church? They are the ones who help us see the Lord. Isaiah never said he saw the Seraphs he just heard them. The musicians of this church assist us in seeing the Lord. My primary goal when I enter a church service should be to turn my attention off of myself, the world and it’s distractions, and look to God and focus on Him.

(v.5) We are all ruined sinners. When a group of ruined sinners get together we’re all on the same level. When you start a worship meeting on that bases we’re all in need. This isn’t based on performance, who can out sing one another, or who is more holy. Our worship is based on the Glory of God and His grace and mercy that has been extended to us.

Worship will reveal a need in our life. Isaiah realized he had a problem with his mouth. No sermon has even been preached yet, and God is touching the heart of Isaiah. When the music starts we should begin to turn our attention to the Lord. And when our heart is turned to the Lord, He will revel to us what is in our heart.

(v.6) God touched the area of Isaiah’s need, his mouth. We’re living in an untouchable society. Too sophisticated to touch one another, oh yes we love, but we look on an embrace with a sophisticated frown. “He touched me and made me whole”; we sing it but do we believe it in our heart? What part of your life needs a touch from God? The first step for us to be touched and changed by God is to realize the area of our self that needs to be touched and changed. God knows exactly where we need to be touched and changed but more importantly, do we know?

ILLUSTRATION: Before we left for Colorado I had the front on my truck aligned. I could tell before it was a little out of line because it pulled to one side. But it amazed me after I got it aligned how much I had been fighting it to keep it on the road without even realizing I had been struggling. Isn’t that how it is in our spiritual life? We hit a spiritual pothole of sin somewhere alone the way and it knocks out of line with God? Then we struggle to stay on the narrow path; with every step we take it’s a constant struggle to keep from weaving off course with God. But then when we confess our sin, repent and seek God’s face we wonder why we struggled so long and didn’t get things straightened out earlier.