Sermon Central
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What We Do In Down Times Series
Contributed by Allan Kircher on Aug 1, 2012 (message contributor)
Summary: When Isaiah saw the Lord, he instantly realized that there were problems within his own heart.
WHAT WE NEED IN THE DOWN TIMES
Pastor Allan Kircher SPBC
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Intro: V. 1 mentions/death/King Uzziah.
• 10th king/Judah and he was a very godly man.
• He was highly influenced by the prophet Zechariah and, unlike many of the other kings,
• He never totally departed from the worship of the true God.
Under his influence, the southern kingdom attained power, wealth and success unlike any it had enjoyed since the days of Solomon.
Made prideful/success/king and by his blessings from the Lord,
• Uzziah made/mistake/offering incense/Temple, 2 Chron. 26.
• For his disobedience to the Lord/stricken to leprosy.
• He died in that leprous condition!
• Disobedience to the Lord is a serious thing!
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Well, evidently, Isaiah/disturbed by the death of the great king.
• After all, he had reigned for 52 years.
• His death signaled/end of a time/great prosperity consistency in the southern kingdom.
• For Isaiah and entire nation, it ushered in a time of uncertainty, change and doubt.
• Yet, for Isaiah, this is to be a time of rediscovery.
Apparently Isaiah had his attention focused on Uzziah, but now that Uzziah is dead, his attention is redirected back to the Lord.
This down time in the prophet’s life became an uptime.
• That which had held his attention was removed
• Isaiah had a fresh encounter with God.
• What happened to Isaiah in this event spotlights for us what we need during the down times in our own lives.
• We all have down times in life!
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Now the down times can either grow us or ruin us.
• It depends on us…..what happens
• It depends on us….what road we take
• It depends on us…..in how we advance!
• Prayfully the word of God will speak to each of us today.
• What has your attention, the world or the word?
Let’s look/familiar verses/think for a while on the thought
What do We Need In The Down Times Of Life.
Learning what to do when life turns us down will help us to get back on track with God’s will.
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I. V. 1-4 WE NEED TO SEE WHAT ISAIAH SAW
V. 1 He Saw God’s Position - Isaiah saw God in His sovereignty.
• An earthly king may have died, but the Lord still reigned.
• He saw the Lord in all His glory.
• It had a profound impact on the life of Isaiah.
When life seems to fall apart at the seams, we need to remember the God Who is in control of it all!
What appears to be a tragedy to us may be the greatest thing that could happen in our lives.
• Look at Job! Look at Rom 8:28…
• 2 Cor. 4:17 “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.
• We need to remember just Who is in control!
Who is this God?
God has given us all spiritual blessings through Jesus - Eph. 1:3.
God has determined that we will be like Jesus, and with Jesus, one day - Eph. 1:5; 11-12.
God reached out to us when we were dead in our sins and headed to Hell - Eph. 2:1-4.
God loved us - Eph. 2:4.
God has given us a new life in Jesus - Eph. 2:10.
God desires to use us, bless us and teach about the divine mystery of His everlasting grace and love - Eph. 3:1-21.
That’s who our God is!
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V. 2-3 He Saw God’s Personality
The angelic beings in the temple proclaimed the holy nature of the God of Heaven.
Even those sinless creatures were careful to honor the holiness and purity of the Lord.
• Notice that they covered their faces with their wings.
• They also proclaimed the glory of the Lord!
• Isaiah finally understood that Uzziah might have been a good king
• But the Lord was a holy God and He and He alone deserved the glory for all of life!
We need to remember that God’s prime characteristic is His holiness!
Our duty before/Lord/honor His holy nature by living holy lives before Him.
We are to recognize His right to glory by giving Him all the glory for everything in our lives, 1 Cor. 10:31.
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In Ephesians, Paul says, “…I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.”
We are “live our lives in such a way that we balance the scales by adding something of equal value with what we have been given in Jesus.”
