FITTED FOR HOLINESS

Sermon Notes, October 14, 2012

Pastor Jan Sinozich

Pastor Jan’s message was titled “Fitted for Holiness.”  Her scripture reference was Isaiah 6:1-8, Isaiah’s encounter with God.  She started off talking about shoes that fit, and told of a friend who wore shoes that were too small.  He has clear vision: he could see they don’t fit.  He knows his size, but he was used to hand-me-down shoes that don’t fit.  We need to know the perfect fit of our relationship with God; we can’t rely on someone else’s fit.  Whatever our issues we need to make sure we go where God wants.

Isaiah’s fit is changing in Chapter 6.  Verse 1 starts with “In the year that King Uzziah died...”  Uzziah had reigned for 52 years, but toward the end, he usurped the power of the priests.  He was struck with leprosy, which was a death sentence.  Leprosy was the outward sign of his disobedience on the inside.  (Unclean!)

Isaiah went to the temple, offering sacrifice.  In verses 2 and 3, he saw the Lord. Angels flew above, singing “Holy, holy, holy!”  There was smoke, and God’s power and glory filled the place.  In verse 5 Isaiah bows on the floor.  He realizes he is not holy.  He sees the Lord and sees himself as unclean.  “I am a man of unclean lips!”  (A foul mouth.)  That was like having a rock in his shoe.  The real issue is his heart.  The sin nature is in the heart of all of us, ever since the Garden of Eden.  In verse 6 a seraph flew with a coal of fire, and touched Isaiah’s lips, and in verse 7 says, “See?  Your guilt is gone.”  We are all born with a “rock” in our hearts—the sin nature.  In verse 8 Isaiah hears the Lord’s voice asking “Who shall I send?”  And Isaiah answers “Here I am, send me.”

You get a clear picture of God when you’re on your face.  We need a heart cleansing.  We need to serve God.  We can be effective with a clean heart and clean lips.  Compare King Uzziah’s disobedience which led to his death from leprosy, to Isaiah, who bowed before the Lord.  He was fit to serve as the Lord’s prophet for many years. 

 

Pastor Jan says “If the shoe fits, put it on.  But take the rock out first.”