Transcription downloaded from https://yetanothersermon.host/_/church4u/sermons/87181/god-is-calling-are-we-listening/. Disclaimer: this is an automatically generated machine transcription - there may be small errors or mistranscriptions. Please refer to the original audio if you are in any doubt. [0:00] Consider how we are to respond to God's call. We read about that in Isaiah chapter 6 from verse 1. It tells about the prophet Isaiah and how he was called to serve God. [0:14] ! It tells how in the year that King Uzziah died, Isaiah says, I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. [0:27] Above it stood the seraphims, each one had six wings, with twain he covered his face, with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. And one cried unto another, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts. [0:43] The whole earth is full of his glory. And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke. We see some things here about spiritual senses, if you like. [0:56] It's a shocking account of an incredible vision, a challenging opportunity, and a life-changing decision. We see firstly the sense of sight. Isaiah says, I see the Lord. [1:10] I see him in his highness, upon a throne, high and lifted up. We see who he is. We see him in his holiness. He's in his temple. The seraphims prays about him. [1:21] And we see him in heaven, where he is. So we see the Lord. Secondly, we see the lack in self. As it reads on, it tells how Isaiah says, Then said I, Woe is me, for I am undone, because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips. [1:44] For mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts. We see the Lord. We see the King. And we see the lack in ourselves. When we truly see God, we see how small that we are. [1:55] We see, as Isaiah saw himself, the lack in himself. A totally unsuitable candidate. He tells of his need of cleansing. He says, I'm undone. [2:06] I'm unclean. I'm unworthy. Think of it. If you see the King, you'd see your lack in yourself. You'd see your conviction of sin. And the closer that we walk to God, the more that we see our own sin, and we realize how much we need God. [2:23] It's as if, as you move closer to a mirror, you see more that needs to be done. You see more that shows up. You see the wrinkle, the spot, the hair out of place, the defects, as you get closer to the mirror. [2:37] And as you get closer to the Lord, too, you see, I'm undone. I'm unclean. I'm unworthy of everything that God is, as we behold, as we behold the King. Further, we see, as Isaiah reflected, his need of cleansing. [2:53] It says, Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar. And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips, and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged. [3:11] We see the cleansing of the prophet, of his life. It was a live coal, of his death, the sacrifice off the altar. We see of his touch, the removal of iniquity, the purging of sin, his cleansing. [3:26] This willing vessel was now fitted to serve. And furthermore, in these spiritual senses, we see God's call. And I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send? [3:41] And who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I. Send me. So, here we see his sense of hearing. [3:55] He hears the call. He hears his voice. Are our ears tuned in, to his voice, to hear his heart, the need, the call for labourers. [4:06] It's still ringing out loudly. Do we, catch that sense of, here's yearning, for souls. And of our need to respond to that. [4:18] Will we say, Here am I, in obedient faith, and trust. or will we say, someone else can respond. Let someone else do it. It's been said that the church is the only cooperative society that exists for the benefit of its non-members. [4:35] Then said I, Here am I. Send me. Verse 9, and it reads on, And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not, and see ye indeed, but perceive not. [4:57] Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes, lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed. [5:12] We see, his commission, here, his mandate, the divine direction, Go, to this people, no dilly-dallying around, go, now. [5:24] His message, it was uncompromising, unpleasant. We might choose an easier, lighter message. And then we see his method, we've got to put the go, in the gospel, for his church to go. [5:39] Not church growth, or psychology, or seeker-friendly services, but, his work of salvation, his message, the message of the cross, whether they'll listen, or not, we must be faithful, to declare it. [5:55] Here am I, send me.