We can turn back together to our reading in Isaiah chapter 6.
! This evening we're going to look at verse 1 to verse 8.
! Isaiah chapter 6.
We'll just read again at the beginning of that chapter.
In the year that King Uzziah died,
I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne high and lifted up, and so on.
What kind of year have you had so far?
As we've come into the month of April,
we've come to that quarter of the way through 2026,
and you could maybe say,
well, perhaps things have been going well so far.
Perhaps things have been difficult to this point.
Or perhaps maybe it's just been,
seemed like just another ordinary year in many ways.
It's the kind of question we can just ponder from time to time.
How have things been so far?
We've got young people in here tonight,
and many of you will be coming up to exam times just now,
so maybe you don't want to be asked too many questions just now.
But that kind of question is a kind of reflective question.
How would you answer that in terms of writing an essay?
How has your year been so far?
Reflect on that.
Or we maybe have some who have been to the 40th reunion this weekend,
or maybe here for the fellowship this evening.
And again, that's always a time of reflection.
Maybe not just one year, but how have your years been so far?
How has your life gone?
What direction has it taken?
Whatever age and stage we're at,
there's always that time to reflect and to ask,
well, how are things going for us?
So how have things been this year?
Sounds maybe like a bit of a survey question,
where you're asked a variety of different questions.
In a survey, they're trying to get to the crux of how things are going.
For example, the nation that we live in every 10 years has a national census.
It's a survey where there's a variety of different questions asked,
and they're trying to ascertain just how the nation is going,
what direction it's going in.
And a lot of people get very excited about it,
especially when they look at questions about faith.
For some reason, people seem to enjoy finding out how faith is going,
especially when, for the last number of years,
the Christian faith, according to the census anyway, is in decline.
It's said that between 1930 and 2010,
the number of church members in the United Kingdom had reduced by 50%.
The last census in 2021,
it was said that for the first time in the history of these census,
that Christianity had fallen below 50% of the nation identifying as Christian.
It was down at 46%.
So these kind of surveys, they tell us different things,
but they don't always give a true reflection of everything that's going on.
Just like when you have a house that may be going on the market, going for sale,
you have to get a surveyor in to look at it.
But the surveyor isn't able to tell everything about the house.
You'll often see in a surveyor's report a line saying,
I wasn't able to access a certain point.
It may be the loft space.
It may be under the floor, into the foundations.
So the surveyor has only gone by what he can see.
But in many ways, that might be missing the most important thing about that house.
Maybe a foundation that is starting to crack,
or a roof that is showing signs of decay.
And so there's things that can be missed.
A survey doesn't always tell us all the answers.
But as we look at this passage here in Isaiah together this evening, Isaiah chapter 6,
what we find here is Isaiah the prophet very much taking part in a survey of the nation,
looking around and seeing what's happening in the land that he lives in,
among the people that he is living with,
and where he finds himself in all of this as well.
And so it's an important time in his life,
a time when he's looking around and taking stock.
And we see that in many ways, it seems bleak for God's people.
And even for Isaiah himself, it seems to be bleak in some ways.
It's a time of sorrow,
a situation in the land that's looking very difficult.
But the deeper you go into his survey,
you see that there is something else,
and something greater to be seen.
It reveals much about the situation that he's in.
It reveals much about himself.
But above all,
this survey that he's doing reveals much more about God,
and the need to lean on him.
And Isaiah chapter 6 is very much a chapter
that we see turning from a sense of despair
to a sense of delighting in God,
even in the midst of very difficult situations.
It's a time for reflection,
a time for survey.
As we see in the beginning of this chapter,
it's about a significant year,
in the year that King Uzziah died.
And so there's a significance in that for us.
It's a time of asking,
how is their year going?
How have their years gone?
And what might lie ahead for them?
And so as we look at Isaiah's survey
of the situation here,
we're going to see five things that he sees
as he looks around,
and as he looks at himself.
We're going to see that there's an ache
in his heart,
and among the people.
There's an ache.
But we see then that there's an aura.
There's a sense of seeing something significant
in the midst of their ache.
Then there's an awareness,
an awareness of what is happening.
Then there's an assurance
of what their situation that they are in is about.
And then we see finally,
there's an availability from Isaiah.
So there's five things that we're going to see
together from this passage.
And the first thing is an ache.
There's an ache in his heart
and the hearts of many of the people.
And we see that in these opening words
that tell us,
in the year that King Uzziah died.
What's the significance of this,
you might ask?
Is there any significance in it?
Well, it is significant.
I say I record that
because this is an important point
in their history,
in their lives.
in the year that King Uzziah died.
So this is a point of reflecting
this year that they are in,
this point that they've come to.
And it's significant
because it's a time of great pain.
Uzziah the king has died.
And sometimes in the history
of the Old Testament,
you find that the king's passing
would not cause pain and grief.
It would cause rejoicing
when the king was not a good king.
And there was often the case
where the king could be quite hard
on the people
and mistreat the people.
But we find here that
Uzziah had been a king
who was a good king.
And he had been a king
for a very long time.
He'd been a king
for about 52 years.
And he had been good
for the people.
The people had enjoyed
much blessing
under his reign.
There was power.
There was wealth.
There was success.
You could almost say
unlike anything
that experienced
since the days of Solomon.
There was a real period
of blessing.
And so this year,
the year that King Uzziah died,
was significant.
It brought grief
into their midst.
It disturbed Isaiah.
He records it here for us.
This was a significant point
in the year that King Uzziah died.
Because his death signaled
the end of a great period
for these people.
A period of prosperity.
A period of spiritual consistency
where he had led the people well.
And now they were going
into a period of change
and a period of doubt.
And it wasn't all good.
It's evidence for that
when you see the first five chapters
that things were changing.
That things were going to go
in a different direction
for the people.
There's evidence of it
in chapter 6
at the end of the chapter
when it's speaking
about the people
then being taken
into foreign lands.
So it's evidence here
that this year
in which King Uzziah died
was an important year.
A significant year.
And so there was change
in their midst.
They had been looking
towards Uzziah
in dependence.
Depending on him
as their king.
Depending on him
as the one
who was going to lead them well.
And that as long as
he was there
then things were going
to be well with them.
In the year
that King Uzziah died
things changed.
What can we say
about it ourselves
when we think of the years
in which we're living in
just now.
Even this year
2026.
We could maybe reflect
on this year
in many different ways
and look at
maybe our own
individual lives
and say things like
well in this year
when I was given
a bad diagnosis.
In this year
when I lost my job.
In this year
when my heart
was troubled
in many different ways.
Or we could look at it
in a more wider sense
as well.
In this year
when we have seen
everything taking place
in the Middle East.
In this year
when we are seeing again
the prices of everything
going in such a direction
that it causes
much worry
and concern.
There's so many things
that are happening
around us.
We can reflect
on this year already
in a short space of time
that's seen
a lot of change.
And when we see that
we ask ourselves
what does that do
to us?
Where does it take us?
How do we feel
in the midst of it?
In the sense of
all of these things
changing.
For I say
in the year
that King Uzziah died
caused him
great concern.
And as we look
at our year
and we see
all of these changes
taking place
does it cause us
does it cause you
concern?
Because it makes us ask
well what is
the foundation
of our life?
The foundation
for the nation
as Isaiah
is looking at here
you might think
initially
is Uzziah.
That he was the one
who was important
to everything
and that's the way
it would seem.
It was significant
and for ourselves
the foundation
of our lives
may have been
a loved one.
It may have been
a job.
It may have been
the money that we have.
It may have been
the peace
that was relative
around the world.
But when things
begin to change
suddenly these foundations
are shaken
and they make us
ask questions.
What is
your foundation
as you look
at the year
in which you're living?
Well for Isaiah
it was
Uzziah
was important
he was important
for the people.
So there was
an ache
a hurt
when Uzziah
died.
But where did
that take them?
Where did it
take Isaiah?
Well it takes us
to our second point
where we see
that there was
an aura.
There was an aura.
In the year
that King Uzziah
died
where did he look?
Well he goes on
to say
I saw the Lord
sitting upon
a throne
high
and lifted up.
In the year
that King
Uzziah
died
Isaiah
saw
a greater
aura.
He saw
the Lord
sitting
upon the throne
high
and lifted
up.
So in the midst
of the pain
of Uzziah's
death
and the doubts
about the future
what it might
hold
there is a reminder
that Isaiah
sees.
It is the Lord
that is sovereign
and overruling
in all things.
It is the Lord
that is in control.
and as we look
around ourselves
this evening
and in this
year
or in all
our years
through all
the different
changes
through all
the different
directions
we have
gone
through all
the different
ups and
downs
when so often
we have maybe
just looked
to ourselves
looked to
our own
wisdom
our own
understanding
of things
maybe we are
being taken
to the point
where we begin
to see
something
different
something else
where our eyes
should have
always been
fixed upon
and that is
the aura
of God
the Lord
sitting
upon
a throne.
You get the sense
here that the people
had lost their vision
of the Lord
you get it so often
throughout the Old Testament
where things went
into decline
it is because
they took their eyes
of God
away from God
they started
to look to
idols
and false
gods
of their own
wisdom
and that is
when things
went wrong
and perhaps
even a good
king like
Uzziah
was making
them take
their eyes
off the Lord
and so
Uzziah's
death
was perhaps
maybe a good
thing
in that sense
because it
made them
look
somewhere else
and look
to the Lord
Isaiah
is reminded
who is
really in
control
Uzziah
might have
been a good
king
but he was
a king
appointed
by God
and used
by God
and so
Isaiah
here is being
reminded
that when
we look
around
and we see
turmoil
on the surface
the ache
the pain
of Uzziah's
death
and the uncertainty
that it brings
it brings him
to a greater
place
that the Lord
is sovereign
sitting
on his
throne
and what
did he
see
of the
Lord
well you
see that
there's three
things that he
saw of the
Lord
first of all
he saw
his position
Isaiah
saw the
Lord
sitting
upon the
throne
so there
was this
sovereignty
there's a
peace
in that
there's an
assurance
in that
an earthly
king may
have died
but the
Lord
still
reigned
he saw
the Lord
in all
his glory
and it
had a
profound
impact
on Isaiah
he lifted
his eyes
up
I saw
the Lord
high
and lifted
up
and so in
the midst
of everything
going on
in your
life just
now are
you lifting
your eyes
up to
God
and faith
as the
Lord shakes
our lives
in different
ways
take things
from us
removes
foundations
that we
were relying
on
are we
lifting
our eyes
to God
and faith
and seeing
that he
is sovereign
he saw
us well
he saw
God's
personality
how did
he see
this
well he
sees it
as you
hear
the angelic
beings
saying
holy
is the
Lord
of hosts
the whole
earth
is filled
with his
glory
there was
that sense
that he
could see
the glory
of God
not the
glory of
usiah
as a good
king
but the
glory
of God
and Isaiah
understood
that usiah
might have
been a good
king
but the
Lord
is a
holy
God
he is
far
greater
and he
is the
one who
deserves
all glory
and praise
and so
when your
life is
stripped
bare
as we
would say
when the
rug is
pulled from
under your
feet
and things
are shaken
in your
life
what do
you have
do you
have that
vision of
God
who is
holy
that security
with God
I say
I learned
it's not
about
Isaiah
it's not
about
himself
it's
all
about
God
that
he
is
the
one
who
deserves
that
place
of
glory
in
our
lives
so
are
you
giving
him
that
glory
he
saw
his
personality
he
also
saw
his
presence
you see
that
in
verse
four
the
foundations
of the
threshold
shook
at the
voice
of him
who
called
and the
house
was
filled
with
smoke
there
was
a
sense
of
the
presence
of
God
so
Isaiah
was
gone
but
there
was
this
assurance
that
God
was
there
God
was
with
him
God
was
with
his
people
he's
reminded
powerfully
of
that
he
might
have
felt
forsaken
in that
sense
of
the
loss
of
Isaiah
but
it
only
brought
him
to
see
more
of
the
glory
of
God
and
the
presence
of
God
as a
great
reminder
there
for
us
we
can
be
a
people
who
feel
lonely
at
times
we
can
feel
isolated
we
can
feel
afraid
and
maybe
you
have
that
sense
maybe
you
are
one
of
these
people
who
feels
a
sense
of
loneliness
tonight
but
there's
that
great
reminder
to
us
here
this
great
truth
that
if
we
are
saved
if
we
are
belonging
to
God
we
are
never
alone
you
are
never
alone
because
his
presence
is
promised
that
aura
of
God
is
there
for
his
people
at
all
times
he
is
with
us
always
that's
the
promise
that
we
have
in
the
Lord
Jesus
Christ
as
he
gave
that
great
commission
lo I
am
with
you
always
even
to
the
end
of
the
age
there
is
that
presence
that
aura
of
God
that
we
can
know
in
our
own
lives
as
we
look
to
him
so
are
you
lonely
this
evening
well
you
can
know
that
as
you
look
to
God
as
you
lift
up
your
voice
your
eyes
to
God
as
you
see
he
is
sovereign
he
is
present
he
is
holy
he
is
all
of
these
things
and
he
is
it
for
you
that
you
might
know
him
with
you
the
third
thing
we
see
here
is
an
awareness
how
did
I
say
I
respond
in
as
he
saw
the
glory
of
God
what
did
it
do
for
him
well
it
made
him
realize
what
he
had
been
relying
on
he
had
been
relying
on
his
earthly
king
he
had
been
relying
on
usiah
for
things
to
go
well
for
him
and
for
the
people
of
God
instead
of
looking
to
the
heavenly
king
to
God
in
heaven
and
the
king
that
is
secure
on
his
throne
there
so
what
he
realizes
now
is
seeing
the
glory
of
God
is
his
error
he
becomes
aware
of
his
error
you
see
that
in
verse
5
look at
his
response
to
everything
that
he
has
seen
in
verse
5
woe
is
me
for
I
am
lost
that's
his
response
in
verse
5
woe
is
me
for
I
am
lost
I
say
I
probably
thought
all
was
well
in
his
life
enjoying
that
peace
that
the
king
usiah
had
brought
the
blessings
that
had
been
many
he
thought
all
was
well
but
when
usiah
was
taken
away
he
was
made
aware
of
his
own
short
comings
he
says
I
am
lost
what
he's
saying
is
I
am
as
good
as
dead
when
I
am
relying
on
earthly
things
for
my
life
for
my
salvation
for
everything
that
I
need
if
I
am
putting
my
trust
in
these
things
I
am
lost
woe
is
me
and
what
has
made
him
aware
of
this
is
the
glory
of
God
when
you're
driving
at
night
and
we
see
it
maybe
more
so
now
with
the
cars
that
are
coming
towards
us
and
the
brightness
of
their
lights
it
can
be
hard
sometimes
to
see
where
you're
going
the
lights
are
shining
so
brightly
you
almost
have
to
come
to
a
stop
sometimes
to
make
sure
that
you're
staying
well
imagine
what
the
glory
of
God
does
how
that
stops
us
in
our
tracks
we
see
it
here
with
Isaiah
he
has
just
stopped
in
his
tracks
the
glory
of
God
all
that
he
is
seeing
and
he
comes
to
the
point
and
says
woe
is
me
for
I
am
lost
it
has
stopped
him
and
that's
what
the
word
of
God
does
to
us
to
this
day
maybe
it's
doing
it
has
been
for
some
time
it's
making
you
stop
in
your
tracks
and
all
you
can
say
is
the
same
as
I
say
a
woe
is
me
for
I
am
lost
because
the
word
of
God
makes
us
aware
of
our
lostness
it
makes
us
aware
of
where
we
are
in
this
year
and
in
every
year
it
brings
us
to
realize
where
we
stand
before
God
and
if
we
are
relying
on
the
world
when
we
survey
our
lives
when
we
survey
our
situations
when
we
think
do
I
have
God
in
my
life
am
I
trusting
in
the
Lord
Jesus
Christ
for
my
salvation
if
not
well
we
can
only
say
woe
is
me
for
I
am
lost
the
glory
of
God
brings
this
revelation
to
Isaiah
and
the
word
of
God
the
glory
of
God
that
speaks
to
us
through
it
makes
the
same
through
for
ourselves
it
makes
us
realize
that
apart
from
God
we
are
indeed
lost
but
where
was
Isaiah
here
he
wasn't
turning
away
from
God
he
was
looking
towards
God
and
so
it
is
good
for
us
to
be
looking
towards
God
it
is
good
for
us
to
be
coming
under
the
word
of
God
when
it
makes
us
stop
in
our
tracks
and
when
it
makes
us
look
at
our
lives
and
makes
us
realize
we
are
indeed
lost
because
if we
don't
realize
this
nothing
changes
if we
just
carry
on
as if
life
is
fine
nothing
changes
and
sometimes
it
takes
a
moment
or
a
circumstance
or a
providence
in our
lives
to make
us
stop
and
take
stock
and
see
what
is
important
had
Isaiah
not
died
perhaps
Isaiah
and the
others
would have
carried
on
as
aware
thinking
we
are
fine
as
long
as
we
have
Isaiah
and
we
can
carry
on
in
our
lives
thinking
I'm
fine
as
long
as
I
have
my
health
my
work
my
family
and
all
of
these
things
but
when
they
are
taken
from
us
that
is
when
we
become
more
aware
woe
is
me
for
I
am
lost
we
see
the
wonder
of
God
here
though
you
see
God
in
his
words
speaking
and
you
see
him
pointing
!
us
towards
himself
and
towards
all
that
he
would
do
for
us
because
when
we
think
of
these
words
woe
is
me
for
I
am
lost
we
think
of
our
condition
and
sin
that
we
are
a
lost
people
and
if
we
are
lost
we
need
a
savior
who
Zacchaeus in the sermon this morning. And we're reminded that the Lord Jesus came to seek and to
save the lost. The lost. And so in the midst of everything that's changing and becoming aware of
our situation, that is a good thing. Because we see here it leads to the next point, which is
an assurance. An assurance. And that's what Isaiah is given here as well. Because he says,
Woe is me, for I am lost. I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of
unclean lips. For my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts. He has seen the glory of God.
He has seen how lost he is in the midst of it. But then he is given an assurance.
And what is the assurance that he's given? Well, the assurance that he has given is that as he draws
near to God, God draws near to him. And that's the assurance that we can have this evening as well.
That when we begin to realize and become aware of our lostness, our sin, and how we are destined to be
lost for eternity in it, well, it leads us to see our only hope is through God and his word and a
Savior who is Christ Jesus. And so the assurance that we come to see is that God will not turn us away,
but that God is seeking after those who are lost. You see it in the Old Testament. You see it in the
New Testament. And for example, Nehemiah chapter 1 verse 9 and 10, But if you return to me and keep my
commandments and do them, though your outcasts are in the uttermost parts of heaven, from there I will
gather them and bring them to the place that I have chosen. So we can go so far away from God.
We can be like that prodigal son who has just gone far away from his father, but God can still reach out.
There's an awareness, and then we come to that assurance that God will not turn us away.
Jesus tells us that in the Gospel of John chapter 6 verse 37,
All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.
There's great assurance in that. Where do we go with our lostness? We go to Christ.
And as we come to Christ, we are assured, whoever comes to me I will never cast out.
And what did Isaiah find as he came to God? That he was full of glory, that God was full of glory,
that he was lost and unclean, but ultimately he found that God could save. Because you read in verse 6,
Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongues from the altar.
And he touched my mouth and said, Behold, this has touched your lips. Your guilt is taken away, and your sin is atoned for.
So he has given assurance. So he has given assurance. What great assurance there is for us as we come to God,
that he is the one who is able to forgive us our sins. He came with a coal, a burning coal, and touched his lips.
Your sin is atoned for. Where do we go?
Where do we look for that atonement, that our sin being forgiven?
We look to the cross.
We look to the place where Christ died in our place,
that we might have salvation through him.
In 2 Corinthians 3, verse 18, Paul says there,
There is a work going on in God's people as we look to him being turned from one degree of glory to another.
Little by little, being made like Jesus.
Seeing his glory more and more.
Being transformed into his likeness.
That assurance that we have that the more we look to him,
the more we see our sin,
but the more we see our salvation
in what he has done for us.
And so for us today, we behold God's glory in Jesus Christ.
Christ crucified for his people.
We look to the cross.
When we speak of surveying everything that's going on around us,
looking at the year in which we live in,
where can we turn?
We can survey the cross.
As the hymn writer says,
When I survey the wondrous cross on which the prince of glory died,
my riches gain,
I count but loss and poor contempt on all my pride.
That is what Isaiah was doing here.
His pride was in the king who was Isaiah,
who was taken away.
But it takes him to put all that aside
and look to the glory of God.
So where are you looking this evening?
For that assurance.
For that hope.
For today.
For tomorrow.
For all eternity.
As you see your lostness.
As you are able to say, like I say,
A woe is me.
For I am lost.
Where do you go?
Well, you can go to the cross.
And to Jesus Christ.
Pour contempt on all your pride.
Everything you have count as loss.
Compared to the riches that are in Christ.
Find that assurance in him.
Well, the fifth and final thing we see here is
where it leads, I say.
Isaiah.
And what we see is an availability.
Because a great vision of God and his glory,
as somebody said, inspires us in the mission of God.
And when you look at Isaiah here,
when you see his sin atoned for,
in verse 8 then it goes on to say,
And I heard the voice of the Lord saying,
Whom shall I send?
And who will go for us?
Then I said,
Here am I.
Send me.
Here am I.
Send me.
What a changed.
It's just a few verses before,
when Isaiah is showing where he stands.
Woe is me, for I am lost.
I'm a man of unclean lips.
Well, he's seen the glory of God.
He's seen his lostness.
But he's been given that assurance of his sin atoned for.
And so what now?
Well, he makes himself available.
Here am I.
Send me.
He was made right with God.
And so, instead of now surveying the hopelessness of everything around him,
and the despair,
Isaiah was dead.
All the blessings that they've enjoyed,
they were gone in many ways.
But his survey takes him deeper.
And now he realizes it's about the Lord who is sovereign.
And as we look at the world in which we live in,
and as we see everything that can make us afraid,
let's just see that that is just the surface.
Because the depths of the foundation of this world are a sovereign God.
And we are to make ourselves available to him.
So are you making yourself available?
Are you giving yourself over into the hands of this sovereign God?
Just like Isaiah saying,
Here am I.
Send me.
You don't know what he's going to send you out for.
But he has a purpose for every one of his people.
He has a use for every one of his people.
It may be something that seems small and insignificant,
but yet it is to be faithful to God,
and just to say,
Here am I.
Send me.
To make ourselves available for him.
That is what is key.
That is what Isaiah did here.
And that is what many of God's people have done.
In the year 1903,
late in that year,
there was a pastor in West Wales
who had become very grieved
over the worldliness among young people
and a lack of devotion to the Lord Jesus among the young people.
And this burden kept growing on him.
And so he arranged at New Year time
a special two-day youth event
so that the young people could come together.
And they were coming under the Word of God.
The Word of God was to be preached.
And messages were preached
that spoke to the hearts of the young people
and made a deep impression on them,
especially on one young girl,
a teenage girl.
She was called Flory Evans.
She was challenged
by the preaching of God's Word that she heard.
And God's Word would not go away from her.
And a month later,
she found herself at crisis point.
And so she asked to meet with the pastor
and speak with him.
And she spoke to him
about how God's Word had been speaking to him.
And she felt herself lost in life.
She was in despair.
And she was saying,
I cannot live like this.
And the pastor asked her a question.
He said,
Could you say,
My Lord,
to the Lord Jesus Christ?
And she began to ponder this question deeply.
Could she say,
The Lord Jesus is my Lord?
And that's what kept working away at her.
Until she came to the point
where she was able to say,
He is my Lord.
She was converted.
God had given her a new heart.
And a heart for the Lord.
And obedience to him was her new life.
And God would soon use this young girl
in a powerful way.
It was at the end of February
on a Sunday night.
And it was after a sermon that evening
where the young people were gathered together.
And the pastor asked them a question
to all the people there.
What does Jesus mean to you?
And he was waiting for a few moments
to see if anyone would speak.
And there was silence.
Until, after a few moments,
Flory stood up.
And she said,
I love the Lord Jesus with all my heart.
It's all she could say.
I love the Lord Jesus with all my heart.
But that expression of love
in that room touched
many of the other people's hearts.
And that sense of conviction
started to spread among the young people.
And many started to be converted.
Flory's simple testimony that night
began to move among the people.
And at that time,
the Welsh revival of 1904, 1905 began.
Did it begin with her?
No.
Because it was all of God.
But God used her.
And her testimony.
Just those few words.
What does Jesus mean to you?
I love the Lord Jesus with all of my heart.
He used her.
Because she said,
Here am I.
She could not hold it in.
Isaiah could not hold it in.
Here am I.
Send me.
And so God sent him.
And sent him into a very difficult situation.
But God used him mightily.
And God can use any one of us
in a mighty way.
And so as we look at this year
in which King Uzziah died,
in all the uncertainty that it brought,
in all the pain,
the ache that there was,
what it brought Isaiah to see,
was the glory of God.
And may our year,
may your year just now,
may your point in life just now,
bring you to see
that there is no foundation in this world
that is secure
other than the salvation
that is found by God giving his son.
May we see our lostness,
as Isaiah says,
Woe is me,
for I am lost.
But may we see with assurance
that he is able to save our sin
as atoned for
through what has been done at the cross.
And may we then come
to say,
Here am I.
Send me.
Lord, use us.
Whatever plan,
whatever purpose you have
for every one of us,
may we say,
Here am I.
Send me.
Let us pray.
Lord, our gracious God,
we thank you that your word
is an active word,
a living word,
a word that gives us assurance
in the midst of the most difficult times,
in the midst of most uncertain times.
As Isaiah experienced that
in the year that King Uzziah died,
may we look at our own years
and say,
In the midst of all that goes on around us,
may we see the Lord
high and lifted up.
May we see his glory,
your glory,
in our midst.
And may we see it working in our hearts
to see us coming
to recognize our lostness,
but the salvation that you give
through Jesus Christ.
So we ask all of these things
for your glory
and for your sake.
Amen.
We're going to conclude
by singing to God's praise
in Psalm 116.
The Sing Psalms version,
page 154.
Psalm 116,
we'll sing from verse 1
to verse 9.
I love the Lord
because he heard my voice.
He listened when I cried to him for aid.
I'll call on him as long as I shall live
because he turned to hear me when I prayed.
The tune is even tied.
We stand to sing verse 1 to 9.
I love the Lord
because he heard my voice.
He listened when I cried to him for aid.
I'll call on him as long as I shall live.
because he turned to hear me when I prayed.
The court of death
with grip and entangled thee
upon me came the anguish of the grave.
With grief and trouble
I was overcome
Then on the name of God
I called
Lord save
The Lord our God
is
strengthened
full of grace
Both righteous
and compassionate
The Lord protects
all those of childlike faith
When I was in grave
When I was in grave need
He rescued me
Rest, O my soul
God, I speak with you
For you, O Lord
I've saved my soul from death
My feet from stumbling
And my eyes from tears
That I may live for you
While I have breath
After the benediction
I'll go to the door to my left
We'll close with the benediction
Now may grace, mercy and peace
from God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit
rest upon and abide with you all
now and forevermore
Amen
Thank you.