I Saw The Lord - September 26, 2021

[Music] is [Music] glory glory [Applause] we give it to you yes the [Music] we're here [Music] we're here to kill you god [Music] my god good morning st mark the scripture reading is going to come from romans 8 verses 27 through 29 and it reads as follows and he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the spirit because the spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of god and we know that for those who love god all things work together for good for those who are called according to his purpose for those whom he for knew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his son in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers please by as i pray dearly father we come to this morning with thanksgiving in our hearts heavenly father we thank you for allowing us to see a new day a day which affords us an opportunity to better align ourselves with your word we thank you for strength we thank you for health and we thank you for continuing to bestow your sufficient grace and mercy upon this day and day out heavenly father and heavenly father we pray for those of us who are currently going through challenging life events lord god just let us trust in you because you can provide us with a sense of peace and comfort that surpasses all understanding and heavenly father we uplift the entire san marco body we pray for each member of saint mark and we pray for the leadership we pray for palestine porn in the pastoral staff we pray for the elders and the deacons and every father lastly we just thank you for this virtual worship platform and we pray that your word will reach the masses while purging the hearts and minds of those who have who have yet to accept you into their lives heavenly father heavenly father we love you we adore you and we are eternally thankful for you in this prayer we ask your darling son jesus name amen well good morning good morning and welcome to the sunday morning worship experience here at saint mark baptist church in little rock arkansas my name is pastor john i'm one of the pastors on staff here at saint mark and we're grateful for you all joining us on this fourth sunday morning in september it's hard to believe that september is almost over many of you all have already been feeling fall coming this week with the weather cooling down so we just want to be able to finish this year strong as our worship experience continues here virtually at st mark we want to thank you all for continuing to tune in virtually continuing to tune in if you are calling in on the phone and listening in we're grateful for you all joining us on this sunday listen i see everyone in the chat on each one of our platforms do us a favor this morning and share this broadcast with your friend friends family loved ones i see janice is here uh joyce miss joyce anthony renee y'all chiming in the chat so i can shout you out this morning this marsha's over on youtube and miss carolyn and i see my folks over in the live stream over miss katherine good morning to you hey how are you doing can we please please share this stream on this morning we know you will be blessed by this worship experience today we have been um just blessing you all we actually finished up a series on the book of psalms uh that was called relaunch worship this morning we have a standalone message that we think is going to be a blessing to you all and we're looking forward to you joining us this morning for worship hey listen if you have not been tuning in on wednesdays we have started a new series called knock off spirituality when we go through some practices that may not be spiritual disciplines but they may be unspiritual in their origin we've been talking about worshiping your ancestors or honoring your ancestors and we're going to continue that series this week so make sure you tune in on wednesday nights we also have a brand new group that we've set up called the growth factor the growth factor it's a facebook group if you're on facebook make sure you go over and join that group we have content for you all week long over on the grow factor group so make sure you go over there because you're going to miss it if you don't join the group this is uh hey miss whitmore says how do you share on youtube you copy that link and you paste it in the post and you let people know that's where youtube is uh good morning pamela hello over on youtube hey ken how are you good morning to you good morning wanda coming to us from dewitt arkansas we see you good morning to you good morning good morning warning again this is our fourth sunday here in september we're getting ready to roll into october the final quarter of the year no better way to do that than starting your week off with an amazing worship experience here at saint mark want to make sure you all share this broadcast with those who are around you just click that link and click share we're about to go into our announcements please pay attention to them looking forward to seeing you all in the chat grace and peace good morning st mark family and friends on behalf of pastor p we want to welcome you to our online worship experience we are so glad that you have tuned in today we hope that as you worship with us online something is said or done that will impact and enrich your life [Music] today wraps up our 2021 restoration project campaign our goal is 175 000 and we are so close your generous gifts are key we are sowing 10 of all contributions to the church toward making things happen for our youth through our partner the tendaji cdc the program impact after school program has served more than 750 children and their families to date and the reclaiming scholars program has expanded its offerings to provide on-site support to schools in the little rock and pulaski county school districts give today and let's keep this great momentum going and parents don't forget the program impact after school program has a few limited slots left for this school year they are first come first served with 15 slots per grade transportation will be provided based on student enrollment per school applications are available now at tendagiccdc.org my kids right every year they grow a little bit they went from crawling to walking so i look at growth as steps to maturity you can never grow out of the body you can never be too mature in the bible i think you have to put time in to learn so as i learned the word there are different things in that song or in scripture to where i probably never paid attention to before here at st mark you have an opportunity to learn you have a teaching pastor porno will preach about different things that i've heard a thousand times but he'll put it in such a way to where that causes me to go back to researching for myself which ultimately makes my spirituality grow whether it's bible study whether it's rowdy collins whether it's sunday school you literally can learn something new every day i'm constantly growing to get to a point to where i'm gonna be that much more mature in work that much more mature in my life at st mark you grow here and that's very important because scripture begins with the tree yeah we've been redeemed on a tree and then we end scripture with the tree yep right here in the middle of the city and i've always that's always been just something that has blown my mind because god when he created that tree in genesis he knew one day that the wood from the tree that he created would hold up his son on the cross yeah and he still did it yeah he still did it yeah so so god knowing that in the beginning decided that he was still going to create that because he had us in mind absolutely in the creation account yeah yeah and and with the foreknowledge and the genius to say that this tree which for my son will be an instrument of death for my people it will be an instrument of life and that's where we run to we don't run to the crystals we run to the cross to find life new life and to find healing and hope in jesus christ and that friends is why those things are so much less than what we have in jesus he is sufficient totally and completely uh to save us rescue us and then to to bring us to all that god has designed and desired us to be and and and we look forward to the to that final tree that that that flows uh or that sits by that river that flows from the throne of god that was just a taste of our new growth factor podcast it's another great way for you to grow on the go co-host dr phillip l pointer senior and pastor john c richards jr jd will help you understand the scripture and its relevance in contemporary affairs look for wherever you stream your favorite podcast then be sure to join our growth factor podcast group for daily motivational content and discussion topics to keep the conversation going get connected today just visit smart.org and click on the growth factor button or find the links in the saint mark lr app on the learning tab on your smart device now let us lift up those who have lost loved ones this week please remember in prayer the following families freddie nelson and the passing of his brother dale smith gregory and annie lee in the passing of their niece hayley miller quinton and shayna williams in the passing of his grandmother margaret perkins maurice turner in the passing of her niece denise benton phillip and shamika hood in the passing of her brother komori wallace if you or someone you know is having a difficult time dealing with the loss of a loved one we encourage you to text smcare to 501-299-9009 we are here to help you walk through this season with journeying through grief and our stephen ministers you don't have to go through grief alone please reach out st mark family and friends we always want to stay connected with you and there are several ways you can help if you want to know more about being part of the saint mark family connect with me pastor john richards looking for ways to exercise your spiritual gifts in ministry contact me pastor woods to find your best fit if you are hospitalized or have lost a loved one be sure to text visit to 501 nine zero zero nine to connect with me pastor shirley connect with us on twitter facebook youtube and instagram at say mark lr and for those who don't have internet access just use our call-in number to listen to services live 1-888-872-9708 you can also download the st mark baptist church lr app on your smart device be sure to allow push notifications so that you can stay up to date with news from the church and don't forget to push every gift counts whatever amount you choose to give when you share it benefits others and brings glory to god and we can't stress enough the importance of practicing healthy habits so that we can get back to in-person fellowship soon get vaccinated if you have not already there is more information on where to go at smart.org continue to wear your mask wash your hands cough or sneeze into your elbow or tissue avoid touching your face clean regularly avoid large crowds and seek medical attention if you experience any symptoms associated with the flu or covet 19. be protected stay safe and be healthy for more information about all the great things going on at st mark visit our website smart.org st mark baptist church you grow here [Music] [Music] good morning st mark and welcome to this time of praise and worship this is the day that the lord has made so let us rejoice and be glad in it the song of praise this morning just says the name of jesus lifted high so we've come to lift up the name of jesus this morning come on right where you are [Music] the name of jesus [Music] [Music] [Music] shall be saved shall be saved shall be saved [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] glory on us now we're ready now [Music] on us [Music] [Music] uh [Music] is [Music] [Music] [Music] i hear the sound of is [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] me [Music] [Applause] [Music] me [Music] go is [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] up [Music] right [Music] [Applause] [Music] you are an amazing guy [Music] [Music] [Music] wow [Applause] [Music] hey [Music] [Applause] [Music] right [Music] ah [Music] the name of jesus lifted high lifted high lifted high the name of chi says lifted high in this place release your glory on us now we're ready now [Music] we're ready now release your glory on us now in this [Music] [Music] he keeps on [Music] [Applause] [Music] is [Applause] [Music] uh [Music] [Applause] [Music] um [Music] [Music] me [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] hey the kingdom of heaven [Music] the kingdom of heaven [Music] will be [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] yes [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Applause] oh [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] um [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] oh [Music] well isn't that good news to know that the god we serve keeps blessing us over and over and over again and let me add my voice of welcome to those of you who are part of this virtual worship experience the saint mark baptist church in little rock arkansas i'm especially grateful for those of you who are tuned in part of this worship service who aren't official members of saint mark we consider you our extended family and we want you to know that we're grateful that god ordered your steps and directed your fingers to sign on to be a part of this worship service listen we want to get to know you better and we'd love for you to get to know us so here's what we'd like for you to do would you kindly text the keyword welcome to the number 501-299-9009 again that word is welcome the number is 501 299 9009 we'll shoot you a digital guest card and if you wouldn't mind sending that back to us with your information we want to hear about your experience in this virtual space with us today and we'd also love to let you know how saint mark can continue to be a part of your spiritual growth in the days and weeks perhaps even the years to come we have one promise that we do say together as a church it's you grow here well friends we're getting ready to enter the fourth quarter of this year 2021 been a year of a whole lot of ups and certainly for many of us a whole lot of downs but through it all god has been good to us in these first nine months i want to encourage you i want to exhort you i want to push you to keep your head high to keep your expectation intact and not lose hope things may not have gone as you have anticipated but i promise you they're better than they would have been had god not been involved in your space your life your circumstance working on your behalf and so let's enter this fourth quarter with gratitude and with fortitude uh to press on toward the end of this year with faith and faithful i want to thank you for your partnership with the restoration project especially in the tithe and in the offering as we have together been blessing the tendaji cdc preparing for the upcoming school year our students have or in this school year now our students have so many needs they have so many areas that our hands our hearts and certainly our resources can help to empower those students those parents families and certainly our educators to make sure that they have a productive and healthy educational environment both in the school and at home your generosity is allowing us to do that to come alongside our educators to come alongside our parents to do all that we can to ensure that they have everything they need to succeed educationally and socially so let me give you an opportunity to do that now to join us in giving here's what you can do to sow into the life of the ministry of the saint mark baptist church and specifically and particularly into the restoration project we're giving 10 of all of our tithe and offering into this effort so if you give to saint mark you're giving to the restoration project or if god leads you to give specifically that way friend i want you to listen to the voice of the lord in your life here's what you can do you can go to our church app it's saint mark little rock in our app store you can always go to our website that's smark.org or you can text the keyword s mark two seven seven nine seven seven that's the church app st mark little rock in your app store that's our website smart.org or xsmark just to 501-299-9009 again 501-299-9000 is the number the old one was the old one and that's what's in my mind so s mark is the one uh to 501-299-9009 those will take you to our push pay platform or electronic giving opportunity that allows you to give safely and securely one time today or to set up recurring giving and i encourage those of you who have not done so who are a regular part of our membership or our extended family to please ma'am please sir set up recurring giving because your consistency and generosity helps our consistency in ministry and it positions you to receive god's consistent blessings in your life you can also bring that gift if you're local or mail it from wherever you are to our physical address 5722 west 12th street little rock arkansas 722-04 again seven two two west 12th street little rock arkansas seven two two zero four whichever means you're using to give and whatever amount you're choosing to give as you're being led by god's spirit and as you are looking at your own financial situation and giving out of god's abundance to you let me say thank you because your partnership in generosity is what facilitates expansion and effectiveness in ministry if it's not for your generosity we could not do all that we do for those who need to feel god's touch the most listen we're going to recite our giving affirmation and then we're going to pray together and then we're going to look in god's word today to see what the lord will say to us from the holy scripture let's get ready with energy excitement and faith to read that giving affirmation put some volume in your voice some vigor in your reading and let's say it all together ready set let's read lord with a cheerful heart i sow my seed today i plant it in good ground i believe my needs are met my family is blessed and i'm expecting a supernatural harvest in jesus name amen and amen let's pray together friends god for your amazing grace for your brand new mercies of this morning we say thank you thank you that you have been better to us than we have been to ourselves you've once again looked beyond our faults and zeroed in on the bull's eye of our need and you have given us more than we deserve as you've provided made ways and open doors and put food on our table and clothes on our back and roof over our head and technology in our hand that allows us to watch or listen to this service right now god we give a portion back to you of what you've given to us because you god have empowered us to be a part of your purpose your kingdom the exercise and enterprise of demonstrating your love to people who need to hear you and to know you thank you that generosity is one of the ways that we do that so we bring the tithe we bring the offering we bring up our substance from our house and sow it into your house trusting that you're going to bless us as you already have and then even beyond what we can expect or imagine now lord i need you to speak because the task given to me is too much for me we collectively ask you to help us to hear to understand and then to obey lord would you pour fresh oil on my head and let me be clear in my mind and precise with my words and i pray that your people are blessed and that those who do not have a personal saving redemptive relationship with jesus christ we'd come to know him today this is our prayer in jesus name amen and amen i want you to grab your bible go in your phone wherever you're going to look and find the book of isaiah chapter six isaiah is the first in the old covenant of what we call the major prophets isaiah chapter six verses one through eight constitute the substance of the sermon today isaiah 6 1-8 that's the text that we will explore today on this fourth sunday in september of 2021. maybe some of you've heard me talk about it before but my first car was a red ford mustang my first car red ford mustang don't get excited i bought it in 1996 but it was a 1987. unless you get misled it wasn't a 5.0 mustang it was a 2.3 liter engine but that that that 87 red ford mustang was my first call i purchased it and in one particular weekend i decided to wash that car shine it up and ride around on a bright spring day friends i washed that car armor all the tires and rolled around on the beltway is what we called it 495 the highway that surrounds washington dc and takes you around the city into maryland and virginia the the dmv i'm riding car is shining windows are down there's some music playing it might have been jesus is real or maybe something else i'm riding on this highway y'all and then all of a sudden i hear a knocking in my engine uh started faint but it grew then as the knocking grew louder i began to experience shaking at the wheel knocking in my engine my wheel is now shaking and then to make matters worse i start seeing smoke billow from underneath the hood of the car i'm on 495 y'all the the speed limit says 55 but nobody goes 55 you're going 65 70 75 some 80 miles an hour the problem is the beltway was under construction so the shoulders of the road had barriers against them i could not pull over to the side of the road there i am in that car that's not new but new to me it's shining on the outside but we've got problems on the inside the the engine is knocking the wheel is shaking and smoke is billowing from underneath the hood and i cannot find any space or place to pull over i never prayed so hard in my life lord just get me somewhere safe lord just let me find an exit finally there was a break in the barrier i found a safe spot on the side of the road a shoulder to pull into and i've never been so relieved friends to recognize and realize how important it is to have a space safe to pull over when you're in trouble and and and and that's happening in the life of the prophet isaiah in this text and perhaps that's what's happening in your life right now perhaps though you are shining on the outside looking shiny uh clear perhaps even successful externally internally there's a knocking in your engine or a shaking at your wheel and maybe there's some evidence of some smoke billowing from underneath your hood but the pace of your life is so fast there are so many obligations there's another meeting there's another call there's another email there's another event there's always something that's vying for your attention and you cannot seem to find a safe place to pull over it seems that there are barriers to your respite to your rest to you finding some relief or release from the pressures that you feel but you're shaking and you're knocking and it's smoking and you're saying god i just need somewhere to pull over and find some relief from what i'm going through that's what isaiah feels you're not alone isaiah is experiencing that same situation but he's about to tell us about a safe place to pull over listen to him in isaiah chapter six verse one recommend to us a safe space that that does not just give us relief from life's issues but will repair us as well isaiah 6 verse 1 in the year that king uzziah died i saw the lord sitting upon a throne high and lifted up and the train of his robe filled the temple above him stood the seraphim each had six wings with two he covered his face and with two he covered his feet and with two he flew and one called to another and said holy holy holy is the lord of hosts the whole earth is full of his glory and the fount the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called and the house was filled with smoke and i said woe is me for i am lost for 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 then one of the seraphim flew to me having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar and he touched my mouth and said behold this has touched your lips your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for and i heard the voice of the lord saying whom shall i sin and who will go for us then i say it here am i send me friends when life is knocking and shaking and smoking the simple central truth of this text is this it's that god reveals god's permanent presence when we lose temporary people and things i'm saying that life won't give you a safe space to pull over the barriers are too consistent but there is a break in the barrier if you can find your way consistently into the presence of god friends we consider the presence of god in two ways there is the omnipresence of god the god who is always everywhere and every win at the same time the god who fills all time and space simultaneously god is everywhere at the same time and god is every win at the same time but then there is an intimate or manifested presence of god the awareness of the presence of god the the sense of the presence of god the knowing that i am in the presence of god listen you are in god's presence whether you know it or not but the question is will you acknowledge the presence of god that you are in and that friends is what i'm simply trying to lift that what we need what our safe space to pull over in is that place of acknowledgement of the high and lofty and holy presence of the god who is always around and always with us because friends when when life knocks and shakes and smokes if you try to drive and repair you're going to wreck you got to pull over it means then that as i listen to this lesson what i must learn to do is keep up and listen to god i got to keep up i got to keep looking up i have to keep my expectations up i've got to listen god's word explained from scripture read the spirits illumination of it as i study it for myself i've got to keep up and listen to i've got to keep looking up and listening to god when things and people let me down that's that's isaiah's circumstance maybe you'll relate isaiah is a prophet but he's also the ward or or in the care of this king that he says in verse one dies his name is uzziah uzziah is a good king for the most part not perfect but certainly a good king and scholar suggested isaiah is his nephew or younger cousin and at some point in isaiah's life he comes to live with or around uzziah because usia is going to provide for him um when when isaiah gets hungry he can go to the king's chefs when he needs clothes he can go to the kings tailor when when when he needs transportation he can enlist the king's chariots if he ever gets in a scrape he can call on the king's guards but there comes a point when uzziah oversteps his position as king and tries to offer sacrifice as priests and god strikes this good king with leprosy and ultimately he dies now isaiah is left without the protection of uzziah left without the provision that came through uzziah and his son and successor does not have the same sense of love or perhaps uh obligation to isaiah and so isaiah who has been covered and protected and provided and cared for by the king is now outside of that protective covering but i like what he does friends he does not run to the hills or the mountains he does not run to the enemies of israel and judah rather he runs to the temple he runs to where he knows the presence of god is in a way that he can be made acutely aware of it he runs to the place where he knows god lives god sits god rests and it's in that presence of god that he has this experience and vision where he says it was when uzziah died that i finally saw the lord and i'm saying to you that perhaps god has kicked the crutch out from under you because whatever you thought was holding you up was actually holding you back i wish you were here to listen to me i'm saying that perhaps god permits and allowed those uh resources to be temporarily um interrupted for the sake of you looking beyond the resource to the real source so you can have a vision that it was not isaiah holding you up wasn't a job or an education or connections or your family it's been god all along there they're in the presence of god isaiah says i saw the lord and and and that that that that revelation for us illumination that reminder that the presence of god is always with us creates for us the ability to look up to god when things have let us down and and and i i want to unpack in in about 10 more minutes what what isaiah's experience teaches us in in these times of knocking and shaking and smoking he he says i saw the lord i saw the lord and and what what that did was it brought me to initially the appearance of god's power listen to him again um in the year that king azad died when god kicked the crutch out from under me i saw the lord how did how did he look well he was sitting upon a throne he was high and lifted up and the train of his robe filled the temple uh when he when he sees god he sees god in a moment where he believes that uh oh the throne is vacant but but god says come here come take a look at the real throne uzziah's death did not leave a s of vacancy in the sovereignty no no no uh what you saw on earth was a delegated throne but it was not the divine throne he says i saw the lord and here's what i saw i saw him sitting on the throne and and and here is what the senior saints would want me to tell you at this point um god is still on the throne do you hear me god is still on the throne and the struggle that we have is we anticipate earthly delegated authority to behave like divine innate authority we expect those that we put up in the office elect to a position or or a sign to represent us we expect them to operate in the same level the same capacity with the same strength and the same scope and ability as god but the reality is anybody sitting on any earthly throne is limited in scope and capacity that's why i don't put my trust in earthly thrones in earthly governments in earthly offices in earthly assignments i put my trust in a throne that is above all earthly thrones in christ alone my hope is found he is my life my hope and my all i'm saying that you got to see the higher throne he says i see him sitting on the throne which represents his sovereignty but i see that thrown high and lifted up it represents his supremacy he is not just on a throne he's on the throne and the the throne is high and lifted up it is the exalted throne it is the final resting place of authority so that all of the decisions that matter in heaven and on earth are ultimately um made or vetoed at that throne because there are people who have legitimate places of assignment and authority but they don't have the last word even though their assignment and authority is legitimate the doctor wasn't lying when he or she gave you the diagnosis that sounded so disheartening and troubling but the doctor who went to school and the doctor who has experience and the doctor who ran the test that's a legitimate place of authority but they don't have the last word and and the educator that said your child is behind and they won't catch up they've been to school they've taught students they understand how learning styles and systems work but even though they are experts in their field they don't have the last word and friends even in the culture in which we live when we want to be self-determinative and we want to be our own deity and determine the course of our lives for ourselves the reality is even when you make up your mind to do something yourself that doesn't mean you have the last word on you either our god still is high he's still um he's still lifted up and and that sovereign supreme god is sufficient his his robe fills the temple fills the temple that that that represents that represents the structure built by solomon that god allowed god's presence to rest on and end and and and isaiah's vision of that sees this regal robe totally taking up all the available space in the temple that is to say that when god gets in it there's no room for anything or anyone else that is not glory god glorifying in it let me say it another way um the robe the train represents the glory of god so that in this space of power and authority the only things that can co-exist are those things that are subsistent to the glory of god that that if if it doesn't give god glory it shouldn't have any space in your life either that if if it's not a place where god can be glorified if god can't be glorified in that conversation or in that relationship or by that deal or taking that job or being with those folks if god can't get the glory there that it should not be a part of your life because when you have this vision when you are able to see not with your physical eyes but with your spiritual eyes the sovereign supreme god his glory ought to be enough for you and in everything you do and everything you say and in every way you move you ought to be doing it for the glory of god he said i see him and i see the appearance of his power but then i see him and i see the atmosphere of god's praise listen to him again um he's hired lifted up in the train of his robe fills the temple and and and then there are these angelic beings present seraphim literally burning ones is what it means these seraphim are uh what my dad called angels on fire and and and and they have six wings with two they cover their face two they cover their feet and with two they fly and they are calling out to one another in in in uh antiphonal fashion call and response um uh holy holy holy is the lord of hosts the whole earth is full of his glory and and as they shout and and speak of the glory of god in this way the very foundations of the temple begin to shake this this atmosphere of phrase is not just descriptive for isaiah's vision i believe that these angels are teaching us prescriptive for our grasp of how we are to worship god when we experience his power as well when we have that vision of the glory of god we ought to act like these angels we ought to let these burning ones inform our response to the glory of god to seeing god sitting high and looking low to seeing god's power and authority as final and ultimate to knowing that the glory of god is all that really matters and it begins y'all they teach us to do it with a reverent posture look at their wings covering their face because even as angels who have not violated god's law and real friends they say god is too holy to behold without some covering then they cover their feet because as ministering spirits they have touched the sinful soil of earth's ground and they are now covering their feet as a sign of of of respect and and reverence for for god's perfection even when they've simply been in contact with imperfection but then then they are crying out to one another holy holy holy this antiphonal response this call and response one angel says holy another says holy back another angel says holy another says holy back and then in chorus they say the whole earth is full of his glory and and and and and here then those foundations start shaking look at their reverent posture it means friends that i cannot arrogantly enter the presence of god and i should not ever ever arrogantly encounter the glory of god that that i cannot be so full of myself so high-minded and this is why i try to encourage you to stop speaking about the things you deserve and just thank god for the things that he graces you with that you don't really deserve anything other than hell and the grave but grace friends is why you're alive and grace is why you have what you have and live where you live and drive what you drive or you have not totally fallen apart whatever it is it's been god's grace not what you deserve if angels have to cover themselves how dare we walk in arrogantly and and conceitedly to the presence of god as if we have done god a favor or god owes us something they cover their face they cover their feet they they have wings ready to fly and listen friends to to the antiphonal chant holy holy holy in threes because if we were to describe god according to god's most essential uh uh descriptive characteristic it would be holiness it is um infinite uniqueness one um united methodist theologian says that holiness is zero it it's based on comparison and because god is incomparable because we cannot find anything to compare god to that is why we call god capital h holy that god is incomparable but but god has an essential uniqueness in in terms of that descriptive but if i am to honor god for who god is and how god has revealed god's self i must also honor the reality that god has revealed god's self through history and scripture in three aspects three dimensions three persons that god has revealed god's self as god the father god has revealed god's self as god the son and god has revealed god's self as god the holy spirit god the father in salvation sends the son god the son in salvation saves the sinner and god the spirit in salvation seals the one who is saved god the father in judgment in the is the judge god the son in judgment is our advocate and god the spirit in judgment is our witness when it comes to all of the things that contain the totality of god's activity i understand that god operates in father in son and spirit and so if i am to honor god's unique expressions as father-son spirit but also under god's essential descriptive as infinitely unique i don't just say holy i say holy holy holy the angels are teaching us that god ought to at least been praised in threes he's good good good he's kind kind kind he's great great great i say thank you thank you thank you to honor the totality of who god is and what god has done in my life there ought to be resounding praise that reverent posture that leads to resounding praise leads to a reaction on the premises door posts is what the old king james calls them um this this this english standard translation uh says says that it's the it's the thresholds it's the it's the entryways to the temple that start shaking and the house is filled with smoke it's literally the the wafting in of the aroma of the altar that comes um it it it means that something has been sacrificed on the altar and and and that what is happened in the sacrifice is what is creating the aroma for the praise that that that the sacrifice the the animal that has been slain and sacrifice is always substitutionary it's always the animal in place of something or someone that thing that has been killed and and had its blood shed in the place of the people who should have had their bloodshed something has wafted from out there into here so that what the angels are singing about or speaking about it what isaiah is sensing in the smoke is has been saturated by the reality of the sacrifice can i say that whatever you praise god for and however you praise god in private or in public it ought to be saturated in sacrifice smoke it ought to be the residue of redemption that ought to be a permeating throughout all of your praises so when you thank god for waking you up in the morning it ought to be uh with some smoke about calvary when you thank god that he started you on your way and gave you what grandma called a reasonable portion of your help and strength there ought to be some calvary smoke in all of your praise in all of your testimony in all of your witnessing when you talk about the goodness of god don't just talk about earthly things that are passing away without always putting it in the context of the fact that the lord jesus christ lived the life we could not live and then died the death we should have died and he is our sacrifice and the smoke from the altar of his sacrifice ought to permeate all of our praise i'm through now i'm through that there's that there's an appearance of god's power an atmosphere of praise and then yeah there is an affect a-f-f-e-c-t on god's people now your english teacher told you that effect was noun and affect was the verb but this is an affect a-f-f-e-c-t a noun that is a psychological experience that produces some outward manifestation this is an affect um isaiah has his mind turned around by this experience down disheartened perhaps even depressed about the loss of usaiah he then transitions from grief to glory and in fact it's the lens of his grief that gives him a fresh perspective of god's glory and it does something to his mind what what what what what isaiah what happened to you when you saw this throne and when you saw those angels and when you smelled that smoke what happened did you shout did you run did you fall out did you wave your hand did you clap your hands he said no that's not that's not what happened to me what happened to me is i got convicted because if i ever see the holiness of god in its height and its splendor and its wonder it causes me to see that as holy as he is i am just as unholy in comparison to him and so he says whoa w-o-e woe is me i'm i'm messed up i'm jacked up when i see god's goodness it ought to show me my badness when i see his magnificence it ought to reveal to me my mundaneness now see his power ought to reveal my weakness i don't i don't i don't i don't initially have an experience in the presence of god that that that bolsters my own unhealthy sense of self-esteem to have sovereign esteem is to have self-awareness woe is me he sees his sin but he says i'm not alone in that thing he says i dwell in the i've got unclean lips and i dwell in the midst of people of unclean lips i ain't right and y'all ain't right either i wish i had time because if i had time if y'all didn't have to go um i would tell you that that one of the great um struggles with humankind is our tendency to compare ourselves to other people as if their flaws are somehow worse than our flaws or or in the inverse that somehow our flaws are worse than their flaws and so we feel like we don't belong or we can't relate or we've got to stay away from one another and and and we have this sense of division in the human family or or sense of of better than and less than when the reality is all of us are raggedy when you put us in the light of the holiness of god i'm unclean and and you are unclean and and we all unclean and but i like this because god allows isaiah to see his sin but not stay in it he gets he gets sanctified from it the angel one of the angels takes some hot coals uh off the altar with some tongs and comes and touches isaiah's lips listen to him confess i am a man of unclean lips and i dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips watch verse 6 say the seraphim flew with a coal in his hand that he had taken from tongs and from tongs from the altar and verse 7 says he touched my mouth and listened to the angel's words this has touched your lips your guilt is taken away and your sin is atoned for or the old king james says it's purged i got to go i got to go you're tired of it but but but when when you see your sin in light of the sinlessness and holiness of god you then become qualified to be sanctified from it purged from it you cannot be forgiven for what you will not admit is wrong there is no grace until you confess guilt not not saving not redemptive grace not sanctifying grace and and this is a partnering experience y'all the hot coals and and the sacrifice now know please that this is sanctification and not merely salvation salvation he would have taken blood from the sacrifice and put it on isaiah this is not a blood experience that's what it is to be saved this is a sanctifying experience he he takes hot coals because fire is cleansing it's purging it it it's what it's what burns away those things that displease god and i'm saying friends that we can celebrate and holler and thank god for being washed in the blood but we also got to submit to being burned by the colds so that god can get out of us the things that are in us that caused us to violate his will in the first place i'm through sees his sin he's sanctified from his sin and then he's sent for service god's got god god is just now about to talk uzziah dies god ain't saying nothing isaiah comes to the temple god hasn't said anything angels are crying holy holy holy god is still quiet the shaking and and the sacrifice are happening but god hasn't said anything isaiah says woe is me god hasn't said anything now that he's purged god speaks up and this word seems to not be directed specifically and particularly to isaiah even though we know it is god says whom shall i sin who will go for us this is a weird question god because the text says you've got burning on fire angels with two wings covering their face two wings covering their feet and two wings ready to fly you've got angels to send why are you still looking because god says some assignments ain't for angels angels can facilitate messages angels can offer protection angels can deliver words and provision and strength but angels can't talk about a first-hand experience with grace and sanctification god says the one i need to proclaim grace and sanctification is the one who needed it themselves i don't need an angel to tell the world that i can save i need someone who was wrapped up in their sin to tell someone that i can save angels don't get sick they can't testify about the healer angels don't get broke they can't testify about a provider angels have never been in trouble they can't testify about being a deliverance god needs us he says whom can i sin and you say i'm disqualified by the things i've done or the things i've gone through or the things i've been in and i'm saying those are the exact reasons god is looking for you to speak up for him because if anybody knows what it is to need god is you uh um um isaiah says here i am send me i i like it i like it isaiah has this experience but he sees the lord and the end of of the experience is not just him seeing god but speaking for god and and others have had experiences and they've seen him in different ways through through the through the years abraham saw him on the mountain one day when he was about to offer his son isaac as a sacrifice but he saw the lord he was in the form of a ram that was caught in the thicket by his horns that was the substitute for his son isaac uh job sees him in a vision as a war horse pawning in the valley david sees him in the imagination of his poetic prophetic view and sees him and says the lord is my shepherd and i shall not warn and he's the shepherd who has a rod and who has a staff ezekiel sees him in an introductory vision as he is called to prophetic ministry and sees him as a wheel in the middle of a will the romantic king and the wise man solomon sees him and in his discussion with his beloved he reveals that that same god that isaiah saw on the throne is also the lily of the valley and the rules of sharon john the baptist sees him walking in physical flesh down to the river jordan one day and he says he doesn't look like a man just to me he looks like the lamb of god who takes away the sins of the world jeremiah does not have a vision of him he says i didn't see him but i got to feel him one day when i was ready to quit the prophetic ministry i didn't see him but i felt him and he was like fire shut up in my bones friends i want you to know john the revelator sees him after his resurrection and says he's got eyes like balls of fire and hair that is white like lamb's wool and feet the color of polished brass and your grandmother saw him too and she said that he was her walking cane and her leaning post and her bread when she got hungry in her water when she got thirsty and a friend when she didn't have one i'm saying that god is still showing up and god is still exposing god's self and if you look up right now god will show you that you're not alone you're not in it by yourself that uzziah might leave but god stayed friends might leave but god stayed family might turn it back on you but god turned his face towards you job might have let you go but god can take care of those people who are his even without steady consistent income from a job i'm telling you god wants to show you that he's still with you life is knocking and like the shaking and life is smoking but there's a safe place right where you are he's there with you the temple is not some structure for us it's not not some something built with brick with wood temple is not this empty room of padded pews and lights speakers and microphones that's not the temple your body is the temple of the holy ghost god is with you but if you've taken your faith and put it in christ's cross if you've admitted your guilt and trusted his provision of salvation through the life and the death and the resurrection of christ he's in you as well don't don't go through life letting its pace and its barriers keep you from pulling over into the presence of god right where you are right now would you would you just recognize that presence would you just acknowledge right there right now his presence if you will recognize it if you would acknowledge it there are times when god will then let you experience it it's not always a feeling but sometimes he'll let you feel something lord you are near you are with and you are within we acknowledge your presence we affirm your presence we reverence your presence we celebrate your presence to help us to experience your presence god for those who are without christ and those who without a church home i pray now [Music] to inspire that heart to connect have conversation to be saved and to be enfolded into the body life of saint mark do it we pray in jesus name amen listen if you need christ or church if you're not connected to christ by faith you don't know where you and god stand or what what what exactly it means to be a follower of jesus christ maybe you need a church to connect to st mark says we want to be that church for you text connect 501 299-9009 once again needing to connect to christ needing a church st mark says we want to help you to do both whichever one you stand in the need of text connect to 501-299-9009 maybe you just want prayer that's an opportunity that's an option for you as well my brother my sister we want to pray with you we want to pray for you no matter what it is large or small let's connect in prayer you can text the word prayer same number 501-299-9009 again 501-299-9009 you're connecting christ or church or whether we are partnering together in prayer i'm grateful to god for the opportunity even in the virtual space for us to do life together and i know you'll be strengthened and blessed because of it go in that grace and mercy and peace that has been provided by the lord jesus christ and may the smoke of that sacrifice permeate all of your praise and your thoughts your walk your relationships may they all smell like the sacrifice of the cross go in assurance of assistance and presence and everyone that was glad god let you pull over said amen thank you for worshiping with us god bless [Music] [Music] [Music] you

Channel: Saint Mark Baptist Church

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Id: 8UNycVT5whM

Length: 86min 35sec (5195 seconds)

Published: Sun Sep 26 2021