“Birthing a Movement-Willingness to Obey”

“Birthing a Movement-Willingness to Obey”

Obedience to day is generally defined this way, “compliance with an order, request, or law or submission to another’s authority.” Let me share a couple of thoughts for you to ponder throughout this message.

1^st-Willingness to obey is not always active obedience. By definition it is willing to obey. We have a constant duty to obey basic Christian principles.

Beyond these basic principles there will be times when God gets very specific with us and gives us a mission or dream. A purpose with cost, that will only bear fruit if we obey.

Willingness is defined as, “the quality or state of being prepared to do something” The short version of willingness to obey is, “ready to comply.”

2^nd-For our purpose today, Willingness to obey means. “The responsibility to be in position to quickly be dispatched to an assignment.”

Isaiah 6:1-8 NASB

1 In the year of King Uzziah’s death I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple.

2 Seraphim stood above Him, each having six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew.

3 And one called out to another and said, “Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of hosts, The whole earth is full of His glory.”

4 And the foundations of the thresholds trembled at the voice of him who called out, while the temple was filling with smoke.

5 Then I said, “Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I live among a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.”

6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a burning coal in his hand, which he had taken from the altar with tongs.

7 He touched my mouth with it and said, “Behold, this has touched your lips; and your iniquity is taken away and your sin is forgiven.”

8 Then 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!”

There is a lot of stuff going on in these passages. Isaiah was having a vision of the glory of the Lord. In the 1st 5 chapters he had already had a vision. Saw a word from God. Prophesied the removal of leaders and in chapter 4 he shared his version of the Branch coming. Branch being the Messiah. In chapter 5 he shared prophetically a parable from the Lord.

Isaiah was a prophet. Seen visions and heard from the Lord. Now he found himself in one of his visions. In that vision he was in the very presence of God and His heavenly Glory. This is what he said.

Isaiah 6:5 Message

I said, “Doom! It’s Doomsday! I’m as good as dead! Every word I’ve ever spoken is tainted – blasphemous even! And the people I live with talk the same way, using words that corrupt and desecrate. And here I’ve looked God in the face! The King! God-of-the-Angel-Armies!”

The word unclean is translated from a Hebrew word which means, “impure with a reference that says ethically and religiously.”

The word lips is of course relating to the lips. It also means language or speech.

Sounds to me like Isaiah was hanging with the guys too much. Talking about folks. Questioning God about who would deliver and when. Maybe he was trying to get everybody to like him. Who knows. Yet from what we do know, by his own admission. His mouth was a problem.

The NT has a couple of things to say about this.

Matthew 12:34 NASB

You brood of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak what is good? For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart.

James 3:2 NASB

For we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body as well.

There is a statement that holds true still today. Isaiah recognized it. Christ taught it, and James confirmed it.

If our lips are not clean, neither is our heart!!!

When we get in the presence of God everything about us is revealed. Perhaps that is why some are satisfied just to be near His presence.

I am not quite finished with Isaiah.

He cried out when he saw himself for who he was. God in His mercy sent an angel with a coal from the fire. It was a holy fire. He touched the prophets lips and said your sin is forgiven. Isaiah may not have been aware of it but at that moment he was positioned to be dispatched on an assignment. But was he willing to obey. Then I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?”

I can imagine there was a pause. The angels leaning forward, eyes fastened on Isaiah to hear the reply. His mouth cracked open slightly and the noise hushed.

“Then I said, “Here am I. Send me!”

“If you can use me, knowing me. Then send me” Flawed and failed

“What if God gave you a vision of being in the same room?” Would you like what you saw?