1 00:00:02,320 --> 00:00:08,080 Write my Bible in 365, brothers and sisters, we have arrived at 2 00:00:08,080 --> 00:00:14,160 the book of Isaiah and folks, this one is a power packed one. 3 00:00:14,480 --> 00:00:17,720 Isaiah is one of my favorite books in the Bible. 4 00:00:17,800 --> 00:00:20,560 I will be writing a book on Isaiah very soon. 5 00:00:20,560 --> 00:00:23,120 I'm very excited about that. That comes after Daniel. 6 00:00:23,640 --> 00:00:28,560 However, I want to just simply say that if you will invest in 7 00:00:28,560 --> 00:00:30,240 this book, you will be blown away. 8 00:00:30,240 --> 00:00:33,160 By the way, if you want my full teaching on the book of Isaiah, 9 00:00:33,600 --> 00:00:37,960 you can go to jamescadice.com and I can promise you, you will 10 00:00:37,960 --> 00:00:41,560 be dramatically impacted. We are simply going through this 11 00:00:41,560 --> 00:00:44,560 book right now and it is a lot of fun. 12 00:00:44,600 --> 00:00:47,640 Now, let's talk about the background here and I'm just 13 00:00:47,640 --> 00:00:49,240 going to give you a spoiler alert. 14 00:00:49,600 --> 00:00:52,640 You're going to want to sit through this video. 15 00:00:53,000 --> 00:00:57,800 This video, I promise you, will be substantially impacting, and 16 00:00:57,800 --> 00:00:59,880 I don't think it's a coincidence that this video is getting 17 00:00:59,880 --> 00:01:03,440 released in September. So let's talk about Isaiah's 18 00:01:03,440 --> 00:01:05,239 ministry. First and foremost, he 19 00:01:05,239 --> 00:01:09,440 ministered primarily to the southern Kingdom of Judah. 20 00:01:09,440 --> 00:01:13,440 Now, if you remember, there was a split when Israel had split 21 00:01:13,440 --> 00:01:15,880 into two kingdoms. You had the northern Kingdom of 22 00:01:15,880 --> 00:01:17,920 Israel, the southern Kingdom of Judah. 23 00:01:18,760 --> 00:01:22,920 Don't get me wrong, Isaiah did speak to the Northern Kingdom 24 00:01:23,480 --> 00:01:27,280 and it did happened not a lot his primary ministry. 25 00:01:27,600 --> 00:01:33,360 I said primary. His primary ministry was to 26 00:01:33,640 --> 00:01:38,560 Judah, specifically Jerusalem, and this was during the reign of 27 00:01:38,560 --> 00:01:43,240 four kings, Uziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah. 28 00:01:43,480 --> 00:01:46,320 Now, this is interesting because we're talking about the 8th 29 00:01:46,320 --> 00:01:50,800 century BC, around the middle of the seven hundreds, and that's 30 00:01:50,800 --> 00:01:52,400 kind of an important distinction. 31 00:01:52,720 --> 00:01:57,040 And understand that his ministry took place during a period of 32 00:01:57,080 --> 00:02:01,520 enormous political instability, especially with the growing 33 00:02:01,520 --> 00:02:05,880 threat that was beginning to materialize of the Assyrian 34 00:02:05,880 --> 00:02:08,520 Empire. Now, as I said before or 35 00:02:08,520 --> 00:02:12,320 slightly alluded to it, Isaiah was ministering to a nation that 36 00:02:12,320 --> 00:02:15,720 outwardly maintained its religious identity while 37 00:02:16,200 --> 00:02:24,560 literally increasing or in an increasingly way drove towards 38 00:02:24,560 --> 00:02:27,960 rebellion and idolatry and injustice and spiritual. 39 00:02:27,960 --> 00:02:29,760 Corruption. I think that sentence came out 40 00:02:29,760 --> 00:02:31,760 weird, but you? Understand what I'm talking 41 00:02:31,800 --> 00:02:32,960 about. I think what I meant to say 42 00:02:32,960 --> 00:02:38,200 while increasingly anyway, at the same time that all of this 43 00:02:38,200 --> 00:02:41,560 was happening. God was warning Juna, I said, 44 00:02:41,560 --> 00:02:44,640 Juna, man, this is I'm batting 1000 today. 45 00:02:46,520 --> 00:02:50,880 God was warning Juda concerning judgment while continually 46 00:02:50,880 --> 00:02:54,960 pointing towards the picture of restoration, pointing towards 47 00:02:54,960 --> 00:02:58,200 his grace, which is amazing, and obviously pointing towards the 48 00:02:58,200 --> 00:03:01,360 Messiah and the future Kingdom that would come. 49 00:03:01,360 --> 00:03:04,360 Now, Isaiah chapter 6, 'cause I'm going to go over this 50 00:03:04,360 --> 00:03:06,960 chapter, this chapter, I'm going to go over the 1st 8 verses 51 00:03:07,200 --> 00:03:10,160 because they're important and they're critical to a lot of 52 00:03:10,160 --> 00:03:12,000 things that you may already be familiar. 53 00:03:12,000 --> 00:03:19,080 With Isaiah 6. Begins very, very importantly, 54 00:03:19,080 --> 00:03:23,440 there is a significant statement that's made, it says in the year 55 00:03:23,440 --> 00:03:26,600 that King Uzziah died. Now that statement is very 56 00:03:26,600 --> 00:03:27,600 significant. Why? 57 00:03:27,960 --> 00:03:33,120 Because Uzziah had reigned from approximately 52 years. 58 00:03:33,280 --> 00:03:36,520 His reign was one of the longest and most stable. 59 00:03:37,440 --> 00:03:41,520 The southern Kingdom of Judah had experienced OK during this 60 00:03:41,520 --> 00:03:43,400 time. They had experienced prosperity. 61 00:03:43,640 --> 00:03:45,880 They were developing greater military strength. 62 00:03:46,040 --> 00:03:48,760 There was all kinds of construction going on, and there 63 00:03:48,760 --> 00:03:53,720 was a lot of national security increasing or increases during 64 00:03:53,720 --> 00:03:56,480 his reign. But at the end of his life, 65 00:03:56,720 --> 00:04:00,360 Uzziah became very proud. We read in Second Chronicles 66 00:04:00,680 --> 00:04:03,880 that he entered the temple and attempted to burn incense and 67 00:04:03,880 --> 00:04:08,000 something God had actually reserved for the priest, it 68 00:04:08,000 --> 00:04:11,800 wasn't for him, and so God struck it with leprosy and he 69 00:04:11,800 --> 00:04:14,200 remained separated until his death. 70 00:04:14,440 --> 00:04:18,279 God dealt with it very quickly. So when Uzziah dies, Judah 71 00:04:18,279 --> 00:04:22,360 actually lost a king who had represented decades of 72 00:04:22,520 --> 00:04:24,920 stability. And now this is interesting 73 00:04:24,920 --> 00:04:28,440 because Isaiah was believed to have been very close to Uzziah, 74 00:04:28,880 --> 00:04:32,200 and the things that had happened consequentially to Uzziah had 75 00:04:32,200 --> 00:04:35,240 dramatically affected Isaiah's mindset. 76 00:04:35,240 --> 00:04:37,080 It was a very, very difficult time. 77 00:04:37,360 --> 00:04:42,840 And essentially as God touches Isaiah's life, as Isaiah has 78 00:04:42,840 --> 00:04:46,920 this intersection with the crisis that he was dealing with 79 00:04:46,920 --> 00:04:52,320 at the moment and the picture of God's throne, so many things 80 00:04:52,320 --> 00:04:55,040 were beginning to converge, so many things were happening. 81 00:04:55,040 --> 00:04:58,520 The king was dead, but the Lord was still on the throne. 82 00:04:58,800 --> 00:05:03,160 And that, in my opinion, happens to be so critical in considering 83 00:05:03,160 --> 00:05:05,080 what happened. So let's jump into verse one. 84 00:05:05,080 --> 00:05:07,880 And it says this. It says in the year that King 85 00:05:07,960 --> 00:05:13,320 Uzziah died, I saw also the Lord sitting upon the throne high and 86 00:05:13,320 --> 00:05:16,880 lifted up and his train filled the temple. 87 00:05:16,880 --> 00:05:22,440 So we see Isaiah is witnessing something that many of us won't 88 00:05:22,440 --> 00:05:26,360 see until we go be with the Lord, but he sees the throne of 89 00:05:26,360 --> 00:05:27,840 God. Now notice this. 90 00:05:29,760 --> 00:05:31,520 God is wanting to reach out to him. 91 00:05:32,120 --> 00:05:33,840 God is challenging him. God. 92 00:05:33,840 --> 00:05:39,560 Is readying him. To be able to step into a new 93 00:05:39,560 --> 00:05:43,280 stage in his life and what takes place is remarkable. 94 00:05:43,280 --> 00:05:45,680 Look at verse 2. It says above it stood the 95 00:05:45,680 --> 00:05:48,520 Seraphim's. Each one had 6 wings with twain 96 00:05:48,840 --> 00:05:52,200 and he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, 97 00:05:52,320 --> 00:05:56,120 and with twain he did fly. Verse 3 and 1 cried unto 98 00:05:56,120 --> 00:05:59,200 another, and said, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts. 99 00:05:59,400 --> 00:06:01,880 The whole earth is full of his glory. 100 00:06:01,880 --> 00:06:05,080 Verse four. And the posts of the door moved 101 00:06:05,080 --> 00:06:08,680 at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with 102 00:06:08,680 --> 00:06:10,920 smoke. Verse 5 says this, and I want 103 00:06:10,920 --> 00:06:12,120 you to pay attention, attention to this. 104 00:06:12,680 --> 00:06:15,120 Then said I, this is Isaiah. Speaking. 105 00:06:15,440 --> 00:06:20,600 Woe is me, for I'm undone, and because I am a man of unclean 106 00:06:20,600 --> 00:06:24,320 lips, I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips, for my 107 00:06:24,400 --> 00:06:29,440 eyes have seen the king. The Lord of hosts, Isaiah has an 108 00:06:29,440 --> 00:06:31,000 encounter with the true. And living God. 109 00:06:32,440 --> 00:06:35,760 And in that encounter, he realizes his faults. 110 00:06:37,520 --> 00:06:41,920 He realizes the erroneous nature by which his very mouth would 111 00:06:41,920 --> 00:06:46,680 speak, and he confesses it before the Lord. 112 00:06:46,680 --> 00:06:52,360 He says, I am a broken man. I realize, God, that I have 113 00:06:52,360 --> 00:06:55,600 fallen short of every wonderful thing that you are. 114 00:06:57,160 --> 00:07:03,160 And God does something pretty unique, the Bible tells us in 115 00:07:03,160 --> 00:07:04,960 verse 6. Then flew 1. 116 00:07:04,960 --> 00:07:09,160 Of the Seraphim's unto me, having a live coal in his hand. 117 00:07:09,680 --> 00:07:12,480 Which he had taken with tongues. From off the altar. 118 00:07:18,560 --> 00:07:20,960 And he laid it upon my mouth and said, lo. 119 00:07:21,560 --> 00:07:24,440 This hath touched. Thy lips and thy iniquity is. 120 00:07:24,440 --> 00:07:32,120 Taken away. And thy sin purged one of the 121 00:07:32,120 --> 00:07:34,200 greatest gifts we've ever been. Given by God. 122 00:07:36,800 --> 00:07:43,720 Is the salvation that comes from his Son I can't imagine the idea 123 00:07:43,720 --> 00:07:44,440 of. Giving up my. 124 00:07:44,440 --> 00:07:47,880 Son in order. For people. 125 00:07:48,320 --> 00:07:51,080 To experience salvation. I'm not giving up my son for 126 00:07:51,080 --> 00:07:53,360 anything. God did it for us. 127 00:07:55,320 --> 00:07:57,880 God's in the business. Of forgiving sins. 128 00:07:59,200 --> 00:08:01,240 Here's what I love about this story of Isaiah. 129 00:08:02,720 --> 00:08:08,840 Isaiah mentions his downfall. He says that he has a problem 130 00:08:08,840 --> 00:08:13,400 with his mouth and God Forgives him and purges his mouth. 131 00:08:18,120 --> 00:08:21,000 I think we have tons. Of shortcomings. 132 00:08:22,680 --> 00:08:26,760 We have faults, we have failures, and God has a way of 133 00:08:26,760 --> 00:08:31,400 taking every fault and every failure and using them for His 134 00:08:31,400 --> 00:08:33,840 glory. It's so amazing how that works. 135 00:08:34,000 --> 00:08:37,320 He redeems us and then He takes the redemption that He's given 136 00:08:37,320 --> 00:08:41,960 us and He offers it up that we might be able to be used, that 137 00:08:41,960 --> 00:08:46,880 His glory might shine. Look what he says next. 138 00:08:48,640 --> 00:08:52,600 Also I heard the voice of the Lord saying, Whom shall I send, 139 00:08:53,280 --> 00:09:02,680 and who will go for us? Then said, I Here am I send me. 140 00:09:12,440 --> 00:09:18,880 You all know why this verse is so significant to many of us at 141 00:09:19,360 --> 00:09:23,520 at at some point in our lives, many of us had to come to this 142 00:09:23,520 --> 00:09:28,600 place and say, Lord here I am, send me he redeemed. 143 00:09:28,600 --> 00:09:33,360 Us changed us. He renewed us. 144 00:09:34,800 --> 00:09:37,760 He took the very part of our lives that was completely broken 145 00:09:38,000 --> 00:09:41,160 and he not only fixed it and redeemed it, but then he started 146 00:09:41,160 --> 00:09:41,880 using it. A. 147 00:09:47,000 --> 00:09:52,520 Little brother Charlie, he prayed that prayer many years 148 00:09:52,520 --> 00:09:56,320 ago. He said here am I. 149 00:09:57,080 --> 00:10:04,800 Send me. Video that I did a few weeks 150 00:10:04,800 --> 00:10:14,040 ago, I think it was in Second Corinthians, I talked about the 151 00:10:14,040 --> 00:10:16,200 idea that we were rapidly approaching the one year 152 00:10:16,200 --> 00:10:18,880 anniversary of Charlie's martyr. It's murder. 153 00:10:22,200 --> 00:10:24,600 And I told. Everybody that I can't help but 154 00:10:24,600 --> 00:10:27,480 to think that God's greater purposes are in place. 155 00:10:27,480 --> 00:10:33,680 It's something to that effect. There were some people that 156 00:10:33,680 --> 00:10:36,120 heard that. Phrase and and took it as though 157 00:10:37,120 --> 00:10:42,760 God took. Charlie's life in order for his 158 00:10:42,760 --> 00:10:48,280 greater. Purposes to come forth, but I. 159 00:10:48,280 --> 00:10:50,160 Want to give some. Context to that statement 160 00:10:50,160 --> 00:10:54,400 because. That's not what happened there 161 00:10:55,760 --> 00:10:57,280 first and. Foremost, I just want to simply 162 00:10:57,280 --> 00:11:00,600 say this. September for me is a. 163 00:11:00,600 --> 00:11:02,160 Very, very difficult month. It's the month. 164 00:11:02,160 --> 00:11:04,440 That my mom passed away 12 years ago. 165 00:11:04,680 --> 00:11:06,840 It's obviously difficult because of what? 166 00:11:06,840 --> 00:11:08,920 Happened a year ago and it's difficult for a lot. 167 00:11:08,920 --> 00:11:14,080 Of other reasons. And so as I'm making that video 168 00:11:14,080 --> 00:11:18,920 and I'm thinking about the time that's coming, I'm realizing how 169 00:11:18,920 --> 00:11:20,960 difficult of a time period it is. 170 00:11:21,880 --> 00:11:25,560 And I'm thinking in my heart that even in the midst of pain 171 00:11:25,560 --> 00:11:30,280 and suffering, because of the grieving that I'm experiencing 172 00:11:30,440 --> 00:11:33,040 and many other people are experiencing, I have to be 173 00:11:33,040 --> 00:11:35,840 encouraged by the fact that God's greater purposes are at 174 00:11:35,840 --> 00:11:40,240 play in my life and in the lives of people around us, not the 175 00:11:40,240 --> 00:11:44,960 fact that God took Charlie's life for greater purposes. 176 00:11:44,960 --> 00:11:49,840 No evil, wicked, demonically inspired man did that. 177 00:11:52,360 --> 00:11:56,520 God is sovereign. Now, I want to simply say this 178 00:11:56,520 --> 00:11:59,720 because it's really important to point out because we learn this 179 00:12:00,000 --> 00:12:03,920 from the book of Isaiah, and I'm going to speak in very personal 180 00:12:03,920 --> 00:12:06,480 terms. Charlie's life was remarkable. 181 00:12:07,960 --> 00:12:13,960 He was faithful, he was obedient, and he used the life 182 00:12:13,960 --> 00:12:17,760 that God gave him in a way that impacted an extraordinary number 183 00:12:17,760 --> 00:12:24,880 of people. What I believe is that God will 184 00:12:24,880 --> 00:12:29,520 not allow a life like Charlie's to simply disappear into 185 00:12:29,520 --> 00:12:33,840 tragedy. God is able to take what is 186 00:12:33,840 --> 00:12:43,560 painful, what is terrible, what man meant for evil, what men may 187 00:12:43,560 --> 00:12:47,240 have intended. For destruction and still bring. 188 00:12:47,240 --> 00:12:51,640 Good from it. It doesn't make the tragedy that 189 00:12:51,640 --> 00:12:53,280 we're dealing with right now good. 190 00:12:54,520 --> 00:12:56,760 It means that God is greater than the tragedy. 191 00:12:58,880 --> 00:13:03,320 I believe Charlie's voice, his faithfulness, his convictions 192 00:13:03,560 --> 00:13:04,320 and the. Memory. 193 00:13:04,320 --> 00:13:07,120 Of his life. The memory of the precious life. 194 00:13:07,120 --> 00:13:09,600 That he lived will continue to. Speak. 195 00:13:09,800 --> 00:13:13,800 Long after his transition into heaven. 196 00:13:16,040 --> 00:13:21,440 In that sense, and in that sense alone, God's greater purposes 197 00:13:21,600 --> 00:13:26,880 are still going forward, not because Charlie had to die for 198 00:13:26,880 --> 00:13:32,080 them to happen, but because even death cannot stop God from using 199 00:13:32,080 --> 00:13:34,000 the testimony of a faithful life. 200 00:13:38,720 --> 00:13:42,800 I believe this. I believe the impact of 201 00:13:42,800 --> 00:13:45,000 Charlie's life is going to. Reach far. 202 00:13:45,000 --> 00:13:48,200 Beyond his own generation, like many before him. 203 00:13:50,280 --> 00:13:51,880 It will. Go into the ages. 204 00:13:54,520 --> 00:14:00,840 Isaiah, we know from tradition, was actually cut in half like a 205 00:14:00,840 --> 00:14:05,480 saw it. The words of Isaiah have carried 206 00:14:05,480 --> 00:14:10,560 into the ages. Left for so many people to be 207 00:14:10,560 --> 00:14:12,760 dramatically. Affected and changed. 208 00:14:14,320 --> 00:14:16,160 And for each and every single one of us, that. 209 00:14:16,160 --> 00:14:18,440 Must be the goal that when we are no. 210 00:14:18,440 --> 00:14:20,040 Longer present. On this earth. 211 00:14:20,520 --> 00:14:22,000 No matter. How it happens? 212 00:14:23,080 --> 00:14:26,760 If the words that we share, the life that we live, the openness 213 00:14:26,760 --> 00:14:30,720 to the purpose and the call of God will carry on into the ages, 214 00:14:30,840 --> 00:14:34,160 because God is good. And when we say, Lord, here I 215 00:14:34,160 --> 00:14:35,640 am. Use me. 216 00:14:38,080 --> 00:14:41,880 We open up the opportunity for God to do things that are 217 00:14:41,880 --> 00:14:47,080 unthinkable. We open up the opportunity for 218 00:14:47,080 --> 00:14:50,360 God to take the most insurmountable circumstances and 219 00:14:50,360 --> 00:14:51,560 do the. Miraculous. 220 00:14:54,320 --> 00:15:00,600 Why? Because God's faithful God is 221 00:15:00,600 --> 00:15:04,200 good, we live with the consequences of sin in this 222 00:15:04,200 --> 00:15:04,960 world. We. 223 00:15:04,960 --> 00:15:09,120 Live with the evil that is represented by the darkness in 224 00:15:09,120 --> 00:15:14,600 the heart of mankind, yet God. Says I am above it all. 225 00:15:18,520 --> 00:15:22,240 They tried to kill Charlie's voice on that day, and all they 226 00:15:22,240 --> 00:15:27,480 did was made it louder. And for each and every single 227 00:15:27,480 --> 00:15:31,200 one of us, you must remember the same call in the same purpose. 228 00:15:31,480 --> 00:15:34,360 The question that I would ask you today is are you willing to 229 00:15:34,360 --> 00:15:40,640 say here am I Lord, here I am, use me, I'm ready. 230 00:15:42,680 --> 00:15:45,640 I think it's the most controversial and difficult 231 00:15:45,640 --> 00:15:52,000 question you will ever ask God. But when you answer as such. 232 00:15:53,840 --> 00:15:59,160 When you begin to resolve the fact that God wants to use you. 233 00:16:01,120 --> 00:16:04,320 One of the most powerful words that will ever come out of your 234 00:16:04,320 --> 00:16:07,280 mouth. It's here I am, use me. 235 00:16:08,800 --> 00:16:10,760 That's what God wants to do with each and every single one of 236 00:16:10,760 --> 00:16:14,440 you. And His word tells you that your 237 00:16:14,440 --> 00:16:18,880 future is filled with hope and peace. 238 00:16:19,240 --> 00:16:21,720 Why? Because to live is Christ and to 239 00:16:21,720 --> 00:16:25,120 die is gain. And we have a lot to live for 240 00:16:25,120 --> 00:16:29,360 right now. And the beautiful part about the 241 00:16:29,360 --> 00:16:34,080 lives that we live is the voice of God in our lives will never 242 00:16:34,080 --> 00:16:37,600 die because God is faithful and it's good. 243 00:16:38,880 --> 00:16:43,080 So let's seek him. And let's ask that very 244 00:16:43,360 --> 00:16:49,840 important set of questions. Lord, how do you want me to be 245 00:16:49,840 --> 00:16:52,280 used? What do you want me to do? 246 00:16:53,160 --> 00:16:57,600 And then make the statement, here I am, use me. 247 00:16:59,800 --> 00:17:03,440 God is good and he's faithful and he's going to show that to 248 00:17:03,440 --> 00:17:06,880 you again and again and again. Put your faith and trust in Him 249 00:17:07,520 --> 00:17:11,520 because you will never, you will never stand embarrassed. 250 00:17:12,440 --> 00:17:12,960 God bless you.