Majesty Mystery Mercy

Trinity Sunday - Holy Communion

June 2, 1996

Isaiah 6:1-8

Isaiah was in the temple when it happened. That was not unusual; Isaiah was a prophet in good standing. He had stood before King Uzziah many times and proclaimed his vision for God's people. He was in the mainstream of the best in Israel's faithful people. Isaiah had come for the usual reasons: He needed renewal and refreshing. He always felt better after he had worshiped. But somehow on this day the focus swung around from Isaiah's hopes and Isaiah's expectations— and all of a sudden Isaiah got a glimpse of the majesty and the mystery that is Almighty God!

I. GOD'S REVELATION OF HIMSELF TO ISAIAH:

THERE WAS MAJESTY - When God Almighty reveals Himself any measure there is also a corresponding sense of awe or reverence. The temple in which Isaiah was worshiping was beautiful; but God's Presence was a majesty of a different quality altogether. Cathedral or store-front, Gregorian chant or swaying gospel choir, all these can be instruments of the human spirit reaching after God. But when God reveals Himself no human efforts add to His majesty! No, God's Presence is a majesty of a different, incomparable quality. It was unmistakably God!

THERE WAS MYSTERY - When God draws near it is more than a "good time." There was an awesome, almost eerie sense of God the "other" in Isaiah's vision. God does have a problem with us, you know! If He wishes to draw near He has "to be careful" on two important counts: (1) we are finite, and cannot really comprehend the dimensions of eternity; and (2) we are sinful, and cannot really understand the utter potency, the sheer white-hot energy of pure holiness!

II. GOD'S PRESENCE REVEALED ISAIAH TO HIMSELF AS WELL

The central issue in your life and mine is the nature of our God and our relationship to Him.

The nearness of God,— when we recognize that the Living God is near— and the MYSTERY involved, is always validated by the (paradox) that when we begin to see God in His glory, we begin to get the true picture of ourselves!

This is a MYSTERY that illuminates! Like shafts of sunlight filtering into a darkened parlor, making it hard to breathe because of all the little tiny swirling particles of dust revealed. ISAIAH CRIED OUT WITH THE REVELATION: 'WOE IS ME!" The painful thing to Isaiah was the fact that he was a GOOD man, and yet as he began to draw near to God, instead of being affirmed, and having his PERCEIVED NEEDS met, Isaiah began to see himself as sinful and needy!

Every time God draws near, and it is a genuine THEOPHANY, the central focus is NOT on how great "i" am, but how great THOU ART! Peter: "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man!" John: "And I fell at His feet as if I were a dead man!"

[[But that was NOT the end of the vision of God!]]

III. GOD'S VISION INCLUDED EXACTLY WHAT ISAIAH REALIZED HE NEEDED

THERE WAS MERCY - With the revelation of his need, and with his cry of "Woe is me!" Isaiah found a new dimension to God: God expressed his grace and mercy to Isaiah! He did it in (what seemed to me as a boy contemplating this vision) a "strange" way: with a live coal from off the altar!

This was NOT to torment Isaiah, to sear his lips so he could not speak; it was a cleansing, purifying, illuminating FIRE! Isaiah began to experience the greatest luxury, perhaps, that mortals may know: HE WAS CLEAN, IN GOD'S PRESENCE (7)!!

...AND THE END RESULT OF ISAIAH'S VISION WAS THAT HE WAS ENABLED TO ENTER INTO GOD'S OWN ACTIVITY/ACTION FELLOWSHIP IN A WAY HE HAD NOT KNOW BEFORE!

Conclusion: THE UNIQUE AND UNIVERSAL DIMENSIONS OF ISAIAH'S VISION Who was Isaiah? He was NOT a casual worshiper. Why "the year that Uzziah died"? A removal of a royal "prop"? Isaiah was probably related to the royal family . . .

To whom does God reveal Himself? - Hebrews 11:6 The central issue in your life and mine is the nature of our God and our relationship to Him.

Chances are we won't have a vision exactly like Isaiah's. But the promise is there— that if we are seekers after God, at whatever level of our journey into faith— IF WE ARE SEEKERS, GOD WILL REWARD US WITH HIMSELF!

But there is a great difference in TALKING about seeking God— and actually putting God at the center of our lives and SEEKING HIM! So many of us are experts on doctrine— we know what this man or that woman has said—

— but not many of us are very well acquainted with this great God who is so great he makes Temples shake— and so holy He needs to cleanse us so we can live in his presence— and yet so loving he has come all the way down to where we are and has asked us to help spread the word that He is GOOD!

Talking about seeing God— ABOUT THE MAJESTY THAT IS GOD THE FATHER, SON AND HOLY SPIRIT... about the MYSTERY THAT IS GOD THE SPIRIT, FATHER AND SON... about the MERCY THAT IS GOD THE SON, AND GOD THE SPIRIT, PROCEEDING FROM GOD THE FATHER — talking about the vision is pretty "tame" compared to a trip to Disney World or even a gospel concert of one kind or another— UNTIL!! one day as we earnestly seek, God comes!

I was eighteen years old before I saw the ocean. I had read about it, I understood intellectually that it was vast. But since I first saw it— here at the end of this street, then out at Nantasket Beach— then flying over it— then in hurricane force waves— I realize that I could never "know" the ocean just by reading about it. And I also realize that there is a sense in which I don't know the ocean very much at all.

I could say the same for all the great wonders of God's creation— the mountains— the seas, the skies. And they are just handiwork that points to the great God beyond. As David said, "When I consider the heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars which thou hast ordained, who am I, that thou art mindful of me, or the children of mankind that you visit us?"

Today we think of the Trinity, of the God who is OVER us, and who is WITH us, and who is IN us. The doctrine of the Trinity is not a fascinating puzzle for our amusement, but in some wonderful way it is God's own revelation to us of His love. God so great as to be totally unspeakable in His glory, yet so condescending as to take our nature and speak our own language and show us how we may live, and God so very near that He is HERE with us as we worship!

Prayer - INTO COMMUNION - Continuation from meditation:

Scripture (I Corinthians 11:23 - 30)

For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body that is broken for you. Do this in remembrance of me." In the same way he took the cup also, after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me." For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.

Whoever, therefore, east the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be answerable for the body and blood of the Lord. Examine yourselves, and only then eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For all who eat and drink without discerning the body, eat and drink judgment against themselves. For this reason many of you are weak and ill, and some have died. [NRSV]

Apostles' Creed (#8)

Invitation to the Table of the Lord:

Jesus Himself is the Host. Wherever you are in your spiritual journey God loves you. If you have a desire for God— if you are willing to turn toward Him, He invites you to come. Examine your heart. If He bids you come, you are welcome.

Prayer of Confession/Forgiveness

O Great God, the very best among us needs every moment the grace of God; we are not holy in and of ourselves. We come short of the perfect will of God in performance, and all too often, we lag in spirit, are insensitive in our relationships, and act more to our own self interest than for the kingdom of God and the salvation of others.

For this we ask your forgiveness— purchase of your blood on Calvary.

We claim your promise: (I John 1:7,9) If we confess our sin, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sin, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Prayer of Dedication

We ask You to help us know You better. We ask that we may have a fresh vision of Your great holiness and love, as well as your ASSURANCE that we have been CHOSEN of you to be your sons and daughters. We ask that you will give us our ASSIGNMENT, not just our "big" assignment for life's career, but our day-by-day assignment of introducing You to those we know. We ask that You will help us ACCEPT Your revealed will, and put you at the center of our lives, in all we do. We ask You to bless this sacrament of Holy Communion, that these emblems of bread and the cup may be for us true means of grace, by faith may we partake of your body and blood to our soul's life and health. Lord's Prayer - (Instructions. Come, receive, and hold the bread and the cup and we will partake together.)

At the moment of partaking: The BODY of the Lord Jesus Christ: (may it) Preserve you blameless to life everlasting.

Again, with the cup: The BLOOD of the Lord Jesus Christ: Preserve you blameless to life everlasting.

#210 (First and Last verses) One Day

Benediction