“Now to HIM WHO IS ABLE to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to HIS POWER THAT IS AT WORK within us, to HIM BE GLORY in the church and in Christ Jesus THROUGHOUT ALL GENERATIONS forever and ever! Amen.” Ephesians 3:20-21 NIV

This week we want to explore the idea that God is holy. In Isaiah 6 we see one of the most incredible encounters with God in the Scriptures. In verse 3 the seraphs (“the burning ones”) are literally saying in a threefold repetition, “HOLY, HOLY, HOLY is the Lord God Almighty.” God is holy. They did not say, “LOVE, LOVE, LOVE” or “MERCY, MERCY, MERCY.” God at his core is holy!! What does that mean? Simply put He is totally separate from anything else. It means He is majestic, too marvelous for mere words, and mighty beyond measure. He is not like anything else we know, cannot be compared to anyone or anything, He is indescribable, incredible, indisputable, immutable, and lives in unapproachable light. He is almighty, all powerful and awesome. He is totally separated from anyone or anything in His power, His judgment, His wrath, His faithfulness, His love, His grace, His love is endless, His grace is matchless, His righteousness spotless, His knowledge unfathomable. The fact that He is holy distinguishes God from anything else in all of His creation because He was not created but was the creator!!

Isaiah’s experience points to the importance of getting God in His right place. He is the living Lord. Uzziah who had been king for 52 years had died, but the Lord is alive and still reigning. Not only is He alive but He is in control. The Lord was seated not standing, seated not pacing, seated not worrying about how things would turn out. Isaiah saw the living eternal monarch who was in control at all times. He was high and exalted. His place was a place of authority. God is high and exalted, he is in the place of rule, and He is worthy of worship. Isaiah saw the train of his robe filled the temple! The train denoted royalty and honor and God’s honor fills the temple to the extent that the seraphs cover their eyes from His holiness with 2 of their wings and with 2 of their wings they cover their lowliness and with 2 they serve God’s purposes saying that He is Holy. When we encounter the reality of God and the weight of His glory it will change us!!!

Isaiah’s experience points to that change. First Isaiah had a more accurate view of himself. He literally pronounces “woe” on himself. He is ruined and undone, coming apart at the spiritual seams. Next grace ignites and explodes into His life as God has the seraph take the coal from the fire to Isaiah. The fire represented God’s judgment and Isaiah probably thought he was in trouble till the seraph touched his lips and it brought cleansing. Grace will NEVER be amazing till God’s holiness is consuming. At the cross the fire of His judgment is poured out and the light of His mercy is spilled out. It is God’s holiness that casts me on His mercy!!! After the cleansing Isaiah hears God ask, “Who will I send?” Isaiah responds, “Here am I. Send me.” Encounter the truth and reality of God will re-order our life. We will not order God around our life but will order our life around God. Finally the when the weight of His glory crashes into our life we will worship differently. When seraph’s worshipped the foundations shook, the building trembled and God was the object.....PERIOD!!! Too many times worship has become boring, self centered, dispassionate and unmoving. Worship that flows from the God’s holiness and glory crashing into my life is passionate, God-centered and will shake our church and our community to the reality of an awesome God that we serve!!!

WE NEED TO SEE GOD IN HIS RIGHT PLACE...

“Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty;”

He is the LIVING LORD!

He is TOTALLY in CONTROL!

He is HIGH and EXALTED!

He is WORTHY to be WORSHIPPED!

THE WEIGHT OF GOD’S GLORY WILL CHANGE US....

WOE is me!!!

GRACE ignites when God’s HOLINESS is realized.

My life will be REORDERED.

My WORSHIP will be revolutionized.

Want to take it further?

3. What do the following passages say about God?

Think about it/Talk about it!

1. Why is it so important to see God in His rightful place?

2. What are the consequences of God not being in his rightful place in  lives?

3. Has God been in His rightful place in your life?

4. Respond to this statement: “God’s grace will not explode on my life until I confront God’s holiness in my life.”

5. How does the weight of God’s glory “reorder” your life?

6. Your time and your attention?

7. Your priorities?

8. Your relationships? 

9. Your finances?

10. Your involvement in ministry opportunities?