I'm going to ask you to take
your Bibles and turn with me to the book of Isaiah, where
Pat has just read, but it's going to be chapter 6. Isaiah chapter
6. I was listening to that scripture
that Brother Pat was just reading, and I was thinking about how
many times we quote Isaiah. How many times Isaiah the prophet
is quoted? I heard once that in the New
Testament that the prophet Isaiah is quoted more than any other
prophet. And the only other book that
is quoted from more. in the New Testament is the book
of Psalms. But the prophet Isaiah, God Almighty
was pleased to raise up a man, a prophet, Isaiah. I want us to look at Isaiah chapter
6. I'd like to look for just a few moments at this chapter. I had I had prepared a message
here in Isaiah, and I had looked at the first few verses of it,
then the more I looked at it, the more convinced I was that
I needed to reconsider. So Lord willing, I'd like to
reconsider this morning, this message. I've entitled this message,
Have I Seen the Lord? Have I seen the Lord? That's
a question that I think on the day of judgment I'd like to have
some assurance. I'd like to have seen him and
looked upon him in true need. For him to have looked upon me
in mercy. For me to know him. For me to
look upon him with new eyes. Eyes that he's made anew. Isaiah chapter 6, the scripture
begins, in the year that King Uzziah died, in the year that King Uzziah
died, In the book of 2nd Chronicles, you can just jot these down for
the sake of time. I'm going to read and quote this.
You jot this down, go back and read. I would highly recommend
you go back and read 2nd Chronicles 26. But 2nd Chronicles 26 gives
the account of King Uzziah. This king in 2nd Chronicles 26.3
said he was 16 years old. when he began to reign, and the
scripture reveals in verse 4 that he did that which was right in
the sight of the Lord. Verse 5 of 2 Chronicles 26, he
sought God in the days of Zechariah. There was a prophet also, Isaiah,
but Zechariah was a prophet. And the scripture declares that
this man Uzziah was mightily blessed of God. Go back and read
what God did through the means of this man, King Uzziah, even
to the point of gave this man wisdom to make engines, engines,
that they were placed on the top of the castle for weapons. He was a brilliant man. But this
man Mightily blessed of God, God Almighty through Uzziah blessed
God's people. But this is what, and I do want
to read this. 2 Chronicles 26 verse 16 says this, but when
he was strong and felt himself to be so, he
was strong in the Lord. as long as Uzziah knew something
of his own weakness. But when he was strong, his heart
was lifted up to his destruction. For he transgressed against the
Lord his God and went into the temple of the Lord to burn incense
upon the altar of incense. Almighty God had mightily blessed
this man. Raised this man up 16 years old, set him on the throne,
52 years. This man's king. And almighty God, who blessed
this man, allowed this man to do something that this man really
wanted to do. He took some incense. And he went in and he thought
that he could approach God by himself, without a priest. And the priest, the scripture
says, withstood him. Told him, said, Uzziah, you don't
want to do this. You're way overstepping your
bounds here. This does not pertain to you.
This is a place for the priest. The scripture says in 2 Chronicles
26 verse 19, Uzziah was wroth. He had a censer in his hand to
burn incense. And while he was wroth with the
priest, Here they were, telling him the
best thing in the world he could hear. Uzziah, back off. You think you're somebody. You're entering into a place
that's not going to be good for you. This man was going to exercise
his will. He was going to approach God
by his own ability. I can offer this incense just
as well as anybody else. And the scripture says that while
he was wroth with the priest, the leprosy even rose up in his
forehead before the priest in the house of the Lord and beside
the incense altar. And Azariah, the chief priest
and all the priests, looked upon him. And behold, he was leprous
in his forehead, and they thrust him out from thence. Yea, himself
hasted also to go out, because the Lord had smitten him. Now
he's ready to go. Oh, I think I'll leave now. Now
he's a leper. Yeah, maybe I have overstepped
my bounds. Maybe I have approached a place
I should have never approached. Listen, there is one who is accepted of God Almighty
and it is the Lord Jesus Christ, the priest. Almighty God is going
to accept him. And no man, apart from him, is
going to approach God. Apart from the Lord Jesus Christ,
God Almighty is a consuming fire. And Uzziah died a leper, cast
out. Isaiah said, in the year that
King Uzziah died. Isaiah saw five things. Now we always quote, and this
is where I was. I was telling you about how I
prepared this. I was going to say this is what
Isaiah saw when King Uzziah died. But there's five things that
Isaiah saw. The scripture says back in Isaiah
chapter 6, verse 1, in the year that King Uzziah died, I saw
also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train
filled the temple. In the year that King Uzziah
died, And it was not that Isaiah saw the Lord because Uzziah died. It was a reference, it was a
point in time. Let me tell you, men are not
converted because of a miracle because of seeing extraordinary
things. Men are converted by the grace
of God. God Almighty gives a man a new
heart. That's when a man will see God.
But when this man died, and it was a marvelous thing, a well-known
thing, but in that year, in that year, Isaiah said, in the year
that King Uzziah died, I saw also the Lord. Now I want you to look at your
Bible. He said, I saw also the capital L, little o, little r,
little d. I tell you who he saw. He saw
the Lord. He saw the Lord Jesus Christ. A pre-incarnate. vision of the
Lord Jesus Christ, just like Abraham saw Him. When the Lord
came with those two angels and He came up to Abraham, Abraham
was looking at Him. Looking at Him. When Jacob was
wrestling with a man, you know who that was? That was the Lord. That was the Lord. Before He
was ever made flesh into His 33 plus years upon this earth, there
were times, there were references when he revealed himself. Isaiah
said, in the year the king Uzziah died, I saw the Lord. He told some Pharisees, he said,
before Abraham was, I am. Before Abraham was ever made
a man, I am eternal. He God. You go back and read
Proverbs 8 and see what the Lord says. Wisdom himself says concerning
himself, I was ever before him. I was ever his delight. I was
brought up with him. In the year the king Uzziah died,
he said, I saw the Lord. And this is what he says he saw
by that seeing eye, that hearing ear that's made by the Lord Himself. He said, I saw the Lord and He
was sitting upon a throne. He saw the Lord, the King, victorious,
high and lifted up, And His train, His glory filled the temple. God Almighty revealed Himself
to Isaiah. He revealed the Lord. No man
has seen God. God is Spirit. But I'm telling
you, the Lord Jesus Christ is the actual manifestation of God
Almighty. The fullness of the Godhead. bodily. Isaiah said, I saw him. But for a man to see him, he's
going to have to be revealed. Matthew 16, 13, the Lord asked
his disciples this. He said, whom do men say that
I, the son of man, am? Simon Peter answered and said,
thou art the Christ. the Son of the Living God, Jesus
answered and said, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh
and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which
is in heaven." If we're going to see Him even
now by faith, and we don't see Him, there's no one here that's
ever seen the Lord as Isaiah saw Him. We see Him by faith. But even
now, He's going to have to be revealed. How do we know that it was truly
the Lord? Isaiah said, I saw Him sitting
on a throne, high and lifted up. When a man truly, by the
grace of God, has Christ revealed to his heart, this is how he's
going to see Him. Victorious. Isaiah saw Him victorious, the
King, before He ever came into this world. He is the Lamb slain
from the foundation of the world. He is the one that the Father
ever trusted, who first trusted in Him. We trusted Him, but the
Father trusted Him first on that cross, He said when he had received
the vinegar, it's finished. Bowed his head, gave up the ghost,
but I want to tell you something. His work, it was accomplished
in time, but I'm telling you, in the eternal purpose and will
of Almighty God, it was ever done. He finished the work of redemption
and nothing can be added to it. It's finished. No man is going
to put his hand to the work. That was Uzziah's problem. Uzziah
thought, I'm going to go in here and I'm going to offer this incense. And God struck him. He's sitting. That's how Isaiah saw him. reigning, gloriously filling
the temple with His glory and honor. Isaiah 63, 3 says in this
verse that we're looking at, He says, the whole earth is full
of His glory. In the year that King Uzziah
died, I saw the Lord. And above it stood the seraphims. Each one had six wings. With
twain he covered his face. With twain he covered his feet.
With twain he did fly. And one cried unto another and
said, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts. The whole earth
is full of his glory. Everything created declares the glory of the Lord. The whole earth declares His
glory. These seraphims, the Scripture
says concerning His angels, Job 4.18, that the Lord charges them
with folly. Listen, they cried one to another.
This is all they cried. Holy Father, Holy Son, Holy Holy
Spirit, the whole earth. When a man sees the Lord, sees the Lord in regenerating
grace, this is how he's going to see Him. He's going to see
the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, all glorious. Here's the second thing Isaiah
saw. He saw the Lord first. And I tell you, when a man sees
the Lord as the Lord, as God, not trying to be God. I've said this so many times.
I'm telling you, every man telling men that Almighty God has done
everything that He can do, and is waiting on you to exercise
your will, to allow Him to be gracious to you, is a liar. He's a liar. He's a false prophet. I don't
care who He is. I don't care what His title is.
He is a false prophet. I'm telling you who God says
He is. He said, I'm God. David said,
our God's in the heavens, and what is He doing? He said, He's
done whatsoever He pleased. He rules in heaven and earth,
and nobody stays His hand. Nobody stops God. I'm telling
you, when God is pleased to save a man, He's going to save him. Isaiah said, in the year the
king Uzziah died, I saw the Lord. Glorious. And here's the second
thing Isaiah said he saw. He saw himself. Verse 5. Then. When, Isaiah? When I saw the
Lord. When I saw the Lord high and
lifted up, I'm going to tell you something. A God that wants
to be merciful to me, if I'll let Him, I have no respect for
Him. I have no respect for Him. You want to see someone take advantage of someone else. I'll tell you how you do it.
I'll tell you if you want to watch someone being taken advantage
of. It's to have, let's say, someone
be a bully. Let's say a bully. Let's say
a bully. And he's trying to be tough. stuff like that. And let somebody
try to appease him and try to cater to him and try to, you
know, pacify him. Do you know what that does? That
just emboldens him to be more of a bully. I knew I was tough. I knew I was tough. Do you know
what would put a bully down? Raw power. Somebody that's trying to be
tough and somebody comes and just puts him in his place. You let a man think that he's
in charge and he's the bully. And all he does by nature is
he becomes more of a bully. But when one comes in power and
he comes in might And a man sees himself for what he really is.
I'm not as tough as I thought I was. That's what happened to
Isaiah. I thought I was somebody. Let
me tell you something. Man is nothing. In the year that King Uzziah
died, I saw the Lord, and then in verse 5, I said, woe is me. For I am undone. Because I'm a man of unclean
lips, I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips. For
mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts. When a man
sees the Lord, I tell you what he's going to see of himself.
I'm a sinner. I'm a sinner against God Almighty. And everybody else is too. I know this, I know if God Almighty
doesn't do something for me, I know what's going to happen.
God's going to put me in hell. Now you listen, you listen, because
you're just like me. I'm telling you, you listen to
me. A day is coming and it may be
today. Almighty God is going to end.
It may be for me personally, it may be for you personally.
But there's for sure coming a day in which Almighty God is going
to sound the trumpet. And the Lord Jesus Christ is
coming back, and all of a sudden, in the twinkling of an eye, before
you ever thought, you never even thought. And every one of us
is going to stand before God. And the books are going to be
opened. And I'm telling you, every person,
the scripture declares, is not written in the book. In that
book of life that was penned before the foundation of the
world. I preached on this just the other
day. How can I know? How can I know if my name is
there? Is there any evidence my name
is there? What's going to happen? What's going to happen if my
name is not found written in that book? Let me tell you what's
going to happen. Almighty God is going to cast
me out. And he's going to put me in hell. And he's going to
do it in absolute judgment and justice. Isaiah said, I saw the Lord.
And I saw me. Woe is me. I'm a man of unclean
lips and I dwell with people just like me. All of us are born
in the same boat. All have sinned to come short
of the glory of God. But none righteous, no not one. All men are told that they can
do something to reconcile themselves. But I'm telling you, when God
Almighty shows a man who He is, I see me. I know this. I need a Savior. I need a Redeemer. I need one to answer for me.
But here's the mercy of God. Here's God's mercy. Verse 6,
here's the third thing that Isaiah saw. Then flew one of the seraphims
unto me, having a live coal in his hand,
which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar. Here was a live coal that was
taken from the altar. There was a sacrifice. There was a sacrifice. And this was a living coal. In Leviticus, I want to show
you something. Hold your place right there.
Leviticus chapter 10. There was a couple of boys, Aaron's
boys. These were priests. Whenever
they would go to the altar of incense, There was an altar of incense
that was before the Lord, before the veil. And on the other side
of the veil was the Ark of the Covenant. There was a veil. And on the other side of that
veil was the Holy of Holies. And that's the one place that
one time a year the high priest alone, and not without blood,
could enter. The Holy of Holies. One day a
year. But just this side of the veil
was an altar. And that altar right there, the
altar of incense, and what they would do is there would be some
coals that would be placed on that altar of incense. And this
incense, this ground powder, it was incense, and it would
be sprinkled by the priest, and that smoke would ascend up. It's
a picture of the intercession of the Lord Jesus Christ. And the coals that were placed
on that altar could be gotten from one place, the altar of the burnt sacrifice.
Whenever that tabernacle that was built, that outer court,
I told you now the tabernacle where the priest ministered,
about as big as this right here. But that outer court had a cloth
wall that went around that tabernacle out in the wilderness. And that
gate, which was just pulling back the cloth, Right there,
there was the altar, the burnt altar, that brazen altar. And that's where the sacrifice,
right there. You didn't get inside the camp.
You had to go past that altar right there. That altar, the
burnt offering, was the sweet savor offering that was offered
unto the Lord. It was a picture, a type, of
the obedience of the Lord Jesus Christ. It was said to be a sweet savor
offering. Whenever that offering was offered
unto the Lord, it was the savor of the obedience of the Lord
Jesus before His Father. This is My beloved Son, whom
I will please. You hear Him. He alone accomplish
the work. He alone finished the work. Nobody
else put their hand on that work. Nobody else touched that. And
they'd offer that sacrifice, that burnt offering unto the
Lord. And from the burnt offering, the coals from the burnt sacrifice,
they'd take a tong, they'd take it and bring that glowing ember
and they'd put that on that altar of incense right there. Sprinkle it and the smoke would
come up. And that was the accepted call. That was the accepted fire. Nadab and Abihu in Leviticus
10. He's Aaron's boys. He's a priest. And Nadab and Abihu, the sons
of Aaron, took either of them, his censure, put fire therein,
and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the
Lord, which he commanded them not. And there went out fire
from the Lord, and devoured them, and they died before the Lord."
Now what did they do? Well, did they put fire? Yeah, they put fire on it. Was
it supposed to have fire on the altar of incense? Yeah, it was
supposed to have fire on the incense. But what was the problem? They didn't get it from the brazen
altar. Where'd they get it? I don't
know where they got it. But it didn't come from there. Because
it was strange fire. And God killed him. You try to approach God Almighty
apart from the Lord Jesus Christ. Apart from God's sacrifice of
His lamb. And I'm telling you, God Almighty
is a consuming fire. Isaiah, back in Isaiah 6, said,
then flew, verse 6, 6, 6. Then flew one of the seraphims
unto me. Now listen to this. He flew to
me. Having a live coal in his hand,
which he had taken with the tongs from the right place. He got
it from the right place. It was from the altar. His sacrifice is accepted. Not my will, not my way, not
my thoughts, not my obedience. He was made sin for his people. Isaiah saw there is a Redeemer. And he said, there was one of
these seraphims, and he came to me with a living coal, setting
forth the accomplishment of the Lord Jesus Christ. He saw that
there was a Redeemer, but here's the fourth thing he saw. He died
for me. It's one thing to say that he
died. He did die. But what I want to
know is this. Did he die for me? Did he put
away my guilt? Isaiah saw particular redemption. Look at verse 7. And he laid
it... Now listen to this. You talk
about precious words. Listen. He laid it upon my mouth. and say, Lo, this has touched
thy lips, and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin is
purged. When a man sees the Lord Jesus
Christ, the great high priest, the Lord, the King, the Redeemer,
lifted up and sees himself a sinner, in need of a Savior. And God
Almighty shows him, I've shown mercy to you. That live coal has been taken
from the altar and been put on your lips. And your iniquities
put away. Your sin is purged. That man's
got some hope. That man has been shown mercy. The Lord Jesus Christ said, John
10, 15, I laid down my life for the sheep. For the sheep. He died for his people. Isaiah saw, verse 8, he saw the
Lord. speaking. He heard the voice
of God saying, verse 8, whom shall I send and who will go
for us? Then said I, here am I, send
me in the day of God's power. God's people come. When Almighty
God speaks in power. The Lord said in John 10, 27,
my sheep hear my voice, I know them, they follow me. Who will
go for us in me? What else do you have to do?
Nothing. What else? Matthew. Follow me. I'm going to tell
you a man that's seen the Lord and seen himself and sees God's
mercy to him. I'll tell you the evidence of
a man that's done that, a woman that's done that. They follow
Christ. and everything else is pushed aside. You say, I don't
see myself doing as I would. I don't either, but I want to.
I want to. I want to. I want to. I want to. Lord, help me. Who will go? Lord, send me. God's people are obedient people. Where are you going to go? You're
going to go into this world and you're going to preach the gospel.
And let me tell you what you're going to find. Let me tell you
what you're going to find. You're going to find people that
don't believe you, that hate you, that don't respect you,
they don't respect the gospel you preach because they don't
respect God. How do you know that? Look at
verse 9 to verse 12. He said, go, tell this people,
hear ye indeed, but understand not. See ye indeed, but perceive
not. Make the heart of this people
fat, make their ears heavy, shut their eyes, lest they see with
their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their
heart, and convert and be healed. Then said I, Lord, how long?
How long, Lord? How long do I preach? How long
do I preach? How long do I preach here at
Katie? How long does any gospel preacher preach? How long? How long? He answered, till the
cities be wasted without inhabitants, and the houses without man, and
the land be utterly desolate, and the Lord have removed men
far away, there be a great forsaking in the midst of the land. You
preach until God moves you. How long do you come here till
God takes you out? How long do you be obedient until
the Lord removes you from this place? How many times do I have to hear
every time he gives me privilege and opportunity? What else is more important?
Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. We're going to die. We're going to die and we're
going to meet God. But here's the last thing Isaiah
saw. He saw that God has a people and God's going to save them.
God has an elect. God has chosen a people. And
I'm telling you, John 6, 37, all that the Father giveth me,
they're going to come. And they're going to come through
the preaching of this gospel right here. The gospel that declares
who God is and who man is. And what God's done for His people.
And what He's done for His people in particular to their heart.
This is what I know. I know that God has a people. Verse 13, but yet in it, in that
group of humanity that doesn't believe and won't hear and won't
come and just, I don't have time, I don't have time for you, I
don't have time for this gospel. I don't have time for this stuff.
But yet in it shall be a tenth, and it shall return. and shall
be eaten as a teal tree, as an oak, whose substance is in them
when they cast their leaves, so the holy seed shall be the
substance thereof." There is even, Paul said in Romans 11,
5, at this present time also, a remnant according to the election
of grace. And I know this. I know that
Man by nature despises the truth. I know he despises what God has
to say concerning who God is, who man is, what he's done in
particular. I know that we're in this world.
We're in this world. We live in this world. We've
got to live in this world. God Almighty has put his people
in this world and we're not monks. I live in a real world. You do
too. But I'm telling you, God's people are not of it. And they
know they're not of it. But I know this, the Lord's got
a people. And He's going to save them. And that encourages me. I'm thankful. I know this, this
message that we preach. I know this. It's going to accomplish
the purpose for which it was sent. I know that. I pray that
God have mercy today. I pray that God Almighty call
out His people today. I pray God be pleased to save
His people today. Save His elect today. His people
are encouraged today. I know they are. For Christ's sake.