Sermon – May 30, 2021 – Trinity Sunday

Printable PDF:  5-30-2021 Trinity – p. 38

David R. Clark  ~  Isaiah 6:1-8  ~  May 30, 2021  ~  Trinity Sunday

WHAT’S DIFFERENT ABOUT OUR GOD?

¹In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple. ²Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. ³And they were calling to one another: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.” ⁴At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke. ⁵“Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.” ⁶Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. ⁷With it he touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.” ⁸Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”

 

Brothers and sisters in Christ,

          See if you know what these names have in common: Marduk, Chemosh, Dagon, Baal, Astarte. If you said they are all idols of the Old Testament, you are correct. You probably spent time in school studying Greek and Roman mythology. You know names like Athena and Venus and Zeus. Approximately ¼ of Americans see no use for any religion. A skeptic might say Christianity is no different than any other religion. Or better yet, WHAT’S SO SPECIAL ABOUT OUR GOD?

1. Our God is three times holy. (verses 1-3)

¹In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple. ²Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. ³And they were calling to one another: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.”

People who create idols also create the way they say they should be honored. These idols are portrayed as powerful, but having the same kind of failings that you and I have. They are gods made in man’s image rather than the other way around.

Contrast that to the God of Isaiah. Isaiah was a courageous prophet who faithfully spoke the word of God to wicked King Manasseh of Judah. He was such a courageous man that we are told he died by being sawn in half. This was no shrinking violet!

So what would make him tremble? A vision of the true God in a flowing robe, seated on his throne in heaven. Special six-winged angels called seraphim – sinless creatures – were flying before the throne of God chanting about the holiness of the one true God. Their chant was so powerful that the doorposts of the temple shook. Moses had to turn away on Mt. Sinai when the Lord passed by him because no man can see the Lord and live. And that’s where Isaiah found himself!

What will your reaction be when you stand before him? This is no idol with petty human emotions. This is our God. How will this God look at you when he knows every filthy thought or careless word you have uttered? What will God say when he knows how self-centered you have been? He is “holy, holy, holy,” and we don’t measure up.

2. Our God takes away sin. (verses 4-7)

And our Lord knows this which also sets him apart. ⁴At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke. ⁵“Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.” ⁶Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. ⁷With it he touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.”

If someone worships the idol of love, what do they get out of it? A fleeting relationship? A broken heart? If someone worships the idol of success what do they get out of it? Broken relationships? Material wealth which becomes meaningless at death? If someone worships the idol of sports, what do they get out of it? Heartache when their team loses? A t-shirt when their team wins? What meaning do they have ultimately?

What Isaiah got was far different. The angel took a coal and touched his unclean lips and declared that his sins were taken away. God atoned for Isaiah’s sin and declared him righteous.

You and I have also been cleansed by our holy, holy, holy God. Our cleansing came not from a burning coal grasped in tongs by an angel, but through the precious blood of Jesus. In the waters of Baptism, you were declared holy in God’s sight. By the power of God’s word in bread and wine you have been strengthened and assured. Our God is a god who gives, not a god who takes. He is a God of grace, who removes sin.

3. Our God calls us to do his work. (verse 8)

God does one more thing. ⁸Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”

Through the forgiveness of our sins, God adopts us as his own children. He is not an angry judge against whom we can never measure up. He is our loving father because he has chosen us. He wishes us to be part of his family!

As a member of his family, he invites us to participate in the family business. He calls us to carry on his work. He does not make this invitation to angels. He makes it to you and me, just as he did to Isaiah. In a world of idols, he sends us to proclaim who the Triune God is and to offer the same forgiveness that you and I have received.

This is why we have a church. This is why we have a school. It is our purpose on earth whether we happen to be going to work, going on vacation, or playing in a Little League game. We proclaim our Triune God in all we do.

Be careful. There are still many idols in this world. They may look different than the idols of the Old Testament, but they are worshiped nonetheless. Perhaps Satan is even more devious today than then. People of this world have even made blessings like family and technology and politics idols which they worship and proclaim to all who will listen. There will continue to be idols as long as this sinful world exists, as long as Satan continues to roam. There will continue to be people who see worship of the true God as valuable only when they have a crisis or because it is a holiday tradition or because their child is being honored in some special way. But not us. Not you and me. We know who our God is and what he has done for us. So what do we do when the call comes from our Triune God? Who will go for him? Here we are. Send us! Amen.