SERMON SUBJECT: COMMISSIONED AND SENT OUT

SERMON TEXT: “Then 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!’”(Isaiah 6:8).

SERMON THESIS: “Cleansed and forgiven, we can hear God’s missionary call” -Disciples Study Bible.

INTRODUCTION: When God saves us, why doesn’t He take us on to heaven? In his book, Morning By Morning, the late Charles H. Spurgeon, asked a similar question. The question is this, “Why are His children still wandering here and there through a maze, when a solitary word from His lips would bring them into the center of their hopes in heaven?” He goes on to answer his question. “They are here,” he writes, “that they may,” in the words of Scripture, “live unto the Lord”(Romans 14:8), “and may bring others to know His love.” He goes on to conclude with this thought, “We remain on earth as sowers to scatter good seed; as ploughmen to break up the fallow ground; as heralds publishing salvation.”

In the words of our text, we are to “Go and tell this people ...”(Isaiah 6:9). In the New Testament sense we are to...

¹⁹ “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:19-20). 

That is why God doesn’t take us immediately to heaven following our conversion. We are His heralds responsible for breaking up the fallow ground and publishers of salvation. Thus the questions for us to consider–Have you heard the call as did Isaiah? And are you willing to be sent out? This was the whole issue with Isaiah; finding himself in the presence of the LORD Almighty, and hearing the call of God upon His life, he must now make a response. As seen in the experience of Isaiah, the call of God upon our lives begins with...

I. A CONFESSION - “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” (Isaiah 6:5).

It was in his temple vision that Isaiah was confronted with God’s holiness. He was, likewise, confronted with his own sinfulness. Finding himself, as we sing, “In the presence of Jehovah, he found himself in an attitude of humility, reverence, and repentance. In the words of one writer, “ ... blessed by God’s presence resulted in unforgettable worship. This writer goes on to say, “Worship begins with an attitude of reverence and awe and concludes with a commitment to serve.” This truth is revealed in Scripture...

²³ Moses and Aaron went into the tent of meeting. When they came out and blessed the people, the glory of the LORD appeared to all the people. ²⁴ Then fire came out from before the LORD and consumed the burnt offering and the portions of fat on the altar; and when all the people saw it, they shouted and fell on their faces” (Lev. 9:23-24). 

²² “Samuel said, “Has the LORD as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams. ²³ "For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and insubordination is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, He has also rejected you from being king" (I Samuel 15:22-23). 

¹¹ “And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures; and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, ¹² saying, “Amen, blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might, be to our God forever and ever. Amen” (Rev. 7:11-12). 

It was in this context and atmosphere of worship that Isaiah saw himself as a sinner in need of confession. In his own words... “Woe is me! I cried ...”

Before you and I can be used in God’s great missionary enterprise, we must confess our sins to Holy God. Confession is agreeing with Him that we have sinned. Today twenty-one persons, including myself are being commissioned by this church to go to Barbados on mission. If we are to be effective on this mission, every one of us must confess any and every sin in our lives.

Confession is followed by a...

II. A CLEANSING - “Then one of the seraphs flew to me with a hot coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. With it he touched my mouth and said, ‘See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for’”(Isaiah 6:6).

According to God’s word, when we confess our sins, He takes the initiative in cleansing us. The apostle Paul writes...

⁸But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). 

John, likewise, writes concerning confession and cleansing...

⁷ but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin” (I John 1:7). 

⁹ If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (I John 1:9). 

Preparing to cross the Jordan, Joshua commanded the people... “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow God will do wonders among you”(Joshua 3:5). Confession on our part, and cleansing on God’s part enables God to do wonders among us.

Concerning cleansing, Who was it that atoned for Isaiah’s sin? In this case it was one of the seraphs, according to Isaiah 6:6. One writer said, “God is free to atone for our sins in any way He wishes. Atonement cleanses and makes us ready for God’s service.” The atonement seen here was a foreshadowing of the atonement that Jesus, God’s Son, and our Savior, would bring once and for all. Thus the question, Who atones for our sin? The spotless Lamb of God. We are cleansed, following our confession, by His blood. “What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood! Nothing but the blood! Nothing but the blood of Jesus!”

Yes, my friends, it is true, “Atonement cleanses and makes us ready for God’s service.” Are you ready for His service?

Confession and cleansing, is followed by...

III. A CALL - “Then I heard the voice of the LORD saying, ‘Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?’”(Isaiah 6:8a).

As we have witnessed during our time together as pastor and people, “God still speaks and calls.” These eleven flags represent countries to which volunteer missionaries have been called... the Dominican Republic, the Former Soviet Union, Nevis, West Indies, Austria, China, Barbados, etc. God continues to speak and call. Just this past week, we sent another couple out–Michael and April. At this present time, we have couples who have been called out preparing for the ministry at Southern, and Southeastern Seminaries. Others have been called and waiting to go in God’s timing.

Yes, my friends, God still speaks and calls. Even as I speak to you, David and I have been invited by Pastor Kumar of India to come to his country in March of 2005, and do an evangelistic crusade and pastor’s conference. God is still speaking and I believe that, like Isaiah, we are still listening. That is obvious here today as twenty-one individuals are ready and waiting to go to Barbados on Mission.

What greater response can we make than that of our response to the call of God to“Go and make disciples of all the nations?”

We might also ask this question, What was it that caused Isaiah to respond so readily? The answer is simply this, “He saw the LORD”(v. 1). One writer said, “May we see the Lord, be cleansed as was the prophet, then hear God’s call and obediently respond. Millions still wait to hear the gospel from our lips and lives.” Pastor Kumar of India, is telling me that we will be speaking to 100,000 (one hundred-thousand people). This is understandable, he shared, when you consider that there are one billion people in India. Although all of you cannot go, will you be motivated to give so that others can go? Every believer can have a part in God’s great missionary enterprise.

God’s call to Isaiah, and his response, was followed by...

IV. A COMMISSIONING - “He said , ‘Go and tell this people...’”(Isaiah 6:9).

That was his commission. Cleansed and forgiven, Isaiah was now ready to go forth in the fulfillment of God’s will for His life. Note please, missionaries are never commissioned and sent out apart from the church. Go with me to the book of Acts and witness the commissioning of the first New Testament missionaries...

¹ Now there were at Antioch, in the church that was there, prophets and teachers:Barnabas, and Simeon who was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. ² While they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them." ³ Then, when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them away. ⁴ So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia and from there they sailed to Cyprus” (Acts 13:1-4). 

You, the church body, are a vital and necessary part of this commissioning service taking place here today. Think about what has gone before ... many of you have given so that others can go...others of you have given to purchase much needed materials for the construction project ...yet others of you have prayed and are serving as prayer partners. Some of us are blessed to go, but the ones who stay at home are the “rope holders.” Without you and the empowering of the Holy Spirit, we could not go. You see, this is a joint effort. Today, you, the Church, are commissioning your missionaries and sending them out.

In the words of this writer, “This great passage motivates us to go and evangelize.” This call came specifically to Isaiah, but in principle it is a call to us all. Our response, to God’s call, like that of Isaiah, must be a response of obedience, which is, “Here am I. Send me!” Will that be your response today?

CONCLUSION: In a few moments our missionaries will come forward to be commissioned and sent out, but right now the call of God is to the sinner to be saved. Salvation begins with confession and repentance. Confessing one’s sin to God, and turning from that sin. Turning from sin and self, and turning to the Savior. Will you receive Him as Lord and confess Him as Savior? The choice is yours!