Hello and welcome to church online with Mission Grove by show of hands real quick. How many of you have played the game monopoly growing up as a child, anybody Okay, well this is a video so I have no idea how many of you are raising your hands right now, but I do appreciate the effort now. When you think back to this game, what was your favorite game piece? Take a look at the screen and I want you in the comments section of whatever platform you're watching this on and and let us know what was your favorite monopoly game piece when you were playing For me, it was always the shoe because I always told people that I was ready to kick some butt. Well if you've played the game, you're familiar that throughout the board you find question mark spaces that are marked chance when you landed on the chance square or a piece, you would pick up a card and you had to do what it said. Do you know the most famous of chance cards? You guessed it? It was the go directly to jail card. I'm not sure why. Out of all the chance cards, Our minds tend to go to the negative, but maybe that's another reason why we need to stay positive. I'm not gonna talk about that card today. But what I want to talk about is another card that was found in the chance pile. It was a card that said advance to go. This meant that no matter where you were on the board, you got to circle around and go to the starting spot in the same way, I want to talk about what it means to advance to go in your spiritual life, I'm not sure where you are in the board of life. But hopefully by the end of this message, you will be in the starting position, ready to go in the name of jesus. We are currently walking through our series entitled Stay Positive. That's because in the middle of this crisis, when you turn on the news or on social media, so many different times, you find negative messages surrounding our minds. So instead of focusing on the negative, we want to help you stay positive. Today's message is entitled whoa to go and we're gonna talk about a profit that moved from his starting spot which was whoa and he landed in the go position, Ready to live on mission for the name of God. If you have your bibles opened up to Isaiah specifically Isaiah chapter six To give you a little bit of background on our passage today, the prophet Isaiah lived during the eighth century Bc. His name literally means salvation or Yahweh is salvation. The king during that time was King Josiah. He ruled for 52 years before he died suddenly of Leprosy. Now let's turn to our passage and pick up a story here in Isaiah chapter six verse one in the year that King josiah died, I saw the Lord sitting upon the throne, I want to pause here for just a moment because when I've read this passage before, I always get to the exciting part where Isaiah is gonna say, I'm ready to go for you God. And so you focus in on that and we're gonna get there. But this part really stuck out to me because when you read the phrase in the year, King Josiah died. Yes, it's a time marker, but also it's a major disruption and crisis in the society in which Isaiah lived. Think about that for a second. He was the most known ruler in the world And he ruled for over 50 years. But notice the contrast that in the year that king Josiah died, he saw the Lord sitting upon a throne. This means that even in the worst of circumstances, God is sitting on his throne, you can take that same phrase, remove King Josiah dying and insert things like in the year of the coronavirus, I saw the Lord sitting on his throne in the year that I lost my job or my relationship broke up or I experience some sickness, whatever it is that you're walking through right now. Whatever difficult circumstance that you're experiencing the second half of that is still true today. That in the year of COVID-19, the Lord still sits on his throne and it's this picture that gives Isaiah the power to move forward, let's continue on. So the Lord was sitting upon a throne high and lifted up the train of his robe filled with the temple above him stood to the Seraphim. Each had six wings. With two, he covered his face with two, he covered his feet and with two he flew. And I want to pause there for just a moment. These creatures, we don't know a lot about them. They're called Seraphim but we know that they were created specifically to worship God. And even these angelic beings created to worship God still were not worthy of the power of the almighty God. So what did they sing? Let's find out, let's continue reading and one called to another and said, Holy Holy Holy is the Lord of hosts. The whole earth is full of his glory. And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called and the house was filled with smoke. Now in these first four verses we see a vision of God's glory. We see his power that when a culture was in upheaval, when the culture experienced a disruption or a crisis of their leader dying, their God was still on his throne, his robe filling the temple really his robe filling all of the earth. And that these angelic beings created to worship, notice that they called out to one another. See when we worship, we don't simply worship to God but we worship shouting back and forth together. That's why I'm so excited to gather once again so that we can worship the name of God who is sitting on a throne and so what are they saying? Well they are saying Holy Holy Holy Now the word Holy means to be set apart now to be Holy Holy is the idea of being holier or or better. It's at an E. R. To the end of it. Now when you see a word repeated three times, that's like a superlative. So it would be like tall, taller, tallest. You know this is is a good better best. So when you see Holy Holy Holy that was reserved, only forgot that is the most set apart the most holy of any being. And he says in there that the Lord of hosts, it says the whole earth is full of his glory. So all of creation is crying out that God is revered that God should be worshiped, that God is the king and that his glory should be lifted up. So you can see that in verses one through four of our passage, that Isaiah gets a vision of God's glory and God's greatness when you have a big vision of God, it impacts your life in an incredible way. Let me put it to you this way. Are there any parents out there that have purchased what are called pillow pets for their kids. They look kind of like this guy. These are stuffed animals that also serve as night lights. Now my kids have loved it and my youngest daughter Chloe when we would tuck her in and she had one for a little bit before our kids broke it as kids tend to do, but when she had, when she would hug the pillow and then the lights would shine through and on her ceiling there would be little projections of stars and so she goes, look daddy stars. Now that was cute. But were those in fact stars? No, not even close. And if you didn't use the pillow pets, maybe you've tried sticking or gluing those glow in the dark star decals in your Children's rooms quick in the comment section. If you've done that for your kiddos at some point in time, let us know so we can connect. No while the idea of placing, you know, stick on stars or a night light glowing stars in someone's room is nice. That doesn't actually depict what the night sky really looks like. One of the things I've loved about living in Arizona is that when you go up north a little bit, whether you go to Prescott or you go up to Flagstaff, you can get some incredible views of the stars. I remember being at a summer camp at U C Y. C. And I was on a late night hike with some of my students and that night was incredible. You see it was a no moon, there was no moon out that night, but there was also no clouds and so when you looked up into the sky, you literally saw an infinite amount. I put my hands out like this and looking through my hands, I counted over 100 stars in just a few inches. And so standing there in awe in the night with my students was one of my most favorite worshipful times there that summer camp. Why? Because when I looked up and saw how big the universe really is, when I see how incredible creation really is, I worship in the glory of God. Now when you look at a nightlight, you don't really worship that. That's cute. But when you see the night sky, you cannot help but fall on your knees and praise God at his glory. And so here's a question for you, do you have a nightlight jesus or a night sky, jesus. See a nightlight, jesus is something that you use and it's cute you use it to cuddle in at night and maybe pray to and it's nice but it really has no majestic power in your life, I don't know about you, but I don't really want to have a nightlight jesus, a nightlight jesus doesn't help me in times of crisis. Now when I look up to the stars, when I see the sky, when I look at the beauty of a sunrise or a sunset and I see the majestic power of creation, I stand in awe of who God is and then I trust his power in the middle of a crisis and this is the vision that Isaiah had. They're in the year of a crisis, in the year that King Josiah died. He had a crystal clear vision of the Lord sitting on his throne and these angelic beings known as Seraphim says worshiping God crying, Holy holy holy, do you have a nightlight, jesus or do you have a night sky jesus and a big vision of God's glory because that's important. So let's continue reading and I said, referring to Isaiah and I said, woe is me, whoa is right. What other response is there to an interaction and a vision with God's glory. This is a common response found throughout scripture that when you connect with the holiness of God, you recognize that you are not worthy and that you are not holy moses in exodus chapter three verse six, when he came before a burning bush fell and to his knees to his face to the ground and hit his face from God's glory Peter and Luke. Chapter 5: verse eight, when he recognized that Jesus was the Christ, he fell to his knees and said that I am not worthy. The apostle john when he got the vision of revelation that we have as the last book of the bible in revelation 1 17. His response to the vision of God was to fall on his face when you get a vision of God's glory. You cannot help but get to this posture of woe is me, Isiah continues, he says, for I am lost for I am a man of unclean lips and we dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips. For my eyes have seen the king, the Lord of hosts. Then one of the Seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar and he touched my mouth and said, behold this has touched your lips. Your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for. Now. That's kind of a weird picture, a burning coal going in and touching his lips. But really what this is is a symbol of God providing payment or atoning for his sins. This is a foreshadow of what christ would do for us on the cross, Jesus died on the cross and by dying on the cross, he paid the payment or atonement or propitiate a shin for your sins and for mine. Which then when he rose again on the third day, that means that not only our sins covered, but that jesus conquered death. In verses one through 4, Isaiah gets a vision of God's glory, But then in verses five through 7, Isaiah Experiences God's Grace. Grace can be defined as God's unmerited favor. By definition, we do not deserve it In the new testament we find out that in Ephesians chapter two, that we are saved by grace through faith. This is a foreshadow or a picture of what christ would do on the cross, Jesus paid for your sins and for mine, when you experience the grace of God, you experience a weight lifted off your shoulders and you can have the ability now to love and forgive others because you yourself have been forgiven when you've been forgiven of eternal damnation, eternal separation from God. You are now filled with grace filled with mercy, filled with love to the point that you can overflow that love and extend grace to those around you. This is why it's so important to know that when jesus came in, john chapter 1 14, it says that he came full of truth and grace. And if Jesus was full of truth and grace, we too can experience God's grace and be changed by? So in verses one through four, we see that Isaiah had a vision for God's glory. Then in verses five through seven, we see that Isaiah experienced God's grace and that leads us to the climax of our story here, found in verse eight and I heard the voice of the Lord saying, whom shall I send, whom will go for us? And then I said here I am send me and I want to pause for those that might be wondering, hey, why is there an us in there that's known as trinity, arian language. You see that also in genesis chapter one when when God was speaking God the father of the Holy Spirit and jesus the son the trinity known there as God himself and three persons was speaking to one another. So here is the trinity, speaking to one another and saying, who shall I send and who will go for us. And now we see this response of Isaiah In Verse five, he says, Woe is me. And verse eight, he says, send me look at that radical transformation. You see this incredible picture here in just five small words. Here I am send me if you're taking notes, I want to give you a formula which lands at this point of here I am Send me and the formula is real simple. It's this a vision of God's glory plus an experience of God's grace equals a transformed life Ready for mission. I'm gonna say that again, a vision for God's glory, that's versus one through 4 Plus an experience of God's grace, that's versus five through 7 equals a transformed life Ready for mission In the year, King Josiah died in the middle of a country crisis and disruption to society. Isaiah goes from whoa in verse five to go in verse eight and he does that because he has a vision for God's glory. He experiences for his forgiveness and grace and therefore his life is transformed and ready to live on mission. In that passage, God doesn't lay out a plan for Isaiah, he simply wants to know who is available, who is faithful and who is ready and Isaiah was ready. Can you say those words? Can you say God? I have a big vision of you, I don't have a nightlight jesus, I have a night sky jesus. I personally have experienced God's grace. I personally have been forgiven and felt the freedom from sin and the joy that comes from having the holy spirit dwelling inside of me and so that here I am God, I don't know the question, but the answer is yes, I don't know the details, but I'm ready to go, I'm ready to obey. This week I lost one of my spiritual heroes. His name was ravi Zacharias. He was an apologetics teacher speaker pastor who traveled the world. He would host theological and philosophical debates at places like Cambridge and Harvard, but yet he walked and he talked with such a grace and elegance and sweetness about him that even people who argued and disagreed with him loved him because of his kind and gentle ways. He was quoted as saying this. There is no greater discovery than seeing God as the author of your destiny. Ravi Zacharias had a big vision of God's glory and he had a personal experience with God's grace and God sent him all over the world to bring the good news of jesus now as pastors and churches and ministry leaders and people around the world mourned his death this week, I want to show you a clip and at this clip. This is from just a couple of years ago. In fact, it was at the funeral of Billy Graham. Billy Graham known as the greatest preacher of our generation, the greatest preacher in the last 100 years had passed away and at his funeral ravi Zacharias was questioned and asked who would be next. I want you to listen to his response, Charles Wesley said God buries his workmen, but his work goes on. Wesley came, he left, you know, sunday came, he left moody came, he left, he had all these great speakers. Billy served his time. We can never live in the past, but we must stand on their shoulders. We must stand on their shoulders to look forward because they are followers like people like apostle paul and Augustine and all of those we tested on their shoulders. We cannot lose heart, nor can we place the ultimate confidence in just a human being. Our confidence is in the person of jesus christ. The word becoming flesh and dwelling among us, that's who we preach paul says. We don't preach ourselves. Billy never preached themselves, so a great voice has been lost. But the message goes on and that's what we will continue proclaiming. We are living in a confluence of great uncertainty with great hunger. I've never seen such uncertainty in our world, but neither have I seen such hunger. The universities, we go to a packed with thousands of students coming to here. We must honor God with the truth and do it in a way. You know, Spurgeon had a sermon called gathering at the center. We come through different parts but we gather at the center and so our paths will be different. But the center is the same. Thank you so much. It's amazing to me what ravi Zacharias said about Billy Graham can now also be said about him. The world lost a voice this week but God's work continues on. I can say that in the year that ravi Zacharias died, the Lord still sits on his throne. So who will pick up that mantle? Who will pick up the baton that ravi Zacharias set as an example to preach the word of God boldly and to walk in grace and humility, who will stand up and say, here am I send me. We are standing on the shoulders of faith giants. Our church did not just come from scratch, but rather people investing in our lives that leading us to where we are today to where now as a church, we want to plant a grove of church is a church that will start churches that start churches because we want the work of God to multiply well beyond us. If someone just speaks and they die, their words die with them. But if someone speaks of the works of God. Those words live for all eternity. So who will rise up? Who will be willing to go from whoa to go. I'm not sure where you are in the game board of life, but it's my prayer that you can advance to go, that you can have a big vision of God's glory and a personal experience of God's grace. And then when you do that, you will be ready to live a transformed life on mission for him. Let's pray dear Heavenly father God, we mourn the loss of religious and spiritual leaders and giants like ravi Zacharias, but ravi didn't speak of himself. He spoke of your gospel and that work lives on. And so God here in the year of Covid 19, here in the year of crisis and uncertainty. We know that you still sit on the throne, God, we don't want to have a nightlight jesus. We want to have a night sky, infinite, eternal God who created us loves us and is here with us right now in this moment and God because of that power, because of that presence. Okay, we can be forgiven. Thank you for dying for us. Thank you for saving us. Thank you for forgiving us. May we have a vision of your glory. May we experience your grace and may we live a transformed life on mission for you. We love you God, it's in your son's name. We pray amen If you prayed to believe and trust in God just now or if you feel challenged to to live out and to live on mission, let us know, fill out the connect card on our website or comment in our discussions on whatever platform you're watching so that we can connect with you and have a personal relationship and conversation on some next steps in your life. God bless, have an incredible week, and we'll see you next sunday.