Changes to Maturity

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TEACHER

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Lesson 5

BASIC BIBLICAL TEXT

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Isaiah 6.1-8

BASIC BIBLICAL TEXT

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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.

2 Above 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.

3 And they were calling to one another: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.”

4 At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.

BASIC BIBLICAL TEXT

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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.”

6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar.

7 With it he touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.”

8 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!”

GOLDEN TEXT

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!

2 Corinthians 5.17

GOALS

Understand that God's will is invariably good, pleasant and perfect;

Understand that only the Lord can cleanse human beings from their sins;

show gratitude to the Lord because He changes us, matures and prepares us.

INTRODUCTION

This lesson will highlight three fundamental and essential changes that took place in the life of the prophet Isaiah, whose name means “salvation of the Lord”. Known as the Old Testament evangelist, Isaiah was who most prophesied of the Messiah and the work of redemption. The changes experienced by this great man generated extraordinary principles, which, when applied, made him, as some scholars claim, one of the greatest prophets of the Old Testament.

The ability to promote

changes in yourself and your surroundings is an attribute given by God. Flexibility for changes correct old habits and routes that have worn out. The courage to change is an indicator of mental health wisdom

and spiritual maturity.

1. CHANGE OF KNOWLEDGE

Isaiah exercised his prophetic ministry at the time when kings Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah ruled. It was on the day that King Uzziah died that Jehovah decisively revealed himself to the Messianic prophet (Is 6:1)

1.1. God’s position

Every person who wants to develop, progress and thus reach maturity will need personal conviction, determination and the right vision of where he is and what level he wants to reach. More than anything else, it will be necessary to prepare yourself with the correct perception of the position occupied by the Lord God within your life process, as a whole.

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Possibly until the moment Isaiah saw the Lord sitting on His throne, this prophet's image and concept of God were different. Something very profound touched Isaiah's spirit, preparing him and making him mature for the great revelations he would receive from the Lord.

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1.2. God’s holiness

In the setting of this singular revelation of God to the prophet, angelic voices echoed in the Temple, coming from the seraphim, proclaiming the holiness of God. They reverently repeated before the Most High: Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of hosts.

The act of witnessing, prophesying, preaching, teaching, or doing any other activity for the Kingdom of God and in the name of the Lord, is an immense — and rewarding — responsibility. Everyone who does so, longs for change, and definitely needs to be aware of God's holiness.

1.3. The unlimited power of God

The impact that the Lord's vision had on the life of Isaiah was extraordinary, comprehensive, and uplifting. The prophet was never the same. The proclamation of the holiness of God, uttered by the seraphim, manifested the unlimited power of the Lord, shaking the pillars, the doors and the entire structure of the Temple. God then revealed to Isaiah his great power, demonstrating to him that all things are possible for him and that nothing can prevent His power to act (Luke 1:37). No one should doubt God's power or try to limit it (2 Kings 7:1-20)

2. CHANGE OF BEHAVIOR

In the Bible, there are many reports of people who saw the Lord: (Genesis 32:30); (Ex 19:3,20; 34:29-35). (Judges 6:22-24); Job (Job 42:5,10); (Rev 1.17)

In all these examples, a common point can be highlighted: there was change. (Phil 1.6).

2.1. Isaiah looked within himself

In Isaiah's powerful experience, he had three visions: the vision from above, when he sees the Lord; the view from within (introspective), when he sees himself; and the outside view, when he sees the mission fields.

Before the powerful and brilliant light of the Lord, and completely surrounded by the holy presence of God, Isaiah sees his spiritual condition and cries: Woe to me (Is 6:5)! The sins committed by Isaiah were numerous and deep, but God was ready to forgive him, blotting out his iniquity with a live coal taken from the altar (Is 6:7).

2.2. The way God treats sin

God has always wanted to show His children the harm that sin can do to them, and in dealing with the sins of men He has always had urgency. In the vision of the Messianic prophet, the seraph flew swiftly to the altar of God, bringing from there a live coal to touch his lips, and declaring: Behold, this has touched your lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin, purged (Isa 6:7).

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The God who touched Isaiah's lips with a live coal gave him a new language, a new expression, a holy, healthy and edifying communication. He is still the same mighty and forgiving God.

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2.2. The way God treats sin

Isaiah's attitude of taking away sin was as if God declared, “You are no longer guilty, you have been cleansed, you have changed, your past is behind you. Today, I am giving you wonderful gifts and blessings.”

2.3. Behavior of someone who saw God

Seeing God, as Isaiah did, is a unique and powerful experience, capable of changing anyone's life and behavior. And whoever recognizes that Jesus Christ is the Savior and Lord takes pleasure in walking as He walked (1 John 1:6):

* doing good (Acts 10:38);

* honoring the Father (John 8:49);

* glorifying God (John 17:4);

* comforting the sad (Luke 7:13);

* forgiving sinners (Mt 9:2);

* healing sick people (Mk 10:46-52);

* speaking the truth (John 8:40).

3. CHANGE OF WILL

After being touched on the lips, Isaiah felt that the weight of sin, iniquity, and guilt had been lifted from his heart, giving way to peace and rest. The changes in Isaiah's will brought him to maturity.

3.1. Knowing God and his will

Knowing God is a primary requirement for all people who want to grow and mature. But how can anyone know God?

There are three instruments of God's revelation: (1) nature reveals the works of God; (2) Jesus Christ reveals the person of God; (3) the Bible reveals the will of God.

Therefore, mankind can know God through the things He created, through nature and through the wonderful way everything works on Earth. Men can also know Him through Christ, through His teachings, through His way of living and loving; and lastly, man can know God through His Word.

3.2. Divine will and human will

In the biblical passages of Luke, Mark and Matthew, we can verify that, as a man, Jesus cried out to the Father, with tears, anguish and affliction, for a way out that could deliver him from death, but He suffered for the redemption of humanity, as it is also written in Hebrews 5.7,8.

God's will triumphed, giving everyone the legal right and wonderful opportunity to be saved. Just as the Lord Jesus surrendered to the perfect will of God, all who desire to live life with the eternal quality given by Him must submit to His will too, which is always good, perfect, and pleasing (Ps 40:8; Rom 12:2). ).

3.3. Isaiah’s changed will

The mighty voice of the Lord echoed in the sanctuary: Whom will I send, and who will go for us? and Isaiah answered, Here I am, send me (Isaiah 6:8).

Upon hearing the Lord's words, after all he had seen and felt, the prophet had no doubt. Completely changed, sanctified, anointed, and authorized, Isaiah, filled with the Spirit of God, willingly presents himself, declaring aloud, Here I am!

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3.3. Isaiah’s changed will

God himself had called, sanctified, and changed Isaiah. Now the prophet was mature and ready to do the will of the Lord wherever He would send him (Rom. 1:15).

Extraordinary changes made Isaiah mature for prophetic ministry, and God is still looking for hearts willing to be transformed and used within His will and eternal purposes.

CONCLUSION

According to Pastor Russell Shedd, of fond memory, Isaiah had a vision of Christ's glory before His incarnation, that is, the prophet experienced an epiphany of Christ before He became man. This vision transformed his life in every dimension.

To those who ardently desire to reach true spiritual maturity, it is necessary to pay attention to the revelations of Christ in the experience of life and, especially, in the Scriptures, as He himself declared: Search the Scriptures, because in them you think you have eternal life, and they are they that testify of me (John 5:39). To the question, whom shall I send, let the people of God individually answer, Here am I, send me (Is 6:8).

May God bless

your life!

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