Speaking For the Lord (Part 4)

This is the fourth in a series of articles I am writing to apply Isaiah 6:1-8 to the preacher. If you have not yet done so, please go back first and read Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3. If you are blessed by this article, please feel free to comment and definitely watch for more articles in this series.

BRIEF REVIEW: In trying to explain preaching to someone recently, my mind settled on Isaiah 6:1-8 as a very relevant passage for every preacher to hold in mind about the nature of what we do when we speak for God.

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. Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and 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. And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke. Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts. 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: And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged. Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me. - Isaiah 6:1-8.

I. First of all, WHO IS THIS GOD THAT SENT THE PREACHER?

A. HIS TITLES: We looked at these in Part 1 and Part 2.

B. HIS ATTRIBUTES: In Part 3, we began to look at these, including: 1. HE IS MAJESTIC, 2. HE IS AWE-INSPIRING, 3. HE IS THRICE-HOLY.  Now let us move on a bit further.

4. HE IS GLORIOUS: Verse 3 says "...the whole earth is full of his glory."
 
Much of this point would be covered under the previous point, HE IS MAJESTIC.  However, now let's not consider simply the fact of God's glory and majesty, but rather the scope of it.  The verse says, "the whole earth is full of his glory."  His glory is worldwide.  Applied to the preacher called by this same God, we may note the following:
 
a) There is no place on earth where God would not be glorified by the proper preaching of His word.  His message is to go worldwide for His glory.  Often times missionaries to particular locations are snubbed, or snubbed because they are not called to a certain region such as "the 10/40 window", or overlooked because they are planting churches in the home country, such as America.  This is wrong-headed on many levels, but most importantly because it denies where God can work and be glorified.  God is glorified just as much in the faithful preaching of His word in New York City or rural Alabama as He is in Papua New Guinea or the English countryside or the mountains of Tibet.  The whole earth is full of His glory.
 
b) There is no place on earth, no culture, no people, no tribe, no generation, no social class, no age group who could not see the glory of God if His word were preached and believed among them.  God's message and methods do not have to be modified for a different culture or different audience.  The glory of God is already in every place and "the word of God is not bound" - II Timothy 2:9.  It is not bound by time, distance or relevance.  The word of God stands eternal and applies to every creature.
 
c) There is no special place to which preaching must be restricted and no special glory to any particular location.  There is no more glory coming from a wooden pulpit inside the four walls of a church building than there is from the street corner where a faithful man is spreading the Gospel one-on-one.  There is no more of the glory of God in a large, beautiful, packed auditorium than there is in an apartment living room where a man preaches to a handful of believers hoping to plant a church some day.  The whole earth is full of God's glory.
 
d) To see God get all the glory must be the total desire of the preacher.  This was covered under "HE IS MAJESTIC" in Part 3.
 
The God-called preacher can rest assured that regardless of when and where he preaches, the faithful preaching of God's word will by honored by the presence of God's glory and will redound to the glory of God.  We don't have to look for moments like they have in the southern camp meetings, when they say "the glory fell" and then things really get interesting in the tent.  That is not happening because the glory of God suddenly showed up.  The glory is already here, wherever here is, and the God-called preacher can fully expect God to manifest His glory however He sees fit.