EPIPHANY 5, C, 2010

SCRIPTURES – Isaiah 6:1-8; 1 Cor. 14:12-20; Luke 5:1-11; Psalm 71 

 

Who is God? What is He like? Both our Old Testament reading from Isaiah and our Gospel reading from Luke answer these questions. We often think that the Old Testament and the New Testament are so different. Actually, they speak the same message, proclaim the same God; we see this today. Who is God? Today’s readings from Isaiah and Luke answer this question in the same way. They proclaim:

 

THIS IS GOD

 

I.              THE HOLY ONE.

 

Isaiah sees God in His glory. How awesome! How incredible! Wouldn’t that be thrilling? Isaiah isn’t thrilled. He’s terrified. “Woe is me! For I am lost!” he cries out. God’s glory, you see, isn’t some great vision that impresses and thrills, like the beautiful, fiery sky of a blazing sunset over the mountains, or the grandeur of a star filled sky on a moonless night.

à        Sit in a pew here that has the brilliant light of the sun shining brightly upon it through the windows, and look right up at it. You’ll get a small, very small taste of what seeing God’s glory must have been like for Isaiah.

God is a consuming fire. He is not only intense and blinding love, but also intense and blinding hatred of sin and evil. And, sin fills us! Evil thoughts and desires are in our hearts and minds; they corrupt our actions. “Woe is me! For I am lost!” “Destroyed” is what Isaiah literally says. God is holy, and that is a threat to us sinners.

 

Peter feels this, too, even though he is in the presence of the humble and gentle Jesus. Now, what the big deal? Why does Peter say, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord." After all, he had done what Jesus asked. He had taken Him out fishing and let down the nets. Yes, he had; after first saying, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.” We fished all night! You know, the time when you’re supposed to fish, the time that they fish are feeding? But, since you’re a great prophet (even if you’re not a great fisherman), I’ll let down the nets… and you’ll see that I know what I’m doing!

 

Peter’s a good illustration of our sin. Sin isn’t just making mistakes: some poor decisions, some unfortunate choices. Sin is knowing what God says you should do, but then saying, “Sorry, but no, God, you don’t know what you are saying. I can’t trust you. I know better, and so I am going to do what I want.”

 

Who do we think we are?! Peter thinks he is a better fisherman than Jesus. Then, he sees that Jesus knows – without training, without first trying this area and then that area – where the fish are. He knows as only God the Creator could know! Who was he to have doubted Jesus? "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord." He knew what Isaiah knew: that he had no right to be in the Creator’s awesome presence. Nor do any of us sinful mortals.

 

But then he learned what Isaiah learned, and what we all need to learn again and again: God is

 

II.            THE SAVIOR OF SINNERS.

 

Does God destroy Isaiah, as he fears? Does Jesus depart from Peter? No. He draws near. God draws near to sinners who know and are distressed by their sin. To sinners who know and are distressed by their sin. Those who do not care about their sin, who are not troubled, do not want to be different, do not want to hear about it, do not want to listen to and follow God or anyone but themselves – they will surely find God to be their enemy, one who in His holy judgment will condemn them. But those who know their sins and lament them find in God a merciful Savior who says, “Do not be afraid. Your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.”

 

à        This, by the way, is why we confess our sins every week as we begin our worship. It is not to punish ourselves by being reminded of how bad we are. It is so that we might hear and know again and again that our God is the Savior of sinners who draws near to us with mercy!

 

Confess your sin, then! Admit to God that you are a sinner! You will then find in Him a loving and comforting Savior. You don’t deserve His mercy, and certainly haven’t earned His forgiveness. Both Isaiah and Peter knew this. But, without their asking, God graciously responded to each of them with forgiveness, a forgiveness that was complete, covering and removing all of their sins. Salvation from sin by God’s work alone and by grace alone: that is the teaching of the Bible in both the Old and New Testaments.

 

The holy God draws near to sinners to save them. Isaiah and Peter not only came to know this. They felt it, heard it.

“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.’ ”

“Jesus said to Simon, ‘Do not be afraid.’ ”

Even more than sin is a real thing, a matter of flesh and blood disobedience, salvation is a flesh and blood reality. God drew near in flesh to save us, humbled Himself to come down among us in our flesh and blood, take our sins upon Himself, and pay for them with His life. He puts that salvation, that forgiveness, into words that we hear with our ears: “I forgive you your sins. Do not be afraid!” He puts it into bread and wine which touch our lips, which are the body and blood of Jesus that forgive our sins. Draw near to hear; come to have God’s forgiveness touch your lips! Stay away from this forgiveness, and you will die in your sins. Draw near in faith, and you will not only live; you will be changed!

 

This is the final thing that these readings from the Old and New Testaments reveal to us about God: He is

 

III.           THE RENEWER OF SINNERS.

 

 “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.” God hasn’t saved you so that you can live in sin. He hasn’t saved you so that you can live for yourself. “Here am I! Send me!” That is what God wants us to say.

 

Here am I? Who am I? What can I do? That is what we often think. Who are you? You are those the Lord God Almighty has forgiven! His forgiveness has touched your lips! His mighty voice is in your ears!

 

God called Isaiah to be His prophet. Jesus called Peter to be His apostle. You have not been called to be such. But, you are just as much forgiven, just as much His children as they are! The same Jesus died for us! The same forgiveness touches our lips!

 

Prophets and apostles are not the only ones God uses. Our world needs parents and grandparents who know the Savior, who listen to and share His voice. Our world needs business owners and bankers and salesmen and teachers and students and nurses who know God, the comfort of His forgiveness and the blessing of His wisdom and guidance, and who serve Him in their work. You are His representatives in this world. “Here am I! Send me!” God does so when you leave this church.

 

This is why the holy God draws near to you with His forgiveness. This is why God, by grace alone, saved you: that you might be new, His representatives in this world! So, go and serve well in whatever vocation you have! Do not be afraid, for you live in God’s forgiveness, and He goes with you as you serve.