Here Am I – Send Me! Isaiah 6:1-8

Grace, mercy, and peace be with you, from God our Father, and our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who calls us to serve and bear witness.

Our message is from our Old Testament, especially verse 8: And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.”

In the Bible, we have examples of God bringing His Word to His people and to the world, through both willing, and unwilling prophets. 

In today’s Old Testament, God calls Isaiah, who is bold and excited to serve.

In last Sunday’s Old Testament, we heard God call Jeremiah, who was timid and hesitant to serve.

The difference between them is kind of like the difference between students, when the teacher asks a difficult question, and most of them are looking down, thinking, “Please don’t say my name.” But one or two are looking up, waving their hand, saying, “I know; I know.”

Jeremiah was looking down, thinking, “Don’t send me.”.

Isaiah was looking up, saying, “Please, send me!” 

The thing is, God worked through them both.

And God can work through us, even when we’re hesitant, or we’re not quite sure.

God told Jeremiah that it was his destiny, his calling to be a prophet, but Jeremiah wasn’t so sure. 

God said to him, Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.”

Jeremiah objected. He said, Lord God… I do not know how to speak, for I am only a youth.” 

God answered: “Do not say, ‘I am only a youth’; for to all to whom I send you, you shall go, and whatever I command you, you shall speak. 8 Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you, declares the Lord.” 

So Jeremiah went and delivered God’s Word to the people, and he was often hated for it. 

And he often complained about it. In fact, he wrote a whole book of complaints about it, called Lamentations.

In spite of Jeremiah’s fear and complaining, God was with him, and took care of him, and gave him the words to say. 

And in that way God’s message was heard; but sadly, it was often disregarded, just as it can be, and some might argue, often is, today.

We all need God’s Word to correct us, and forgive us, and reconnect us with God. 

There was another prophet, who, when God spoke to him, and told him that He was going to send Him to a very large and very ungodly city, took a boat in the opposite direction. 

But God intervened, sending a great storm on the sea, and the ship was in danger of sinking. So the crew cast lots, and determined the storm was his fault, and they threw him overboard. 

But God saved him by sending a huge fish, that swallowed him, and after 3 days, spit him up on shore, which was a foreshadowing of Jesus rising from the tomb on the third day.

Do you know which prophet this was`? Jonah

After that, Jonah got on the very next boat to Nineveh. And he told the people that God was calling them to repent, and if they would turn to God, He would spare them. 

They believed, and repented, and God forgave them, even though Jonah was mad about it and pouted. He wanted to see them punished. But God still worked though him, delivering the message that saved the city.

Sometimes we may be reluctant to share God’s Word, or our motives to serve are flawed, but even so, God can work through us.

There was another unwilling prophet, who ended up being one of the greatest of the prophets. God called him from a burning bush; it was on fire, but wasn’t burning up, because God was present.

God told this prophet that he had been chosen to lead God’s people out of slavery in Egypt, through the desert, to the Promised Land. 

Do you know who this was? Moses.

After hearing what God wanted him to do, Moses said to God, “Please send someone else.” God said, “But I chose you.”.

Moses said, “I’m not capable.” God said, “But I am, and I’ll be with you.” 

So Moses went, and God went with him, and did miracles through him. 

Moses lacked confidence in himself and his ability to lead, but he had something better than his own ability: he had God. 

God was his confidence; and God is our confidence.

And, although reluctant at first, Moses, by God’s grace and with His help, became a great prophet and leader. 

In contrast to the reluctant prophets, were the prophets who gladly answered God’s call.  

This particular person was both a prophet and a king; a prophet, in that he wrote many of the Psalms in the Bible, and by God’s grace and choosing, he was anointed, and became a great king of Israel.

Because he trusted in the Lord, he answered God’s call at first opportunity, when he was still young.

The Israelite army was cowering in fear of a huge and mighty warrior, Goliath. But a young man, not a warrior, just a shepherd boy, wasn’t afraid; he knew God would be with him.

And the boy’s name was…? David.

With only God and a sling shot, young David defeated mighty Goliath; again, it was God’s doing. 

Unlike Jeremiah, David didn’t think he was too young to answer God’s call, and face God’s enemies, and confront evil in the world.

Also answering God’s call without hesitation, was Isaiah.

God’s call came to Isaiah in a vision of the throne of God, in the temple of Heaven, guarded and attended by the six-winged seraphim, who were praising God, saying, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!” 

Our opening hymn today, and the Sanctus in the communion liturgy, are based on this verse.

Upon seeing the Lord, Isaiah cried out in fear, “Woe is me… for I am a man of unclean lips… and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!” 

Isaiah, as a sinner in the presence of God, who is holy, expected to die. 

But an angel, one of the seraphs, touched Isaiah’s lips with a live coal. And he said, your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.” 

For the sake of Jesus, who would die for Isaiah’s sin, and your and my sin, and the world’s sin, for His sake Isaiah was forgiven, just as you and I and all who repent and trust in Christ are forgiven.

Having purified Isaiah with His forgiveness, God announced His call, not through one of the angels, but with His own words, saying: “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” 

With no hesitation whatsoever, Isaiah answered: “Here am I! Send me.”

For generations, these words have inspired God’s people to be bold and willing to serve.

From the examples of both willing and reluctant prophets, we learn…

1) God is our strength; by His power, we serve. When we are weak, He is strong. When we fall short, He picks us up, and helps us to carry on. As we said before, even if we’re unsure or reluctant or feel incapable, God can still work though us.

2) We can learn to love to serve God and share His Word, even if we’re hesitant at first. The Holy Spirit helps us to grow in the joy of serving.

3) We’re all called to serve God and bear witness to Christ. We’re all called to look up and say, “Choose me; send me!”. 

It’s a great honor to serve God, and He has called all His baptized children to receive this honor, and to serve Him in all the contexts of our lives -- at home, at church, at work, at school, in the community, and beyond. 

In all these places, wherever we are, God is with us, encouraging and empowering us to share and show His love, and speak His truth.

4) We don’t have to share and serve alone; God is always with those He calls to serve and follow Him. 

Also we’re not alone because we have the fellowship of God’s people; together, we know Christ, and together we make Him known. 

And even if we find ourselves alone at times, we’re not alone; God is with us, and the prayers of His people are with us, encouraging and strengthening us, making us bold to share the good news with all who will hear; or as we said in our introit, to proclaim His mighty works to another generation, and His power to those yet to come.

And finally, because our mighty God is always with us as serve, we always have His peace which passes understanding, and guards our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, to whom we say, “Here Am I. Send me.” Amen.