1 In 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.
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!”
9 He said, “Go and tell this people:“‘Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving.’
10 Make the heart of this people calloused;make their ears dull and close their eyes.
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,hear with their ears,understand with their hearts,and turn and be healed.”
11 Then I said, “For how long, Lord?”And he answered:“Until the cities lie ruined and without inhabitant,until the houses are left deserted and the fields ruined and ravaged,
12 until the LORD has sent everyone far away and the land is utterly forsaken.
13 And though a tenth remains in the land, it will again be laid waste. But as the terebinth and oak leave stumps when they are cut down, so the holy seed will be the stump in the land.”
A Vision-Driven Life (Isaiah 6:1–13)
Intooduction
The Bible says; Without vision, the people lose control.( Proverbs 29:18）
Abraham heard the voice of God and left his homeland for the land of Canaan. Moses saw the burning bush in the wilderness and obeyed God’s command to lead His people out of Egypt.
As Christians, we are meant to live with God’s vision.
Today, let’s learn from the vision that the prophet Isaiah saw and what it means for us.
1. Vision-Directed Perspective ( 6:1–4)
Isaiah’s encounter with God, marking the beginning of his ministry.
Though we are not like Isaiah—we may not see such an earth-shaking vision—the focus of the vision is this: through the image of the throne and the angels’ cries of “Holy, holy, holy,” God revealed His holiness to Isaiah!
2. Vision-Directed Heart ( 6:5–8)
The moment Isaiah saw the vision, he said,“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, ” ( 6:5)
Isaiah was highly sensitive to sin. As a servant of God, he was awakened to the fact that he must be pure in speech, behavior, and character, and not take this lightly.
When he saw God, he confessed his sinfulness, recognizing his unworthiness to serve and his complete dependence on God’s grace.
We are the same. We must also admit that we are sinners. Just as Paul declared that he was the worst of sinners, yet by the grace and mercy of Jesus Christ, he was empowered to serve God. (1 Timothy 1:15–16)
At that moment, Isaiah’s life was purified—his eyes were opened, his ears heard God clearly., and his mind was enlightened. Then he heard the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?”
Discussion 1
• Has God given you a mission or a calling?
• Is He asking you to rise up and serve in some way?
Historically, when God’s chosen people face crises, God raises up individuals to take on the responsibility of delivering His people.
In Moses’ time, God called him to save His people from slavery.
Similarly, in Chinese church history, during times of hardship and darkness over a hundred years ago, God raised up influential preachers like John Sung and Watchman Nee to serve their generation. In 1807, Robert Morrison (1782–1834) went from England to China to preach the gospel.
Ｄuring times of crisis, God always raises His servants to respond to the challenges of the age.
Today, the world is full of change and challenges ：new technologies and AI； political, economic,wars and military tensions are rising, But I believe that God still desires to raise up His servants today to meet the challenges of this generation.
Discussion 2
Have you ever refused an invitation to serve?
Have you ever said “no” to God’s call to serve?
Isaiah immediately responded,“Here am I. Send me!” ( 6:8)
This is a deeply reflective response, expressing his understanding of God and himself: “Who am I, that I should be chosen by God and receive His grace?”
For if God does not send us, we cannot serve.
Isaiah responded with gratitude: “Please send me! I am willing from the heart—please send me.”
3. Ａ Vision-Directed Offering (6:9–10)
God’s sending was also the beginning of Isaiah’s testing and growth. Why?
Because the mission he received was essentially an “impossible task.” God told him to speak to the people, but they wouldn’t listen:
“You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.”God was afraid that if the people did see and hear and understand, they would repent and be healed. ( 6:9)
Who doesn’t want their ministry to bear immediate fruit? To preach and have everyone repent, to pray and see instant healing?
But God called Isaiah to a seemingly fruitless ministry—he would speak, and they would not respond.
- Ｊｕｓｔ Like helping a couple, but they still get divorced.
- Or giving advice, but the person still fails.
- The more he preached, the less impact he saw.
How can one stay committed in such a situation?
Yet Isaiah still said,“Here am I. Send me!” (6:8)
He accepted this difficult, even impossible mission.
4. Ａ Vision-Directed Faithfulness (6:9–13)
Isaiah kept serving God for more than 30 years.
From King Uzziah to King Hezekiah, Isaiah stayed faithful, even when people didn’t listen.
If you’ve read the biography of Robert Morrison, you’ll know that when he went to China, it seemed like he didn’t accomplish much:
He translated the Chinese-English Dictionary—what does that have to do with evangelism?
He tried to translate the Bible -- who was even going to read it?
In his lifetime, only two people came to faith through him.
His ministry didn’t appear to bear much fruit.
Yet the results of his work were in God’s hands.
Though he didn’t see the harvest with his own eyes, he saw it with eyes of faith.
More than two hundred years later, how many believers are there in China? Some say around 100 million.How many people read the Bible in China today?
It all began with him.
The results were in God’s hands.Even when we don’t see the results, God is working.
God’s blessings are always more than we can see.
Conclusion
• God is calling each of us.
• He wants us to live with His vision.
• He wants our hearts, our lives, and our faithfulness.
Will you say like Isaiah?
“Here I am. Send me!”
