by Pastor Daniel
 
Introduction
What does worship do to a child of God?  When one enters into the presence of God to worship Him, something dramatic and personal must happen.  As we have seen in the past, haven’t we!
 
One classic example is the prophet Isaiah.  He had a vision of God in the temple in Isaiah chapter six.  There the prophet had a vision of the angels of host worshipping the Lord of hosts.  Not only did he has a vision, he actually entered right into the presence of God and joined the angels in worshipping the Lord.
 
But something else more interesting had happened in that encounter.
 
When one enters into the presence of God, one would never leave the place the same again.
 
AN ENCOUNTER LIKE NEVER BEFORE
It must have been an encounter Isaiah would never forget.  He saw the Lord in “His fullness”.  No one in the Old Testament would have such an encounter.  Moses was denied the full revelation, Job abhorred himself in ashes, Ezekiel was speechless and John at Patmos fell to his feet as if he was dead.
 
Isaiah must have soaked it all in at that very moment.  He saw probably the greatest worship ever seen.  He encountered true worship in its purest kind.  The scene was simply jaw-dropping.  It was 5-D state of art, it was magic at its height, it was mystery and reality all mixed up, it was an encounter with God himself.
 
We all wished we could have such an encounter ourselves.  No music could match it, no words could measure up, no scores could drown what he saw and heard that day.
 
A CONVICTION SO STRONG
Yet through it all, was something so unexpected.  Something we would not imagine would happen to the prophet.  Everytime I read this passage of Isaiah’s encounter, I cannot help but ask the same question - what did he actually see?
 
The simple purity and holiness of God’s presence could not leave Isaiah the same again.  What he actually saw was the reality of himself.  He was a prophet, he was the man of the hour, he was in the right calling of his life, he was right in the circle of God’s holy people - but what did he see?
 
His response will always keep us wondering.  It was as if after listening and seeing the worship around him, he too wanted to join in the worship and looking for the right words to say.   When he finally opened his mouth, all the words he could garnered was, “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!”
 
That was all he could find within his lips. He saw the grace of God and his sinfulness. He saw the worth of God and his unworthiness. He saw the greatness of God and saw his minute existence.  His most holy part (his lips that spoke the Word of God as a prophet) was still no match of the holiness of God.
 
He came out of that place changed, transformed with a new conviction in his heart. If he knew how to sing “Amazing Grace”, that would be his song.
 
A COMMITMENT SO UNSHAKEN
What was the result of the consequence of this experience of worship?  In 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 I am! Send me.’”
 
That was the response.  What resulted was a commitment so unshaken.  It was service unrestrained.  It was surrender with no holding back.   It was beyond feeling, it was beyond being liked. 
 
When one has such an encounter, one could expect extraordinary power in service.  However, what comes after that was a commission to preach to people who will not hear, hearts that are dull and eyes that would refuse to see.  Would that deter him from serving?
 
Conclusion
“Enter to worship, exit to serve!” is exactly what Isaiah experienced. My urge and challenge for all of us is this, that we too will have an unshackled commitment. It does not matter if someone hurts me or disappointments me or even betrays me but what really matters is that I have an encountered with God the like of which I have never experienced before, a conviction so strong resulting in a commitment that is unwavering and steadfast. Let us rise to serve our God and our God alone.