Isaiah 6:1–8
Guest Pastor Chad Shapiro | Spicewood Baptist Church

Are We Following Jesus—or Just Going Through the Motions?

It is possible to become familiar with church without continually being transformed by God.

We can attend worship, know the songs, listen to sermons, read familiar passages, and settle into comfortable routines. We can even become involved in ministry while losing some of our wonder at who God is.

Guest Pastor Chad Shapiro begins this message with a personal challenge: God has not gathered His people merely to go through the motions. He desires to shape us from the inside out so that we become more like Jesus and more useful in His hands.

Isaiah 6 gives us a powerful picture of how that transformation happens.

Isaiah encounters the holiness of God. In God’s presence, he recognizes his own sinfulness. God graciously cleanses him. Then—and only then—Isaiah hears God’s call:

“Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?”

Isaiah responds:

“Here am I! Send me.” — Isaiah 6:8

Those famous words don’t stand alone. Something happened in Isaiah before he was ready to say them.

And that gives us a pattern worth examining in our own lives:

See God.
Confess sin.
Receive grace.
Accept the mission.

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Before “Send Me” Comes Isaiah 6:1–7

“Here am I! Send me” is one of the most familiar statements in Isaiah.

It’s courageous. It’s memorable. It’s the kind of verse we might put on a wall, a shirt, or even write somewhere as a reminder that we want to be available to God.

But Chad challenges us not to skip what comes before verse 8.

Isaiah doesn’t simply wake up one morning and decide to become more committed.

First, he encounters God.

Then he recognizes his own condition.

Then God provides cleansing.

Then Isaiah responds to God’s call.

Understanding that order changes the way we understand Christian service.

Our mission doesn’t begin with trying harder.

It begins with seeing God more clearly.

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1. See God: “High and Lifted Up”

Isaiah’s vision begins during a time of uncertainty:

“In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up…” — Isaiah 6:1

A king has died.

Leadership has changed.

The future is uncertain.

But Isaiah discovers something enormously important:

The throne of heaven is not empty.

Earthly circumstances may change. Human leaders come and go. Our own lives can be disrupted by financial uncertainty, difficult relationships, loss, disappointment, fear, and questions about the future.

God has not disappeared.

Isaiah sees Him “high and lifted up.”

Chad emphasizes that when we face uncertainty, we need a clear understanding of who God is.

Before Isaiah understands himself properly, he sees God properly.

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Holy, Holy, Holy

Isaiah sees seraphim surrounding the throne and hears them proclaim:

“Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!” — Isaiah 6:3

The foundations shake.

The temple fills with smoke.

Isaiah encounters the overwhelming holiness and glory of God.

God is loving.

God is powerful.

God is wise.

But Isaiah’s vision particularly confronts us with this truth:

God is holy.

He is not simply a slightly better version of us.

He is not one priority among many.

He is not someone we add to our lives when convenient.

He is God.

And Chad asks us to consider whether our own vision of God has grown too small.

Have we become so accustomed to Christian language and church routines that we have lost some of our awe?

Have we become more interested in what we can get from God than in knowing, worshiping, and becoming more like Him?

Isaiah invites us to look upward again.

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Don’t Compare Yourself to Everyone Else

Seeing God clearly changes how Isaiah sees himself.

This becomes especially important because Isaiah is already a prophet.

Before chapter 6, he has spoken about the sins and failures of the people around him.

But once Isaiah sees the Lord, his first response isn’t:

“Woe are they.”

It is:

“Woe is me!”

Chad uses his own story to illustrate how easy it is to measure ourselves against other people.

If our standard is the person next door, a coworker, someone in the news, or even another Christian, we can usually find a way to make ourselves look reasonably good.

At least I don’t do what they do.

At least I go to church.

At least I read my Bible.

At least my life doesn’t look like theirs.

But Chad reminds us that other people aren’t our ultimate standard.

When Isaiah encounters the holiness of God, comparison becomes much more difficult.

He sees God.

Then he sees himself.

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2. Confess Sin: “Woe Is Me”

Isaiah responds:

“Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips…” — Isaiah 6:5

This is a prophet speaking.

Isaiah had already been proclaiming truth to other people.

Now God’s holiness exposes Isaiah’s own need.

That is an important warning for every Christian—and especially for anyone involved in ministry.

It is possible to become so accustomed to doing the work of ministry that we stop allowing God to work deeply within us.

We can become skilled at seeing what needs to change in the world while becoming less attentive to what needs to change in ourselves.

Isaiah doesn’t defend himself.

He doesn’t compare himself to someone worse.

He confesses.

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Why Does Isaiah Mention His Lips?

Isaiah specifically says:

“I am a man of unclean lips.”

That is particularly significant for a prophet.

His mouth was part of his calling.

Chad connects Isaiah’s confession with the biblical truth that our words reveal something about what is happening within us.

For Isaiah, the place of confession becomes the place where God’s cleansing is applied.

That raises an important question for us:

Where is the place of need in my life?

It may not be our lips.

It might be pride.

Bitterness.

Lust.

Anger.

Dishonesty.

Selfishness.

Fear.

An unwillingness to forgive.

A private habit no one else sees.

A compromised relationship.

Or simply a growing spiritual indifference that has allowed us to go through the motions while our love for God has cooled.

Chad’s point is not that Christians should live crushed under condemnation.

Quite the opposite.

Acknowledging our brokenness is the doorway to restoration. Pasted text

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Confession Leads Us Toward Freedom

Chad connects Isaiah’s confession with 1 John 1:8–9:

“If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.”

But Scripture doesn’t stop there:

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

God’s commands aren’t intended to rob us of life.

God desires to free us from the destructive power of sin.

That means repentance isn’t something Christians graduate from.

It remains part of a healthy relationship with God.

We don’t confess because God needs information about us.

We confess because we agree with God about what He already sees—and bring it into the light of His grace.

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3. Receive Grace: The Coal Comes to Isaiah

What happens next is one of the most beautiful parts of Isaiah’s vision.

A seraph takes a burning coal from the altar and brings it to Isaiah.

The coal touches the very place Isaiah has confessed:

his lips.

Then Isaiah hears:

“Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.” — Isaiah 6:7

Notice the direction of the action.

Isaiah recognizes his need.

But the cleansing comes to him.

Chad uses the image of a surgeon treating the place that needs healing. A surgeon doesn’t avoid the affected area. The physician goes toward it in order to bring healing.

In Isaiah’s vision, God’s grace reaches the place Isaiah has acknowledged as unclean.

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Grace Moves Toward Us

Chad sees in this scene a picture that ultimately points us toward Jesus.

The coal comes from the altar—the place of sacrifice—and is brought to Isaiah.

In the same way, salvation isn’t the story of sinful humanity somehow climbing its way to God.

God comes to us.

Jesus Christ entered our broken world.

And unlike the repeated sacrifices associated with the Old Testament sacrificial system, Christ provides the decisive sacrifice through which forgiveness is made possible.

The Christian message isn’t:

Clean yourself up well enough and perhaps you can approach God.

It is the announcement that God has acted in Christ to save sinners.

That is grace.

And grace comes before service.

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Cleansed Before Called

The order in Isaiah 6 matters:

Isaiah sees God’s holiness.

Isaiah recognizes and confesses his sin.

God provides cleansing.

Then God speaks about the mission.

Chad emphasizes this sequence because it helps us understand what Christian service really is.

God’s call isn’t an invitation to prove ourselves worthy.

We don’t serve so God will finally accept us.

We respond because of grace.

Before Isaiah says “Send me,” he has heard:

“Your guilt is taken away.”

That changes everything.

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Drawn by God

Chad connects this movement of grace with Jesus’ words in John 6:44:

“No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him.”

God is the initiator.

That means hearing God’s Word isn’t merely an intellectual exercise.

When Scripture confronts us, convicts us, comforts us, or exposes something within us, we should pay attention.

Instead of asking only:

“Was that a good sermon?”

We can ask:

“What is God showing me?”

“What needs cleansing?”

“How is God drawing me closer to Himself?”

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4. Accept the Mission: “Here Am I! Send Me”

Finally we arrive at the words for which this passage is best known.

“And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?’”

Isaiah doesn’t begin negotiating.

He doesn’t first ask how long the assignment will last.

He doesn’t ask what it will cost.

He doesn’t ask whether someone else might be more qualified.

He responds:

“Here am I! Send me.”

Chad contrasts Isaiah’s response with other biblical examples.

Jonah was told to go to Nineveh and went the opposite direction.

Moses heard God’s call at the burning bush and responded with fears, insecurities, and reasons someone else might be better suited.

Those reactions probably feel familiar.

Sometimes God gives us an opportunity and our first instinct is:

Someone else would be better.

I’m not ready.

I’m too busy.

I don’t know enough.

I’m not gifted enough.

Surely God has somebody else.

Isaiah gives us another possibility:

Here I am.

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Faithful, Available, and Teachable

Chad shares a phrase from his own early experience as a believer and ministry leader:

FAT: Faithful, Available, and Teachable

The point isn’t that everyone needs a microphone, a title, or a visible ministry.

Some of the most important acts of Christian service happen where very few people notice them.

Setting up chairs.

Helping someone in need.

Teaching a child.

Encouraging a neighbor.

Discipling another believer.

Forgiving someone.

Serving quietly.

Giving generously.

Sharing Christ with a friend.

Showing up when someone needs help.

God has entrusted His people with different amounts of time, talent, resources, opportunities, and influence.

The question isn’t whether we have everything.

The question is:

Will we be faithful with what God has already placed in our hands?

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Don’t Wait Until You’re Perfect

One of the easiest ways to avoid God’s call is to convince ourselves we’ll respond when we’re finally ready.

When we know more.

When life slows down.

When we’re more confident.

When we’ve overcome every weakness.

When we’re spiritually mature enough.

But that day doesn’t come.

Chad points to Philippians 1:6:

“He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”

God is still working on us.

We don’t have to pretend we’re finished products.

Isaiah himself needed cleansing.

The Christian life isn’t about becoming flawless enough that God can finally use us.

It is about continually seeing God, confessing our need, receiving His grace, and becoming increasingly willing to obey.

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A Blueprint for the Christian Life

Chad summarizes the movement of Isaiah 6 with a simple pattern:

We see God.

We recognize Him as holy, sovereign, glorious, and worthy of worship.

We confess sin.

Seeing God’s holiness helps us honestly recognize the places where our lives don’t reflect His character.

We receive grace.

God doesn’t leave Isaiah in his guilt. He provides cleansing.

For Christians, that grace ultimately points us toward Jesus Christ.

We accept the mission.

Cleansed people become sent people.

Grace doesn’t merely rescue us from something.

It sends us toward something.

God has work for His people to do.

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Isaiah Points Us Toward Jesus

Later in the message, Chad steps back from Isaiah 6 and considers the larger book of Isaiah.

This is especially important for anyone who is exploring Christianity or wondering why Christians believe Jesus is the promised Messiah.

Chad points to several passages in Isaiah that anticipate the coming Messiah centuries before Jesus’ earthly ministry.

Isaiah 7:14 — Immanuel

Isaiah speaks of the virgin conceiving and bearing a son called Immanuel.

Isaiah 9:6–7 — The Promised King

Isaiah describes the coming One as:

Wonderful Counselor
Mighty God
Everlasting Father
Prince of Peace

His kingdom and reign are unlike those of ordinary earthly kings.

Isaiah 11:1 — The Line of Jesse

Isaiah speaks of a shoot coming from the stump of Jesse, connecting the promised ruler to the family line of David.

Isaiah 53 — The Suffering Servant

The promised servant would be despised and rejected.

He would suffer.

He would be pierced for our transgressions.

And He would bear the sins of others.

Isaiah 53:6 — Our Greatest Problem

“All we like sheep have gone astray…”

This gets to the heart of the human problem.

Our greatest need isn’t merely improved circumstances.

We need reconciliation with God.

Chad connects Isaiah’s message with the gospel: God places our iniquity upon His servant so that forgiveness and righteousness are possible through faith.

Isaiah 55:6 — The Invitation

Isaiah eventually extends this gracious invitation:

“Seek the LORD while he may be found.”

The God who reveals our sin is also the God who offers grace.

The God who cleanses is also the God who calls.

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For Those Exploring Christianity

Maybe you aren’t sure what you believe about Jesus.

Chad speaks openly in this sermon about coming from a home where Christianity was not the foundation of his upbringing. His own journey eventually led him to investigate Scripture seriously and wrestle with the claims it makes about Jesus.

That makes the prophecies of Isaiah especially worth exploring.

Christian faith doesn’t ask us merely to inherit someone else’s religious routine.

The invitation is to investigate.

Read Isaiah.

Read the Gospels.

Consider what Scripture claims about Jesus.

Ask questions.

And don’t confuse familiarity with Christianity with actually knowing Christ.

One of Chad’s challenges in this message is particularly relevant whether you’ve been around church for decades or are just beginning to explore:

Don’t simply go through the motions.

Seek the Lord.

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For Those Who Have Followed Christ for Years

Isaiah 6 isn’t only an evangelistic passage.

It is deeply challenging for longtime believers.

Isaiah was already serving as a prophet when this encounter occurred.

That raises uncomfortable but valuable questions:

Can I be involved in Christian activity while needing a fresh vision of God’s holiness?

Can I become good at doing ministry while neglecting what God wants to do in me?

Have I become more comfortable identifying other people’s sins than confessing my own?

Has my wonder at God’s grace diminished?

Have I become less available to God than I once was?

Am I still willing to say, “Here I am. Send me”?

There is no retirement from growing in Christ.

As long as God gives us life, there is more of Him to know, more transformation to experience, and more faithfulness to pursue.

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What Does “Send Me” Look Like Today?

Most Christians won’t be called to become Isaiah.

And saying “Send me” doesn’t necessarily mean moving overseas, becoming a pastor, or entering vocational ministry.

It begins with availability.

Chad brings the mission close to home.

Who needs Christ around us?

The person at the grocery store.

Our neighbor.

Someone at school.

A coworker.

A friend.

A member of our family.

Someone already sitting beside us at church who needs encouragement.

We are Christ’s representatives in the places where God has already placed us.

So God’s question remains deeply relevant:

Who will teach?

Who will disciple?

Who will forgive?

Who will serve?

Who will go?

The mission of the church isn’t accomplished only by the people standing behind microphones.

It requires God’s people.

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A Challenge for Spicewood Baptist Church

Spicewood Baptist Church has been part of this community since 1908, something Chad highlights near the conclusion of his message.

There is much to thank God for.

Generations have worshiped here.

Lives have been touched.

People have served faithfully.

The gospel has been proclaimed.

But Chad’s challenge is not to live only in memories of what God has done before.

The question is:

What does God want to do through His people now?

A church’s future isn’t ultimately secured by a building, a program, a kitchen, a sanctuary, or any other physical improvement.

God works through His people.

Through believers who see Him clearly.

Who repent honestly.

Who receive grace gratefully.

Who become available willingly.

Who recognize the people around them who need Jesus.

And who answer God’s call:

“Here am I. Send me.”

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Questions for Personal Reflection

Use these questions during the week as you return to Isaiah 6.

1. Have I become too familiar with God?
Has worship become routine rather than a response to who He is?

2. What does Isaiah’s vision teach me about God’s holiness?

3. When I evaluate my spiritual life, who is my standard?
Am I comparing myself with other people, or allowing God’s Word to reveal where I need to grow?

4. What might I need to confess?
Is there something I have minimized because nobody else knows about it?

5. Do I really believe God’s desire is restoration rather than simply condemnation?

6. Where do I need to receive God’s grace instead of continuing to carry guilt?

7. Have I been waiting until I feel “qualified” before becoming available to God?

8. Where might God already be sending me?
My neighborhood? Workplace? Family? Church? School? Friend group?

9. Am I faithful, available, and teachable?

10. What would saying “Here am I. Send me” look like in my life this week?

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A Deeper Study of Isaiah 6:1–8

Try reading the passage slowly several times this week.

On your first reading, focus entirely on God.

What does the passage reveal about His position, holiness, glory, authority, and presence?

On your second reading, focus on Isaiah.

What does he see? What does he recognize? What does he confess? What does he receive? How does he respond?

On your third reading, look for the movement of grace.

Who initiates the cleansing? What happens before Isaiah receives his commission?

Then read the passage once more and consider your own response.

Revelation

“I saw the Lord…” — Isaiah 6:1

What do I need to remember about who God is?

Recognition

“Woe is me…” — Isaiah 6:5

What does seeing God more clearly reveal about me?

Restoration

“Your guilt is taken away…” — Isaiah 6:7

Where do I need to receive God’s cleansing and grace?

Response

“Here am I! Send me.” — Isaiah 6:8

Where is God asking me to be available?

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Scripture for Further Study

Isaiah 6:1–8 — The foundational passage: God’s holiness, Isaiah’s confession, cleansing, and call.

1 John 1:8–9 — Confession, forgiveness, and cleansing from unrighteousness.

John 6:44 — The Father drawing people toward Christ.

Philippians 1:6 — God’s continuing work in His people.

Isaiah 7:14 — The promised Immanuel.

Isaiah 9:6–7 — The promised Son and everlasting King.

Isaiah 11:1 — The promised ruler from the line of Jesse.

Isaiah 53:3–6 — The suffering servant who bears our sin.

Isaiah 55:6 — The invitation to seek the Lord while He may be found.

These are the principal supporting passages Chad uses as he moves from Isaiah’s encounter with God to the gospel and the believer’s response. Pasted text

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If You’re Looking for a Church in Spicewood

If you’ve found this sermon while looking for a church in the Spicewood area, we’d be glad to welcome you to Spicewood Baptist Church.

You don’t need to arrive with everything figured out.

You may have followed Jesus for decades.

You may be returning to church after being away for years.

You may have recently moved to the area and be looking for a church family.

Or you may still be deciding what you believe about Jesus and Christianity.

There is room to open God’s Word, ask meaningful questions, build relationships, and continue discovering what it means to follow Christ.

This message from Isaiah also reflects something important about the kind of faith we want to cultivate:

not Christianity that merely goes through the motions, but lives continually shaped by God’s Word and His grace.

We want to see God more clearly.

We want Scripture to expose the places where we need to change.

We want to rest in the grace offered through Jesus Christ.

And we want to become people willing to follow wherever God leads.

Because the God who cleanses us is also the God who calls us.

Spicewood Baptist Church | Spicewood, Texas

To know and make Him known.