TAKE GROUND AGAINST THE ODDS
Picture: Boys running toward the hail of gunfire in WWII on the beaches of normandy
General Dwight D. Eisenhower speaking to paratroopers of the 101st Airborne Division on June 5, 1944, just before they boarded planes for the D-Day invasion of Normandy. Mission: Drop into Normandy to secure key bridges, roads, and causeways ahead of the beach landings. They were about to jump behind enemy lines in the early hours of June 6. Eisenhower walked among the men personally. He didn’t give a distant speech — he moved from group to group, talking with them face-to-face. Many of these men would not return.
Think of yourselves like this. There’s mounting Resistance, unthinkable danger, but your charged to advance anyway. You are called into resistance!
The Myth of Frictionless Obedience
I want to disentangle our assumption that every “open door” is evidence of God’s will for us and every “closed door” is not God’s call on our lives. We’re talking here about the God who sent His son into a world of darkness that despised Him and nailed Him to a cross for telling them the truth. Yet, in our pseudo Christian church culture we’ve somehow baptized this unbiblical idea that if it feels good it must be God.
In fact, the longer I pastor the more common it becomes that I hear the phrases “God told me…” or “God is leading me…” or “The Holy Spirit confirmed…” only to hear them finish the sentence with things that are unwise, contrary to wise counsel, soft disobedience, or outright unbiblical behavior. We are quick in American Christianity to endorse our own ideas with “God told me” because we first believed the lie that God’s will for us is whatever feels right or satisfies our own internal longings. This is emotionalism not Christianity. We’ve embraced the myth of frictionless obedience and defend defying God’s clear commands by clear “open doors”. We need a reformation in our thinking and theology.
The Bible portrays not a life of ease where God’s will is made clear by open doors, but a world of spiritual warfare where sometimes God’s calling requires we surrender our own will when we would rather move forward with worldly opportunities–and at other times meet closed doors and obediently kick down such doors.
Skyler: Paul God’s commission (How much he must suffer for my name) Suffering for the mission is the mission. It’s called bearing your cross.
“Take Ground Against the Odds”
Isaiah was called into a world of resistance with little hope of success. He is told that he will not succeed. You’re only going to face hard hearts, opposition, persecution, and growing darkness. But God essentially tells him, it doesn’t matter. “Isaiah go ahead and go into the enemy occupied territory where you’re going to be resisted and punch a hole in the darkness anyway!”
Isaiah 6:8-10 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.” [9] And he said, “Go, and say to this people:
“‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand;
keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’
[10] Make the heart of this people dull,
and their ears heavy,
and blind their eyes;
lest they see with their eyes,
and hear with their ears,
and understand with their hearts,
and turn and be healed.”
What could motivate Him?
Isaiah 6:1–10 In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple.
King Uzziah died… Reigned for 52 years
Uzziah’s reign was marked by unusual strength, innovation, and prosperity. He became king at sixteen and “did what was right in the eyes of the Lord,”
🇺🇸 U.S. Presidents (10 presidencies Last ~52 Years)
Gerald Ford (1974–1977)
Jimmy Carter (1977–1981)
Ronald Reagan (1981–1989)
George H.W. Bush (1989–1993)
Bill Clinton (1993–2001)
George W. Bush (2001–2009)
Barack Obama (2009–2017)
Donald Trump (2017–2021; 2025–present)
Joe Biden (2021–2025)
Former President Trump Shot I can still remember where I was. Would’ve been a turning point for the nation. Would’ve altered history
robe filled the temple Sign of ancient authority and majesty
Lord Adonai vs LORD Highest rank. RC Sproul believed this was a vision of the preincarnate Christ, the Son of God, the second person of the trinity.
Meet fascinating creatures…
Isaiah 6:2-4 [2] Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. [3] And one called to another and said:
“Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts;
the whole earth is full of his glory!”
[4] And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke.
What motivates Isaiah? A massive vision of God.
You and I are unmotivated to serve God because we have too small a vision of God.
We don’t usually deny God—we domesticate Him. We shrink Him into something manageable, therapeutic, or culturally approved
COMMON WAYS WE SHRINK GOD
“The big man up stairs”
“God knows my heart”
“My God would never”
“I like to think of God as…”
“God just wants me to be happy.”
“A loving God wouldn’t judge.”
“That’s Old Testament God.”
“I can’t believe in a God who…”
What motivates Isaiah? A massive vision of God.
SERAPHIM שְׂרָפִים
serpent, fiery serpent
Each had six wings Every creature is adapted to their natural habitat. The Seraphim who dwell in the presence of the Lord are no exception. They have some wings designed not for flight but for shielding them from something potentially life threatening: the holiness of God.
with two he covered his face The glory of God is so refulgent that you cannot look directly at his face.
Moses asked to see God’s glory.
Exodus 33:17–20 And the LORD said to Moses, “This very thing that you have spoken I will do, for you have found favor in my sight, and I know you by name.” [18] Moses said, “Please show me your glory.” [19] And he said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name ‘The LORD.’ And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. [20] But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live.”
with two he covered his face The glory of God is so refulgent that you cannot look directly at his face. God puts him in the cleft of a rock and…
His face shines The Israelites beg from him to cover up
Feet Take sandals off
“I AM UNDONE.”
Isaiah 6:5 And I said: “Woe is me! [From Woe is you to woes is ME Epstein Files] For I am lost; [I am undone (KJV)] for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!”
Holy, holy, holy (v.3) 3 times. But why? Theological Significance:
Hebrew Superlative In Hebrew, repetition intensifies meaning. There is no “holier” or “holiest” construction in Hebrew like in English. “Holy, holy, holy” = supremely holy.
Only one attribute of God is repeated three times. Not: Love, love, love. Justice, justice, justice. Mercy, mercy, mercy. Only holiness is repeated three times.
BLUE LETTER BIBLE sacred, holy, Holy One, saint, set apart
RC Sproul “When the Bible calls God holy, it means primarily that God is transcendently separate.”
Holy: Other Male / female → 6th graders dance
→ You won’t risk BIG things for God if you have a small view of God.
→ Orthodoxy leads to → doxology leads to → orthopraxy.
Obedience flows from a big view of God
→ Terrifying: You can I have no right to stand in the presence of God.
Isaiah 6:6-7 [6] Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. [7] And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.”
BE CLEANSED.
01. Conviction “Woe is me”
02. Cleansing “Your sin is atoned for”
03. Commission “Here am I, send me”
How do we get forgiven? The cross of Jesus Christ.
Later the holy God that Isaiah saw would take on flesh and die in the place of Isaiah, you, and me. All who believe on Jesus are fully forgiven. When we know this, it unravels our pride, re-orients our souls to God and His centrality, and motivates us to see everyone we know come to know Him.
→The same King who was high and lifted up was lifted up on the cross for you!
John Newton was a crew men for slave traders. But at 22 years olf in 1748 he was out at sea working on a ship involved in the slave trade when he was caught in a violent storm. He cried out to God and began walking with Him. Now, Newton had received God’s forgiveness but still hadn’t repented of his sin or changed his ways–continuing to even become a captain of one of these ships. Over time however, God changed Newton’s heart deeply and he matured spiritually. 1754 he left the slave trade and by 1788 he publicly denounces it. He eventually became a pastor–and this is really important–begins mentoring a young man by the name of William Wilberforce.
This may pass us by as far less significant than it is if you don’t know that name. Wilberforce later became known for leading the fight to end the slave trade from a Christian worldview. Newton later in life referred to himself as “the African blasphemer”.
Amazing grace (how sweet the sound)
that saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found,
was blind, but now I see.
'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
and grace my fears relieved;
how precious did that grace appear
the hour I first believed!
GRACE SAVES & SENDS US!
Many of us, like Newton have received grace but have missed the significance of grace! Grace is not something we take for granted and go along our merry way. Grace should take hold of us in such a way that it changes something deep within us and causes us to change our ways! Grace not only saves us not to our sin but from our sin and sends us to advance for the cause of Christ in the world!
BE COMMISSIONED.
Receive Christ and be saved from sin
Live for Christ in ways that are unpopular Faithfulness over results
Repent of sin and take steps of obedience
Take Gospel Risks to advance the cause of Christ