What is this current series about?
This four week series explores our identity in God and God’s own identity. This series will focus on the element of Worship within discovering more about Who Am I and Who is He?
Who Am I? – Week 1
Big Idea: Worship- Finding our identity and God’s identity can lead to true worship
Scripture Reference: Isaiah 6:1-8 (ESV)
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“It feels like the place we have to start is in recognition of our brokenness and imperfections. The things that we chose and the things we didn’t choose. That is just the reality of who we are. And somewhere in the middle of that brokenness we start to see God rightly.”
“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. 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. 5 And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; 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!”
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.”
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.
Woe Is Me- In light of God’s holiness, we can identify with Isaiah’s words, “Woe is Me” when we think of our failures and sins. We are led to worship in awe of God’s holiness, but also his love for someone so unworthy.
That is My God
by Alex Fittin
I think I first started to understand the vastness of the chasm between our God and His holiness, His love for us, and His incredible perfection when we adopted our children. When we had our first biological child, it was unfathomable that God could love us more than I loved him. That natural, maternal love is unexplainable, and the fact that God could love us immeasurably more than that blew my mind. But when we got our adopted kids, I realized that without that natural bond, people are not naturally lovable. Who knew? It dawned on me that my shameful, sinful nature should not be easy to love, but God does.
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“It dawned on me that my shameful, sinful nature should not be easy to love, but God does.”
In the years since, God has revealed to me over and over again that I am a horrible, sinful, selfish, prideful person and that I am also loved beyond reason, understanding, and logic simultaneously. When I see myself struggling to do what God does with no effort whatsoever, I have glimpses into what Isaiah experienced in God’s presence. I get uncomfortable when my eyes are opened to the gulf between my nature and His. To the fact that there is no darkness about Him, no sin can touch Him, no hatred or anything other than pure light and love reside in Him.
I see how pitiful and childish I am. How spiritually immature, how truly needy I am in my very nature. But instead of backing away, instead of distancing myself from such an untouchable God, I start to understand that holy fear that we read about. I dip a metaphorical toe into the ocean of love that our Creator has for us to see every ounce of our sin, to know it intimately, and still want us. Not only want us, but to pursue us and chase us and fight for us.
That is my God.
