TURNING POINTS IN LIFE    

August 12, 2005

Isaiah 6: 1-8

INTRODUCTIONS:

·        SITUATIONS AND EVENTS OFTEN BRING ABOUT A CHANGE IN US:

1-    The Holy Spirit often uses things that happen in this life as “TURNING POINTS”.

2-    “TURNING POINTS” coming our way by the Holy Spirit bring purpose.

3-    They RE-DEFINE our lives giving meaning.

4-    That point of TURNING in life brings us to our senses & opens our eyes.

5-    Beloved; this is just what happened in our text today.     

 

THE DEMONIAC OF GADARA:

1-    Was a man such as many today who definitely had need of being turned around.

2-    He lived among the tombs; had an unclean spirit & no man could tame him.

3-    Being demon possessed; he possessed extra strength; doing the work of Satan.

4-    Always in the tombs night & day crying and cutting himself with stones.

5-    But the “TURNING POINT” came to him; “JESUS” the miracle worker came to him.

6-    His time to turn around and go home had come.

7-    Sin had driven him so far; left his family and could not turn himself around.

8-    But Jesus can; and Jesus did; Jesus cast  over 2000 demons out of him;

9-    And now you can find him at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind.

10-  Turning points redefine our living.

 

THE PRODIGAL SON REACHED THAT PLACE IN LIFE TO BE TURNED AROUND:

1-    Like so many young folks today; He’d grown to resent his Fathers authority over him.

2-    Like so many today; he was unwilling to go out; get a job; and go to work.

3-    Like so many today; He’d just demand that Dad would give it to him.

4-    And like so many today; he came back home;

5-    And like so many today; He remembered that his Father had more than the world.

6-    And like the Prodigal Son Many can come back Home; Repent; and enjoy the fellowship of the Father.

 

THE WOMAN OF SAMARIA:

1-    Drawing water at Jacobs well; and Jesus asked for a drink; and gave her living water.

2-    She then went into the city and said; “Come see a man that told me all things that ever I did”

3-   And revival came to Samaria all because she experienced a “TURNING POINT” in her life.

4-   The turning point came when they all saw and experienced God in their lives.

 

GOD HATH REVEALED HIMSELF AT SUNDRY TIMES AND PLACES:

1-    The word of the Lord came unto Abraham in a vision, saying, “Fear not, Abram: I am thy Shield, and thy exceeding great Reward”.

2-    This was the Turning Point in Abram’s life.

3-    And the Lord made a covenant with Abram.

4-    His seed would be as sand on the seashore

 

WITH JACOB THERE CAME A TURNING POINT:

1-    As He lay on his stone pillow; he beheld a ladder set up with the top reaching to heaven.

2-    He saw the angels ascending and descending!

3-    And the Lord said; “I am the Lord God of Abraham thy father, the land whereon thou liest, to thee and thy seed will I give it”.

4-    Jacob had reached his “TURNING POINT”!

 

BUT LIKE SO MANY: JACOB WENT ANOTHER 22 YEARS:

1-          But God brought another “TURNING POINT” into his life;

2-          He crossed over the brook Jabok; stole away in secret and wrestled with the angel.

3-          And he made things right with his brother Esau.

4-          A POINT OF TURNING for Jacob again.

 

WITH MOSES; AS HE CAME TO THE MOUNT OF GOD EVEN TO HOREB:

1-    The angel of the Lord appeared to him out of the burning bush;

2-    And God called unto him out of the midst of the bush;

3-    Symbols of God’s holiness that consumes and purifies;

4-    And said; Moses, Moses, and he said, Here am I.

5-    And Moses found that day; His “Turning Point” in life.

6-    He took off his shoes standing on Holy Ground, and went with God.

7-    And went on and on with many turning points in life till God kissed him to sleep.

 

IN THE NEW TESTAMENT:

1-    The Shepherds experienced the angelic host of heaven; a turning point in life.

2-    The disciples on the Mt. Of Transfiguration was a point of turning to them.

3-    To Peter on the rooftop; the sheet let down from heaven was a turning point in his ministry.

4-    The overwhelming light from Heaven and the voice of God on the Damascus road.

5-    All was a “TURNING POINT” in the life of Saul.

6-    When John was on the Isle called Patmos; John received from the Lord;

7-    And the message is still changing the world.

8-    It became a turning point for the world.

9-    God gave us the book of Revelations from the hand of John the Revelator.

 

BELOVED; THIS SAME THING CONTINUES TO HAPPEN IF WE’LL ALLOW IT:

1-    To the person who encounters God, and stands trembling before the Most High.

2-    They’re humbled but they’re changed; they’ve reached their Turning Point in life.

 

BELOVED; WE’VE COME TO A DANGEROUS TIME IN CHARISTIANDOM:

1-      Most everyone anymore can join the sweet refrain and sing;

2-      “We’re rich and increased in goods, and have need of nothing!

3-      Hardly anything is missing in church anymore; but one thing.

4-      The most important thing is missing!

5-      Beloved; the presence of God and the sacred offering of ourselves to God is missing often times.

 

WHEN ISIAH ENCOUNTERED GOD; HE LEARNED A VALUABLE LESSON:

1-       Isaiah learned early on of his worth; his usefulness and the value of man before God.

2-       Don’t we all know that our turning point in life comes only when;

3-       We stop seeking the God we want; and start seeking the God who is?

 

ISAIAH LEARNED EARLY ON THAT HEAD KNOWLEDGE OF GOD WAS NOT OF THE HEART:

1-     To minister to others about

2-     God; one must have experienced Him personally.

3-     And this is what was about to happen to Isaiah. Amen?

 

HOW MANY OF YOU KNOW THAT OUR TURNING POINT COMES LOOKING TO GOD?

1-      On THIS DAY; Isaiah finds himself in the presence of God.

2-      And it drives him to his knees.

3-      The Holiness of God was so overwhelming that he acknowledges his sin;

4-      And responded in obedience to the Lord.

 

ISAIAH SEES THE SOVEREIGNITY OF GOD; seated on a throne exalted above all things.

HE SEES THE MAJESTY OF GOD: the tail of his robe filling the temple.

HE SEES THE GLORIY OF GOD; the temple filling with smoke.

 

ONE CANNOT LOOK UP TO GOD WITHOUT SEEING HIS MAJESTY AND HIS GLORY:

1-    It’ll become the turning point in your life!

2-    When Isaiah saw the glory of the Lord; it shook him to the core.

3-    He was struck deeply of his unworthiness to be in God’s presence.

4-    And he cried out in despair saying; “I am undone, ruined and lost”

5-    He was doing all right until he compared himself with God!

6-    Listen to his confession in the presence of the Lord.

7-    He confessed he was a man of unclean lips in the midst of a people of unclean lips.

8-    Confessing uncleanness is confessing ungodliness;

9-    Friends we need this same reality of God’s presence in Church today; Amen?

10- He realized he was ungodly and confessed it.

11- Confession became his “TURNING POINT”

 

LISTEN TO HIS THOUGHTS AS HE SAID;

1-    He was no better than the Jews he was serving.

2-    Beloved; we were all sinners at one time;

3-    For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.

4-    So! Our “TURNING POINT” comes when we look within ourselves! Amen?

5-    Turning points come when we look up to God!

 

DOES GOD KNOW WELL WHAT HE IS DOING OR WHAT?

1-       Israel was lost; they had become exceedingly wicked;

2-         They needed to hear the voice of God again.

3-         So God prepared the way for it to happen.

 

SEE IT WITH ME:

1-    Isaiah is allowed the year that King Uzziah died to see the Lord high and lifted up.

2-    He saw the Seraphim’s with six wings flying and crying:

3-    “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory.

4-    And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke.

 

NOW HERE IT COMES: “in His presence”

1-    Then said I, Woe is me! For I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.

2-    Beloved; if you ever see the Lord; if you ever come into His presence!

3-    Your point of turning has been reached!

 

THEN FLEW ONE OF THE SERAPHIMS UNTO ME, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs form off the altar;

          And he laid it upon my mouth and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.

1-    Isaiah has reached his “TURNING POINT”.

Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.

 

HAVE YOU EVER THOUGHT IN CONTRAST; MOSES AND ISAIAH?

1-    Moses made excuses; He was unwilling to go.

2-    I’m slow of speech; I don’t know what to tell the people.

3-    And beside all that they wont listen anyway.

4-    Of course He did go after all.

5-    But Isaiah said; Here am I, send me!

 

BELOVED; AS YOU ENCOUNTER GOD HERE TODAY:

1-    How will you respond to the Lord’s presence?

2-   Israel needed the same encounter with God, as did Isaiah.

3-    Aberdeen, needs that same encounter;

4-    Here am I, Lord, send me!

5-    Experience His holiness today;

6-    It’ll become your turning point in this life.

7-    And it’ll prepare you for the next to come.

8-    Amen?