If not me, who?
I remember some of the sermons growing up and one of the significant ones was from Isaiah 6. My pastor, Pastor Johnson, gave a message from Isaiah 6:1-8. It reads,
In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple.
2 Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew.
3 And one cried to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; The whole earth is full of His glory!”
4 And the posts of the door were shaken by the voice of him who cried out, and the house was filled with smoke.
5 So I said: “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 my eyes have seen the King, The LORD of hosts.”
6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a live coal which he had taken with the tongs from the altar.
7 And he touched my mouth with it, and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; Your iniquity is taken away, And your sin purged.”
8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: “Whom shall I send, And who will go for Us?” Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.” (Is. 6:1-8)
It is interesting that only one attribute of God is ever mentioned three times in a row and that is God’s holiness. It is mentioned here in Isaiah 6:3 and also Revelation 4:8. God is holy! And therefore He is worthy for my response to please Him in any and every way. However, I didn’t learn that until only recently.
When I heard the sermon on this passage, maybe 42 years ago, it was the last verse that caught my attention and the Holy Spirit used that verse and message to persuade me commit my life to the Lord Jesus Christ. I asked myself the question, “Would I be willing to say, ‘Here I am! Send me!’” to the Lord? I had no idea what that might mean, yet I knew I really had no choice. He is God.
Then I had to ask myself, “If not me, who?” Furthermore, I needed to ask the question, “At what point would I be willing to go?” Or, “If not now, when?”
What about you? Are you willing to say, “If not me, who?” and “If not now, when?” We Christians don’t mind connectingwith other people in a home group or church service. We don’t mind serving the Lord in a variety of ways. We don’t mind being equipped for service and helping out either at church or another Christian brother or sister in need. We don’t mind learning more Scripture or practical application in service. That is all relatively easy. Here is the real question, “Where is your fruit of multiplication?”
These three words compose the vision statement I developed for our church last year: Connect, Equip, Multiply:
- Connecting together to worship God 1 Cor. 12:19-25
- Equipping together in grace to be more like Christ Eph. 4:11-14
- Multiplying together with the gospel to reach the world Matt 28:18-20
Here is the question you need to ask yourself, “Who is following you so that you are investing in them?” Your investment in them will multiply and influence future generations for the kingdom. What is your fruit? Jesus said, “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5) Is there multiplying fruit in your life? Jesus also said,
19 “Go therefore1 and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
20 “teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen (Matt. 28:19-20)
Are you living a safe life of connecting and being equipped? I praise the Lord that you are connecting and being equipped! The real Christian life is in multiplying yourself! Multiplication is essential, so that many others will transition into future generations just like a maple tree sends out thousands of seeds to plant hundreds of trees. Seek to become equipped to disciple others to multiply your influence in the future generations.
Ask yourself, “If not me, who?” And “If not now, when?”
Shepherding Truth 