Title: WHEN THE KING DIES
Text: Isaiah 6:1 KJV
In the year that king Uzziah died I SAW ALSO THE LORD SITTING UPON A THRONE, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.

INTRODUCTION: THE EMPTY THRONE
For 52 years, King Uzziah was Judah’s stability. An army builder. A tower maker. Successful king.
But one day: “Uzziah is dead.”
What do we do when our hero is gone?
Isaiah didn’t panic. He wrote: “…I saw the Lord.”
What looked like disaster became a doorway.
When the earthly throne went empty, Isaiah saw the eternal Throne was still full.

I. THE DISTRACTION OF DEPENDENCE
Isaiah had made Uzziah his hope instead of God.

A. THE DANGER OF DEPENDING
As long as Uzziah lived, Isaiah forgot the Lord. He depended on the earthly and overlooked the Heavenly.
We do the same. We lean on a pastor, a politician, a program, a paycheck.
Good things, but dangerous when they become God-things.
“Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help.” — Psalm 146:3 KJV

B. THE DECLARATION FROM GOD
“Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils: for wherein is he to be accounted of?” — Isaiah 2:22 KJV
God’s Word draws the line. Man’s breath can stop. Man can fail. Man can die.

Building your house on a wooden chair. It may hold today, but one day it will break. Only the Rock holds.

C. THE DAMAGE OF DISTRACTION
When we depend on man, we miss God. We grow spiritually dull and weak.
We start saying: “The Lord is my shepherd, my boss is my shepherd, my government is my shepherd… I shall not want.” That’s not in the Bible.
Dependence on man always leads to disappointment.

Name your Uzziah today. Maybe the Uzziah in your life is yourself!

II. THE DISAPPOINTMENT OF DEPARTURE
Isaiah 6:1 “In the year that king Uzziah died…”

A. THE PAIN OF PARTING
To Isaiah, this was calamity. His hero was gone. His safety net was torn. The nation felt unstable.
We know that pain. The funeral. The layoff. The closed door. The church hurt.

B. THE PURPOSE OF PRESSURE

After a storm in the fields of Lautoka, the wind blows away the dust. The air is clearer. You can see the mountains again.
God sends winds of sorrow not to destroy us, but to clear our vision.
“It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes.” — Psalm 119:71 KJV

C. THE PATH TO PRESENCE
When his hero was gone, Isaiah found the Lord.
Sometimes God removes the crutch so we’ll learn to lean on Him.
What felt like an ending was actually a beginning.

Don’t waste your disappointment. Ask: “Lord, what are You showing me?”

III. THE DISCOVERY OF THE DIVINE
Isaiah 6:1 “…I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up…”

A. THE THRONE THAT TRANSCENDS
Only when Uzziah died did Isaiah lift his eyes. And there was God.
Still on the throne. Still in control. Still holy.
Not worried. Not surprised. High and lifted up.

B. THE TRUTH ABOUT TURNAROUND
A gentle reminder for all Baptists: revival is not in the evangelist. Not in the music. Not in the building program.
Revival is in God alone.

The 4 men didn’t bring their friend to Peter. They tore the roof to bring him to Jesus. That’s where the healing was. (Mark 2:4).

C. THE TASK THAT TRANSMITS
Right after “I saw the Lord” comes “Woe is me…” — Isaiah 6:5 KJV
Then God says “Whom shall I send?” — Isaiah 6:8 KJV
When we see God rightly, we surrender rightly.

Get your eyes off the problem and onto the Throne.

CONCLUSION
A. Name your Uzziah. Who are you depending on more than the Lord?
B. Don’t dread the departure. God may remove things so we can see Him.
C. Desire the Divine vision. “I saw the Lord.” — Isaiah 6:1 KJV

When the king dies… we see the King.
And when we see the King, we surrender to the King.

May the Lord help each and every one to look to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.Hebrews 12:2)