← ArchiveSunday, August 19, 2018DateAugust 19, 2018Speaker—TextActs 13Passages in this sermonHabakkuk 10:582 Kings 521:22Psalms 4824:37Habakkuk 4824:44Acts 1330:43Habakkuk 1:530:50Acts 13:3830:55Acts 13:4130:57TranscriptClick any line to jump there.0:00Music playing. Music playing.0:30Music playing. Welcome back. If you have your scriptures with you, this is one series that will help you. Actually, if you have a phone, you're ahead of the game, because we're in Habakkuk. Habakkuk. You go ahead and find Habakkuk 1.0:58It might take you a while, so I'll let you look for that and join me as we read shortly the Word of God. Recently, a resident of northern San Antonio had an unexpected situation arise in her life. The lady's name was Jane, and she loved animals. She was actually an animal activist. And so when she received a call from her brother that he found two kittens on the verge of death, she jumped at the opportunity to take them home and care for them.1:28Well, here's where the surprise is found. Jane decides to feed these two kittens. The only way that they would eat, they're so young and near death that she has to bottle feed them milk. And let me read you the description about this first feeding. So aggressively did the two kittens respond to the milk that they destroyed the feeding bottles she used to administer it.1:54And then this is what it says in the news article. After enduring a few nasty scratches along the way, Ms. Denscorey realized her initial assessment was off, and she contacted the local animal control service. What they later found out that these were not Bengal kittens, they were feral bobcats. And the local ASC told the news organization in San Antonio,2:23while we commend her desire to help, we recommend that she not do this again. An unexpected situation. But here's the reality of our lives, I believe. Many of us, it turns out that when we have faith in Christ, it's easier to have faith in Christ during the easy times. It's easy to trust God when you have the little kitten and you're nursing it back to health and when your life is going good.2:53But where is your faith when the bobcats rip you up? When the scratches of life cover you? And that's what we're addressing here in the book of Habakkuk. Now, if you're new here and you wonder, man, is every sermon series this weighty and this dark? No. But Habakkuk is addressing real-life issues. But how do we find faith in God during difficult times? And so today's message is simply entitled that,3:23Faith in Unexpected Times. Because the truth is, if I could write a script for my life, most likely God's not going to follow my script. And your script either. So with that, let's look at the words of Habakkuk. Finding faith in trying times. So what we have here in Habakkuk, if you were here last week, if not, you can go back and listen online, that Habakkuk is a man looking at his world3:51and realizing, God, something's broken. And it's not hard to do that. This was before CNN, before Fox News, before the newspaper. But he's looking at his world and saying, God, something is fundamentally off with the world. If you created everything good, I'm looking at a world that's not so good. God, where are you? And look at the, quickly, at the questions Habakkuk, this man of God, proclaiming the message to the people of God.4:21These are the questions that this prophet asks. Verse two, he says, how long Lord will I cry for help and you do not listen? Ever felt like that? Ever felt like God, I'm praying and you just don't hear me. You're not alone. Ever feel like Habakkuk where he says, God, do you save? I know that we worship Jesus Christ and his name means our God saves, but Lord, I just don't see your salvation right now.4:50Ever feel like that? Habakkuk even says this in verse four. This is why the law is ineffective. Justice never emerges. The wicked restrict the righteous. Justice comes out perverted. Habakkuk is in a series of questions asking God, God, do you even care? And what we're reading now is God's answer. It's the heavenly answer to the earthly question in verse five.5:17And if you don't know anything about Habakkuk, and most of you don't, we're in good company. I had an informal poll on Wednesday night. It said, raise your hand if you've ever heard a sermon from Habakkuk. And my wife led a Bible study through Habakkuk this summer. And so the hands that were in that Bible study were raised. No one else raised a hand. But chances are, you know this verse. This is the Lord's answer. Look at verse five here as we begin reading. This is God's response to the prophet Habakkuk,5:48to a broken world. The Lord says in verse five, look to the nations and observe. Be utterly astounded. For I am doing something in your day that you would not believe when you hear about it. So some of you are leaning forward. You're thinking, okay, let me hear the good news. God is about to rescue his people. Hold that thought. Verse six,6:19Verse six, Look, I am raising up the Babylonians, the Chaldeans. This is what God says about them. This bitter, impetuous nation that marches across the earth's open spaces to seize territories, not its own. They are fierce and terrifying. Their views of justice and sovereignty stem from themselves. Their horses are swifter than leopards and more fierce than wolves of the night. Their horsemen charge ahead.6:47Their horsemen come from distant lands. They fly like eagles swooping to devour. All of them come to do violence. Their faces are set in determination. They gather prisoners like sand. They mock kings and rulers are a joke to them. They laugh at every fortress and build siege ramps to capture it. They sweep like the wind and pass through. They are guilty. Their strength is their God. Here's Habakkuk's second prayer.7:17And I told our group on Wednesday night, at this point, I quit praying. Because God's answer to the first prayer was not what Habakkuk wanted. And he says in verse 12, God, are you not from eternity? Lord, my God, my Holy One, you will not die. Lord, you appointed them to execute judgment. My rock, you destined them to punish us. Lord, as we open your word.7:48Lord, as we open your word, many of us right now are in the midst of a broken, heavy life. Father, help us trust in Jesus Christ, our rock. Help us feel the weight of this message. That we would not sugarcoat the difficulty of our lives with religious overtones, but that we would run to your mercy in our time of need.8:14And that we would find that you are everything that we need when we need it. Lord, we pray this in Jesus' name. Amen. Well, first, simply, and this is a heavy sermon again. My prayer as we were singing, it was, Lord, help me feel the weight of your words. Our goal this series is that if you have been asking difficult questions of God,8:41I want you to understand you are not alone. You're not the only one in the history of the world that has asked God why. And know that God's hearing your prayers and that he's answering. Look at the first thought we have in verse 5 here. Simply, what if God's plan is not what you expected? Ever felt like that? If we're not careful at church, we can just tell people, look, I know your life is a wreck,9:09but if you just believe in Christ, everything will be roses. And there will be lots of rainbows, and there will be Skittles at the end of the rainbow, and you will be sugared up and happy for the rest of your life. Now, we don't say it in that language, but if we're not careful, that's how we talk about God, isn't it? What if, Habakkuk, God's plan for our life is not our plan? How do we respond there?9:39And so Habakkuk is a minor prophet. He's not minor in messages. He's a minor prophet because it's a short message, but it's a major in content. And this response begins with three imperatives. What do you do when God's plan is not what you expected? What if you're praying for kittens and God gives you bobcats? Right? That happens. That happens.10:09That happens. Life is, we have scratches, we have difficulty. Look at what the Lord says, three imperatives. Verse five, He says, look at the nations and observe and be utterly astounded. Actually, in Hebrew, it is be astounded, astounded. Be doubly astounded. That's how the Hebrew language repeats and emphasizes that word. So the word astounded is this, to be dumbfounded or bewildered with an element of fear, whether because of amazing10:38or fearful sights. So Habakkuk is astounded because he said, God, you can't let this happen, can you? God, surely not. That's what he says in verse 12. God, this is not what I expected. And this, I think these words help us in our life. And I have this thought and it's really gravitated in my mind and my heart this week. The answer that Habakkuk receives11:06is this. It is impossible to assume that we always know how the Lord will deal with the events that happen in the world. It is impossible for us to assume that we know exactly how God's gonna deal with the world as it happens. For me, so first of all, you're saying, well, man, that's harsh. But that's also freeing because if we're honest11:35and we look around the world and so do not assume you know God's plans, which means that God could be doing something that you don't even realize in your life. But we look at our world and say, God, this is a godless, unjust situation. God, I know you're not in it. And God says, Josh, don't you presume to know my plans. And Josh, don't assume that I can't work12:04for the good in every situation. Ever feel like me? Am I the only one? Am I just preaching to myself? There are times that I look at the world and I say, God, this is not fair. And God says, I agree with you. But Josh, we live in a sinful, broken world. And in the midst of darkness, I am shining the light of Christ. Just look, observe, be astounded. And so what happens12:34when God's plans are not our own? I believe sometimes that leads us to a place of bitterness. It can lead us to a place of exasperation. Lord, I give up of dejection, of hurt, of harm. And the Lord's answer to us is this. Remember that what looks like a hopeless, godless situation has eternal purposes. What looks like a hopeless, godless situation13:04godless situation has eternal purposes. That gives me hope. That gives me hope to look at the world and say, I don't understand it and I never will, but God. But God. There is eternal hope. He is building within us an eternal weight of glory. What looks like total darkness has a light of Christ in it. I believe this is13:35why God says, look at the nations. You might not see it right now, but I'm working. I know the hymn that says something like this. You'll recognize it as soon as I sing it or say it. Through many dangers, toils, and snares, I have already come. Tis grace has brought me safe thus far and what grace will lead me home. You know what Habakkuk is struggling with14:04in this moment? He knows that God is leading him home. He just doesn't understand the route back. That's a tough place to be, isn't it? But for those of us who know Christ and have confidence in that, we can sing, God, grace has got me safe this far. And God, I don't know where you're leading me, but grace will lead me home. When the route home is unexpected, do not give up because the Lord14:33is doing something. Look, observe, and be utterly astounded. I think secondly here, what happens when God's plans are not our own? We need to understand as Habakkuk that he is learning to trust the redemptive history of the Lord. See, the Lord instructed him to look at the nations. Now let's pause here. Habakkuk is a prophet to who? Judah. Judah is who? They are whose people?15:03God's people. Now let me just stop there. If you think America is God's chosen nation, we don't even hold a candle to Judah and Israel. Okay? So I'll just leave that there. I'm not saying that, I think God has favored us, by the way. And he's favored this nation to be a light for the gospel. But Judah is God's chosen nation and Habakkuk is looking and saying,15:33God, you're sending the Chaldeans to destroy your people? If that were us, we were saying, what? And so God, you want me to deliver a message to your people that God, you are destroying your people. Does that sound odd to anyone else? that we would say, God, what are you doing? God, this can't be redemptive. God, there's no way you can make this right. And maybe you're there in your life. Maybe you're looking16:03at your life and you're saying, God, I have put my trust in your son, Jesus Christ, and things are not going like you promised. God, where are you? And God is saying, trust, I am building any weight of eternal glory in your life. So how does Habakkuk unpack this? So obviously, for the Lord to say in verse 5, look at the nations and observe, what does this mean that's already going on for Habakkuk? Look at the nations16:33and observe. Be utterly astounded for I am doing something in your time. What is God already doing for Habakkuk? You know, I think this is why grammar sometimes helps us out. I know school's already started back. God is already working. Right? Habakkuk, he's not told to just wait, sit around, I'm going to do something eventually. What does God say? You don't understand yet, Habakkuk, but I am already working in your life. For me, that gives me hope17:03because there are times that I cry out, God, why are you not doing anything? And God says, I'm already working, you just don't see it. I love the second hymn I'm going to use here, one of my favorite hymns, Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing, that says, Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing, tune my heart to sing thy grace. I think Habakkuk is learning to trust the redemptive plan of God. God is saying,17:32look, I'm already doing something, Habakkuk, you just need to tune your heart to the right pitch. You need to fix your eyes on the right thing. Now, let me stop us here. What is going on is not good in the eyes of Habakkuk. God is not saying, I'm doing something really cool, you just need to watch and you need to grab on to that. God is saying, I am sending judgment, but I have heard your prayer and I am sending my instrument18:00my instrument your way. Look, God is already working in your life. Have confidence that Yahweh is working in the unexpected parts of your life. Anyone have some unexpected things going on in your life? Am I the only one that just has a hectic, crazy life? It's gotten so bad that we've had to plan our meals again because we realize if we don't plan our meals, we just don't eat. So we have to plan18:30so we plan all of our meals out because it's important that we eat because our life is so crazy right now. Take confidence in the fact that God works in the unexpected. So if you're like me and there's a lot of unexpected going on, know that God has a lot of room to work in your life. What do we do in the unexpected? We trust in the plan of the Lord. Now what does this look18:59for Habakkuk and then we'll move on to my next point. What God is teaching Habakkuk is that God is not defined or confined to Judah. So what the people of God just thought was well if we're your chosen nation then Lord obviously you will only work here. And God said you can't put me in a box. Church people did you hear that? Right? Bethel you we can't19:29we can't we can't build a box. We cannot construct an edifice large enough or strong enough to confine the power of God. We should rejoice at that. And it was so ingrained in the people of God that we have this episode in 2 Kings. You remember if you know Naaman from the Syrian forces he comes and he has this young girl that's a servant of his from Israel19:59from Israel and he's a hardened commander in the army successful and he has leprosy and he can't get rid of leprosy and this young girl says hey there's a prophet back in this little town in my country named Elisha and he will heal you. And so he gets orders from the king and he goes to Elisha and he gets there and Elisha says hey I'll heal you. Actually the Lord the one true God will heal you. This is what you need to do. Go bathe in the Jordan River20:29and Naaman is incensed. He is upset. He said I came all the way here for this prophet to tell me to bathe in this little dirty river. Some of you were in Israel with me this year the Jordan is not very impressive. Right Jimmy? We were baptized in the Jordan River and it's not large. It's not even the width of one of these pews. And Naaman says this is the smallest river and he says20:58we have greater rivers in my country. Why did you bring me here? And he's about to leave and his servants say look you have leprosy and this man will heal you. Just listen. And so he finally bathes in humility he bathes in the Jordan and as the Lord says so he does. Naaman is healed and he goes back to Elisha and this is what he wants in 2 Kings 5 he asks for two mule loads of dirt to take back21:27with him to Syria so that he could worship the one true God back in Syria. What is Naaman saying? Obviously God you're confined to this spot but if I take some dirt with me then I will be able to worship you and the Lord laughs at our dirt moving. God says I'm not confined to a church building and by the way this does not become the church until the people come in. On Monday this is not a church it's just a nice building. It doesn't21:57It doesn't become church until the people of God come in the spirit of God to worship the one true God. So God cannot be confined and I think that's what Habakkuk is having to learn that look we can't confine God to situations even in pain we can't confine God to our limits and so what if God's plan is not expected? Let me encourage you this way there is no place no purpose and no situation that is beyond the redemptive plan22:27plan of Jesus Christ and never put limits on the power of Christ in your life. Some of you are saying Josh you don't know my reputation do not put limits on the power of Christ. Josh you don't know how much pain I'm in do not put limits on the power you don't know the hurt that I have walked through and the devastation do not put limits on the power of Christ working in your life.22:56life. What happens when God's plan is unexpected? Trust the redemptive glory of God. Even when you don't know the plan. Secondly I think Habakkuk waters us with this thought and it's not a happy thought so just follow me here. Verse 6 Look I am raising up the Chaldeans and this is what God says these are not a few bad apples in the army this is23:26this is the generalization of the army. Right so if God were doing preseason pronostications this would be in the magazine right this would be his the offensive strategy of the Babylonians they are verse 6 they are what they're bitter they're ugly they're nasty people they're impetuous they're rash they march across the open spaces to seize territories not their own they're fierce and terrifying their23:56their views of justice they get from themselves that means they're their own God and Habakkuk struggles with this Habakkuk struggles with this news from the Lord and so what happens if the medicine what happens if the prayer the answer to the prayer is bitter you know when we pray we say God we want our prayer our answer to prayer to be sweet24:26sweet to be palatable what happens if the answer is bitter and hard to swallow we can see what we don't have in Habakkuk but we know in Psalm 48 that this would have been a common prayer and song in the temple during the days of Habakkuk listen to Habakkuk 48 verse 4 attributed to the songs of Korah which were temple choral singers verse 4 says look24:55look the kings assemble they advance together they look and they are frozen with fear and they fled in terror so Habakkuk probably would have learned this as a child singing triumphantly when he worshipped look the kings assemble they advance together but they freeze in fear and they flee and what he receives here is the antithesis of that God is saying to25:25to Habakkuk look at the nations and be astounded because what I have sent in a bitter and impetuous nation and who is going to flee the people of God what do you do when the medicine that God gives is bitter we have to honestly wrestle with that as the people of God because we cannot put our spiritual heads in the sand and act as if everything is going to be okay that's foolishness25:55foolishness that's ignorance there are times in our life where it is difficult and how do we respond to that and we can't fact that God himself says of the Babylonians that God himself is sending they are fierce they're nasty people they collect captives as the sand is they mock kings they're fiercer than what they're fiercer than wolves when at26:24at night when are wolves the fiercest at at night their horses are faster than leopards and this would have been terrifying to Judah because horses were rare in the valleys and hillsides and we know that Solomon had many many horsemen and horses this would have terrified the people of God and Habakkuk says surely God this can't be your answer God26:53God surely surely you have it wrong God this is a bitter answer to my prayer God do you have the right person what do you do when the medicine is bitter we have a dog before kids he was our first child and now he's been demoted I sat him down and told him that you were our baby until we had a baby so now you you27:22you booted and he semi understands he's been grumpy ever since but we have a pug and if you know anything about pugs they eat everything and anything that is their heart language he's bad to set the core all he wants to do is eat that's how he fellowships and he's allergic we thought we changed his food he changed he's allergic to everything and finally the vet said look he's just allergic to life really27:51really and so we give him medicine and there are times where the medicine that we give him we run out because I have failed my animal so we give him Benadryl the doctor prescribed that don't worry but apparently at one time in his life he bit down into one of the Benadryl and it was bitter and so we have to hide the medicine inside of food we will hide inside of peanut butter we'll28:20we'll hide inside of cheese anything he'll eat literally he will eat anything but recently I don't know how he does it he can you can stick it inside a glob of peanut butter he will eat the glob of peanut butter and about a minute later he'll spit the pill out have you ever taken some black eyed peas to the co-op and they shell them for you right they stick them in there and the peas pop out and the shell stays that's what he and28:51and then so we keep giving it to him until he eats it but this is what he doesn't know although the pill is bitter it's for his good we don't want him to itch to the point where he rubs himself raw or makes sores on his body and I believe there are times in our life where God is allowing us or sending us things that are bitter to the taste and we are spitting29:21spitting it out and God is saying but Josh you don't understand it's bitter right now but it's for your good I'm building within you an eternal weight of glory are the Babylonians good in themselves no nowhere in this does God say I'm sending this good nation to destroy you in fact it's the opposite but God is allowing this why to bring his people back29:50back to him and so if you're going through bitter situations in your life knowing I know this it is for an eternal weight of glory that God has built in your life and it is for his glory and your good third what do we do when things are unexpected what do we do when the medicine is bitter third what30:20what if it takes pain to bring us back into the presence of the almighty are we willing to go through the pain what if it takes pain to bring us back into the presence of God and you say well where are you getting that pastor it's interesting in Acts chapter 13 the apostle Paul imports and echoes this language of Habakkuk30:50of Habakkuk 1 5 and he brings it and I want to read these two scriptures it's Acts 13 38 and Acts 13 41 the apostle says therefore let it be known to you brothers and sisters so the apostle Paul is writing to the community of God the community of faith he's writing and speaking to Israel about an event in Habakkuk that happened to the people of God Judah does that make sense so the apostle is31:19is speaking to the people of God about a situation that happened to the people of God and he says this he he says look you scoffers marvel and vanish away because I am doing a work in your days that you will you will never believe even if someone were to explain it to you and he goes through in Habakkuk in Acts 13 and tells Israel because you have rejected the31:49the Lord of this place he sent you into captivity and it's the Babylonian captivity that brought the people of God to a place where they would repent of their sins and come back to the ones your God what if it is pain that brings you back into the presence of the Lord do we want pain no no I don't want pain but what if God is using that to32:19to reshape your mind and bring Christ I can't help but think of Franny Crosby and this is what she says Fanny Jane Crosby is her middle name she wrote more than 9000 hymns many of them that you know and if you know the story of Fanny Crosby she was blind from about six months old from birth and so she had a well meaning pastor as we often do we speak sometimes without thinking and so the pastor32:48pastor says this to her he remarked it is I think it is a great pity that God did not give you sight when he showered so many gifts upon you this pastor well meaning pastor says this blind lady who has written 9000 hymns it's such a shame that God did not give you sight and this is what a spirit filled life sounds like listen to Fanny's response only by33:18by the grace of God she says if at birth I had been able to make one petition it would be that I was born blind because when I get to heaven the first face that shall ever gladden my sight will be that of my savior wow Lord may my faith be a small sliver33:48sliver of what that is this pastor saw pain in her life and he said man if God would just have taken away this difficulty if you had taken away this pain in your life then you really would have been blessed and Fanny says but you don't understand this disability has brought me into the presence of my savior and the first34:17first face I will see will be my heavenly father what what if it is pain that brings us back to the presence of the almighty Habakkuk in verse 12 says this this is his this is the prophet's answer to God's this prophet's prayer to God's answer he says God are you not from eternity Lord my God my holy one you will not34:47not die Lord you appointed them to execute judgment my rock you destined them to punish us what a proclamation of faith by this servant of God but I began to think about this and as I was reading this I was saying God how in the world can I encourage the people here in the St. Claire area this is a difficult message and then I centered on this thought my holy one you will not die and I said but wait Habakkuk35:17Habakkuk prophesied in 630 I said 630 years later God died he sent his son who was fully God and fully man to die on the cross that we might have life you see it's the pain of the cross that brings you peace35:47peace with God it's the pain of the cross that brings us peace with God and the only way we have peace with the creator is through the cross of Jesus Christ and look at the Babylonian description and I want you to think of Golgotha think of the cross of Christ look at verse 6 I believe that the cross to Jesus was a weight that the Son of God36:17God bore for our sakes I believe as the Chaldeans were the cross was bitter and impetuous rash when Pilate brings Jesus before the crowd and he says hey this man is innocent so which one do you want to crucify what do they say at a moment's notice impetuous rash decision they shout out in unison crucify him crucify him verse36:45verse 7 I believe the cross was fierce and terrifying to the point that Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane is crying and sweating drops of blood and then at some point in that prayer he's crying and he's praying what Lord let this cup let this terrifying cup of37:15of the cross pass but God not as I will but you I believe that the cross was because of a world that sought views of justice and sovereignty from themselves I believe that as the eagles are swooping to devour I believe that it was the intent of37:44of the enemy to devour the son of God but we know the grave did not devour Christ in fact it was like the bitterness of that pill the earth spit the son of God out because it could not contain him I believe the cross in verse 9 was because the world was set to do violence38:14violence and they set their faces in determination verse 10 as the Babylonians mock kings we have a descriptor of the king of kings on the cross it says hail him who declares he is the king of the Jews that for Christ he was a joke and they laughed and they mocked him it is through the pain of38:42of the cross that we have peace with God and maybe you're here today and you do not have peace and you've tried everything and maybe right now you're trying church and I just want to let you down slowly and gently so we can build you back up this church will not save you this sermon will not save you walking an aisle being39:12being baptized giving everything you have to the poor and living a life of solitude and poverty will not save you but here's the good news that God so loved the world that he sent his only son that whoever believes in him what is belief what is faith faith is a human response to God's grace whoever believes in him will not perish but39:42but have everlasting life that you do not have to have a severed relationship with God you can have peace with God right now if you will do business with the almighty to say God I own my sin and I'm thankful that you your son took it to the cross that he nailed it to the cross as Colossians says he wipes it clean in return peace right now if that is you I want you to know that God is calling40:12calling you through his son do business with God this morning have peace with God that is offered to you man what a wonderful peace that is found through the pain of Christ maybe some of you are on this side of the cross and you say well I put my faith in Jesus Christ and you know what I am kind of bitter because everything has gotten worse what40:39what if God is using that pain to build within you an eternal weight of glory and maybe today during our time of response you need to come to the altar and maybe you need to pray that prayer or shout as the old hymn says grace has got me safe this far and Lord I don't like the routes it's dark and it's difficult41:08difficult but I will trust that grace will lead me home the fig tree does not bud and there is no fruit on the vine though the olive crop fails and the fields yield no harvest though the flocks disappear from the pen and there is no cattle in the stalls chapter 3 of Habakkuk says yet I41:38I will celebrate in the Lord I will rejoice in the God of my salvationMore sermons on Acts →
