Habakkuk

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Can God be good when life is not? When life hits hard, it plunges us into a sea of questions we hoped we'd never have to ask. But when you feel broken, abandoned, and struggling to find answers, there's a beacon in the storm.

Notes
Transcript

Catchy Introduction

Story behind book: Craig’s assistant Adrianne was praying for a baby:
She came into the office—she was pregnant!!!
Couple weeks went by—she lost the child—darkest days of her life
Hugged, Cried. Hugged.
Wrote—Didn’t tell anyone—gave document to Adrianne—she held onto it
This document turned into this book
In moments like these you tend to ask questions: why? where? how could you let this happen?
Our unsung hero is going to speak to those questions today

Introduction

Introduction

Catchy opening
Continuing in Unsung Heroes series
Swipe Right
Food Fight
Who did we look at last week?
Moving from Judges to Prophets
We have different genres of books—so does the Bible
Judges is history—moving from history to prophets
All books under prophets genre is named by the author
There are major and minor prophets
Anyone know the difference?
5 major prophet books: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel
12 minor prophets books: Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi
In verse one of this book—Habakkuk receives a prophecy
What do you think prophecy means?
Hebrew word means burden or doom
Each book has different themes—most are warnings—some future prophecies about Jesus
Israel is sinning—God warns them—they don’t listen
God sends a nation called Babylon (Chaldeans)
Habakkuk is telling people—Babylon is coming
God told warned you to follow him—if not—there will be consequences

Teaching/Application

Story behind book: Craig’s assistant Adrianne was praying for a baby:
She came into the office—she was pregnant!!!
Couple weeks went by—she lost the child—darkest days of her life
Hugged, Cried. Hugged.
Wrote—Didn’t tell anyone—gave document to Adrianne—she held onto it
This document turned into this book
In moments like this—you ask questions—Why? Where are you God?
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Habakkuk—Not lot info—12 minor prophets5 major prophets
Prophet: Speaks people behalf God. God behalf people
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Interesting time—600 years before birth X—Nation of Judah downhill
Prosperous—Impoverished: Injustice, Corruption, Violence
Habakkuk is looking at all the wrong that is going on
Confused. Perplexed. Baffled. Disappointed. Angry
God—Why are you allowing this? You could stop it—Don’t
Habakkuk is asking these question 2600 years ago—still ask them today
Habakkuk doesn’t ease into his message—doesn’t hold back
Chapter 1: Babylon is coming!!
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WHY DOESN’T GOD SEEM FAIR? (2600 yrs ago, Same today)
2 How long, Lord, must I call for help, but you do not listen? Or cry out to you, “Violence!” but you do not save? 3 Why do you make me look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrongdoing?
2 How long, Lord, must I call for help, but you do not listen? Or cry out to you, “Violence!” but you do not save? 3 Why do you make me look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrongdoing?
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Habakkuk doesn’t get it—Knows God could intervene—Doesn’t.
His name tells our story today
Habakkuk—to “embrace” or to “wrestle.”
Look at your friend and say “Oh oh”
Chapter 2:
Warning: Not “sitcom conversation” (Brady Bunch, Friends, The Office)
Happy/Problem—Solved w/in 30 min—including commercial breaks
Usually in conversation: introduce problem—find answer in Bible—resolved—throw dodgeballs at one another
In life a sitcom may look like:
Like your job—Lose your job—Better job—Benefits (cute single guy)!
Real life does not look like a sitcom—not everything resolved in 30 mins or even 30 days
Like job: Lose job, Don’t get better job, Bankruptcy, Failure.
Love spouse: Spouse cheats, Doesn’t apologize, Blames—Leaves.
Like life: Bad med report, Pray, Fight chemo, Goes away, Back.
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Well-meaning Xian: God’s control. God will work it out. Let go, Let God.
Introduce main point
But faith rattled, life is a mess
And all you want to do those people is lay hands on them
And you’re mad at God b/c you’re looking at God asking:
Why are you letting it happen? Do anything? Where? Not fair!
Hab. is wondering the same thing:
Why do you make me look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrongdoing? Destruction and violence are before me; there is strife, and conflict abounds. 4 Therefore the law is paralyzed, and justice never prevail…
Why do you make me look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrongdoing? Destruction and violence are before me; there is strife, and conflict abounds. 4 Therefore the law is paralyzed, and justice never prevails…
In other words: I don’t think you’re doing what is right
Ø Kept virginity: Not married—Other friends didn’t—Married—Not.
Ø Can’t conceive: Pray—Trust—People who don’t want kids.
Ø Faithful: Read bible, Pray, Serve: Still battle migraines, depression.
Ø Suffering: Starving babies. Racism. Terrorism. School shootings.
Hab. is going to God on behalf of the people
Hab. has the same problems we have with God
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HABAKKUK’S PROBLEMS WITH GOD
You don’t seem to really care. (Allow injustice, suffering)
You aren’t doing much when you could.
What you are doing, doesn’t seem fair.
God—If I were you—I’d do things differently!
Have you ever felt like that?
Is it ever okay to question God? Yes!
Introduce main power of the text
1/3 of the psalms are prayers or songs of people hurting.
Authors of Job, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, Jeremiah express confusion and pain of good and faithful people
Jesus on the cross—becomes sins for us--God pulls away—Jesus asks “Why?”
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Whether you are a Christian or not—been through this
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Mountain top— life is amazing
Crisis—something happens—sends you downhill—couple of reactions
Deny problems (pretend)—Forget it!
Embrace, Wrestle
I recommend this last one
Situation may not get better—but something happens when we embrace and wrestle with God in the valley
This something is in

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance

Problems will not get better--
:
Seminary—Theo Crossfire—Clark Pinnick, Delwin Brown
The way to true intimacy with God is not on the mountain top but to embrace him in the lowest points in your life
I want to be a classical performer after college—travel—make good money
Feel in love with Jesus in college—decided to go work in church
In college—had professors that had more head knowledge than heart faith
Studying under them—I found myself questioning—doubting
Is this all true? Should I forget it all?
Should I wrestle and embrace?
It took friends and other professors to take my faith on the up
Someone here tonight is in a crisis of faith—God does not ignore us in these moments—he responds
This is how he responds to Habakkuk in his faith crisis:
Questions about God—Faith Struggles—Crisis of belief
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5 “Look at the nations and watch—and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told.
GOD’S RESPONSE
5 “Look at the nations and watch—and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told.
Finally God will do what is right—finally God is going to show up and do what only he can do
Don’t understand—Just wait—Not finished—Amazed!
Why do they need to know this?
In a sitcom conversation
Sitcom: Business ClassEconomy (Economy boyfriend)
In a sitcom conversation—this is where I would tell a story to resolve the problem
But this is not a sitcom conversation—God says this next
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6 I am raising up the Babylonians [the enemies], that ruthless and impetuous people, who sweep across the whole earth to seize dwellings not their own. 7 They are a feared and dreaded people… 9 they all come intent on violence... ,
6 I am raising up the Babylonians, that ruthless and impetuous people, who sweep across the whole earth to seize dwellings not their own. 7 They are a feared and dreaded people… 9 they all come intent on violence... ,
This makes no sense to Hab.
Makes no sense—Not fair—Not right?
Things had gone from bad to worse
What do we do in the valley’s?
In the book Craig says:
A committed believer can both WRESTLE with honest questions and EMBRACE a genuine faith in God.
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Hab. wrestles and embrace
Son’s struggling: I do believeHelp me overcome.
12 Lord, are you not from everlasting? My God, my Holy One, you will never die. You, Lord, have appointed them to execute judgment; you, my Rock, have ordained them to punish. 13 Your eyes are too pure to look on evil; you cannot tolerate wrongdoing. Why then do you tolerate the treacherous? Why are you silent while the wicked swallow up those more righteous than themselves?
12 Lord, are you not from everlasting? My God, my Holy One, you will never die. You, Lord, have appointed them to execute judgment; you, my Rock, have ordained them to punish. 13 Your eyes are too pure to look on evil; you cannot tolerate wrongdoing. Why then do you tolerate the treacherous? Why are you silent while the wicked swallow up those more righteous than themselves?
It’s okay to ask questions but lets also speak the truth about him
I want you to believe:
God understands your pain
He welcomes your questions
Rather have you yell at him than walk away from him
God would rather you yell at him then walk away from him
Don’t deny your doubts, let your doubts drive you to God
Ø God understands your pain.
Ø Welcomes your questions
Ø Rather have you yell at him than walk away from him.
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Don’t deny your doubts. Let your doubts drive you to God.
“What if honestly acknowledging your doubts is the first step toward building a deeper faith? What if embracing your secret questions opens the door for a maturing knowledge of God’s character? What if becoming closer to God, developing genuine intimacy with him, requires you to bear that which feels unbearable? To hear him through an ominous utterance, to trust him in the moment of doom, to embrace his strength when you’re weak with a burden? What if it takes real pain to experience deep and abiding hope?” From “Hope in the Dark”
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Habakkuk: Embrace—Wrestle
God will never give me more than I can bear, handle.
No—Not let you tempted—Often allows you more bear—Depend on him.
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Going to be better—May not! May get worse!
Upgraded to businessMiss your flight!
Leave it hanging—(Mandy is all better)—Not sitcom sermon.
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We are just in chapter one. (Mandy)
No answerNo resolution—No miracle. No solution.
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So many people walk away from God in chapter one.
Chapter 2 not much better
When you are in chapter 1: Wrestle and Embrace.
He loves you—we may not always understand him but the last thing he would want is for you to walk away

Application

What do they need to do?
Doubt does not mean having no faith
What’s one main to do?
The younger you can do this the better—embrace and wrestle

Conclusion

Why do they need to do it?
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