1 00:00:05,400 --> 00:00:08,320 Once again, I want to welcome everyone here this morning. 2 00:00:12,120 --> 00:00:15,800 If you don't know, my name is James, one of the one of the 3 00:00:15,800 --> 00:00:21,480 elders here. This morning I'm going to 4 00:00:21,480 --> 00:00:27,960 endeavour to to give to you a message that entitled The 5 00:00:27,960 --> 00:00:29,760 Righteous Shall Live by his faith. 6 00:00:31,080 --> 00:00:34,800 We're going to be in the book of Habakkuk this morning. 7 00:00:36,080 --> 00:00:40,440 Now the book of a back Habakkuk is actually one of my favorite 8 00:00:40,440 --> 00:00:46,600 books in the Bible, and we'll kind of get into that as we move 9 00:00:46,600 --> 00:00:49,720 along. A little book in the Old 10 00:00:49,720 --> 00:00:57,720 Testament, only three chapters or text this morning is going to 11 00:00:57,720 --> 00:01:03,720 be just 21 verses, all of chapter one. 12 00:01:03,720 --> 00:01:12,040 And in the 1st 4 verses of chapter 2, we're going to bring 13 00:01:12,040 --> 00:01:16,200 out some things from all three chapters, but that's going to be 14 00:01:16,200 --> 00:01:22,400 our primary text. This morning Felt last week that 15 00:01:24,280 --> 00:01:34,520 this message was teed up for me very well by Kyle's message of 16 00:01:34,720 --> 00:01:39,320 faithfulness and trusting in God, because that's once again 17 00:01:39,320 --> 00:01:41,520 what we're going to be dealing with this morning. 18 00:01:42,680 --> 00:01:48,120 Habakkuk, there's not a lot known about him other than from 19 00:01:48,120 --> 00:01:53,760 his book. It's believed that the book of 20 00:01:53,760 --> 00:01:57,880 Habakkuk was, I mean, even that name, Habakkuk. 21 00:01:57,880 --> 00:02:00,560 That's fun to say, man, That's just fun to say. 22 00:02:00,960 --> 00:02:06,840 So Habakkuk was written somewhere between 6:40 and 6:15 23 00:02:06,840 --> 00:02:13,040 BC. It was towards the end of the 24 00:02:13,320 --> 00:02:20,720 Assyrian power that they were under. 25 00:02:21,720 --> 00:02:26,760 Assyria would soon to be weakened in their power and this 26 00:02:26,760 --> 00:02:32,000 was a prophecy that would be fulfilled at least two decades 27 00:02:32,000 --> 00:02:34,440 after the book was written. It may have been three or four 28 00:02:34,440 --> 00:02:38,960 decades after the book was written of how God was going to 29 00:02:38,960 --> 00:02:46,200 raise up the nation of Babylon or the Chaldeans that they were 30 00:02:46,200 --> 00:02:50,360 going to come and overtake Assyria. 31 00:02:52,040 --> 00:02:57,320 Oh, and assert their power. And Assyria would be their power 32 00:02:57,320 --> 00:03:02,800 would be no more. And Habakkuk is a prophet. 33 00:03:02,800 --> 00:03:07,480 So this is a prophetic book. But Habakkuk is also a book of 34 00:03:07,480 --> 00:03:11,240 poetry. Much of it is written and if you 35 00:03:11,240 --> 00:03:17,480 look at the the structure of the book, of the sentences 36 00:03:18,360 --> 00:03:25,000 structured in most of not all but most of the verses are 37 00:03:25,200 --> 00:03:29,840 constructed either in what's referred to as couplets or 38 00:03:29,840 --> 00:03:33,800 triplets. Either 2 verses to each, two 39 00:03:33,800 --> 00:03:36,600 sentences to each verse or three sentences to each verse. 40 00:03:36,600 --> 00:03:40,800 Now every verse doesn't apply to that. 41 00:03:41,040 --> 00:03:45,760 Hebrew poetry is not like poetry that we know of as today. 42 00:03:46,600 --> 00:03:52,200 But so Habakkuk is not only a book of prophecy, it is also a 43 00:03:52,200 --> 00:03:57,160 book of poetry, which kind of once again is another reason why 44 00:03:57,160 --> 00:04:03,520 I like, I like this book. I love the character character 45 00:04:03,520 --> 00:04:10,360 of Habakkuk and what we can learn from him as we approach a 46 00:04:10,360 --> 00:04:11,920 holy God. Amen. 47 00:04:12,960 --> 00:04:19,720 So we find out, like I said, there's not a whole lot known 48 00:04:19,720 --> 00:04:22,520 about Habakkuk other than his book. 49 00:04:22,960 --> 00:04:29,640 It's believed that he even lived among the time of Daniel and 50 00:04:29,640 --> 00:04:31,840 Ezekiel. There is. 51 00:04:32,040 --> 00:04:37,640 There is also a in the Jewish Bible, there is a addition to 52 00:04:37,640 --> 00:04:44,920 the book of Daniel called Bell and the Dragon that says that 53 00:04:44,920 --> 00:04:48,160 Habakkuk was actually used by God to go feed Daniel while 54 00:04:48,160 --> 00:04:52,840 Daniel was in the lion's den. Now that's not in our Bible, so 55 00:04:53,240 --> 00:04:55,080 take it for what you want it, what it's worth. 56 00:04:55,680 --> 00:05:00,680 But it was just a interesting side note that I picked up. 57 00:05:00,680 --> 00:05:03,920 Even the many times I've studied this book, I've never come 58 00:05:03,920 --> 00:05:11,640 across that reference before. But as we study this book this 59 00:05:11,640 --> 00:05:15,600 morning, go over the scriptures, it's a real easy to read 60 00:05:16,760 --> 00:05:31,120 Habakkuk story and think that Habakkuk was doubting God, that 61 00:05:31,120 --> 00:05:36,960 Habakkuk was actually had no faith in some of the language 62 00:05:36,960 --> 00:05:43,840 that he uses. Habakkuk is very has a very 63 00:05:43,840 --> 00:05:47,680 accusatory tone that he uses with God. 64 00:05:48,920 --> 00:05:52,360 He actually accuses God of some things in our in our text this 65 00:05:52,360 --> 00:05:57,880 morning. But don't put Habakkuk into the 66 00:05:57,880 --> 00:06:01,200 category of the unfaithful or the doubtful. 67 00:06:02,480 --> 00:06:07,520 He's actually very faithful and he he we can find out through 68 00:06:07,520 --> 00:06:10,360 the text this morning that he has not lost his faith in God. 69 00:06:11,920 --> 00:06:18,240 The actual fact that he is praying to God shows his 70 00:06:18,240 --> 00:06:21,760 faithfulness that he still believes in God. 71 00:06:29,920 --> 00:06:35,520 In a book called Faith Among the Ruins, the Book of Habakkuk 72 00:06:35,520 --> 00:06:37,640 written by Heath Thomas, he writes this. 73 00:06:38,880 --> 00:06:43,320 The complaints in Habakkuk chapter one, verses 2 through 4, 74 00:06:44,080 --> 00:06:51,400 assume that God will counteract violence in chaos precisely 75 00:06:51,400 --> 00:06:56,480 because it is His creation that it has become disordered. 76 00:06:57,080 --> 00:07:00,680 If the Prophet did not think that God was a caring Lord over 77 00:07:00,680 --> 00:07:04,880 his creation, it is sensible to suggest that he would have given 78 00:07:04,880 --> 00:07:07,920 up and that Habakkuk would never have voiced his prayer. 79 00:07:08,800 --> 00:07:12,080 But the Prophet Prophet refuses to take this course. 80 00:07:12,680 --> 00:07:16,600 Habakkuk recognizes that God fashioned this world with 81 00:07:16,600 --> 00:07:21,360 justice and knows that the experience of some twisted form 82 00:07:21,360 --> 00:07:26,720 or partiality that passes for justice is incompatible with 83 00:07:26,720 --> 00:07:30,360 God's design and intention for his good world. 84 00:07:32,160 --> 00:07:37,920 So therefore, you know, like I said, we want to look at this in 85 00:07:38,400 --> 00:07:42,680 the scope of Habakkuk's faithfulness this morning. 86 00:07:43,680 --> 00:07:52,120 Not as a man that has let faith, even in his time of frustration, 87 00:07:53,080 --> 00:07:57,880 in the times that he didn't understand why this was going on 88 00:07:58,520 --> 00:08:06,880 and God gave him a vision of the future overtaken by the 89 00:08:07,400 --> 00:08:13,280 Chaldeans, he still didn't fully understand until God completely 90 00:08:14,280 --> 00:08:19,640 showed him all the vision. So let's remember this morning 91 00:08:21,240 --> 00:08:24,760 what it says in the book of Hebrews, chapter 4, verses 14 92 00:08:24,760 --> 00:08:29,520 through 16. It says this Since then we have 93 00:08:29,640 --> 00:08:32,640 a great High priest who has passed through the heavens, 94 00:08:33,039 --> 00:08:38,440 Jesus, the Son of God. Let us hold fast our confession. 95 00:08:39,360 --> 00:08:43,640 Now why should we hold our confession, since we have a 96 00:08:43,640 --> 00:08:45,760 great High priest whose name is Jesus? 97 00:08:46,920 --> 00:08:49,760 He goes on and says, For we do not have a high priest who is 98 00:08:49,800 --> 00:08:54,560 unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every 99 00:08:54,560 --> 00:09:00,240 respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. 100 00:09:01,480 --> 00:09:04,960 Let us then, with confidence draw near to the throne of 101 00:09:04,960 --> 00:09:12,280 grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time 102 00:09:12,280 --> 00:09:14,520 of need. And that's exactly what we found 103 00:09:14,520 --> 00:09:17,240 out here in the book of a backup. 104 00:09:18,760 --> 00:09:26,720 Now we're getting ready to to read our word, and I'm going to 105 00:09:26,720 --> 00:09:28,640 ask you to stand here momentarily. 106 00:09:31,000 --> 00:09:35,120 And just as a side note, if you were in Sunday school a few 107 00:09:35,120 --> 00:09:39,960 weeks back we studied about after Jeremiah brought the 3rd 108 00:09:39,960 --> 00:09:43,000 wave of the Jews back from Babylon. 109 00:09:45,160 --> 00:09:48,240 Ezra brought the 2nd wave, Jeremiah brought the 3rd wave. 110 00:09:48,560 --> 00:09:51,880 When he and Jeremiah comes back he still finds that there's many 111 00:09:51,880 --> 00:09:59,840 that are still in idolatry against God and he comes back 112 00:09:59,840 --> 00:10:01,760 and they they build this platform. 113 00:10:02,920 --> 00:10:09,200 And Ezra the priest stands on the platform and he reads the 114 00:10:09,200 --> 00:10:14,600 book of the law, and it says that all the all the people of 115 00:10:14,600 --> 00:10:18,400 Israel, men, women, and all the those that could understand, so 116 00:10:19,160 --> 00:10:22,400 all those that were of age that could understand God's word was 117 00:10:22,400 --> 00:10:25,880 there. And he said as he, as he opened 118 00:10:25,880 --> 00:10:32,240 the book of the of the law that the people stood and then went 119 00:10:32,240 --> 00:10:36,040 on cue the people would say, Amen, Amen. 120 00:10:37,080 --> 00:10:41,760 So when we asked you to stand for the reading of God's word is 121 00:10:41,760 --> 00:10:46,600 not just on ceremony, it is actually an act of worship. 122 00:10:47,200 --> 00:10:50,520 This is what the people of Israel was doing when Ezra 123 00:10:50,520 --> 00:10:52,360 opened up the Book of the law to read. 124 00:10:52,720 --> 00:10:55,600 So never assume that we ask you to stand for the reading of 125 00:10:55,600 --> 00:10:59,920 God's word just because it's a piece of ceremony or just 126 00:11:00,120 --> 00:11:03,680 something that we do. It's actually an extension of 127 00:11:03,680 --> 00:11:04,720 our worship. Amen. 128 00:11:05,480 --> 00:11:08,360 So this morning we're going to be reading Habakkuk, chapter 129 00:11:08,360 --> 00:11:13,080 one, beginning with verse one to chapter 2, verse four. 130 00:11:13,080 --> 00:11:17,760 And if you are able, I ask you to stand and when I'm done 131 00:11:17,760 --> 00:11:20,760 reading, I will say this is the word of the Lord and I ask that 132 00:11:20,760 --> 00:11:32,600 you respond, Thanks be to God. Habakkuk, chapter one, verse 133 00:11:32,600 --> 00:11:36,640 one. The Oracle that Habakkuk the 134 00:11:36,640 --> 00:11:41,640 prophet saw. Oh Lord, how long shall I cry 135 00:11:41,640 --> 00:11:45,760 for help? And you will not hear or cry to 136 00:11:45,760 --> 00:11:48,640 you violence and you will not save. 137 00:11:49,320 --> 00:11:54,800 Why do you make me see iniquity, and why do you idly look at 138 00:11:54,800 --> 00:11:58,440 wrong? Destruction and violence are 139 00:11:58,440 --> 00:12:02,440 before me. Strife and contention arise, so 140 00:12:02,440 --> 00:12:07,960 the law is paralyzed, and justice never goes forth, For 141 00:12:07,960 --> 00:12:11,960 the wicked surround the righteous, so justice goes forth 142 00:12:12,280 --> 00:12:17,840 perverted, and the Lord answers. Habakkuk started in verse five. 143 00:12:18,120 --> 00:12:22,280 Look among the nations and see Wander, and be astounded. 144 00:12:22,760 --> 00:12:26,160 For I am doing a work in your days that you would not believe 145 00:12:26,160 --> 00:12:30,240 if told. For behold, I am raising up the 146 00:12:30,240 --> 00:12:34,720 Chaldeans, that bitter and hasty nation, who March through the 147 00:12:34,720 --> 00:12:38,080 breath of the earth to seize dwellings not their own. 148 00:12:38,920 --> 00:12:43,760 They are dreaded and fearsome. Their justice and dignity go 149 00:12:43,760 --> 00:12:48,200 forth from themselves. Their horses are swifter than 150 00:12:48,200 --> 00:12:51,080 leopards, more fierce than the evening wolves. 151 00:12:51,520 --> 00:12:56,680 Their horsemen press proudly on their horsemen come from afar. 152 00:12:56,840 --> 00:13:00,320 They fly like an eagle, swift to devour. 153 00:13:01,080 --> 00:13:04,760 They all come for violence, all their faces forward. 154 00:13:05,360 --> 00:13:10,640 They gather captives like sand at kings they scoff, and at 155 00:13:10,640 --> 00:13:14,520 rulers they laugh. They laugh at every fortress, 156 00:13:14,960 --> 00:13:17,000 for they pile up earth and take it. 157 00:13:17,960 --> 00:13:22,120 Then they sweep by like the wind, and go on. 158 00:13:22,680 --> 00:13:26,800 Guilty men whose own might is their God. 159 00:13:28,320 --> 00:13:31,160 Then Habakkuk brings a second complaint to God. 160 00:13:32,760 --> 00:13:38,240 Are you not from everlasting? O Lord, my God, my holy one, we 161 00:13:38,240 --> 00:13:43,440 shall not die, O Lord, you have ordained them as a judgement, 162 00:13:43,720 --> 00:13:47,480 and you, O Rock, have established them for reproof. 163 00:13:48,600 --> 00:13:52,480 You who are of pure eyes than to see evil and cannot look at 164 00:13:52,480 --> 00:13:57,880 wrong, Why do you idly look at traitors and remain silent when 165 00:13:57,880 --> 00:14:01,920 the wicked swallows up the man more righteous than he? 166 00:14:03,000 --> 00:14:06,720 You make mankind like the fish of the sea, like crawling things 167 00:14:06,720 --> 00:14:10,280 that have no ruler. He brings all of them up with 168 00:14:10,280 --> 00:14:13,200 the hook, He drags them out with his net. 169 00:14:13,760 --> 00:14:18,560 He gathers them in his dragnet. So he rejoices and is glad. 170 00:14:19,720 --> 00:14:23,320 Therefore he sacrifices to his net and makes offerings to his 171 00:14:23,320 --> 00:14:28,480 dragnet, for by them he lives in luxury and his food is rich. 172 00:14:29,560 --> 00:14:33,760 Is he the end to keep on emptying his net and mercilessly 173 00:14:33,760 --> 00:14:39,720 killing nations forever? Chapter 2, verse one, I will 174 00:14:39,720 --> 00:14:44,760 take my stand and at my watch post and station myself on the 175 00:14:44,760 --> 00:14:50,200 tower and look out to see what he will say to me and what our 176 00:14:50,200 --> 00:14:56,960 answer concerning my complaint. Once again the Lord answers 177 00:14:57,880 --> 00:15:00,400 Habakkuk, verse two, and the Lord answered me. 178 00:15:00,800 --> 00:15:04,520 Write the vision. Make it plain on tablets, so he 179 00:15:04,520 --> 00:15:05,960 may run. Who reads it? 180 00:15:06,760 --> 00:15:09,640 For still the vision awaits its appointed time. 181 00:15:10,080 --> 00:15:13,120 It hastens to the end. It will not lie. 182 00:15:13,840 --> 00:15:17,920 If it seems slow, wait for it. It will surely come. 183 00:15:18,200 --> 00:15:22,440 It will not delay. Behold, his soul is puffed up. 184 00:15:22,800 --> 00:15:27,520 It is not upright within him, but the righteous shall live by 185 00:15:27,520 --> 00:15:30,440 his faith. This is the word of the Lord. 186 00:15:32,120 --> 00:15:35,440 Let's pray this morning. Father God, I praise you. 187 00:15:35,440 --> 00:15:40,640 I magnify you for your word. I thank you for truth. 188 00:15:41,840 --> 00:15:44,200 I thank you that you are a God of justice. 189 00:15:44,280 --> 00:15:50,760 You are a God of order. And, Father, we may not always 190 00:15:50,760 --> 00:15:57,320 understand, but you are constantly making sense of the 191 00:15:57,320 --> 00:16:02,320 chaos. Let us, Father, not lean upon 192 00:16:02,320 --> 00:16:04,560 our own understanding, but lean upon you. 193 00:16:05,360 --> 00:16:07,040 Help us to receive from your word. 194 00:16:07,040 --> 00:16:12,560 This morning, Father, I ask that you will give me the words to 195 00:16:12,560 --> 00:16:17,480 say that I can relay what you have given to me to those here. 196 00:16:17,960 --> 00:16:21,440 Father, let us be able to understand your word this 197 00:16:21,440 --> 00:16:23,440 morning. Amen. 198 00:16:24,200 --> 00:16:36,400 You may be seated this morning. The big ideal for today's sermon 199 00:16:38,120 --> 00:16:42,400 is this. Even in our frustrations over 200 00:16:42,400 --> 00:16:47,560 our current situations, we can always put our faith in Jesus, 201 00:16:48,240 --> 00:16:52,200 who is actively working in the background of our lives to bring 202 00:16:52,200 --> 00:16:58,360 about good. Even in our frustrations over 203 00:16:58,360 --> 00:17:03,880 our current situations, we can always put our faith in Jesus, 204 00:17:04,560 --> 00:17:08,800 who is actively working in the background of our lives to bring 205 00:17:08,800 --> 00:17:16,760 about good. Who's ever been frustrated over 206 00:17:16,839 --> 00:17:21,760 a situation in your life? The rest of you that didn't 207 00:17:21,760 --> 00:17:22,800 raise your hand? You're lying. 208 00:17:26,800 --> 00:17:34,840 It's easy to be frustrated. It's easy to allow ourselves to. 209 00:17:34,880 --> 00:17:39,960 And the reason why we get so frustrated is because we're 210 00:17:39,960 --> 00:17:46,080 naturally selfish people as humans because of sin. 211 00:17:46,720 --> 00:17:54,280 Our number one response or quit The quick response. 212 00:17:54,280 --> 00:17:57,800 Whenever something happens we don't like or we have to wait 213 00:17:57,800 --> 00:18:02,160 and we don't want to wait. It is because we are selfish 214 00:18:02,160 --> 00:18:09,480 people and our instinct is to preserve our self and that's 215 00:18:09,480 --> 00:18:14,840 because of sin. We are selfish people because of 216 00:18:14,840 --> 00:18:18,920 sin, but we don't have to stay selfish people. 217 00:18:18,920 --> 00:18:24,840 Amen. So what we see here today is 218 00:18:24,920 --> 00:18:31,120 Habakkuk praying to God, and it's actually, I like the phrase 219 00:18:31,120 --> 00:18:35,720 here we go again. There was a cadence in the 220 00:18:35,720 --> 00:18:37,360 military that we would sing a lot. 221 00:18:38,120 --> 00:18:43,480 Here we go again, same old stuff again, just the same day, over 222 00:18:43,480 --> 00:18:46,440 and over. And what we find here in the 223 00:18:46,440 --> 00:18:51,960 book of Habakkuk is exactly that, that we found out that 224 00:18:53,600 --> 00:18:58,080 throughout the Old Testament we found the story of God's people 225 00:18:58,400 --> 00:19:01,720 committing themselves to follow God's law. 226 00:19:03,080 --> 00:19:06,920 But then God's people would turn their back on him. 227 00:19:08,400 --> 00:19:13,080 They would serve other gods. They would commit spiritual 228 00:19:13,080 --> 00:19:17,640 idolatry against God. God would bring judgment upon 229 00:19:17,640 --> 00:19:21,600 his people. They would cry out for help. 230 00:19:22,480 --> 00:19:24,800 God would come and deliver His people. 231 00:19:25,880 --> 00:19:29,600 His people would then commit themselves to follow His laws 232 00:19:29,600 --> 00:19:34,320 and follow His commandments. And then after a while, they 233 00:19:34,320 --> 00:19:38,640 would turn their back on God. God would bring judgment, and 234 00:19:38,640 --> 00:19:41,240 there, and the cycle would go on and on and on. 235 00:19:41,240 --> 00:19:43,120 We found out throughout the Old Testament. 236 00:19:45,040 --> 00:19:50,840 And here once again we see the we see God's people in this 237 00:19:50,840 --> 00:19:55,760 situation. They were under the Assyrian 238 00:19:55,760 --> 00:20:01,840 authority because of their sinfulness, because they had 239 00:20:02,040 --> 00:20:09,680 turned their back on God. So once again, God was using one 240 00:20:09,680 --> 00:20:17,280 of his chosen ones, Habakkuk, to show a a prophecy that was going 241 00:20:17,280 --> 00:20:20,640 to happen. Like I said earlier, it was 242 00:20:20,640 --> 00:20:25,480 since. At least two decades from the 243 00:20:25,480 --> 00:20:28,840 time God spoke to a backer and gave him the vision of the 244 00:20:28,840 --> 00:20:32,200 Chaldeans coming, and they would. 245 00:20:33,080 --> 00:20:37,240 God was raising them up to punish Assyria. 246 00:20:38,680 --> 00:20:43,760 But in the process, Assyria would be punished because they 247 00:20:43,760 --> 00:20:49,200 had oppressed the Jewish people. But in the process, the 248 00:20:49,240 --> 00:20:51,400 Chaldeans would wipe out their Syrians. 249 00:20:51,400 --> 00:20:56,240 But they would still be over God's people. 250 00:20:56,240 --> 00:21:00,520 So God's people would still be under other people's authority. 251 00:21:02,880 --> 00:21:05,760 So through this all, Habakkuk just didn't understand. 252 00:21:09,920 --> 00:21:14,280 In Psalm chapter 13, David declares, Oh Lord, how long, oh 253 00:21:14,280 --> 00:21:17,000 Lord, will you forget me? Forever. 254 00:21:17,600 --> 00:21:19,840 How long will you hide your face from me? 255 00:21:21,040 --> 00:21:25,640 Goes on and says how long shall my enemy be exalted over me? 256 00:21:29,640 --> 00:21:35,000 There are absolutely times in our life that we we are 257 00:21:35,000 --> 00:21:38,040 frustrated. We don't know why things are 258 00:21:38,040 --> 00:21:41,720 happening. We don't know why we're in this 259 00:21:41,720 --> 00:21:47,880 situation now here they were in this situation because of sin. 260 00:21:49,200 --> 00:21:51,840 But just because we're going through a situation doesn't mean 261 00:21:51,840 --> 00:21:54,280 it's sin. Lots of times. 262 00:21:54,280 --> 00:21:57,040 It just means it's life. Amen. 263 00:21:57,040 --> 00:22:04,800 And we have a smaller crowd this morning and I have a lot to say, 264 00:22:07,880 --> 00:22:11,440 but the more feedback I get, the quicker I can go. 265 00:22:12,200 --> 00:22:15,200 So if I don't get a lot of feedback, we may be here a 266 00:22:15,200 --> 00:22:19,880 little longer. I'm just saying, so this morning 267 00:22:20,880 --> 00:22:23,840 I want to direct your attention back to the book of Habakkuk, 268 00:22:24,080 --> 00:22:28,040 Habakkuk. Now Habakkuk pleads for God's 269 00:22:28,040 --> 00:22:32,840 intervention from the Assyrian captivity, and we found out in 270 00:22:32,840 --> 00:22:35,240 chapter one, verse two, that he cries out. 271 00:22:35,240 --> 00:22:41,920 How long shall I cry for help? And you will not hear, he says, 272 00:22:41,920 --> 00:22:49,960 hear or cry out to you violence. And you will not say this word. 273 00:22:49,960 --> 00:22:55,480 Violence means injustice, It means harsh treatment. 274 00:22:56,480 --> 00:23:02,440 It references rude, wicked men. And this word he says, How long 275 00:23:02,440 --> 00:23:07,840 will you not save this word? Save means to be liberated from 276 00:23:07,840 --> 00:23:12,760 external evils. External evils. 277 00:23:12,760 --> 00:23:19,800 So he's asking how long will you allow these rude, wicked, unjust 278 00:23:19,800 --> 00:23:25,120 men to be over us and afflict us from their evils? 279 00:23:25,120 --> 00:23:28,520 How long will you not save us from from these people? 280 00:23:29,800 --> 00:23:34,880 Verse three tells them you make me see iniquity, which is 281 00:23:35,360 --> 00:23:38,360 trouble or sorrow or idolatry or wickedness. 282 00:23:39,240 --> 00:23:41,680 It says destruction and violence are before me. 283 00:23:41,680 --> 00:23:46,560 Strife and contention arise. So your reference is that there 284 00:23:46,560 --> 00:23:53,800 are disputes. We find out later on that there 285 00:23:53,800 --> 00:24:00,040 is public hostilities. It's just people are at one 286 00:24:00,040 --> 00:24:02,160 another. Kind of sounds for me or doesn't 287 00:24:02,160 --> 00:24:05,840 it? Kind of sounds like the world we 288 00:24:05,840 --> 00:24:10,440 live in. You were am in the home groups 289 00:24:10,440 --> 00:24:17,240 that studied the. Yep. 290 00:24:17,320 --> 00:24:21,240 That's it. I I I forgot the book of the 291 00:24:21,240 --> 00:24:25,280 Bible now the book that Solomon wrote Ecclesiastes. 292 00:24:25,360 --> 00:24:27,760 Thank you. If you, if you were in the Home 293 00:24:27,760 --> 00:24:31,400 group that was studied on the book of Ecclesiastes, you know 294 00:24:31,400 --> 00:24:35,960 that that there's nothing to do under the sun, that history does 295 00:24:35,960 --> 00:24:38,600 repeat itself. That's just not something that 296 00:24:38,600 --> 00:24:42,200 someone made-up. History does repeat itself. 297 00:24:43,160 --> 00:24:47,760 And we're seeing this here, we're seeing it in our lifetime. 298 00:24:49,240 --> 00:24:56,880 So our backup actually accuses God of willfully ignoring what's 299 00:24:56,880 --> 00:25:00,000 going on in the nation. He accuses God. 300 00:25:00,160 --> 00:25:04,480 He's he's very accusatory in his communication into dialogue with 301 00:25:04,480 --> 00:25:08,760 God and this is one of the reasons why I love the book of 302 00:25:08,760 --> 00:25:12,360 Habakkuk. Habakkuk teaches that we can be 303 00:25:12,360 --> 00:25:20,680 honest with God. We have a high priest that 304 00:25:20,680 --> 00:25:27,040 understands us. He understands everything that 305 00:25:27,040 --> 00:25:32,080 we go through. For he's tested just as we He is 306 00:25:32,080 --> 00:25:35,760 tested in every aspect as we are, yet without seeing. 307 00:25:38,920 --> 00:25:43,480 So we can be honest with God. Never think that you can't be 308 00:25:43,480 --> 00:25:46,360 honest when you're when you're praying to God. 309 00:25:47,200 --> 00:25:51,720 Never think you can't be honest. God welcomes that. 310 00:25:51,720 --> 00:25:56,000 That's why he says come boldly before the throne of grace. 311 00:25:57,960 --> 00:26:01,440 He was very honest. He was very raw emotionally in 312 00:26:01,440 --> 00:26:07,880 his dialogue with God. And in Habakkuk's opinion, there 313 00:26:07,880 --> 00:26:11,040 are four things that are happening be because in 314 00:26:11,040 --> 00:26:16,440 Habakkuk's opinion, because God is is allowing these things to 315 00:26:16,440 --> 00:26:21,000 go on. The first worst one is, is that 316 00:26:23,720 --> 00:26:30,640 the Law of Moses is paralyzed. That's the first thing he says. 317 00:26:30,640 --> 00:26:33,160 You're not answering my prayers. And because you're not answering 318 00:26:33,160 --> 00:26:36,440 my prayers, these four things are happening in my this is in 319 00:26:36,440 --> 00:26:39,840 Habakkuk's mind, Habakkuk's backup's opinion. 320 00:26:40,240 --> 00:26:45,760 The Law of Moses is paralyzed. And this word paralyzed means to 321 00:26:45,760 --> 00:26:49,880 be cold or to be ineffective or to be numb. 322 00:26:51,240 --> 00:26:55,160 He tells basically he's telling God your people have turned away 323 00:26:55,160 --> 00:27:00,040 from the law, and because the law is paralyzed, the heat of 324 00:27:00,040 --> 00:27:03,280 your judgment, the people no longer feel. 325 00:27:04,440 --> 00:27:09,240 And because they no longer feel the hot, the heat of your 326 00:27:09,240 --> 00:27:13,120 judgment, they are numb to the extended effectiveness of your 327 00:27:13,120 --> 00:27:20,520 law. And Habakkuk accuses God of 328 00:27:20,520 --> 00:27:25,520 allowing this to happen. The second thing that he accuses 329 00:27:25,520 --> 00:27:28,160 God is that justice never goes forth. 330 00:27:29,560 --> 00:27:34,280 Justice never goes forth. Once again, it goes back. 331 00:27:34,680 --> 00:27:41,480 You're not answering my prayers. And the law is paralyzed. 332 00:27:42,600 --> 00:27:45,320 And because the law is paralyzed, justice never goes 333 00:27:45,320 --> 00:27:52,240 forth. #3 tells them that the wicked surround the righteous. 334 00:27:54,800 --> 00:27:58,440 This is in verse. In verse four he says so the law 335 00:27:58,440 --> 00:28:01,200 is paralyzed and justice never goes forth. 336 00:28:01,200 --> 00:28:03,160 For the wicked surround the righteous. 337 00:28:03,160 --> 00:28:08,840 And this word surround gives the meaning of as an enemy surrounds 338 00:28:08,840 --> 00:28:13,120 its foe. So he's declaring God and and 339 00:28:13,240 --> 00:28:18,880 once again backups opinion. The law is paralyzed, never goes 340 00:28:18,880 --> 00:28:20,600 forth. They're white, right? 341 00:28:20,720 --> 00:28:23,560 They're wicked or is outnumbered by the righteous. 342 00:28:23,560 --> 00:28:28,840 And #4, the fourth thing, in a back of his opinion, is because 343 00:28:28,840 --> 00:28:38,720 the wickedness of more than the righteous, that what justice the 344 00:28:38,720 --> 00:28:41,440 others go forth, that goes from, goes forth perverted. 345 00:28:42,560 --> 00:28:46,280 Justice goes forth. Perverted And this word 346 00:28:46,280 --> 00:28:50,080 perverted means crazy. You're confused or to be bent 347 00:28:50,080 --> 00:28:53,280 out of shape. It also means to be. 348 00:28:53,280 --> 00:28:57,560 Crooked or crooked justice? Which also sounds. 349 00:28:57,560 --> 00:29:06,410 Like the world we live in today. So in a back to. 350 00:29:06,490 --> 00:29:10,010 Mind, this is God. You're not answering my prayers. 351 00:29:11,290 --> 00:29:13,490 And because you're not. Answering my prayers. 352 00:29:13,970 --> 00:29:15,690 These are the things that are happening. 353 00:29:18,080 --> 00:29:20,440 In a backpack like I. Said he was very honest with 354 00:29:20,440 --> 00:29:23,760 God. He was very raw emotionally with 355 00:29:23,760 --> 00:29:26,880 God. And it teaches. 356 00:29:26,880 --> 00:29:28,760 Us, that we can be honest with God. 357 00:29:29,400 --> 00:29:35,120 We can come to God with emotion. We can come to God with our with 358 00:29:35,120 --> 00:29:38,040 our doubts and our our worries, our fears. 359 00:29:40,160 --> 00:29:42,880 And we can trust that. God hears us. 360 00:29:45,000 --> 00:29:47,880 Now the. Lord answers habakkuk here in 361 00:29:47,880 --> 00:29:52,000 verse five of chapter one. And he tells them look. 362 00:29:52,040 --> 00:29:55,000 Among the nation, and see Wander and be astounded. 363 00:29:55,000 --> 00:29:59,400 For I am doing a work in your days that you would not believe 364 00:29:59,640 --> 00:30:04,640 if I told you so. The Lord answers and the first 365 00:30:04,640 --> 00:30:07,080 thing he tells them is that I am doing a work. 366 00:30:08,200 --> 00:30:11,960 See Habakkuk. Hebakkuk didn't didn't see this. 367 00:30:11,960 --> 00:30:14,960 He didn't know what was, what was, what God had planned. 368 00:30:16,720 --> 00:30:19,520 God wasn't. In heaven scratching his head, 369 00:30:20,080 --> 00:30:24,920 saying, Oh my, the Syrians are over my people, what am I going 370 00:30:24,920 --> 00:30:29,440 to do? God knew what he had in plan and 371 00:30:29,440 --> 00:30:33,960 he was fixing to tell Habakkuk, because God was already working 372 00:30:33,960 --> 00:30:38,440 out all the details of Israel's situation that once again bring 373 00:30:38,440 --> 00:30:42,000 him, bring them close to him. And I want you. 374 00:30:42,000 --> 00:30:47,120 To look at verse 6 here in chapter one, remember this is 375 00:30:47,440 --> 00:30:51,600 this was written at least two decades before this prophecy was 376 00:30:51,600 --> 00:30:53,840 fulfilled. But look at verse six 377 00:30:53,840 --> 00:30:59,800 specifically, and I want you to see how God uses the present 378 00:30:59,800 --> 00:31:04,200 tense in his response to a backer. 379 00:31:04,840 --> 00:31:08,200 This isn't this, this isn't a I'm. 380 00:31:08,200 --> 00:31:13,560 I'm going to look at the present tense here, he says, for behold, 381 00:31:14,120 --> 00:31:17,720 I am raising up. The child ends. 382 00:31:17,760 --> 00:31:21,760 I am as present tense, not that I will. 383 00:31:21,760 --> 00:31:25,000 I am saying God's mind. This is our He. 384 00:31:25,000 --> 00:31:29,520 This is already in place. That bitter and hasten hasty 385 00:31:29,520 --> 00:31:36,600 nation, he says, says that they are dreaded and fearsome. 386 00:31:37,040 --> 00:31:39,680 They are once again present tense. 387 00:31:40,400 --> 00:31:44,880 Their horses are, he tells them in verse 7. 388 00:31:45,800 --> 00:31:49,840 Excuse me, verse 8. Their horses are swifter than 389 00:31:49,840 --> 00:31:53,680 leopards, more fierce than the evening evening wolves. 390 00:31:53,960 --> 00:31:58,440 Their horsemen press on me, tells them there are more 391 00:31:58,440 --> 00:32:01,800 fierce. Than the evening. 392 00:32:01,800 --> 00:32:04,040 Wolves. These are all present tense 393 00:32:05,040 --> 00:32:08,200 language that God is using with with Habakkuk. 394 00:32:10,080 --> 00:32:12,040 So. Even though Habakkuk didn't 395 00:32:12,040 --> 00:32:14,960 understand what was going on, God already had a plan. 396 00:32:16,000 --> 00:32:21,640 God already had a plan in place, and in God's mind it was already 397 00:32:21,640 --> 00:32:23,640 happening because the plan is happening. 398 00:32:24,240 --> 00:32:26,800 The thing was, Habakkuk didn't see it. 399 00:32:27,280 --> 00:32:31,200 And we don't see it. We don't always see it. 400 00:32:32,520 --> 00:32:36,720 Because God doesn't. Always reveal every step, but 401 00:32:36,720 --> 00:32:40,000 what we have to do, we're charged to do as individuals, as 402 00:32:40,000 --> 00:32:43,680 believers. Is to trust. 403 00:32:43,680 --> 00:32:49,120 God for the next step. I've said this before that God 404 00:32:49,120 --> 00:32:53,760 is a connect the dot God. However many how? 405 00:32:53,760 --> 00:32:58,400 How how many? Remember those those pages? 406 00:32:58,400 --> 00:33:03,080 And you got in grade school that had nothing but dots on it, 407 00:33:04,480 --> 00:33:09,920 either ABCD or 12345, and you would start at a, or you start 408 00:33:09,920 --> 00:33:13,000 at one and you'd go to the next dot and go to the next dot and 409 00:33:13,000 --> 00:33:16,160 go to the next dot. Or sooner, sooner or later, once 410 00:33:16,160 --> 00:33:20,680 you got enough dots, lines to the dots, you understood, wow, 411 00:33:21,000 --> 00:33:24,280 there's an elephant on my paper. Well, there's a line on my 412 00:33:24,280 --> 00:33:27,720 paper, but when you first got your paper, all you saw was 413 00:33:27,720 --> 00:33:30,160 dots. Well, see, that's us. 414 00:33:31,160 --> 00:33:35,920 All we can see is dots. But the more that we allow and 415 00:33:35,920 --> 00:33:39,560 trust God to go from one dot to the next dot to the next dot to 416 00:33:39,560 --> 00:33:44,360 the next dot, we we we become. We begin to understand the full 417 00:33:44,360 --> 00:33:47,920 picture that what God is is bringing about to pass. 418 00:33:48,360 --> 00:33:52,840 But we have to trust God to take us from one dot to the next dot 419 00:33:53,040 --> 00:33:55,800 to the next dot. And this is what he was telling 420 00:33:55,800 --> 00:33:59,800 Habakkuk here in in this prophetic book. 421 00:34:01,800 --> 00:34:10,920 The rest of God's response to him goes on, and Speaking of the 422 00:34:10,920 --> 00:34:13,120 child, he ends once again in the present tense. 423 00:34:13,120 --> 00:34:16,960 And let's pick let's pick chapter one back up in verse 12. 424 00:34:19,360 --> 00:34:22,800 Now back at still. Didn't fully understand what was 425 00:34:22,800 --> 00:34:27,400 going on and he he tells him in verse 12 he's speaking to God. 426 00:34:27,400 --> 00:34:29,400 He says are you not from everlasting? 427 00:34:29,400 --> 00:34:33,880 Oh Lord my God. This is not the verbiage being 428 00:34:33,880 --> 00:34:39,440 used of someone that is doubting or not believing and not having 429 00:34:39,440 --> 00:34:42,440 faith in here in God. This is someone that's he's 430 00:34:42,440 --> 00:34:46,679 using verbiage that shows he does believe in God. 431 00:34:47,400 --> 00:34:52,120 Are you not from everlasting? Oh Lord, my God, my holy one, we 432 00:34:52,120 --> 00:34:56,000 should not die. See, He's, he's he hears about 433 00:34:56,000 --> 00:34:59,960 the Chaldeans coming and wiping out people and he's like, wait, 434 00:34:59,960 --> 00:35:02,960 wait a minute. You're not that's not going to 435 00:35:02,960 --> 00:35:04,440 happen. We're your people. 436 00:35:05,440 --> 00:35:08,960 He says, oh Lord, you have ordained them as a judgment and 437 00:35:08,960 --> 00:35:14,200 you are rock have established them for reproof you who are 438 00:35:14,200 --> 00:35:18,360 pure eyes than to see evil and cannot look at wrong. 439 00:35:20,640 --> 00:35:22,600 And once again he uses this word. 440 00:35:23,880 --> 00:35:29,000 Why do you oddly look at traitors and remain silent when 441 00:35:29,000 --> 00:35:32,760 the wicked swallow up the man more wicked than he? 442 00:35:33,400 --> 00:35:36,800 He didn't understand Assyria was wicked and. 443 00:35:38,400 --> 00:35:39,320 You're going to, You're going to. 444 00:35:39,320 --> 00:35:45,760 Bring up a nation more wicked than them to take over them, but 445 00:35:45,760 --> 00:35:47,200 we're still going to be in bondage. 446 00:35:49,480 --> 00:35:52,920 He didn't understand it. Once again, he tells God that 447 00:35:52,920 --> 00:35:59,040 he's oddly looking by. How many he's ever felt? 448 00:35:59,040 --> 00:36:01,880 Like your prayers never go past the ceiling. 449 00:36:02,800 --> 00:36:06,160 Amen. There were times in our. 450 00:36:06,160 --> 00:36:13,040 Life that we may not feel godly, we not may not feel. 451 00:36:16,320 --> 00:36:18,600 Like we are. God's chosen people. 452 00:36:19,800 --> 00:36:22,800 There's times we may not. Feel like God is hearing our 453 00:36:22,800 --> 00:36:25,560 prayers. But I want to encourage. 454 00:36:25,560 --> 00:36:29,920 You this morning that God is absolutely hearing your prayers 455 00:36:30,560 --> 00:36:34,520 and God is absolutely working in the background of your lives to 456 00:36:34,520 --> 00:36:43,920 bring about good Amen. Now let's let's jump on into 457 00:36:44,040 --> 00:36:49,160 chapter 2. Verse one Tobacco declares the 458 00:36:49,160 --> 00:36:53,240 God that I will take my stand at my watch post and station myself 459 00:36:53,240 --> 00:36:57,960 from the tower and look out to see what he will say to me and I 460 00:36:57,960 --> 00:37:00,280 will answer concerning my complaint. 461 00:37:01,760 --> 00:37:05,840 So Abaca says I'm going to stand, I'm going to listen, and 462 00:37:05,840 --> 00:37:08,440 what does he say here? He says I will answer concerning 463 00:37:08,440 --> 00:37:10,600 my complaint. So he's already waiting for God 464 00:37:10,600 --> 00:37:13,560 to come with come with the next thing, and he's already planning 465 00:37:13,560 --> 00:37:15,880 what he's going to complain to God about next. 466 00:37:18,400 --> 00:37:19,320 I know. No one is. 467 00:37:19,320 --> 00:37:27,000 Here has ever done that? You ever listen to? 468 00:37:27,000 --> 00:37:30,000 Someone or hear or be in a conversation, all you're 469 00:37:30,000 --> 00:37:31,720 thinking about is what you're going to say next. 470 00:37:34,480 --> 00:37:39,880 OK, nevermind, OK. This is what a backup. 471 00:37:39,880 --> 00:37:42,680 Was doing he he said, OK, I'm going to stand here and I'm 472 00:37:42,680 --> 00:37:44,920 going to listen to what God says and then I'm going to come back 473 00:37:44,920 --> 00:37:48,080 with my next comeback. And God. 474 00:37:48,560 --> 00:37:52,240 Tells he begins to speak once again to Habakkuk in verse two 475 00:37:52,240 --> 00:37:53,840 through four. He tells them to write the 476 00:37:53,840 --> 00:37:57,320 vision. Tells them that the vision. 477 00:37:57,320 --> 00:38:04,160 Awaits its appointed time, says it hastens God's vision. 478 00:38:04,160 --> 00:38:07,200 Hastens to the end. It will not lie, he tells them. 479 00:38:07,200 --> 00:38:11,280 If it seems slow, wait for it. Because it's going to happen. 480 00:38:15,600 --> 00:38:20,440 There are times we pray and we seek God about something, and it 481 00:38:20,440 --> 00:38:26,400 seems like it's just like. 20 minutes by. 482 00:38:26,480 --> 00:38:30,480 Goes by and whatever we prayed God for, what happens or the 483 00:38:30,480 --> 00:38:33,440 next day or the next week. Then there's times we pray and 484 00:38:33,440 --> 00:38:36,640 we pray and we pray and we never see results about whatever we're 485 00:38:36,640 --> 00:38:40,280 praying about. Never get. 486 00:38:40,280 --> 00:38:43,640 Discouraged. Even though it's. 487 00:38:43,680 --> 00:38:51,160 Harder to say than do I realize that never get discouraged when 488 00:38:51,160 --> 00:38:55,040 it seems like you pray and God never answers that prayer. 489 00:38:56,960 --> 00:39:00,280 Because we. Have to trust in the sovereignty 490 00:39:00,280 --> 00:39:03,920 of God. We don't always understand why 491 00:39:04,320 --> 00:39:06,960 we're going through the things we're going, or why we might 492 00:39:06,960 --> 00:39:12,800 have a certain hardship, or why it seems like the same thing 493 00:39:12,800 --> 00:39:16,880 happens over and over. Why do I struggle? 494 00:39:16,880 --> 00:39:20,800 With this over and over, why can't I defeat this? 495 00:39:22,680 --> 00:39:24,440 We have to trust. The process. 496 00:39:24,440 --> 00:39:27,920 Amen. We have to trust that God has 497 00:39:27,920 --> 00:39:31,520 taken us from one dot to the next dot to the next dot. 498 00:39:33,960 --> 00:39:37,560 For God is higher. His ways are higher than ours. 499 00:39:39,040 --> 00:39:42,760 We have to lean. Upon his understanding not our 500 00:39:42,760 --> 00:39:43,640 own. Amen. 501 00:39:50,230 --> 00:39:54,270 Once again, he tells. Them it will surely come, It 502 00:39:54,270 --> 00:39:58,190 would not delay, and it will come at God's appointed time, 503 00:39:59,190 --> 00:39:59,910 Paul. Wrote. 504 00:40:00,310 --> 00:40:04,390 That at their appointed time God sent his Son Jesus. 505 00:40:06,070 --> 00:40:09,950 And that's how God. Works in his appointed time, not 506 00:40:09,950 --> 00:40:14,440 ours. When you look down in. 507 00:40:14,560 --> 00:40:20,040 Chapter 2, verse four, it says Behold, his soul is puffed up. 508 00:40:20,080 --> 00:40:23,480 It is not upright within him whose soul is puffed up. 509 00:40:23,800 --> 00:40:29,520 He's still Speaking of the Chaldeans, but it says. 510 00:40:32,480 --> 00:40:34,240 Remember when you. See the Word. 511 00:40:34,240 --> 00:40:39,720 But it's so little to have so, so much of an impact when you 512 00:40:39,800 --> 00:40:43,800 see the Word but in Scripture and it's pertaining to mankind 513 00:40:44,360 --> 00:40:47,400 almost every single time. It's in a negative context. 514 00:40:47,880 --> 00:40:52,640 But whenever you see the Word but and it refers to God, it's 515 00:40:52,640 --> 00:40:55,600 100% always in the positive context. 516 00:40:55,840 --> 00:40:57,840 And we see that once again here, he says. 517 00:40:57,840 --> 00:41:01,240 But. The righteous shall. 518 00:41:01,240 --> 00:41:04,560 Live by his faith, he's telling Habakkuk. 519 00:41:05,360 --> 00:41:11,920 Through me, through faith in me, you can live that free. 520 00:41:13,240 --> 00:41:15,760 And that's what I'm declaring to you this morning, man. 521 00:41:20,520 --> 00:41:24,320 We have to trust that. God is. 522 00:41:24,320 --> 00:41:26,600 Always. Always. 523 00:41:28,160 --> 00:41:33,320 Working. To make good out of our current 524 00:41:33,320 --> 00:41:36,360 situations. Book of Romans. 525 00:41:36,360 --> 00:41:40,200 Chapter 8 Verse 28 says, and we know that that for those who 526 00:41:40,200 --> 00:41:42,760 love God, all things work together for good. 527 00:41:42,760 --> 00:41:46,920 Doesn't say all things are good, doesn't say all of our lives 528 00:41:46,920 --> 00:41:49,120 experiences are good. It says all. 529 00:41:49,760 --> 00:41:53,840 He's working together for good for those who are called 530 00:41:53,840 --> 00:41:59,560 according to his purpose. So God can take the good times 531 00:41:59,880 --> 00:42:04,760 and the bad times and the terrible times in our lives. 532 00:42:05,880 --> 00:42:08,480 And ultimately. Make them for good. 533 00:42:09,920 --> 00:42:12,400 But we have to trust. That we have to trust the 534 00:42:12,400 --> 00:42:15,200 process. For it is in. 535 00:42:15,200 --> 00:42:20,720 God's appointed time. See, God already had a. 536 00:42:20,720 --> 00:42:23,800 Plan. For. 537 00:42:24,640 --> 00:42:28,840 Habakkuk, The nation, his people. 538 00:42:29,520 --> 00:42:31,720 God already has a plan for you and me. 539 00:42:32,800 --> 00:42:36,400 He had all that. Planned out before God ever said 540 00:42:36,400 --> 00:42:39,560 let there be light. And his. 541 00:42:39,560 --> 00:42:42,000 Plan will never be thwarted. Amen. 542 00:42:45,000 --> 00:42:49,880 And that plan is for us to become more and more like him 543 00:42:49,880 --> 00:42:53,240 every day. And we do so by allowing God to 544 00:42:53,240 --> 00:42:56,120 take us from one dot to the next dot to the next dot. 545 00:42:56,680 --> 00:43:02,480 James Chapter One, verse 25 says this, but the one who looks into 546 00:43:02,600 --> 00:43:07,280 the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being 547 00:43:07,280 --> 00:43:13,040 no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in 548 00:43:13,040 --> 00:43:18,160 his doing. 2nd Corinthians 317 through 18 declares, now the 549 00:43:18,160 --> 00:43:21,000 Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there 550 00:43:21,000 --> 00:43:24,480 is freedom. And we all, with unveiled face, 551 00:43:24,480 --> 00:43:27,960 beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the 552 00:43:27,960 --> 00:43:32,760 same image from 1° of glory to another, for this comes from the 553 00:43:32,760 --> 00:43:39,000 Lord, who is the Spirit. Once again, it is a step by step 554 00:43:39,400 --> 00:43:42,880 process. Jesus. 555 00:43:42,880 --> 00:43:46,080 Understands our distresses and our frustrations. 556 00:43:49,240 --> 00:43:52,560 Once again. Hebrews chapter 4, verse 14 557 00:43:52,560 --> 00:43:57,080 through 16. Since then we have a great High 558 00:43:57,080 --> 00:44:01,440 priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of 559 00:44:01,440 --> 00:44:03,840 God. Let us hold fast to our 560 00:44:03,840 --> 00:44:06,880 confession. For we do not have a high priest 561 00:44:06,880 --> 00:44:11,120 who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in 562 00:44:11,120 --> 00:44:15,400 every respect has been tempted as we are yet without sin. 563 00:44:16,280 --> 00:44:22,320 Let us stand with confidence, confidence, draw near to the 564 00:44:22,320 --> 00:44:28,280 throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace in 565 00:44:28,280 --> 00:44:31,160 help. In time of need. 566 00:44:35,080 --> 00:44:37,240 Jesus, always working in the background. 567 00:44:38,360 --> 00:44:41,680 He's always. Working in the background. 568 00:44:47,780 --> 00:44:50,420 He's working in the background. To bring us to salvation. 569 00:44:50,420 --> 00:44:55,540 And then the more and more we look into His Word, the more and 570 00:44:55,540 --> 00:45:01,540 more we persevere to bring us through the sanctification 571 00:45:01,540 --> 00:45:05,340 process of the Holy Spirit to make us more and more like Him. 572 00:45:08,080 --> 00:45:09,680 That is what God is. Doing for us? 573 00:45:12,080 --> 00:45:15,920 Habakkuk. If you continue in in chapter 3 574 00:45:16,840 --> 00:45:21,880 verse 16, Habakkuk says that when he first heard the vision, 575 00:45:21,880 --> 00:45:26,440 when he first saw the Vision, that rottenness entered his 576 00:45:26,440 --> 00:45:29,680 bones because of what was going to transpire. 577 00:45:29,680 --> 00:45:33,840 Once the Chaldeans came and devastated the land. 578 00:45:34,440 --> 00:45:39,600 Rottenness entered by bones yet? I will quietly. 579 00:45:39,600 --> 00:45:41,920 Wait. For the day of. 580 00:45:41,920 --> 00:45:48,240 Trouble Why? Because of backup wasn't a 581 00:45:48,240 --> 00:45:51,640 unbelieving. Doubting prophet. 582 00:45:51,640 --> 00:45:55,480 He was a prophet that absolutely believed in the God of the 583 00:45:55,480 --> 00:45:58,080 universe. He put his faith and trust in 584 00:45:58,120 --> 00:46:00,680 that God, and we can too. Amen. 585 00:46:02,760 --> 00:46:06,160 Chapter 3, verse. 19 of a back It says that you make my feet 586 00:46:06,160 --> 00:46:10,040 like the deers so I can go upon my high places. 587 00:46:11,320 --> 00:46:16,240 This is a reference. To them being able to go up on 588 00:46:16,240 --> 00:46:21,680 the cliffs, the narrow cliffs and and be able to walk and have 589 00:46:21,680 --> 00:46:26,520 their balance and not fall on these high cliffs with just 590 00:46:26,520 --> 00:46:29,720 barely something to stand on and God can do the same for us. 591 00:46:31,560 --> 00:46:33,640 Amen. Where we have to stress the 592 00:46:33,640 --> 00:46:46,280 process, Let's pray. This morning, Father, I ask that 593 00:46:46,280 --> 00:46:49,840 you forgive us for our times of doubts. 594 00:46:51,040 --> 00:46:55,360 I ask that you help us when we're. 595 00:46:55,360 --> 00:46:59,760 Frustrated. Help us when we don't 596 00:46:59,760 --> 00:47:05,640 understand, to always, always believe in you. 597 00:47:06,880 --> 00:47:09,200 Father, help us. To understand and always 598 00:47:09,200 --> 00:47:13,240 remember that you do have an appointed time for everything to 599 00:47:13,240 --> 00:47:16,120 happen in our lives. And God? 600 00:47:16,120 --> 00:47:18,320 I ask. That when we go through life. 601 00:47:19,840 --> 00:47:22,320 Father help us to. Trust that process. 602 00:47:23,560 --> 00:47:28,280 Help us to put our. Faith and our trust in you. 603 00:47:32,760 --> 00:47:38,800 I ask. That help us to remember that we 604 00:47:38,800 --> 00:47:42,680 can boldly come before you. That we do. 605 00:47:42,680 --> 00:47:48,200 Not have to fear. Romans chapter 8, verse 15 says 606 00:47:48,200 --> 00:47:52,240 we've been given us a spirit of fear but spirit of power. 607 00:47:54,120 --> 00:47:59,440 Sorry, it says we have not. Been given a spirit of fear 608 00:47:59,440 --> 00:48:05,520 again. That word again. 609 00:48:05,520 --> 00:48:09,280 Father is so important, we don't have to fear you. 610 00:48:14,320 --> 00:48:16,000 Adam and Eve feared. You, God. 611 00:48:17,240 --> 00:48:19,160 Because they had. Transgressed you, but. 612 00:48:21,240 --> 00:48:23,920 Father you have made. A way for us to once again be 613 00:48:23,920 --> 00:48:29,440 close to you. Father I just. 614 00:48:29,440 --> 00:48:33,480 Ask Help us to come before you boldly. 615 00:48:37,640 --> 00:48:40,080 Help us to understand. That we can come before you. 616 00:48:43,560 --> 00:48:48,320 And be honest. With our pain, we can be honest. 617 00:48:49,840 --> 00:48:59,760 With our feelings because you. Understand our frustrations and 618 00:48:59,760 --> 00:49:03,400 our feelings because you experienced everything that we 619 00:49:04,400 --> 00:49:07,880 have or ever will. Yet without. 620 00:49:07,880 --> 00:49:14,440 Sin. Thank you God that. 621 00:49:14,440 --> 00:49:21,840 You are our High Priest. That we can come and we can. 622 00:49:21,840 --> 00:49:30,280 Simply just be in your presence. Help us to trust. 623 00:49:30,280 --> 00:49:36,680 The process this morning. Hallelujah. 624 00:49:36,680 --> 00:49:37,120 Hallelujah.