Well, good morning to you guys. It's good to see you today.
I hope that you have had a good week, good weekend, and it's
good to see your smiling faces and all that.
My name is Kyle. If you're visiting with us, I
serve as the lead Pastor here, I want to say thank you so much
for for being here today. Glad that you're here.
If you have your Bible with you which I hope you do, you're in
church, we should bring our Bibles to church open to
habakkuk chapter 3. Habakkuk chapter 3.
You'll find that toward the end of your new testament, kind of
in the middle of the Minor Prophets there and comes just
after noon, a whom and just before.
Zephaniah. So we've been doing this for
three weeks now so maybe maybe it's getting easier to find it.
Habakkuk chapter 3, this series that we've been going through,
we've subtitled because it comes from verse 4 of chapter 2.
The righteous live by faith. God says there that the
righteous shall live by his faith.
And that's really the point of the book of habakkuk is this
learning to live by faith as a righteous person as someone who
loves the Lord, someone who's devoted to God, someone, who
would consider himself or herself to be God's people,
they've hidden themselves on this end of things.
Anyway, not habakkuk stay, but in this end of things hidden
themselves in Christ, and what this does This book does is it
explores habakkuk complaints to God.
So habakkuk goes to God and complains about a couple of
things and I'll get to those in a moment.
It explores God's difficult to understand response.
And then what habakkuk learns in chapter 3, which is where we
are. Today, is where we'll conclude
our Series in habakkuk habakkuk learns.
A holy contentment, a holy contentment.
I got to have a fun conversation with the kids this week about
contentment. How many of you know that as a
child and maybe even now you wanted things all the time,
right? Like you would get something and
you would play with it for a little bit and then in the next
moment, Possibly or the next day or the next week, he'd be like,
but I need this one or I need this version of writer.
This new thing is out, right? What doesn't really change in
our lives except as we get older except that discontentment shows
up in ways that maybe maybe seem to us less trivial, right?
Like, I don't want this circumstance in my life.
I want that circumstance. I don't want this persecution.
I want that piece. I don't want this disease.
I want that health. I don't want this marriage.
I want that marriage. I don't want this friendship.
I want that friendship. I don't want to be in this home
group. I want to be in that home group.
I don't want to see what I'm saying, and we think, because
we're adults and reasoning through things were very
spiritual people. Now, We think that what we're
doing is less trivial than wanting this or that toy as a
child. Contentment is really hard to
learn. And you cannot learn contentment
without going through major instances of discontentment.
Contentment doesn't come to you. In a moment's notice, you don't
wake up one day and say I've reached the moment of
contentment in my life. Contentment comes with trial and
sent. It comes with suffering,
contentment comes with having had something and then having
lost it. It comes with being high and
then experiencing great lows. Contentment comes in the School
of Hard Knocks as they say. Contentment is not easy.
It's not a fun thing to learn, it's nothing that we grow up.
Wake up, grow up, whatever saying I want to learn how to be
more content. A prayer that we probably don't,
pray that we should pray, is whatever it takes.
Lord, teach me a holy contentment.
So, scary prayer to say anything to the Lord, like whatever it
takes, teach me blank. Right?
But we should we absolutely should.
And so what we see today is that habakkuk learns contentment in
this back and forth with God that he's been through.
Let me pray for us before I before I start preaching.
Father we love you and we thank you for your word.
Got a I think you that you have not given us a book with
frivolous, happy dancing on rainbow words, that make no
sense for our lives. That make no sense in a broken
world that make no sense in a place where there is Decay and
destruction and death. But father, you have given us a
word, you've given us the word, you've given us.
A library in the form of a book. Of many words that speak to us
in every circumstance that we could ever experience in this
life. And not only have you given us
the word which says how to deal with it.
But you've granted to us your very own Spirit as we hide
ourselves in Christ. Jesus.
We walk by the spirit of God and he illuminates, your word for us
he gives us understanding where there is no understanding.
He gives us peace where there looks like there should be no
peace. He gives us hope where there's
despair. He gives us joy in the midst of
morning. It's inexplicable what you have
done for us in the provision of your word.
And then the project provision of your spirits, the death and
resurrection of your son Jesus. Father, there is endless amounts
of Glory Your Glory available to us.
If only, we will seek your face. And so I praise you for the book
of habakkuk in it, we learn how to seek your face in the middle
of suffering and despair and disappointment and
misunderstanding. We learned how to go to you.
We learned how to come to you, how to recall who you are, and
the work that you're doing. Father, would you teach us today
as men? And women is boys and girls who
are seeking your face? Teach us.
Teach us just how the righteous live by faith.
Teach us how to walk with, holy contentment. as we trust in the
Providence of God, Heavenly Father, we adore you and we
praise you for the Salvation. We've received in Jesus Christ.
We ask these things in his name. Amen.
Well previously on habakkuk. Habakkuk is a prophet to Judah.
He's in the southern Kingdom of God's people, this happened
after that. The Kingdom of Israel was split
into two after David's, son Solomon, it was after his death
but it was his great sins that led to the splitting of the
Kingdom. And the people of Judah and the
southern Kingdom, the people of Israel were in the Northern
parts of this. The people of Judah, here are
increasingly becoming more and more vile people of Israel were
doing the very same things. Turning from the one true Living
God, the one who had brought them out of the bondage of the
Egyptians, the one who had delivered them time and time
again, the one who had established his Covenant with
them through their forefathers. They've turned on the one true
Living God and they're turning to false gods, dead, Gods gods,
made of wood and stone and precious metals gods, that don't
breathe God's that don't speak. God's that don't save, they've
turned to them. And the reason is because the
persecution from these evil Nations, these Pagan Nations,
the persecution is is heating up, its getting strong.
And in their despair, in their persecution.
They think to themselves, if we'll just turn, if we'll just
adapt, if we'll just adopt more of this worldly influence.
Well, we'll survive. We might not only survive.
We might actually Prosper as they are seemingly prospering.
They're trying to avoid the pressure of the Pagan Nations
trying to avoid the persecution. Brothers and sisters turning
away from God. Bowing down to false gods bowing
down, though. Worldly Kings.
Will never ever be enough to make persecution or tribulations
pass over you? Amen.
If you bow the knee to a false god, if you bow, the knee to
worldly Powers who were standing and direct Rebellion to God.
Right. You will not.
You will not forego persecution. It's silly to think so, but you
can understand how you might think in a moment of great heat.
If I'll just do this, my family could be saved.
But I mean, it was more vile than maybe, even what we're
thinking of they were literally offering children as sacrifices
to save their own skin. The truth is when you bow the
need to false gods. You invite Now The Sovereign
just righteous discipline of a holy God of a living God.
So, I want you to remember that. Because when the mobs come after
you for Faithfully standing on the truths found in God's, holy
word, you'll need some fortitude about you.
You'll need something to stand on, trust God.
And this is what the back of learns.
Trust the Lord, I back, it goes to God and he complains about
the rise of the Chaldeans, or the Babylonians and the
persecution is growing. And it's possible that that
habakkuk had maybe a vision of what was coming.
We don't know that for sure. but we do know that this moment, the
Chaldeans didn't look like a massive threat, but it's just a
few decades away that they were And he comes to God in the
middle of this persecution as its kind of beginning to heat up
and he says where are you God? Your holy people are suffering.
Where are you? Do you not care for them?
Do not care for your people. Do you not care that a more
wicked people? The more wicked nation is
persecuting your own people, which is the less Wicked nation
of the to God. Where are you?
It's really kind of an age-old question, right?
Where is God when evil men Prevail?
Where is God? When evil seems to take the day.
When evil seems to get the W, where is God, when God's people
are taking the L, right? Where is he?
If God is good then why do why does evil go unpunished?
Why does it go unhindered? And God responds to a backing.
He says this, he says I'm doing a thing aback that you would not
understand even if I told you I'm raising up the Chaldeans the
Babylonians as judgment against my people.
Wow, so this more wicked nation is now persecuting.
This seemingly less Wicked nation and we have a kick thinks
to himself that it's a less Wicked Nation.
Because there still are there still is a faithful.
Remnant of people who love the Lord who are devoted to God.
But because judah's being persecuted and they live in
Judah, they're experiencing the persecution.
Does this sound familiar to any of us?
It looks very similar to what we see brothers and sisters across
the globe experiencing today. You need look no further than
our northern border to see persecution against Christians
churches. By a government.
And I'll talk about Missouri about Canada.
Think of Missouri. What's going on in Missouri.
The person that you should in Canada is going wildly
unreported. thank God for truckers because Canadian
pastors, haven't done much, but a few have A few have praised
God for them. So God responds to habakkuk and
he says, I'm doing this thing that you won't understand.
And I'm doing it as a judgment against my people, and the
people of Judah thought, again, surely their safety and
submitting ourselves to these evil Nations.
If only we turn from our God and we bow to their gods, and we
will be safe, will prosper in the land, just as they do.
You can imagine this is what's going through their minds, is a
more powerful, more. Wicked Nation comes on you, and
you see the numbers Rising against you.
And you think and if we just bend the knee on this one thing,
by the way, this is happening in churches all across America.
Bending the knee to the rise of false gender ideas, false,
marriage ideas, false racial ideas.
We can't bend the knee to society to the world.
We must stand on the truth of God and stand boldly on the
truths of God. People of Judah thought.
Surely surely there's safety in this.
I don't know if you guys ever saw the movie Kingdom of Heaven.
Is it really kind of went unnoticed.
It came out and I think in 2005 and it depicts the Christian
Crusades of the 12th century. It's got Orlando Bloom in it,
Liam Neeson's in it. That's about all I can remember.
As far as characters, you might recognize But in the movie that
Orlando Bloom plays this character named Bailey and he's
a blacksmith from France and he, he finds himself in a position
to lead the charge and defending the city of Jerusalem from the
impending. Attack of the Muslims.
That attack was going to be led by a Muslim Sultan name
salahuddin. The movie kind of flew under the
radar, but it's got some really epic moments in.
It's really incredible quotes, and if you haven't seen it, I
encourage you to watch it parents.
You may watch it first before you let the kids see it, but
Moments before the final battle though.
Bail-ins. He's rallying the troops.
He's inside the walls and he's making preparations.
He's getting them. Ready for what's coming?
Which is likely death. and there's this priest who's been
with them kind of the whole time and he's he's just the most
sissified priest there that there could have been, right?
Just no backbone, no willingness to stand for truth.
And this priest is looking at what's going on and he sees that
deaths coming and he tells bailing he's bailing trying to
Rally everyone together. The precious begins to holler
out convert to Islam Today and beg God's forgiveness tomorrow.
Convert to Islam Today. Beg God's forgiveness tomorrow.
I suspect that it's possible the people of Judah maybe felt that
I think people think that today if I'll Just Surrender some
things now I can I can ask forgiveness later.
Yeah. Well you might do that, you
know, we're thinking kind of in global political type things
were thinking in spiritual attacks and that sort of idea.
But just think about your own life and The Temptations you
face each day and Tatian to get angry temptation to to look upon
someone lustfully the temptation to say things, you ought not say
the temptation to gossip, that them take whatever whatever your
temptation is. Like you know you know what your
struggle is. You're aware of it.
And it's so easy to think because we're grace-filled
people. We're men and women who have
been saved by the grace of God. It's so easy to think in those
moments. Well, You know, his Mercy is
more, his grace is more if I just bend the knee.
Now to this Then I'll experience Grace later, my forgive and
Amaya, pleading for forgiveness. I'm not saying that God won't
show you Grace when you repent, but that's not the definition of
repentance repentance. Is to turn away from that.
Evil thing to turn to the Lord. And so, anyway, this priest says
convert to Islam Today and big God's forgiveness for tomorrow.
Balian looks at him and he says you have taught me a lot about
religion, your eminence. He's taught me a lot about
religion. When converts or die becomes the
options available faithful Christians.
Must respond the way Paul responded in Philippians chapter
1 to live as Christ, but to die is gain.
Amen. But Judah largely wasn't doing
that. And so in God's grace, and God's
mercy, he says I'm going to discipline my people.
Now the the discipline of God is an exercise of Grace.
Now, the in the same way that a child doesn't understand the
grace of a parent and discipline in the moment, because spankings
hurt right there, okay, to still talk about spankings today.
I do, I'm not sure. Okay, I'm safe and Safe Company.
It's like beatings spankings way, God intended.
But it's hard in a moment to understand Grace.
So a parent must go through Great Lengths to explain on the
front end and on the back end, I'm not talking about the back
end. I'm about the end of that
moment. That this is an act of Grace
from God, for you. That Daddy stands in the place
of the one who is supposed to discipline you commanded by God
to do so so that you become a child, who loves the Lord.
And your sin, your discipline in this moment, reveals your need
for a savior not just discipline it reveals a deeper need.
You have a need for a savior. So there's a lot of great things
that happen in discipline when it's done in a Godly Manner.
And this is what God is doing, is exercising, discipline in a
Godly manner, I'm going to step in and discipline my people for
their evil but their sinfulness Bacchic still doesn't like it
isn't like God's first response to his first complain and so he
goes to God again. He says, wait a minute how how
could you use a more wicked people to punish a less Wicked
people now explained over the last two weeks?
I don't think bacchic was sinning and going to God with
these questions. He's recalling the Covenant name
of the Lord. He's declaring you God or my
Lord. And and he's remembering who God
is and because he knows whose God is he struggling to?
What's going on? This is not sinful to do this.
It's sinful to turn from the Lord.
It's sinful to do what these people in Judah were doing.
It's not sinful to ask God questions and to wait on
responses to trust him in the silence, which is what a
backache does at the end of a second question.
See since I will go to my watch post and I will wait on you.
Wait. And so back at wants to know how
can you use a more wicked people to punish a less Wicked people?
How can you look idly at evil? God, this is not your character
Shirley And again, God responds by saying I'm using them for my
good purposes. However, their day of judgement
is coming, evil will not Prosper forever.
God says, but the righteous shall live by his faith.
If he's an okay guy back to for there.
What God gets out his at my Justice will reign.
He says my glory will cover the Earth as the water covers.
The sea my glory. Will cover the Earth as the
water covers the sea. We establish last week but
that's That's all the see his water right?
I sit enthroned in the heavens. God says R.
I am enthroned in the heavens. She got is what he's saying.
Is that in my Providence? I'm ordering these things
according to my good purposes but I have not forgotten.
Evil evil will received just punishment and he calls out
these men and names their sins for them with five woes there in
chapter two. When the Lord said those three
things they're in habakkuk Chapter 2 where he says, the
righteous shall live by his faith in verse for my glory will
cover the Earth and verse 14, and I'm in throne, in the
heavens there. In verse 20 of chapter 2,
something clicked in habakkuk mind, something, clicked deeper
than his mind, that was in his soul habakkuk felt these words.
He knew these words, he understood these truths, Might
say illumination happens. Habakkuk responds.
Then in prayer Expresses in this prayer that we're about to read
a deep dependence on God, and and he displays for us.
What? Holy contentment looks like.
The last chapter reveals the transformation that has occurred
in the depths of habakkuk Soul habakkuk, sprayer is filled with
praise. It's filled with petitions.
It's filled with remembrances of God's past works.
And as we look at the prayer, it teaches us, It instructs us.
How to pray? What our prayers should look
like as men and women, who love the Lord, and who are going
through, really difficult moments that we often don't
fully understand. So let's let's look at this
prayer. A brief word about this.
And what I kind of want us to see is that a backpack sprayer
is a wonderful display faith that leads to this holy
contentment. And so my big idea for you today
or my thing. I want you to kind of write down
as a summation of what we're looking at.
Is this the righteous live by faith Displaying holy
contentment in God's Providence, the righteous lived by faith
displaying contentment in God's Providence.
So, let's look at first one. A prayer of habakkuk the
prophets. According to she guy owned by
says she guy own? Is that how you would have
pronounced? That really shit?
Okay, it's like, man, that's amazing, Dad.
Good job. yeah, I mean I went to Blue Letter Bible.com for the
pronunciation of that. She, I own But notice, I mean,
in verse 1, we're already getting so much information
about this. The first the word she got on a
only twice. I forgot to write down the other
reference in Psalms but it appears in Psalms maybe 18, I
could be way off on that. But it's only twice its here in
habakkuk. And then once in Psalms And so
because we see it in Psalms because we see it here tied to
something, that is musical is verse 19 says, so to the
choirmaster with stringed instruments, we know that what
is happening, here is a song. Habakkuk is written something.
Now, remember, he goes on behalf of the people of Judah, right?
I mean, he goes on his own because he's questioning things,
but he understands that there are people here in Judah who
love the Lord and are questioning things.
And what's the best thing you can do for people who are
questioning things about God, About world events about things
going on their loss. It's to give them God's words to
put God's word on their lips to put it in their hearts.
Amen. Now, you and I we benefit from
having the written word collected for us.
But in habakkuk today, that would have had the Torah.
It's the first five books of the Old Testament.
They would've been able to read about the past works of God,
which is why habakkuk in this prayer is going to recall the
past works of God. You see bacchic writes this down
in the form of a song so that the congregation can sing it
together. So, the congregation can
rehearse in songs, the truths of God.
Singing is deeply spiritual? But there's a reason music of
all kinds can make you feel certain ways.
It's deeply spiritual. Even unchristian, music is
deeply. Spiritual can be a spiritual
experience, all right, that's why it matters the songs.
We say, that's why we go to Great Lengths, to make sure the
songs were seeing are rehearsing the truths of God's word.
We want you to know the truth of God's word.
In song, we also want you to hear it preach.
But once, you know, it in song, so that as a congregation, we're
rehearsing God's truths together. so that when stuff
hits the fan, You and I can recall the truths of God
together. You and your home can say I need
to turn on, only a holy God, and listen to that.
The sing along with it, I need to sing.
Is he worthy with my family tonight because goodness were
struggling. Right.
This is what songs are for. There is spiritual warfare.
It's Warfare. And this is what habakkuk is
doing the Congress. I said, way more about that than
I meant to, but this word is depicting.
It's largely believed to depict a highly passionate or emotional
poetic form like a song. And clearly, because he says to
the choirmaster with stringed instruments, it's a salt.
It's meant to be sung. I will not sing it for you
today. I will only read it.
Allen busted me out. Last week, I'm not a singer.
All right? It's a prayer meant to be used
and the worship of God. Verse 20, Lord, I have heard the
report of view. I'm just going to read through
16. So we kind of get the idea of
what's going on here. Oh, Lord, I've heard the report
of you and your work. Oh, Lord.
Do I fear in the midst of the years?
Revive it. In the midst of the years, make
it known in Wrath. Remember mercy?
God came from tomorrow on and the Holy One from Mount Paran
C'est. Le The word Sailors just used
oftentimes for the musical break a pausa, could be a moment of
silence, a moment of reflection could be a, you know, a guitar
solo, it could be. But but but the idea here is
that you're reflecting on the works of God.
You're pausing his Splendor covered the heavens and the
Earth was full of his praise. His brightness was like the
light rays flashed from his hand and there he failed his power
before him went pestilence which is like a like a disease or a
plague. He mentions plagued their necks
and plague followed at his heels.
He stood and measured the Earth he looked and shook the nation's
then the Eternal mountains were Battered, the Everlasting heels
sink low, his were the Everlasting ways.
I saw the tents of cushion and affliction.
The curtains of the land of Midian did Trimble.
Was your wrath against the rivers.
Oh Lord, was your anger against the rivers or your indignation
against the see. When you rode on your horses, on
your chariot of Salvation, you strip the sheath from your bow
calling for many arrows. C'est Le You split the Earth
with rivers, the mountains saw you and rised, the Raging Waters
swept on the Deep gave forth its voice.
It lifted, its hands on high, the Sun and Moon Stood Still in
their place at the light of your arrows, as they sped at the
flash of your glittering spear. There is recalling the Battle of
Joshua when the sun literally Stood Still.
You March through the Earth and fury, you thresh the nation's
and anger. You went out for the Salvation
of your people for the Salvation of your anointed.
You crush the head of the House of the wicked laying him bear
from thigh to neck C'est Le You pierced with his own arrows.
The heads of his Warriors who came like a whirlwind to scatter
me rejoicing as if to Devour the poor in secrets, you trampled
the sea with your horses, the surging of Mighty Waters.
I hear and my body trembles my lips quiver at the sound
rottenness enters into my bones. My legs tremble beneath me yet I
will quietly wait for the day of trouble.
To come upon people who invade us.
Wow. Wow.
You can see that the way that he goes to God, right?
I mean your work O Lord, do I fear?
He he starts with just again every time he comes before the
Lord, it's it's recalling. The Covenant name of God.
But in this specific moment, he recalls the specific actions of
God and establishing that Covenant He recalls the battles,
he recalls the deliverances the mighty deliverances, The Parting
of the Red Sea, as the Egyptians are coming to destroy the
Israelites. Did you Rage Against The Waters?
Lord? No.
Was God, raging against the Red Sea and that moment not at all.
The Red Sea was used in as an instrument of his Rage Against
the Pagan Egyptians, right? It was used as an instrument of
his Deliverance. For his people, the Israelites.
And so he recalls all these things and he's like I hear them
and my body trembles Recalling, how great you are in my body.
Trembles my lips. Quiver at the sound.
Now, remember, habakkuk doesn't get here in a moment.
We don't know how long these prayers these interactions were.
We don't have any of that for us.
But what we know is that habakkuk was in a struggle in
chapter one that he is now in chapter 3 resolving to exercise.
Holy contentment, because of the god, he has encountered.
You see that? You're not promised.
You're not promised? No hardship.
You're not promising those struggles, but you promised
peace in the middle of struggles.
Your promised hope in the midst of despair.
Because God is with you, even in discipline, he's with you.
And no you see, contentment is. As I said in the beginning, it's
a hard thing to learn It's not enjoyable at all.
There's so much pain to this but when you come out on the other
side, Having learned contentment.
Whew, that is a breath of fresh air.
My friends. it's a feeling of Peace as we can, we can rightly
say, holy spirit's amazing, it's not in my notes, not not
something I've thought of before, but here it is, we can
rightly say. So I'm saying that because this
is, this is the Lord, not Kyle, but in Philippians 4:6, you're
encouraged to be to not worry about anything to be prayerful
and everything. Amen, to make your petitions to
the Lord with Thanksgiving. And it says, in the God of
Peace, will rule your hearts and Minds.
Or a peace that surpasses understanding will rule your
hearts and Minds. Do you know that in Philippians
4:11 through 13? I was actually going to read it
later in the sermon, but Philippians 4:11, 313.
Paul is saying they're all of, you know, Philippians 4:13,
right? I can do all things through
Christ, who does what strengthens me.
That comes after 4 6 and 7 and 48 which tells you what to think
about and then in for 11 and 13. Paul says, I've been high.
I've been low. A lot.
I've had nothing but I have learned that I can do all things
through Christ, who strengthens me?
He says, I've learned contentment.
Consent. Not noticed that before in
Thompson here, preaching for six seven and eight directly tied to
for 11 through 13. There's no doubt in my mind the
peace that surpasses all understanding is wholly
contentment and God. Holy contentment in his
Providence that he brings me high he brings me low I can do
all things through Christ who strengthens me.
Amen. So back to verse 2, he begins by
recognizing the holy and righteous purposes of God and he
does. So with reverence for God with
It's not only a reverence for God, it's a reverence for God's
Providence. He he says your work O Lord.
Do I fear your work O Lord. Do I fear?
It's a reverence for God but it's a reverence for a reverence
for his providential work that your hands are doing things.
I don't comprehend And I fear you have a fear here is reverent
fear. Let me explain to you what fear
is and especially in the Old Testament in Proverbs 9, and 10.
We read this, that the fear of the Lord, is the beginning of
wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is inside the fear of
the Lord, is the beginning of wisdom.
And so, what we're understanding is that the pathway by which we
get to Holy contentment where we can endure all things the
pathway to get there is in It is in a reverence a humble.
Let me add humble to this humble reverence before the Lord.
Now, how do you achieve humble reverence if you're not also
going through suffering? If you're always Mighty, if
everything is always working out for you, if you're always good.
How do you achieve a humble reverence?
You can't at least the likelihood is so much more slim.
Because his chest, are you going to beat your own whose muscles?
Are you going to flex your own right by my great hands?
The people of God were warned and Deuteronomy chapter 8, not
to say by the might of by the strength of my own hands.
I've gotten this wealth but it is God who has given me the
ability to make wealth is God who has given me the ability to
land to dwell in the land that I did not own.
That did not make the live in houses.
I did not create right. Was their entering the promised
land? He incurs him do not ever say by
the might of my own hands. I have done this.
And so humble reverence leads to Growing wisdom.
You approach the Lord humbling irreverent before him, you
understand that he alone? Jesus says in Matthew chapter
10, not to fear as he sending the disciples, and he says, do
not fear the ones who can kill body only, but fear of the one
who can destroy Body and Soul The courage in your room or fear
before the Lord, remain humble before the Lord.
Humble, reverence leads to Growing wisdom as faithful men
or women continually put the Lord and his truth above his
self or herself. And doing that more and more
over time. What happens is you grow in the
knowledge of God Almighty? You do not grow in your own
understanding of who you are. You grow in your understanding
of who he is. But you also grow in your
understanding of what he is like his character.
His promises his past work, his future plans and that
simultaneously produces this thing in you that is comforting
it promotes peace. Contentment that the world can
understand and yet it is terrifying.
Because you see, before you a holy God, you think what how can
you be at both? How can you have both peace and
be terrified simultaneously? It's a good question.
Good question, I will ridicule the question.
I think it's a good question. Yeah, any of you recall, the
story of Jesus and his disciples again in Matthew this time in
chapter 8 where the disciples are in the boat with Christ,
there's a storm raging around them.
The disciples are in a lot of fear, guess we're sleeping
Jesus. And those disciples are sitting
there and they're thinking to themselves.
We've seen this man. Heal people, we've seen him
feed, people wishing him do all raised people from the dead.
We have seen this man do all kinds of things.
All kinds of things and they are terrified and they go and they
wake the Lord get off. What is going on out here?
You we need your help. Do you remember what the Lord
says to them? He says why are you afraid?
Oh you of little faith. Why are you afraid of you of
little faith? and then he rises and he speaks
to the storm which is immediately calmed, peace be
still and it's still The Cycles are standing there and this is
this is why I say you can have both peace and be terrified.
The disciples were standing there there, Marvel at him.
The scripture says in Matthew chapter 8 and they say this what
sort of man is this that even the wind and the waves of the
wind and the Sea obey, his voice?
What sort of man is this some translations?
Say what manner of man is this? It's the same thing that
happened to Isaiah in Isaiah chapter 6, as he gets his vision
into the heavenlies and he sees the Lord there.
And he says, Behold, I am a man of unclean lips.
We read there that he was undone.
He was terrified before the Lord because he recognized, I'm not
fit, I'm not wholly. He is altogether.
Holy which means he's altogether different and I don't belong in
his presence. And disciples have the same
recognition Abacus going through the same thing here.
Where I'm at, peace But I'm but I recognize that you can do
whatever you wish. Amen.
And I'm not going to question you anymore.
I'm going to trust you going to trust you.
Habakkuk also, begs for Mercy, he recognizes In This Moment.
The grace of God, he says in your wrath, remember Mercy?
Habakkuk saying please, I know that we deserve the Wrath, I
know that we deserve the discipline but please remember
Mercy, Lord. In the midst of your judgments
on your people, remember Mercy. He goes on to say despite
everything going on around him, he goes on to, he's able to then
say or ask really that God's will be done.
That his perfect will be done. He says this he says in the
midst of the years, revive it in the midst of the years, make it
known. So in the middle of all of these
things, Do your will. In the midst of these painful
years, whatever they may look like do your will make it known.
The prophet was faced with God's unsearchable, wisdom and in
response. He says he humbles himself and
he says you do your thing God. I understand.
It's best. I can understand, I understand.
And so no one can bring a charge against God.
No one could put God in his debt and habakkuk the prophet.
He knows this, and what he understands that God is building
or establishing his kingdom, even if he doesn't understand
the route that God's taking to get there, Right.
So, we offers a prayer to God that expresses his trust and
offers a prayer to God that expresses confidence and has
reverence to it. He's in all of God, he's undone
in the, in the midst of this interaction.
He's had with the Lord. And he knows that God executes
his righteous judgment. He knows that God will do what
he says, according to his own wisdom, according to his own
will, and so habakkuk displays a holy contentment in the
Providence of God by expressing trust.
He does so by recalling God's faithfulness in the past.
He recalls future promises. I told you guys last week in
Chapter 2 When God says that, my glory will fill the Earth and I
sit in throne in the heavens, he is giving Isaiah to things that
he can. Hold on to the righteous shall
live by his faith. Here's two things that you
should show. Deep faith in my glory will fill
the Earth. And I sit enthroned in the
heavens. I've not been thwarted.
My plans. Haven't been stopped.
I've not forgotten you. You can trust me.
Amen. And so he recalls these things,
and all of these things is recalling them in the middle of
this current trials, in the middle of the tribulation, in
the middle of not here, he doesn't hear anything about when
this will end. And it goes on for decades.
He doesn't hear anything about when the Babylonians will
finally get theirs. Right?
Didn't hear anything about that? We trust God and that trust it
creates this holy contentment. And when you have wholly,
consent moments in the Lord and the middle of great problems,
you will not lose heart. In the midst of your troubling
days, in the midst of your difficulties, he recalls,
Israel's deliverance from Egyptian bondage, he recalls
their safe Passage through the Red Sea.
He recalls their defeat of the Canaanite enemies, the
establishment of the promised land, I mean he goes through it,
recalling the actions. The god of the Covenants.
In verse 13. He mentioned something that's
really amazing. He mentions the words.
You're annoying. It Says, you went out for the
Salvation of your people for the Salvation of your anointed.
This word, this reference is a reference to the davidic king.
Your anointed is a reference to the davidic kingdom, to the
people that he represents. Which recalls God's covenant
that he made to David and second Samuel seven.
So again, we're just recalling. The Covenant works of God here.
What's really amazing about this?
Is this word that's used here is the Hebrew word from which we
get Messiah. So Hebrew word, from which we
get Messiah. How many of the Messiah is the
final davidic are the Messiah, is the one who's going to
represent God's people, but that Messiah had not yet come in
habakkuk today. And this is why.
When Matthew and Matthew chapter 1, he's writing to the Jews
largely. This is why he introduces
Christ. As the son of Abraham, the son
of David, Because he's recalling the covenants.
We went over this as we talked about it but there are big
picture series but he's recalling the Covenant that God
made with Abraham that he re-establishes with David.
That there will be one born one who rules.
There will be no end to his Reign and hearing habakkuk.
You have a reference to the anointed one.
And renewing God's faithfulness in Israel's history, habakkuk
can face his fears with faith. You can face his fears with
trust in the God of all history. What the?
At the high point in human history, the most amazing point,
the most amazing thing that's ever taken place on Earth.
The Messiah did come God. The son became man.
Dwelled among them. He lived among them.
He died for them. For all who would call on his
name. He died for them.
And on that cross on that cross God in his wrath remembers
Mercy. I'm not saying he saved his son.
He saved his people through his son.
At the Cross of Christ, God's Wrath is poured out on Christ.
Isaiah 53. We read that it was the will of
the Lord to crush him. And so his wrath.
God's Wrath God, the Father pours out his wrath on his own
son so that we who trust in Christ might be washed clean.
In an astounding Act of Mercy. Grace.
Undeserved on ironed. So you and I are the
beneficiaries of a stronger Revelation than what habakkuk
had So often we think, man, if the Lord would just show up and
talk to me the way he talks to habakkuk.
Wow. Of course I'd have holy
consents. Brothers and sisters, the Lord
shows up in your home. Every time you open this.
He shows up in your life every time you open his word and you
read it and choose to believe it, the Lord turns Hearts
through his word. The same way, he was turning
Hearts through his word here in habakkuk.
His word is our greatest hope and so we live in an age of
stronger, Revelation, what I mean by stronger is this more
revealed? We don't even have to wonder who
the anointed one is. It's being prayed for here.
We know it's Christ. Jesus.
Is that we place our hope in him?
And in his resurrection, he gives us.
The ability to come boldly to the throne of grace, Hebrew
says, and in that moment, as you come boldly to the throne of
grace, you go boldly to the Lord.
You know, that you have a savior, you have high priest who
sympathizes with you in your weakness.
He was tempted in all the ways you are yet without sin.
And so the argument goes, well, he was tempted in all the ways.
I am yet without sin. How can he sympathize with me?
It's a good question. But here's the answer.
God, the son, Jesus Christ. Went all the way to the end of
Temptation and did not sin. And you might make it five
minutes before you give him 10 minutes before you give in.
God, son, drinking fool. And so he sympathizes with you
and all of your weaknesses and he bids, you come to the throne
of grace and find Mercy and Grace in your time of need calm.
Come the writer of Hebrews tells us in Hebrews 7:25 that Jesus
Christ is able to save to the uttermost as finally forever.
That's with out, doubt, he's saved to the uttermost, all who
call upon his name, or all who go before him come to him.
Amen, he saves to the uttermost. Everyone comes to God through
Jesus Christ. I'm see God through Jesus Christ
and so we have a hope in Christ that is undefiled It's not
defiled. Your circumstances, getting a
filing your doubts. Can't the file that your fear
cannot defile. It, you have a hope that is
sure, quote Hebrews again, Hebrews 6 he says that this hope
is a sure and steady anchor for your soul.
Praise God. It's kept in heaven for you.
The enemies of God or not infiltrating heaven to take away
the hope that God has for you. The enemies of God are not
prying back, the hand of God as he holds you according to John
chapter 10. When he holds you, no one can
snatch you away from him. All of this leads habakkuk into
a new verse to his Prayer song. Maybe this, these verses are the
only part that's a song again, we're not really sure, but
because it starts with that odd word that begins with an S
there. In verse 1, we can rightly
deduce that this is probably all This is probably all song.
This is what he says. He says though the Fig Tree
should not blossom. More fruit be on the vines, the
produce of the olive fail and the fields, yield no food.
The flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the
Stalls means there's nothing right.
There's no food. There's no survival.
There's nothing but death. He says yet, I will rejoice in
the Lord. I will take joy in the god of my
salvation. God, the Lord is my strength.
He makes my feet. Like the deers he makes me tread
on my high places. To the choirmaster, the string
instruments. But I did that, he makes my
feet. Like the deers you makes me
tread on high places. What did habakkuk look like in
verse 16. He says there in 16, he says, I
hear in my body, trembles my lips.
Quiver at the sound. Rottenness entered into my
bones. My legs trembled beneath me.
You've ever surveyed deer on landscape of any, any kind of
terrain? It's amazing.
It sure it's steady. And this is what he's saying.
The Lord makes me sure. He makes me Steady In the middle
of difficult Rocky terrain, he makes me tread on high places
even though I feel very low. Back at now understands that,
even if all food is removed, even if death is at my front
door yet, I will rejoice in the Lord.
I will take my joy. I will take joy in the god of my
salvation. God, the Lord is my strength.
One commentator kind of sums up these things.
He says this is a bit lengthy so I'll just recite it like it's a
I'll read it to you like I'm preaching it still the
recounting of God's faithfulness and Israel's past which is what
we see in verses 1 through 15. Draws our minds to the Great and
Mighty Deeds of the Lord on behalf of his people down
through history. All right?
So it's just what we've been saying.
We re Calling All The Works of God here and he seemed down
through history that God has been faithful.
He goes on to say in all these deliverances these Provisions,
they foreshadow the ultimate Mighty deed of History, which is
the coming of Christ, when the fullness of time had come, which
is how Paul describes in Galatians. 4:4 when the fullness
of time had come Christ came, the ultimate fulfillment of
God's. Covenant promises to his people
is found in Jesus through his life, his death, his
resurrection. He delivers us from sins
bondage. He brings us safely through
death to life and thus, he Feet are greatest enemies which are
Satan sin and death. And at the end of History
Christ, will establish Us in the Eternal Promise Land Of Heaven.
He goes on to write. This is why even amid many
difficulties and uncertainties, we can continue to quietly wait
as a bacchic says in verse 16 and rejoice in the Lord.
And prayer looking to him as the god of my salvation.
When life, crumbles all around us, we need not despair.
God has not abandoned his purposes.
He remains with us even in the trials and struggles.
Jesus Christ, has brought us to himself, we are restored to God.
He'll cannot touch us for we say.
God, the Lord is my strength and we will rejoice in God.
And Romans chapter 8, Paul's recalling just the grace, the
massive amount of Grace. It has been displayed in Christ
Jesus. And he says this, he says, what,
What then shall we say to these things?
It's amazing salvation. We have if God is for us, who
can be against us, He who did not spare his own son, but gave
him up for us all. How will he not also with him?
Graciously, give us all things who shall bring any charge
against God's elect. It is God, who justifies who is
to condemn Christ? Jesus is the one who died, more
than that, who was raised, who is at the right hand of God who
indeed his inner seating for us brothers and sisters.
The very Son of God is now interceding for you.
This is why he's able to save to the uttermost all who draw near
to God through him. Who shall separate us.
Paul goes on to writing chapter 8 of Romans who shall separate
us from the love of Christ, shall tribulation, or distress
or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword.
As it is written for your sake, we were being killed all the day
long. We are regarded as sheep to be
slaughtered. No, he says, in verse 37, and
all these things we are more than conquerors through him, who
loved us for. I'm sure that neither death nor
life nor angels, nor rulers nor things present, nor things to
come nor powers nor height nor depth nor anything else in all
creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God
in Christ Jesus. Our lord.
There's nothing. That should fortify your faith
like the words there. At the end of Romans 8.
I mentioned Philippians 4 earlier, this is what Paul
writes of 11 through 13. He says where I've learned in
whatever situation I am to be content.
Whatever situation I am to be content but God I don't like it
be content. But you don't understand this
really horrible thing. That someone's done, be content.
Be content. but call you really don't get it like contentment.
And simply but I've got these bills that are due contentment.
I've got these desires that are going unfulfilled.
Contentment. Be content.
I know how to be brought low. Paul says and I know how to
abound in any and every circumstance, somebody say any
and every circumstance, I've learned the secret of facing
plenty and hunger, abundance and need who.
I mean he just keeps piling it on here like nobody can look at
this and say, well Paul, you really don't get my situation.
It's kind of hard to say to somebody who was Shipwrecked
multiple times bitten by a Viper.
Eventually but headed stoned multiple times.
Persecuted often, right? It's hard to look at that guy
and say, but you don't get it. In verse 13, he says I can do
all things through him. Who strengthens me, praise God.
The book of habakkuk ends with a prayer, that's a song.
The bacchic started with worry, he started with fear, he started
with doubt, he had lots of questions as he was looking at
everything happening around him. and then as he takes those
questions to the Lord, he changes his viewpoints was no
more of this. God, this is happening over here
and golly. These people over here acting
like fools, they're sacrificing kids to Molech that the
Babylonians are encroaching on this end.
Another Idol. Really guys, Looking at
everything around him. And then in his These acts of
doubt and fear and all those things he does.
What every faithful man or woman boy, or girl of God, should he
goes in prayer to the Lord? And he says, God, I don't
understand. I don't know where you are.
Once God tells him, I'm here. In fact, this is from my hand
and it's for your good he's like how can this be for my good?
God says, the righteous shall live by faith.
Not forgotten. My people have not forgotten
Justice. My glory will fill the earth.
I sit enthroned in the heavens. He started by looking all around
him, but he ends in worship. Jensen worship because he looked
to God and he looked at God's wisdom.
Look to God and he looked at God's wisdom.
This last chapter displays holy contentment.
It's the same thing you see. In job is something we threw out
the Psalms. This is the same thing.
You saying, Paul for from Paul, in chapter 4, you see it
throughout scripture, it's no different.
The message is the same trust the Lord, in all circumstances.
And you will experience, holy consent.
Holy contentment is a huge sign of Christian maturity.
I won't say it's the peak. That's probably a bit too
strong. I don't know that we ever
arrived at like this peak of Christian maturity but holy
contentment is a huge development in Christian
maturity. When you start to trust the
providential plan of God so much so that you can walk and
contentment. Now, you're doing something that
the world will look at centers, will look at it and they'll say
what in the world is wrong with you.
I want some of what you're having, all right?
Basically, what habakkuk says is, though, today is awful and
tomorrow is only going to get worse.
I will rejoice in the god of my salvation.
This is what Paul is saying in Romans 8 and Philippians 4.
Our faith is not concerned about the what ifs of Life are because
our faith teaches us that. Even if the worst happens, our
God still Reigns. My God, still Ryan's.
The righteous live by faith. Displaying a holy can sentiments
in God's Providence me pray for you.
Heavenly Father we love you. We thank you Lord for your
kindness toward us. Thank you for your word.
God, I pray that you would use your word now, to illuminate,
the hearts and the minds Souls of those who were here today,
But help them to see your face more.
Clearly helped them to trust you more fully.
Help the Lord to find contentment and their
circumstance and maybe contentment is letting go of
something. Maybe it's repentance.
Maybe it's forgiveness, maybe it's trust.
Father, we know that it is tied to seeking your face.
Seeking your wisdom. Seeking your word and to trust
that you help us Lord to do that.
Help us to do that. Father, if there is anyone in
here who is an unbeliever, I pray that you would help them.
Through this word that's in heard today to help them.
See. Jesus Christ is the only way to
Salvation. The only way, we are guaranteed
salvation, to the uttermost is to come to you, father, through
your son. What would you draw them to you,
by your spirits, grant them salvation and faith?
Help them to know you today. And my father we love you as we
declare the in song these words and only a holy God Lord, help
us to sing it with conviction today.
Of us to trust you help us to be encouraged As we sing together
in Christ's name, I pray. Amen.