WEBVTT 00:00:00.080 --> 00:00:02.720 Hey, I want to bless the food, pray, and then we're just going to dive in. 00:00:02.799 --> 00:00:03.600 Will you pray with me? 00:00:03.839 --> 00:00:05.599 Dear God, thank you for your many blessings. 00:00:05.759 --> 00:00:06.559 Thank you for your love. 00:00:06.719 --> 00:00:10.240 Just thank you today that we can dive into your word. 00:00:11.919 --> 00:00:20.640 Lord, I ask you just to use your word just to challenge us today, to continue to mold us into the men you want us to be. 00:00:20.800 --> 00:00:31.039 And Lord, just as uh as we sit at the table and get to fellowship with each other, Lord, I ask you just to just encourage us. 00:00:31.600 --> 00:00:35.920 Um life's tough, and Lord, it's just easier to go with someone. 00:00:36.079 --> 00:00:40.799 And Lord, help us be a group that can go through life together with you in the mix. 00:00:41.039 --> 00:00:42.399 Lord, just thank you for the food. 00:00:42.479 --> 00:00:43.679 Thank you for those that prepared it. 00:00:43.840 --> 00:00:44.960 In Jesus' name I pray. 00:00:45.119 --> 00:00:45.600 Amen. 00:00:46.240 --> 00:00:49.359 Hey, I am grateful to be here today to share with you. 00:00:49.439 --> 00:00:52.640 Uh we're in the Bible recap, finding things in between. 00:00:52.880 --> 00:00:57.039 Uh pastor came in yesterday afternoon and said, Hey, I'm gonna be gone. 00:00:57.200 --> 00:00:58.399 Can you cover? 00:00:59.439 --> 00:01:04.079 And uh, this is kind of a rough week. 00:01:04.239 --> 00:01:09.760 So uh when I say this, you're gonna laugh, but we're gonna be, if you have your Bibles, open them to Habakkuk. 00:01:10.079 --> 00:01:11.760 Okay, we're gonna be in Habakkuk. 00:01:11.840 --> 00:01:12.879 I guess I'm saying that right. 00:01:12.959 --> 00:01:14.319 I'm adding a little bit to it. 00:01:14.400 --> 00:01:37.519 But actually, I'm excited to be in there because it's a prophet, and one thing we see Habakkuk do different than all the other prophets, instead of speaking the people to the people from God, he's actually speaking to God for the people. 00:01:38.079 --> 00:01:39.519 Okay, a little different. 00:01:39.680 --> 00:01:43.519 The other ones God told them what to go tell, and they went and told the people. 00:01:43.840 --> 00:01:50.959 This moment here that we're gonna read today, he's actually going before God for the people. 00:01:51.280 --> 00:01:56.560 And so the title today is From Questioning God to Standing in Faith. 00:01:56.799 --> 00:02:00.159 From questioning God to standing in faith. 00:02:00.400 --> 00:02:01.439 So let's just dive in. 00:02:01.599 --> 00:02:02.560 Here we go. 00:02:03.120 --> 00:02:05.120 Habakkuk, I've found five big points. 00:02:05.200 --> 00:02:06.560 We're gonna jump through Habakkuk. 00:02:06.640 --> 00:02:08.400 I would encourage you, there's only three chapters. 00:02:08.639 --> 00:02:14.639 If you want to impress your Sunday school class and tell them that you read a chapter in a day, Habakkuk is your book. 00:02:14.719 --> 00:02:18.960 You can read it in about probably eight to ten minutes. 00:02:19.120 --> 00:02:19.439 Okay? 00:02:19.599 --> 00:02:23.759 So it's it, but it's a it's a good read, and let me just when we're gonna just dive in. 00:02:23.840 --> 00:02:29.039 The first point in Habakkuk that I think is big, it's okay to bring your honest doubts to God. 00:02:29.280 --> 00:02:35.759 We see in Habakkuk 1, 2, O Lord, how long should I cry for help and you not hear me? 00:02:36.000 --> 00:02:39.599 Oh, cry to you violence and you not save me. 00:02:39.680 --> 00:02:40.800 Have you ever been there? 00:02:43.039 --> 00:02:47.360 To the point in your life where you're crying out to the Lord and you're almost like, Lord, are you here? 00:02:47.599 --> 00:02:49.919 Can you are you even listening to me? 00:02:50.240 --> 00:02:51.120 Do you hear me? 00:02:51.280 --> 00:02:56.879 It reminds me, now this is real childish, but it reminds me when I was playing college baseball. 00:02:57.280 --> 00:03:02.639 All the guys would go out and have a jolly old time and then show up to play baseball. 00:03:03.120 --> 00:03:13.120 On Sunday mornings, the coach allowed me to go to early church, and then I would come do baton practice, and we'd play the game when we play a Sunday afternoon game when we were at home. 00:03:13.280 --> 00:03:15.759 And I'll never forget one Sunday afternoon. 00:03:16.080 --> 00:03:22.479 Mind you, now I'm this is shallow, I get it, but mind you, this is where I was at. 00:03:22.719 --> 00:03:26.560 This Sunday, I showed up and I'm kind of battling with this kid. 00:03:27.120 --> 00:03:33.439 I'm playing some, and then one of us would not get any hits, and the next one we were we were going back and forth. 00:03:33.520 --> 00:03:35.840 You know, it's one of those frustrating deals. 00:03:36.080 --> 00:03:42.080 This guy that I'm kind of going against, we're trying to earn this spot and battling through it. 00:03:42.319 --> 00:03:47.199 I mean, this guy was the guy that the team was having the party at his house. 00:03:47.360 --> 00:03:48.479 Do you get what I'm saying? 00:03:49.280 --> 00:03:57.520 And this particular day, you know, I'd went to early church, come in to start playing, and I started the game. 00:03:58.159 --> 00:04:02.159 I went 0 for 2, my last at bat with a strikeout. 00:04:03.360 --> 00:04:10.400 So my third at bat, I'm headed to the get ready to bat, and I hear pass more, and I knew it. 00:04:10.479 --> 00:04:12.800 I didn't even need to turn around because it had happened. 00:04:13.039 --> 00:04:15.039 The other guy was coming in to hit for me. 00:04:15.120 --> 00:04:18.720 And I remember taking my bat, going back to the dugout, sitting down. 00:04:18.879 --> 00:04:21.600 The guy comes up to bat and hits a home run. 00:04:22.000 --> 00:04:24.000 This is a guy I'm competing with. 00:04:24.560 --> 00:04:28.079 And I should be a team player that I'm excited about this. 00:04:28.399 --> 00:04:33.120 And I on the outside I was doing a pretty good job with that, but the inside I was hurt. 00:04:33.279 --> 00:04:34.160 I got in the car. 00:04:34.319 --> 00:04:37.279 I'll never forget I got in the car and I was angry. 00:04:37.439 --> 00:04:39.279 I was like, God, seriously? 00:04:39.600 --> 00:04:41.199 I went to church. 00:04:43.439 --> 00:04:49.759 You get where I'm going, but the frustration of why am I God not getting what I'm asking for? 00:04:50.160 --> 00:04:51.279 You've been there. 00:04:51.839 --> 00:04:52.720 God, do you? 00:04:52.879 --> 00:04:53.759 I'm praying to you. 00:04:53.839 --> 00:04:56.000 It says you want to hear me, and it's frustrating. 00:04:56.079 --> 00:05:00.079 And we see here, Habakkuk's prayer, I mean, can you just see it? 00:05:00.319 --> 00:05:02.240 The evil is around him. 00:05:02.800 --> 00:05:03.839 We'll see. 00:05:05.279 --> 00:05:12.000 Judah, God's people, were living in sin, led by a king that was living in sin. 00:05:13.040 --> 00:05:17.680 At this point, they had not been taken into captivity, but they're getting close. 00:05:18.319 --> 00:05:20.079 So he winds out, he calls. 00:05:20.160 --> 00:05:26.560 So it's asking God why or how long isn't a sign of weak faith. 00:05:26.720 --> 00:05:31.839 It's an act of worship that brings your pain directly to the one who can handle it. 00:05:32.000 --> 00:05:41.040 Brother Dale always said this it's okay to question God, but it matters the way we question God. 00:05:41.600 --> 00:05:43.920 We're not questioning God like this. 00:05:44.560 --> 00:05:46.480 We're questioning God like this. 00:05:47.120 --> 00:05:48.399 There's a huge difference. 00:05:49.439 --> 00:05:50.480 There's a huge difference. 00:05:50.560 --> 00:05:52.000 It's a heart issue. 00:05:52.319 --> 00:05:56.160 And so we see here crying out, well, I don't understand. 00:05:56.319 --> 00:05:58.319 I think it's okay to ask that. 00:05:58.720 --> 00:06:00.959 And it's okay to cry out to that. 00:06:01.199 --> 00:06:04.079 Then number two, woo, two. 00:06:05.199 --> 00:06:10.399 God is always at work, even when his method surprises us. 00:06:10.560 --> 00:06:15.279 I like that statement, even when his method surprises us. 00:06:15.439 --> 00:06:18.160 Look what Habakkuk 1, 5 and 6 says. 00:06:18.399 --> 00:06:29.120 Look among the nations and see, wonder, and be astonished, for I am doing a work in your days that you would not believe if I told you. 00:06:29.279 --> 00:06:36.160 For behold, I am rising, raising up the uh kildowns? 00:06:37.279 --> 00:06:39.439 Caldowns, Chaldines. 00:06:40.240 --> 00:06:42.399 And that is Babylon. 00:06:42.639 --> 00:06:44.319 Peace of Babylon, okay? 00:06:44.720 --> 00:06:52.800 That bitter and hasty nation who marches through the breadths of the earth to seize dwelling, not their own. 00:06:53.120 --> 00:06:54.000 He said this. 00:06:54.160 --> 00:06:55.600 Now here's the crazy thing. 00:06:56.319 --> 00:07:00.240 Habakkuk's crying out to the Lord, Lord, there is just evil around. 00:07:01.040 --> 00:07:02.319 I don't get it. 00:07:02.639 --> 00:07:03.920 It's not fair. 00:07:04.160 --> 00:07:05.519 Where are you at? 00:07:05.839 --> 00:07:11.040 And God says, This I'm about to show you something that you're not gonna believe. 00:07:13.040 --> 00:07:17.920 You remember we talked about it, it says up here, the method that surprises you? 00:07:19.759 --> 00:07:28.079 At the time he cried out, Habakkuk is talking about Judah, how evil they are and the things that are going on. 00:07:28.639 --> 00:07:39.120 God skips from Judah to the Babylonians, they're even worse than that. 00:07:39.279 --> 00:07:47.839 But here's the thing, if we look at it, God's methods are always right. 00:07:48.319 --> 00:07:52.720 And so look here, God's actions rarely fit into a human's box. 00:07:52.879 --> 00:07:59.600 You know what so many times I think me and God are about the same, and he should think a lot like me. 00:07:59.839 --> 00:08:01.360 You ever been there, too? 00:08:02.319 --> 00:08:03.199 You know what I mean? 00:08:03.439 --> 00:08:05.519 There's a lot of times I think I'm pretty smart. 00:08:05.680 --> 00:08:07.920 And I'm like, God, you don't see it my way? 00:08:08.160 --> 00:08:14.240 And then years later I'll look back and say, thank you, God, that you are way smarter than me because my way wasn't very good. 00:08:14.480 --> 00:08:17.600 So if we look, God's action really fits into a human box. 00:08:17.839 --> 00:08:27.600 Even when world events or personal circumstances seem chaotic, God is sovereignly orchestrating his ultimate plan. 00:08:29.120 --> 00:08:29.920 And you know what? 00:08:30.000 --> 00:08:33.600 I don't think he owes an explanation to us in his plan. 00:08:33.759 --> 00:08:37.919 However, how grateful it is to know that he's in charge and he does have a plan. 00:08:38.080 --> 00:08:41.679 Okay, so then that takes us to number three as we were looking through. 00:08:41.919 --> 00:08:45.120 Take your posture in the watchtower. 00:08:45.200 --> 00:08:46.320 This is Habakkuk 2. 00:08:46.399 --> 00:08:48.320 Now I'm just kind of giving you a summary of Habakkuk. 00:08:48.480 --> 00:08:50.159 This is Habakkuk 2, 1. 00:08:50.399 --> 00:09:01.039 I will take my stand at the watchtower and station myself on the tower and look out to see what he will say to me and what I will answer concerning my complaint. 00:09:01.200 --> 00:09:04.080 Now here's the picture of what's happened so far in Habakkuk. 00:09:04.879 --> 00:09:11.679 He starts off asking God where he's at because of the sinful people of Judah. 00:09:11.919 --> 00:09:15.039 And then God says, Watch this. 00:09:15.679 --> 00:09:18.960 I'm about to let the Babylonians take over. 00:09:19.279 --> 00:09:24.080 And then Habakkuk comes back and goes, They're even more evil than. 00:09:25.039 --> 00:09:31.200 And so Habakkuk then says, Okay, I'm gonna sit back and see what you got, God. 00:09:32.000 --> 00:09:37.440 You know, when we first read this, we can see it as, is it kind of arrogance of, I'm gonna set back? 00:09:37.600 --> 00:09:38.480 But think about this. 00:09:38.720 --> 00:09:41.039 How many times do we ask God something? 00:09:41.200 --> 00:09:51.759 We pray to God and say, God, I'm struggling in this, and we get so busy manipulating the things we want that we make a bigger mistake or bigger problem. 00:09:52.399 --> 00:10:00.879 What I mean by this is there's a time when I'm calling and I'm crying out to God that I need to set back and be still and be quiet. 00:10:02.320 --> 00:10:08.240 I need to just be in God's word and say, God, I get it, you're God, you go be God, and let me get out of your way. 00:10:08.399 --> 00:10:10.000 I just want to watch it. 00:10:10.960 --> 00:10:13.440 You see where I'm I mean, there's a picture of this. 00:10:13.519 --> 00:10:20.480 He's basically saying, I'm gonna be in the watchtower, which is a picture, I can see all this, and Lord, I'm wanting to see what you got for us. 00:10:21.840 --> 00:10:22.559 And you know what? 00:10:22.639 --> 00:10:23.919 That's hard to do. 00:10:24.240 --> 00:10:28.399 Me as a man, man, I did just this last week I was having problems. 00:10:28.559 --> 00:10:36.159 My family, there's just different things, and man, I'll just tell you what, it didn't take me long, and I had five plans that I thought would work. 00:10:37.279 --> 00:10:40.720 You know, you know, I instantly like, I'm gonna figure it out. 00:10:42.879 --> 00:10:51.759 And I'll just tell you this, it wasn't until I finally realized, God, I gotta sit back and let you be God. 00:10:52.879 --> 00:10:55.919 That He did something miraculous in my family. 00:10:57.679 --> 00:11:03.600 And for two weeks, I tried everything under my own power. 00:11:03.919 --> 00:11:08.080 When I finally said, Lord, I don't know what else to do, you're gonna have to show yourself. 00:11:08.240 --> 00:11:16.240 And me and my wife started praying at night about it and just stepped back and said, God, you be God and let me watch you. 00:11:16.879 --> 00:11:26.080 Not in an arrogant, not in a passive, but an idea of I serve a God that knows all things, that He changed that circumstance. 00:11:29.200 --> 00:11:41.919 When you're waiting for answers, positioning yourself to listen, quiet your mind through prayer, scripture, and stillness so you can hear God speak. 00:11:42.399 --> 00:11:44.639 Then that takes us to number four. 00:11:45.039 --> 00:11:48.000 The righteous shall live by faith. 00:11:48.240 --> 00:11:55.919 We see right here in Habakkuk 2.4, behold, his soul is puffed up, it is not upright within him. 00:11:56.000 --> 00:11:57.919 That's talking about Babylon. 00:11:58.399 --> 00:12:00.159 So he comes back to address it. 00:12:00.320 --> 00:12:03.360 I get why you worried about Babylon being in control. 00:12:03.679 --> 00:12:10.000 They are puffed up, they think they have a lot, but then what's he say about Habakkuk? 00:12:10.080 --> 00:12:16.639 He says, but the righteous shall live by his faith. 00:12:17.120 --> 00:12:17.840 We see that. 00:12:17.919 --> 00:12:20.000 It's quoted three times in the New Testament. 00:12:20.240 --> 00:12:22.799 Habakkuk is quoted three times in the New Testament. 00:12:23.039 --> 00:12:34.639 Romans 1:17, for the right uh for in the righteousness of God is revealed for faith, for faith, as it is written, the righteous shall live by faith. 00:12:34.799 --> 00:12:44.799 We see in Galatians 3.11, now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for the righteous shall live by faith. 00:12:44.879 --> 00:12:50.639 And then we see in Hebrews, but my righteous one shall live by faith. 00:12:51.120 --> 00:12:52.879 What does that mean? 00:12:54.720 --> 00:13:10.000 It takes us to the point of realizing that my I'm only righteous because of who Christ is and my faith in him. 00:13:11.919 --> 00:13:19.759 I love right here in Galatians 3.11, it says, it is not evident that no one is justified before God by the law. 00:13:20.879 --> 00:13:25.039 Man, if I was having to be justified by the law, I'd be in trouble. 00:13:25.279 --> 00:13:28.080 I think I could do good for about 15 minutes. 00:13:30.240 --> 00:13:30.879 You know? 00:13:31.440 --> 00:13:33.440 But the standard of it's just. 00:13:34.320 --> 00:13:40.240 But when we look, the righteous shall live by faith. 00:13:40.399 --> 00:13:43.279 What is what our faith is in what? 00:13:44.000 --> 00:13:46.559 That Christ did what he said he did, and what's that? 00:13:46.720 --> 00:13:48.240 Died on the cross for our sin. 00:13:48.320 --> 00:13:58.000 And when I get to the point of realizing that no matter what Matt Passmore does, it takes me further away from God that I've got to say, you know what, God, you're right. 00:13:58.159 --> 00:14:00.080 Thank you for dying for me and saving me. 00:14:00.240 --> 00:14:03.120 And it's through my faith that I'm righteous. 00:14:06.480 --> 00:14:06.799 Okay. 00:14:09.200 --> 00:14:20.879 Faith isn't a temporary filling, it is a lifestyle of daily persistence, trusting God's character, regardless of what eyes see. 00:14:23.120 --> 00:14:25.440 It's a typical what is faith. 00:14:26.240 --> 00:14:29.120 My faith, sometimes I just struggle in it. 00:14:34.159 --> 00:14:37.120 I had a lady the other day say, you know what? 00:14:37.919 --> 00:14:41.440 There's no way I can be saved. 00:14:42.559 --> 00:14:47.840 I'm like, and I mean she was defending why, she was defending why she was not saved. 00:14:48.559 --> 00:14:49.279 And you know what? 00:14:49.360 --> 00:14:51.039 I didn't really have a great answer for. 00:14:52.000 --> 00:14:53.759 Because she was defending it well. 00:14:53.919 --> 00:14:56.639 You know, I mean, she was prepared to say she has no faith. 00:14:56.799 --> 00:14:57.679 She does not. 00:14:58.480 --> 00:15:08.320 And all I could say was, all I could say to her is all I can do is trust that his word is right. 00:15:10.240 --> 00:15:21.039 And then what he says in God's word, in his word to me, I just all I can do is have faith that he says he'll do what he says he'll do. 00:15:22.639 --> 00:15:26.639 And I that and I mean I had no way to help her. 00:15:26.720 --> 00:15:31.120 All I can say is all you can do is have faith that God's word is what it is. 00:15:31.679 --> 00:15:45.919 And that's what our when we think about that, that is what our that brings about righteousness is Him working in our lives, which takes us to the last. 00:15:47.200 --> 00:15:51.200 Choose to rejoice in God regardless of the circumstances. 00:15:51.759 --> 00:15:52.639 And I love this. 00:15:52.799 --> 00:15:55.919 Listen to what this says in Habakkuk 3:17. 00:15:56.639 --> 00:16:12.720 Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the product of the olive fail, and the field yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold, and there be no herd in the stalls. 00:16:12.960 --> 00:16:14.080 Listen to this. 00:16:14.480 --> 00:16:20.720 Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will take joy in the God of my salvation. 00:16:20.960 --> 00:16:22.080 Here's the story again. 00:16:22.240 --> 00:16:25.200 He starts off, God is just evil around. 00:16:25.279 --> 00:16:26.799 When are you gonna show yourself? 00:16:27.039 --> 00:16:29.279 God speaks to him, watch this. 00:16:31.120 --> 00:16:35.120 And then the Babylonians come in, take him cap or gonna take him captive. 00:16:35.279 --> 00:16:36.720 He sees no good in it. 00:16:36.960 --> 00:16:38.000 He's struggling. 00:16:38.159 --> 00:16:41.600 He's like, show yourself God, and then what's he say at the end? 00:16:42.080 --> 00:16:55.360 As bad as it can be, as bad as it can be, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, and I will take joy in the God of my salvation. 00:16:55.759 --> 00:17:00.320 Circumstantial joy depends on what happens around you. 00:17:00.559 --> 00:17:04.799 Biblical joy depends on what God is to you. 00:17:05.680 --> 00:17:09.759 You can choose to rejoice because God is your strength. 00:17:09.920 --> 00:17:12.000 So, in closing, here I got a question for you. 00:17:12.240 --> 00:17:20.160 Is there an area in your life right now where you need to move from asking God why to choosing just to trust Him? 00:17:20.319 --> 00:17:21.519 Will you pray with me? 00:17:21.759 --> 00:17:25.119 Dear God, I come before you now, just again, just grateful for your word. 00:17:25.359 --> 00:17:34.319 I know as just as so many times in my own life, I can just be just wanting what Matt Passmore wants. 00:17:34.400 --> 00:17:51.039 And Lord, just even in our tough times, Lord, help me be able to step back and just be in joy be or have joy because of who you are and your faithfulness to the things that I don't deserve, but you keep giving me your mercy and your grace. 00:17:51.200 --> 00:17:53.519 Lord, help us never take that for granted. 00:17:53.680 --> 00:17:56.799 And Lord, just thank you again, just that your word can challenge us. 00:17:56.960 --> 00:18:01.279 If someone needs you today, needs prayer, to let them have the courage to come ask. 00:18:01.519 --> 00:18:02.720 In Jesus' name I pray. 00:18:02.799 --> 00:18:03.359 Amen. 00:18:03.599 --> 00:18:04.880 Thank you for being here. 00:18:05.039 --> 00:18:06.480 Enjoy the rest of your day.