WEBVTT 00:00:01.040 --> 00:00:02.160 Yeah, good morning. 00:00:02.479 --> 00:00:05.919 My name's Brian Robinson, and I'm happy to be here. 00:00:06.000 --> 00:00:08.560 If this is your first time at Redeemer, welcome here. 00:00:08.880 --> 00:00:11.839 If you've been here all along, I'm just glad to see you guys. 00:00:12.800 --> 00:00:18.879 So we've reached July at Redeemer, which means Russ goes out of town for a few weeks. 00:00:19.120 --> 00:00:23.280 And it also means it's time for the B Team pastors to step up. 00:00:23.440 --> 00:00:25.760 And so that's why I'm here. 00:00:26.879 --> 00:00:30.559 This July we have a little something for everyone. 00:00:30.719 --> 00:00:32.799 I'm gonna start this week. 00:00:32.960 --> 00:00:39.679 Next week we have uh Brad O'Kelly, aka The Redeemer Blue Collar Comedy Tour. 00:00:39.920 --> 00:00:45.920 And followed by uh David Russ, a little bit more of an MIT kind of intellectual flavor. 00:00:46.079 --> 00:00:50.479 So I think in one of those you'll probably find your sweet spot, I hope. 00:00:50.719 --> 00:01:00.799 Um it also B-Team Pass pastoring also keeps our, we all like a church, a small church, so it keeps it a little smaller than when Russ is up here every week. 00:01:00.880 --> 00:01:03.359 So I'm as evidenced by today. 00:01:03.600 --> 00:01:09.680 Um on a serious note, we do, I love it that Russ gets to go on sabbatical. 00:01:09.920 --> 00:01:14.000 Um I know as his friend it is healthy for him to do it. 00:01:14.159 --> 00:01:21.760 I know he appreciates the rest uh just from preaching every week and um planning for a pandemic. 00:01:21.920 --> 00:01:28.079 Um I know he I know he's just grateful for it, um, and it's healthy for him and his family. 00:01:28.319 --> 00:01:34.640 I also think it is very healthy for our church to not be focused on one guy. 00:01:34.959 --> 00:01:38.239 Um if we're focused on someone, I pray that it's Jesus. 00:01:38.400 --> 00:01:43.280 And I pray that he speaks through us and I pray that he speaks through me this morning. 00:01:43.439 --> 00:01:51.200 Um so we'll be going through these next four weeks through the book of Habakkuk, and I'm actually very excited about that. 00:01:51.359 --> 00:02:02.000 Um Middle School Brian would be very um amused that uh 45-year-old Brian is up here talking about Habakkuk because it was always a punchline to a joke for me. 00:02:02.159 --> 00:02:13.599 If you want like a good laugh, just a quick laugh, you just throw around that word habakuk because no one really knows what's in the book, and so you can always get an easy laugh, and no one really knows how to pronounce it. 00:02:13.680 --> 00:02:17.280 So uh it's no accident that I'm here teaching on Habakkuk. 00:02:17.599 --> 00:02:19.439 Um so let's pray first. 00:02:20.080 --> 00:02:29.439 Heavenly Father, um, just thankful for our church, thankful for Sam and Annie, Audrey, and and our staff. 00:02:29.680 --> 00:02:37.199 Um I just pray that we would know that we are more broken than we realize, but we are more loved than we dare to dream. 00:02:37.360 --> 00:02:42.479 I pray that uh in my weakness you would be strong this morning, and that's my only hope. 00:02:42.800 --> 00:02:43.199 Thank you. 00:02:43.360 --> 00:02:44.560 In Jesus' name I pray. 00:02:44.879 --> 00:02:45.520 Amen. 00:02:46.159 --> 00:02:51.759 Alright, so um I'm gonna be preaching through Habakkuk 1, 1 through 11. 00:02:52.000 --> 00:02:54.639 Kind of a bird's eye view of this book. 00:02:54.879 --> 00:02:58.159 The word Habakkuk actually means embrace. 00:02:58.639 --> 00:03:09.680 Uh, he's been referred by some as the doubting Thomas of the Old Testament, and I think in reality, he's better called a prophet of faith. 00:03:09.919 --> 00:03:12.879 The whole book is really about having faith. 00:03:13.199 --> 00:03:19.840 Um he did have questions for God, and he asked those very honestly. 00:03:20.080 --> 00:03:29.680 But in the end, he trusted God, and uh it kind of concludes with this beautiful prayer of faith to God in Habakkuk 3. 00:03:30.240 --> 00:03:32.479 Um, so this book is pretty short. 00:03:32.639 --> 00:03:36.080 You could read it in probably 10 minutes, it's three chapters long. 00:03:36.240 --> 00:03:39.599 Uh he was a minor prophet, which means God spoke to him. 00:03:39.680 --> 00:03:41.439 He had a relationship with God. 00:03:41.680 --> 00:03:45.120 Um, the outline of the book is pretty straightforward. 00:03:45.280 --> 00:03:59.120 Um starts with Habakkuk complaining to God, and then God responds, and then Habakkuk complains about that response, and then God responds again, and then finally Habakkuk kind of submits and prays. 00:03:59.439 --> 00:04:04.879 Um, so I'll be preaching through Habakkuk's first complaint and God's response to that. 00:04:05.120 --> 00:04:07.199 And I'm actually really excited. 00:04:07.280 --> 00:04:11.360 When I first read through this section, I was like, I get to preach on that. 00:04:11.439 --> 00:04:15.199 Um, and I think it's really relevant to our lives today. 00:04:15.439 --> 00:04:19.680 So my little section is divided into Habakkuk and then God responding. 00:04:19.839 --> 00:04:23.519 So let me go ahead and read verses one through four. 00:04:23.759 --> 00:04:35.439 Um Habakkuk says, O Lord, how long shall I cry for help and you will not hear, or cry to you violence and you will not save? 00:04:35.680 --> 00:04:37.759 Why do you make me see inequity? 00:04:37.920 --> 00:04:40.399 And why do you idly look at wrong? 00:04:40.720 --> 00:04:44.160 Destruction and violence are before me. 00:04:44.399 --> 00:04:51.839 Strife and contention arise, so the law is paralyzed, and justice never goes forth. 00:04:52.079 --> 00:04:56.959 For the wicked surround the righteous, so justice goes forth perverted. 00:04:58.399 --> 00:05:02.000 Does any of that sound relevant to you when you turn on the news right now? 00:05:02.160 --> 00:05:06.319 Like it feels very real, and it was written so long ago. 00:05:06.480 --> 00:05:12.079 Um, we don't really know much about Habakkuk's life except for that he was a prophet. 00:05:12.319 --> 00:05:17.360 Um we know from the beginning that he has a relationship with God. 00:05:17.519 --> 00:05:22.879 And just in these few verses, he speaks to God in a really personal way. 00:05:23.759 --> 00:05:28.399 What do you do when you see injustice in the world? 00:05:28.959 --> 00:05:34.399 So Habakkuk's world is kind of crashing around all over him. 00:05:35.040 --> 00:05:42.079 The Babylonians were this powerful, kind of savage warrior group that were coming in to attack his nation. 00:05:42.319 --> 00:05:49.759 And then he also saw the leaders in his nation were acting with corruption, just like we see today. 00:05:50.000 --> 00:05:56.639 Um there's examples throughout the Bible of people angry and questioning God. 00:05:57.040 --> 00:06:09.839 And I think that's unique among Christian religions because if we just had an all-powerful God, I don't know that we would have the freedom to lament or to cry out to God like Habakkuk is. 00:06:10.160 --> 00:06:13.920 But because we have a God of grace, we can do that. 00:06:14.000 --> 00:06:16.480 And I think that's unique and special. 00:06:16.959 --> 00:06:27.279 Um early on in the pandemic, it was probably, I guess, the end of March, I have a nine-year-old son, uh, James, and I help coach his soccer team. 00:06:27.519 --> 00:06:30.480 And I got an email about soccer season being canceled. 00:06:30.560 --> 00:06:34.560 This was like the 48 hours of time where the world is just like done. 00:06:34.720 --> 00:06:38.240 Um, and so I knew James was not going to be happy about this. 00:06:38.399 --> 00:06:42.959 So I went to him and I said, buddy, sorry, your soccer season's done. 00:06:43.040 --> 00:06:44.079 They canceled it. 00:06:44.240 --> 00:06:52.079 And he looked at me just square in the eye, and he said, Dad, I hate the coronavirus. 00:06:52.399 --> 00:07:03.839 And uh, you know, I've thought a lot about that since then because I kind of love his honesty, because at that time I was kind of like maneuvering, how am I gonna make it through and how am I gonna control? 00:07:04.480 --> 00:07:14.000 And uh I think I've thought a lot about that because I hate the coronavirus a lot too, and I love it that kids sometimes are just cut to the chase. 00:07:14.160 --> 00:07:19.920 They don't, you know, he's very honest, and I think that's kind of what Habakkuk is going is doing right here. 00:07:20.000 --> 00:07:24.399 He's lamenting to God, and I think God already knows it anyway. 00:07:24.480 --> 00:07:26.639 I think it's healthy for us to do that. 00:07:27.920 --> 00:07:30.480 So, how does God respond to this? 00:07:30.720 --> 00:07:40.800 Um, if we read verse five, he starts off by saying, Look among the nations and see, wonder and be astounded. 00:07:41.120 --> 00:07:47.600 For I am doing a work in your days that you would not believe if told. 00:07:48.959 --> 00:07:54.079 I am doing a work in your days that you would not believe if told. 00:07:54.399 --> 00:07:59.360 So God's perspective and my perspective are very different. 00:07:59.600 --> 00:08:07.279 Um, our creator knows that his creation is not capable of understanding what he's doing. 00:08:07.759 --> 00:08:13.839 I've heard a pastor say the biggest difference between you and God is he doesn't think he's you. 00:08:14.319 --> 00:08:19.120 Um also, like a patient told me this last week. 00:08:19.279 --> 00:08:29.279 Um, she said, God has his plans, and that you have your plans, and one of you is gonna have to be flexible, and I don't think it's gonna be God. 00:08:29.600 --> 00:08:32.639 So I can relate to all of those things. 00:08:32.879 --> 00:08:44.320 Um but the older I get, the more I tend to believe in things that I can't see than the things I can, and God is gradually showing me faith. 00:08:44.480 --> 00:08:45.759 That's what that's called. 00:08:45.919 --> 00:08:52.720 Uh 2 Corinthians 5, 7 says, For we walk by faith, not by sight. 00:08:54.240 --> 00:09:04.639 Moving on into the next verses, verses 6 through 11, God goes through a not a very good description of the Babylonians, these people that Habakkuk is worried about. 00:09:04.879 --> 00:09:10.159 He describes them as bitter, hasty, dreaded, and violent. 00:09:10.480 --> 00:09:18.480 But he concludes by saying that they are guilty men whose own might is their strength. 00:09:18.879 --> 00:09:20.799 So, what does that mean? 00:09:21.440 --> 00:09:27.679 I think it means that their power or their identity is in their own strength. 00:09:28.080 --> 00:09:30.399 I call that self-reliance. 00:09:30.799 --> 00:09:42.960 And God uses those words to describe the root problem of the Babylonians, but it's also your root problem, and it's also my root problem. 00:09:44.240 --> 00:09:47.919 So, what has happened to me since March 19th? 00:09:48.080 --> 00:09:58.320 Um, we definitely all have unique stories about how this has been hard for us, um, and some are harder, and some people have really enjoyed this time. 00:09:58.399 --> 00:10:01.120 I think we've all kind of experienced a mix of that. 00:10:01.279 --> 00:10:05.600 So, for me personally, I'm a dentist, I'm a small business owner. 00:10:05.919 --> 00:10:13.519 So, mid to late March, um the CDC and the ADA were telling me I have to shut down my business. 00:10:13.759 --> 00:10:16.159 And um, I felt pretty helpless. 00:10:16.399 --> 00:10:19.039 Um I began having trouble sleeping. 00:10:19.200 --> 00:10:21.120 I would wake up at like 4 a.m. 00:10:21.440 --> 00:10:30.480 and think, oh my goodness, how are we gonna pay our bills, provide for our employees with no revenue coming in my office? 00:10:30.720 --> 00:10:38.960 And um had just that gnawing kind of just burn in my stomach when I would wake up, which is unusual for me. 00:10:39.120 --> 00:10:41.679 Um and I I wrestled with God. 00:10:41.840 --> 00:10:44.879 I can relate to what Habakkuk's saying. 00:10:45.120 --> 00:10:52.559 And I remember one morning sitting in my desk and I prayed, God, why can't like just make it go back to normal? 00:10:52.720 --> 00:10:56.000 Uh, probably a common prayer during these times. 00:10:56.159 --> 00:11:08.159 And what I felt like God was saying back to me was, um, well, what you want, Brian, are you want your old idols back, and and I love you too much to give them back to you. 00:11:08.559 --> 00:11:20.720 And these idols are you know, financial security, um, being seen as a provider, also being a provider for my family and my employees, and just even idols of recreation. 00:11:20.799 --> 00:11:25.519 Like I was thinking, I don't know if we're gonna be able to go on another vacation for the next five years. 00:11:25.679 --> 00:11:29.039 Um, and that was a very real thing for me. 00:11:29.200 --> 00:11:40.639 Um, and I think slowly, very gradually, God brought me to a place where I felt like I knew what he was up to, and I settled into a more relaxed pace. 00:11:40.879 --> 00:11:44.720 Um, we had so much good family time. 00:11:44.960 --> 00:11:50.080 Um, my two teenage daughters, once your kids start driving, you don't see them as much. 00:11:50.240 --> 00:11:53.200 And so we saw them a lot more, which was a gift. 00:11:53.279 --> 00:11:56.879 I feel like we got a couple of free months with with these two. 00:11:57.360 --> 00:11:58.799 Um, just good. 00:11:58.879 --> 00:12:02.879 We played this new card game called Sky Joe, highly recommend Sky Joe. 00:12:02.960 --> 00:12:07.279 Um, and just every meal we had around the table was very sweet time. 00:12:08.000 --> 00:12:18.799 Um, and then uh April 20th happened, and I woke up and we got an Amazon box, and it was a skateboard that my sweet daughter Meg ordered. 00:12:19.039 --> 00:12:25.039 And um so I told her that morning, I said, Meg, don't do anything dumb on the skateboard. 00:12:25.120 --> 00:12:28.799 Like, I don't want to take you to the ER during the coronavirus. 00:12:29.360 --> 00:12:34.159 And so some of you may guess what happened next. 00:12:34.399 --> 00:12:44.320 Um later that afternoon, I was on my way out to the car to go somewhere, and I saw Meg and Allie in the driveway on the skateboard, and I thought, I'm gonna go watch and see what they're up to. 00:12:44.559 --> 00:12:52.799 And I did watch, and then I got on the skateboard, and I actually rode it around a little bit successfully for the last time. 00:12:52.960 --> 00:13:00.320 And then I got on the skateboard and I put my right foot on the skateboard and it took off. 00:13:00.559 --> 00:13:04.960 And 100% of my weight landed on my left elbow. 00:13:05.200 --> 00:13:08.559 And I knew this was not like I rub some dirt on it kind of situation. 00:13:08.639 --> 00:13:12.480 My hand started turning blue, my elbow was just not shaped right. 00:13:12.720 --> 00:13:19.200 Um and so, yeah, in the middle of the virus, I went to the emergency room. 00:13:19.440 --> 00:13:22.320 Um, and I had surgery on my elbow. 00:13:22.399 --> 00:13:24.080 And I think I even have a picture of it. 00:13:24.159 --> 00:13:25.679 It might, I don't know if it's up there. 00:13:25.759 --> 00:13:26.159 Yeah. 00:13:26.480 --> 00:13:28.080 So that's my elbow. 00:13:28.320 --> 00:13:32.159 Um, a plate and nine screws put in there. 00:13:32.320 --> 00:13:39.120 And you can tell, I mean, it's doing a lot better now, but um, that was that was you can take that down for everybody, I'm sure that's good. 00:13:39.600 --> 00:13:48.799 Um but again, I felt like uh I need my elbow to work, like to do my job. 00:13:49.039 --> 00:13:54.000 Um, and again, I felt like God was removing idols in my life. 00:13:54.159 --> 00:14:15.200 At that point, I was um still playing golf occasionally, which is like socializing for me, still running, but those things were kind of taken away, and uh I feel like he was teaching me like what really matters in your life, like when you wake up, um I was still able to spend time with my family. 00:14:15.360 --> 00:14:27.679 I was still able to spend time with the Lord, and I feel like he truly taught me like one day at a time is not just a cliche, like this is how I want you to live, is one day at a time. 00:14:27.840 --> 00:14:37.840 And I wrote all this down because my mind is fickle, and I as soon as I feel like I'm back in control, um, I'll tend to forget these things. 00:14:37.919 --> 00:14:44.240 And I think he, I mean, he even gave me a scar to help me remember remember all this on my left elbow. 00:14:44.559 --> 00:15:08.320 So in conclusion, I think what stands out to me in this passage of Habakkuk is God says to me, Brian, if I came down and told you, and he put his arm around my shoulder, and in a loving way, he said, if I told you what I was doing, you would not understand it. 00:15:08.720 --> 00:15:19.519 And that's I think kind of hard for me to believe because I mean, I read the Bible and I think, you know, yeah, but if God came down and told me, I would believe it. 00:15:19.679 --> 00:15:21.200 But this is not what Habakkuk says. 00:15:21.279 --> 00:15:24.879 He says, if I came down and told you, you wouldn't believe it. 00:15:25.120 --> 00:15:32.799 And I think on the face value of that, it's pretty frustrating because I want to understand it because I want to control it. 00:15:33.200 --> 00:15:44.960 Um, but I think as we contemplate and pray on that a little more, it's pretty hopeful because we all know ourselves and how incapable we are of controlling anything. 00:15:45.360 --> 00:15:52.559 Uh the knowledge that I wouldn't understand it frees me to know that I don't have to have it all planned out. 00:15:52.799 --> 00:16:00.639 And because this same God is in control, is the one that loves me so much that he sent his son to die for me. 00:16:00.960 --> 00:16:05.759 Um, I just think I know that I can trust that God, and that's what he's telling us. 00:16:06.159 --> 00:16:07.679 So let me pray. 00:16:08.240 --> 00:16:17.600 Heavenly Father, thank you for this word that you gave us 2,600 years ago in the Bible that is very relevant to us today. 00:16:18.159 --> 00:16:31.039 Um, thank you just for the gift of faith that you show us in real ways that we can't control it and we can't understand it, but you can. 00:16:31.440 --> 00:16:37.120 And we know that there is hope and there is peace and there is contentment in that. 00:16:37.360 --> 00:16:44.159 And I pray that we would remember that each morning and then the next morning, and just rely on you one day at a time. 00:16:44.399 --> 00:16:45.440 In Jesus' name I pray. 00:16:45.759 --> 00:16:46.159 Amen.