Calling Out during Hard Times (January 20th, 2002)

Generally, each sermon is a part of a series, that deals with applying the Bible to real-life issues.  Don't worry if you've missed part of a series.  Each Sunday will work together with the other sermons, or can stand alone to help you deal with the things life brings each day.

Providing Providentially (January 27th, 2002)

Running With Truth (February 3rd, 2002)

The Christian Creed (February 10th, 2002)

5 Worldly Ways of Success / 5 Woes of God (February 17th, 24th, 2002)

Amaze Me (March 3rd, 2002)

Sovereignty

Message

Series

where nobody stands alone

Introduce the Habakkuk sermon series. Title of Series:  Habakkuk – a Series of Sovereignty Have you ever asked yourself these questions? - Why do Bad things happen to Good people? - Why does evil exist in the sight of an all righteous God? Habakkuk asked these same types of questions and recorded his dialogue. We have it recorded in the OT. Questioning God to understand more about Him is not negative. [huh BAK uhk] (embraced [by God])-a courageous Old Testament prophet and author of the Book of Habakkuk. The Scriptures say nothing of his ancestry or place of birth. A man of deep emotional strength, Habakkuk was both a poet and a prophet. His hatred of sin compelled him to cry out to God for judgment (Hab 1:2-4). His sense of justice also led him to challenge God's plan to judge the nation of Judah by the pagan Babylonians (Hab 1:12-2:1). His deep faith led him to write a beautiful poem of praise in response to the mysterious ways of God (Hab). Title:  Part 1 – Calling Out during Perilous Times ** Pray I. Read Habakkuk 1: 1 – 5 a. 1) The oracle which Habakkuk the prophet saw.  2) How long, O LORD, will I call for help, And You will not hear? I cry out to You, "Violence!" Yet You do not save. 3) Why do You make me see iniquity, And cause me to look on wickedness? Yes, destruction and violence are before me; Strife exists and contention arises. 4) Therefore the law is ignored and justice is never upheld. For the wicked surround the righteous; therefore justice comes out perverted. 5) "Look among the nations! Observe! Be astonished! Wonder! Because I am doing something in your days -- You would not believe if you were told. II. Introduction a. What is going on in these versus? i. It is obvious that these verses refer to the moral depravity of Judah, from the fact that God announced His purpose to raise up the Chaldaeans to punish it (vv. 5ff.). b. In verse 1, we see … i. Habakkuk has an oracle or burden from God. ii. An oracle is a message from God iii. But he as a prophet is having a hard time understanding God’s plan. c. In verse 3, we see… i. He sees something wrong and blames God for tolerance. ii. He is experiencing specific types of evil. iii. He questions God. iv. Questioning God to understand more about Him is not negative. He has a choice now. He can choose his way or he can choose life. Play Big Tent Revival’s music video – Choose Life Section II III. Verse 2 – He’s calling for help and he thinks God isn’t listening – 3 main points a. Habakkuk cries out specific “Violence.” i. Specifically call out to sin 1. Matthew 7: 7 – 8 a. 7"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8"For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. 2. If you ask for 100 dollars, you may not get that exact money. a. God will specifically answer your prayer. b. Why do you need the money:  bills, payments, taxes? i. God will help the specific need without touching the general request. ii. Specifically call out to God 1. When we call out are we calling out to the right name or entity? a. James Earl Jones versus James Earl Ray plaque i. A Company was honoring James Earl Jones for the Jan. 21st, 2002 Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. ii. He was being honored for being an outstanding character and human in life. iii. The Company’s printing company accidentally made a typo. 1. Instead of typing in James Earl Jones’ name (the honoree), they typed in James Earl Ray’s name (Martin Luther King Jr.’s murderer). 2. When we call out are we calling out to the right name or entity. 3. Jesus calls out specifically to Lazarus because if He had not then every dead person around would have been poppin’ up out of the ground. b. Is Habakkuk calling to the right one? i. Matthew 7: 21 1. 21"Not everyone who says to Me, "Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.” 2. The Lord they called out to for salvation was not the Lord of the heavens 3. Is he calling out to God or to himself/someone else/something else? 4. Is 36: 19 – 20 a. 19"Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim? And when have they delivered Samaria from my hand? 20"Who among all the gods of these lands have delivered their land from my hand, that the LORD would deliver Jerusalem from my hand?'" 5. Depart from me, for I never knew you. ii. What’s in a name? 1. God’s name is reverent.  YHWH a. Early scribes used to didn’t write the name of God on paper because it was so holy and reverent. b. When they began to write the name, they would purify themselves before / after/ and during the writing of God’s name. 2. Ex. 20: 7 a. 7"You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain. c. Is God ready to answer? i. Psalm 119: 126 vs. Luke 22: 42 ii. 126It is time for the LORD to act, For they have broken Your law. iii. 42saying, "Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done." IV. Invitation a. John 18: 10 – 11 i. Peter was trying to solve a temporary injustice.  He didn’t see the whole picture. b. Verse 5 i. God is stating who He is. ii. He is not just merely saying that He is going to do something, He is calling out his own name in the promise of things to be done in that day. iii. Just like He called out I am to Moses. Matthew 4: 17 c. Acts 16: 16 – Demons have power as well.

Part II – Providing Providentially ** Pray Habakkuk 1: 6 – 11, 13; 2: 1 6) I am raising up the Babylonians, that ruthless and impetuous people, who sweep across the whole earth to seize dwelling places not their own. 7) They are a feared and dreaded people; they are a law to themselves and promote their own honor.  8) Their horses are swifter than leopards, fiercer than wolves at dusk.  Their cavalry gallops headlong; their horsemen come from afar.  They fly like a vulture swooping to devour; 9) they all come bent on violence.  Their hordes advance like a desert wind and gather prisoners like sand.  10) They deride kings and scoff at rulers. They laugh at all fortified cities; they build earthen ramps and capture them.  11) Then they sweep past like the wind and go on- guilty men, whose own strength is their god."  13) Your eyes are too pure to look on evil; you cannot tolerate wrong.  Why then do you tolerate the treacherous?  Why are you silent while the wicked swallow up those more righteous than themselves?  2:1) I will stand at my watch and station myself on the ramparts; I will look to see what he will say to me, and what answer I am to give to this complaint. - What will God provide for you providentially? o What is providential? o Love and Justice for Him for following Him. o Punishment for following your self. - It seems like that. o God is the one to provide specifically the hurt and punishment in life. o It is not God’s choice for us to live in pain, hurt and punishment. o It is when we turn the other direction (away from God) that we are hurt and punished, not by God, but by our own choices. I. Who are the persecutors? / Who are the persecutors in your life? a. Verse 6 i. God is raising up Babylonians to punish the righteous Judeans. b. Verse 7 – 11 i. V. 6, 7 – 11 1. ruthless, impetuous, Babylonians, conquerors, feared, dreaded, self promoter, law creators, swift to attack and kill, fierce, bent on violence, gather prisoners, deride kings, scoff at rulers, mockers, and idolaters. 2. ii. V. 11 1. their strength is their god. 2. 1: 11 note in Life Application Bible – idolatry of their self. a. The essence of idolatry is asking the gods we make get all that we want.  The essence of Christianity is asking the God who made us to help us give all we can in service to him.  The goal of idolatry is self – glory; the aim of Christianity is God’s glory. Why do bad things happen to good people. Play Bean clip – start at 12: 13 stop after the police department scene. SECTION II II. Why do bad things happen to good people? a. Testimony time i. Read Verse 13 1. God is still in control of this world in spite of the apparent triumph of evil.  God doesn’t overlook sin.  One day he will rule the whole earth with perfect justice. ii. What is the definition of good? 1. Romans 3: 12 2. Mark 10: 18 3. Matthew 19: 17 a. There is no one good. b. No not one. c. We have sinned and all fallen short of the glory of God d. We need to REPENT and come to a fuller understanding of God. III. Expect God to work and provide providentially. a. Habakkuk 2: 1 b. When bad things seem to happen, turn to God.

Part III – Running with Truth ** Pray I. What is the vision to Habakkuk? a. What’s happening i. The Lord (v.2) is telling Habakkuk to write down the vision so that it can be shared with the world. ii. What is this vision to Habakkuk? 1. Verse 3 a. Evil and injustice seem to have the upper hand in the world. i. Like Habakkuk, Christians often feel angry and discouraged as they see what goes on. ii. God’s answer to Habakkuk is the same answer he would give us, “Be patient!  I wil work out my plans in my perfect timing.” b. Awaits an appointed time. c. Speaks of the end d. It will not prove false e. It is coming and will not delay. 2. Verse 4 a. The wicked Babylonians trusted in themselves and would fall; but the righteous live by their faith and trust in God. 3. V. 5 – 14 a. There will be judgments on the Babylonians 4. V. 15 – 20 a. Judgments on drunkenness and idolatry. II. What is the vision of Epiphany? a. To raise up fully functioning, healthy ministering Christians. i. It is impossible for one man (pastor) to run church. 1. I will only spend time with leaders and lost. ii. Cell group leaders are there to minister. b. You may say, “I don’t have time to do that.” i. If you make time for god he will bless you. ii. God only blesses those that give Him time. iii. How else is He going to bless you if you don’t spend/give Him time. iv. He’s not going to force it on you if you don’t want it. III. I have a vision to see people of Christian faith Live Out Loud a. Every member is a minister Play Live Out Loud by Steven Curtis Chapman – WOW 2002 Section II – John 17: 20 – 26; Luke 19: 40 IV. Record/communicate the vision a. Our sole purpose i. Matthew 28: 18 – 20 1. Great Commission ii. Matthew 22: 37 – 40 1. Greatest Commandment b. Revelation 22: 18 i. 18I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues which are written in this book; ii. When you claim that you live a Christian life, but you live a life contradictory to it, are you in an indirect way trying to add your own lifestyle to the gospel? c. Verse 15 – 16 i. Woe to you who makes your neighbor’s drink of your own venom/your own views of religion/your own way. V. Inscribe/communicate/stand on it permanently (tablets not paper) a. You may know/believe in the vision, but you have not been living or trusting in it. b.  “Your soul is not right with you.” (v.4) i. You should live by faith. ii. Writer of Hebrews says Hebrews 10: 38 – 39 1. Paul says in Gal. 3 – that by faith we will receive the promise of the Spirit. c. Galatians 5: 6 i. In Christ nothing matters but faith being manifested through love to others. d. Read Matthew 12: 25 i. A kingdom divided against itself will not stand. ii. You are either a Christian or not. e. You may say today that I have accepted Jesus as Savior and it’s about time that I accept Him as Lord. i. You never accepted Him as Savior in the first place. 1. Jesus is not a buffet. 2. You can’t ask for a little saviorship and hold the lordship. 3. He comes as a complete package. VI. The one who see it will run. a. Not walk to salvation but run. b. Verse 3 c. 3 Types of Running i. Running with vision 1. Philippians 2: 16 a. 16holding fast the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I will have reason to glory because I did not run in vain nor toil in vain. 2. Hebrews 12: 1 a. Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, ii. Running to vision 1. John 20: 2 a. 2So she ran and came to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and said to them, "They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him." 2. Running to vision to test it to see if it is true 3. Did Jesus really rise? iii. Running away from vision 1. John 3: 17 – 21 a. 17"For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. 18"He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19"This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil.20"For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21"But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God." 2. Galatians 5: 7 a. 7You were running well; who hindered you from obeying the truth?

Part IV – The Christian Creed ** Pray I. The Slogan of Protestantism – The Christian Creed a. Habakkuk 2: 4 i. NASB 1. "Behold, as for the proud one, His soul is not right within him; but the righteous will live by his faith.” ii. NKJV 1. "Behold the proud, His soul is not upright in him; but the just shall live by his faith.” iii. The Living Bible 1. "Note this: Wicked men trust themselves alone [as these Chaldeans do], and fail; but the righteous man trusts in me and lives! iv. KJV 1. Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith. b. There are four emphases, which may warrantably be laid on this text, four or its words each of which may be accented. I. The just shall live by faith. a. Faith is the conduct in which the just will live. b. What is this faith? i. That is the emphasis of Romans 1: 17 1. 17For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "BUT THE RIGHTEOUS man SHALL LIVE BY FAITH." c. In the New Testament, "faith" covers various levels of personal commitment. i. Mere intellectual agreement to a truth is illustrated in James 2:19, where even demons are said to believe that there is one God. 1. Obviously, however, they are not saved by this type of belief. ii. Genuine saving faith is a personal attachment to Christ, best thought of as a combination of two ideas-reliance on Christ and commitment to Him. 1. Saving faith involves personally depending on the finished work of Christ's sacrifice as the only basis for forgiveness of sin and entrance into heaven. 2. But saving faith is also a personal commitment of one's life to following Christ in obedience to His commands: "I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day" (2 Tim 1:12). d. For you will be transformed by the renewing of your mind. i. Romans 12: 2 Play Transform by Rebecca St. James – WOW 2002 II. The just shall live by faith. a. Not just anybody will live by faith, but the just. b. That is the emphasis of Galatians 3: 11 i. Now that no one is justified by the Law before God is evident; for, "THE RIGHTEOUS MAN SHALL LIVE BY FAITH." ii. Obviously, a man is not justified by the Law before God. iii. How is a man justified – through justification? 1. The process by which sinful human beings are made acceptable to a holy God. 2. Justification by Grace. a. Christianity is unique because of its teaching of justification by grace (Rom 3:24). b. Justification is God's declaration that the demands of His Law have been fulfilled in the righteousness of His Son. c. The basis for this justification is the death of Christ. d. Paul tells us that "God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them" (2 Cor 5:19). e. This reconciliation covers all sin: "For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified" (Heb 10:14). f. Justification, then, is based on the work of Christ, accomplished through His blood (Rom 5:9) and brought to His people through His resurrection (Rom 4:25). III. The just shall live by faith. a. Truly the just embrace this faith like the air that they breathe. i. This shows us the importance of faith in their lives. b. That is the emphasis of Hebrews 10: 38 i. 38 But My righteous one shall live by faith; and if he shrinks back, My soul has no pleasure in him. c. We are not to live by our own intuitions, peer pressures, vain philosophies, or some fancy cliché … we are to live by faith. i. The just embrace faith as their complete life. ii. Read story in Jesus Freaks  page 215 d. How are we to live by this faith?  Where does our strength come from? i. Ps 97:1-6 1. The LORD reigns, let the earth be glad; let the distant shores rejoice. 2Clouds and thick darkness surround him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne. 3Fire goes before him and consumes his foes on every side. 4His lightning lights up the world; the earth sees and trembles. 5The Mountains melt like wax before the LORD, before the Lord of all the earth. 6The heavens proclaim his righteousness and all the peoples see his glory. IV. The just shall live by faith. a. That is the emphasis of Habakkuk 2: 4 i. 4"Behold, as for the proud one, His soul is not right within him; but the righteous will live by his faith. b. We have no other choice but to live by faith i. As if there was any other way for the just to live except by faith. c. Those that are not living by faith obviously are not living with God. i. Obviously does not know God.

Title:  Part V – 5 Ways of Worldly Success (5 Woes of God) ** Pray I. Introduction a. Play clip of Truman show – light falls b. This world is not the world in which it seems to be i. God bless the USA 1. What god are they talking about? 2. Some say, “at least we are looking in a direction of spirituality. 3. Spirituality will lead us to hell. c. The World says it has a way to success, but in all actuality it is only a road to destruction. i. Matthew 7: 13, 14 1. Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. d. Summarize the previous 4 sermons with a thesis for each. i. Do this to let people know for whom and what actions these woes are coming. II. First Way/Woe (1 of 3 building self way/woe) a. World’s Way i. He who has the most toys wins b. God’s Woe i. Building by theft (Habakkuk 2: 6 – 8) ii. 6 ""Will not all of these take up a taunt-song against him, Even mockery and insinuations against him And say, "Woe to him who increases what is not his For how long And makes himself rich with loans?' 7 ""Will not your creditors rise up suddenly, and those who collect from you awaken? Indeed, you will become plunder for them. 8 ""Because you have looted many nations, all the remainder of the peoples will loot you Because of human bloodshed and violence done to the land, to the town and all its inhabitants. c. The Issue Here: i. Ownership 1. To whom does the item belong? 2. Who owns your life? a. Who owns your purpose? ii. Matthew 22: 21b 1. Then He said to them, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.” iii. Verse 8 1. Isaiah 33: 1 – treacherous = thief/robber a. Woe to you, O destroyer, While you were not destroyed; and he who is treacherous, while others did not deal treacherously with him. As soon as you finish destroying, you will be destroyed; As soon as you cease to deal treacherously, others will deal treacherously with you. III. Second Way/Woe (2of 3 building self way/woe) a. World’s Way i. It’s your life, do what you want, you’re not hurting anyone else. b. God’s Woe i. Building by using evil (Habakkuk 2: 9 – 11) ii. 9 ""Woe to him who gets evil gain for his house to put his nest on high, to be delivered from the hand of calamity! (NIV – Woe to him who builds his realm by unjust gain to set his nest on high, to escape the clutches of ruin!)10 ""You have devised a shameful thing for your house by cutting off many peoples; so you are sinning against yourself. 11 ""Surely the stone will cry out from the wall, and the rafter will answer it from the framework.” iii. Verse 9 1. Woe to those that use evil ways to escape the clutches of ruin. a. Ever cheated or lied to get out of a situation or to make your life better? b. When you build your life on lies/falsehoods, you are harming everyone around you. i. Your life is like a radiation that rubs off on everyone that you encounter. iv. Verse 11 – the Lord says fine, if you are going to use evil to build your life, instead of the building block of my truth, then I will find someone else. 1. Joshua 24: 27 a. Joshua said to all the people, "Behold, this stone shall be for a witness against us, for it has heard all the words of the LORD which He spoke to us; thus it shall be for a witness against you, so that you do not deny your God.'' 2. Luke 19: 40 a. But Jesus answered, ""I tell you, if these become silent, the stones will cry out!'' IV. Third Way or Woe (3 of 3 building self way/woe) a. World’s Way i. “Look out for #1, just do it.” ii. It doesn’t matter who you step on. b. God’s Woe i. Building by destroying someone (Habakkuk 2: 12 – 14) 1. Making fun of someone to make you look better. 2. Slander tears down the other person so that you will look more important. 3. This person has a low self esteem ii. 12 ""Woe to him who builds a city with bloodshed and founds a town with violence! 13 ""Is it not indeed from the LORD of hosts that peoples toil for fire, and nations grow weary for nothing? 14 ""For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea. c. 2 points i. V. 12 – Encourage Each other/ Lift Each Other Up 1. 1 Thessalonians 5: 9 – 11 a. For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.  He dies for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him.  Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. ii. V. 13 – Vain Work is only fuel for the fire and worthless in God’s sight. iii. V. 14 – the Purpose in the Previous Two Points is to show the earth the knowledge of the glory of the LORD. SECOND SECTION V. Fourth Way or Woe a. World’s Way i. World may not verbalize this one. ii. Point out others differences for self glorification. b. God’s Woe i. You give someone drink, that he may expose himself, may disclose secret concerns, or be drawn into a bad bargain, or for any such purpose, this is wickedness (Habakkuk 2: 15 – 17). ii. 15 ""Woe to you who make your neighbors drink, Who mix in your venom even to make them drunk So as to look on their nakedness! 16 ""You will be filled with disgrace rather than honor. Now you yourself drink and expose your own nakedness. The cup in the LORD'S right hand will come around to you, and utter disgrace will come upon your glory. 17 ""For the violence done to Lebanon will overwhelm you and the devastation of its beasts by which you terrified them, Because of human bloodshed and violence done to the land, to the town and all its inhabitants. iii. The objective and method here is to honor oneself through the disgracing of another. 1. On the contrary, they – that is, we – do it all the time! Think, now: How often do we tear someone else down? How often do we say negative things about other people? And what is the purpose of doing that? Usually to exalt ourselves in comparison. iv. God’s punishment:  Disgrace instead of honor 1. Verse 16 v. Lessons for living by faith 1. Don’t use cutting words against one another 2. Don’t seek honor at all. Just obey God. Don’t aim for any glory for yourself. a. John 12:26: If anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him. b. Luke 14:11: Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted. c. 1 Peter 5:6 Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God that He may exalt you at the proper time. d. Prov 22:4 The reward of humility and the fear of the LORD are riches, honor, and life. 3. Seek honor and praise from God alone. Never seek or be influenced by the honor, praise, or recognition of men. vi. What ever you do to someone to expose or discredit them (to earn a dishonest gain in your life) will come back to you in return. 1. You will have no glorification from it, but the same exposure. 2. V. 16 – the cup in the LORD’S right hand will come around to you, and utter disgrace will come upon your glory. 3. Lamentations 4: 21 – Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Edom, Who dwells in the land of Uz; but the cup will come around to you as well, you will become drunk and make yourself naked. 4. Obadiah 1: 16 - "Because just as you drank on My holy mountain, all the nations will drink continually. They will drink and swallow and become as if they had never existed. VI. Fifth Way or Woe a. World’s Way i. It doesn’t matter what you believe just believe b. God’s Woe i. A woe to deliver you from your previous woes you run to your own god (Habakkuk 2: 18 – 20). ii. 18 ""What profit is the idol when its maker has carved it, or an image, a teacher of falsehood? For its maker trusts in his own handiwork when he fashions speechless idols. 19 ""Woe to him who says to a piece of wood, "Awake!' To a mute stone, "Arise!' And that is your teacher? Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver, and there is no breath at all inside it. 20 ""But the LORD is in His holy temple. Let all the earth be silent before Him.'' iii. Verse 18 1. Psalms 115: 4 – 8 a. Their idols are silver and gold, the work of man's hands. They have mouths, but they cannot speak; They have eyes, but they cannot see; They have ears, but they cannot hear; They have noses, but they cannot smell; They have hands, but they cannot feel; They have feet, but they cannot walk; They cannot make a sound with their throat.  Those who make them will become like them, everyone who trusts in them. 2. Jeremiah 10: 8, 14 a. But they are altogether stupid and foolish in their discipline of delusion their idol is wood! Every man is stupid, devoid of knowledge; every goldsmith is put to shame by his idols; for his molten images are deceitful, and there is no breath in them. iv. Verse 19 1. ! Kings 18: 27 a. It came about at noon, that Elijah mocked them and said, ""Call out with a loud voice, for he is a god; either he is occupied or gone aside, or is on a journey, or perhaps he is asleep and needs to be awakened.'' v. Verse 20 1. Zephaniah 1: 7 a. Be silent before the Lord GOD! For the day of the LORD is near, for the LORD has prepared a sacrifice, He has consecrated His guests. VII. Invitation

Title:  Part 6 – Amaze Me:  A Prayer of Praise ** Pray I. Habakkuk makes request a. A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet, according to Shigionoth. 2LORD, I have heard the report about You and I fear. O LORD, revive Your work in the midst of the years, In the midst of the years make it known; In wrath remember mercy. b. 3: 1 i. What he says to God ii. How does he say it to God? 1. On shigionoth a. Something musical c. 3: 2 i. I have heard about you ii. I am amazed about what I hear. iii. Amaze Me 1. When was the last time we have asked god to do that….Amaze Me? 2. We live in a time where we think we have everything figured out and under control a. We believe we got Him figured out enough to place Him in our Sunday morning/get out of trouble free box b. We believe we know all about Him so we just discard Him until it is time to be religious. i. Exodus 32: 1 – 10 32:1When the people saw that Moses was so long in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said, "Come, make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don't know what has happened to him." 2Aaron answered them, "Take off the gold earrings that your wives, your sons and your daughters are wearing, and bring them to me." 3So all the people took off their earrings and brought them to Aaron. 4He took what they handed him and made it into an idol cast in the shape of a calf, fashioning it with a tool. Then they said, "These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt." 5When Aaron saw this, he built an altar in front of the calf and announced, "Tomorrow there will be a festival to the LORD." 6So the next day the people rose early and sacrificed burnt offerings and presented fellowship offerings. Afterward they sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry. 7Then the LORD said to Moses, "Go down, because your people, whom you brought up out of Egypt, have become corrupt. 8They have been quick to turn away from what I commanded them and have made themselves an idol cast in the shape of a calf. They have bowed down to it and sacrificed to it and have said, `These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.' 9"I have seen these people," the LORD said to Moses, "and they are a stiff-necked people. 10Now leave me alone so that my anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them. Then I will make you into a great nation." 1. Trying to shape Him the way we want Him. c. God is bigger than that. i. 1 Corinthians 2: 15 – 16 1. 15The spiritual man makes judgments about all things, but he himself is not subject to any man's judgment: 16"For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him?" But we have the mind of Christ. 2. He is so big we can’t comprehend Him fully. d. We need to ask God to Amaze Me. i. Show me more of whom you are. ii. Fill my cup/life up until I can’t stand it, and when I get through fill it up Lord. 1. Amaze Me! 3. Hebrews 11: 6 a. And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. b. If you truly want to be amazed by Him.  He will reach out to you. When we loose focus of our purpose we get lost. Play Monster Inc. clip. We need to keep our focus on knowing more about God, and we will automatically praise Him for who He is. SECTION II II. God is revealed a. God is shown through His answer. i. Habakkuk 3: 3 – 6 1. 3God comes from Teman, and the Holy One from Mount Paran.  Selah. His splendor covers the heavens, and the earth is full of His praise. 4His radiance is like the sunlight; He has rays flashing from His hand, and there is the hiding of His power. 5Before Him goes pestilence, and plague comes after Him. 6He stood and surveyed the earth; He looked and startled the nations. Yes, the perpetual mountains were shattered, the ancient hills collapsed. His ways are everlasting. ii. If we are to praise God we need to know who He is. iii. This is what amazed Habakkuk – This how Big and Magnificent God was to Habakkuk a. We want to put Him in a box; we want to totally contain Him. 2. BUT – glory covered heavens; praise filled earth; splendor like sunrise; rays from hand; etc. 3. He is magnificent, brilliant, and enormous. b. Actions of God that shows who He is. i. Habakkuk 3: 7 – 15 1. 7I saw the tents of Cushan under distress, The tent curtains of the land of Midian were trembling. 8Did the LORD rage against the rivers, or was Your anger against the rivers, Or was Your wrath against the sea, That You rode on Your horses, On Your chariots of salvation? 9Your bow was made bare; the rods of chastisement were sworn. Selah. You cleaved the earth with rivers. 10The Mountains saw You and quaked; The downpour of waters swept by. The deep uttered forth its voice; it lifted high its hands. 11Sun and moon stood in their places; they went away at the light of Your arrows, At the radiance of Your gleaming spear. 12In indignation You marched through the earth; In anger You trampled the nations. 13You went forth for the salvation of Your people, For the salvation of Your anointed.  You struck the head of the house of the evil to lay him open from thigh to neck. Selah. 14You pierced with his own spears the head of his throngs. They stormed in to scatter us; their exultation was like those who devour the oppressed in secret. 15You trampled on the sea with Your horses, On the surge of many waters. ii. v. 8 1. Where is your wrath directed? 2. Why are you wrathful? iii. v. 11 1. You brought justice Lord. 2. Bring it now 3. You took care of business 4. Take care of it now iv. v. 13 1. You took care of the injustices of the world to save your people 2. You came to deliver your people. 3. Deliver us now! III. Effects of God’s actions. a. Habakkuk 3: 16 – 19 i. 16I heard and my inward parts trembled, At the sound my lips quivered. Decay enters my bones, And in my place I tremble. Because I must wait quietly for the day of distress, For the people to arise who will invade us. 17Though the fig tree should not blossom And there be no fruit on the vines, Though the yield of the olive should fail And the fields produce no food, Though the flock should be cut off from the fold And there be no cattle in the stalls, 18Yet I will exult in the LORD, I will rejoice in the God of my salvation. 19The Lord GOD is my strength, And He has made my feet like hinds' feet, And makes me walk on my high places. b. Outline i. V. 17 – I’ve Lost Everything ii. V. 18 – Yet I will Rejoice iii. V. 19 – For God Led Me Here. c. V. 18 – three reactions i. He does NOT lash out at God in anger: He does not say, “God, you have no right to destroy your people! You are a faithless God!” ii. He does NOT pretend that the evil won’t happen. He doesn’t withdraw into a fantasy world, saying, “That’s too terrible to think about. I will close my eyes and think of something else. I’ll sit in front of the TV and get distracted.” iii. And, note carefully, he does not even say, “Despite all this, I will endure! I will keep a stiff upper lip and stick it out! I will still wait for the Lord! I will remain faithful!” d. No. Habakkuk is not the Little Train that Could, puffing up the side of the mountain saying, “I think I can, I think I can.” Instead, what does he say? “I will EXULT in the Lord, I will REJOICE in the God of my salvation!” e. Why does he react that way? f. V. 19 i. “And He has made my feet like hinds' feet, 1. If he lived on this continent he probably would have said, “he made my feet like a long horned ram. 2. They would climb to the uppermost crags, and run over rock fields as easily as we would run on the beach. a. Why are bighorn sheep able to do this? b. Because of their feet – their tough, cloven hooves. These hooves aren’t hurt by sharp rocks, but are able to grip even small outcrops. God designed their feet for climbing. They don’t slip. They don’t fall. 3. God has designed our feet to make through rough terrain and hard times. ii. “Makes me walk on my high places” 1. The NIV translates this, “enables me to go on the heights.” IV. Invitation a. Play I Can Only Imagine by Mercy Me.