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[1252.72 --> 1263.04] statements this is habakkuk's problem this was my problem this is our problem and what's more when you
[1263.04 --> 1272.96] say that you are presupposing that something true will be knowable experientially and empirically that it
[1272.96 --> 1279.44] will be knowable to all but that's just obviously not true right just because we doesn't we can't
[1279.44 --> 1286.96] understand it doesn't mean god does not have good intentions for allowing such things to happen or even
[1286.96 --> 1296.96] using them like he uses the babylonians now of course we can't always prove we can't always even know
[1296.96 --> 1304.24] the reasons that god has or his ways right and i'm not trying to prove that all i want to say is that
[1304.24 --> 1312.32] he has them and the question really that remains for me is what takes more faith right does it take
[1312.32 --> 1318.48] more faith to believe that god has a purpose for all the events to that occur or does it take more faith
[1318.48 --> 1323.36] to believe that there is no purpose there is no god there is no director of history and all of it
[1323.36 --> 1327.76] stumbles blindly forward or to me the answer is obvious
[1330.64 --> 1341.68] in actual fact for any of our suffering to make any sense god has to be sovereignly in control of all of
[1341.68 --> 1349.92] history right if he isn't none of my suffering makes sense or has any purpose or greater good or greater
[1349.92 --> 1357.60] glory in the purposes of god and i can never know which may or which may not be for his glory and his
[1357.60 --> 1365.36] purpose but if he is sovereignly in control of everything then everything is for his purpose
[1365.36 --> 1376.32] and if god isn't in control that's actually what's truly heartbreaking and the second thing then to
[1376.32 --> 1387.60] see from habakkuk comes when he says justice never prevails never now that's a really strong word right
[1387.60 --> 1395.12] when we struggle or face suffering or challenging situations right it is individual human nature to
[1395.36 --> 1402.40] um exaggerate or to hyperbolize right my kids even do this or mr eric even does this right and says
[1402.40 --> 1411.28] this is the worst it's just a mouse in your car the worst but that's what we do right we make things out
[1411.28 --> 1418.32] to be big and huge and universal and look i'm not trying to be unsympathetic right and i don't want to
[1419.20 --> 1424.32] diminish or minimize the hardships and struggles that we face
[1425.52 --> 1434.80] and i'll concede that that even in that moment that may be the worst for you that may be the hardest
[1434.80 --> 1444.64] thing you have ever faced but is it the absolute right does justice never prevail when justice isn't
[1444.64 --> 1456.00] prevailing but you catch the difference that we're making now look and here's what it comes down to
[1458.00 --> 1464.80] will we have enough humility to let god be god
[1464.80 --> 1472.96] now let me be really clear again right we may never know the reasons that god does something or
[1472.96 --> 1480.00] doesn't do other things or permit some things to happen all we can do in faith is trust and believe
[1480.00 --> 1489.36] that god is god and that he has his glorious reasons i love the words of the christian philosopher
[1489.36 --> 1498.08] named peter kreeft he says this he says the christian god has come to earth to deliberately put himself
[1498.64 --> 1506.00] on the hook of human suffering let me be clear on the hook of human suffering not for human suffering
[1506.00 --> 1513.28] he's not taking responsibility for it he is living in it on the cross in jesus christ kreeft continues
[1513.28 --> 1521.52] god experienced the greatest depths of pain therefore though christianity does not provide all the
[1521.52 --> 1529.12] reasons for each experience of pain it provides deep resources for actually facing suffering with hope
[1529.12 --> 1538.72] and courage rather than with bitterness and despair end quote because jesus came and lived the life of
[1538.72 --> 1547.20] perfect righteousness and died the death that is my penalty for sin i can face tomorrow because this
[1547.20 --> 1555.84] is my father's world and he has laid its foundations and controls every aspect of it because he has made all
[1555.84 --> 1566.80] that is fair i can live today though he slay me i will yet praise him
[1569.76 --> 1576.32] here's where we will end this morning and in a few weeks pastor kevin is going to preach on this text
[1576.32 --> 1580.88] explicitly and so i'm not going to steal his thunder now but if your bibles are open flip over to chapter
[1580.88 --> 1591.20] three and look at verse 17 chapter 3 verse 17 habakkuk writes though the fig tree does not bud and there
[1591.20 --> 1598.56] are no grapes on the vines though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food though there are
[1598.56 --> 1605.12] no sheep in the pen no cattle in the stalls in other words though nothing is the way it's supposed to be
[1605.12 --> 1611.60] though there isn't any prosperity and only hardship and suffering yet habakkuk says i will rejoice in the
[1611.60 --> 1622.16] lord i will be joyful in god my savior the sovereign lord is my strength he makes my feet like the feet of
[1622.16 --> 1633.84] a deer and he enables me to go to the heights what is the antidote to our experience of the problem
[1633.84 --> 1640.32] of evil what is the antidote to those times and places where our belief in god is challenged because
[1640.32 --> 1654.08] of the evil and injustice we see in the world worship worship right we may be wrecked we may be facing
[1654.08 --> 1662.64] trials of all kinds right we live in a time of confusion and chaos but god is calling us to worship
[1663.84 --> 1684.80] the glory of god worship is crying out how long worship is lament worship is seething prayers calling for god's justice
[1684.80 --> 1691.20] worship is tears at the brokenness we are in the midst of
[1691.20 --> 1704.72] but instead of unbelief in response to evil imagine what your life imagine what our life together imagine
[1704.72 --> 1712.96] what our world would look like if instead of unbelief in response to evil instead of apathy instead of fear
[1712.96 --> 1724.80] fear instead what if we worshiped i promise you when doubts and hardships come and they will
[1726.88 --> 1734.56] and if when they do you worship more and not less truly worshiped right in spirit and in truth in song
[1734.56 --> 1744.88] and in word and in sacrament if you worship when you are wrecked you will find rest for your souls because you
[1744.88 --> 1748.24] will be found by jesus
[1750.32 --> 1752.48] that is the point
[1754.48 --> 1763.20] that is why we are called to worship in the midst of confusion and chaos that is the legacy of habakkuk for us
[1763.76 --> 1766.00] today i pray
[1768.48 --> 1777.28] that you know that story of faith and i pray that when your faith is broken and you can't do it that
[1777.28 --> 1779.60] there are people in your life who will lift you up
[1782.00 --> 1782.80] and if there aren't
[1784.80 --> 1790.48] would you let me be that person if there aren't would you let someone from church one of our elders or a
[1790.48 --> 1794.88] small group member or a community group member someone whom you know from this place would you let us
[1794.88 --> 1800.08] be that for you because that is the strength of christian community
[1800.08 --> 1805.36] alone we might stay
[1805.36 --> 1806.40] alone we might stay wrecked
[1806.40 --> 1808.00] but together
[1808.00 --> 1809.92] we can worship
[1810.96 --> 1811.84] let's pray together
[1811.84 --> 1818.72] lord our god we come to you
[1818.72 --> 1825.84] in the midst of the chaos of our lives from the midst of the confusion we may be facing now we come to you
[1825.84 --> 1827.84] to worship to sing your praises
[1829.04 --> 1836.24] we rest god on your sovereign rule on your promise to to guide history towards your purpose and
[1836.24 --> 1837.68] the glory of your name
[1837.68 --> 1847.52] no matter what we face though you may slay us we yet praise you
[1847.52 --> 1861.52] in our heart of hearts today may we sing your praise in jesus name amen
[1861.52 --> 1865.52] you
• Introduction to wrapping up a sermon series on Habakkuk
• Discussion of Pastor Chris giving the speaker only three verses to preach on
• Pronunciation of the prophet's name (Habakkuk)
• Reading from Habakkuk 3:16-19 and explanation of its significance
• The prophet's transformation from despair to rejoicing in God despite dire circumstances
• The message of trusting God, not necessarily for salvation from suffering, but from sin and death forever
• The strength and power of faith comes from the object of faith, not the holder of it
• Faith is a gift that can be placed in various objects, but ultimately should be in God
• God's faithfulness is what sets Him apart from other objects of faith
• Hope is an important concept because it influences how one feels about their present situation based on their perspective of their future
• A hopeless world: people are feeling at a loss for hope due to increasing anxiety, depression, and mental health issues
• The current generation (Gen Z) is experiencing unprecedented levels of anxiety and feelings of hopelessness about their futures
• Our culture is losing hope in various areas: government, environment, economics
• Declining confidence in the future due to loss of hope in current institutions and systems
• Pop culture reflecting and feeding hopelessness through dystopian stories and antiheroes
• Putting hope in wrong things vs. putting hope in God's promises and redemption story
• Tim Keller's quote on hope requiring faith in something transcending this world
• Death as a test of hope, with the need for hope in something beyond this life becoming more apparent
• The Christian hope in Jesus Christ as Redeemer and Savior, offering restoration, justice, and eternal life
• Confidence in death approaching based on secure hope in redemption through Jesus
• Death as a step towards freedom
• D.L. Moody's quote about death and being more alive