Trusting God's Promises Amidst Uncertainty and Doubt
Summary
In a world filled with uncertainty and conflicting voices, the question of whom to trust becomes paramount. This is a struggle that many of us face, as we navigate through biased media, political turmoil, and societal pressures. The prophet Habakkuk faced a similar dilemma, questioning God's justice in using the wicked Babylonians to punish Israel. Habakkuk's dialogue with God reveals a profound truth: while the wicked may seem to prosper, their downfall is inevitable. God assures Habakkuk that the righteous will live by faith, a radical trust in God's promises.
Habakkuk's posture of waiting and listening for God's response is a model for us. In a world where we are bombarded by various voices, it's crucial to prioritize God's voice. How we start our day, the voices we allow to disciple us, and our commitment to God's word shape our lives. God's message to Habakkuk was clear, permanent, urgent, and public. It was a message of impending judgment but also of hope for those who live by faith.
God's timing may seem slow, but it is perfect. His delay is not indifference but grace, giving us time to repent. The righteous live by faith, trusting in God's promises and living in right relationship with Him. This message transcends Habakkuk's time, echoing in the New Testament as Paul proclaims the gospel of Jesus Christ. Through Jesus, we find salvation and eternal life, a life that begins now and extends forever.
As a church, we are called to be heralds of this message, sharing the hope and truth of the gospel with our communities. We are to live by faith, trusting in God's promises and making His message known to all. This is a message worth sharing, a message we can trust.
Key Takeaways:
1. Trust in God's Promises: In a world filled with uncertainty, we must anchor our trust in God's promises. Habakkuk's dialogue with God teaches us that while the wicked may seem to prosper, their downfall is inevitable. The righteous will live by faith, trusting in God's perfect timing and justice. [09:52]
2. Posture of Listening: Habakkuk's posture of waiting and listening for God's response is a model for us. In a world where we are bombarded by various voices, it's crucial to prioritize God's voice. How we start our day and the voices we allow to disciple us shape our lives. [13:01]
3. God's Message is Clear and Urgent: God's message to Habakkuk was clear, permanent, urgent, and public. It was a message of impending judgment but also of hope for those who live by faith. We are called to be heralds of this message, sharing the hope and truth of the gospel with our communities. [15:51]
4. God's Timing is Perfect: God's timing may seem slow, but it is perfect. His delay is not indifference but grace, giving us time to repent. We are to wait patiently, trusting in God's promises and living in right relationship with Him. [22:51]
5. The Gospel is for All: The message of salvation through Jesus Christ transcends time and culture. It is a message for everyone who believes, offering eternal life and a right relationship with God. As a church, we are called to share this message with all, living by faith and trusting in God's promises. [29:50]
Youtube Chapters:
- [0:00] - Welcome
- [08:30] - Who Can I Trust?
- [09:52] - Habakkuk's Questions
- [11:10] - The Vision of Babylon
- [12:07] - Habakkuk's Posture
- [13:01] - Voices We Listen To
- [14:17] - God's Response
- [15:02] - The Inevitable Destruction
- [15:51] - Clarity and Permanence
- [16:44] - Urgency and Publicity
- [18:38] - The Watchman's Role
- [19:35] - Waiting for God's Timing
- [20:41] - God's Sovereignty
- [22:51] - God's Delay is Grace
- [24:11] - Encouragement to Persevere
- [29:50] - The Gospel's Power
- [33:44] - Our Role as Heralds
- [35:15] - Closing Hymn and Encouragement
Study Guide
### Bible Study Discussion Guide
#### Bible Reading
- Habakkuk 2:1-4
- Romans 1:16-17
- Hebrews 10:36-39
#### Observation Questions
1. What were the two questions Habakkuk asked God in chapter 1, verses 13 and 17, and how did God respond to them? [09:52]
2. How does Habakkuk describe his posture while waiting for God's response in Habakkuk 2:1? [12:07]
3. What does God instruct Habakkuk to do with the vision in Habakkuk 2:2, and why is this significant? [15:51]
4. According to Romans 1:16-17, what is the power of the gospel, and how does it relate to living by faith?
#### Interpretation Questions
1. How does the concept of "the righteous will live by faith" in Habakkuk 2:4 connect to the New Testament understanding of faith in Romans 1:17? [29:50]
2. What does it mean for God's message to be clear, permanent, urgent, and public, as described in the sermon? How does this apply to the church's role today? [16:44]
3. In what ways does God's delay in bringing justice serve as an opportunity for grace, according to Romans 2 and the sermon? [22:51]
4. How does the sermon illustrate the difference between the "puffed up" and the "righteous" in Habakkuk 2:4, and what implications does this have for personal faith? [26:52]
#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on the voices you allow to influence your daily life. How can you prioritize listening to God's voice over others? What changes can you make to your morning routine to facilitate this? [13:01]
2. Consider a situation in your life where you feel God's timing is slow. How can you practice patience and trust in God's perfect timing this week? [20:41]
3. The sermon emphasizes the importance of making God's message known to all. Identify one person in your community with whom you can share the hope of the gospel this week. How will you approach this conversation? [33:44]
4. How can you embody the posture of waiting and listening, as modeled by Habakkuk, in your current circumstances? What practical steps can you take to be more attentive to God's guidance? [12:07]
5. Reflect on the idea that God's delay is an opportunity for grace. Is there an area in your life where you need to repent or extend grace to others? How will you act on this realization? [22:51]
6. The sermon discusses the power of the gospel to bring salvation. How can you live out the gospel's transformative power in your daily interactions with others? [29:50]
7. In what ways can you actively participate in your church's mission to be heralds of God's message? What specific role can you play in your community to share the gospel? [33:44]
Devotional
Day 1: Trust in God's Inevitable Justice
In a world filled with uncertainty and conflicting voices, the question of whom to trust becomes paramount. The prophet Habakkuk faced a similar dilemma, questioning God's justice in using the wicked Babylonians to punish Israel. Habakkuk's dialogue with God reveals a profound truth: while the wicked may seem to prosper, their downfall is inevitable. God assures Habakkuk that the righteous will live by faith, a radical trust in God's promises. This assurance is a reminder that God's justice, though it may seem delayed, is certain and will prevail in His perfect timing. [09:52]
"For the LORD loves justice; he will not forsake his saints. They are preserved forever, but the children of the wicked shall be cut off." (Psalm 37:28, ESV)
Reflection: Think of a situation where you feel injustice prevails. How can you trust in God's promise of inevitable justice today?
Day 2: Prioritizing God's Voice
Habakkuk's posture of waiting and listening for God's response is a model for us. In a world where we are bombarded by various voices, it's crucial to prioritize God's voice. How we start our day, the voices we allow to disciple us, and our commitment to God's word shape our lives. By intentionally creating space to hear from God, we align ourselves with His will and gain clarity amidst the noise. This practice of listening is not passive but an active engagement with God's presence and guidance. [13:01]
"Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!" (Psalm 46:10, ESV)
Reflection: What practical steps can you take today to prioritize listening to God's voice over other influences in your life?
Day 3: The Urgency of God's Message
God's message to Habakkuk was clear, permanent, urgent, and public. It was a message of impending judgment but also of hope for those who live by faith. As believers, we are called to be heralds of this message, sharing the hope and truth of the gospel with our communities. This call to action is not just for the future but is immediate, urging us to live out and proclaim the gospel with urgency and clarity. [15:51]
"Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples!" (1 Chronicles 16:24, ESV)
Reflection: Who in your life needs to hear the hope of the gospel today, and how can you share it with them?
Day 4: Trusting in God's Perfect Timing
God's timing may seem slow, but it is perfect. His delay is not indifference but grace, giving us time to repent. The righteous live by faith, trusting in God's promises and living in right relationship with Him. This trust requires patience and a deep belief in God's sovereignty and goodness, even when circumstances seem contrary. By waiting on God's timing, we align ourselves with His divine plan and purpose. [22:51]
"But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day." (2 Peter 3:8, ESV)
Reflection: Is there an area in your life where you are struggling to trust God's timing? How can you practice patience and faith in this area today?
Day 5: The Universality of the Gospel
The message of salvation through Jesus Christ transcends time and culture. It is a message for everyone who believes, offering eternal life and a right relationship with God. As a church, we are called to share this message with all, living by faith and trusting in God's promises. This call to evangelism is not limited by boundaries but is a universal invitation to all people to experience the transformative power of the gospel. [29:50]
"And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come." (Matthew 24:14, ESV)
Reflection: How can you actively participate in sharing the gospel with someone from a different background or culture this week?
Quotes
1) "So who am I to believe? Because, you see, I hopefully, like yourself, we want to build our lives on what's true, not on a lie, not just on something that sells. So who can I trust? What we saw last week is that habakkuk, as he's having this conversation with God, he's trusting God, but he's both perplexed and discouraged by God's answer. This week, what we're going to see is that God's responding to Habakkuk's response to God's response to Habakkuk's initial complaint." [08:30] (31 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
2) "You see, it's this posture of committed to listening for God's response. He's alert and he's anticipating what's gonna happen. Let me ask you, what voices are you listening for? What voices are you listening to? Maybe make it a little more personal. In the morning when you wake up, how long is it before you go straight for your phone? Before you start searching the web or checking emails or jumping on social media? See how we start our morning, how we begin to fill our head and our heart with whatever voices that's going to set the tone for the rest of our day." [13:01] (37 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
3) "He says, fire up the printing press and publish this news. I mean, extra, extra. Read all about it. And so it's not just urgent, but this is now the fourth thing. It's to be public. God's message here that he's going to give to his prophet. It's not just for the clergy, the priests, the pastors and the prophets. No, this is the word that's going to be for me and for you and for your neighbor or for the person next to you. I mean, this is for children and scholars alike, for red and yellow, black and white. This is public for all." [17:35] (32 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
4) "See, God's delay is not the endorsement of evil. It's the opportunity of grace. In Jeremiah, chapter 18, seven and eight, God foretells judgment. We're told, he says, this is the judgment that's going to come upon you. So that in verse eight, if that nation, that God speaks judgment against which I've spoken to, turns from its evil, God says, I will relent. God doesn't just bring justice. Now he tells about its coming so that we have opportunity to repent." [22:51] (34 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
5) "Righteous here, it's someone who walks rightly with God. It's someone who does right to other people. This is the kind of person that loves God and loves others. And this righteous person will live by his faith. It's this radical, patient trust in God to do what he has promised, to bring about this vision and this promise that the righteous will live by his faith, but the puffed up one will find will be destroyed. God gives life to the righteous, but he will deal in contrast with the wicked." [28:26] (40 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
6) "See, the good news, the message that Paul is willing to proclaim is this good news about what Jesus has done. For we know if the righteous will live by his faith. Well, we're not righteous. We know that we ourselves are puffed up. We've satisfied ourselves with evil desires. We've walked in rebellion against God. We've perverted justice. We've paralyzed his law and done what's right in our own eyes, all of us. You see, we deserve the judgment of God that's coming. But Paul speaks about the gospel and how it is that the righteous one will live by faith." [31:11] (33 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
7) "Church, I want to encourage you and close with this hymn. It's an older hymn some of you may know, but listen in. It's a hymn called be not weary says, yes, he knows the way is dreary. Knows the weakness of our frame, knows that hand and heart are weary. He in all points felt the same. He is near to help and bless. Be not weary. Onward press. Look to him who once was willing all his glory to resign, that for all the law fulfilling all his merit might be thine. The strive to follow day by day where's footsteps mark the way?" [35:15] (43 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
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