Habakkuk's of 2021

Music Well, good morning to all of you. We're glad that you were able to join us today on such a beautiful day. We have got up this morning. It was 60 degrees, and so it was high about 75 today. So it's a beautiful South Florida winter. So I can't really complain about that. We're glad that you join us. I'll be talking about something here today that I hope you will find interesting. It's talking about one of the minor prophets. So the message today I will be talking about is from the book of Habakkuk. Yes, that strange sounding name, Habakkuk. And he is a minor prophet. So the title of today's message is Habakkuk 2021 because what does it have to do with somebody that lived 2,500 years ago have to do with you? Have to do with me today? Well, I hope I can stir your interest into that minor prophet, that small little book that's only three chapters long. And if you read it straight through, it'll take you four to five minutes to read it. But there's so much depth there I'd like to go into that a little bit today. So hopefully it will inspire you as much as it inspires me as I read the account of Habakkuk. So this man, Habakkuk, what do you think he looked like? Do you think he looked like us? Do you think he looked like one of the old prophets of old? A lot of people have wondered, well, we don't have any drawings. We don't have pictures and so forth of what those prophets look like. Well, Habakkuk looked like probably a typical prophet of his day, and I don't know if he looked like that. That's what somebody thinks he looks like or looked like at the time. Maybe he had a beard and so forth like this. But we don't know. But a lot of times the name is what's important because a lot of people's name meant something. It meant something. And so how would you remember Habakkuk? He's one of 12 minor prophets. Is it really that important? I think it is today. That's why I'm bringing it here in this split sermon because I think you'll find it very intriguing as it talks to us today.

So do we know what he looked like? No, maybe he looked like this. Maybe he looked like this. Or did he even look like that? Or maybe bring it up to modern day. What about a character from MASH? MASH! Remember that character? Most of us have seen the movie. You've seen the show all the time. And it's, as he was known, Jamie Farrar, known as Corporal Clinger, Maxwell Clinger. Would you believe he looked like that? Why would I bring that up? Well, how about a visual to help you relate to the name Habakkuk? Perhaps you have some of this at your house. Have you ever had cling wrap? No matter what you do, it just kind of, if you pull it apart, it just joins together and just clings. And if you try to put something together, it's clinging to each other and it clings to your hand. I almost brought some up, but then I thought it might take me too long to get it off. Cling wrap! So why do I bring this up? Corporal Clinger? Cling wrap is what the name Habakkuk means. It means to cling or to embrace. To cling to something, to embrace something, like with passion. Hold on to something.

What am I meaning? Habakkuk. He did one thing that we can know, Habakkuk, he would cling to his God. Through it all, he would cling to his God. He was known as a clinger. How about us? Would we be known as a clinger? Would you be happy to know somebody who was a clinger? Would you be happy for somebody to call you a clinger? Like Habakkuk, his name meant, do we cling to God as much as we need to? In this day of time and trouble, oh, sometimes it's easy to cling to something, cling to God, maybe in trouble. What about in good times? In good times and in bad. That's kind of what the book of Habakkuk really talks about. And the thing that's magnificent about Habakkuk is he had such a relationship with God. He could talk to God, be both a bold with God, be intimate with God, even in his conversations. Why? Because they were tight.

Because you had a man, you had a prophet who would cling to his God. So you have to understand, Habakkuk was this unique person who came along and became a prophet at the time that Judah had a king named Josiah. And Josiah was one of the best kings, he was the most dedicated king of all time. According to the Bible, he was dedicated to God. And Habakkuk started serving the nation of Judah, became a prophet when Josiah was king. And Josiah was king for 31 years. So it had to be a great time to be a prophet of God. But then something happened. Josiah is killed. Killed in battle, he went and did what he wasn't supposed to do. Told not to, and he did it anyway. We all, the more you're close to God, then where much is given, much is required. But then, after he was killed, then another king came and didn't last but a few months. And then, Jehoiakim. Jehoiakim became king. And everything changed. Jehoiakim didn't care anything about God. And the nation that was so close to God, and it turned back to God during Josiah's time, that had now turned back to the world and become, no other word to say it, evil. Didn't take long. It shows how important leaders are. And this is what happened. How sad. And how about being a prophet, being one who served God, and you had it in the good times. And then all of a sudden, the things turned different. And they turned bad. And you have to do what? You cry out to God. You cry out to God and say, look at this! Help changes. Look, people, are they evil? And God comes back and gives you an answer that you, whoa, not expecting.

And then he tests our relationship. Tests our relationship to be able to cling to God in the good times and the bad times. What about you? And we all had those times. Let's go to the book of Habakkuk. Let's go to Habakkuk. I'll be reading from the new living translation. And so I'll find my way back to Habakkuk here. Those minor, those minor prophets. And it's amazing that of all the 12 prophets, Habakkuk is only one of two that is actually called a prophet. It's what he did for a living. He was also known to be in the part of the priesthood and a musician and so forth like this is what we'll find later on in the readings. But you will find this to be such an intriguing small book. Reading it in different translations. I bring this up here because I think the new living translation puts it pretty well. So let's go to Habakkuk 1, verse 1, new living translation. This is a message that the prophet Habakkuk received in a vision of God. He said, how long, O Lord, must I call for help? But you don't listen. Violence is everywhere. I cry, but you do not come to save me. Sounds like some of our prayers sometimes. He's crying out to God. We look around this world and go, yeah, God, there's violence. There's extremely, there's like something going on. These are supposed to be godly people who are godly nations. We say one nation under God and look how people are acting. And so you cry out to God. Maybe you've cried out during this past year. What's going on in this country? What's going on in the world? But he says, I cry, but you do not come to save. Verse 3, must I forever see these evil deeds? Why must I watch all this misery? Wherever I look, I see destruction and violence. I am surrounded by people who love to argue and fight. Hmm, doesn't that sound familiar today? Doesn't that sound just up to date from 2500 years ago? The more they change, the more they're the same. Hmm, verse 4, as Habakkuk is talking to God now, the law has become paralyzed and there is no justice in the courts.

The wicked far outnumber the righteous, so the justice has become, what? Perverted. Perverted. So here he cries out. Maybe we did that this year. Maybe we've done it in the past and we've cried out to God. But then we look down and God then, in verse 5, gives him his answer. Wow, wouldn't you like that every time? You say, God, I need this. Well, here, let me tell you. But Habakkuk had a special relationship because he was a clinger. We need to be clingers. Maybe we would have a lot closer relationship to God if we were like Habakkuk. If we were the Habakks of 2021, let's look at that verse in 5 and see what he says here. He says, look around at the nations. Look and be amazed for I am doing something in your own day, something you wouldn't believe even if I someone told you about it. Verse 6, I am raising up the Babylonians, a cruel and violent people. They will march across the world and conquer other lands. They are notorious for their cruelty and do whatever they like. Their horses are swifter than cheetahs and fiercer than wolves at dusk. Their charioteers charge from far away like eagles. They swoop down to devour their prey. On they come, all bent on violence. Their hordes advance like a desert wind sweeping captives ahead of them like sand. They scoff at kings and princes and scorn all their fortresses. They simply bow ramps of earth against their walls and then capture them. They sweep pass like the wind and are gone, but they are deeply guilty for their own strength is in their God. Gee, so God said, you got these evil people. I heard your prayer. Guess what? I'm gonna come in and I'm gonna let the Babylonians come in and they're gonna wipe you out. They're gonna wipe you out. What would you be saying if you were Habakkuk at that time? Well, we have it down in verse 12. We have it down in verse 12 because now here's Habakkuk's reply. He says in verse 12, Habakkuk 1 verse 12, Oh Lord, my God, my Holy One, who are you, eternal? Surely you do not plan to wipe us out!

Our Lord, our Rock, you have sent these Babylonians to correct us, to punish us for our sins, but you are pure and cannot stand the sight of evil. In the King James Version, it says, but you are a purer eyes and to behold evil. So what's Habakkuk saying? He's saying, God, wait a minute. I know we're bad, but here these others are worse than us and you're gonna come in and let them wipe us out. Oh no! Not that! No! Don't do that! Why would you do that?

What an answer! What an answer! Would we be any different? Perhaps we may look at some things that's happened in the last year or two and say, God, I wish you'd give an answer, but we wouldn't like the answer. I know I prayed sometimes that God would help me to grow spiritually stronger. I've also realized that comes with a price. I may not like that! I may say, oh no, no, let me go back. I don't know if I'm ready for those problems and trials that happen.

I'd like to go on to Habakkuk 2. Chapter 2. Habakkuk 2. Because here we have God's reply, second reply. So do you have a conversation just like two people sitting down having this conversation? How about us? Do we need that kind of relationship with God? I think so. I think we should be able. And hopefully you do. Hopefully you do feel like you can just talk to God and God talks to us. Habakkuk 2, verse 2. Then the Lord said to me, write my answer plainly on tablets so that a runner can carry the correct messages to others. Verse 3. This vision is for a future time. It describes the end. So it's not just at the time when Jerusalem was conquered by the Babylonians, but he's also projecting forward into time. And it will be fulfilled at the end if it seems slow and coming. Wait patiently, for it will surely take place. It will not be, what? Delayed. Look at the proud, God says. They trust in themselves, and their lives are crooked, but the righteous will live by their faithfulness in God.

I love what the new King James says, and most of you know it from that, but this is where it came from because you see it so many times in the New Testament. He says, God says, and it isn't Habakkuk, it is God telling Habakkuk, the just shall live by faith. The just shall live by faith. Can we live by faith? He's telling Habakkuk, if you live justly, you can live by faith, not by fear. Not by fear. We should not fear because we live by faith. Faith in him.

Do we really live by faith? Do we? Do we? Habakkuk did. That's the beauty of this book. We can see. The Apostle Paul thought it was so important that he mentioned it three times in his writings.

We see what? Romans 1 verse 17. The just shall live by faith. We see Galatians 3 and verse 11. He says what? The just shall live by faith. And then he says in Hebrews 10 verse 38, the just shall live by faith. Let's look at Hebrews 10 verse 36. Hebrews 10 verse 36. Let me pull up here. Hebrews 10. Hebrews 10 verse 36.

In the New Living Translation. Patient, endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God's will. Then you will receive all that he has promised. For in just a little while, the coming one will come and not delay. And my righteous ones will live by faith, and they will take no pleasure in anyone who turns away. Do we live by faith? Does this mean something? Obviously it meant something to Paul. Do we live by faith? Or do we have to question ourselves? Because sometimes, as it says here, God's time is not our time.

We may ask, well, what can I do? But we find out that, well, I'm not ready to answer that. Because I believe that God answers all prayer. Yes, no, and not yet. Look at your life. Yes, no, and not yet. But he is always on time. He's on the right time because he's on his time. He knows when to answer prayer. He knows how to answer them. That's why the just shall live by faith. We will have faith in his answer. We will take a yes. We will take a no, and we will take a what? Not yet. Not yet. I had to learn that incredible fact over 20 years ago, almost 30 years ago now.

And God had answered all my prayers. I mean almost all my prayers with a yes. He did it time after time after time. My faith, I thought, was unbelievable. I had more faith than any time in my life. And I thought, wow, this is great because God kept giving me yeses. I would pray for some. God gave it to me. He gave it to me. He gave it to me.

But was I willing to live by faith? That had to be answered. So one weekend, my brother at a volleyball tournament, and his girlfriend was going to watch at the time. And so she asked if I would watch their little puppy. He was a little rock waller, and Cavick, just a gorgeous woman. Looked like this little puppy here. Cavick was just a gorgeous woman, and so they left it out to stay with us, with our dog out in the country while they went to this tournament, like volleyball.

And so I was happy the dogs were playing and so forth, but I was afraid that little Cavick would run off, or Coyote might try to get it or something. So I had a leash, and so I tied him on our front porch for the night. And so then I was going to, in the morning, let him go, and then, you know, they would come back later on that day and pick him up. But when I woke up that morning, I went up in time, and he had crawled through some of the spindles on our front porch.

And he was just short enough that the leash had hung him, and he was just hanging there, not even moving. I went and grabbed him, as I did, and laid him out in the front yard. And just like growing up with animals, I tried to give him some compressions I even blew in his mouth to make sure he gave air because he was still warm.

I thought he was dead. And so I said, okay. So I ran in the house, went to the back bedroom where I prayed, and I got down on my knees, and I prayed that God would put life back in that dog. I needed it! So I got up for my prayer, because God had always answered them.

And I got up, and I went out there, and he was still dead. And so I remembered where Elijah went back, and I went back and prayed three times. So I went back two other times, and I got down on my knees. I said, God, I know there's nothing for you! Please do this! He answered my prayer.

And his answer was no. And that rocked my world. Now I had to present this little dog dead to the girl who had given him in my care. That rocked my world. That just shook me to the core. Not because it was a dog, but because I expected God to answer yes every time.

And that isn't true faith. True faith is one you can accept. And that's what I've had to learn. But that experience was so enlightening to me. It took me a while. But then I began to realize, hey, it helped me through my cancer three years ago when the doctors all said, you're going to die six to twelve months. Okay? I didn't ask God to heal me. I said, let your will be done. You have the answers. You know everything.

Thankfully, his answer was not yet.

I'm not going to take it yet. So his answer was I get to live.

But I was willing to take either answer.

Because I wanted to live by faith. I wanted to live by faith. And that's what I needed to do.

Let's go to Hebrews. Hebrews 11. Hebrews 11, verse 1. What is faith? It says, now faith is the substance of the things hopeful for the evidence of things not seen. For by it, the elders obtained a good testimony. That's what the whole chapter, 11th chapter is all about, is all the faithful elders who came before us, the men and women who came before us, and lived by faith. That's why it's called the faith chapter. But verse, by faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the Word of God, that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible. Things seen are proof of things unseen. That's what we see. And then he goes down in verse 11, he defines it. But without faith, it is impossible to please God. For he who comes to God must believe that he is what? He is who he says he is. That he is sovereign. That he made everything. That he is a great God. That he has all power. That he is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him. And that he knows where the answer needs to be, yes, no, or not yet. True faith. True faith. I still need to sharpen upon it. I still need to think about that. But what helps me? I can look around me. I have faith that God is who he says he is. He made the universe. He made the stars. He made this earth. He made everything. Look at that! He made that! And that's nothing to him. He made this.

He made this. And he still controls this. And you know what? And he made this. He made, he makes all things. He controls all things. Knows all things. And remember, that is who we need to have faith in. That is what it's all about. Even a small child. Yes, he controls their life, gives their life. And what a beautiful child.

We need to have faith that he's got all this in his control. So as I wrap this up today, I'd like to go back to Habakkuk. Habakkuk chapter 3. Habakkuk chapter 3. Verse 1 in New Luke. Here, this is the prayer that was sung by the prophet Habakkuk. So he heard all this. So he says, God, do something. God did something. And he goes, no, God, don't do that. And then he comes back around as God describes. And that's the beauty of reading. I don't want to read the entire chapter for you. I would like you to read it and realize the beauty of it and realize the incredible story that's there. And verse 2, he says, I have heard all about you, Lord. I am filled with awe by your amazing works in this time of our deep need. Help us again as you did in the years gone by. And in your anger, remember your mercy.

Are we having problems now? Are you worried about things? Have the faith. Have the faith that God is in charge. Have the faith that God will. God can take care of this. Worried about all this stuff that is to him small. Little stuff. Don't sweat the small stuff because it's all small stuff to God. And it needs to be to us. If we have the faith, the just shall live by faith. Let's go down to verse 16. 16 through 19. Because I loved how Habakkuk is that type of person. And he said, I trembled inside when I heard this. My lips quivered with fear. My legs gave way beneath me. And I shook in terror. I will wait quietly for the coming day when disaster will strike the people who invade us. Why? He accepted it. He accepted. He accepted. He accepted. He had the faith that God's in charge here. When, okay, in the bad times, in the good times, even look at this, look at 17. It's beautiful. Even though the victories have no blossoms, there are no grapes on the vines. Even though the olive crop fails and the fields lie empty and barren, even the flocks die in the in the field and the cattle barns are empty. Yet I will rejoice in the Lord. I will be joyful in the God of my salvation. The sovereign Lord is my strength. He makes me as sure-footed as a deer, able to tread upon the heights.

And he ends his book and says, let's make this into a song. Brother, what an incredible example. No matter how bad it gets, God's still there. No matter how good it is, God's still there. And why? Because they just shall live by faith.

Will you? Can you? Do you need more? We are the clingers. We are clingers. We are clingers to our God. We need to be clinging like Habakkuk because we are the Habakks of 2021. Brethren, let's live like it because the just shall live by faith.