Highlights From Habakkuk part 5 Habakkuk 3:17-19

I refer to this song in my sermon tonight. You can click on the picture below to hear the song.

Sermon 4/29/20 Habakkuk 3:17-19 Sermon notes are below the video.

HABAKKUK 3:17-19

Background/ Theme:

The book of Habakkuk’s main idea for the entire book surrounds the question, why do bad things happen?

· Judah has turned their back on the Lord once again

o In return, God has devised a strategy to bring His people back to Him

§ In v’s 1:5-11, God explains His strategy that doesn’t make sense by allowing someone worse off spiritually than Judah to bring Judah back to the Lord.

Outline:

I. The Burden we carry blurs the meaning God has in store for us v’s 2-4

Notice how this blurs Habakkuk’s focus…

A. Habakkuk only sees isolation-v’s 2

B. Habakkuk only sees destruction-v’s 3

C. Habakkuk only speaks out of frustration-v’s 4

II. The burden we carry blocks the messageGod has in store for us- v’s 5-6

How did the burden block God message to Habakkuk?

A. Habakkuk questions God’s intervention- v’s 5-6…

B. Habakkuk questions God’s presentation- v’s 7-8…

III. The burden we carry prepares us for a moment God has in store for us- 2:1-3

How can we prepare ourselves for that moment?

A. Be prepared to see it- v’s1…

B. Be prepared to show it- v’s 2…

C. Be Prepared to stay for it- v’s 3…

IV. The burden we carrypositions us to see the mercy God has in store for us- v’s 3:2…

How can the burden we carry position us to see God’s mercy?

A. Are we listeningto what God is saying to us? “I have heardyour speech”

B. Are we learningfrom what God is showing us? v’s 2 “make it known”

V. The burden we carry can help us praise the motiveGod has in store for us- v’s 3:17-19…

Habakkuk’s circumstances have not changed. The outer world with its evil conduct and warfare remains the same.

BUT Habakkuk is in the middle of seeing that God is still in control of the situation he finds himself in.

So for me today, Bryan, How can I praise God’s motive He has in store for us? And how did Habakkuk praise God’s motive?

A. We praise Him through the barren times of life (the present)- v’s 3:17.

*** It is important to understand at this point in our Bible Study that v’s 18 is the key verse in seeing Habakkuk praises God in the midst of his surroundings.

1. Habakkuk illustrates in v’s 17 that he is going through a barren time or dry time in his life.

a. He states his case in v’s 17, but in v’s 18 he answers how he will respond to his surroundings.

i. Habakkuk’s response is to praise God in the middle of the storm.

ii. It reminds me of the Casting Crowns song, I’ll praise you in this storm.

b. Habakkuk states his present state and then in return, but he is insinuating things will get better.

2. The question for us to answer is ask ourself in the middle of this pandemic, how are we stating our case? Can we say that as bad as it is, can we say we are living by v’s 18?

B. We praise Him for the better timesof life (the future)- v’s 19.

1. Habakkuk shows that he knows better times are coming… he says, “He will make me” (future tense).

2. Not only does he illustrate better times are coming, but he also shows that God is going to make him stronger in the future…

a. He mentions that God will make him like deer feet. Meaning to be stronger than the state he is in right now.

3. Can you say that your future state will be stronger than where you are right now? Can you say that your present state is not dimming the light of your future state?

4. Whatever you are going through right now, understand that God is in the middle making you a stronger person for the future.