REJOICING IN THE LORD - Habakkuk 3:1-19

All right, if you have a Bible or an

app, let's open it up. We're going to be

in the book of Habachok, and we're going

to finish our series by looking at the

remainder of chapter 3. Now, chapter 3

has 19 verses. We won't read them all.

And if you haven't already, I want to

encourage you at some point today to go

home and read each of those verses

because Habach begins to paint this

broad picture,

huge brush strokes of who God is before

he really narrows it down in the final

verses of this chapter. Now, if you

remember a couple of weeks ago when we

began this series, Habach began his

prayer with a question. And remember

throughout these three chapters, this is

a prayer dialogue.

This is a conversation that Habach has

been having with the Lord. And we

learned this last week that when we come

before the Lord in deep abiding prayer,

we need to understand that it's a

conversation.

It's not one way. It's not a monologue.

It's a dialogue where we lift up our

needs before the Lord. But in that, we

take the time to be still, to sit, and

to position ourselves to listen. This is

what Habach does. He makes his case

before the Lord. The Lord responds and

Habach is positioned to hear, to listen.

And if you remember two weeks ago, we

learned that not only is he positioned

to hear and listen, he's positioned to

be corrected.

And I think oftent times we are

intrigued. We are enticed and we love

this idea of sitting and waiting and

listening for the voice of the Lord. But

if we're honest, oftent times if we

check our motives, we're only sitting

and waiting to listen to the voice of

God so long is it's the words that we

want to hear.

And when it doesn't go our way, perhaps

it shatters our faith or it stirs us to

doubt or bitterness or or questions. No

doubt you and I have endured seasons

like that. That is a reality of the

broken world that we live in. But not

only that, that's a reality of the

sovereign grace and sovereign purposes

of God in our life.

And so if you remember there's there's

no resolution

at least in the moment for what Habach

is asking of God, what he's bringing

before God, this case that he's making

before the Lord. There's no immediate

resolution. But where there's no

immediate resolution, I don't want us to

miss this. There is always an eternal

plan.

And God is working his way on his

timing, according to his will, and

according to his purpose. And I love

this. He's bringing us with him.

He's not leaving us to our own devices.

He's not saying, "This is where I'm

going and leaving us there helpless as

if we have no clue of what God is

doing." But God is inviting us in. And

he's saying, "You may not get it now. It

may be painful now. It may not make

sense now, but if you are with me, hear

me church. If you are with him and you

are, because he's with you, he never

leaves you. He never forsakes you. If

you are with him and he is with you,

that's more than enough.

That doesn't mean life is going to be

easy. It doesn't mean that life will

always be joyful,

but he is more than enough. This is a

conclusion Habach comes to

that regardless of what happens,

no matter what is going on in my life,

God is enough. When the bank account is

empty, God's enough. When health is on

decline, God's enough when it's not

going well at work, at school, God's

enough. When my relationships are in

trouble, God is enough.

That doesn't mean God doesn't desire

greater things in those areas or doesn't

desire reconciliation in those areas.

But it helps us to understand a great

and transformative truth

that our eyes, our heart, our mind, our

being must be centered on the Lord. And

when it's centered on the Lord,

everything has its proper order.

This is what St. Augustine called

ordering our affections correctly. I

always like to come back to Matthew 6. I

love Matthew 6 verse 33. We are to seek

Matthew 6:33

first the kingdom of God and his

righteousness and then everything else

will be given to us, will be added to

us, will come into perspective, will be

given its proper place. The mistake many

of us are making is we're seeking

everything else first.

thinking, assuming

that God will come into perspective.

That's backwards Christianity, which is

no Christianity at all. So, what are we

going to see here? We're going to see

one of the clearest pictures in

scripture of what it looks like to

rejoice in the Lord when life is

anything but easy. So, it's 19 verses.

Here's what I'm going to do. I'm going

to read verses 1 and two and then I'm

going to jump to the end of the passage

and read verses 17 through 19 and then

we'll go back and we'll reference some

of chapter 3 as we draw out some truths

uh that I believe will be beneficial to

us this morning. So, Habach 3 beginning

in verse one, here's what it reads. A

prayer of the prophet Habach according

to Shiganath, right? That's that's a

Hebrew word there that means a song, a

song of passion, a song of worship. This

rapid, soul stirring declaration. And

what's neat is chapter 3 was written,

Isaiah 3 · chapter mention

we'll notice here in just a moment, was

written to be sung.

It was written to be declared in

corporate worship. This is not just a

prayer. This is a song that is lifted up

before the Lord. Last night, Crystal and

I were hanging out with some friends and

we dove into the conversation about the

beauty of music and the role that it

plays. There's there's a unique

connection that takes place with the

Lord when you're not just ushering up a

a a verbal prayer in routine tone, but

but there's a connection that takes

place when when music is involved. You

know this just as well as as I do. This

this is why we have an entire book in

the Old Testament, the book of Psalms,

that are songs meant to be declared

before the Lord. This is what Habach is

doing. He's been so stirred in this

conversation with God that what begins

to stir in him, this worship begins to

stir in him, this declaration of the

goodness of God begins to stir in him

that he can't help sing it.

You ever just been at home and you just

start singing? You just start humming.

You just start just just just declaring,

you know, whatever song is is stirring

in you

because we find a peace. We find a

connection. We we find a comfort in

that. And so in verse two, Habach

continues, "Lord, I have heard the

report about you."

What was the report?

God's bringing judgment.

You remember Habach cries out. He calls

upon the name of the Lord. He says, "How

long will you remain silent? I've been

praying. I've been praying. I've been

praying. I've been asking. I've been

asking. I don't see an answer. Your very

own people, we stand in rebellion

against you. Idolatry upon idolatry."

Like, God, we need your hand at work

here. Where are you? What are you doing?

God says, "I've been doing a work.

Matter of fact, I'm working right now in

a way that you cannot even see it or

perceive it. But here's what I want you

to do. I want you to write this down. I

want you to etch it in stone because I

want others to hear about this. I've

heard your prayer and I'm bringing

judgment upon the sin of my people. And

the judgment is coming from the

Calaldanss, from the Babylonians.

And what does Habach say?

What are you kidding me? They're more

evil than we are. Why would you do such

a thing? Habach has heard this from the

Lord.

He's gripped with confusion. He's

gripped with huge question marks. And

yet, and yet, church, what does he say?

I stand in awe of your deeds.

Are you standing in awe of God today?

Perhaps

you're not living with proper

perspective in your life

because you don't stand in awe of God.

You stand more in awe of the latest

headlines

or the latest scroll through social

media that stirs you more

than who God is. until Habca continues,

"Revive your work in these years."

Church, can that be our prayer, too,

please?

Lord, revive your work in these years.

We need a movement of God

>> and we know that he is moving.

So, it's not just we need a movement of

God, but God, would you grant us the

perception

to not just see how you're moving, but

hear this, to be able to step into how

you're moving. God doesn't want us on

the sidelines of his kingdom work, but

he's inviting us in to be a part of what

he's doing.

And let me just tell you, God is doing a

tremendous work in and through this

church.

C can I just lift up our volunteers and

our staff for just a moment who do a

tremendous work

who face the struggle and and the burden

of wanting to honor the Lord and at the

same time hearing varying and different

opinions of how they should honor the

Lord and flexing their gifts in

ministry. And they do it with grace and

they do it so well. And church, we are

so blessed with the volunteers and the

staff that we have who desire to see

this

take place right here in Orange Grove in

the surrounding areas, God, that you

would revive your work here. He

continues, "Make it known in these years

and in your wrath." Because what's

coming? Judgment. Judgment is coming for

the people of God because of their

rebellion. Habach knows this. He doesn't

dismiss it. He doesn't ignore it. He

doesn't neglect it. He steps into it.

And what does he do? He prays in your

wrath, God, because we're deserving of

it. Remember mercy.

In the big picture, how is God

remembering mercy in his wrath?

The life, the death, the resurrection,

and the ascension of Jesus Christ.

That is how he's remembered mercy.

where you and I are deserving of wrath

because of our sin against God. He is

merciful and that he provides the avenue

for redemption and salvation. That

avenue has a name. That cost has a name.

That price has a name. And his name is

Jesus Christ. Jump with me to verse 17.

So all that has taken place, Habach

knows what's coming.

We'll reference the in between verses

here in chapter 3 in in just a moment.

But here's the conclusion that Habach

draws to.

Though the fig tree does not bud

and there is no fruit on the vines,

South Texas, we've been in a drought. We

can relate to this.

Though the olive crop fails and the

fields produce no food.

Though the flocks disappear from the pen

and there are no herds in the stalls.

Yet

yet

I will celebrate in the Lord.

I will rejoice in the God of my

salvation. Life's not going good.

I don't know if I can endure another

moment of this pain.

I don't know if work's going to get any

better. I don't know if my health is

going to improve. I don't know if my

marriage is going to turn around. But

yet, God, I will rejoice.

I will trust in you because my joy, my

identity, my being, my strength, my

peace, it's not rooted, nor is it

defined in the things of this world.

The things of this world are blessings.

Amen. And those blessings are meant to

stir us to a greater devotion and a

deeper abiding in Christ. And if all we

ever do is depend on the things of this

world to stir us to joy and peace and

hope, then we will be schizophrenic

Christians. Because sometimes it's good,

sometimes it's not. Sometimes it's good,

sometimes it's not. And where do we see

that pattern developing? We see it

developing with the people of God as

they're saved out of Egypt in the Exodus

story. They love God, they hate God.

They love God, they hate God. They love

God when things are going well. They

hate God when things are not going so

well. And maybe if we're honest with

ourselves, we take some spiritual

inventory for just a moment this

morning. Maybe that's true of our lives.

Things are good, God, you're number one.

Things are not good. Oh man, I don't

know about this Jesus thing. And maybe

there are some of us, and I want to

affirm if this is you,

there are some of us here this morning,

things are going well. I'm pressing into

God because he's good. Things are not

going well, I'm pressing further into

God because I know he's the only one

who's good.

And so, what is it that stirs us? May it

be this focus and celebration in the

Lord. He continues, I will rejoice in

the God of my salvation. The Lord, my

Lord, is my strength. He's your

strength, church.

It's not the things of this world. It's

the strength that's in you. It's been

phrased this way. The power that rests

in you is greater than the power that

comes against you. And that power is the

strength of the Lord, the Holy Spirit.

He makes my feet like those of a deer

and enables me to walk on mountain

heights for the choir director on

stringed instruments. And all God's

people said,

>> "Lord, would you bless your word? Holy

Spirit, would you stir our hearts this

morning?"

Church, this is an incredible word from

Habach.

This shift in perspective, this shift in

tone, and perhaps Habach had it like

this all along.

There's debate whether there was a 180

shift in how he viewed God and how he

honored God, how he worshiped God. And

then there's the other side that said he

had this view and perspective all along.

And and whatever side of the aisle that

you lean on, we can all agree on this

that what he concludes at the end of

this prayer dialogue, at the end of this

song that's declared in praise and

worship before the Lord is something

that we must live out. Not just when

moments are going well, but especially

when moments are not.

So, how can we live a life that rejoices

in the Lord? That rejoices in such a way

that my joy and hope is not dependent on

outward circumstances, but is entirely

founded and rooted

and entrenched in who the Lord is. So,

there's three things that I want to pull

out of this text, three things that were

true for Habach then that remain true

for us today. and we'll go back through

the chapter. Here's the first thing if

you're taking notes. Worship shifts your

perspective.

The reality is we're always worshiping

something.

It's not a matter of are you worshiping

because the human nature is to apply and

direct devotion onto something. That is

our nature. Which is why it's very easy

for us to have idols in our life because

by human nature we are a worshshiping

people.

No one has to teach you how to worship.

That is natural to us. What we have to

be taught through accountability,

conviction and the guidance of the Holy

Spirit is what will we or rather who

will we direct that worship towards? And

this is what Habach understands that

when our worship is right, when the

focus of my praise and adoration, when

I'm connected to the vine, I bear fruit.

And when I'm connected to the vine,

that means I'm connected to the source

of life,

the one who will grant me the power, the

strength, the energy. Which is why at

the end of the chapter, Habach says,

"The Lord, my Lord, is my strength."

He knows this. And so, Habach, he opens

this prayer, this song, and it's marked,

it's marked by a worshipful perspective.

Go with me to verses one and two. What

does he say?

a prayer of the prophet Habach

according to Shigayion.

He's not ignoring reality.

He's not pretending that that sin or

judgment are not serious. Instead, what

does he do? He acknowledges both. Look

at what he says in verse two. Lord, I

have heard the report about you. Lord, I

stand in awe of your deed. Revive your

work in these years and make it known in

these years. In your wrath, remember

mercy. Here, here, let me just let me

just do an aside right quick. So, he

says, "Revive your work in these years."

How many of us would agree with that?

Yes and amen. Now, watch this. Make it

known in these years. How do you think

God makes it known? Through you. through

me, through our church, in our

community, in your living room, in the

coffee break room, at the grocery store,

when you're out at the post on a

Saturday night. God is making it known

through you.

You can become the catalyst for revival.

You can become the first step towards a

greater declaration of God's work in and

around and through us. And when that

happens, what do you think takes place?

Worship. And when worship happens, it

shifts our perspective.

What does that mean? How does it hit

close to us? I'll tell you. It means

that our worship is not dependent on

circumstances that get resolved.

If all we ever did was wait for

circumstances to get resolved or for

questions to be answered fully, then we

would never worship or our worship would

be this.

But Habachok,

this shift shows us that faith is rooted

in the clarity of God and in the

character of God, not the clarity of our

situation.

Which is why you and I know that we can

be walking through the most

darkest and chaotic of moments

and still be firm in the truth of who

God is.

And so I want to encourage us when

confusion rises

or when things seem unclear,

don't wait for resolution

to your issue, to your circumstance.

Don't wait for clarity to what is

happening around you before you step

into worship.

Because what we see thematically in a

pattern in the scripture from God's

people is that God calls them into

obedience. And it is in the process and

journey of obedience that the veil

begins to move that the clouds begin to

separate and things begin to come into

focus. This is a major part of what we

call faith.

God, I can't see the end, but I know

that you're there. And not only are you

there, you're leading me on the journey

to get there. And so I'm going to trust

in you. I'm going to worship you in this

moment. I'm going to remind myself of

who you are. You are the God of

creation. I stand in awe of your deeds.

You are the God of revival and the God

of mercy. And you may have picked up on

this.

Once Habach's perspective begins to

shift towards worship,

he does something intentional.

He begins to remember

who God is and how he's worked.

That's the second thing that we see.

Remembering God's power reframes our

problems. How many of us have problems

in life? Everyone better raise their

hand. If you don't have problems in

life, I want to sit with you and I want

to know what you're doing. We all have

problems in life. And what Habach is

doing is as his perspective centers on

the worship of who God is, it allows him

to remember the power of God. And when

you remember the power of God, it

refrain it reframes how you view your

problems. Maybe you've heard it this

way. This is this is church talk.

How does it go?

Don't let the storm tell you how big

they are. Tell the storm how big your

God is.

I'm totally butchering that, but you get

what I'm saying, right? Don't focus on

the storm. Focus on the one who can calm

the storm. Right? Remembering God's

power reframes

your problems. Go with me to verse

three.

God comes from Tamman,

the holy one from Mount Piran.

SA whenever you read SA in the Bible uh

specifically we read these the majority

of the time in in Psalms um we really

don't know Christian theologians and

historians really don't know what it

actually meant but based on the context

based on church history and tradition

they conclude that it likely meant a

moment in the song where you would pause

or maybe you've heard it this way in

some churches we're going to have a

praise break right now and everyone just

starts praising the Lord as they reflect

on the truth that's been declared in

worship. And what Habach is doing is

he's he's ushering in the people to a

praise break when he says, "God comes

from Timon, the holy one from Mount

Pon." And so he is magnifying who God

is.

He's reentering and remembering the

power of God, the one who created the

sun, the moon, the stars, who tells the

mountains where to rise and where to

fall. And he says his splendor covers

the heavens. And the earth is full of

his praise. How do you think the earth

is full of his praise?

Not just in creation

that bears

evidence of God, but in the praise of

his people.

Are you praising God?

Does your life demonstrate praise before

the Lord as you remember God's power?

And what's incredible, and I want to

encourage you to do this as you go home,

read the rest of that passage, verses 4

on through 15, Habach begins to frame

the power of God. And he does so in such

a way that draws the memory of his

people towards the Exodus.

What was or is the greatest moment in

the life of Jewish tradition and belief?

It's the Exodus.

The Exodus story. Now for Christians we

would say the life, death, resurrection

and ascension of Jesus Christ, which is

what the Exodus points to. So this is

why Habach is framing it that way. Look

at God's power. And when you see your

problems in relation to God's power,

it's not meant for you to neglect your

problem. It's not meant for you to take

away from the seriousness of your

problem, but it's meant for you to

recognize that God is greater than your

problem. He's greater than your

addiction. He's greater than your sinful

routine. He's greater than your habit.

He's greater than your wondering eye.

He's greater than your lustful heart.

He's greater than the sin that has taken

root in your life. God is greater than

that. And if he's greater than that,

then his power is available to forgive

me from that.

And when all we do is focus on our

present problems,

we magnify them in perception.

But when we fix our eyes on God, those

problems are then given their proper

place, which is not above God's power,

below God's power.

So what does this mean for for Habach?

He recognizes the issue. He recognizes

the sin. He recognizes the coming

judgment.

But rather than pout and become bitter

and to shake his fist at God, he

remembers God's power is greater.

And maybe for some of us this morning,

that's the reminder that we need. That

God's power is greater.

And if God's power is greater, then it's

a power that is greater. the power in

you that is greater than the power that

would ever come against you. Here's the

third thing that we see because with

this perspective shift

where worship

shifting our perspective, remembering

God's power, reframing our our problems,

I love how Habach is still honest about

what's happening.

And honesty leads to what we see here,

which is this. Joy rooted in God

outlasts every circumstance.

Joy rooted in God outlasts every

circumstance. So let's finish. I'm going

to read verse 16 this time. Verse 16

through verse 19.

I heard

and I trembled

within.

My lips quivered

at the sound.

Two things that are taking place here.

Habach is acknowledging the reality of

the coming judgment. It's not going to

be good. There will be a lot of

bloodshed in the future for the people

of God. Not because God is a bitter,

angry God in the way that that the

western culture would paint him, but

because God is a just God

and human beings are evil and sinful

before the Lord. You know who you are. I

know who I am.

And which is why the word scoundrel has

just been coming up in my prayers and

and in how I reflect on who I am in

light of the holiness of God. that I'm a

scoundrel. I know myself and I know if

not for the power of God in my life, if

not for the salvation of God in my life,

I would be a rotten individual.

I know my thoughts. I know my desires.

And I think for us, maybe this is you,

maybe it's not. I pray it's not. But for

us, maybe to sit down and to say, "Oo,

man, that that's harsh words. I don't

know if I would refer to myself wrong. I

would refer to myself as a scoundrel.

That's what the scripture says we are

because that's what our sin is before

the holy God of creation. Don't measure

your sin by what your neighbor does or

doesn't do. Measure your sin by the

holiness of God. And every sin before

the holiness of God is rotten. And it

makes us a scoundrel. But but

God is a God of mercy, is he not? This

is why the gospel is so beautiful. This

is why we make a big deal about Easter.

Because the God that saves is a God

who's alive. And if he's alive, he's

working. He's moving. And he's acting

right now in our very lives. Let me

continue. Rottness entered my bones. I

trembled where I stood. Now I must wait

quietly for the day of distress to come

against the people invading us.

Though

the fig tree does not bud and there is

no fruit on the vines. Though the olive

crop fails and the fields produce no

food. Though the flocks disappear from

the pen and there are no herds in the

stalls. Yet I will celebrate in the

Lord. I will rejoice in the God of my

salvation. The Lord my Lord is my

strength. He makes my feet like those of

a deer and enables me to walk on

mountain heights for the choir director

on streamed

instruments.

Habach begins this prayer by saying,

"God, how long? Where are you? What are

you doing?" And at the end, he declares

a trust.

He declares a worship.

He declares with resounding voice, "God,

I trust you. I don't understand it. I

don't see it. Sometimes it makes me have

questions, but I trust you." Here's

here's the gospel. Here's the gospel

moment.

No matter what you're facing, no matter

what you're enduring,

no matter the the sin that is your

current life, through the cross and

through the resurrection of Jesus

Christ, we are given our reason for

hope. We're given access to salvation,

not dependent on circumstances, church,

but is anchored in who Jesus Christ is.

This is what Habach sees. This is my

hope and my prayer for our vision as

well. Let's pray. Lord, we thank you for

your word. We thank you for how you

move, how you work.

Lord, we thank you that in you and

through you, there is a way that takes

us beyond our sin

and into your eternal kingdom

where we experience transformation.

Lord, as we close our service, Holy

Spirit, would you move? Would you work?

And would you do what you've always

done? Resurrect people out of death and

sin to life eternal. In Christ's name we

pray. All God's people said,

>> "Amen." Hey, would you stand to your

feet with me? Let's close our service.

Let's sing together like the words of

Habachok

as we lift up these words before the

Lord. Let it be a prayer, a declaration

of God in our lives. Our altar is going

to be open. This is a moment for you to

come and pray, have some one-on-one time

with the Lord. I'll be available. I'd

love to pray with you. Let's thank God

for blessings. If you'd like to pray for

someone uh on their behalf, um I'd love

to do that as well. I love you, church.