What Else do we Need?
Minor Prophets: Around and Around They Go • Sermon • Submitted
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Opening & Intro
Opening & Intro
Do you know someone, right now, who loves to run. Like a vacation for them would be to tour around a foreign land and run a 10 K where ever they are?
Believe it or not I was a runner in High School. I did the 10 K in just under 45 minutes. I would have this thing called the runners high. My body would burn and hurt for the first 5 or 10 minutes but shortly after that I felt like I could run forever.
There was a period of time that I loved to run.
Now...
Do you know anyone who currently does run or has run in a marathon?
If yes, do they love it?
almost everyone I have ever talked to who has run a full marathon LOVES IT. They do it multiple times.
Has anyone heard of the term “hitting the wall” in running?
It is something used by people who run full marathons.
The runner’s wall refers to the sugar level in your body which fuels you to run more and longer. The level of glucose in your body drops to an abnormal level as you exert effort for two hours or more, and that’s when your body starts to give in.
Marathon runner love the marathon be here are 6 symptyms of hitting the wall:
dizziness
Loss of Balance
Heart Palpitations
Consumed by negative thoughts
Delayed response or slowed reflex
and in some rare cases even a COMA
Does that sound like a good time to you?
Then why do they do it?
They know their bodies. They know what victory feels like. There is pride having survived the run.
They trust themselves and their trainning.
Andy, what in the world does this have to do with Habakkuk?
Well thank you for asking.
Main Point
Main Point
We need to have this same trust that, God is enough for all situations that we face.
Why Does it Matter
Why Does it Matter
Do we believe that? Have we given Him a chance? I will say it again, the definition of faith is not to blindly follow what you are told in the Bible. The Bible tells you to test and approve all things.
Romans 12:2 (NIV)
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
We need to let God show us who he is. We need to trust Him even when we don’t understand.
Remember last week
Habakkuk 1:5 (NIV)
“Look at the nations and watch—
and be utterly amazed.
For I am going to do something in your days
that you would not believe,
even if you were told.
God is at work and we have to believe that.
He is moving in our lives. Like marathon runners we sometimes have to hit the wall to see the fruit on the other side.
WHich is exactly what Habakkuk is telling us to rememeber. The final chapter of this book is all about remembering who God is and trusting that He is honest and just. He is worthy of our trust.
Scripture
Scripture
A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet. On shigionoth.
Lord, I have heard of your fame;
I stand in awe of your deeds, Lord.
Repeat them in our day,
in our time make them known;
in wrath remember mercy.
1 &2 - I have heard of your name and stand in awe; Please remember mercy as you did before
Have we given God the opportunity to show us how he cares for us? Have we taken a hold of the opportunities that were infront of us? As a Church Family the first thing we need to rememebr is that we are all here for each other.
This life is hard enough. Think of the last 2 years? Have we reached out for help when we needed it? Have we found people to help?
The reason we have the Church is because life is a tough thing to try to do alone. Families need other families. This is one of the ways that God shows we can trust him.
Habakkuk has heard and is in awe and wants some of that for himself.
God came from Teman,
the Holy One from Mount Paran.
His glory covered the heavens
and his praise filled the earth.
His splendor was like the sunrise;
rays flashed from his hand,
where his power was hidden.
You came out to deliver your people,
to save your anointed one.
You crushed the leader of the land of wickedness,
you stripped him from head to foot.
3 -15 - You have done it before. You have saved us! People wanted to oppress us and you gave us the strength to stand against them.
Once we have those experiences we know what we can handle and how much God CAN handle. That’s the truth.
It is so hard to let go and trust sometimes. I struggle even today.
My wife had to go on strike. We were JUST becoming healthy in our finainces. Then BAM strike.
I panicked and I didn’t give what I should have. I held back, just in case. I felt like a huge hypocryte. Here I am preaching trust God then as soon as I had to I “played it safe” and held what should have been his back from him.
I am not proud of that. Infact I am quite embarrased about it. I made a commitment this year to make up what I held back and to always give to God what is His because I know God ALWAYS shows up. He has time and time and time again.
Will I mess up again? Maybe? I really hope not. I am not perfect. I know right? SHOCKER.
Why share that? My preaching professor said…SHow your feet but dont...
I share this because you need to know that it is okay to mess up. everyone does. We can always start fresh and move forward. It is never too late.
PLus now that I went public with this I will have more accountability to do it. THAT is what our Church Family is. PLus if I gave and needed help I should be comfortable enough to come to my church family and ask for it. THAT IS WHY WE ARE HERE!
Tell the GST story from the valley.
I know this to be the case.
I heard and my heart pounded,
my lips quivered at the sound;
decay crept into my bones,
and my legs trembled.
Yet I will wait patiently for the day of calamity
to come on the nation invading us.
Though the fig tree does not bud
and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails
and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen
and no cattle in the stalls,
yet I will rejoice in the Lord,
I will be joyful in God my Savior.
Application
Application
16-18 - I hear of your power and strength and I am moved. Because I know who you are I will still have hope and rejoice.
Because I know the truth I can trust and hope!
The Sovereign Lord is my strength;
he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,
he enables me to tread on the heights.
For the director of music. On my stringed instruments.
19 - I get my strength and hope from the LORD!
Do you KNOW God?
It is not too late. We can always trust in him. We shoudln’t test Him or be irresponsible. I do have a faily to provide for. But if I commit to something for God then I need to see it through. So that way in the future when harder things come along I will have the experience to know to trust Him more.
That is what Habakkuk is saying.
“God things are bad and I don’t understand why you aren’t helping us they way we want. But I know you love me and care and have helped int eh past and it worked out int he end. So I will trust you now.”
Closing
Closing
Going back to the marathon.
Runners know their bodies. Most don’t start running in marathons. They start small and they practice. Maybe they run a 5k, then a 10K, then a half marathon, then they are all in.
There is also a rason that Paul compared our lives to a marathon. These things existed even back then.
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
Just like marathon runners know and trust their bodies, we NEED to know and trust our God! That way we will finish strong!