We've all been hurt. We all carry scars. We can all overcome these things and be
healed through a relationship with Jesus Christ. Let's build that relationship
together right here. Welcome to Healing Scars with Pastor Burton. Hey everybody
welcome back to the sanctuary. It is so good to have you with us here today as
always. Now as we get started here today we're going to be picking back up our
study of Habakkuk. Now to refresh your memory we're looking at you know
Habakkuk as he's boldly questioning God because the evil that he's seeing every
day in his life and because of how it's shaken his faith. I mean it's rattled
him to his core. So he's starting to have doubts and he's asking God really hard
questions now. You know those hard questions that you know sometimes even
we are hesitant to ask. And as we started to see in the last chapter you know God
started to answer some and we're going to see in this chapter what we're
studying today the whole thing is all God answering him now. So we're
definitely getting into those bold answers now. Now in addition to that you
know let's let's just step back for a second. I want to remind you at this
point Judah had been ruled by four kings who rejected God and oppressed their own
people were absolute horrible horrible people. They didn't care. They were
just vile people. They were horrible weak leaders that had led their people
were leading their people astray and into ruin and away from God. And they
were about to be put into submission by an empire that was noted for their
viciousness and cruelty. Matter of fact an empire that you know it really
risen to become the most vicious and the most cruel. And Habakkuk was
wondering you know where's God and all this. We see this happening where is he?
What's going on? Where's he been? Why doesn't he do anything? And he's learning
that in faith in God alone that God will provide for him and not only for that
you know for that but for that matter he will provide for us as well. And
he will provide the answers that were so desperately needed. So we're going to go
ahead today and we're going to jump right back in to the scripture. We're
going to pick up where we left off. So I invite all of you all to join me here in
turning to the book of Habakkuk chapter 2. Again this chapter is a record about
God's answers to the questions that Habakkuk had about the things that had
him doubting in his faith you know and the evilness that he was seeing and what
he knew was going to come. And if you recall in chapter 1 he'd already asked
you know how long these evil things and these horrible people were going to go
unchecked and you know why Judah was going to be punished by a nation that
was even more evil than what Judah had become. That's straight even further away
you know and it just completely turned its back on God.
Now God had answered that the judgment you know had been slow coming. As we'd
say today it had been a long time coming. Alright and well Judah was going to be
punished for its own transgressions. God also noted you know that he was aware of
Babylon's misdeeds and that in time in their time you know well really in the
Lord's time but there was going to come a time that they would be punished as
well. And at the end of the chapter Habakkuk was still taking issues to God.
He was still asking questions. Something we all need to do you know remember
prayer is how we talk to God. That is how we get that conversation going. That is
also how we develop you know and improve our relationship with them just like
anybody else. Communication is key and we again prayer is how we communicate with
God. Now just like Habakkuk you know you don't need special words. You just need
to talk to them. You know like I said you can't be in a relationship with
anybody and that includes Jesus if you don't talk to them. How do you know
people if you don't talk to them? How do they get to know you? You don't talk to
people. Communication is key in any relationship. A lot of relationships
today it's because communication fails. People aren't communicating the way that
they need to and they start fighting and what happens? Well you know more and more
so especially this day and age we see people divorcing and splitting up and so
on and so forth you know fighting. So again join me in Habakkuk chapter 2 and
as we read here I'm going to quickly go over some translation differences during
the read as well. So I will interject those as we go through so that we're not
having to go back to go back through them all. Alright so Habakkuk chapter 2
verses 1 through 5 the Bible says I will stand my watch and station myself on the
ramparts. I will look to see what he will say to me and what answer I am to give
to this complaint or and what answer what to answer when I am rebuked. Alright
then the Lord replied write down the Revelation and make it plain on tablets
so that a herald or so that whoever reads it may run with it for the
Revelation awaits in a point in time it speaks to the end it will not prove
false though it linger wait for it it or though he linger wait for him he you
know will certainly come and will not delay see the enemy is puffed up his
desires are not upright but the righteous person will live by his
faithfulness or it might just say faith indeed wine betrays him he is arrogant
and never at rest because he is as greedy as the grave and like death is
never satisfied he gathers to himself all the nations and takes captive all
the peoples at this point you know Habakkuk he stopped asking questions
he's brought every concern every complaint you know everything that was
burning him he's brought it all to God and now he's making a declaration that
he's just he's going to stand by he's gonna wait for God to answer him and or
to send his answers you know in military terms it's what we you know what we
refer to as hurry up and wait you know stand by to stand by he's vented
everything he needed to is he's gotten those frustrations out it's off of his
chest it's now you know at the feet of the Lord you know and there comes you
know there's a certain peace that comes with that you know you get it all off
his it's like okay there it is it's out there and that's what it means to leave
your troubles at the feet of the Lord you know it's it's not necessarily that
your troubles are gone but you know you just take it all and you leave it's like
hey Lord this is it and you put it there you put it out there you have to
communicate them though you know also you know the image of the watchman here
you know the image of the watchman on the watchtower you know it's awesome
isn't it I mean it's absolutely awesome I love this image you know it just it
evokes that imagery you know of a soldier or century just standing there
and guarding his post you know looking out for the well-being of the camp and
you know everyone within it just on the alert and ready to just you know send
up send up the alarm you know if there's something happens or something
suspicious is needing you know or happening happening you know it's it's
in the military or least in the Marine Corps it's often what we refer to as a
fire watch all right now with that said I don't know about you but just a thought
of that you know fires up a little little Hendrix in the back of my mind as
well you know all along the watchtower you know which in itself if you're not
familiar with the song you know it's it's filled with biblical imagery as
well you know a little background on that Hendrix is not the one who wrote
who wrote it it was actually written by Bob Dylan you know after you know when
he was in recovery after an accident I recall but you know it's also often
compared to Isaiah chapter 21 verses 5 through 9 which which reads very similar
to the song you can actually read it to the same tune if you you know if you
tried it's not that hard you know what but you know watchmen would stand on
walls or ramparts they'd man watch towers where they could look out and
they could see for long distances you know they can identify all the people
that are coming and going things that stood out as suspicious you know trying
to identify people as friend or foe that sort of thing you know and watchmen on
the city walls you know or something common throughout the Bible as well you
know when we see prophetic visions of impending destruction you know
destruction coming towards you you know they're the sentries who would
typically see trouble coming you know first so and as you know as Christians
we're all spiritual watchmen and we need to be vigilant to spiritual dangers you
know not only for individuals or ourselves but for the church as a whole
well while we look for ways to complete God's work so you know in some way we
need to be very vigilant to we need to be on the alert to you know these
guardians you know they also paint a picture of expectation you know because
they're they're out there they're they're watching they're anticipating
something going on you know we've all heard prepare for the worst and hope for
the best and that's what's being illustrated here Habakkuk was standing
vigilant while waiting and watching for a response from God he's also a great
demonstration of how to best position yourself to receive what the Lord is
sending you you know we all need to make sure we're in a good place not only to
see but to be able to listen and actually hear what God is saying in
response to our prayers you know we need to pay extra attention because he may
not be sending us an answer in a way that we expect let alone the answer that
we expect you know nothing's changed since Habakkuk's time you know every day
we leave our homes we go out to the world you know we listen to the radio we
watch TV we stream information from the web on our phones and tablets you know
and it seems like the bad guys are winning there's just so much just evil
hey you know these absolute heinous things are just going on every day sin
is so prevalent and it's so accepted that they're just there's it seems like
there's just no room for good guys you know and there's these big pushes for
you know trying to force people to accept sin as being okay and like
Habakkuk we feel that same discouragement that same hopelessness we
get angry but we feel like there's nothing we can do even in elections we
accept this garbage two-party deal and buy into the nonsense you know the
nonsense that these are the best people for the job the only ones that you know
we could or should vote for and that anything else you know is a waste or
lesser than so you know we we accept that and we remain powerless and voiceless
in our nation while these evil leaders just do whatever they want and take
advantage of the system and take advantage of people you know Habakkuk he
took his complaints to God and we as Christians we should be doing the same
thing we need to be aware that the answer hasn't changed his answer then is
the same now and it says though it linger wait for it it will certainly
come and will not delay meanwhile we sit here and we forget and I went in the
words the old cranberry song do you have to let it linger you know it we need to
keep in mind it's not in our timing it's never in our timing as much as we want
it to be as much as we like to see things happen right now in front of us
it's in his timing the Lord's timing it's his time and it's to his glory not
ours but his yes things are ugly out there however God has shown time and
time again that he will take care of his children and we have that hope because of
it the punishment of evil will come the Babylonians would fall you know we're
we're we're in a time now where we're past that history is showing that that's
exactly what happened and as verse 4 says the righteous person will live by
his faithfulness as Christians we need to stand fast we need to hold on to our
faith and let it be tested ever think about that letting your faith be tested
to let you know our weaknesses my weaknesses your weaknesses all of our
weaknesses be shown so that we're better aware of where the enemy is going to
attack us so that we're better prepared to look to Jesus for help and for
comfort in our storms when we need that protection you know everything that God
is allowing is ultimately going to his work and to his purposes for each and
every one of us and his glory his glory join me now we're gonna we're gonna go
back in here to have a cook chapter 2 we're going to look now at verses 6
through 8 so I have a cook chapter 2 verses 6 through 8 the Bible says will
not all of them taught him with ridicule and scorn saying woe to him who piles
up stolen goods and makes himself wealthy by extortion how long must this
go on will not your creditors suddenly arise will they not wake up and make you
tremble then you will become their prey because you have plundered many nations
the peoples who are left will plunder you for you have shed human blood you
have destroyed lands and cities and everyone in them plain and simple God
doesn't like it when people acquire their wealth dishonestly notice that I
said acquire not earn because it's there is a difference acquire it's kind of a
nice way of saying steal right and just as we learned in the in the book of
Naum greed is a vicious sin and depending on your translation this
passage may very well say pledges or loans instead of extortion this is
because part of how the Babylonians built their wealth was through other
people's money essentially the way it was supposed to work you know the way
they masked it or shrouded it was that the Babylonians would quote unquote
loan people things in exchange for their money and the stipulation would be that
they could use that money as they saw fit if that other party could not repay
the loan now the reality of that was that they would force people to pay these
as pledges and then they would force their victims to pay things that you
know but pay things that they didn't actually own you know so they're
paying for goods that they didn't actually have or you know they're being
squandered basically they're being you know robbed you know it sounds an awful
lot like government today and taxes doesn't it so you're gonna have to pay
all this and we're gonna do this that and the other you know we're gonna have
a you know people who aren't even politicians being able to take
advantage of using the Secret Service of security and getting escorts and things
like that you know we see a lot of things that we you know we question you
know how much money is actually used for the certain things that we're being told
it is you know suddenly you know we don't have money to help out with things
that people in our nation need but we suddenly have all this other money to
send to others like what's going on right very much like government that
government compared to our government and not just ours but governments around
the world for that matter things haven't changed they just haven't picking back
up here in verse 9 so I have a cook chapter 2 verse is 9 through 14 yeah 14
here the Bible says woe to him who builds his house by unjust gain setting
his nest on high to escape the clutches of ruin you have plotted the ruin of
many peoples shaming your own house and forfeiting your life the stones of the
wall will cry out and the beams of the woodwork will echo it woe to him who
builds a city with bloodshed and establishes a town by injustice has not
the Lord Almighty determined that the people's labor is only fuel for the
fire that the nations exhaust themselves for nothing for the earth will be filled
with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea now
again Babylon built its wealth by exploiting and hurting others
manipulating and taking advantage of people and their circumstances so on you
know something to keep in mind because just as these were more strikes against
Babylon when judgment came these are the same kinds of things that are going to
be strikes against us if we give in to the same sins first Timothy chapter 6
verse 10 the Bible says for the love of money is a root and of all kinds of evil
some people eager for money have wandered from the faith and pierced
themselves with many griefs so the money it it's not the money it's that's the
sin it's the love of it that is the sin that the greed is the sin it you know
it's the idol that just it takes over and it consumes the person it touches and
this is an idol like all idols but you know that God just absolutely condemns
and not only that but the means of which people use to get wealthy to get money
you know to to give in when they give in and they came to this idol and they would
just want to keep building that wealth you know if you think about it it's
very much like a drug you see you know if you take a moment you think of all
that the heinous things that people will do for drugs and there's a pretty gnarly
things that addicts will do now what do those and you know those empower do to
get more well they lie they cheat and they steal not a whole lot of difference
there is there now they might get laws passed saying that what they're doing is
legal and to force your hand so that you have to you know pay these taxes and
everything you know and it's okay if they're behind you know thought they're
they're behind on following through on their promises and their delivery dates
you know where you know they just don't do it at all but you you better not be I
better not be you know or else that that interest is going to accrue or we're
going to you know face other penalties you know the others inflate prices and
they gouge the pumps I could go on because it's not just government you
know like I said you think of gas and you look at what got gas prices do it's
like oh it's okay for it to be cheap here but then you know expensive here
you know this type of gas which really isn't that much different you know but
versus this and so there's so many things that go into it here I could go
on and on at great length here the point is money is a tool and we should use it
as such and then move along not you know don't don't let the drive for more take
control of you don't you know not give into that you know I need more oh how
much does this job pay oh yeah I'm not making enough I need a different job you
know for forever chasing that buck it will lead you down a path of ruin that
you don't want to go down and a lot of us are already on it we really need to
stop and reevaluate where we are you know so back into Habakkuk chapter 2
here when we look at verse 14 specifically if you noticed he quotes
Isaiah 11 verse 9 so Isaiah chapter 11 verse 9 you know and this is when he
prophesied about the day that the Lord returns and that money is no longer
going to mean anything it's not going to be an item of concern it's not going to
be anything you know if you know that matter of fact let's take a moment here
to look at the full passage turn with me here to Isaiah chapter 11 a second here
turn here as well okay so Isaiah chapter 11 and we're actually gonna look at
verses 6 through 10 so the Bible says the wolf also shall dwell with the lamb
and the leper shall lie down with the kid and the calf and the young lion and
the fatling together and a little child shall eat them and the cow and the bear
shall feed their young ones shall lie down together and the lion shall eat
straw like the ox and the sucking child shall play on the whole of the asp and
the weaned child shall put his hand on the concatrice's den they shall not hurt
nor destroy and all my holy mountain for the earth shall be full of the knowledge
of the Lord as the waters cover the sea and in that day there shall be a root of
Jesse which shall stand for an ensign of the people or an ensign depending on
where you're at and how you pronounce it all right to it shall the Gentile seek
and his rest shall be glorious it's the golden age that's going to come when
Christ returns think about children our children can go out and play in safety
they go out and do whatever they want and nobody is going to be taken advantage
everyone's needs will be met there will be no more pain no more suffering even
with animals there will be no need to wonder hey is it going to be safe to pet
that animal or let alone approach it you know everyone and everything will be
living in peace and perfect harmony people animals plants weather everything
as it was always meant to be doesn't that sound wonderful it's absolutely
incredible we'll all be in perfect fellowship with Jesus each other and all
of creation all right guys we're going into the home stretch here all right so
let's look at Habakkuk chapter 2 verses 15 through 19 the Bible says woe to him
who gives drink to his neighbors pouring it from the wineskin until they are
drunk so that he can gaze on their naked bodies you will be filled with shame
instead of glory now it is your turn drink and let your nakedness be exposed
some texts may say and stagger here all right the cup from the Lord's right hand
is coming around to you and disgrace will cover your glory the violence you
have done to Lebanon will overwhelm you and your destruction of animals will
terrify you for you have shed human blood you have destroyed lands and cities
and everyone in them of what value is an idol carved by a craftsman or an image
that teaches lies for the one who makes it trust in his own creation he makes
idols that cannot speak woe to him who says to wood come to life or to lifeless
stone wake up can it give guidance is it covered with gold and silver there is no
breath in it idol tree is pushed aside by way too many these days people don't
recognize what it is anymore just cut you know it's just one of those words
that it doesn't seem to make sense to a lot of people especially you know well
especially to the non-believer you know sports TV film music you know books
you know especially those that glorify other sins cars clothing jewelry oh
here's a big a big one some of y'all might like not not like the word that
I'm about to use makeup now before I get further here I'm not saying makeup in
and of itself is bad it's not it's perfectly fine by all means you know
knock yourself out you know a bit here a bit there that's fine but by now you
know what I'm talking about that that vanity of oh I you know I got to put my
face on right I don't have my eyebrows on you know or oh this color doesn't
match what I'm wearing and so on and so forth you know that just absolute that
vanity that kicks in here which is a sin you know some of you have drawers with
hundreds if not thousands of dollars worth of different makeups you know what
I'm talking about it's not cheap either some of you have lipstick on that cost
more than the shoes that a lot of us are wearing to be quite honest and it's not
just that though some of you with your video games are in the same boat and a
lot of you have hobbies that no no better no better whatsoever see
idolatry it's not just bending the knee to false gods you know it's trusting or
relying on anything other than God you know say oh I'm not pretty enough I so
I got to put on this work you know even guys know I got to dress a certain way
I got to shave a certain way or do my hair up a certain way you know people
get really really into these things and they spend a ton of money because they
care more about that image you know spending the bulk of your time with
something other than God that's an idol you know depending on something to get
you through more than God idol we can have a long talk about a lot of things
here and I do mean a lot you know not even just hours we could talk for days
there's so many things out there weeks even months in the end though it comes
down to us becoming selfish and trusting that we can do things on our own and in
our own way we put our trust into things and banks and properties and
universities and businesses and organizations you know legal entities
politicians so on and so forth you know all these other people and places and
things and yet we want to say that we worship God but we're depending on all
these others and all these other things to take care of us and not God so we all
need to step back and evaluate our lives do I trust that God will provide or am I
hoping to get lucky because I said a few words and others are going to see my
deeds there's a good one right there right you know do I trust in God or do
I trust in all this this other stuff that's been made by man you know the
the fact is idols they have no life of their own they have no identity you know
other than the identity that people build up and give to them you know kind
of like a kid with a stuffed animal no power they have no power they had they
can't actually do anything for any of us they are you know either empty hollow
vessels or solid pieces of matter like wood stone steel and so on you know but
they are devoid of all life people build temples to their idols think about
Coliseums museums these grandiose buildings fancy cars that very few
people can afford you know there's a ton of stuff out there that they build you
know with their name you know or the the new name you know that's so popular
these days for it you know as they call it their brand yeah everybody you know
that's a lot of people talk about that you know build your brand in other words
worship yourself you know the enemy did something really sneaky there didn't he
I'm really sneaky there again though there's no life in these idols but God
God is very much alive God is powerful he's all-powerful he is real well I
should say idolaters look at something to take care of them to get them through
and then go on to the next big thing when it doesn't happen we as Christians
are really different in that respect we don't need anything or anyone else we
look to Jesus you know why idolaters are running their mouths and trying
desperately to figure out how to save themselves Christians come to God you
know and really you know we look up to him in awe and wonder we don't have to
run our mouths because we already know that we're we're provided for that God's
going to take care of us we know we're good to go you know God's in control
Jesus knows what he's doing and where all these idols and these false gods have
no voice and they can't speak to the lost God on the other hand is you know
working he's hard at work and he's speaking all the time just like Kabakuk
we can take our questions our needs our frustrations our complaints to him but
then afterwards we need to be quiet and we need to listen while we wait for the
answer or answers that he's going to provide or that you know he does provide
for us you know and sometimes that's a trick though isn't it shutting our mouths
so that we can actually hear Psalm 37 verse 7 the Bible says be still before
the Lord and wait patiently for him do not fret when people succeed in their
ways when they carry out their wicked schemes be still be still underline that
highlight it put a little box on it something that you know you come back to
it it catches your eye be still is really it's it's a nice way of saying
shut up and sit down let the walkers walk and the talkers talk but as
Christians shut up and sit down have a seat close your mouth and listen just
listen listen to what God is saying listen to what God's telling us to
listen what he's telling you what he's telling me he says a lot but we need to
listen and we need to listen to hear all right we're gonna read our last verse
here for today Habakkuk chapter 2 verse 20 the Bible says the Lord is in his
holy temple let all the earth be silent before him after hearing from God
Habakkuk was done talking he was quiet he was at peace he was at peace just
like okay here we go praise Jesus we're good he was able to relax a bit a bit
he was you know he found that that that peace that only God can provide he had
no more questions he had no more complaints you know God answered his
questions and not only that but he recognized that he was in the presence
of God his relationship with God was restored there is no more doubt there's
no more wonder he unloaded his burden God provided the answer the bridge had
been mended and he was good to go his faith was restored and like him all of
us you me the entire world for that matter we need to learn to be quiet and
his presence as well everyone in the temple became silent when God came into
their presence why contrary to all the noise it's out there that so many places
like to put out silence actually helps us to worship that's why during a lot of
services especially towards the end there's usually a point that you know
when we're when we're in the middle of you know towards the end of a service at
some point there's always well not always but usually there's a point that
we get to when the noise stops you know the the preacher starts moving things
and he might even see you know let's go into a time of silence here you know
usually you know it's like you know hey you know it's all bow our heads and
close your eyes you know and you know and pray you know and we pray as
Christians we pray that's our conversation again with God and we
voice ourselves to the Lord we voice our concerns everything that's on our you
know our burdens the whole the whole bit even the things that we're thankful for
but we we take everything that's on our mind on our heart that's weighing on us
and we pray and we leave it for the Lord and then we become quiet ourselves our
thoughts our desires our fears anything and everything running through our minds
is silenced and if it's not it should be you need we need to silence that stuff
so that we can listen for what God has to tell us there's no room for noise not
even background noise when we open up ourselves and God fills our hearts and
our minds with his presence all right now I'm not saying oh you can't listen
music in the background or something like that because there's a certain
there's certain things that bring that peace to us and help us to silence
everything else you know out so you know we need to be we all have questions
because we all have questions we all have complaints we all have fears that
need answers and God will provide them he will sometimes they're a little
delayed like in the book of Daniel you know however God will provide an answer
so we need to be still and we need to listen for his voice as we look to Jesus
and and we need to be prepared to receive an answer that we aren't
expecting or possibly won't like not just listen to what we're told but
actually hear what we're being told there is a difference between listening
and hearing God knows what we need he knows before we even ask and like a good
parent because he said that he sets an example for all the good parents out
there he's simply waiting for us as his children to take our take our questions
to him to talk to him to tell him what's going on you know I'll put it to you
this way for those of you who have kids you'll know you know exactly what I'm
talking about here for those of you who don't think back to when you're growing
up and you went to your parents for certain things you know there's those
times when a child goes to their parents and as soon as they start to talk or ask
about anything the parent already has an answer for them they already know
exactly what their child is talking about or asking for God is no different
he just wants you to reach down and have the courage to open your mouth just talk
to him he loves you the father loves you he wants to have a relationship with you
he'll take care of you you simply need to start the dialogue and then wait
patiently and quietly for the answer Jesus is in control keep your eyes on
him don't focus on what on the storm around you focus on Jesus all right now
that's all we have for this week next week we're going to finish our series
here on Habakkuk and we're gonna look at his prayer of faith as we pull everything
in together remember you are loved now go and be the church I want to thank you
for joining us today if you have any questions prayer requests or would like
to know more about our ministry you can find us on our website at be the light
sanctuary org or on Facebook at be the light sanctuary we'll catch you next
time God bless