Sermon Tone Analysis
Overall tone of the sermon
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There is a story about a conversation between Daniel Webster and some of his illustrious peers.
Somebody raised the question about the most refined and most beautiful passage in the Bible.
One of his friends argued for the Creation story.
Another one vouched for the Sermon on the Mount.
A third spoke up for the description of the redeemed in Revelation.
Then finally, Webster slowly quoted these exquisite words:
"Hab 3:17-19
The title of this morning's sermon, a phrase from the text, seemed to leap off of the pages of the book of Habakkuk: Through all of the devastations of changes in his life, Habakkuk conclude, "Yet, I Will Rejoice."
I want faith like Habakkuk.
Amid tough times, complicated situations, and even enemy attacks, I want to say, "Despite what happens to me, I trust you, God, despite pain and uncertainty.
You and you alone are my strength."
"Yet, Will I Rejoice.
But here is the thing.
It's easy to trust God when things go well.
But can we trust him when they don't?
The Prophet Habakkuk lived during a time of apostasy, judgment, and unbelievable hardship.
He lived during a time when Jehoiakim, the King of Judah, led the people back into idolatry and away from the Lord.
As a result, God is preparing to judge the nation.
But strangely, God uses the enemies of Habakkuk and his people to punish them, to teach them a lesson.
Herein lies the sources of Habakkuk's confusion.
How (in the world) can a good God use a heathen nation like Babylon to punish His people?
Why can't God (simply) purge his people of their sins and bring them back to him?
Surely there is another option other than using folks who have done us wrong to teach us how to do right.
Sounds familiar?
Habakkuk sounds like Job.
Both Habakkuk and Job argue their cases before God.
Both Habakkuk and Job have an "Aha" moment when they realize it is appropriate and wise not to worship because of physical, temporal, and material things.
But instead, worship him simply because of who he is.
And like Job, when Habakkuk comes to the end of his dialogue with God, he offers thanksgiving.
He realizes the benefit and blessings of trusting him even when things don't make sense.
Habakkuk, like Job, had reason and cause to be trouble, but in the end he chose to be thankful instead!
Habakkuk, like Job, had a reason to express pity, but he offered praise instead.
There is a song that Fred Hammond sings entitled "Keep on Praisin'," and the verse says:
I will bless You Lord because You've been so good
You have been my strength in the time of weakness
There's never been a time I couldn't count on You
So I will bless You, oh, Lord, in the midst of the people
Come on somebody, right here, right now
We come to give Your name the glory
Somebody help me
Sisters tell me something, come on
The chorus says:
No matter what is going on
My God still sits upon the throne
I might get down but not for long
My praise will keep me moving on
The keywords in our text and the sentiment of Fred Hammond are "although" and "yet."
Although I don't understand what is happening in my life, I am still going to thank God anyhow.
The keywords of these verses are "although" and "yet".
Habakkuk is saying, "I sure don't understand all that is happening, but I am going to thank God anyhow!"
I want to take these verses and show you that regardless of how things may look on the surface, we have a reason to "Thank God Anyhow!"
What allows Habakkuk and you and I to be able thank God anyhow, to says despite our circumstances, "Yet I will rejoice."
REALIZATION #1: GOD IS SOVEREIGN AND HIS SOVEREIGNTY NEVER CHANGES
Habakkuk’s first realize is that God is Sovereignty and His Sovereignty changes.
My luck my change.
My lot in life may change, but my God will never change.
Egypt experienced seven years of plenty and then seven years of famine, their prosperity change, but their God remained the same
Job's health, his finances, and the status of his family changed, but his God remained the same.
There are members of our congregation who lived through the great depression, a time when the socio-economic status of our nation changed worse then ever.
Millions of American’s lives were changed.
Banks went under.
Men and women lost everything.
They were changed by the great depression, but God in whom our nation says that it trusts was not changed by the great depression.
We are living in a time of change.
There are stores and merchants whose shelves are still empty as a result of the pandemic.
If you have been to a restaurant or through a driver-through lately, you know that businesses are struggling to find help and employees like never before.
I hear daily stories of all kinds and level of businesses advertising for jobs without receive a single application or very few.
Our world has changed, but our God is still the same.
Circumstances change, God never does.
Consider Mal.
3:6;
Habakkuk comes to term with the fact that he may not be able to rejoice in his situation, but he can always rejoice in God's sovereignty.
Habakkuk is painting a bleak portrait of the future, but he looks beyond the future and seems to agree with the words of the hymn writer, Ira Stanphill:
I don't know about tomorrow; I just live from day to day.
And I don't borrow from its sunshine
'Cause the skies might turn to grey.
And I don't worry about the future,
'Cause I know what Jesus said,
And today I'm gonna walk right beside him
'Cause he's the one who knows what is ahead.
We call Jesus our Lord.
The word Jesus is also Jehovah.
Jehovah translate to mean:
The Self-existent; eternal; changeless; covenant-keeping God"—"the I AM".
He is the the One we can depend on in desperate time; we can trust in troublesome time; we can believe during unbelievable times; we can lean on Him at all times!
Remember what Isaiah said in chapter 55:8-9, quoting God:
We may not always know what He is doing; but we can always trust Him to do what is right.
Remember when Abraham was petitioning God on behalf of lot and his family.
In Genesis 18:25, Abraham says to God:
We may not always understand His plan, but we can trust Him to have the best plan.
Isn't that what Jeremiah declared in 29:11:
Isn't that what Paul means when he said in Romans 8:28:
No matter how things may appear, God is still in control.
He still knows best, and He always does what is right.
He will always be God; therefore, we can be thankful anyhow!
We can say, "Yet I will Rejoice."
REALIZATION #2: THINGS IN LIFE COME TO AN END OR CHANGE, BUT MY SALVATION IS STILL THE SAME.
Habakkuk trusted God’s sovereignty.
His second realization was that when things get bad in this life, they do not affect my salvation!
The pandemic may affect the economy, but it does not affect my salvation.
The economy may affect the job market, but it does not affect my salvation.
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