Elements City Church
Sovereignty in Uncertainty: A Study in Habakkuk - Week 1
The Book of Habakkuk can give us hope in the midst of trying times and answers many questions people ask today: Can I question God? Why does God allow evil? Does God ever bring evil to justice? Habakkuk wasn’t afraid to question God, and God’s response gives us — as it did Habakkuk — reason to worship and to trust in God’s sovereignty.
Locations & Times
Elements City Church
1825 N Alvernon Way, Tucson, AZ 85712, USA
Sunday 10:00 AM
Thanks for joining us!
Whether you're on-site or online, we are praying that tonight will be an encouragement to your soul. May God whisper to you and help you in taking your next steps in a journey with Him.
http://elem.ccSovereignty in Uncertainty - Week 1
How Does God Deal with Doubt? (Hab. 1:1-11)
Habakkuk begins with the prophet asking God why so much sin abounds among God's chosen people. Does God not see it? Does God no longer care about integrity? God’s response to Habakkuk shows us that He can handle our doubt and is ready to answer our questions.
How Does God Deal with Doubt? (Hab. 1:1-11)
Habakkuk begins with the prophet asking God why so much sin abounds among God's chosen people. Does God not see it? Does God no longer care about integrity? God’s response to Habakkuk shows us that He can handle our doubt and is ready to answer our questions.
A little history:
After King Solomon died the 12 tribes of Israel could not agree on a single king, leading to a split -- the 10 northern tribes (Israel) and the 2 southern tribes (Judah).
Israel had 19 kings before going into exile -- not a single king did right in the sight of God.
Judah had 20 kings before going into exile roughly 100 years later than the northern tribes -- Judah had 6 kings who did right in the sight of God.
The last good king in Judah was Josiah, who died around 609 BC. Habakkuk was a priest in the time of Josiah.
After Josiah died, Jehoiakim becomes the king and immediately does evil in the sight of God.
Habakkuk writes his prophecy circa 605 BC, lamenting the kingdom's decent into sinfulness and pagan worship.
After King Solomon died the 12 tribes of Israel could not agree on a single king, leading to a split -- the 10 northern tribes (Israel) and the 2 southern tribes (Judah).
Israel had 19 kings before going into exile -- not a single king did right in the sight of God.
Judah had 20 kings before going into exile roughly 100 years later than the northern tribes -- Judah had 6 kings who did right in the sight of God.
The last good king in Judah was Josiah, who died around 609 BC. Habakkuk was a priest in the time of Josiah.
After Josiah died, Jehoiakim becomes the king and immediately does evil in the sight of God.
Habakkuk writes his prophecy circa 605 BC, lamenting the kingdom's decent into sinfulness and pagan worship.
1. God can handle my doubts.
- If you have to gripe, gripe to God.
"...[Habakkuk] told his honest doubt to God, and not to any mere human 'brain trust.' If we would only do that instead of sighing abroad our doubts on human ears, what unrest we would escape!"
- J. Sidlow Baxter
- If you have to gripe, gripe to God.
"...[Habakkuk] told his honest doubt to God, and not to any mere human 'brain trust.' If we would only do that instead of sighing abroad our doubts on human ears, what unrest we would escape!"
- J. Sidlow Baxter
2. In the midst of doubt, focus on God’s character.
- His character doesn’t change just because my circumstances do.
Is He trustworthy? Where have I seen God prove Himself trustworthy before?
Is He faithful? How have I seen His faithfulness before?
Is He loving? How have I experienced His love before?
- His character doesn’t change just because my circumstances do.
Is He trustworthy? Where have I seen God prove Himself trustworthy before?
Is He faithful? How have I seen His faithfulness before?
Is He loving? How have I experienced His love before?
It’s ok to have doubts, but it’s not ok to question God’s character.
3. Honest controversy creates lasting union
If we can bring our doubts to God with an honest desire to see them answered, God rewards us with deeper intimacy with Him.
If we can bring our doubts to God with an honest desire to see them answered, God rewards us with deeper intimacy with Him.
4. God is sovereign over history
What does “sovereign” mean?
- It means God is all-powerful and able to do anything He wants according to His holy will
"God may seem to be strangely silent and inactive in provocative circumstances. He sometimes gives unexpected answers to our prayers. And He sometimes uses strange instruments to correct His people."
- Dr. Thomas L. Constable
What does “sovereign” mean?
- It means God is all-powerful and able to do anything He wants according to His holy will
"God may seem to be strangely silent and inactive in provocative circumstances. He sometimes gives unexpected answers to our prayers. And He sometimes uses strange instruments to correct His people."
- Dr. Thomas L. Constable
5. God does not overlook evil - He just deals with it in His own time
"Today the world asks, 'Why doesn't God do something about sin?' My friend, God has done something about it! Over nineteen hundred years ago He gave His Son to die. He intruded into the affairs of the world. And He says that He is going to intrude again in the affairs of the world—yet today the world goes merrily along picking daisies and having a good time in sin. But God is moving."
- J. Vernon McGee
"Today the world asks, 'Why doesn't God do something about sin?' My friend, God has done something about it! Over nineteen hundred years ago He gave His Son to die. He intruded into the affairs of the world. And He says that He is going to intrude again in the affairs of the world—yet today the world goes merrily along picking daisies and having a good time in sin. But God is moving."
- J. Vernon McGee
Thanks for partnering with us!
Elements family, thank you for enabling us to BE the Church in our city! Your gifts help fuel the mission, as well as our capacity to share His love with as many as we can. You help us bring the HOPE and LIGHT of Jesus to our city! You can give here, online, or through the Elements app.
http://elementscitychurch.org/giveWe hope you have been blessed by your time worshipping with us -- through song and through the Word!
We'll see you back at Elements next weekend -- on-site or online -- as we continue our series, Sovereignty in Uncertainty: A Study in Habakkuk. We'll be looking at the problem of evil, and how God chooses to deal with it.
We'll see you back at Elements next weekend -- on-site or online -- as we continue our series, Sovereignty in Uncertainty: A Study in Habakkuk. We'll be looking at the problem of evil, and how God chooses to deal with it.