John Lloyd - Habakkuk Finale

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Living By Faith In An Unbelieving World.

Living by Faith in an Unbelieving World: 

A Study of the Book of Habakkuk

 Living out Hope in Difficult Situations  Habakkuk 3:3-19

Pastor John Lloyd

February 4, 2018

 

Habakkuk models for us how to live out hope while facing an overwhelming situation.  He trembles at the thought of what will happen to his beloved nation.  Yet, he shows us how we can face tests and trials bigger than us.  He gives us a path to help us find the resources we need to have a strengthened faith.  It’s our prayer that God would use this time to encourage each one of us to be renewed in hope because of the faithfulness of our Savior Jesus and His great promises to us. 

Habakkuk 3:16 I hear, and my body trembles; my lips quiver at the sound; rottenness enters into my bones; my legs tremble beneath me. Yet I will quietly wait for the day of trouble to come upon people who invade us. 17 Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls,   

Memory Verses: 3:18 yet I will rejoice in the LORD; I will take joy in the God of my salvation. 19 GOD, the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like the deer’s; he makes me tread on my high places

Big Idea:  God’s presence is the key to walking through difficult situations while having our hope renewed.  God is my Army!

How can I truly live by faith even in the midst of difficult situations?

I.               God’s greatness is greater than all created things and difficulties.

Habakkuk 3:3 God came from Teman, and the Holy One from Mount Paran. Selah His splendor covered the heavens, and the earth was full of his praise. 4 His brightness was like thelight; rays flashed from his hand; and there he veiled his power.

A.    Remember the Lord’s victory and battle.

Habakkuk 3:7 I saw the tents of Cushan in affliction; the curtains of the land of Midian did tremble.

Habakkuk 3:11 The sun and moon stood still in their place at the light of your arrows as they sped, at the flash of your glittering spear. 12 You marched through the earth in fury; you threshed the nations in anger. 13 You went out for the salvation of your people, for the salvation of your anointed. You crushed the head of the house of the wicked, laying him bare from thigh to neck. (Habakkuk 3:14-15) (I Corinthians 15:26, Hebrews 2:14, Hebrews 10:10, John 11:25-26)

His Great Power and Plan will prevail!  God is my Army!

B.    God will deal with sin and evil.

Habakkuk 3:16 I hear, and my body trembles; my lips quiver at the sound; rottenness enters into my bones; my legs tremble beneath me. Yet I will quietly wait for the day of trouble to come upon people who invade us. (Isaiah 59:2, Romans 3:10 & 23)

“The appearance of God as army commander and the contemplation of his victory not only fill the prophet with fear but arm him with trust for the day of trouble.  The prophet will live secure in undisturbed peace.”  Szeles

“They will be delivered from exile but first they must endure it. Scarcity leads us to recognize our need for a God who speaks to us.”  Bruckner

Habakkuk 3:17 Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls,

“Suffering is not something we want to avoid. Suffering is a key means to experiencing a deeper union with Christ.” Kevin Emmert

Philippians 1:29 For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake,

My sins, great and small have been paid for by Jesus Christ!  God is my Army!

II.             Cherish God’s presence above all earthly presents.

Habakkuk 3:18 yet I will rejoice in the LORD; I will take joy in the God of my salvation. (Ephesians 2:8-9)

“One of the marks of faith is a willingness to wait patiently for the Lord to work. The great British expositor G. Campbell Morgan said, “Our joy is in proportion to our trust. Our trust is in proportion to our knowledge of God.”

Warren Wiersbe

John 10:28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. (Romans 8:38-39, Matt. 28:20, Ps. 28:7)

His Presence overcomes my fears and anxieties!  God is my Army!

III.             Expect God to renew and grow your faith to new heights.

Habakkuk 3:19 GOD, the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like the deer’s; he makes me tread on my high places. (Is.42:16,I Peter 1:7)

“The picture represents the lighthearted and secure gait of the deer as it bounds over the hills without ever stumbling. It is a description of the person of faith in the sense of emunah, one who has received strength and resolution, who is no longer fettered by temptation, who is no more oppressed with the weight of doubt. Yahweh’s strength has brought him release. Consequently he can stand still when under affliction and walk with confidence in times of oppression.”  Szeles

Colossians 1:27 To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. (John 14:12)

Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

We are renewed in hope when Jesus Christ is living in us.                God is my army! 

Growth Group Questions for February 4, 2018

Opener:  What is a current challenge in your life that requires faith?   

1.  Read Habakkuk 3:3-19.  Summarize in your own words what’s going on this passage.  What does God say that will help Habakkuk face his tribulations? 

2.  Read Habakkuk 3:3-15.  List as many facts as you see Habakkuk remembering in the history of Israel and the world.  “The Christian faith is based solidly on facts, not ideas. Its doctrines are based upon these facts.  Buddhism and Hinduism rest on theories and ideas.” D. Martyn Lloyd Jones   Take some time to think of the awesome acts of God in your own history and list out the facts of what you have seen God do in your life.      

3.  Habakkuk remembering the greatness of God’s power is comforting.  Why?  Read 2 Corinthians 4:7-10 for Paul’s perspective. 

4.  Habakkuk “was living by promises, not explanations.” Look back at Habakkuk 2:4, 14, 20. How were these promises more valuable than explanations? What promises are you living by?  Share your favorite.

5.  Read Habakkuk 3:16. Describe Habakkuk’s emotions in 3:16 and why he felt that way.  

6.  Read Habakkuk 3:17-19.  Specifically, what do you see Habakkuk doing to get him through his fears? What can we learn from Habakkuk’s life?

7.   Read Hebrews 4:14-16 & 7:25.    What does the writer of Hebrews tell us to do in the midst of trials?  What does this passage teach about Jesus and how to face trials?    

8.  How does the resurrection of Jesus Christ guarantee a blessed ending for every follower of Jesus?  (Read Philippians 3:10, Rom. 8:28, 37-39)

As we conclude Habakkuk, what personal applications are you taking away? “ Lord is my strength, He makes me tread on my high places.” 

John Lloyd - Habakkuk Pt. 3

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Living By Faith In An Unbelieving World.

  Living by Faith in an Unbelieving World:   A Study of the Book of Habakkuk

 The Righteous Shall Live by Faith!   Habakkuk 2:4-20

Pastor John Lloyd

January 21, 2018

We have a choice every day to interpret the events of our lives through the eyes of our own reason or through the eyes of faith.  One path leads to unbelief and fear.  The other, as Habakkuk stumbles upon a watershed of life, learns that the “righteous shall live by faith!”  We can look to the “experts” of this life or we can look to our Creator as our guide.  Our prayer is to develop a community of people modelling faith to an unbelieving world.   Faith pleases God and is rewarded by consistently seek Him.

The righteous shall live by faith!

Memory Verse: Habakkuk 2:4 “Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him, but the righteous shall live by his faith. 

 5 “Moreover, wine is a traitor, an arrogant man who is never at rest. His greed is as wide as Sheol; like death he has never enough. He gathers for himself all nations and collects as his own all peoples.” 6 Shall not all these take up their taunt against him, with scoffing and riddles for him, and say, “Woe to him who heaps up what is not his own— for how long?— and loads himself with pledges!” 7 Will not your debtors suddenly arise, and those awake who will make you tremble? Then you will be spoil for them.

Big Idea: Living by faith is the best path for followers of Christ.                The righteous shall live by faith!

Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Praying God would give this faith inside of us not just to us.  In the depths of our souls His faith would transform us from the inside out. 

How can I truly live by faith?

I.               Living by faith means rejecting me and material things as the ultimate authority and giver of meaning of life.

Habakkuk 2:1 I will take my stand at my I will take my stand at my watchpost and station myself on the tower, and look out to see what he will say to me,  and what I will answer concerning my complaint. (Col.3:2)

Habakkuk 2:4 “Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him, but the righteous shall live by his faith. 

Genesis 3:5 For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

“For each of us, sin is our right to myself, and so to my way of seeing things, which far more than class, gender, race and generation is the ultimate source of human relativity.  On the other hand, sin is the deliberate repudiation of God and the truth of his way of seeing things.”  Os Guiness  “Fools Talk”

Habakkuk 2:6 Shall not all these take up their taunt against him, with scoffing and riddles for him, and say, “Woe to him who heaps up what is not his own—for how long?— and loads himself with pledges!”     (Excessive greed)

Habakkuk 2:9 “Woe to him who gets evil gain for his house, to set his nest on high, to be safe from the reach of harm!   (Relying on temporal treasures and wealth for protection) (Habakkuk 2:10-11, Dan. 5:5-6)

Habakkuk 2:12 “Woe to him who builds a town with blood and founds a city on iniquity! (Building on violence never works)  Habakkuk 2:13

Habakkuk 2:15 “Woe to him who makes his neighbors drink — you pour out your wrath and make them drunk, in order to gaze at their nakedness!  (always brings destruction)  (Habakkuk 2:16-17, Isaiah 5:11-12)

Habakkuk 2:19 Woe to him who says to a wooden thing, Awake; to a silent stone, Arise!  Can this teach? Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver, and there is no breath at all in it. (Habakkuk 2:18, Idols will always fail us)

“Everything that is evil is under the judgment of God.” Martyn Lloyd Jones

 The way of unbelief always opposes the way of faith.                                Seeing the invisible ultimate end of evil moves us to live by faith.

“The truth stated is that there are only two possible attitudes to life in this world:  that of faith and that of unbelief.  Either we view our lives in terms of our belief in God and the conclusions which we are entitled to draw from that: or our outlook is based upon a rejection of God and the corresponding denials.  We may either withdraw ourselves from the way of faith in God, or else we may live by faith in God.”   Martyn Lloyd Jones 

II.              Living by faith delivers us from being controlled by events.

Habakkuk 2:4 “Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him, but the righteous shall live by his faith.  (Romans 10:17)

A.   Living by faith relies on God’s approval above created things.

Hebrews 11:25 (Moses) choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. (Lk.12:4)

B.    Living by faith allows us to see God’s glory during present trials.

Habakkuk 2:14 For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD as the waters cover the sea. (Isaiah 6:3)

Hebrews 11:27 By faith he left Egypt, not being afraid of the anger of the king, for he endured as seeing him who is invisible. Hebrews 11:34

The righteous shall live by faith!

C.   Living by faith embraces the Lord Jesus as our ultimate authority.

Habakkuk 2:20 But the LORD is in his holy temple; let all the earth keep silence before him.”  (Philippians  2:9-11, Psalm 27:1)

Hebrews 12:2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. (Phil 3:9 & Gal. 2:20) 

Reflective questions: Is my life based upon the faith principle?                   Am I submitting myself to the fact that the Bible is the true Word of God?         Am I willing to stake everything in my life on this fact?                              

THE RIGHTEOUS SHALL LIVE BY FAITH!

Growth Group Questions for January 21, 2018 

Opener:  Have you ever foreseen something bad was going to happen that other people were ignoring?  If so, how did that feel? Or if you haven’t, how do you think it would feel?     

1.   Read Habakkuk 2:4-2:20.  Summarize in your own words what’s going on this passage.  What does God say He will do to the Chaldeans? 

2.   Read Habakkuk 2:4-5.  Pride puffs people up about their achievements, twists their moral values, makes them never satisfied with what they own and always restless for another thrill or achievement.  Are you prone to any of these faults?  If so, which ones?     

3.   Read Romans 1:17, Galatians 3:11 & Hebrews 10:38.  How did Paul use Habakkuk 2:4, and how is it different in Hebrews 10:38?  What does it mean to live by faith? 

4.    Read Habakkuk 2:6, 9, 12, 15, &19.  Discuss the five woes mentioned by Habakkuk, (see outline for help).  Which of those do you see most often in the world around you?   Are there more that could be added?      

5.   Read Daniel 5:30-31 and compare with Habakkuk 2:6-7.   What happened to the king of Babylon?  How was Habakkuk’s prophecy fulfilled? How does fulfilled prophecies help you live by faith?

6.   Read Habakkuk 2:9-11.  The Chaldeans were trusting in their ill-gotten riches to protect them from danger.  Read Daniel 5:1-5 and write how this prophecy was fulfilled.  How can this truth encourage us as we see evil prospering in our world? What is the antidote to covetousness?   

7.   Read Habakkuk 2:4, 2:14 and 2:20. What are the three assurances God gave to Habakkuk in the midst of these woes?  Which one of these assurances means the most to you right now?    

8.   Read Hebrews 11:23-28. How did Moses demonstrate his faith?  How does his example help you live by faith?  Spend time praying for one faith request you have  for this year.  The righteous shall live by faith!

John Lloyd - Habakkuk Pt. 2

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Living  By Faith In An Unbelieving World.

 Living by Faith in an Unbelieving World:  A Study of the Book of Habakkuk

Waiting and Walking in God’s Vision  Habakkuk1:12-2:3

Pastor John Lloyd

January 14, 2018

 

“Setbacks are often setups for God to act.”  Craig Groeschel

Wait for God’s vision for it will surely come.  Walk in God’s vision for it will surely come to pass.  Looking forward to what God has in store for us in 2018.  May we glorify and honor the Lord with our lives.  Pastor John

 

Habakkuk 2:1 I will take my stand at my watchpost and station myself on the tower, and look out to see what he will say to me, and what I will answer concerning my complaint. Memory Verse: 2 And the LORD answered me: “Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it.   3 For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end—it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay.

Big Idea:   Wait for God’s vision… it will surely come.  Walk in God’s vision, for it will surely come to pass.  God’s best is yet to come. 

 

I.               When __________ come, trust the character of God for His setup. 

Habakkuk 1:12 Are you not from everlasting, O LORD my God, my Holy One?  We shall not die. O LORD, you have ordained them as a judgment, and you, O Rock, have established them for reproof. 13 You who are of purer eyes than to see evil and cannot look at wrong, why do you idly look at traitors and remain silent when the wicked swallows up the man more

Habakkuk 1:16 Therefore he sacrifices to his net and makes offerings to his dragnet; for by them he lives in luxury, and his food is rich.17 Is he then to keep on emptying his net and mercilessly killing nations forever? (Jn 16:33)

How could God use His Son Jesus, who was sinless to become our sins on the cross?  How could He become unrighteousness so we could be made righteous? How can he make us worthy when none of us are worthy?

2 Corinthians 5:21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

I Peter 3:18a For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, (Hebrews 12:3)

Hebrews 12:3 Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.

My greatest setback is an opportunity to experience God’s mighty strength.   Setups come from setbacks! The just shall live by faith.

II.             Get with God in setbacks trouble and look for His _____________.

I will take my stand at my watchpost  and station myself on the tower, and look out to see what he will say to me, and what I will answer concerning my complaint.

Psalm 73:16 But when I thought how to understand this, it seemed to me a wearisome task, 17 until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I discerned their end.

Psalm 62:8 Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him;  God is a refuge for us.

Habakkuk 1:5 “Look among the nations, and see; wonder and be astounded. For I am doing a work in your days that you would not believe if told.”  (John 4:35)

Reflective Questions:  Ask God to show you what you cherish at your core?  At what are you aiming your life?  What are His setups for you?

III.            In a plain and simple way, _________ down what God shows you.

Habakkuk 2:2And the LORD answered me: “Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it.

Devotional life: I Timothy 4:15 Practice these things, immerse yourself in them,  so that all may see your progress.

Purity: I Thessalonians 4: 3For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; (4:4)

Marriage/relationships: Ephesians 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.

Church:  I will build my church. Go and make disciples. (Mt.16:18,28:19)

Children:  No greater joy than to see my children walking in the truth.

Finances: Matthew 6:20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.

Word: Romans 15:4 For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.

Brothers/Sisters:  2 Thessalonians 2:15 So then, brothers/sisters, stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by our spoken word or by our letter.   (See Question 8 from Growth group)

God’s vision will surely come.  God’s best is yet to come!

IV.           Wait for the ______________ to come to pass.

Habakkuk 2:3 For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end—it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay.  (John 4:34, Ephesians 3:20)

Hebrews 10:36 For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised.  John 14:3

2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.

Hab. 2:3b If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay.

God’s vision will surely come to pass!  God’s best is yet to come!

Growth Group Questions for January 14, 2018

1.   Read Habakkuk 1:13-2:3.  Summarize in your own words what’s going on this passage. 

2.   Read Habakkuk 1:13 & I Corinthians 1:30, 2 Corinthians 5:21.  How does Jesus solve the problem we encounter of God’s eyes being too pure to look upon evil?  

3.   Read Habakkuk 1:14-17.  Why is Habakkuk upset about God using the Chaldeans/Babylonians to punish Judah? 

4.    Read Habakkuk 2:1.  Where does Habakkuk go to seek God’s answer? What kind of answer does Habakkuk expect the Lord to give him after his second complaint?  What do you expect to hear from God after you complain to Him? Where do you go to hear from God?

5.   Read Psalm 27:14, 130:5-6, Lamentations 3:25-26, Luke 18:7-8.  What do these verses teach us about waiting?  What helps you wait? 

6.    Read Psalm 62:1-8.  What can we learn from the Psalmist as he faces difficulties? What verse speaks to you from this passage?  Why is it important?  

7.   Read Habakkuk 2:2. What kind of vision is God talking about here?  Why is it important to write it down and make it plain and simple?

8.   Read Habakkuk 2:2-3.  There are two thoughts in this passage.  One is to write God’s vision and the other is to trust His Word.  Spend time asking God to give you a fresh battle plan and renewed vision for your spiritual walk, family, friends, witness, ministry and finances. 

9.     Pray with someone for strength to wait on God as He gives you and them fresh vision and battle plan for success.  In a plain and simple way, write these things down and continue to update and pray for each other.

John Lloyd - Habakkuk Pt. 1

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Living By Faith In An Unbelieving World.

 Living by Faith in an Unbelieving World:  A Study of the Book of Habakkuk

 God’s Strange Ways  Habakkuk 1:1-17

Pastor John Lloyd

January 7, 2018

 

One of the biggest challenges to our faith is when our prayers seem to be unanswered.  How should we respond to evil actions?  What should we do when it seems our world is falling apart?  Habakkuk was facing this situation.  Even though he is told that the Chaldeans will be raised up to destroy his beloved nation, God shows Habakkuk his amazing presence, providence and the way to live by faith in an unbelieving world.

Passage:  Habakkuk 1:1-11

Big Idea: When things feel strange, look to God because His strength comes from strain!

Background:  Who:  Habakkuk   When:   Approximate: 610 BC Whom:  Judeans/Southern Kingdom.  What: to announce sinful Judah would be punished, God would use Babylon to do it, God will preserve His people, and to help Habakkuk understand God’s sovereign work through history of His people.  Why: These lessons will help us deal with difficulties and move us from fear to faith in order to display this faith to an unbelieving world.

Key Verse:  Habakkuk 2:4 “Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him, but the righteous shall live by his faith. 

How can I face injustices, violence and cruelty in this world?

I.               The injustices of this world bring questions and fear.

Habakkuk 1:2 O LORD, how long shall I cry for help, and you will not hear?    Or cry to you “Violence!” and you will not save? 3 Why do you make me see iniquity, and why do you idly look at wrong?

Ps 94:3 LORD, how long shall the wicked, how long shall the wicked triumph? (NIV)  (Revelation 6:10, Jeremiah 12:1)

Habakkuk 1:4 So the law is paralyzed, and justice never goes forth. For the wicked surround the righteous; so justice goes forth perverted. (Ps119:126)

“When we see surprising things are happening in the world.  Let us ask, What is the relevance of this event to the kingdom of God?  Or if strange things are happening to you personally, don’t complain, but say, “What is God teaching me through this?  What is there in me that needs to be corrected?  Where have I gone wrong and why is God allowing these things?”  D. Martyn Lloyd Jones

Isaiah 55:8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. (2 Corinthians 12:9)

Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. 2For by it the people of old received their commendation.

God uses our greatest strains to make us rely on His strength. Strength comes from strain! The just shall live by faith!

II.             Look to God and trust His character in dark times.

Habakkuk 1:5 “Look among the nations, and see; wonder and be astounded.  For I am doing a work in your days that you would not believe if told.  Matthew 16:18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.                  ( I Corinthians 13:9 &12) History is HIS story!

“As he surveyed the land of Judah and then watched the international scene, he found himself struggling with some serious problems. But he did the right thing: He took his problems to the Lord.” Warren Wiersbe

A.     His Ways are different from our ways.

Habakkuk 1:6 For behold, I am raising up the Chaldeans, that bitter and hasty nation, who march through the breadth of the earth, to seize dwellings not their own. 7 They are dreaded and fearsome; their justice and dignity go forth from themselves.  Habakkuk 1:8-10)

Habakkuk 1:11 Then they sweep by like the wind and go on, guilty men, whose own might is their god!” (Deuteronomy 8:17)

“The heart of sin is man taking God’s place on the throne. The heart of salvation is God taking man’s place on the cross.” 

I Corinthians 2:8 None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

“We must hold on to the hope that He has allowed things to become worse before they become better. In the course of history, God has used all sorts of strange and unexpected instruments to bring His purpose to pass.”Jones       

Hebrews 11:6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

B.   When events trouble, trust the character of God.

Habakkuk 1:12 Are you not from everlasting, O LORD my God, my Holy One?  We shall not die. O LORD, you have ordained them as a judgment, and you, O Rock, have established them for reproof. 13 You who are of purer eyes than to see evil and cannot look at wrong, why do you idly look at traitors and remain silent when the wicked swallows up the man more

How could God use His Son Jesus, who was sinless to become our sins on the cross?  How could He become unrighteousness so we could be made righteous? How can he make us worthy when none of us are worthy?

2 Corinthians 5:21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

I Peter 3:18a For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, (Hebrews 12:3)

Hebrews 12:3 Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.

My greatest strain is an opportunity to experience God’s mighty strength.   Strength comes from strain! The just shall live by faith.

Growth Group Questions for January 7, 2018

Opener:   Describe a time you had an injustice done to you.  How did you deal with it? 

1.   Read Habakkuk 1:1-17.  Summarize in your own words what’s going on in this passage.  What passage spoke to you as you read it? Why? 

2.   Do a little research on this book:  Who wrote it?  When?  Where?  What themes are covered? Why is it important?

3.    Read Habakkuk 1:2-4, Psalm 94:3, 119:126, Mark 7:9: Rev. 6:10 .  What are the complaints mentioned in these verses?  Do you ever have similar complaints?  If so describe?   What troubles you about our world?  Why does it bother you?

4.   Read and meditate on Habakkuk 1:5. What stands out to you about God’s answer to him? Read Hebrews 11:1 & 6.  How does God’s answer require faith?    

5.   Read Habakkuk 1:6-11, Isaiah 55:7-8.  Discuss: is it fair that God should use a more wicked nation to punish a less wicked nation?   Does this happen today?      

6.   Read Habakkuk 1:12-17.  What is the main complaint in this passage?  Do we have similar complaints in our day?  What attributes of God are mentioned in 1:12-13? 

7.   Read I Peter 3:18. What justice did Jesus receive?  What justice did he give?

8.   What can we learn from Habakkuk to do when our world seems to be falling apart?  How can we live by faith in our unbelieving our world?

Spend some time in prayer for each other as we close out group time. 

Bonus:  Read Hebrews 12:1-3.  Consider what Jesus did to help him face injustices of his world.  How can this help you live by faith this week? 

Habakkuk 2:4b  “But the righteous shall live by his faith.”