Mark Broadbent
3 October 2010
*There are times we have been disappointed with God
*No matter how much work you put in, you do not get the grades you want
*Some of us pray so much for the person to be healed but no miracle comes and that person leaves earth
*You feel God has let you down
*Some of us want to be married and thought he/she was the one but it did not work out
*Habakkuk 1:1-4:
The oracle that Habakkuk the prophet received
How long, O Lord, must I call for help,
but you do not listen?
Or cry out to you, "Violence!"
but you do not save?
Why do you make me look at injustice?
Why do you tolerate wrong?
Destruction and violence are before me;
there is strife, and conflict abounds.
Therefore the law is paralyzed,
and justice never prevails.
The wicked hem in the righteous,
so that justice is perverted.
*About a guy brutally honest with how he feels
*He is crying out on behalf of others about violence, death
*There is story after story crying out for personal needs but not this story
*Habakkuk 1:5
"Look at the nations and watch-
and be utterly amazed.
For I am going got do something in your days
that you would not believe,
even if you were told.
*He has waited for an answer but now he is getting exited because God answered him
*Habakkuk 1:6
I am raising up the Babylonians,
that ruthless and impetuous people,
who sweep across the whole earth
to seize dwelling places not their own.
*This is not the answer Habakkuk was expecting
*God said that there are more violent people around and He will ask them to wipe all the violence and injustice Habakkuk was crying about
What do you do when God does not answer what you want?
*We might be spiritually exhausted and walk away
*Why should we hang in there when we got every reason to walk out?
1. The Coke Machine
*Sometimes you get 'fanta' instead of 'coke' or even worse, nothing
*It does not matter how frustrated, confused, inconsistent you are by the coke machine. The coke machine is the only thing that can give you coke
*We should ask God to be the God of your life
*When we hang on, we would get an answer that is confusing but he is the only one that can give you an answer
*You would never see God working in your life if you run away from him
2. Loving Father
*God is way better than a coke machine
*He is personal, he knows your heart and every problem in your life
*Luke 11:11-13:
"Which is you father, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? if you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven five the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"
*Your heavenly father is way better than any earthly Father around
*God is always consistent and personal in our lives
3. My Place in God's Story
*Romans 8:28: And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
*God will put all the devastating and evil things and leverage it for our own good
*He uses our own evil, broken lives and transform them and find place in His Story to fulfill his purposes like redeeming people
*For people struggling with singleness, when we are single, we can focus better on God
*When we are married, we have to focus on both spouse and God
"Following God is about trading a starring role in a tiny story for any role in the biggest, most incredible story of all time"
-Louie Giglio-
*No matter how disappointing you can be, He will use our story to be involve in a bigger story of His
*Joseph forgave his brothers because he knew God intended this to happen for his own good and purpose.
*Satan is doing everything he can to make you give up
*So never give up!
**Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path**
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