How long must I wait on God? Hope In The Dark: Week 2 with Pastor Craig Groeschel

[Music] so what do you do when you find yourself hitting a spiritual wall when with everything in you you want to believe in the goodness of God but what you see with your eyes is different than what you want to believe in your heart what do you do when you find yourself wrestling with doubts when what you always thought was true you're not quite sure it's true what do you do when you want to believe that God is good that life is not that's what we're talking about over these few weeks were in one of the most raw and honest books of the Bible were studying the book of Habakkuk last week we were in a back acceptor one if you are with us Habakkuk 1 is not a sitcom sermon who knows what a sitcom sermon is sitcom all the problems were resolved in 30 minutes or less including commercial breaks chapter 1 it's not a sitcom sermon you're still hanging out we're in chapter 2 today there's three chapters in the book of Habakkuk chapter 2 not a sitcom sermon a lot of people said last week was difficult it was wrong it was hard to handle if you didn't like last week's message you're really not gonna like this one don't you lean to your neighbor and say you're not gonna like this one welcome to Life Church we're here to make you feel good about yourself we're in Habakkuk chapter 2 Habakkuk 1 don't walk away from God in Chapter 1 chapter 2 don't quit on God in chapter 2 chapter 1 was all about wandering God I know you can I believe you will but you're not and I don't understand why you're not chapter 2 is all about waiting wondering is difficult waiting is even more difficult if you missed last week let me give you a little backstory on the book of Habakkuk Habakkuk is a minor prophet he lived and wrote and prophesied about 600 years before the birth of Christ most prophets would do this they would speak to the people on behalf of God this is what God says to you people Habakkuk was different he didn't speak to the people on behalf of God instead he actually spoke to God on behalf of the people and said God I don't understand why you're not I don't think this is fair you're supposed to be a just God but I'm not really sure you are where are you God why aren't you doing what I think you should do his people the people of Judah at one time they were blessed and prosperous but now there was tremendous corruption and they were suffering greatly and so Habakkuk tries out God deliver us essentially and God says okay I'm about to do something and you're not gonna believe it's gonna amaze me if I told you wouldn't even believe it and so if I'm a back in time think of finally God's gonna come through so to answer my prayers everything's gonna be great we're gonna be happy live you know blessed lives and God says I'm gonna raise up your enemy people who are even worse than you are the Babylonians and they're gonna issue judgment upon you he's like beside himself this doesn't make sense this isn't the God that I want to believe in chapter one he's wondering why don't you do what I want you to do chapter 2 he's waiting God where your promise is gonna come true let me tell you what I'm eating on right now besides the very personal story I've told you about non-stop because my world is a wreck because of our daughter I'm waiting on my friend Erik it's not his real name don't want to embarrass him but Erik is a strong follower of Christ and he made some bad decisions and betrayed his marriage vows and now he's not sure what he wants to do with his life does he want to go back or does he want to go with the new person and my heart breaks for him and for his wife and for his children and we're all praying and believing that he will hear the speech of God and he'll do the right thing and so far he's not Brian and and Carissa they're on our staff Pastor Brian is a pastor of Life Church Keller his precious seven year old daughter Macy had 31 seizures in a day and no diagnosis last week she was at the same doctor in New Mexico my daughter Mandy went to we're praying for diagnosis and believing waiting waiting God touched this precious little girl then there's Luke Luke's my buddy Luke is 11 years old Luke has inoperable brain tumor and brain cancer and it's infecting his eyesight and all sorts of other things this is a little Luke he came to my office before he moved away two weeks ago this is us hanging out and this is us having fun just Mina Luke and precious kid Luke has led so many kids to Christ on his floor at the hospital he's bravely endured chemo he's a champion of kids we set right over here and the seat and on loose last week and I just I went up to him before he moved away and I don't know what to say I mean having never said this before it anybody has grabbed his shoulders I just looked him in the eye and I said you were a hero to me and then I just said you have my heart because he does like he's he's got my heart so Luke came into my office on Monday and he made me a painting gave me this little Luke and so Luke has my heart and I'm waiting and praying and believing that God will hear our prayers and do a miracle in little Luke's body because we have so much faith in little Luke trust Jesus so much what do you do when you're wondering when you're waiting I wrote what is probably the most personal book that I've ever written it's out on Tuesday hope in the dark believing God is good when life is not it's all based on the book of a packet if your life is good if everything's up in the right this book is not for you this book is for those who are wondering and those who are waiting it is available at still some life churches it's do you buy here all the proceeds go to the church if if you want to buy it online Amazon Mardel and such it's available there and if you know someone who's hurting I pray it will speak to them what do you do when you're stuck when you're hurting today what I want to do is get into chapter 2 I'm going to look at three different things that God's Word tells us to do very specifically three things her back ik does when you're hurting when you're wondering when you don't know what to do let me show you the first thing that we're gonna see to do some of you this is what you need to do you're hurting you're wondering the first thing we see is Habakkuk is going to listen to God what I like about this is that when God's not doing what you want to do some people walk away some people doubt God some people quit on God but Habakkuk doesn't do any of those things instead what he does is he positions himself in the most strategic place to see the hand of God and to hear the voice of God verse one of the back ik - he says I will stand at my watch and station myself on the ramparts I'm gonna be in the best possible place to see the hand of God and hear the voice of God he says I will look to see what he Elwood to see what God will say to me this is an E you do when you're hurting because when you're hurting what you want to do is you want to tell God to do what you want him to do and no he should do God reach Eric and draw him home God touch little Maci and heal her from Caesar God bring healing to little Luke if you do will bring you glory and will brag on you and God if you don't I don't know how I can defend you God it's really difficult to talk about your goodness when you don't do what I know you could do you want to tell god what to do instead of telling him what to do at those times it's important to listen to him our God is a God who speaks God can speak through his word if you're a follower of Christ I would beg you to be in his word every single day to feed on his word open up your youversion app get your plan and just feed on his word he speaks to us because he'll speak to you through his spirit he can speak audibly I've never heard the audible voice of God but he can speak to you in your soul in your spirit in a way sometimes it's even louder than if it were audible he can speak for people he can speak through circumstances didn't speak through a message did you speak for a song he will speak to you if he doesn't don't panic just because he's silent does not mean he is absent he is always there he's always with you listen for the voice of God now let me just warn you and be real honest with you sometimes when you hear from him he's gonna tell you something that you don't want to hear which is exactly what he did to a back ik you're gonna do something amazing and then God says yeah I'm gonna raised up your enemy the people who are worse than you and they're gonna bring judgment upon you that's not what I was looking for God God I ask you to do this and you're doing the opposite that's not what I wanted to hear sometimes God will speak to you and he will say something you don't want to hear the Apostle Paul in the New Testament that there's probably no better example of a guy who deserved for God to do what he asked him to do he had something called a thorn in the side we don't know what it is theologians guess it was blindness or an addiction or a pain or depression all sorts of different things we don't know what it was but he begged pleaded with God three times seasons of pleading take it away God don't do anything God have mercy on me take it away take it away take it away and God spoke to him and God did not say yes but God said no you ask but my answer is no and then God said by grace is enough for you he didn't say what Paul wanted to hear if I'm Paul I'm pushing back a little bit do you remember who I am I'm Paul I don't want your grace I want your power Peter he needs your grace remember he denied you uno dos tres get him kneel grace give me your power Thomas mister I'm not gonna believe unless I see get him your grace I want your power do you remember what I did for you you ever feel like that you think for a minute with my daughter sick hadn't crossed my mind God you remember what my family's doing for you won't you get on with it do something for us I'm just telling you if this is too real I'm sorry if I'm Paul I'm like okay I was beaten for you so many times I was left for dead whipped across my back shipwrecked snake bit and you know how I feel about snakes I was stoned and not recreationally speaking I need to say that for many of you oh praise the Lord I can suffer for Jesus - you know some medical condition after all I've been through for you give me your power no I'm gonna give you my grace what you want is not what I'm gonna give you but what am i give you it's so much better listen listen listen then God's gonna show us once we hear what he's saying number one we listen number two we write we write it down we document it we record what God says to us and this is the very thing that God says to Habakkuk the Lord replied to Habakkuk instead what say it aloud with me all of our churches he said write down the revelation and make it plain on the tablets document it record it write it down why do we do this because we have a spiritual enemy whose mission is to steal to kill and to destroy our spiritual enemy wants to take from you what God gives to you God will give you a word God will give you faith God will give you a moment of peace and our enemy wants to take away from you the very word that God gives to you and this happens all that time for some of you it was last week you were in church you heard from God God spoke to you God bless you God gave you faith God moves you you got in the car you drove out your kids were fighting he's touching me don't let him touch me draw a line in him you look back you came home like you God really speak to me or is there something else you get distracted Satan wants to take from you what God gives to you down document it put it on paper go back to it hang on to it believe it claim it embrace it live in it don't let your enemy take it from you this is something that Amy and I've been hanging on to months ago with our daughter Mandy hurting in agony every day in pain God told Amy very clearly to rejoice and thank him for the healing that Mandy does not yet have so you know what she did she wrote it down in her journal date/time moment and months later we can go back and look to that moment whenever Satan wants to get us to doubt to fear to walk away we go back and say no there it is on that day in that moment this is we're like Paul and Silas in prison long before the shackles come free we're praising God in advance before we see the miracle we're thanking him for his goodness listen to what God will say to you write it down and then the third thing is difficult it is no fun it's where some of you are living right now it's where my family is living right now you listen you're right and then God's gonna say you wait you wait wondering is no fun waiting is much worse you wait and you wait and you wait on the faithfulness of God some of you right now you're waiting will my trial ever come back to Christ you're waiting praying what you want to see you don't see you see the opposite it's God ever going to hear the cry of my heart and give me the marriage that I want to have it's gonna ever give me a job with benefits it's got every stop the migraines it's going to ever help take me out of this depression that holds me down you wait verse three of Habakkuk 2 is one of my favorite verses this is what scripture says God says this God says for the revelation awaits an appointed time somebody say appointed time the revelation awaits an appointed time it speaks to the end and it will not prove false though its linger wait for it though it leader wait for it it will certainly come and not delay though it linger wait for it I was talking to a guy at the gym and he told me he's waiting on his wife I said where is she he still haven't met her yet I'm waiting on her okay I'm way I'm waiting on her yes III get that you don't understand so I'm waiting on us oh yeah I understand waiting dating and the deep desire for mating he said that's exactly well I'm waiting some of you are there right now though it linger seems like it's taken forever don't linger wait for him though it linger wait for her and while you're waiting may I remind you single is a whole number in other words you don't need somebody else to help you be fruitful and faithful for the glory of God single is a whole number and may I also remind you God may be preparing someone really special for you and the best meals take a little longer to prepare in other words your gourmet dessert may be baking as we speak though it linger wait for that alarm to go off before I'm gonna end this metaphor before I say something inappropriate about eating babies anyway forget that just wait for it I love I love the way that the Living Bible translates that very same verse this is what it says this is this but the God says but the things I plan won't happen right away then God says slowly steadily surely as the time approaches when the vision will be fulfilled if it seems slow do not despair for these things will surely come to pass just be patient they will not be overdue a single day at the appointed time God will deliver at the appointed time he will respond at the appointed time he will do his perfect will at the appointed time in fact I love the word in the Hebrew that's translated as appointed time its word mo ed and it just it literally means perfect unstoppable timing of God when it when it's the Moab it's coming kind of like whenever Amy gave birth to our third child Ana and she was about to get her epidural and and then she said the baby's coming and like we need to get epidural and she that was she never got an epidural after that she said if she felt so close to God having a baby I don't understand that I think she needs counseling if I'm giving birth I want drugs or more drugs but no Amy feels close to God in pain whatever that means and so she looks at me and she says the baby's coming I said I'll go get a doctor she said no you're not gonna get a doctor I said I'll hurry she said no you're delivering the baby and I said no you're not yes and so I delivered the baby God is my witness she's screaming and pushing herself off the back of the bed I'm running to the back of the bed pushing her head down running to the place like that I'm in the ready position like I'm gonna catch a ground ball you know and and she at that moment literally Ana came out and I had her head and then I dropped her only this far but I did drop her technically I was the closest human being when she came out so I delivered her at the appointed time it's gonna happen at the mo ad you can't stop it always remember if it's not God's time you can't force it when it is God's time you can't stop it though it linger wait for it his timing is perfect you may say it takes forever I continue to wait I'm not seeing it it's not coming to pass but I hope you'll remember if you're in the waiting zone which is where I am when you're trying to hang on to your faith and you're not seeing anything and they're getting impatient and you're starting to wonder and you're wondering and then you're waiting and you're where is God remember God's delays are not God's denials just because you haven't seen it does not mean God is not going to do it though it linger wait for it though it linger wait for it and God's appointed time that will come to pass verse 4 many theologians say this is the most important verse in all of Habakkuk not my favorite but maybe it's the most important Habakkuk is beside himself the Babylonians are bad where are they going to get their due and if you read in the back ik - there's what's known as the five woes of Babel and basically God says I'm gonna get him I'm gonna get him i'ma get them i'ma get my me they're gonna get theirs I am a just God Habakkuk is waiting God when are you gonna bring justice on us we're gonna bring justice on them I don't understand he's confused and this is what God says God and acknowledge us the Babylonians are evil see the enemy Babylon is puffed up his desires are not upright but God's not talking to them he's talking to her about it he says but the righteous person will live by his faithfulness we'll live by God's faithfulness in the new testament scripture says the righteous will live by faith the righteous will live by faith we don't walk by sight we walk by faith we are faith is not based on what we see or what we want or getting our desired outcome our faith is based on the character and the goodness and the nature of God we live by faith we live by faith we live by faith Pastor Brian charissa in life search killer you're living by faith pastor Brian's wife posted this on little Maisie the girl with the Caesars if you look to the left August 2nd she's counting the seizured early in the day and this is what little macy's mom wrote on the hard days when the seizure count is over 15 by noon you have to remind yourself that God is good and she quotes the lyrics from the song that our church wrote even in the unknown I know that you're good even in the waiting you are good my favorite parts of the song I cried all the way through it today is is even in the waiting your good I will lift my hands while I'm waiting louder than my fears I will sing may not heart ever be reminded you are good the righteous will live by faith even though I don't see with my eyes I fight to trust you God with my heart even though everything I want you to do you're not doing wait for it I wait for your goodness wait for your glory to be revealed though it linger wait for it though it's still not coming wait for it wait for it a back ik it's disturbed confused upset angry feels betrayed questioning doubting trying to hang on and then he says three words in verse 20 almost as if he's reminding himself God is still in charge he says but the Lord everybody say but the Lord but God is in his holy temple even though I don't get it even though things aren't going the way I think they should but I remind myself but God is still in his holy temple no matter what I see I choose faith no matter what I feel I face even in my doubts I will lift my head I don't see away but with God there's always away I am aching but in my heart I choose to trust God I don't see what I want to see but because of the faithfulness of God I will choose to walk by faith I don't understand this but I believe with everything in me my God is still good but God is still on the throne because he is still there I can where I can worship Him before I see him move I can praise Him before I see him at even and the waiting I believe that he is good so I was talking to Mandy my daughter and I said I'm so proud of you I'm so proud I know that when God allowed this when I said the word aloud she kind of she kind of tensed up and i just kept talking us and i I know that God allowed this in your life but the way you're enduring it honors God your faith is it's so strong and and your enduring with such integrity she said that I just had to stop you your theology is off oh it is young one correct my theology sweetheart okay she's dead that innit I I don't say God is allowing this in my life she said do you see the difference that I'm able to make in so many people's lives like literally she's ministering to thousands of people online through this as she's hurting daily she's ministering she said no I believe God chose me for this because he knew that he could be glorified through it and then she said she said daddy I'm not enduring in enduring to me as passive if something's happening to me and I'm just hanging on to it she said daddy with everything in me I'm embracing this I'm embracing this Habakkuk do you remember what her back it means Habakkuk does not mean wrestling and enduring but the very name Habakkuk it means to wrestle and to embrace to wrestle I don't like this I would give anything if it would be different but to hang on God I don't understand but I'm not letting go chapter one and the wandering don't walk away from God in chapter 1 chapter 2 and the waiting don't quit on God in the waiting though it linger wait for it if it's not God's time you can't force it when it is God's time you can't stop it he is still good in the waiting so in my mind is 99% wrestling it's time God do it now but there is the one part of me because of who God is I will not let go I will not let go I will embrace even in the doubts even in the pain even when I don't understand there's somebody here what do you need to do go ahead wrestle wrestle but don't let go of God chapter 1 wandering wandering is so difficult don't walk away in 1 waiting is even more difficult don't quit on God next week is chapter 3 what happens in chapter 3 oh you have to be here next week to find out what happens in chapter 3 remember you cannot have chapter 3 without chapter 1 and without chapter 2 don't walk away from God in chapter 1 don't quit on God in chapter 2 he's big enough to handle the wrestling but continue to embrace so father we ask that you would speak in a way that only you can God we want to hear even if what you say is not what we want to hear God speak we will record it write it down document it this is what you say and God we wait on your promises we wait on your goodness we wait on your faithfulness God we wait on you and all of our churches those of you who might be waiting right now it could be for something in your own life a prayer request a need a burden it could be for somebody that you love one of your children for a relationship for someone in your life group for someone that you work with for a buddy at school for someone else is relative for someone so someone in your office you're waiting you're praying you're believing and you're still not seeing you may want God's power but he may give you grace at all of our churches those who are trying to hang on during the waiting I would be honored to pray with you if you're waiting trying to trust trying to hang on would you lift up your hands right now just all of our different churches lift up your hands in a moment of faith before God father I pray I pray God that you would speak speak somehow through this message God speak daily through your word God speak through the people in our life group God speak through circumstances God God speak and when you do God will record it my God has given me the word and I will hang on to it God give us the strength help us not just to endure in the waiting but God help us to embrace to hang on to you God if we want power and you give us grace we thank you God for the grace we thank you for the grace and God we will worship you even before we see the miracle and if we never see the miracle we want God will continue to worship you because our faith isn't based on us getting what we want God our faith is based on your character your nature your goodness God help us to see God that you are good even in the waiting God we can lift our hands and remind ourselves God you are good as you keep praying today at all of our churches here's what's here's what's amazing to me you may be waiting on something right now but but think about this for some of you God is waiting on you God is waiting on you many of you if we just kind of sat down and had an honest conversation and I ask you know where do you stand with God you might say oh yeah I believe in him I think or I'm not really sure but if you're really honest no matter what your beliefs you're not walking with him you're not faithfully following His Son Jesus but maybe if you look back through your life and I asked you questions you might say yeah there was this time when I was a kid and I kind of felt like God was drawing me or I heard this song and I felt like God was trying to get my attention I had this car wreck or something went wrong or God saved me from something I felt like God was trying to get my attention God was trying to draw me near to him and let me just tell you right now if you've ever felt like that you're right God desires that every single one of us would know him intimately all throughout your life God has been reaching out to you scripture says that he is patient he's waiting he doesn't want anyone to do life without him he doesn't want anyone to exist an eternity without his grace in his presence he's waiting whenever the Sun in Luke 15 Wanda away from the father the father waited patiently day after day will my son come back with my son come home will my son come home this is a picture of the love of God for somebody he is waiting on you to say yes to his love he's waiting on you to say yes to his grace who is Jesus he is the son of God perfect in every way he died Dave his life and everyone waited where is he they waited another day where is he on the third day when the twin the stone was rolled away the tomb was empty He is risen why so that anyone and this includes you who calls on his name would be saved forgiven made new all of our churches there are those of you God is waiting on you now is the time the appointed time if it's not God's time you can't force it when it is you can't stop it some of you realize it is your time now is the moment is a yes turn from your sins turn to your Savior give your life completely to him all of our churches no playing around this is the time this is the moment you know today by faith I give my life to Jesus that's your prayer lift your hands I now all over the place lift them up and say yes here in the middle sex and God bless you right over here on this side others have you lift them up and cry out right back over here all of our churches say yes I need Jesus so it's online you click right below me others others you're leaning into it this is the moment cry out say yes Jesus I give my life to you all of our churches would you just pray together nobody prays alone pray Heavenly Father I surrender my whole life to you forgive my sins make me new be first the Lord of my life fill me with your spirit so I could follow you and live for you my life isn't mine I give it to you thank you for a new life now you have mine in Jesus name I pray all of our churches because somebody worship our God celebrate big welcome those born into God's family [Applause]

Channel: Life.Church

Views: 41,980

Rating: 4.9013062 out of 5

Keywords: Craig, Groeschel, life, church, God, Jesus, hope

Id: AbHqfinFtDw

Length: 36min 22sec (2182 seconds)

Published: Mon Aug 20 2018