Ron Dunn Podcast - A Faith For All Seasons Part 4

Episode Date: June 30, 2021

Ron Dunn preaches part four of "A Faith For All Seasons"

The third verse is written by a Methodist. And I just made a little note in front of my Bible. Here is a great demonstration of the Christian unity he's been talking about this week. Who would ever have thought an Arminian could have blessed the calvinist but thank you jamil thank you choir this is last night the choir will be with us and boy i sure do appreciate what they've done this week and I know you do also. So anyway, I want you to open your Bibles tonight to, guess where? Habakkuk, chapter 3.

We're going to get rid of this fellow tonight once and for all. Habakkuk, chapter 3. I, some of you may have seen me here, there's everyone wondering what in the world. My wife, this past Christmas, gave me a genuine Swiss knife. I can't carry it in the pocket because it's so heavy. But it's got all of these things in it. I've got the list here. It's got a large blade, small blade, work screw, can opener, small screwdriver, can lifter, screwdriver, wire stripper, reamer, scissors, Phillips screwdriver, magnifying

glass, wood saw, fish scaler, hook disgorger, ruler, nail file, metal file, nail file, N-A-I-L file, metal saw, fine screwdriver, key ring, tweezers, and toothpicks. I could create the heaven and the earth with that. I never leave home without it. No matter what occasion arises, I'm ready. I am ready. That will handle just about any occasion. Well, what in the world does that have to do with anything?

I really believe that's the way our faith is I believe that's the way the Christian life is I think in a sense it is a divine tool a divine resource that makes us ready for any situation I think that you never have to step outside the circle of your faith to meet any need or to have any need met. For there is within the limits of our salvation

and our faith all that a man or woman will ever need to live their life. In the Revelation, Jesus said, I am the Alpha and the Omega. I am the beginning and the end. And I marvel at just the alphabet, the first letter, the last letter, Alpha and Omega, A and Z. And yet you can take those 26 letters in the english language and and you can write a little

note or you can write the encyclopedia britannica you never need to have to go outside those 26 letters to write anything you want to write and jesus said i am the first and the last i am the beginning and the end i am the alpha and the omega and you never need to go outside me to find anything that you need or to have any need met i love it when those 5 000 were fainting from hunger and and the disciples said lord should we send them away so that they can eat and jesus said you need not send them away you never need to go away from jesus to find anything that you need. Our faith is that kind of faith. Like that sweet army knife. That whatever the occasion.

Whatever contingency in your life. There is sufficient resources within it. To meet that need. I think it is the genius of Christianity. That it works. Under any condition. And that it works. And operates properly. under adverse conditions.

When my wife and I were driving up last week from Dallas, I could tell when we got high in the mountains, the thin air, my car began becoming reluctant. And it just has not functioned properly under these conditions. A plane cannot fly unless the conditions are right.

An automobile won't work unless conditions are right. An automobile won't work unless conditions are right. Even a rocket into space cannot be fired unless conditions are right. Everything that you and I know anything about, it'll function properly only when conditions are just right. But the amazing thing about our faith is that it operates under any condition. And really, it operates even better under poor conditions. An adverse condition.

That's where it operates best. That's where it really shines. That's where it really proves itself. You know, I think in our day we have come to the place where we believe that for the Christian life to work or the epitome of Christian success is when everything about you is just perfect, just right. Do you know what I mean?

I suppose we preachers are as much to blame for that as anybody. But I notice sometimes we get the idea that the zenith of Christian living. I mean, here is a man or a woman who has really arrived. And this is the model. This is the kind of person that we look to and admire and envy and say, Oh, wouldn't we like to be one of those? It has to be a highly successful executive, you know, who drives a Mercedes and lives in a beautiful home

and his wife has a three-story hairdo and rhinestone gown, low-cut and jewels and diamonds everywhere. And we finally know what I'm going to say. God made me a millionaire. And there's not anything wrong with that i'm not saying that at all i wish god would make me a millionaire i've been talking to him about it for a long time and i promise that if god makes me a millionaire i'll pay for the conference next year and uh i mean i would and please don't understand i'm not speaking against those things but you know once in a while, I tell you what,

I know I get sort of a perverse sense of humor sometimes, but just once in a while, I'd like to turn on to PTL and 700 and TNB or TBN or whatever it is. And I'd like to see some old dirt farmer come out there in blue bib overalls and old dirt cake boots on and his wife coming out in a Purina feed sack kind of dress. And she hasn't seen a beauty operator in her life. And they drove up in an old 41 ford pickup belching steam all the way and they come on and they say praise god it works praise god it works i'd like to see that just once in a while but i don't think you ever will and that's what i've been discovering about habakkuk i i think as as i i work through

this little prophecy again and again again the thing that comes across to me is that here is a faith here is a faith that operates under any condition my friend. I want you to know. That things may not ever be the way. You want them to be. Circumstances may never. Resolve themselves. I was so blessed by what Harlan had to say. You know, that phrase runs through my mind constantly. But if not.

But if not. What about then? And we're going to have to realize, folks, that regardless of how much we pray and how much we praise and how much seed faith we plant, things may never be what we want them to be. Circumstances may never be what we want them to be.

We may have to live a life under adverse circumstances. But that's what faith is for. And that's how faith operates the best. Now, I told you at the beginning of the week that the little book and the little prophet of habakkuk opens with complaining and it closes with rejoicing now chapter three is what we're going to look at tonight now chapter three as I said this morning, is more or less a psalm. It opens with these words, It's a prayer of Habakkuk, the prophet, upon Shigalov.

I'm not really sure what that is. I get different views from it. It's sometimes referred to a variable type of psalm, different tunes that could be used to it. It's a highly emotional, poetic form of songs. It was probably sung by the Levites in the temple service. So it is something that is really meant to be sung. And actually, it doesn't come through in the English, but in the Hebrew, with just the exceptions of verses 7 8 and 13 uh this uh this chapter is comprised of just three words three lines each it's a it's a beautiful arrangement and uh it is something

that was intended to be sung it is a prayer it is a song actually what it is it is habakkuk's response to what god has revealed to him it's habakkuk's response to what God has revealed to him. It's Habakkuk's response and faith of what God has said to him. And what we're seeing now is the kind of faith, and if I had to title this, I just simply call it a faith for all seasons. The kind of faith that gives you a foundation of certainty under any situation. What we're looking at tonight are going to be just two of what I believe are the responses of that kind of faith. What it enables a person to do. What it enables us to do. And the first thing I think it enables us to do is to pray that God will revive his work.

A revival of God's work. A prayer that God will revive his work. He says in verse 2, O Lord, I have heard thy report, and I stand in awe. O Lord, revive, bring to life, preserve alive thy work in the midst of the years in the midst of the years make known and in wrath remember mercy or in wrath have compassion and so Habakkuk is praying

God revive bring life preserve carry on by work, O Lord. I have, to be honest with you, I have preached on that passage a number of times the week before our church would have a revival meeting. And I would say we ought to pray that God would send us a revival. And what I meant by that, and what we all meant by that, and I'm not sure that that is a misuse of the passage, but what I meant was God sent revival, the lost shall be saved, and the believers will be revived, and our church will be healed and refreshed. And that's not a misuse of this passage but that is not primarily originally what Habakkuk had in mind.

He says, O Lord, revive thy work. What was that work? It's that work that upset Habakkuk at the beginning. You go back to chapter 1, verse 5. God answers him. Habakkuk is complaining because God seemingly is doing nothing. And so God answers in verse 5 and says,

Behold ye among the heathen and regard and wonder marvelously. For I will work a work in your days which you will not believe, though it be told you. For lo, I raise up the Chaldeans, that bitter and hasty nation, which shall march through the breadth of the land to possess the dwelling places that are not theirs. God goes on to describe the terrible destruction that the Chaldeans are going to bring to bear upon God's people. And when Habakkuk hears it, he begins to complain and argue. In verse 12, he says, Art thou not from everlasting, O Lord my God, mine Holy One? We shall not die.

Thou hast ordained them for judgment. He says, how can you do this? How can you do this? And he is terribly upset and angry and refuses to accept the work of God. But something has happened to Abba. Something has happened to Abba. something has happened to Habakkuk. Something has happened to Habakkuk. God has spoken to him. And we saw in that marvelous way God said, Here is the sustaining secret.

Just remember one thing. As the Chaldeans sweep in and sweep away, the just will survive by faith. And after that dialogue and the revelation of God to Habakkuk's heart, Habakkuk finds himself saying, Lord, revive thy work. And that work includes

not only the coming destruction of the Chaldeans, but it includes, first of all, the Chaldeans destroying his own people. In other words, Habakkuk has come to the place where he is willing to accept God's way of working. He has come to the place where he wants to see God manifest himself so badly that he's willing to accept judgment, if that's what it takes. In wrath, remember mercy in the midst of the years the idea is don't wait so long don't wait so long do it now do it now make it known make it manifest so all the people may see you as you manifest yourself just ask one thing just ask one thing that in the midst of your wrath you'll remember

us you'll have compassion you'll have mercy but do it now in the midst of the years i'm eager to see you work even though it means hardship upon us i thought about this today i thought to me it just seemed so remarkable that a man wants revival so badly he wants to see God manifest himself so badly that even if it costs him everything he has materially and physically he'll still pray for it. There's a lot of us praying for revival today. But I must say to you that

I believe if you and I really knew what revival meant, we would stop praying for it. Tonight we pray for revival in our country. And when I pray for revival in America, I'll tell you exactly what I'm thinking of. I want a revival that will not only. Sweep over this land. Saving the lost. But I want a revival. That will turn off the faucet of pornography.

And that will dry up all the beer halls. And will cleanse the hearts of all the crooked politicians. That's the kind of revival I want. A revival of righteousness. What if God were to come to my heart as he came to abacus and said all right i will judge your nation but i'll have to use russia to do it and they're going to come in upon you like a flood that bitter and hasty nation and they're going to destroy you but that's the way I'm going to purge you and purify you and make you holy once again. I don't know if I'd go ahead and pray.

I think I might try to just limp along as it is. I can put up with a little bit of corruption. I can put up with a beer hall here and there. I might not be able to put up with a pornography shop down the street. Why? Because I like my way of living i i i'm willing for revival to come if it doesn't cost me i think you and i the man of faith a woman of faith this kind of faith has to be that kind of person who is willing who is willing to pray for God to do his work,

even if his work costs us something in the process. I want to read something from my book. Don't worry, it's not what I wrote. But it's something that C.S. Lewis wrote years ago. He wrote a little book called The Great Divorce. It's sort of a fantasy type thing about heaven. They take a bus trip, you know, up to the gates and all of that, to the waiting area. And so C.S. Lewis is describing a confrontation between one of the angels and a diehard sinner.

And he describes the sinner as a ghost. And this is the conversation. Talking about the ghost, the sinner. What sat on his shoulder was a little red lizard, and it was twitching its tail like a whip and whispering things in his ear. He turned his head to the reptile with a snarl of impatience. Shut up, I tell you. It wagged its tail and continued to whisper to him.

Off so soon, said a voice. Yes, I'm off, said the ghost. Thanks for all your hospitality, but it's no good, you see. I told this little chap, here he indicated the lizard, that he'd have to be quiet if he came, which he insisted on doing. Of course, his stuff won't do up here. I realize that now. But he won't stop.

I'll just have to go home. Would you like me to make him quiet, said the flaming spirit, an angel as I now understood? Of course I would, said the ghost. Then I will kill him, said the angel, taking a step forward. Oh, look out, you're burning me. Keep away, said the ghost, retreating. Don't you want him killed? You didn't say anything about killing him at first i hardly meant to bother you with anything so drastic as

that it's the only way said the angel whose burning hands were now very close to the lizard shall i kill it well that's a further question i'm quite open to consider it but it's a new point isn't it i mean for the moment i was only thinking about silencing it because it's up here. Well, it's so embarrassing. May I kill it? Well, there's time to discuss that later. There is no time. May I kill it? Please, I never meant to be such a nuisance. Please, really, don't bother. Look, it's gone to the sleep of its own accord. I'm sure it'll be all right now. Thanks ever so much. May I kill it? Honestly, I don't think there's the slightest necessity for that. I'm sure I'll be able to keep it in order now. I think the gradual process would be far better than killing it. The gradual process is of no use at all. Don't you think so? Well, I'll think

over what you've said very carefully. I honestly will. In fact, I'd let you kill it now. But as a matter of fact, I'm not feeling frightfully well today. It would be silly to do it now. I'd need to be in good health for the operation. Some other day, perhaps.

There is no other day. All days are present now. Get back. You're burning me. How can I tell you to kill it? You'd kill me if you back. You're burning me. How can I tell you to kill it? You'd kill me if you did. It is not so. Why, you're hurting me now.

I never said it wouldn't hurt you. I said it would not kill you. Oh, I know. You think I'm a coward. But it isn't that. Really, it isn't. I say, let me run back by tonight's bus and get an opinion from my own doctor i'll come again the first moment i can this moment contains all moments why are you torturing me you are jeering at me how can i let you tear me to pieces if you wanted to help me why didn't you just kill the thing without asking me before i knew it it would be all over by now if you had

i cannot kill it against your will. It is impossible. Have I your permission? The angel's hands were almost closed on the lizard, but not quite. Have I your permission, said the angel to the ghost. I know it will kill me. It won't, but supposing it did. You're right. It would be better to be dead than to live with this creature i think that's what habakkuk is praying dear lord revive thy work i want to see your name honored and glorified no matter what it costs and i know that your work involves the judging, the punishing of my own people. But that's the kind of faith. It's the kind of faith that is daring, is so daring and so bold to ask God to do His work,

even when you know that work is going to cost you personally. And then there's one other aspect of this faith that I think is so important. I want you to turn over now into the third chapter to verses 17, 18, and 19. And when I said at the beginning that the genius of Christian faith is that it operates under every condition, even the most adverse.

And when I said that things may never change in your life I'm talking about circumstances they really may not you may never really get well your church may never really be what it ought to be things circumstances may not change in your life this is what I was referring to he's coming now to the end of these words and listen to them in verse 17 although the fig tree shall not blossom

neither shall fruit be in the vine the labor of the olive shall fail and the field shall yield no meat. The flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalks. That's a terrible condition. It's a double tried there, and the things that he talks about in couplets are the things that are absolutely essential, not just to the prosperity of the nation, but to the survival of the nation. If the fig trees do not blossom, if the vines do not bear any fruit, if the olive fails, if the fields have no meat, if the flock is cut off and there's no herd in the stalls,

not only are they going to suffer economically they're just going to cease to exist but notice what abacus says in verse 18 yet i will rejoice in the lord i will joy in the god of my salvation the lord god is my strength and he will make my feet like hinds feet and he will make me to walk upon mine hind places. This kind of faith is not only the kind of faith that is praying and willing for God to send a revival of his word, but it is in the final analysis and I believe this has to be the apex, the climax, the mountaintop of our faith. It is the kind of faith that rejoices in the presence of God. You see, not a single thing has changed.

That's what amazes me. I look at the first verse and he's complaining. I look at the last verse and he's rejoicing. And so I say to myself, oh, in between those two pages, something marvelous must have happened. God must have come in and filled all their barns and planted new vines and fig trees. I mean, a man to come out rejoicing like that, something wonderful must have happened. Not a single thing has changed. Well, Habakkuk has changed.

Habakkuk has changed. You see, we wait to rejoice until the fig tree does blossom. We wait to rejoice until the herd is in the stalls. But not a single thing has changed. And you can put together those two words. First word of verse 17. First word of verse 18. And you'll have it.

Although and yet. Although nothing has changed in my life although i'm still sick although i'm still a cripple although my children are still in rebellion although my church is still dead although nothing has changed yet i will rejoice in the lord i will rejoice in the lord and he closes it with these words he says and he will make my feet like hinds feet it's the idea of him doing this man with strength and energizing him

and he will make me to walk upon mine high places what are those high places we're not to think here that he's talking about the religious centers the worship centers of the pagan gods I think again here he's talking about the religious centers, the worship centers of the pagan gods. I think again here he's speaking in figurative language.

What he's saying I think is this, that there is that higher, that higher, that higher point of spiritual maturity that lies at the end of tribulation and can be climbed only by the person of faith. To reach the heights of spiritual relationship. To reach the heights of spiritual relationship. I was reading a verse the other day. I know without a doubt that God does something when I'm asleep. I know that he takes my Bible and while I'm not looking, he adds words to it. Because I keep finding things in the Bible that I have read a hundred times and I see them there for the first time.

Somebody is sneaking my Bible out at night and adding words to it i have preached and preached and preached for years on first and tenth chapter 10 verses where he said there hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man god is faithful and will allow you to be tempted above that which you are able but will with every temptation make a way of escape so that you may be able to endure it i was reading that a few weeks ago and uh you see one of the things about if you're always looking for an alliterative outline you know the kind that always begins with the same letter, one advantage to that is you always notice words that begin with the same letter in Scripture.

See if you can kind of stretch a point there and make an outline out of it. And so as I was reading the last part of that verse, I noticed there were two words that started with E. He will offer a way of escape so that you may be able to endure it. And I thought, I'm going to preach a sermon on that. And then I got to looking at that. And all of a sudden, I saw what I had never really seen before.

He said he will make a way of escape. Amen. That's what I want to do. That you may be able to what? Endure it. Now now wait just a minute uh I thought you said you were going to make a way of escape that's right well then what's this enduring business well that I'm going to make a way of escape so you can endure it now wait we both speak English we both understand each other You said you're going to make a way of escape, right? Right.

Well then what's this enduring mean? He says that is the way of escape. When God means escape he doesn't necessarily mean we're going to be airlifted out of the valley. The Ron Dunn Podcast is available of the valley. to additional Ron Dunn messages, visit sherwoodbaptist.net slash bookstore and search Ron Dunn. For more Ron Dunn materials, including sermon outlines, devotions, and scanned pages from a study Bible, please visit rondunn.com.