Ron Dunn Podcast - A Faith for All Seasons - Part 4

Episode Date: September 9, 2026

This message from Habbakuk chapter 3 we conclude this series on Faith. Within our faith is all that we will ever need in life.

First, the third verse, is written by a Methodist. And I just made a little note in the 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 Armenian could have blessed a 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. And so anyway, I want you to open your Bibles tonight to guess where? Habaca, Chapter 3. We're going to get rid of this fellow tonight once in for all. Habaca, Chapter 3. I some of you may have seen me here this ever and wonder 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

screw can opener small screwdriver can lifter screwing wire stripper, reamer, scissors, fill up screwdriver, magnifying glass, wood saw, fish scalar, hook disgorger, ruler, nail file, metal file, nail file, nail file, N-A-I-L file, metal saw, fine screwdriver, key ring, tweezers, and... Toothpict.

I could create the heaven and the earth with that. I never leave home without it. I... No matter what occasion arises, I'm not... rise is I'm ready. I am ready. That'll handle just about any occasion. Okay, 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 that, that's a divine resource.

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, omega, A, and Z, and yet you can take those 26 letters in the English language 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 feigning from hunger, 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. Even a rocket in the 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 condition, 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, now 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 Vinby 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 a rhinestone gown, low-cut, and jewels and diamonds everywhere, and we find out what I would 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 I mean, I would. And please don't understand. I'm not to speak against those things, but you know, once in a while, I tell you what, I get sort of a perverse sense of humor sometime, 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 and bluebub overalls and old dirt cake boots on and his wife coming out in a curing of 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 Habaca I think as as 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 dear 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, 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, a prayer of Habakkukh, the prophet upon Shiglonov.

I'm not really sure what that is. I get different views from it. Sometimes referred to a variable type of songs, 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. Actually, it doesn't come through in the English, but in the Hebrew with just the exceptions of verses 7, 8, and 13,

this chapter is comprised of just three words, three lines each. It's a beautiful arrangement. And 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 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 season. 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 enables a person to do. What it enables us to do. And the first thing I think it enables us to do is, 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 all. Oh, 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 alive, preserve, carry on it, by work, oh, 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 while 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 loss 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 Habaca had in mind. He says, O Lord, revive thy work. What was that work? It's that work that upset Habaka at the beginning. You go back to chapter 1, verse 5. God answers him. Habakkah 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 Caldeans that bitter and hasty nation which shall march to the breath of the land to possess the dwelling places that are not theirs.

God goes on to describe the terrible destruction that the Caldeans 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 That something has happened to Abacca Something has happened to Abacca

God has spoken to him And we saw in that marvelous way God said here is the Here is the sustaining secret Just remember one thing. As the Caldeans sweep in and sweep away, the just will survive by faith. And after that dialogue and the revelation of God to Habakkukh'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, Habaca has come to the place where he's 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 RAD, 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

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. 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. I want a revival that will not only sweep over this land, saving the loss, 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 Abacchus and said, all right, I will judge your nation, but I'll have to use Russia to do it, and they're going to be. comment 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 corruption.

I can put up with a beer hall here and there. I might be able to put up with the pornography shop down the street. Why? because I like my way of living. I'm willing for a Bible 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 will 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 of 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 center.

What set on his shoulder was a little red lizard, and it was twitching its tail like a whip and whispering things in his ear, and 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 lead. 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, ah, 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 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 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

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 vines the labor of the oily 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 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 oily olive fails, if the fields have no meat, if the flock is cut off and there are no hurt in the

stalls, not only are they going to suffer economically, they're just going to cease to exist. Notice what Abacca 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 hind's 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 work, 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 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 uh 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 about that it's changed tobacco 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, the 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 hind's feet. It's the idea of him doing this man with strength and energizing him and he will make me to walk up on 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 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 height of spiritual relationship to reach the heights of spiritual relationship i was reading a verse the other day i 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 1st and 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 you see one of the things about

if you're always looking for an alliterative outline you know, the kind that always begin 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 Eve. He will offer a way of escape so that you may be able to endure it. And I thought, I'm going to preach the 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 wait just a minute. I thought you said you were going to make a way of escape, that's right. Well, then what's this enduring business?

Well, 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. 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. Many times he mean, I will reinforce you in such a way that to the amazement of Satan and all the demons in hell and yourself, you'll walk right through it.