WEBVTT 00:00:00.220 --> 00:00:02.240 If you got a Bible, I want to invite you to turn to the book of Habakkuk. 00:00:03.480 --> 00:00:06.340 the way to find that, if you're wondering, is that a book of the Bible? 00:00:06.620 --> 00:00:09.260 Go to Matthew, go back five books and you'll find the book of Habakkuk. 00:00:09.500 --> 00:00:14.140 We're in a series together on, Habakkuk interaction before the Lord. 00:00:14.200 --> 00:00:16.920 What makes this book unique is Habakkuk is a prophet. 00:00:17.220 --> 00:00:24.280 Prophets responsibility is to go before the people and present God to them what God desires to declare to them. 00:00:24.770 --> 00:00:25.340 Habakkuk is unique. 00:00:26.400 --> 00:00:29.500 He is not a prophet going before the people on behalf of God. 00:00:29.840 --> 00:00:32.369 He is a prophet going before God on behalf of the people. 00:00:33.380 --> 00:00:34.760 It is a priestly responsibility. 00:00:36.500 --> 00:00:41.240 And Habakkuk comes before God because of the corruption he's seeing within his own nation. 00:00:41.240 --> 00:00:45.320 And as he finds to that, the corruption that he's going to be seeing outside of his nation. 00:00:45.800 --> 00:00:51.500 The theme of chapter one we talked about together is this, everyone has a plan till someone gets punched in the face, right? 00:00:51.500 --> 00:00:55.740 I mean, you take a blow and you start to think of things differently. 00:00:56.600 --> 00:01:04.220 And last week when we looked at Habakkuk chapter one, we really ended it on nothing because Habakkuk ends with 00:01:04.220 --> 00:01:06.160 his hands kind of open wide before the Lord. 00:01:07.360 --> 00:01:14.360 his world around him feels like a hot mess, and he wants to hand it over to God to figure out how God is going to interact 00:01:15.000 --> 00:01:16.280 with his world. 00:01:16.280 --> 00:01:19.660 He wants to understand what God wants, wants to do. 00:01:19.740 --> 00:01:23.460 And in chapter two, we're going to look in verses 1 to 4 today of chapter two. 00:01:23.800 --> 00:01:30.980 And we're just going to focus in on these first four verses, because this these four verses contain the pinnacle of what the book of Habakkuk is 00:01:30.980 --> 00:01:31.300 about. 00:01:31.740 --> 00:01:33.380 These four verses are so important. 00:01:33.440 --> 00:01:40.820 In fact, when you look into the New Testament, writers of the New Testament would often quote from Habakkuk chapter two and verse four. 00:01:41.380 --> 00:01:48.400 the book of Romans uses it as the as the theme and verse 17 of chapter one as the theme to what Romans is about. 00:01:49.200 --> 00:01:55.860 Paul makes it the focal point in Galatians chapter three and verse 13, and in Hebrews chapter ten and verse 38. 00:01:56.040 --> 00:02:01.410 This verse sets up the identity of who we are in Christ and what God's desire is, and only in the life of Habakkuk. 00:02:02.020 --> 00:02:04.860 But this truth rings through for everyone. 00:02:06.320 --> 00:02:07.380 Habakkuk chapter one. 00:02:07.380 --> 00:02:14.720 If I recapped it for us to lay the foundation for where we're going to go in chapter two, we said this last week, Habakkuk was a likely 00:02:14.720 --> 00:02:15.320 a priest. 00:02:15.320 --> 00:02:22.360 He was certainly a prophet, and he had some musical talent the way that we know he had musical talent is he wrote in chapter one in this poetic form, and he wrote 00:02:22.360 --> 00:02:24.320 to what we called country songs. 00:02:24.440 --> 00:02:26.740 The reason we call it country songs is because it's lament. 00:02:27.220 --> 00:02:31.800 They're songs of sadness, and no one can do it better than than the southern twang of country music. 00:02:31.800 --> 00:02:37.940 Right in chapter two and verse, chapter one, verses two and four, Habakkuk writes this question before God. 00:02:38.520 --> 00:02:43.200 God, how long are you going to wait before you do something about this nation of Israel that is corrupt? 00:02:43.740 --> 00:02:46.780 It's not following after you, Lord, what is your plan for this? 00:02:48.040 --> 00:02:55.120 And we would maybe ask the question today in our circumstance situation, God, how long will you deal with the frustration of what you're seeing in the world around us? 00:02:56.120 --> 00:03:01.080 Rioting in the streets, people shot and killed politicians, whatever. 00:03:01.160 --> 00:03:02.220 Taking advantage of things. 00:03:02.360 --> 00:03:02.360 What? 00:03:02.440 --> 00:03:03.800 God, what are you going to do about this? 00:03:05.380 --> 00:03:09.760 And God's response to Habakkuk comes in verse five to verse 11. 00:03:09.920 --> 00:03:16.920 Habakkuk is assuming that God sort of is taking a lunch break and he's out somewhere else, and he's waiting for God to come back and to do something about the 00:03:16.920 --> 00:03:17.370 circumstances. 00:03:17.640 --> 00:03:18.630 He's wondering, God, do you even care? 00:03:18.940 --> 00:03:19.920 Is there a plan for this? 00:03:19.920 --> 00:03:23.540 And God responds, yeah, not only do I care, but I've already been working my plan into motion. 00:03:24.360 --> 00:03:25.100 And here's what's going to happen. 00:03:27.360 --> 00:03:28.280 You're going to be taken over. 00:03:30.320 --> 00:03:35.310 I care about you so much that I'm going to let another nation come in and take you over. 00:03:36.440 --> 00:03:40.060 Let me be like God saying to us today, yeah, I care about you. 00:03:40.460 --> 00:03:45.570 My eye has been on you, and I'm going to let North Korea come in and have your country. 00:03:47.100 --> 00:03:54.260 Habakkuk's question then in chapter uh, or chapter one and verses 15 to 17 is God, do you even love 00:03:54.260 --> 00:03:54.840 us then? 00:03:54.840 --> 00:03:57.140 I mean, why would you allow such a thing to happen? 00:03:57.140 --> 00:04:00.860 God, I want to understand what it is that you're doing here. 00:04:01.100 --> 00:04:04.890 And, as people, sometimes we get finicky when God responds. 00:04:04.980 --> 00:04:07.000 What I mean is this is when life is. 00:04:07.440 --> 00:04:10.420 It seems like it's not meeting the justice that we want. 00:04:10.440 --> 00:04:12.430 We say to God, God, God, where is your justice? 00:04:12.740 --> 00:04:17.380 And then when God responds and saying, I'm working out my justice, then the question is, well, God, I meant for everyone else. 00:04:17.620 --> 00:04:21.300 Now I'm wondering, do you even love me like I want you to be a just God everywhere else? 00:04:21.459 --> 00:04:22.350 Take care of everything else. 00:04:22.640 --> 00:04:23.380 Don't make a person of me. 00:04:23.460 --> 00:04:25.460 Just do justice out there and with me. 00:04:25.860 --> 00:04:26.060 Grace. 00:04:29.480 --> 00:04:33.780 And so as God gives a respond to Habakkuk, Habakkuk does what godly people do. 00:04:33.780 --> 00:04:34.940 He brings it before the Lord. 00:04:35.180 --> 00:04:39.720 He wants God to explain and help him understand what's about to happen. 00:04:39.780 --> 00:04:43.800 And in chapter two, in verse one, Habakkuk gives this thought. 00:04:43.800 --> 00:04:50.960 He says, I will stand on my guard post and station myself on the rampart, and I will keep watch to see what he will 00:04:50.960 --> 00:04:55.100 speak to me, and how I may reply when I am reproved. 00:04:57.320 --> 00:04:59.320 Habakkuk saying, like a soldier. 00:04:59.340 --> 00:05:06.440 I'm so attentive right now that I'm standing outside on the tower, in the ramparts on the edge of the city, looking out into the valley to 00:05:06.440 --> 00:05:07.640 see if an enemy is coming. 00:05:08.200 --> 00:05:12.520 I am so ready for this that I want to jump to warn people if anything's going to happen. 00:05:12.700 --> 00:05:14.200 I am looking with intent. 00:05:14.600 --> 00:05:16.330 I'm doing what a soldier should. 00:05:16.940 --> 00:05:22.320 God, I really want to understand what it is that you're doing. 00:05:26.020 --> 00:05:26.840 Sometimes. 00:05:28.460 --> 00:05:30.700 Look at the life of Habakkuk being a godly individual. 00:05:33.480 --> 00:05:35.010 And sometimes we don't have the answers. 00:05:37.560 --> 00:05:43.900 Just because you claim to follow after the Lord doesn't mean you know the solution to every circumstance, right? 00:05:44.180 --> 00:05:49.370 We can't peel back the curtain to see exactly how God is orchestrating inside the hearts of people. 00:05:51.600 --> 00:05:53.610 Ambarchik didn't have the answers. 00:05:56.260 --> 00:05:57.740 But he knew the God who did. 00:05:59.840 --> 00:06:06.860 And in addition to that, he found his inability to understand wasn't any excuse to be foolish and just simply chalk it 00:06:06.860 --> 00:06:08.340 up with Our God will work it out. 00:06:08.380 --> 00:06:12.200 But he really wanted to get on page with what God was trying to accomplish here. 00:06:12.200 --> 00:06:19.360 When it comes to God talking about his judgment and how he uses judgment for good, I got to say, for many 00:06:19.360 --> 00:06:21.880 of us, it becomes a very uncomfortable place sometimes. 00:06:24.000 --> 00:06:25.770 You may even have said this in your life. 00:06:25.840 --> 00:06:30.600 You know, I like the God of the New Testament, but that Old Testament God. 00:06:31.280 --> 00:06:32.130 Right. 00:06:32.620 --> 00:06:35.640 But the reality check for us is it's the same God. 00:06:35.640 --> 00:06:36.720 How does that work? 00:06:36.900 --> 00:06:42.580 If you read stories in the New Testament, you can see in the book of acts in chapter five, Ananias and Sapphira lie. 00:06:42.840 --> 00:06:45.000 Lie to God, and God strikes them dead. 00:06:45.000 --> 00:06:52.320 I mean, when you read revelation 19, when Jesus comes back, he has a robe dipped in blood that says, King of kings, Lord of lords, and a sword 00:06:52.320 --> 00:06:53.560 comes flying out of his mouth. 00:06:54.880 --> 00:06:55.680 It's the same God. 00:06:58.260 --> 00:06:58.520 God. 00:06:58.580 --> 00:07:00.220 How does how does that work? 00:07:02.520 --> 00:07:05.070 God, explain your love to me. 00:07:06.380 --> 00:07:08.780 You know, in our culture today. 00:07:09.940 --> 00:07:11.480 I've heard it termed that the word love. 00:07:11.860 --> 00:07:14.520 It's sort of a junk drawer word. 00:07:15.760 --> 00:07:16.700 And when we use it for everything. 00:07:18.980 --> 00:07:20.180 I love my car. 00:07:20.920 --> 00:07:21.910 I love my house. 00:07:23.300 --> 00:07:24.180 I love hot wings. 00:07:26.080 --> 00:07:26.620 That is, until. 00:07:27.980 --> 00:07:33.120 My car breaks down, I'm a heater stops working and hot wings give me heartburn. 00:07:33.980 --> 00:07:35.440 Then I hate them, right? 00:07:36.640 --> 00:07:39.040 And that's not what biblical love is. 00:07:40.780 --> 00:07:47.860 And I think Habakkuk understands that there's something, something different about the way that we in our nature will talk 00:07:47.860 --> 00:07:53.160 about love, but the way that God expresses his love towards his people, his covenant people. 00:07:53.200 --> 00:07:58.200 After all, he made this promise to Abraham that through him all nations would be blessed. 00:07:58.380 --> 00:07:59.920 And they're God's chosen people. 00:07:59.940 --> 00:08:07.600 How God can you work out this plan to bless all nations through through Israel, as a nation or as a people when they're 00:08:07.600 --> 00:08:08.460 about to be taken over? 00:08:11.660 --> 00:08:12.020 I love. 00:08:13.560 --> 00:08:17.190 The thought of Habakkuk chapter two and verse one, what it expresses to us. 00:08:18.260 --> 00:08:19.080 When things are difficult. 00:08:21.500 --> 00:08:23.990 Just how important it is to experience the presence. 00:08:25.780 --> 00:08:29.220 Of those that matter to you in adversity, right? 00:08:29.520 --> 00:08:31.920 Like the only one that I know that can solve this problem. 00:08:31.920 --> 00:08:35.000 The only one that I know who I want near to me in this situation. 00:08:35.600 --> 00:08:37.039 For Habakkuk, it's the Lord. 00:08:39.380 --> 00:08:40.520 You know when it comes to God. 00:08:42.280 --> 00:08:49.280 God evidences his unconditional, sacrificial love for us to just as Habakkuk gives God or gives his 00:08:49.380 --> 00:08:52.030 presence to God, God gives his presence to Habakkuk. 00:08:52.380 --> 00:08:54.520 He's interacting with Habakkuk. 00:08:54.520 --> 00:08:58.360 We see in verse 5 to 11, and he continues on throughout this book. 00:08:58.520 --> 00:09:06.000 And what we learn about love is that love in this, in this sense, and as God has expressed his nature throughout Scripture, love 00:09:06.000 --> 00:09:13.060 is seen when someone participates in life with you, when you're not obligated to, even if it comes at an expense or 00:09:13.060 --> 00:09:13.540 at a cost. 00:09:15.580 --> 00:09:22.580 And so if there's any question in the goodness of God and the justice of God as to whether or not he loves us as people, this is where Habakkuk is in this moment, and that's where 00:09:22.580 --> 00:09:24.240 we've got to wrestle with in our own lives. 00:09:24.620 --> 00:09:31.620 The Bible tells us that the love of God has been demonstrated to us because Jesus in his nature has come to participate with 00:09:31.620 --> 00:09:35.680 life with us when he wasn't obligated, even when it cost him. 00:09:35.700 --> 00:09:39.220 That's the degree of love that's been expressed in Scripture. 00:09:39.280 --> 00:09:43.060 And that's what love is in biblical understanding. 00:09:43.100 --> 00:09:46.330 In fact, in first Peter chapter two and verse 24, it says this about Jesus. 00:09:46.960 --> 00:09:54.140 He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that we might not die to sin and live to, or so that we might die to sin and 00:09:54.140 --> 00:09:54.760 live to righteousness. 00:09:55.940 --> 00:09:58.060 For by his wounds you were healed. 00:10:00.580 --> 00:10:01.820 And Jesus wasn't obligated. 00:10:02.860 --> 00:10:03.660 To give us his life. 00:10:05.200 --> 00:10:07.090 Not obligated to even give us today. 00:10:09.860 --> 00:10:12.060 But as love demonstrates it. 00:10:13.400 --> 00:10:19.660 In fact, throughout the Bible, it even tells us in passages like Ezekiel chapter 33. 00:10:19.780 --> 00:10:26.400 As I live, declares the Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked turn from his way and live. 00:10:28.160 --> 00:10:35.320 So even in the darkness of our heart, God still cares about us because life is sacred and God created us in 00:10:35.320 --> 00:10:36.200 his image. 00:10:38.200 --> 00:10:45.000 See one of the suggestions that might permeate within our minds when we think about the goodness and justice of God, is that God just created us to crush us. 00:10:47.180 --> 00:10:52.440 But the reality is, when God created us, he created out of his love because his desire was to extend his love. 00:10:52.440 --> 00:10:54.170 And love is about giving itself away. 00:10:55.560 --> 00:11:00.560 That God, in demonstrating this love, creates you in his image, different than any other creature in which he's created you. 00:11:00.760 --> 00:11:02.860 So he makes you special, unique. 00:11:03.140 --> 00:11:07.640 He surrounds you with a creation that reflects his glory so that you could see the goodness of who he is. 00:11:07.860 --> 00:11:15.130 And he tells us in Ezekiel chapter 33, verse 11 that even in the wickedness of our hearts, even in the wickedness of humanity, 00:11:15.340 --> 00:11:18.160 God takes no pleasure in death of the wicked. 00:11:18.320 --> 00:11:25.460 Because God values life, and all life is sacred, and Jesus demonstrates it in his own life. 00:11:25.780 --> 00:11:28.060 He weeps at the death of Lazarus. 00:11:28.140 --> 00:11:30.160 He weeps over Jerusalem. 00:11:30.740 --> 00:11:37.660 It tells us in Hebrews chapter four that he sympathizes with our weaknesses, that the Spirit of God is grieved. 00:11:40.220 --> 00:11:45.290 And so in chapter two and verse two of Habakkuk, it goes on and says this. 00:11:47.200 --> 00:11:48.500 Lord answered me and said. 00:11:50.340 --> 00:11:54.300 Record the vision and inscribe it on tablets that the one who reads it may run for. 00:11:54.300 --> 00:11:56.160 This vision is yet for the appointed time. 00:11:56.240 --> 00:11:58.580 It hastens towards the goal, and it will not fail. 00:11:59.080 --> 00:11:59.790 Though it tarries. 00:12:00.900 --> 00:12:01.990 Wait for it, for it will certainly come. 00:12:02.820 --> 00:12:03.800 It will not delay. 00:12:03.900 --> 00:12:04.460 Behold. 00:12:04.520 --> 00:12:09.030 As for the proud one, his soul is not right within him. 00:12:13.160 --> 00:12:13.260 Judgment's. 00:12:13.640 --> 00:12:13.800 Coming. 00:12:13.820 --> 00:12:14.740 Habakkuk. 00:12:16.220 --> 00:12:16.220 Away. 00:12:16.220 --> 00:12:16.880 God. 00:12:17.500 --> 00:12:18.840 I mean, are you sure? 00:12:18.840 --> 00:12:20.180 Like. 00:12:20.180 --> 00:12:21.160 Do you care? 00:12:24.080 --> 00:12:26.350 And God speaks to back it can tells him. 00:12:27.460 --> 00:12:34.460 To write this down, that the people may know not just you, Habakkuk, but that the people 00:12:34.460 --> 00:12:37.840 may know that judgment is coming. 00:12:37.840 --> 00:12:37.940 God. 00:12:38.200 --> 00:12:40.100 God, is this really what you should do? 00:12:43.860 --> 00:12:45.100 It's interesting to me. 00:12:47.040 --> 00:12:51.100 We ask people about our nation during World War two. 00:12:53.720 --> 00:13:01.080 You see the destruction of Nazi Germany and you ask people, is it a good 00:13:01.080 --> 00:13:04.480 thing or a godly thing that we would have invaded to stop? 00:13:06.520 --> 00:13:07.860 That annihilation of people. 00:13:07.900 --> 00:13:09.220 The Holocaust. 00:13:09.980 --> 00:13:11.580 Yeah. 00:13:12.170 --> 00:13:14.990 It would be a good thing to stop the Holocaust of people. 00:13:16.480 --> 00:13:23.960 But when it comes to God and passages of Scripture like this, there's an immediate one of hesitation and what God's wanting to accomplish by 00:13:23.960 --> 00:13:31.360 bringing his judgment on this nation, as if the purpose of his judgment is simply just to crush people, or the purpose of his judgment is simply to crush people. 00:13:31.400 --> 00:13:38.480 But shortly after this, the book of Ezekiel is going to be written and Ezekiel is going to describe the moments, these moments in Israel's 00:13:38.480 --> 00:13:46.000 history and in Ezekiel chapter 23 and verse 39, Ezekiel says this, that the people had become so corrupt that 00:13:46.000 --> 00:13:53.300 as they go to enter into the temple to worship before they got to the temple to worship that day, they had previously been with 00:13:53.520 --> 00:13:56.520 false gods, sacrificing their children. 00:13:58.400 --> 00:13:58.960 Unto these gods. 00:14:01.100 --> 00:14:08.320 In fact, throughout Israel, it was common to see these idols made of some sort of metal 00:14:08.320 --> 00:14:13.900 material, and inside of these idols they could stick a fire within it. 00:14:13.900 --> 00:14:17.520 And sometimes these idols would be shaped in such a way that they would extend their arms like this. 00:14:18.360 --> 00:14:22.580 And as the fire began to heat up within the belly, the arms would become warm. 00:14:22.780 --> 00:14:29.900 And the sacrifice to these idols, they would then place their children in the arms of those idols 00:14:29.900 --> 00:14:33.180 as they screamed from the fire until they were consumed. 00:14:37.300 --> 00:14:38.700 God's judgment was coming. 00:14:40.620 --> 00:14:41.900 How prevalent was this? 00:14:41.900 --> 00:14:49.360 Throughout the world, there's been an archaeological discovery, even in the city of Carthage, that to one of these idols 00:14:49.360 --> 00:14:53.920 they found a burial grave of children that consumed an area of 60,000ft². 00:14:55.940 --> 00:14:59.540 If you want an idea of how big 60,000ft² is, you go out today to a parking lot. 00:14:59.700 --> 00:15:02.300 It's just under 20,000ft² times that by three. 00:15:02.980 --> 00:15:04.410 And that was the size of the burial plot. 00:15:05.780 --> 00:15:09.140 And they said it was layered upon layer of children. 00:15:10.980 --> 00:15:12.820 Sacrificed. 00:15:13.360 --> 00:15:20.420 In fact, when Israel was coming into the same land in which they began to participate in the gods of this land in Deuteronomy chapter nine 00:15:20.420 --> 00:15:27.720 and verse four, when Israel is moving into the land of Canaan under Joshua, it tells us in Deuteronomy chapter nine and verse four that the that the reason 00:15:27.720 --> 00:15:33.210 that God is allowing them to go into this land isn't because they're a great. 00:15:35.640 --> 00:15:38.380 It's because the people that are there are corrupt. 00:15:41.560 --> 00:15:43.690 The God and his justice is also bringing mercy. 00:15:46.360 --> 00:15:49.310 To end the destructive destruction of innocence. 00:15:53.540 --> 00:15:57.680 You know, if I'm trying to be specific with this passage of Scripture. 00:16:00.620 --> 00:16:03.300 I don't think we're much different than Israel. 00:16:05.490 --> 00:16:12.680 And what I mean is, sometimes you read passages of people and their corruption and things they're doing wrong, and it's very easy for us to be distant from what that passage of 00:16:12.680 --> 00:16:13.340 Scripture says. 00:16:14.900 --> 00:16:16.820 We isolate ourselves from it, like God. 00:16:17.140 --> 00:16:17.700 Deal with them. 00:16:18.200 --> 00:16:19.780 I'm glad I'm not them. 00:16:20.160 --> 00:16:20.260 Right? 00:16:23.650 --> 00:16:24.640 What can I tell you? 00:16:26.620 --> 00:16:29.420 Israel may be sacrificing children to idols. 00:16:31.360 --> 00:16:31.700 So do we. 00:16:34.340 --> 00:16:35.220 It's just the idols different. 00:16:37.860 --> 00:16:40.840 See rather than make the idol some sort of image, we've made the idol self. 00:16:43.920 --> 00:16:47.080 Taking children's lives for the benefit of self. 00:16:48.740 --> 00:16:54.820 It's not convenient to me. 00:16:54.820 --> 00:16:56.430 God's desire for Habakkuk. 00:16:58.260 --> 00:16:59.760 Is to warn the people. 00:16:59.780 --> 00:17:03.520 He says to write this down, Habakkuk warn them that they may run. 00:17:03.720 --> 00:17:11.339 It's unclear from this running whether or not he's encouraging people to run to the rest of Israel and share this with them, or talking 00:17:11.339 --> 00:17:13.960 to the people of Israel to tell them to run away. 00:17:14.319 --> 00:17:16.060 But either way, God wants this message out. 00:17:16.060 --> 00:17:18.010 And this is this is what God is saying in this message. 00:17:18.640 --> 00:17:22.480 He he's given the people of Israel the opportunity to be warned because he cares for them. 00:17:22.480 --> 00:17:27.079 He wants their heart to see the significance of who he is and to turn from this and to turn to him. 00:17:28.339 --> 00:17:35.480 If God didn't care about the people, there would no, there would not be any anticipation, in your own home when you 00:17:35.480 --> 00:17:42.520 when you buy a home for the first time, if you walk in one of the things that you want to check, hopefully pretty soon is whether or not the alarm systems are working. 00:17:43.040 --> 00:17:43.620 Right. 00:17:43.620 --> 00:17:50.640 Carbon monoxide or smoke, whatever the reason you put those systems there for warning isn't so that you 00:17:50.640 --> 00:17:54.880 can experience destruction. 00:17:55.500 --> 00:17:58.400 Rather freedom. 00:17:58.760 --> 00:17:59.830 It's your way of escape. 00:18:03.080 --> 00:18:03.740 God is being. 00:18:06.220 --> 00:18:08.520 Both just and merciful. 00:18:11.020 --> 00:18:18.440 So if we were to have a God who responded in such a way that isn't just this is the problem that we would face is in our culture 00:18:18.440 --> 00:18:19.090 today. 00:18:19.220 --> 00:18:26.300 If someone has wronged you and you go before a judge and you explain to them this grievous act that happened to you, something that 00:18:26.300 --> 00:18:30.460 robbed you, something that took away from you, something that devoured you as a human being. 00:18:30.500 --> 00:18:35.070 And you explain this to the judge, and the judge simply says, hey, I don't care. 00:18:36.320 --> 00:18:42.660 Not only would you not say that God or that judge is not just you would say that judge is certainly not good. 00:18:44.930 --> 00:18:47.620 But because God. 00:18:49.080 --> 00:18:51.400 It's good. 00:18:52.480 --> 00:18:53.610 Is also just. 00:18:55.900 --> 00:18:58.050 And this passage tells us in verse four. 00:19:00.200 --> 00:19:01.920 The verse, first section of verse four. 00:19:01.980 --> 00:19:05.400 We'll read the second section in just a moment, but the first section says this behold! 00:19:05.840 --> 00:19:07.010 As for the proud one. 00:19:08.120 --> 00:19:09.970 His soul was not right within him. 00:19:13.020 --> 00:19:18.760 There's a saying that we often coin within our culture that pride comes before the fall. 00:19:21.260 --> 00:19:28.280 I mean, the idea of pride is this that you build your identity and worth in everything that you are based on you and what you 00:19:28.280 --> 00:19:29.510 uphold and your foundation. 00:19:30.280 --> 00:19:35.660 And the reason pride comes before the fall is at some point you recognize that you're not a hill of beans and all that. 00:19:35.660 --> 00:19:39.440 You know, you don't, you don't have, you don't have what it takes. 00:19:39.440 --> 00:19:41.660 And as human beings, we find ourselves lacking. 00:19:41.900 --> 00:19:49.020 And so when we build a build our selves and our own pride and our own identity and our own pleasures in life, that eventually 00:19:49.020 --> 00:19:51.040 that pride leads to a fall. 00:19:53.020 --> 00:19:53.700 What God's saying here? 00:19:56.360 --> 00:20:02.390 Was that the pride of Israel has caused them not not to look to him anymore, but rather to seek their own personal pleasure. 00:20:04.220 --> 00:20:07.540 To build their identity in him or excuse me, in themselves. 00:20:08.940 --> 00:20:11.760 For their own personal gain, making themselves their own gods. 00:20:14.180 --> 00:20:18.040 You know, when Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden. 00:20:19.580 --> 00:20:21.120 Bible tells us they ate from the tree of. 00:20:21.440 --> 00:20:22.700 They had the good tree of good knowledge. 00:20:23.900 --> 00:20:24.950 excuse me of knowledge and evil. 00:20:26.560 --> 00:20:27.830 And that if they ate from the tree. 00:20:28.760 --> 00:20:32.760 Of evil, the forbidden fruit, they would know between right and wrong. 00:20:35.120 --> 00:20:40.580 And sometimes we look at that passage and just think, Adam and Eve knows the difference between good and bad, right? 00:20:40.600 --> 00:20:41.740 Right and wrong, good and bad. 00:20:42.360 --> 00:20:46.960 The text of that scripture means more than just they know the difference between good and bad. 00:20:46.980 --> 00:20:52.300 But what it says before God is, not only do they know the difference between good and bad, but they're telling God. 00:20:53.980 --> 00:20:54.340 What is right. 00:20:55.960 --> 00:20:56.780 And what is wrong? 00:20:58.600 --> 00:21:00.540 In essence, they're making themselves God. 00:21:02.900 --> 00:21:09.650 Sharing with God how he should govern the world because they have determined what's right and wrong. 00:21:11.500 --> 00:21:14.420 Verse four in Habakkuk it's saying the same thing. 00:21:16.520 --> 00:21:17.320 But the proud one. 00:21:18.840 --> 00:21:20.580 His soul is not right within him. 00:21:20.780 --> 00:21:28.220 He's built this system upon himself, and he's defining what is good within himself rather 00:21:28.220 --> 00:21:29.720 than letting God do it. 00:21:32.670 --> 00:21:33.460 If you think about our culture. 00:21:35.260 --> 00:21:37.340 Not to isolate this text from us. 00:21:39.400 --> 00:21:40.180 Where do we do that? 00:21:42.180 --> 00:21:46.320 Everywhere really shoving God aside. 00:21:46.320 --> 00:21:53.520 But I would think one of the most prominent things that we've done within the last couple of decades is we really have sought to redefine ourselves based 00:21:53.520 --> 00:21:54.380 on sexuality. 00:21:56.040 --> 00:22:00.520 Like, everything that I am happens to be found in genitalia. 00:22:02.100 --> 00:22:07.620 I mean, you go to a guy today and you ask him, if something were to happen and you were to just lose that. 00:22:09.460 --> 00:22:10.520 Do you stop being a guy? 00:22:11.640 --> 00:22:14.540 I mean, is that really is that really all that there is to you? 00:22:15.740 --> 00:22:18.640 And if you ask a guy today what makes a man. 00:22:19.960 --> 00:22:21.460 Well, there's, um. 00:22:21.920 --> 00:22:26.300 If I don't have that, um. 00:22:26.300 --> 00:22:28.620 Why? 00:22:29.560 --> 00:22:32.370 It's how we've sought to shape our identity. 00:22:35.220 --> 00:22:38.120 Can I tell you if that question just challenges you and you think about it? 00:22:38.440 --> 00:22:43.840 Just a passage I'd encourage you to start looking at first Titus or first Timothy, chapter three, Titus chapter one. 00:22:45.900 --> 00:22:50.780 But man, we like to define ourselves without God. 00:22:53.340 --> 00:23:00.400 And what the Bible says that is for us is it's a place of pride, elevating you to the position of 00:23:00.420 --> 00:23:01.560 where God belongs. 00:23:03.160 --> 00:23:05.020 And pride comes before the fall. 00:23:05.020 --> 00:23:07.900 And what God says about the individual in this place is his. 00:23:08.000 --> 00:23:09.940 His soul is not right within him. 00:23:09.940 --> 00:23:17.120 And they can't even begin to think about how to find the Lord in these moments because they haven't even learned to define themselves in 00:23:17.120 --> 00:23:23.400 God because they've separated themselves so much from him to please who they were as being God in their own identities. 00:23:26.080 --> 00:23:33.180 I heard a guy once say, in relation to the sexuality of our culture today he said this I quit watching TV for 00:23:33.180 --> 00:23:35.540 the same reason that I don't drink my water out of the toilet bowl. 00:23:43.980 --> 00:23:45.760 It's unhealthy. 00:23:46.580 --> 00:23:47.840 Not to think and recognize. 00:23:50.220 --> 00:23:52.720 About the holiness of God. 00:23:53.620 --> 00:24:00.640 In fact, when you think about just the Old Testament and the New Testament, this is this is what the Bible says to us about the Lord in the way he 00:24:00.640 --> 00:24:01.780 reads us as people. 00:24:01.800 --> 00:24:06.300 And Isaiah chapter 47, it says this you felt secure in your wickedness and said, no one sees me. 00:24:07.740 --> 00:24:10.960 And your wisdom and your knowledge, they have deluded you. 00:24:11.000 --> 00:24:14.720 For you have said in your heart I am, and there is no one besides me. 00:24:16.760 --> 00:24:18.960 In Jeremiah 19 seven it says this. 00:24:18.960 --> 00:24:20.940 For my eyes are on all their ways. 00:24:20.940 --> 00:24:26.900 They are not hidden from my face, nor is their iniquity concealed from my eyes. 00:24:28.760 --> 00:24:30.700 God sees. 00:24:31.580 --> 00:24:37.930 In fact, if you think to yourself there's a difference between Old and New Testament God, well, in this area of holiness, let me just let me just read some New Testament verses. 00:24:38.480 --> 00:24:45.780 For the Word of God is living and active, sharper than any two edged sword, piercing the division of the soul and of the spirit of joints and marrow, discerning the thoughts and intentions 00:24:45.780 --> 00:24:46.460 of the heart. 00:24:46.660 --> 00:24:53.850 And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account. 00:24:55.580 --> 00:24:56.180 And Luke. 00:24:56.180 --> 00:25:02.260 Jesus said this under these circumstances, after so many thousands of people have gathered together, they were stepping on one another. 00:25:02.280 --> 00:25:09.360 He began saying to his disciples, first of all, beware of the unliving of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy, but there is nothing covered 00:25:09.360 --> 00:25:13.680 that will not be revealed and hidden that will not be known. 00:25:13.840 --> 00:25:21.140 Accordingly, whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in the inner rooms will be proclaimed 00:25:21.140 --> 00:25:22.220 on the housetops. 00:25:25.470 --> 00:25:27.420 God's presence is there. 00:25:31.240 --> 00:25:32.410 Look in the privacy of your life. 00:25:32.600 --> 00:25:35.680 It may be easy to hide from others, but God's presence is there. 00:25:40.660 --> 00:25:44.800 Recognizing the presence of God, and that he's in the very same room as you. 00:25:46.160 --> 00:25:53.370 Makes it much more difficult to stare at inappropriate material on some computer screen when you know Jesus is right with you. 00:25:55.020 --> 00:25:58.790 His presence is there. 00:25:59.860 --> 00:26:00.820 He's a holy God. 00:26:03.780 --> 00:26:05.160 And he's a just God. 00:26:08.980 --> 00:26:09.870 And God cares. 00:26:12.760 --> 00:26:19.190 God cares so much in the nation of Israel that he's acting in such a way to draw Israel back to him. 00:26:20.960 --> 00:26:22.160 God cares. 00:26:24.900 --> 00:26:28.820 And then in verse four of Habakkuk chapter two. 00:26:30.340 --> 00:26:31.510 The second half of the verse. 00:26:33.700 --> 00:26:40.860 Comes the pinnacle of the book, the most important phrase that sets the precedent for Habakkuk's understanding as 00:26:40.860 --> 00:26:42.310 the book continues on. 00:26:44.400 --> 00:26:45.960 You know, when God comes to Habakkuk? 00:26:47.240 --> 00:26:53.380 Habakkuk answer is Habakkuk questioning is God God deal with that and God deal with that. 00:26:53.560 --> 00:26:54.620 And God look out there. 00:26:56.780 --> 00:27:02.780 And God's response to Habakkuk is, yeah, all of that out there is happening because of what's taking place in here. 00:27:06.120 --> 00:27:07.700 So Habakkuk, you want to start with a solution. 00:27:10.480 --> 00:27:11.320 Let it work in your heart. 00:27:14.120 --> 00:27:15.830 It's like for our country. 00:27:18.420 --> 00:27:21.880 Politics are gaining ground on TV, right? 00:27:23.910 --> 00:27:26.930 And people are going to have opinions. 00:27:28.480 --> 00:27:30.500 And usually there's something to do with doomsday. 00:27:33.820 --> 00:27:36.740 And God saying to Habakkuk, Habakkuk, you want to see things change. 00:27:39.680 --> 00:27:40.240 Start with it here. 00:27:42.860 --> 00:27:43.680 Look at your heart. 00:27:47.720 --> 00:27:49.710 Verse four of Habakkuk. 00:27:50.700 --> 00:27:55.460 Chapter two was a revolutionary verse in the course of history. 00:27:58.440 --> 00:28:04.080 In fact, this is the verse that Martin Luther said who led the Reformation in the early 16th century. 00:28:05.680 --> 00:28:08.460 This is the verse that he said set him free. 00:28:11.160 --> 00:28:13.620 Martin Luther came to this passage of Scripture. 00:28:15.880 --> 00:28:21.800 And history tells us that as this verse changed a man, God used this man to change the course of history. 00:28:25.060 --> 00:28:32.220 And Martin Luther said this when by the Spirit of God I understood the words contained in this passage, the just shall 00:28:32.220 --> 00:28:32.940 live by faith. 00:28:34.200 --> 00:28:36.120 Then I felt born again, like a new man. 00:28:36.120 --> 00:28:39.520 I entered through the open doors into the very Paradise of God. 00:28:40.620 --> 00:28:46.500 Martin Luther went on to say this I didn't find this text, but rather this text found me. 00:28:48.700 --> 00:28:56.060 So here's the here's the blessing, the joy, the grace, the mercy out of everything that's been shared is regardless of what circumstance you 00:28:56.060 --> 00:29:00.030 may feel like you've come from in life, no matter how much you may look at brokenness. 00:29:00.080 --> 00:29:02.500 You read verses like this in Luke and you think before God. 00:29:02.740 --> 00:29:06.970 My heart looks wicked no matter how you feel in those moments. 00:29:07.320 --> 00:29:11.320 God in this verse is providing a place for his grace to be experienced. 00:29:11.480 --> 00:29:16.710 And he exposes the need for him, so that in that need we have an opportunity to respond. 00:29:18.660 --> 00:29:22.480 And so it says. 00:29:22.620 --> 00:29:22.800 But. 00:29:25.360 --> 00:29:32.440 But don't just jump past that word he he's expressing in this verse the difference between what's taking place here and what God 00:29:32.440 --> 00:29:33.120 wants to do. 00:29:33.360 --> 00:29:36.280 So there's the proud one whose soul is not right within him, but. 00:29:38.400 --> 00:29:38.860 The righteous. 00:29:40.920 --> 00:29:41.620 We'll live by his faith. 00:29:45.180 --> 00:29:50.280 When Martin Luther read this passage, he was actually reading it in Romans chapter one, verse 17. 00:29:50.400 --> 00:29:52.200 The theme verse to Romans. 00:29:53.820 --> 00:30:01.060 And this is one of the things that really helped him understand this verse, is he went back to the Greek text and he read this word righteousness, which is also translated 00:30:01.060 --> 00:30:01.560 justification. 00:30:02.300 --> 00:30:06.040 And here's the thing that he noted about this word justification that he's never seen before. 00:30:09.360 --> 00:30:10.460 Is how it sets him free. 00:30:13.420 --> 00:30:14.120 See Martin Luther. 00:30:14.380 --> 00:30:16.180 To this point in his life, he had become a monk. 00:30:16.400 --> 00:30:18.570 He had gone into a monastery, he had paid penance. 00:30:18.740 --> 00:30:23.040 He had followed all the rules that his religion had claimed, but his soul had never found rest. 00:30:24.700 --> 00:30:25.360 He did the list. 00:30:27.440 --> 00:30:32.020 And it comes to this passage, and he reads this word for justification in this Greek text. 00:30:32.020 --> 00:30:35.380 This word for justification isn't a personal word. 00:30:35.380 --> 00:30:42.510 It is an external word which means this, that this justification in his life, in his heart, didn't come from himself. 00:30:42.880 --> 00:30:44.200 It didn't come from his actions. 00:30:44.460 --> 00:30:46.340 It came from external to him. 00:30:46.340 --> 00:30:47.370 It is a legal firm. 00:30:47.560 --> 00:30:50.200 It means to be made right. 00:30:50.820 --> 00:30:52.940 It's as if I created a picture within our minds. 00:30:53.420 --> 00:30:55.190 You imagine you're in a jail cell. 00:30:55.200 --> 00:30:59.920 When you're when you're locked into a jail cell, you don't have the ability to set yourself free. 00:31:00.240 --> 00:31:06.560 But someone from the outside has the key to come to the door to unlock it, to allow you to exit into your freedom. 00:31:06.760 --> 00:31:13.760 And what Martin Luther saw in this passage is that this justification and this righteousness isn't from his own merit or gain, but it 00:31:13.840 --> 00:31:15.930 comes externally from God himself. 00:31:17.480 --> 00:31:22.880 See, when I read passages like this in Habakkuk, the answer is do your best now to stop being bad. 00:31:24.920 --> 00:31:30.600 The answer to what this passage of Scripture is saying is cling to Jesus with everything that you are. 00:31:30.600 --> 00:31:33.780 Because what it goes on to say is this the righteous will live by faith. 00:31:33.900 --> 00:31:37.000 And what Martin Luther expressed in this word for faith. 00:31:38.660 --> 00:31:46.020 He said that it is not until people lean into Jesus alone and nothing else, that they've truly leaned into Jesus 00:31:46.020 --> 00:31:48.040 for what he has done for their lives. 00:31:52.060 --> 00:31:52.500 Faith. 00:31:56.980 --> 00:31:57.500 This faith. 00:31:59.260 --> 00:32:01.040 The Bible defines for us in various verses. 00:32:04.100 --> 00:32:09.750 Hebrews chapter 11 and verse one, it says this faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things unseen. 00:32:11.920 --> 00:32:18.640 You know, sometimes we when we define the word faith, we sort of mean like this ambiguous guess of wishful thinking that we hope works out in the end, right? 00:32:20.520 --> 00:32:24.980 When the writer of Hebrews defines faith, he tells us it's the assurance of things hoped for. 00:32:25.020 --> 00:32:25.140 It's this. 00:32:25.680 --> 00:32:26.800 It's this understanding. 00:32:26.900 --> 00:32:29.740 Hope is more than wishful thinking in Greek culture. 00:32:30.180 --> 00:32:32.420 It's this understanding that it will take place. 00:32:32.620 --> 00:32:32.890 It's a certainty. 00:32:35.000 --> 00:32:42.220 And when you read Hebrews chapter 11 and on through the rest of the chapter, this chapter is considered the Hall of Faith, and it shares story after 00:32:42.340 --> 00:32:45.340 story of individuals who have put their faith in God. 00:32:45.420 --> 00:32:48.250 But here's the thing about the stories that they share about the individuals. 00:32:48.600 --> 00:32:54.440 When you look at Abraham and Moses and David and all that's shared in the book of Hebrews and the Faith chapter. 00:32:56.220 --> 00:32:58.070 It's always describing real events. 00:32:59.640 --> 00:33:00.500 Of specific things. 00:33:02.260 --> 00:33:03.520 That actually occurred in history. 00:33:05.520 --> 00:33:07.040 Not an ambiguous guess. 00:33:08.840 --> 00:33:09.900 A place of certainty. 00:33:11.920 --> 00:33:13.350 Of seeing the hand of God work. 00:33:15.460 --> 00:33:17.020 Ephesians two goes on and says this. 00:33:17.020 --> 00:33:18.420 For by grace you have been saved through faith. 00:33:18.520 --> 00:33:19.440 And it's not of yourselves. 00:33:19.580 --> 00:33:22.630 It's a gift of God, not of works, so that no 1st May boast. 00:33:24.520 --> 00:33:30.040 You know, it's funny, I was having a conversation once with someone who was trying to tell me, you don't believe that you get to heaven by works. 00:33:30.080 --> 00:33:30.720 You think it's totally Jesus. 00:33:31.340 --> 00:33:32.880 But you're wrong because faith is a work. 00:33:34.400 --> 00:33:34.740 So? 00:33:34.800 --> 00:33:35.370 So that's interesting. 00:33:35.520 --> 00:33:35.940 He goes, yeah. 00:33:36.020 --> 00:33:39.900 In fact, that's what I teach all my students when I go through the Bible with them. 00:33:39.900 --> 00:33:40.790 Faith is a work too. 00:33:41.040 --> 00:33:44.160 So you have to work your way there. 00:33:44.160 --> 00:33:46.250 And I just said, well, okay, let me just take you to one verse. 00:33:48.220 --> 00:33:51.340 For by grace are you saved through faith? 00:33:53.840 --> 00:33:54.440 Now look at verse nine. 00:33:56.360 --> 00:33:58.420 Not as a result of. 00:34:01.080 --> 00:34:01.640 Works. 00:34:04.660 --> 00:34:06.280 It's interesting you define faith. 00:34:07.960 --> 00:34:08.440 That way. 00:34:10.440 --> 00:34:11.060 This Bible doesn't. 00:34:13.760 --> 00:34:17.580 It's my justification when it comes to my salvation happens external to me. 00:34:20.380 --> 00:34:21.780 I'm leaning all I am into. 00:34:23.400 --> 00:34:24.360 The God who sets me free. 00:34:27.150 --> 00:34:35.120 This passage tells us that faith it is a gift of God, not 00:34:35.120 --> 00:34:35.440 of works. 00:34:37.900 --> 00:34:41.520 So the opportunity that we even have to embrace this God. 00:34:43.980 --> 00:34:44.389 It's a gift. 00:34:48.159 --> 00:34:49.090 God doesn't know me today. 00:34:49.199 --> 00:34:49.679 He doesn't know me tomorrow. 00:34:52.020 --> 00:34:57.100 But the idea and the thought that God would even give me an opportunity to continue my relationship with him. 00:34:59.240 --> 00:35:00.360 It's a gift. 00:35:02.900 --> 00:35:04.620 It's a gift of a merciful God. 00:35:06.940 --> 00:35:09.720 Who cares about what's happening in this heart? 00:35:13.080 --> 00:35:13.620 Habakkuk. 00:35:13.620 --> 00:35:14.800 You want to change the world? 00:35:17.880 --> 00:35:18.800 Doesn't start out there. 00:35:21.040 --> 00:35:25.440 In fact, the world is the way it is because of what you've allowed to happen in here. 00:35:29.110 --> 00:35:30.640 Let God meet you there. 00:35:33.720 --> 00:35:34.920 Let me end with a story. 00:35:37.360 --> 00:35:42.520 I was looking up studying Israel during this time and the worship of false gods. 00:35:44.460 --> 00:35:50.580 These monuments of false idols in which the nation of Israel would sacrifice children upon. 00:35:53.480 --> 00:35:59.380 One of the places that I saw that was unique, where this took place was in a place of Megiddo. 00:36:01.640 --> 00:36:06.460 You may know its name by Armageddon, right? 00:36:06.540 --> 00:36:14.040 Revelation chapter 16, verse 16 tells us at the end of the Bible that there is a battle that takes place in Megiddo, which is the battle of Armageddon, where armies meet 00:36:14.040 --> 00:36:15.230 and fight. 00:36:17.080 --> 00:36:22.580 You know, what's interesting about this area is that it was a part of a major trade route through Israel's day. 00:36:22.580 --> 00:36:27.820 It went right through their land, past Jerusalem on the west and up towards, Nazareth. 00:36:28.020 --> 00:36:31.410 Nazareth, which was it was Nazareth was east of this place as well. 00:36:32.520 --> 00:36:36.360 And whoever controlled this trade route, this was a major trade route. 00:36:36.360 --> 00:36:40.160 Whoever controlled this major trade route would control that area of the world. 00:36:41.160 --> 00:36:48.160 And in fact, you could go so far as to say, and whoever was controlling that area of the world for that trade route was also dictating what was taking place in 00:36:48.160 --> 00:36:54.180 the world spiritually, economically, whatever the beliefs were of the people, whoever controlled that route controlled the world. 00:36:54.180 --> 00:37:01.080 And that that's likely why God uses this area for the nation of Israel, so that his influence could come through this part of the world. 00:37:01.080 --> 00:37:01.830 It was that important. 00:37:02.060 --> 00:37:03.820 Major battles took place here. 00:37:03.980 --> 00:37:05.220 Kings fought and died here. 00:37:05.280 --> 00:37:06.140 But when you look at this area. 00:37:09.040 --> 00:37:10.240 In the background there is a hill. 00:37:12.760 --> 00:37:13.540 And on that hill. 00:37:14.820 --> 00:37:15.540 It's the town of Nazareth. 00:37:18.620 --> 00:37:20.410 That was a place Jesus grew up. 00:37:22.620 --> 00:37:30.080 And as a young boy, he could look over this place of this battlefield, this place where kings fought, this place where children would sacrifice. 00:37:30.120 --> 00:37:36.240 And it tells us in revelation chapter 16, and on that Jesus comes back victorious over it all. 00:37:36.240 --> 00:37:41.250 Looking at this as a child, he now returns as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. 00:37:43.020 --> 00:37:43.160 Victory. 00:37:45.180 --> 00:37:45.880 Of replace. 00:37:47.280 --> 00:37:47.780 Of destruction. 00:37:52.160 --> 00:37:52.680 This passage. 00:37:54.820 --> 00:37:55.560 As one of justice. 00:37:58.060 --> 00:37:59.340 But it's also one of mercy. 00:38:01.340 --> 00:38:06.800 Because just as God is looking at this part of the world and saying, my judgment is coming. 00:38:08.540 --> 00:38:12.780 He's also extending his hand as a king of mercy, saying. 00:38:14.620 --> 00:38:17.940 Let me set you free. 00:38:20.380 --> 00:38:22.360 I see every place of your heart. 00:38:22.480 --> 00:38:24.660 I see what's taking place in your lives. 00:38:25.280 --> 00:38:28.140 Let me set you free. 00:38:29.880 --> 00:38:37.320 And Jesus one day return, and Jesus will rule and reign in the place, the very place that he saw as 00:38:37.320 --> 00:38:39.900 a child coming to give his life in mercy. 00:38:39.900 --> 00:38:47.430 He will come and bring that justice that ultimately sets us all free, and that experience and the invitation to all of us. 00:38:48.940 --> 00:38:49.720 The just. 00:38:52.160 --> 00:38:53.740 Isn't seeing by her strength. 00:38:55.940 --> 00:39:00.920 But by God who has given you the freedom to place your faith in him. 00:39:01.920 --> 00:39:09.440 Because his desire is to set your heart free.