The Tenth Sunday of the Pentecost Season
Also known as the Eighth Sunday after
the Festival of the Holy Trinity – July 26, 2026
Major Messages from the Minor Prophets
Habakkuk:
“Why Ask, ‘Why Lord?’…. Instead, let’s just ‘live by faith!’”
Viktor was seated in a crowded train headed for Budapest. He was one Hungary’s leading bee experts. In fact,
he was transporting a box of bees, that he had placed under his seat. Viktor was enjoying the passing scenery and the cool breeze coming from the open window. And then it happened: as he was talking to the passenger seated next to him, he felt something crawling up his leg. Then he felt two and then three “somethings” crawling up his leg. As he pulled up his pant leg and looked down, he discovered that his bees had escaped from the box beneath his seat. They were beginning to crawl up his legs.
Being a bee expert, Viktor didn’t panic. However, he was concerned about the possible danger to his fellow passengers. So he calmly suggested that the other passengers leave the car while he recaptured the bees — which would involve a bit of him disrobing as well. Viktor was, after all, a modest man.
Once the other passengers cleared the car, Viktor began taking his pants off. Just as he had pulled them free of his legs, an express train passed. The sudden draft from the open window blew his pants back into the corridor, where they wrapped around the head of a conductor. A startled onlooker pulled the emergency brake. As the train lurched to a halt, somehow a fire started.
When other train officials rushed to the tragic scene they discovered Viktor, minus his pants. They assumed he must be an escaped mental hospital patient. So they quickly bundled him off to the nearest psychiatric hospital. It took Viktor 3 days to convince the doctors that he was sane.
Viktor had a bad day, and I’m sure that several times that day, and in the days following, he repeated the question, “why me?”
…..Not that any of us here this morning can relate to Viktor’s predicament, right? Seriously, who among us doesn’t have unpleasant and inconvenient things happen in life that make us ask, “why me?”
An obvious answer is that, as sinners living in a sinful world, all sorts of problems – small and big – are going to be a continuing part of our human condition. That’s just the way life in this sinful world works. Sometimes, under the right circumstances, we can even laugh about what happens to us. Besides, usually in a few days, the “tyranny of the moment” forces us to move our focus on to other issues that subsequently occur and demand our immediate attention….and then life “moves on.” In Victor’s case, in a few days he was working with his bees again – just like he had done prior to his most unfortunate experience.
What happens, however, when you and I are confronted by the bigger problems of life that we can’t easily move on from? For example: Why didn’t God keep my son from dying in that car crash? Why did the Lord let my house burn down? Why did I have to get _____ (You fill in the physical affliction)? Why have my children become such disappointments to me, even though I’ve done my best to be a good and godly parent for them? Why was I let go of my job, and not the guy who never does any work? Why didn’t Jesus answer my prayer to save my marriage? ………Why is it that “the whys?” often seem to oppress us and settle into our hearts and minds whenever life’s more serious troubles and tragedies strike us?
Of course, you and I aren’t the first humans to have been challenged by the trials, tragedies and tribulations of life. The Bible is full of examples where people (like Joseph and Jeremiah), and even whole nations (like Judah), were confronted by tragedy. The people caught up in those situations also were inclined to ask, “Why, Lord?” In most cases no satisfying answer or explanation was ever provided to them by God.
In connection with the infamous “Why Me?” question…. this morning we’ll be considering the ministry of the prophet Habakkuk, who served in the land of Judah during the sad days just before Jerusalem’s fall to the Babylonians. Our Sermon Text for today is taken from Habakkuk, chapter one. As you can read in more detail in the worship flyer’s section that follows this one, very little is known about this prophet except that he was inspired to pen a short book that was placed near the end of the Old Testament, among the works of the so-called “Minor Prophets.” Habakkuk’s three chapter book was not the typical direct message from the Lord to His rebellious people through one of his prophets that we find in most of the OT prophetic writings. Instead, it is more of an “inquiring” dialog between the prophet and God. In this dialog Habakkuk asks the Lord a series of pointed and painful “why” questions expressing the frustrations of believers living among the apostate people of Judah, and wondering when God would finally bring His justice to bear against their wickedness. Habakkuk didn’t receive “specific answers” to that “why” question or any of the other questions he asked. Instead, the Lord brings this prophet (and us) to the realization that God’s ways and will are beyond the understanding of sinful humans like ourselves. Nevertheless, those ways are always best….and, in the final analysis, those who are His children will faithfully submit in humble faith to God’s direction, confident that He is right and just in all He does.
This morning’s Old Testament Lesson describes the judgment that the Lord eventually brought to bear on the (generally) idolatrous and rebellious nation of Judah…just as Habakkuk warned. God used the Babylonians – a people more idolatrous and evil than Judah – to destroy both Jerusalem and its magnificent Temple as the just punishment from God for His people’s wickedness.
In our Epistle Lesson Peter encourages his readers – who were facing intense persecution for their faith – to persevere, and to trust that the Lord both was aware of their travails and would deal with those causing them distress in His own (and at the right) time.
In today’s Gospel Lesson Jesus gives His disciples some of the “signs” that will occur in nature, society, and to the Church, indicating that the Last Day is close at hand. One of those signs is that Christians will face more and more persecution for their faith in Him. However, all that persecution will give us many opportunities to confess our faith in Him before the world. Jesus even promises that He will give us the words and wisdom to defend our faith, so that our adversaries will not be able to refute us.
Finally, in our Children’s Lesson for today we’ll focus on the Lord’s “gentle” rebuke given through Isaiah (55:8-9), in which He reminds us that our sinful, human minds are simply too limited to even begin to understand why He allows what He does and acts the way He acts. Rather, it is up to us, as His children, to live by faith that what God decides and permits is always best…..because it always is – whether we understand and accept His will or not!
Who was Habakkuk?
Habakkuk, the name of one of God’s prophets and of 35th book of the Bible, is a rather odd-sounding name (and one that’s difficult both to correctly pronounce and to spell….). It’s the Hebrew word for “to embrace” or “one who consoles.”
But though his name might sound a bit odd to us, his message is quite straight-forward and familiar. The Lord called Habakkuk to his prophetic ministry about 620 B.C. He ministered during the final years of Judah’s existence as an independent nation. At that time, the majority of Jewish people had forgotten the Lord their God. The nation had become a cesspool of sin. The righteous were oppressed by the unrighteous. And violence was so widespread that no one was safe. Idolatry and materialism dominated Jerusalem and the area surrounding that city. The courts of the land were controlled by the wealthy to such an extent that injustice prevailed in most legal decisions. Jeremiah, a contemporary of Habakkuk, was also calling the nation to repentance, but – in the case of both prophets – to no avail.
God’s believing remnant among the people – as evidenced by the treatment Jeremiah received – were hated and were being persecuted for speaking the truth and living faithfully. Why had the prayers of the righteous gone unanswered? Had God forgotten His people? That’s the way it seemed to Habakkuk and others. So he cried out to God: “The threatening oracle which the prophet Habakkuk saw. 2 How long, Lord, must I cry for help, but You do not listen? I call out to You, “Violence!” but You do not save! 3 Why do You cause me to see injustice? Why do You overlook misery? Devastation and violence confront me. There is strife, and tensions rise. 4 For this reason the law has become powerless. Justice is never carried out. In fact, the wicked overwhelm the righteous so that justice is perverted. (Habakkuk 1:1-4)
What Habakkuk was begging to know was….”God, why are You permitting all of this evil to happen? Why are the wicked prospering while Your people, O God, are suffering? Why are the righteous being beaten down? God, why do You seem to be so indifferent to what is happening during this time of wickedness?” Habakkuk expected that God would punish the wicked and bless the righteous. Consequently, from the prophet’s vantage point, the Lord’s actions (or inactions) seemed inconsistent, and – in his humble opinion – simply didn’t make any sense.
Habakkuk’s chief complaint was that God had not been answering his prayers to promptly deal with those who were wicked and put an end to their evil acts. And so, Habakkuk implored the Lord to help him understand why all that evil was happening. . . . And what was the Lord’s answer? Nothing! Nothing at all. He remained totally silent.
The Historical Background for This Book
Habakkuk wrote his book somewhere during the reign of one (or more) of the following kings of Judah: Josiah,
Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin and Zedekiah, (620-586 B.C.). The Assyrian Empire had dominated the Middle East for nearly three centuries. Their dominion extended as far south as Thebes, Egypt, which was located approximately four hundred miles south of the Mediterranean Sea. Nevertheless, Assyria’s dominance was about to evaporate, while the power of the Chaldeans was beginning to increase. In 612 B.C., as the leading people in a coalition that included the Medes and the Sythians, the Chaldeans (also known as the Babylonians) literally wiped the Assyrian capital of Nineveh off the face of the earth. (Archaeologists would finally begin to unearth Nineveh’s remains in 1847). With Assyria’s defeat, the Egyptians tried to challenge the Babylonians for regional dominance, but Egypt was defeated decisively at Carchemish in 605 BC. During the twenty year period from 606 to 586 B.C., the Babylonians descended in force upon Jerusalem three times, and systematically carried her people off into a series of captivities in Babylon which would only be concluded in and after 536 B.C. when Babylon fell to the Persians.
The Promises of God Found in the Book of Habakkuk
What does the preceding historical information have to do with the promises of God? Well, the LORD’s plan of salvation for the world was focused on the Jewish nation. It was centered in a specific Son of that nation Who would eventually become its (and sinful humanity’s) Messiah/Savior. But how was this promised plan of salvation ever going to be carried out? After all, as Habakkuk was writing his book, what was happening and what was about to take place (godless Babylon’s dominance over almost equally-godless Judah) seemed to contradict everything that God had promised for His people. It was because this complaint (or confusion) was resting on his heart that the prophet Habakkuk turned to God in prayer for an answer.
The answer that God gave Habakkuk came through a vision. The LORD told him that the key to His promises was found in this critical fact: “the just shall live by faith” (Hab 1:4). That truth was no easier to accept in Habakkuk’s day, than it is easy for people in our day to embrace. That’s because the people of Judah in Habakkuk’s day were – generally – idolatrous, unjust, and selfish. The nation’s future was bleak in nearly every way. Assyria dominated them politically, and God was about to judge and discipline them Spiritually. Yet – once again – the primary point of the LORD’s message to Judah through Habakkuk was that “The righteous will live by faith!” (Hab 2:4) ….Consequently, what the LORD was telling Habakkuk and the faithful people of Judah was to trust totally in Him and His promises – not in what they saw, felt, or thought.
Faith, in the context of this book, is the confidence that a believer puts in the LORD no matter how dark or difficult life’s circumstances might be. Believers can be certain, beyond any doubt, that the Lord has planned a glorious heavenly future for all who believe in Him. We must never doubt God’s grace to us. So, even in the midst of doom and gloom, Habakkuk (and every Christian) remains an eternal optimist.
The miracle of faith ….is that the righteous actually do live by faith! Habakkuk not only believed that God would bring just punishment upon the wicked (as He had promised), and he not only believed that God would carry out His plan of salvation by means of His Chosen People, but Habakkuk also sang the praises of God in the midst of all the calamity that he and Judah were facing. Habakkuk put his hope and faith in God when everything seemed hopeless, because there was nothing else and No One else in Whom to hope. The prophet dared to rejoice in God…..not because of what he saw, but because of what he believed: “Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, 18 yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation. 19 God, the Lord, is my strength; He makes my feet like the deer’s; He makes me tread on my high places.” (Habakkuk 3:17-19)
In some ways the situation for the believers who first received the
letter to the Hebrews parallels the situation of God’s people during Habakkuk’s time (Hebrews 10:38). Hebrews was written to believers in Jerusalem who were suffering horribly because of their faith. They were abused and tormented. They experienced the loss of their possessions, and their lives were being threatened. How and why should such things happen to people who had become children of the almighty, living God? Where was the LORD, and when was He going to act for their benefit and deliverance? The writer to the Hebrews urged his readers to hold firmly to their hope in Christ….because the just shall live by faith. He promised that as they put their faith in God, He would certainly bring them through their trials, turmoils and troubles all the way to eternal life in heaven.
Paul would take Habakkuk 2:4 and make it, what might be considered, the “theme” of his letter to the Romans (Romans 1:17). It is by faith and faith alone (specifically faith in Jesus) that the sinner is justified and receives life eternal from God. In his letter to the Galatians Paul also used this passage from Habakkuk as the contrast to the lie of salvation by works (Galatians 3:11). He affirmed that the law damns to hell everyone who doesn’t keep it perfectly (….which is all of us!), but that the just/ righteous shall live eternally — not by their works but — by faith alone in everything that their Lord and Savior Jesus Christ accomplished for them.
So……Where does all of this information leave you and me today? Well, we’re standing Spiritually in the same place where Habakkuk stood. In the face of the various calamities and Spiritual chaos of our own age – some of which seem not only to contradict God’s justice, but also to suggest eventual defeat and failure for His gracious purposes – you and I need to keep standing, Spiritually-speaking, exactly where Habakkuk and his fellow believing in Judah stood some 2600 years ago…….on this firm foundation: that “The righteous shall live by faith.”
Our one, true God has saved all of sinful humankind through the redemptive work of Jesus Christ. We already have eternal life in heaven, guaranteed by God’s gracious promise, through faith in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. It’s true that we can’t see or enjoy all of eternal life’s blessings right now…..but it will happen for us because the Lord has guaranteed it to us in His Word – and His promises never have failed nor will they ever fail! On the Day of His choosing, the LORD will judge the world and deliver His Church (Habakkuk 2:3); of that we can be certain. Meanwhile we need to keep on proclaiming His Word, all the while holding on firmly to the saving faith that the God Holy Spirit graciously has implanted in our hearts…..the saving faith in Christ by which we will live eternally in heavenly glory in God’s presence.
Although by God’s grace and the Holy Spirit’s enlightening work, you and I are going to hold onto (and grow in) our Christian faith, we aren’t always going to be able to explain to others (or personally to understand) all of God’s decisions and activities in a manner that satisfies our human, rational way thinking. But if we rely firmly on our faith in our Savior, God will give us the strength of faith to persevere…. and in His own appointed time, the LORD will deliver us from this world of sin and suffering, and will take us to heaven to enjoy everlasting life with Him.
A Summary of the Book of Habakkuk:
Chapter 1:1-11: Although Habakkuk begins by asking the Lord how He can tolerate Judah’s wickedness,
once he receives God’s answer, he complains that his people, the nation of Judah, are going to be destroyed for their sins – unfathomably, by a nation that is even more wicked! It isn’t fair! But God had raised the Babylonians up for that very purpose….to discipline the nation of Judah for its wickedness.
Chapter 1:12-2:20: Habakkuk concedes that Judah deserves to be punished for her wickedness in order to bring the nation back to repentance and faith. But then he essentially asks of the LORD, “Help me to understand how You, Who are holy, can use the godless Babylonians to accomplish something good?” The Lord responds that Babylon will have its day of reckoning too. As God, He knows what He is doing. Habakkuk needs to accept that truth by faith, and not complain.
Chapter 3: Finally, in prayer, Habakkuk asks the LORD to perform one of His powerful wonders for the good of His people – just as He used to do in days of old. Resigned to the fact that Judah is going to be disciplined, Habakkuk expresses his confidence in the ultimate security of God’s people, and the trustworthiness of God’s promises and purposes.
Welcome to Grace Lutheran Church If you are a first-time guest, we’re honored you’ve chosen to worship with us this morning. If you’ve been with us before, we’re glad to have you back! If we can do anything to make your time among us more edifying and enjoyable, please speak with one of our ushers, our Pastor, or the person sitting next to you. We want to serve you to the best of our abilities. We also hope you’ll join those around you for some good conversation, coffee, and other refreshments in our fellowship hall after today’s service is done. And finally, we invite you to remain afterward to participate with us in our Sunday School and Bible Class. May the comfort of God’s love and His forgiveness through Jesus Christ bring you peace and be with you throughout this day and this week.
A Children’s Nursery is available to assist parents with small children during the worship hour. We encourage parents to bring children into worship whenever possible. This helps children learn why we come here each week: to praise God and to learn from Him. In addition, we know that the Holy Spirit’s power in the written and spoken Word blesses the hearts and souls of little children, no less than adults. But for some of the youngest among us, the nursery is, at times, a necessity, particularly when their agitation detracts from the worship of others around them in the chapel. When such situations occur, we encourage parents to be considerate of those around them, and to bring your child into the nursery area for a short time, until he/she becomes comfortable again. Then we hope you and your child will return to the sanctuary to continue to worship and grow in God’s Word. The Nursery is in the first room along the north wall in our rear — or second — seating area. A changing table for very small children is also in the nursery, which is available to you at any time today.
Pre-Service Prayer Dear Lord Jesus, thank You for another day of grace, and for bringing me safely to this house of worship today. As I hear Your Word proclaimed to me, enable me through Your Spirit, to truly repent of all my sins – especially my sins of impatience with You and others. May I also fully recognize and appreciate the love You have shown me by laying down Your life for me, and by the way Your guiding and protecting hands constantly enfold me with Your love – though I do not deserve it. May I respond to that mercy now and always by faithfully living for You here, until I live with You eternally in heavenly glory. All this I ask in Your name and for Your sake. Amen.
The portions of God’s that are used in this worship flyer have been taken from The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version Copyright 2019, The Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission. Music and lyrics, as needed, are used with permission via OneLicense.net #A712831
Pre-service prayer Pre-worship music
Pre-Worship Hymn Singing, beginning at 9:25 a.m.
Let Us Praise The Lord
The Introduction and Invitation to worship
The Invocation
We make our beginning
In the name of the Father,
Who created and preserves this world and every one of us, and Who gave His Son into death for us and raised Him in glory on the third day;
And of the Son,
Who became fully human in order to be our Savior-Substitute, Who laid
down His life only to take it up again on the third day, Who rules over all things from heaven for the good of His Church, and Who will return in glory on the Last Day to deliver that Church;
And of the Holy Spirit
through Whom Christ was made alive,
Who has worked and sustains saving faith in our hearts,
Who lives in us now through the Word,
and Who will one day give life to our mortal bodies.
Amen.
The Opening Hymn “This Is My Father’s World”
This is my Father’s world, And to my list’ning ears,
All nature sings and ‘round me rings; His grace to me appears.
This is my Father’s world. I rest me in the thought
Of rocks and trees, of skies and seas;
His hands these wonders wrought.
This is my Father’s world. Oh, let me ne’er forget
That though the wrong seems oft so strong, God is the Ruler yet.
This is my Father’s world. Why should my heart be sad?
The Lord is King; let the heavens ring. God reigns; let earth be glad!
This is my Father’s world To which He sent His Son
Who, by His perfect life and death, My soul’s salvation won.
This is my Father’s will: By His grace one day I’ll be —
Through faith in Christ, My Savior blest – In heav’n eternally.
After which the Congregation will rise as…
We Make Confession of Our Sins To God
Pastor – Let us join in confessing our sins to God our Father.
Congregation – Almighty Lord God, we have come together to stand in Your presence, + to hear Your Word, and to worship You.
Pastor – But who may appear in Your presence, Heavenly Father, and who may call on You for help?
Congregation – He who has clean hands and a pure heart; + He shall receive blessings from the Lord.
Pastor – O holy and righteous God, You alone can make us clean. We have rebelled against You and become worthless. But Your mercies never end; they are new every day. At Your command and promise, therefore, we come to You and confess our sins.
Congregation Miserable person that I am, + I confess and lament to You, O most holy God, + that I am a weak and sinful creature, + guilty of every sin, of unbelief, and of blasphemy. + I also confess that Your Word has not brought forth good fruit in me. + I hear it, but do not receive it earnestly. + I do not show works of love toward my neighbor. + I am full of anger, hate, and envy. + I am impatient, greedy, and bent on every evil. + Therefore my heart and conscience are heavy. + Lord, I ask You, free me from my sins, + strengthen my faith, + and comfort my weak conscience by Your divine Word, + that I may obtain Your promised grace.
Pastor – Having faithfully confessed your sins, now hear Your heavenly Father’s promise of forgiveness to you. Jesus explained God’s will and promise as clearly as possible in John 6:40 when He said, “For My Father’s will is
that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in Him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.” And now, carrying out my office as a called servant of the Living Word, I proclaim the grace and mercy of God to all of you, and according to the command of my Lord Jesus Christ, and in His place, I forgive you all your sins, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Peace be with you. Amen.
Our Response “Our Heav’nly Father, Gracious Lord”
To the tune of “Almighty Father, Strong to Save;” by cwh (CW 517)
Our Heav’nly Father, gracious Lord, Who by the power of Your Word
Created and sustains each thing, and all that live.
Your praise we sing….
Our Father, Who in mercy still, Guides everything by Your sure will.
We praise You, Christ, God’s only Son,
by Whom salvation has been won.
For us You lived, and for us died, that we might all be justified,
Raised from the dead, on high to reign.
We know that You will come again.
We worship, You, O Spirit sent, active in Word and Sacrament.
You bind the Church, below, above, in faith in Christ’s redeeming love.
Sustain this faith, our whole lives through,
and day by day our hearts renew! Amen.
The Prayer For This Day
Almighty God, Heavenly Father, + Every day we experience situations and circumstances in our lives + about which we cannot seem to make any sense. + Try as we might to understand what is happening and why…. + we often end up becoming confused, frustrated, + and even upset over the course our lives take. + We’ve foolishly dared to think + that we could competently manage our lives better than You – as if we actually could – even though we know deep down + that You alone have the right + and the ability to direct the affairs of our lives. + Help us to repent of our arrogance, + as well as the times when we have been dissatisfied with Your leadership of our lives. + Instead, give us a greater portion of Your Holy Spirit, + that our faithfulness toward You + and our trust in You might increase. + Here and now, we recommit ourselves to Your perfect will and ways…….no longer challenging or complaining about Your leadership, + but instead may we be ever-confident of Your guidance now + and Your guarantee of heavenly glory one day…… + through faith in Your one and only Son, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, + Who lives and rules with You and the Holy Spirit + as the One true God, + for ever and ever. + Amen.
after which the Congregation will be seated
We Hear God’s Word
The Old Testament 2 Chronicles 36:11-23
11 Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned as king in Jerusalem for eleven years.
12 He did evil in the eyes of the Lord his God. He did not humble himself before Jeremiah the prophet, who spoke from the mouth of the Lord. 13 He also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear an oath by God. Zedekiah stiffened his neck and hardened his heart against turning to the Lord, the God of Israel. 14 All the officials of the priests and the people became more and more unfaithful, by following all the abominations of the nations and polluting the House of the Lord, which He had made holy in Jerusalem.
15 The Lord, the God of their fathers, persistently sent warnings to them through His messengers, because He had compassion on His people and on His dwelling place. 16 But the people kept mocking the messengers of God, despising His words, and scoffing at His prophets, until the anger of the Lord rose up against His people, until there was no remedy. 17 He brought against them the king of the Chaldeans, who killed their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary. He had no compassion on young man or virgin, old man or aged. The Lord gave them all into his hand.
18 All the articles from the House of God, great and small, and the treasures of the House of the Lord and of the king and his officials—all these he brought to Babylon. 19 They burned the house of God and tore down the wall of Jerusalem. They burned all its fortified buildings with fire. All its precious articles were destroyed. 20 He sent those who escaped from the sword into exile in Babylon. They became servants for him and for his sons until Persia took over the kingdom.
21 To fulfill the word of the Lord that had come by the mouth of Jeremiah, the land completed its sabbath rests. The entire time the land was desolate, it was completing a sabbath rest, which lasted for seventy years. 22 In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the Lord that came by the mouth of Jeremiah, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout his kingdom and put it in writing: “23 This is what Cyrus king of Persia says: ‘The Lord, the God of Heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth. He Himself has appointed me to build a house for Him in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. From all His people, whoever among you is willing (may the Lord his God be with him) is permitted to go up to Jerusalem.’”
The Epistle Lesson 2 Peter 2:1-22
There were false prophets also among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master Who bought them, bringing swift destruction on themselves. 2 Many will follow their depraved ways, and because of them the way of the truth will be blasphemed. 3 In their greed they will exploit you with fabricated messages. Their condemnation announced long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.
4 For if God did not spare angels when they sinned but handed them over to chains of darkness by casting them into hell, to be kept under guard for judgment; 5 and if God did not spare the ancient world but preserved Noah, a preacher of righteousness, along with seven others when he brought a flood on the world of ungodly people; 6 and if God condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to destruction, by turning them into ashes when He made them an example of things to come for the ungodly; 7 and if He rescued righteous Lot, who was very distressed by the unrestrained immorality of the wicked people 8 (while that righteous man was living among them, he was tormented in his righteous soul day after day by the lawless deeds he saw and heard); 9 then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptation and to keep the unrighteous under guard until the day of judgment, in order to punish them.
10 This is especially true of those who follow the defiling lust of the flesh and who despise authority. Daring and arrogant, they do not tremble when they blaspheme glorious beings, 11 whereas angels, even though they are greater in strength and power, do not bring a slanderous judgment against them before the Lord. 12 But these people blaspheme in matters about which they are ignorant, just like unreasoning creatures that live by instinct and are born to be captured and destroyed. So they too will be destroyed as a consequence of their destructive activity. 13 They will be paid back for the harm they cause.
They consider it a pleasure to carouse in the daytime. They are spots and blemishes, who take delight in their deceitful pleasures while they feast with you. 14 They have eyes full of longing for adulterous women and sins that never stop. They seduce unstable souls. They have trained their hearts for greed. They are children who are cursed.
15 They left the right way and went astray, following the path of Balaam, son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness. 16 (He was rebuked for his disobedience. A donkey, which does not talk, spoke with a human voice and restrained the prophet’s madness.) 17 These men are wells without water, clouds driven away by a windstorm, for whom the gloom of darkness has been reserved. 18 For by uttering arrogant, empty words, they use the depraved lusts of the flesh to seduce those who are barely escaping from those who live in error. 19 While they promise these people freedom, they themselves are slaves to corruption, for a person is a slave to what has control of him.
20 Indeed, if, after escaping the defiling things of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and controlled by them again, they are worse off than they were at first. 21 In fact, it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness than, after knowing it, to turn back from the holy command passed on to them. 22 They demonstrate the truth of the proverb: “A dog returns to its own vomit,” and a washed sow returns to wallowing in the mud.
After which the Congregation will rise for
The Gospel Lesson Luke 21:10-19
10 Then He said to them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. 11 There will be great earthquakes, famines, and plagues in various places. There will be horrifying sights and great signs from heaven. 12 But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and will persecute you, handing you over to synagogues and prisons, bringing you before kings and governors for My name’s sake. 13 It will turn out to be your opportunity to testify. 14 So make up your minds not to prepare beforehand how to defend yourselves, 15 for I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to withstand or contradict. 16 You will be betrayed even by parents, brothers, relatives, and friends. They will put some of you to death. 17 You will be hated by all people for My name’s sake. 18 But not a hair of your head will perish. 19 By patient endurance you will gain your lives.
The Apostles’ Creed
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth. And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord; Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost; Born of the virgin Mary; Suffered under Pontius Pilate; Was crucified, dead, and buried; He descended into hell; The third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven; And sitteth at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty; From thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost; The Holy Christian Church, the Communion of Saints; The forgiveness of sins; The resurrection of the body; And the life everlasting. Amen.
The Children’s Lesson Isaiah 55:8-9
8 Certainly My plans are not your plans, and your ways are not My ways, declares the Lord. 9 Just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so My ways are higher than your ways, and My plans are higher than your plans.
We’re just not smart enough
to figure out God’s ways and thoughts
The Sermon Hymn Hymn 420 “God Moves In A Mysterious Way“
1 God moves in a mysterious way His wonders to perform;
He plants his footsteps in the sea And rides upon the storm.
2 Judge not the Lord by feeble sense, But trust him for his grace;
Behind a frowning providence He has a smiling face.
3 Blind unbelief is sure to err And scan his work in vain;
God is his own interpreter, And he will make it plain.
4 You fearful saints, fresh courage take; The clouds you so much dread
Are big with mercy and will break In blessing on your head.
after which the Congregation will rise
The Greeting
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in Christ! O Lord, open my lips, that my mouth may declare Your praise. Amen.
The Sermon Text Habakkuk 1:1-4
The threatening oracle which the prophet Habakkuk saw. 2 How long, Lord, must I cry for help, but You do not listen? I call out to You, “Violence!” but You do not save! 3 Why do You cause me to see injustice? Why do You overlook misery? Devastation and violence confront me. There is strife, and tensions rise. 4 For this reason the law has become powerless. Justice is never carried out. In fact, the wicked overwhelm the righteous so that justice is perverted.
“Why Ask, ‘Why Lord?’….
Instead, Let’s just ‘live by faith!’”
following the sermon the Congregation will rise for
The Blessing
To Him Who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before His glorious presence without fault and with great joy — to the only God, our Savior, be glory, majesty, power, and authority…now and forever. Amen.
We Offer Our Gifts and Prayers to the Lord
Our Offerings of Love to our Lord
We will be passing an offering plate through our chapel at this point. For those unable to worship with us in person, if you would like to participate in this offering, we offer you the following suggestions for providing God with Your thank-offerings through our ministry:
1) You can send a check (no cash) in the mail to Grace Lutheran Church (415 N. 6th Place, Lowell, AR 72745)
2) Or, go online to our website (www.gracelutherannwa.com) and use the giving option there.
as the offerings are brought forward, the Congregation will rise for
The Prayers for this Day
Included in our prayers today is:
A Prayer of Intercession for Lesa Roe,
who will undergo surgery this coming Wednesday;
also
for Mary Book, who will have neck surgery this Tuesday;
and
A Prayer of Thanksgiving for Kay and Frank Giardino
whose wedding anniversary is this Friday
The Lord’s Our Father, Who art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy name; Thy Kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth
Prayer as it is in heaven; Give us this day our daily bread; And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; And lead us not into temptation; But deliver us from evil; For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.
We Leave With The Lord’s Blessing
Benediction
Brothers and sisters, now go in peace. Live in harmony with one another. And Serve the Lord in gladness.
The LORD bless you and keep you,
The LORD make His face shine upon you and be gracious unto you,
The LORD look upon you with favor, and grant you His peace. Amen.
The Closing Hymn Hymn 321 “Savior, Again, To Thy Dear Name We Raise”
1 Savior, again to thy dear name we raise
With one accord our parting hymn of praise.
Once more we bless thee ere our worship cease,
Then, lowly bending, wait thy word of peace.
2 Grant us thy peace upon our homeward way;
With thee began, with thee shall end the day.
Guard thou the lips from sin, the hearts from shame,
That in this house have called upon thy name.
3 Grant us thy peace, Lord, through the coming night;
Turn thou for us its darkness into light.
From harm and danger keep thy people free,
For dark and light are both alike to thee.
4 Grant us thy peace throughout our earthly life,
Our balm in sorrow and our stay in strife.
Then, when thy voice shall bid our conflict cease,
Call us, O Lord, to thine eternal peace.