Ecclesiastes 7:2

Don’t tell them it’s wrong to grieve.

• Luke 7:12-15

• John 11:33-36 – Jesus joined in the grief!

Love them while they grieve their way.

• Colossians 3:12

• Denial

  • Psalms 55:4-7 – David wanted to get away!

• Anger

  • Job 7:11-16

  • Anger is not a sin, but it can lead to sin. We must be careful.

  • John 11:21-22

• Bargaining

  • II Samuel 18:33; 12:15-23

• Depression

  • Psalms 69:1-3, 8, 10-11, 20

• Acceptance

  • It’s not that the loss is forgotten – it’s that the grieving person once again is able to function.

Focus on the one who is grieving.

• Romans 12:10; Philippians 2:3-4

• Ecclesiastes 3:4-8 – There is a time for everything.

• Take your cue from those who are grieving.

Don’t rush it.

• Genesis 37:33-35; 50:3, 10-11 – They grieved for extended periods.

• Proverbs 25:11 – Speak in right circumstances.

• I Thessalonians 4:13, 18

Just be there.

• John 11:31

• Job 2:11-13 – Job’s friends initially just sat with him in his grief.

Habakkuk 1-3

Introduction

• The name Habakkuk means “embrace.”

• The book was most likely written between 612 and 606 B.C.

Habakkuk 1

• Habakkuk 1:1-4 – Habakkuk can’t understand why God allows evil.

• Habakkuk 1:5-11 – God replies that His is bringing the Chaldeans to punish Judah.

• Habakkuk 1:12-17 – Habakkuk asks how God can use people more wicked than Judah to punish Judah.

Habakkuk 2

• Habakkuk 2:1-5 – The Chaldeans would be punished, but the just shall live by faith. It is a fundamental principle that God will punish evil. The passage is referenced from Romans 1:17; Galatians 3:11; Hebrews 10:30.

• Habakkuk 2:6-19 – Woe to the Chaldeans! See Jeremiah 1. Babylon would be destroyed.

• Habakkuk 2:20 – See Psalms 11:4.

Habakkuk 3

• Habakkuk 3:1-19 – Habakkuk’s prayer for deliverance.

Lessons for us:

• The just shall live by faith.

• The Lord is in His holy temple.

  • God is still in control!

• When doubts arise, take them to God.

  • We can find the answers in God’s word.

• While God’s judgments are for the punishment of the wicked, they are also for salvation of the faithful.

• The differences between the evil and the righteous is pride vs. faith.

• The man of faith will rejoice in the end.

• Evil is self-destructive (Habakkuk 3:17-18).

• In judgment, pray for mercy.

• All will ultimately answer to God (II Corinthians 5:10).

• The Lord is our strength (Habakkuk 3:19).

• God has gone out for the salvation of his people (Habakkuk 3:13).

  • He wants us to be saved, but the choice is ours!

II Thessalonians 1:1-12

II Thessalonians 1:1-5

• The church here was good but not perfect. No local church is perfect because people are imperfect. God’s design for the church, however, is perfect.

• The church in Thessalonica had internal problems, but also had external pressure of loving in a wicked city (Acts 17:5-ff). II Thessalonians 1:4; I Thessalonians 5:11

• There’s always going to be some admonishment required in a local church. That is part of God’s design and doesn’t mean the church has failed.

II Thessalonians 1:6-10

• Does God’s punishment contradict His love? No! People were hurting God’s children. He was protecting them and being just.

• Compare II Peter 3:9.

• Revelation 18:20

• Romans 12:19

• Psalm 140 – An “imprecatory” psalm, calling for judgment on someone.

• Paul was comforting the Thessalonians by reminding them that God would take vengeance on those who were persecuting them.

• Revelation 6:9-11

• Paul connects Judgment Day with positive words for the Thessalonians. Compare I Thessalonians 4:8; 5:11

II Thessalonians 1:11-12 – We glorify God when we live according to His will.

James 1:2

To mature our perspective

• Genesis 25:29-34

• Sometimes in the moment we exaggerate. Is it really as bad as it seems at the time?

• “Here and now” bias

• COVID-19 perspective: Imagine you were born in 1900.

• Exodus 3:7

• II Chronicles 36:20

• Jeremiah 29:10

• Acts 12:1

• 2020 was bad, but it has not been the worst in human experience.

• Luke 12:4-5 – Hell is much worse than anything on earth.

To cherish relationships

• I Thessalonians 2:17-20

• I Thessalonians 3:1-3, 6 – Paul longed to see the Christians in Thessalonica.

• John 3:22

• John 13:34

• Acts 1:13-14 – The disciples spent time together.

• Genesis 2:18 – It is not good for man to be alone!

To develop trust in God

• Ecclesiastes 8:7-8; 9:11-12

• We have never been in control, and 2020 has reminded us of that!

• James 4:13-15 – We have no idea what is coming!

• I Timothy 5:3-5

• Matthew 6:19-21

Let us learn our lessons and glorify God!

II Timothy 4:1-15

Life is fragile. We have very little control over whether we are here tomorrow or not.

Resume virtues vs. eulogy virtues.

• We need to get our lives back toward eulogy virtues.

We need to have two-way discipleship.

• We should strive to teach others and be taught.

• Matthew 28:19-20

Don’t be fickle Christians

• II Timothy 4:6-8

• What do you want your last thoughts to be?

• We need to finish the race.

  • Life is not a sprint!

  • Has Jesus gone from first place to just a place in our lives?

  • Romans 12:1-2

We need to live with the end in mind.

• II Timothy 4:6-8

• I Corinthians 9:24

• I John 2:25

Don’t be a Demas.

• II Timothy 4:9 – Don’t forsake the Lord!

• Galatians 6:9 – Don’t give up!

• James 1:12; 4:15-17, 14

James 4:7-10