"I Have Heard"

“I Have Heard” Habakkuk 3:2

• Habakkuk 3:2LORD, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, O LORD. Renew them in our day, in our time make them known; in wrath remember mercy

1) The book of Habakkuk begins with a complaint. The prophet saw injustice, violence, and evil in his own country, yet God remained silent and invisible.

2) God answered him, but hardly in the way Habakkuk had anticipated. God said he was sending the Babylonians to punish Judah. God's words described a ruthless, savage army that would tear Israel apart.

3) So Habakkuk complained again. Could this be justice--punishing Judah through an even more evil nation? God did reply, God said 2: 3For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay.” Habakkuk, book, which begins with a complaint, ends with a beautiful song.

1. Habakkuk says I have Heard of your Fame and how you deal with injustices:

• "Joshua said, 9:9 servants have come from a very distant country because of the fame of the LORD your God.

• Jeremiah says “There is none like You, O LORD; You are great, and great is Your name in might. Jeremiah 10:6

• The Chronicler “For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; He also is to be feared above all gods.” 1 Chronicles 16

• Psalm 78:12I heard He did miracles in the sight of their fathers in the land of Egypt, in the region of Zoan.

• 13I heard He divided the sea and led them through; he made the water stand firm like a wall.

• 14I heard He guided them with the cloud by day and with light from the fire all night.

• 15I heardHe split the rocks in the desert and gave them water as abundant as the seas;

• 16I heard he brought streams out of a rocky crack and made water flow down like rivers.

2. I have heard, If we Speak those in Prisons will hear

• Matthew 11:2When John heard in prison what Christ was doing, he sent his disciples3to ask him, "Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?" 4Jesus replied, "Go back and report to John what you hear and see: 5The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosyB are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor.

• I have heard it is written If we Speak of his Fame others will find Freedom One woman found freedom from an issue of blood Mark 5:27When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, 28because she thought, "If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed." 29Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.

• I have heard if we speak out blind may see Blind Bartimaous claimed I have Heard …37They told him that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by. 38And he called out, saying, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" 39Those who led the way were sternly telling him to be quiet; but he kept crying out all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!"…

3. I have heard If we Speak the World will Hear

• John 12:17Now the crowd that was with him when he called Lazarus from the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to spread the word. 18Many people, because they had heard that he had given this miraculous sign, went out to meet him. 19So the Pharisees said to one another, "See, this is getting us nowhere. Look how the whole world has gone after him!"

• The woman at a well spoke and the town came to see a man who told me everything

4. We have heard of the Fame of our God

• I have heard He is the Alpha and Omega the beginning and the end the first and the last

• I have heard He is the author of life, Author of Salvation, and the Author and perfector of our faith

• I have heard he is the Lilly of the valley the bright and the morning star

• I have heard He is the Bread of Life

• I have heard He is the fountain that cleanses from sin

• I have heard he is the Good Shepherd and he the good shepherd will lay down his life for the sheep

• I have heard He is the Hope of Israel and all.