October 5, 2025
LINK TO SERMON ON YOUTUBE
(May expire after about 2 years)
TEXT: Habakkuk 1:1-13; 2:1-4; Luke 17:5-10
TOPIC: Faith in God in spite of circumstances
SERMON SUMMARY:
Living by Faith in God's Perfect Timing
Crying Out in Hard Times
I'd like you to recall a difficult time in your life—a health issue, job loss, relationship failure, or watching someone you love suffer. Remember how you felt and what your response to God was in that moment.
This is exactly what's happening in our reading from Habakkuk. He's seeing evil and violence in Israel and crying out: "Oh Lord, how long shall I cry for help and you will not hear?" It's a very human response. Most of us will have this at some time in life. I remember hitting a dead end at a software company—by some grace I don't understand, I cried out to Jesus even though I wasn't a person of faith at that point.
Our Limited Perspective
The reality is that our perspective and understanding is always limited by our humanity. We are small finite creatures. What we grasp is like one page ripped out of a thousand-page novel. But somewhere each of us senses that God actually knows what's in the 999 other pages—and what's more, that he can change what those pages say.
God's perspective is high and broad and wide as the universe. This is where faith comes in. Faith is humble acceptance and trust in God's vision, plan, and purpose for us.
God tells Habakkuk: "The vision awaits its appointed time. If it seems slow, wait for it. It will surely come." We're always quick to say, "Lord, where are you? I need you to act now." But faith trusts in God's presence with us always. Faith trusts that God acts in his perfect timing and wisdom.
The Power of Mustard Seed Faith
Our gospel lesson begins with the disciples exclaiming, "Lord, increase our faith!" You'd think Jesus had just asked them to walk on water or give away everything. But actually, he'd just told them to forgive a brother who wrongs them—even seven times in one day.
The disciples think they need bigger faith. But Jesus corrects them: the power doesn't come from their faith. It comes from the one they put their faith in. Their faith can be as small as a mustard seed because genuine faith is humble trust in the power of God.
I can't do it on my own. Money can't do it. Science can't do it. My favorite new politician can't do it. But the tiniest bit of trust in God who created the universe unleashes all the power in the world.
Humble Service Brings Perfect Freedom
Then Jesus tells what seems like a completely unrelated parable about servants. When your servant comes in from working the field, you don't say "come recline at the table"—you tell them to prepare dinner first. Jesus is urging us to always keep a stance of humble service to God while trusting that he has the greater picture well in hand.
In our ego, we think God owes us an explanation or compensation. But if I'm in that space, I'm about me and what I want, not what the Lord wants. The humble person says, "I exist to serve you, God."
Here's the wonderful thing: to serve God is to serve one who doesn't actually need anything from us. By serving him, we're choosing to participate in what he is doing. All serving God does is lift us up and make us more alive because we're participating in his work, his ministry, his life and power.
Our Anglican collect captures this beautifully: "To know you is eternal life and to serve you is perfect freedom." Isn't that astonishing and countercultural?
When we humbly trust God with all things we cannot control or understand and place them in his hands, he sets us free from their controlling influence. It's for freedom that Christ set us free. To serve him in humble faith is perfect freedom. It releases his power because I'm trusting in him and obeying him like a servant.
