{"id":40801,"date":"2021-12-17T11:55:04","date_gmt":"2021-12-17T17:55:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/?p=40801"},"modified":"2021-12-17T11:55:04","modified_gmt":"2021-12-17T17:55:04","slug":"you-wouldnt-believe-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/you-wouldnt-believe-it\/","title":{"rendered":"You Wouldn’t Believe It"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\t

by Doy Moyer<\/p>\n

“Look, you scoffers,<\/em>
\nmarvel and vanish away,<\/em>
\nbecause I am doing a work in your days,<\/em>
\na work that you will never believe,<\/em>
\neven if someone were to explain it to you<\/em>” (Acts 13:41).<\/blockquote>\n

Paul quoted this from Habakkuk 1:5. In Habakkuk’s context, the sins of the people had reached a point where God would bring judgment upon them. Habakkuk asked about it, and God told him that what was about to happen (using the Chaldeans to judge) would be something he wouldn’t believe. How could God use a wicked nation like Babylon to judge his own people? Unbelievable. But that’s exactly what he did.<\/p>\n

\"\"

Photo by Nathan Bingle on Unsplash<\/p><\/div>\n

God does not conform to our expectations. If we cannot live with that, then we can never accept what comes next.<\/p>\n

Fast forward to the time of the preaching of the gospel. Paul preaches the death, resurrection, and kingship of Christ. The manner in which God accomplished salvation through Christ was, as in Habakkuk’s day, unbelievable. And it served as a warning to those who rejected the message. If we expect God to act according to the way we think he ought, and then we reject him when he doesn’t conform to our thoughts, then we can only expect that “what is said in the prophets” would happen to us.<\/p>\n

God’s ways and thoughts are not ours. If we are not humble enough to accept that, then our own arrogance will get in the way of what comes next.<\/p>\n

Paul’s point in I Corinthians 1-2 falls right in line here. The cross was a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to the Gentiles. God has accomplished something through Christ that is unbelievable to mere human rationale. We wouldn’t do it this way.<\/p>\n

Yet that is part of what makes the gospel message so amazing. It’s not a story concocted in the minds of Jews or Gentiles. I could not have dreamed this up and neither could you. It’s a story they wouldn’t believe. A Jewish peasant from an obscure place in Galilee is crucified as a criminal (the most shameful, humiliating death imaginable), then raised from the dead and proclaimed Savior of the world? For so many, this is “a work that you will never believe, even if someone were to explain it to you.”<\/p>\n

It’s only from the mind of God that salvation through the death and resurrection of Jesus could be accomplished. Tell the story. Many won’t believe it because it doesn’t fit their rational categories. But when all the dust settles, all the options considered, there is really only one place to land.<\/p>\n

God did a work that may be unbelievable on the surface, but it is in demonstration of his love and power. It will have its scoffers as it always has, but scoffers pass on and vanish. The Gospel remains. Who and what will you trust?<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

by Doy Moyer “Look, you scoffers, marvel and vanish away, because I am doing a work in your days, a work that you will never believe, even if someone were to explain it to you” (Acts 13:41). Paul quoted this from Habakkuk 1:5. In Habakkuk’s context, the sins of the people had reached a point…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[49,129],"class_list":["post-40801","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-article","tag-faith","tag-trust"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":23749,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/is-it-wrong-to-question-god\/","url_meta":{"origin":40801,"position":0},"title":"Is it wrong to question God?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"June 10, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: In Habakkuk 1:2-4, especially verse 3, Habakkuk questioned the wisdom of God. Is it wrong to do so? I believe the correct attitude toward God is to trust and obey; what do you think? Also in Genesis 18:23-32, Abraham plead to God not to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah. I\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":26381,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/the-danger-of-assuming-god-is-on-our-side\/","url_meta":{"origin":40801,"position":1},"title":"The Danger of Assuming God Is on \u201cOur\u201d Side","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"October 10, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"by Doy Moyer If we believe that God rules in the kingdoms of men, we cannot stop believing it when things don\u2019t go the way we think they should. We often assume God is on \u201cour\u201d side in a particular cultural, political, or even military conflict. If we believe in\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":62902,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/the-justice-of-god\/","url_meta":{"origin":40801,"position":2},"title":"The Justice of God","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"June 13, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Habakkuk 1:1-4 \u00a0 I.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The prophet Habakkuk was upset with God \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Wickedness and violence abounded in the world around him. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a01.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Jeremiah asked much the same question: Why do the wicked prosper? - Jeremiah 12:1-4 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a02.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0It is an old question. Job asked it - Job 21:7-15 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a03.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Asaph\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Audio"","block_context":{"text":"Audio","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/audio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":38530,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/the-desire-for-justice\/","url_meta":{"origin":40801,"position":3},"title":"The Desire for Justice","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"October 6, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"by Doy Moyer Justice is an idea that is not made of materials. It is not something we can physically hold, scientifically measure, or weigh with scales. It is conceptual, grasped only by the mind, and based upon an even more foundational notion about right and wrong, good and bad\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":10298,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/gods-compassion\/","url_meta":{"origin":40801,"position":4},"title":"God’s Compassion","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"September 22, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Psalms 58 \u00a0 I.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0God has the absolute right to judge \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Some get angry that He would dare to judge \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0B.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0But it is the righteous God who gets angry - Psalms 7:10-11 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0C.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0How can mankind who have shown repeated incidences of injustice sit in judgment on\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Audio"","block_context":{"text":"Audio","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/audio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":70581,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/learning-from-god\/","url_meta":{"origin":40801,"position":5},"title":"Learning from God","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"October 26, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Habakkuk 2:20 \u00a0 I.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0If God is the only true God and the Bible is His teachings \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Then truth and error are as distinct as light and dark - I John 1:5; James 1:17-18 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0B.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0We will face our God to be judged - Romans 2:6 II.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Can\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Sermon"","block_context":{"text":"Sermon","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/sermon\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40801","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=40801"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40801\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=40801"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=40801"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=40801"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}