Christ in the Crises
June 18, 2016 Sermon: When God Speaks
A sermon by Pastor Laton Smith from Plantation SDA Church on Jun 18, 2016.
For more information on Plantation SDA Church, please visit us at plantationsda.tv.
The key text for the sermon will be Habakkuk 1
1 The oracle that Habakkuk the prophet saw.
Habakkuk’s Complaint 2 O LORD, how long shall I cry for help, and you will not hear? Or cry to you “Violence!” and you will not save? 3 Why do you make me see iniquity, and why do you idly look at wrong? Destruction and violence are before me; strife and contention arise. 4 So the law is paralyzed, and justice never goes forth. For the wicked surround the righteous; so justice goes forth perverted.
The LORD’s Answer 5 “Look among the nations, and see; wonder and be astounded. For I am doing a work in your days that you would not believe if told. 6 For behold, I am raising up the Chaldeans, that bitter and hasty nation, who march through the breadth of the earth, to seize dwellings not their own. 7 They are dreaded and fearsome; their justice and dignity go forth from themselves. 8 Their horses are swifter than leopards, more fierce than the evening wolves; their horsemen press proudly on. Their horsemen come from afar; they fly like an eagle swift to devour. 9 They all come for violence, all their faces forward. They gather captives like sand. 10 At kings they scoff, and at rulers they laugh. They laugh at every fortress, for they pile up earth and take it. 11 Then they sweep by like the wind and go on, guilty men, whose own might is their god!”
Habakkuk’s Second Complaint 12 Are you not from everlasting, O LORD my God, my Holy One? We shall not die. O LORD, you have ordained them as a judgment, and you, O Rock, have established them for reproof. 13 You who are of purer eyes than to see evil and cannot look at wrong, why do you idly look at traitors and remain silent when the wicked swallows up the man more righteous than he? 14 You make mankind like the fish of the sea, like crawling things that have no ruler. 15 He brings all of them up with a hook; he drags them out with his net; he gathers them in his dragnet; so he rejoices and is glad. 16 Therefore he sacrifices to his net and makes offerings to his dragnet; for by them he lives in luxury, and his food is rich. 17 Is he then to keep on emptying his net and mercilessly killing nations forever
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2001). (Hab 1). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.
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Presenter
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Laton Smith
Pastor Laton Smith was an Associate Pastor at Plantation SDA Church during his time at Plantation.
Pastor Laton Smith's journey into ministry began at the age of 8 when he preached his first sermon after the death of his father. He graduated from William A. Kirlew Jr. Academy and enrolled at Greater Miami Adventist Academy, there he played sports and participated in the Student Association. While at GMAA he realized the seriousness of his calling. After graduating GMAA he attended Southern Adventist University. In 2008 he graduated from Southern Adventist University and was given the opportunity to continue his education at Andrews University with a sponsorship from the Florida Conference of SDA to pursue a Master's of Divinity.
He is currently the senior district pastor of the Kendall and Homestead SDA Churches. In August of 2016 he joined his life with his wife Itzel Smith and celebrates the fact that when we let God choose he chooses the best.
His hope is that everyday he can inspire people to see that everyone has the potential to become a leader through there God given purpose.