TITLE: IN THE MIDDLE OF IT
SCRIPTURE: II SAMUEL 23:12
Late last year a song came out and quickly hit the top of the Gospel charts. The song is entitled IN THE MIDDLE. It reminds us of the importance of how we are to respond and behave when we are going through various trials this life has to offer. I am sure we all can relate to the importance of understanding the difficulties of holding our Integrity in the middle of a Storm.
Are you willing to be honest with me this morning? How many times have you found yourself in the middle of something?
• I would love to do this or that but - I am in the middle of doing something right now
• I would love to help you out – I am in the middle of something
• I would like to give my tithes - But I’m in the middle of a financial crisis
• I would like to go and help others or serve the ministry - but I’m in the middle of something and just don’t have the time
• I would like to help you clean the Church – But I am in the middle of something right now
• I just can’t come to church tonight - I’m in the middle of watching my favorite TV show
• I would love to help you during VBS – I am in the middle of watching my team in the Championship games
• I know you are stranded and don’t know who else to call but – I am in the middle of something right now
I know you don’t want me to go here but I must. Let me just talk about me, so no one thinks I am talking about them this morning. I have been in some tough situations in my life. I have found myself in the middle of a mess. Anyone else ever been there besides me? Found themselves – In The Middle Of It. Maybe you don’t want to admit it this morning. I know you been saved a long time, therefore; your life is perfect and wonderful in the Lord. But for the rest of us, most of the time it is not the devil that has attacked me but the decisions and choices I made placed me In The Middle Of It.
• Sometimes just not being honest with myself
• Sometimes elected not to do the right thing
• Sometimes just made a bad decision
• Sometimes just thought I could get away with it
• Sometimes just thought that nobody was really getting hurt
• And before I knew it I found myself In The Middle Of It
You know what else I have found out, no matter what I am going through – GOD IS RIGHT THERE IN THE MIDDLE OF IT TOO. No matter what we are going through. God will be right there In The Middle Of It to care for us and take care of us through it all. In this dynamic text, we find a great warrior by the name of Shammah. He was standing in a field that the Philistines had taken and chased God’s people off of their own property. The Bible tells us that it was a fertile piece of property that produced Lentiles.
This great warrior by the name of Shammah, stood his ground against the Philistines. The text tells us he stood right In The Middle Of It. Refused to run, stood to defend what God had Promised and Given to His people. He fought and killed the Philistines and God blessed him to win a great battle.
We have to learn how to stand still my brothers and sisters. All too often we run because it appears as though our BATTLE – SITUATION – PROBLEM – is too big. When we look at it we get the impression that we will be defeated. It looks like we are outnumbered.
• Many problems we have in our lives are due to the fact that we ran
• Many of our hardships and heartaches are because we ran
• Our problem looked too big for us to handle
• If it’s too big for us – it’s just right for God
• Shammah stood In The Middle Of It and was victorious
• He stood in the middle of the field
• We have to learn how to stand still In The Middle Of It
• Even though we might be outnumber stand In The Middle Of It
• Don’t tuck your tail
• Don’t run
• Stand In The Middle Of It
This great Warrior understood the IMPORTANCE OF HIS POSITION. He went out to the middle of the field for fight this battle.
• Middle represents the Half Way Point
• You are half way in and you are also half way out
• The distance in front of you equals the distance behind you
• Does not make sense to Retreat because it is the same distance to go ahead and advance
• When we are going through we stay to close to the safety net
• We position our self close to the retreating line
• We must be like Shammah and trust God
• Tell God we will stand In The Middle Of It
• Allow God to fight our Battle
• God never said Stay Home
• He said Stand Still and Set Yourself
The Lord has a way of SHOWING UP IN THE MIDDLE OF OUR STRUGGLE. Not at the beginning, but in the Middle. We as Christians think that because we are now saved we are struggle free. That’s what this new age prosperity preaching teaches us.
• We are suppose to have all this money
• We are suppose to have big house
• We are suppose to drive Mercedes – BMW – Bentley – Cadillac
• We are not suppose to have any struggles because we are anointed by God
Can I tell you this morning, that even Jesus struggled. The Bible says in the Garden He prayed so earnestly that he began to SWEAT AS IF IT WERE DROPS OF BLOOD. He began to Struggle in the Garden, he knew what awaited him at Galgotha. It was in the middle of the struggle that God dispatched an Angel to comfort His Son. It was not at the beginning but after Jesus Struggled for awhile – In The Middle Of It – God dispatched an angel to comfort Him.
Yes, He is in the Middle of Your Struggle I tell you. I remember in ST. MARK 6:47 “AND WHEN EVEN WAS COME,THE SHIP WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SEA AND HE ALONE ON THE LAND.” A storm arose out on the water. It was somewhere between 3am – 6am that Jesus walked out on the water, in the Middle of the Disciples Struggle as they were in the storm and trying to save the boat.
• Jesus did not show up prior to the Storm
• Jesus did not say a storm is on the way let me hurry and get to the boys
• He did not wait for the disciples to get close to shore where they would now feel safe
• They were in a storm in the worst position you could find your self
• They were in the Middle of the Lake
• Too Far forward to turn back
• Too Far from shore ahead of them to feel safe
• They were right In The Middle Of It
Sometimes when it seems like you are out there on your own. When you hit that point where there is no turning back. After you have struggled to Right the Ship - Just when you look back and determine there is no going back. When you look ahead and you realize you are still too far from Safety. At the point you realize that you are right In The Middle Of It – when you are struggling to hold on, that’s when Jesus will Show up.
• At the point you begin to realize – I can’t do this on my own
• At the point you understand your strength is not sufficient
• At the point you realize you are too far from the shore
• Right there In The Middle Of It – in the middle of your Struggle
• Jesus will show Up
• Can I get a witness this morning
• When you have gone too far to turn back
• He will Show Up
Can I also tell you this morning that – JESUS CAN BE FOUND IN THE MIDDLE OF OUR MESS - ST. LUKE 5:19 “AND WHEN THEY COULD NOT FIND BY WHAT WAY THEY MIGHT BRING HIM IN BECAUSE OF THE MULTITUDE, THEY WENT UPONTHE HOUSE TOP, AND LET HIM DOWN THROUGH THE TILING WITH HIS COUCH INTO THE MIDDLE OF THE CROWD WITH JESUS.” No matter what we are going through, we can find God right in the Middle of any Mess we find ourselves in.
We find this Paralyzed man being bought to Jesus. We find Jesus sitting down with the PHARISEES and the DOCTORS OF THE LAW. The power of God was moving in an Extraordinary way. Jesus was with and hosting the “BIG DOGS” if you will - The religious leaders of that day and age. We are reminded that they came “OUT OF EVERY TOWN OF GALILEE, AND JUDAEA, AND JERUSALEM.” This was a big event. You had to be somebody to have been in that particular setting on that occasion.
This Paralyzed man carried by his friends show up. The crowd was thick. So they climb up to the roof and begin to tear this man’s roof up to lower their friend to the middle of this crowd. What a mess that must have been.
• The Climb
• The Ropes
• Removing Tiles
• Causing Property Damage
• The Noise
• The Commotion of those inside wondering what was going on
Isn’t it good to know that we can FIND GOD RIGHT SMACK DAP IN THE MIDDLE OF WHATEVER MESS WE FIND OURSELVES IN.
• Christ is in the middle of your crisis
• Miracles can be found in your Mess
• All you have to do is reach out and take hold of Him
• Believe that he is there and He will help you
• Like this lame man, they had to Lower Him Down
• He did not stay on the Roof for his healing
• Sometimes we are too high for God to bless us
• Sometimes we are too high to receive our Miracle
• Sometimes we are too high to get out of our Mess
• We have to be Lowered
• We have to come Down
• We have to be Humble
• We have to be Lowered through all of our Mess
• It is there that we will find Jesus In The Middle Of It
• Right in the Middle of our Mess
• Ready to Bless Us
I am trying to close this morning but I need to tell you one more thing. In spite of what you are going through when the fire gets too hot – just hold on for a little while longer. Maybe you have never been there. When you began to feel the heat emanating from all your problems. Began to feel the heat and the pressure from all sides. You felt like you were on the verge of being Consumed. Just hold on. DANIEL 3:25 “THEN NEBUCHADNEZZAR ANSWERED AND SAID, LO, I SEE FOUR MEN LOOSE, WALKING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FIRE, AND THEY HAVE NO HURT; AND THE FORM OF THE FOURTH IS LIKE THE SON OF GOD.”
I always wondered how King Nebuchadnezzar knew what the Son of God looked like. Well, he knew what Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego looked like. But this fourth one in the fire, it could only be the Son of God.
• Who else could take the Heat out of Fire
• Who else could take the Hot out of Heat
• Who else could take the Burn out of Brimstone
• When it gets too hot who else can be found In The Middle Of It
I am so glad this morning when I begin to feel the Pressure, the Heat of my problems begin to bear down on every side. I am so glad that I don’t have to go through it alone. I found out that Jesus will be right there with me In The Middle Of It.
• I can take the Heat
• I can take the Pressure
• Because He promised Never to Leave Me alone
Is there anybody here this morning that is still going through? Things were going pretty good for awhile, but now you begin to feel some real pressures of this life begin to weight you down. Does anybody this morning feel like you are right In The Middle Of It?
• Is there anybody who wants to get out of your mess?
• Is there anybody who will stand for Jesus?
• Is there anybody who is on the Lord’s side?
• I don’t know about you but I am on the Lord’s side
• If you are on the Lord’s side
• The Lord is still rolling stones away
• The Lord is still killing giant’s
• The Lord is still knocking down Jericho walls
• The Lord is still moving mountains
• The Lord is still parting seas
• The lord is still making a way out of no way
• The Lord is still opening up blinded eyes
• The Lord is still healing bodies
--Here is what you have to do begin to Praise God In The Middle Of It
--All too often we want to be delivered from our storms and then Praise God
--All too often we tell God, if and when you deliver me then I will do better coming to Church
--All too often we try to Bargain with God
--But I have learned today, Don’t Wait Until the Battles Over
--You have to Give Him some Praise In The Middle Of It
--You’ve Got to Shout In The Middle Of It
--I know you are still going through
--I know you are still in your storm
--I know you feel like you are about to go down for the count
--You have to Praise Him In The Middle Of It
--I don’t know how you will deliver me but I am going to Praise you In The Middle Of It
TEARS RUNNING DOWN YOUR FACE
AND YOUR HEART FEELIN LIKE ITS GON BREAK
AND YOUR EARTH FEELS LIKE ITS BOUT TO SHAKE
AND YOU’VE TAKE ALL THAT YOU CAN TAKE
JUST REMEMBER WHERE YOUR HELP COMES FROM
REALIZING YOU GOT SOMEWHERE TO RUN
DON’T WORRY BOUT WHAT YOU’RE GOING THROUGH
INSTEAD OF WORRYING, HERE’S WHAT YOU CAN DO
PRAISE HIM ANYWAY
In The Middle Of It
YOU SHOULD PRAISE HIM ANYHOW
In The Middle Of It
I’M GONNA TO LIFT MY HANDS
In The Middle Of It
I’M GONNA TO DO MY DANCE
In The Middle Of It
I’M GONNA SHOUT FOR JOY
In The Middle Of It
I’M GONNA CLAP MY HANDS
In The Middle Of It
