Participants:
Series Code: ILL
Program Code: ILL230006S
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00:14 Praise the Lord, everyone. Welcome to Imperative Life Lessons.
00:19 I'm Pastor Ryan Johnson. 00:21 At the beginning of the Covid Pandemic when we were still 00:25 unaccustomed to Zoom, toiletry shortages and masks. 00:30 When the country was slowly powering down like a 00:33 great machine after someone has tripped over the outlet cord 00:37 every industry had to huddle up and figure out its next play. 00:42 It had to figure out how to operate in crisis, 00:46 how to survive. The medical industry, the food industry, 00:50 the sales industry. I'm sure you know this, 00:54 it's not like you weren't there. But as pastors 00:57 our priorities were somewhat different though our needs 01:02 were similar. The lights needed to stay on, yes, 01:05 the water, the heat, so there were practical challenges. 01:09 There were and are spiritual needs of the people, however 01:14 and those needs were great, the gospel needed to be preached 01:18 and if anything, if anything circumstances made this seem 01:23 more urgent even to those who hadn't really cared before. 01:28 And we, as God's people, needed to move forward in wisdom 01:32 and in faith. I still remember those first Sabbaths 01:36 preaching exclusively online remember those, 01:39 preaching to churches that were almost empty. 01:42 Those were deep times, and then a strange thing occurred. 01:46 Everyone, everybody, people from far and near, 01:50 people who hadn't even been coming to church 01:53 were suddenly inspired, yes!, we were getting thousands of 01:57 contacts, thousands of views, people felt their need for God 02:02 they could appreciate the pouring of the sands of 02:05 prophetic time. It was incredible, things were 02:08 difficult, things were very difficult, but God's people 02:12 Praise His name, we're on the march, Onward Christian Soldiers 02:16 Yes, forward into battle. Ah ha, tithing went up, 02:19 offering went up. 02:21 People found ways to study and witness together 02:24 our adversity sparked holy creativity. 02:29 God's light it seemed always shines through, and it does. 02:34 However, the pandemic did not end quickly, things dragged on 02:40 yes, they dragged on and on, hopes rose and fell, 02:45 clashing ideologies left casualties, 02:49 littering the social, political and even ecclesiastical 02:52 landscape, funerals, in our district at least 02:56 they were frequent. 02:58 Sometimes I was doing two funerals in a day. 03:01 One friend of mine died, but because of overcrowding 03:05 at the mortuary, he was literally late to his own 03:09 Memorial Service. 03:10 In the Las Vegas area, we even lost a pastor, broke our hearts. 03:15 Saints became exhausted, weeds grew through the cracks 03:20 in the church parking lots, we removed them, they returned. 03:24 In the beginning, God's leading had seemed so clear, so obvious, 03:29 but to continue to experience suffering here in the 03:34 midst of our journey, in these troubled waters right in the 03:38 middle of things fear and despair threatened to 03:42 overtake us. Have you felt that way? 03:45 As though you are standing right in the midst of things. 03:49 Your story is an open book right at the center 03:53 your progress, the total distance divided by two 03:57 and fear, along with his brother despair threatening to 04:00 overtake you, is that you? 04:02 When you began your journey it was with eagerness, 04:04 determination, you knew the road ahead was long 04:08 but since God was with you, is with you, you're confident 04:12 but you can make it. Now you are in the midst, the middle, 04:17 too far away from the beginning to turn back, 04:21 the end so seeming far ahead that you can't fathom 04:25 finishing, you're wondering if God will sustain you. 04:28 It's more than a mindset you know, it's more than just a 04:33 vague feeling of exhaustion when entering the middle zone. 04:37 Satan stalks these Midlands as part of an effort to make us 04:43 spiral into hopelessness. 04:45 Jesus illustrates this in Matthew chapter 25 04:50 using the parable of the 10 virgins or bridesmaids. 04:54 Let's read that. It says. 05:44 At the beginning, they're happy and festive, their lamps are 05:49 alight from oil, at the end of the parable all rise to 05:55 meet the groom, but it is in the middle during the 05:59 darkness that the groom tarries that the waiting bridesmaids 06:04 sleep and that their oil reserves are tested. 06:09 It's their preparation for the middle that distinguishes 06:14 the five that are wise and the foolish five. 06:19 Surviving in the midst is mission critical. 06:23 But guess what, friends? God is in the midst. 06:27 Did you not know? You, who are in the midst of trial, 06:32 you who are reaching heavenward in the middle of your adversity 06:37 our God is in the midst. 06:40 I think it's worth examining, humm? 06:43 Let's have a word of prayer. 06:45 Father in Heaven, be with us as we appreciate that you are 06:49 with us in the midst, save us. In Thy name we pray. 06:53 Amen and Amen! 06:55 In the Book of Revelation, the aging disciple John is exiled 07:01 on the isle of Patmos. No, he's not vacationing 07:05 at his timeshare, he's not having fun. 07:08 This is what it says. It says; 07:28 He is exiled on Patmos and his crime was testifying 07:32 of Jesus Christ. 07:34 Now look what happens, verse 10. 08:16 John sees Jesus Christ with glory and power. 08:20 I wonder when the old man had last seen the savior? 08:27 Was it as Jesus was taken into heaven with clouds of angels 08:31 as is reported in Luke and in Acts? 08:34 Hmm. Regardless, here is Jesus in vision before John 08:39 and there are seven golden candlesticks. 08:42 Now, in verse 20, Jesus tells John, that the seven candlesticks 08:48 represent the seven churches. 08:52 But, still in chapter one, look at verse 13 to see where 08:59 Jesus is, He is in the midst of the candlesticks. 09:04 Revelation is a book for the end times for you, for me, and 09:09 behold, Jesus is in the midst. 09:12 Let's look at another account. 09:15 Since we referenced Luke, let's turn to that gospel 09:19 and read from chapter 24, hmm let's begin with verse 33. 09:41 Okay, who are these people who arise and return to Jerusalem? 09:47 Well, if you read the entire chapter you discover 09:50 that on Sunday, when Jesus rose, there were followers of Jesus 09:55 who were unaware of His resurrection. 09:57 Christ then appears to them and eventually reveals His 10:02 identity, and it is these men who rushed back to Jerusalem 10:07 to tell the 11 cowardly disciples that Jesus is indeed 10:11 alive. We'll discuss this on another day. 10:15 But remember, the disciples were terrified for their lives 10:20 and they were devastated, they were right in the midst 10:25 of terror and sorrow. 10:27 Okay, Now let's read verse 36. It says. 10:46 Divinity made visible just as when he appears to John 10:52 in the book of Revelation. 10:54 How wonderful, but did you notice how and where Christ appears? 10:58 It was in their midst. 11:02 A pattern is forming, yes, let's go into the Old Testament 11:09 to the book of Daniel. Daniel the prophet gives the account 11:14 of his three friends as a Azariah, Mishael, and Hananiah. 11:17 now you may know them by their Babylonian names 11:21 Shadrach Meshach and Abednego they were facing a dilemma. 11:27 Let's see what that was in Daniel Chapter three 11:31 and let's begin with verse four, 12:13 The king made a statue and demanded all to worship it 12:20 under the penalty of death by fire. 12:23 Now here's a little background, The Babylonian king was known 12:26 for his building constructions and they would take clay 12:30 from the banks of the Euphrates River, and they'd add straw 12:34 for strength, and they bake them in ovens to make hard bricks 12:38 like they did with the Tower of Babel in Genesis chapter 11. 12:42 So, repurposing a few of these ovens to burn those who 12:47 would not bow down to the statue was only a matter of 12:50 giving the order. 12:52 But fire or no, the three Hebrew boys as we know them 12:57 refused to bow down. Let's read what happened 13:01 in verse 20. It says. 13:17 The king threw God's obedient people into the fire. 13:22 Now I know many of you are familiar with this story. 13:26 Still, let's look at this well explored ground and see if 13:32 we may find a gem or two. Verse 23 says. 14:17 I know you saw it, the three Hebrews were spared, 14:23 the fire proved powerless but look what Nebuchadnezar says 14:27 He says I see four men loose 14:31 walking in the midst of the fire and the form of the 14:34 form of the forth he says is like the Son of God. 14:37 Praise His name. The three Hebrews in the fiery midst 14:42 but God in the midst, the disciples in the terrifying 14:48 midst, but Jesus in the midst. 14:51 John sees that in the midst of the churches, God is there 14:57 in the midst, He is in the midst. Hey, are you hurting? 15:01 He's in the midst, are you afraid? 15:04 Can you bond with Christ, laughter, in the midst. 15:10 Now, that is our thesis, God is in our midst. 15:16 Let's see an application. 15:19 In the opening chapters of the Book of Exodus 15:24 before the children of Israel are freed, before the plagues, 15:29 before they'd ever followed either the 15:32 pillar of cloud by day or the pillar of fire by night, 15:36 their human leader, Moses, also had an experience with God 15:42 in the wilderness, remember? 15:43 It is almost a foreshadowing of things to come 15:47 when in chapter three, during the act of shepherding 15:51 his father-in-law's sheep Moses is called by God 15:55 from the flame of a burning bush, yes. One day Moses 16:00 would shepherd Israel through the wilderness where from the 16:04 fire on the mount, with the fire of a pillar or 16:08 even from the fiery shekinah glory upon the sanctuary 16:12 Israel, too, would commune with God but here friends, 16:16 read and appreciate the moment when a preacher, a pastor 16:22 receives the call from God. It says. 17:15 How ponderous friends, how wonderful to be called 17:20 of God by your name. Ponderous in that God knows our name, 17:26 wonderful in that He calls and Moses is called to leadership 17:32 by God. Isn't it interesting that here just as with the 17:37 the three Hebrew boys, God manifests Himself by sustaining 17:42 His creation in the fire? 17:44 The boys weren't consumed, the bush is not consumed. 17:48 But let's focus on verse four, God calls to His servant, but 17:55 notice from where God calls him. 17:58 The Bible says... 18:00 It's from the midst of the bush. 18:02 Laughter. The midst of the fire. I believe scripture is clear 18:08 from John's encounter on Patmos to the disciples 18:12 in the Upper Room, three Hebrew boys in the fire and now Moses 18:15 by the mount. We may find ourselves in the midst, 18:18 in the middle, in the thick of it, but God is in the midst 18:22 in the middle, in the thick of it. 18:25 One can learn to talk to God, from the midst, 18:29 miracles can happen in the midst, yes. 18:35 So now that we have established that, let's answer our question 18:40 from earlier. Will God sustain you in the midst? 18:43 That's what we started with still in the Book of Exodus 18:47 and this time, the 14th chapter. 18:51 At this point in the story, Moses and Aaron have gone before 18:56 Pharaoh and in God's name have demanded that Pharaoh 19:01 let Israel go only to be met with racist pride and 19:06 determination, but down in chapters 7 through 11 God visits 19:12 Egypt, with mighty demon- strations of His power. 19:15 and 10 great plaques to send upon the land. 19:19 which eventually results in the sad death of Egypt's firstborn. 19:25 Humbled for a season, the king of Egypt casts Israel out of 19:30 bondage and out of Egypt freedom, praise God, freedom. 19:34 Now, Exodus chapter 14, and verse 9. It says... 20:27 The armies of Pharaoh would turn in anger to smite 20:32 the children of Israel as they encamped by the Red Sea 20:36 their bones would eventually be covered by the surf and 20:41 their name forgotten to history well, that's what the 20:45 Egyptians thought, wasn't it bad enough to cry, we were slaves 20:50 but alive, now we will die in the wilderness. 20:55 Thanks a lot, Moses, thanks a lot, God. 20:57 But then verse 12, look at this. 21:34 The Lord shall fight for you... Oh, you can preach on this part. 21:41 Now, verse 21. 21:58 Ahh, you know this story, God divided the waters of 22:02 the Red Sea, he made a path through the untraversible 22:06 a way out of no way, a road in the wilderness... 22:11 It says in verse 22 that the waters were a wall on 22:15 their right and a wall on their left. 22:18 A great cleft in the sea with annihilation held at bay 22:25 by God. 22:26 We often consider how wondrous those first steps onto the seabed 22:32 must have been. To crunch onto the dry ground that God 22:38 has provided. It must have been wondrous indeed 22:42 but at the start of the journey, one is close enough to turn back 22:47 if things go awry. Huh, we often consider the end of 22:53 Israel's trip through the sea. The distant shore is close enough 22:57 to see the thunder of Pharaoh's horse coming from behind 23:02 but when you see the end, it lifts your spirits, doesn't it? 23:06 At the end, you are bolstered by all you have successfully 23:11 been through and by the sights of coming triumph 23:15 for you will rest or you will sing and shout the victory 23:18 but have you ever thought about Israel's journey 23:23 through the middle? 23:25 In the midst, too late to turn back, too far from the end 23:31 to see the roiling water, two walls on the left and your right 23:35 Imagine what they thought as they entered that part 23:38 of the journey. Well, actually, we know exactly 23:41 what they thought, for it is exactly what we thought as we 23:45 entered the thick of it. 23:46 Will God sustain me in the midst? 23:51 Verse 22. 24:03 Laughter. The ground in the middle was just as dry 24:07 as the ground at the start, as dry as the ground at the end 24:12 for the God who started them on their journey 24:15 and would see them to their end of their journey 24:17 would see them through the midst of their journey. 24:21 Friends, even in the darkest and scariest of times 24:24 of their journey, God's in In the midst. 24:27 He's the God of the midst, He will sustain you 24:32 and see you through. 24:34 First time I preached this sermon we had just lost 24:42 our first elder to Covid, and it broke our hearts 24:48 His widow had buried their daughter about two years 24:57 earlier, and I remember hearing the word from the hospital room 25:03 two years earlier. His widow saying I have lost my daughter 25:07 and now I have lost my man. 25:12 I am in the middle of the worst time in my life. 25:19 The elder was still in the hospital room when I heard 25:24 those words, and I thought about that sister in the middle 25:31 right in the fire, right in the thick of it. 25:39 And as I did, my mind thought about God's people at that time 25:47 under the cloud of the Pandemic, right in the middle, 25:51 right in the thick of it. 25:54 Hey, what about you? 25:57 Right in the middle, right in thick of it, 26:04 it hurts in the middle doesn't it? 26:10 Come too far to turn back haven't we? 26:13 The end seems so far we wonder if we're going to make it 26:17 don't we? Will God sustain us in the midst? 26:23 And friends, as we prepare to funeralize our dear 26:31 Elder Ron Mackey, by God's grace, I was looking in the 26:36 Bible for some encouragement. 26:37 Lord, lift us up in the midst, say something to us 26:43 we may learn by heart, and when alone and repeat an encourage us 26:47 Lord in the midst, and when I I studied found out 26:52 God is in the midst. 26:54 He's the God of the midst and while you're in the middle 27:00 it's a fine time to get to know your God. 27:05 I preached this sermon, tears coming out of my eyes 27:09 and I reached to the sister and I said, you in the midst? 27:13 and she hasn't heard the sermon said from the congregation 27:19 but God is in the midst. Yes! 27:22 Yes! Oh God, you who have taken us this far 27:30 and will take us all the way, encourage us in the midst. 27:34 And let us never forget, You are the God of the midst 27:38 and you are here. Save us. In thy name we pray. 27:42 Amen. 27:43 You know God has plans for you, you just walk 27:47 with your hand in His Hand and He will lead you to 27:49 His destination, may He bless you. 27:51 And as always friends, Be encouraged. |
Revised 2025-09-16