Jesus In The Midst - Bro Jesse Howell 11-20-2024

Thank you, Oh God. It's good to be here in

church with you tonight. I mean, I appreciate the spirit

of the Lord.

We feel appreciate his uh, his presence here in His house.

So thankful to be here once again. Thank you for

this opportunity. We do miss our Pastor, and I'm wanna

fail to say that fast for the first Lady and all.

Those that are out tonight, we do miss them. God

bless them.

Have many believe it's good to be on the same page.

I wonder what happened earlier me and brother Samuel wasn't

on the same page.

Amen.

I was trying to help out, and that made matters worse. Amen.

Sometimes it's that way, isn't it.

We try to help out, and h I wanna help

you here tonight, I don't wanna.

I don't wanna.

Less anything go up here. Appreciate the service thus far.

Sure of being good being in the house of the

Lord with you. Amen.

To be in God's house on a Wednesday night, isn't it? Amen?

You could be turning with me to the Book of John,

Saint John, chapter number nineteen.

I do desire your prayers, Lord Lady's message on my

heart and I want to help somebody.

I want to encourage you.

I just need you to help me out here for

a little bit, Amen.

John the nineteenth chapter, the seventeenth verse, And he, burying

his cross, went forth into a place called the place

of a school, which is called in the Hebrew Golgatha,

where they crucified him and two others with him on

either side, one and Jesus in the midst Would you

lift your hands towards having here tonight and I ask

God to help.

Was Lord, We thank you so much for your goodness.

God.

We thank you for your mercy and your grace.

Lord. We admit here that we are nothing God. Without

your health, Lord, we can do nothing. Lord. But we

believe on this scripture God. We believe in the word

of God, and you.

Set through with God. All things are possible. God. We

believe that you are in all things are possible.

God.

God.

We ask that you would help us here today, that

you would anoin our ears. God, that you would annoyin

our hearts. Lord, that you would annoin our mouth to

speak only the things that.

You would have us to speak. Lord.

Let us Lord hear what you would say to the church. God,

annoying us give me clarity of God. I pray clarity

of speech. I pray God that you would annoy us, God,

that you would be with us to stand beside us

here tonight. We will forever give you the glory, the honor,

and the praise in your Son's wonderful name.

We pray, Amen and Amen.

All right, you can be seated in the presence of

the Lord here tonight.

Lord.

Yeah.

Like I said, I desire your prayers tonight.

I asked for a praying church here or want to

help somebody, Hey.

Man, I want to take my thought and my title

from that eighteenth verse here tonight that we read. It

reads this at the ending Jesus in the midst. The

Lord began to deal with me about this falt and

about this word in particular.

That's found in our text here. This word midst.

It means the middle or right in the very center,

which most of us I'm sure is aware. But the

Lord began to deal with me about this verse a

few maybe last weekend or a middle of the week,

I can't quite remember. I just remember that the Lord

placed it on my heart and then passed their asses

to be ready to preach.

And the Lord did confirm confirm the message to me.

I won't go into it because that don't matter. But

when I think of the word midst.

Racist to Matthew eighteen and twenty, which reads for where

two or three are gathered together in my name, there

am I.

In the midst of them?

Instantly, that's where my mind would go when I hear

that word. That's the scripture that my mind associates the

word mixed with.

And aren't you thankful for the promise in red words?

Aren't you thankful for that promise in that Matthew eighteen

and twenty. Many of us have leaned on that, and

many of us will continue to lean on that that He.

Is in our midst.

But as I began to study about this and remember

this word, I can remember throughout my.

Life reading in the Bible, and my mind went.

To several different occasions in the Bible with that word

would come up with.

That word mixed would be mentioned.

And it's my desire here tonight to remind someone that

if he promised to be in the midst, God must

know where you're at. If he said where you're going

with and he said that He's gonna be where you're

at it. Surely he knows where you're at tonight. If

he's gonna be there, he must know where you're at.

He must know what you're going through. He must know

what you need. He knows where you are, and He

is there to us to lift you up when.

You need lifting up. He's there to help you when

you need helping.

He's there to strengthen you when you need strengthening. Jesus

comforting to a sold out and born to be a

Christian that God knows where we're at.

This is very.

Comforting to know that at all times, God knows where

we're at. At all times. He knows every hair that's

on our head at all times. He knows every grain

of sam it's on every seashore in this world. At

all times, God knows where you're at. Look at me

denying God's infallible. In Eric word written in the Second

Book of the Prophet Samuel, chapter.

Number twenty three's.

Let's look at Versus number eleven, I want you to

keep your Bible with you tonight. Where I don't know

that I've ever read this many passages.

I prayed and I beg of God to ask me.

I mean I begged and ask God to help me

to tie us all in together, and not to move

too fast, because I want us to get something here tonight.

Second Samuel, the twenty third chapter, verse number eleven. And

after him was Shamma, the son of Aigi, the hair eye,

and the Philistines were gathered together in a truth. There

was a piece of ground full of lentils, and the

people fled from the Philistines. But he stood speaking of

Shamma in the midst of the ground. Does that word

sound familiar to you, and defending it and slew the Philistines,

and the Lord wrought a great victory.

This man, Shamo, is one of David's letting every top

three there was. David had many mighty men, But in

a time, what's what.

In the Bible said, the rest of these guys never

attained two those three. Shama was in the top three.

Shamah was in in David's top men. That when whenever

he asked for a drink of water, right whenever he said,

oh that I had drink of the whale, or beckle ahem,

that's by the gate, whenever he said that this is

one of the men that broke through the garrison and brought.

David some of that water.

Shama and some others were in a face off with

the troop of Philistines over.

Some land with some lynchils. But when it can't time

to fight.

Defend the piece of ground from the intruders, Shama's backups,

Shama's back up, they took tail and they ran.

The Bible said they fled.

They fled from the Philistines. The people fled.

I don't know.

I'm sure it was some warriors in the mix. I'm

sure there was some warriors in the mix of there

that were thought that that Shama.

Thought had his back a man, But they fled. Those

that should have had his back, and those that should.

Have been fighting side by side of him when Shama

picked up his head, or or when Shamma turned around.

They're fleeing.

They're running from the fight. They should have the same gold,

they should have the same intention, they should have the

same plan. But whenever Shama looked around, they fled. Then

he found himself in the midst of the fight. He

found himself in the middle of a piece of ground.

Face had the truth of enity. Have you ever found

yourself in.

A place whenever he felt like you.

Were to ride in the middle of a fight, when

you felt like you were to ride in the middle

of time.

We would proo protect.

Something that God gave you, and sometimes you felt along,

sometimes you felt abandon That was the case in Shama's life.

He found himself. You ever heard that saying, they're in

the middle of it. Sham, I found himself in the

middle of it. He was in the middle of that

piece of ground. He was surrounded, he was in campus

by enemies, and he found himself right in the middle

of the fight of his life.

Amen.

Sometimes we find ourselves in a fight because of where

we stand.

Amen.

Anybody ever picked at you for something because of court

you're staying on. Anybody ever says something to you just

to see how you reacted because they knew.

Where he stood.

Sometimes we get in fight because of where they stand.

Sometimes we face battles because of where we standing. Shama

family himself in a fight because he chose to stand,

because because he chose to stand for what he believed,

they had no business of touching. I don't know whose

piece of ground that was. I don't know if it

was a family heirloom like like like, uh was it neigbeth.

I don't know if it was a family heirloom of Shama,

or if it was a piece of ground that it

passed down, or if it was just somebody that he

felt like the Philippines don't have, that can't have it. Nevertheless,

Shamma found himself in the midst of the fight. But

regardless of the deserting comrades, regardless of the ones that

stood should stand by him and fight, Shamma stood.

In the middle of the field. And the Bible said,

the Lord wrote a great victory for Shamma because he chose.

To stand, because he chose to fight, and because he

refused to resign to the feet. You ever seen somebody

that just resigned to the fight.

That they'll never get what they need?

You ever seen somebody that just gave upstanding, They gave up.

The good fight. Sometimes you'll find.

Yourself in the midst of a fight. But if you'll,

if you'll keep the face faith, fight the good fight,

God will.

Bring a victory for you, just as he did Shamma.

Daniel the third chapter quickly tonight Daniel.

The third chapter of verse number nineteen then was Nebuknezer

full of fury, and the formula of his visits was

changed against shad right me shaking a bend to gold.

Therefore he's faith and commanded that they should heed the

furnace once seven times more than it was wont to

be heated. And he commanded the most mighty men, and

he commanded the most body.

Men that were in his army to find.

Shadrack me shacking Abendigo and to cast them into the

burning fiery furnace. Then these men were bound in their coats,

they're hosing their hats and their other garments, and were

cast into the mints of the burning fiery furnace. Therefore,

because therefore, because the king's commandment was urgent, and the

furnace exceeding hot, the flame of the fire slew those.

Men that took up shadrack me shacking Abendigo. And these

three men shadrack Me shacking abendi go.

Fell down bound into the mitts of the burning fiery furnace.

This passage is very familiar to Christians and Bible readers. Nebukanizza,

the King of Babylon, has made image of gold, and

he requires everyone to worship.

He requires everyone to bound thee at this image.

But his request and his requirement was neglected and rejected

by free, devoted young hebrew men, and the consequences for

their actions. The thing that they were to reap for

what they sold was to be bound and thrown into

a fiery furnace, thrown into a furnace of fire. Their

punishment for rebellion against the king was to be cremated alive.

They were to be thrown alive in the fire, and

they would be watched as they rised in pain, and

as they burnt to a christ in this fire. The

Bible says Shad right the second Amendment, Gold did indeed

fall down bound into the firing minutes intto the midst

of the burning fiery furnace. And I wonder here tonight

if anyone has ever felt like that, you've been through

a fiery trial. I wonder if you've never felt like

you were right in the midst of something that tested

your faith, something that tested your your stand, and something

that actually was going to.

Make or break you. These men found himself in that situation.

These young men found themselves, according to the Word of God,

in the midst of the fire. They cast him bound

into the midst of these young men. They refused to

let the threat of death detroar them from standing for

righteousness and truth. Amen, moving once again here tonight ask

you number fourteen. Y'all, just bear with you. This is

what the Lord lay on my heart. Ever preached like

this before, But I feel like he wanted me to

talk to you about these different these different passages of scripture.

After now to the fourteenth chapter birth number twenty two.

And straightway, Jesus constrained his disciples to get into a

ship and to go before him unto the other side,

while he sent the multitudes away. And when he had

sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain

a park to pray. And when the evening was come,

he was there alone. But the ship was now in

the midst of the sea, tossed with waves, for the

winds were contrary. After Tom the Baptist has died, Jesus

goes into a mountain to pray, and he constrains, and

he tells that he insists that his disciples board a

ship and go to the other side. He insists that

they get on that ship and they make their way

across the Sea of Galilee. But as the disciples make

this crossing which was ordained by God, as the disciples

found themselves in the death center of God's willow in

the doing the death center thing of what God taught

him to do. The Bible says the ship was tossed

with the waist in the midst of the sea. Now

they say that the Sea of Galilee is is seven

to three and a half seven seven and at seven

miles long.

And three and a half miles bye it's at its

longest points.

So they were somewhere between three and a half to

seven miles from shore at a pretty good ways. They

found themselves in the middle of the storm, in the

middle of the sea. But even though Jesus wasn't in

the ship, he knew where they were, for he.

Had sent them on that journey.

They were in the middle of the Sea of Galty,

in the middle of a storm. But the Master knew

what they were going through. He knew the storm that

they were facing, and he knew how to get them

through the storm, and he knew how to get to

them in the middle of a storm, and he knew

how to find them right where they were. Sometimes you

may feel like you're in the fire. Sometimes you may

feel like you're in the storm. Sometimes you might feel

like you're in the middle.

But God knows where you're at.

God's commissions you on this road a wife, and he

knows where you're at. He knows what your face, And

in no way he sets you into it. He won't

put on you more than you compare. He won't put

He won't put on the fire too hot that you

can't handle.

He won't put you through.

A storm that you came across through the other side.

He's the side was were commissioned by God, and he

saw him through.

Belove and look back with me.

In the Book of Daniel, I stopped reading one verse

too early. I started reading one verse too early. Tonight

I stopped reading. We read, we read number we read nineteen.

Through twenty three. But that was just the beginning of

the story.

The three Hebrew boys falling down bound was just the

beginning of the story. For I didn't read to you

who had the following verses. The Bible says, didn't let it. Caneza,

the king was a story.

And he rolls up and hey, and he spake.

And said up to his councilors, the wise men, the

one that should know what's going on? Did we not

cast three men bound? Were they not bound and cast

into the midst of the fire? They answered and said, true,

O King, that's exactly what we did. Because you know why,

there's three mighty men that are telling the story outside

of the mouth of the fiery furnace. There's three mighty

men that lost their lives throwing these men into the

fiery furnace.

Twenty five. He answered and said, long, I see.

Four men loose walking in the midst of the fire,

and they have no hurt.

And it don't stop there.

And the form of the fourth man, it's like the

Son of God. Yeah, it started with the ben bad

and thrown the middle of the fire, but it even

with the Son of God in the middle of the

fire with them.

But it ended with the Son of God in the midst.

But it was acre three agether in the name all

under depths of them. That ain't the only one. Matthew

Chatter number fourteen. Let's go back over there. Whenever we

left the disciples off, they were tossed right, they were

in a starre the Bible there the wind was tossing

the ship.

That's where we left him off. But look at that

verse right there, number twenty five.

And in the fourth watch of the night, Jesus went

up to them walking on the sea. Yeah, they were

in a storm, but Jesus was in the storm with them. Yeah,

they were right in the middle of the sea, right

in the middle of the storm. But the Master knew

where they were, these disables on that ship that night,

in the middle of the storm.

Of Galilee, in the middle of the sea, in the

middle of the storm of their life.

When they looked to the north, they saw waves crashing.

Whenever they looked to the south, they see.

Nothing but the wind blowing the saund and rowing the

waves into the ship.

But when they looked past that, in the fourth watch

of the night, when they looked.

Past the waves, and when they look past the circumstances

in the middle of the storm, who they see. If

they were in the middle of the sea, like the

Bible says, we believe the the Bible said, they were

in the middle of the seed, and they were in

a storm. That means if they were in the storm,

and if they were in the scene, if Jesus was

with them, then he was in the storm, and he

was in the middle of the scene. We shed racked

me shaking a man to go look past the flames.

When they looked past the flames, they saw what nege

kanz Or saw. Whenever they looked past the flames, they

saw the Son of God walking. He were missed with them.

When they realized that they were in the middle of it,

they realized that he was in the midst. Whenever they

realized that they were in the trial of their life,

they realized that he was with them, that he was

standing beside him, and they took the heat out of

the footing. We'd hope seemed lost and they would soon

meet their demise. The Master showed up in the middle

of the fire. One last passage here tonight back to

our text, John chapter number nineteen seventeen and eighteen. I'm

gonna read it again. And he buried his cross went

forth into a place called the place of a school

we just called in the Hebrew Gaunde, where they cruised

by him and two others with him on either side,

one and Jesus in the midst. These criminals were at

the end of their loss.

They were at the end of their road.

It was time to pay the price for the life

that they lived. It was time to pay up for

all the criminal acts that they had done, for they

had deserved their death.

Judgments cavel rang out and they were to be crucified

for their transgressions.

But as judgment called, Mercy answered, because our tad said

that Jesus was in the midst, I'm glad tonight that

Jesus was in the mid One night for me, whenever

out picked my head up and I realized I can't do.

This on my home, whenever I realized I was Italian man,

whenever I realized that I.

Had go to pay. Then I looked up and I

see Jesus standing beside me. That's what's happened in the

faith went hope seemed forever lost. We didn't seem God

Dare was no what time to rectify his mistakes. Because

Jesus was crucified in the midst. Mercy's hand was outstretched

when a criminal dining for sins that he committed. When

he believed on the man in the middle cross and said,

Lord remember for me when thou comest into that kingdom,

the Master would say to him today, thou shalt be

with me in paradise. I realized tonight that if we

are in a battle like shaven, and we're fighting because

the way we stand, and we're fighting for what's right.

And I realized tonight, if we're in a figing trial,

what share and be shot can have been the gold because.

We stood for what's right. And I realized tonight that

even in the storm of our life.

What the disciples were that night, or while we're a

low down, rotten center.

Like the man on the cross that homicidesus.

When we feel like we're in the middle of it,

when we feel like on.

The right there's trouble and.

On their left there's trouble, and the head's hardy and

the hother's sorrow. He's in the next in the middle

of everything that's going on. Don't lose your focus on

where Jesus is. Don't lose your focus. He said, we're

two or three are gathered together in my name. He

would be in the midst of on the other.

That's a promise that I intend to stand on. That's

a promise in the ho.

Oh man, let's stand here tonight. When Jesus is in

the midst, there's salvation for a criminal on across. When

Jesus is in the midst there's deliverance for three Hebrews.

Then when you're in the.

Middle of the storm of your life, just look around

and you'll see Jesus in the middle of the storm

with you. Amen, you believe it makes it all the

difference in the world. When Jesus is in the midst

that that's that criminal. If it does, that's that criminal.

If if it matters that Jesus was crucified in the

middle of his situation. God, Man, Lord Jesus is never

afraid to come to the very center of your story.

He is never afraid to come to the center of

your tribe. By Father, right, he will prove to you

that hope still lives, that in the midst of it all,

that hope still lives.

I hope I was able to prove.

To you tonight by scripture, by scripture, and by the

written world of God, that when you're down to nothing,

God's got something for you. Man, when you look around

and you see no way out, and you see no

way up, and you see no way through, He'll meet

you right in the middle of it, right, amil Let's

find a place to prayer, if you'll feel like prayer.

Amen, I'm so thankful that one night he came to

where I was. One night he.

Came to my store. One night he met me on

my ocean. Amen, I say, look, Lord so much that

he is in the midst ay Man's here to huh

Uh find your doll tight as a doll, or your

dog