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Home / Sermons / Live in the MidstLive in the MidstUp-Dated - Sunday, October 05, 2008
Table of
Contents Text John 20:19 "Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you." Text will be explained in context of the sermon. TOPGen 2:5 Gen 2:6 TOPA Mist The Midst John 20:19
The Difference The Disciples were
a little Misty Eyed In the case of our
Text, John 20.19 The Letter "D" could stand for the The Divine One The Deliverer The Desire of all
nations. The Door of the
Sheepfold The Dew Exo 16:13 "…at even the quails came up, and covered the camp: and in the morning the dew lay round about the host." Exo 16:14 " And when the dew that lay was gone up, behold, upon the face of the wilderness there lay a small round thing, as small as the hoar frost on the ground." The Dew brought the Manna The Daily Bread Without Jesus in the
Midst, all we have is a Mist Many are living a Dry Life. Dry hearts,
Parched from exposure to
the Judgment Fires. Dry eyes
that have not prayed until heaven can down Dry throats
that can't preach the Word to the Lost Dried out, cooked on both sides, just about ready to stick the fork in. The only water is in the basting to make the dead bird cook a little better. Just a mist that is
soon … We don't need to
live in the Mist Where Jesus is… Some have become
satisfied with the Mist. A Mist is almost
rain. All the above may be
true. Almost a river is
forever a stream. Please turn to 1 Kings 17.1 God's People need a
Spiritual Rain. Don't do this But in our attempts to reprove we many times leave out the words that are positive. We tell everyone what not to do, but what should we do? How do we get Spiritual Rain? TOP1 Ki 17:1 "And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As the LORD God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word." Elijah the Tishbite I may start calling myself Steve the Post FallsBite Or Preacher the ChristianBite No one wants to be known as Puny the FleaBite Elijah the Tishbite had pronounced a draught on the land for 3 ½ years. He said that there was not even going to be a Dew Sure enough it did not rain and the land was burnt the animals for the most part were lost the crops were ruined But now the 3 ½ years were up and Elijah had called Ahab the wicked king to Mt. Carmel where he had challenged the false prophets of the land and the Jezebel's false prophets to pray down fire to consume a Sacrifice. The false prophets back then are just like the ones today They can't pray down enough fire to heat up a One Chair Barber Shop. They can't pray down enough fire to boil the water in my Grandma's Thimble. Well Elijah prayed down fire from Heaven that consumed the sacrifice then he gave the False Prophets what God's Law for the nation of Israel, said, not to suffer the False Prophet to live. Now, look at 1 Kings 18.41 1 Ki 18:41 "And Elijah said unto Ahab, Get thee up, eat and drink; for there is a sound of abundance of rain." God had shut up the Rain for 3 ½ years but now it was going to rain again. 1 Ki 18:42 "So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he cast himself down upon the earth, and put his face between his knees," While the King was
eating and drinking the Prophet was
praying. The Prophet was praying. 1 Ki 18:43 "And said to his servant, Go up now, look toward the sea. And he went up, and looked, and said, There is nothing. And he said, Go again seven times." While he was praying he told his helper watch for Rain, go look for clouds. His song leader came back and said no rain, no clouds The Old Prophet said, look again and keep on looking until you see something. 1 Ki 18:44 "And it came to pass at the seventh time, that he said, Behold, there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man's hand. And he said, Go up, say unto Ahab, Prepare thy chariot, and get thee down, that the rain stop thee not." Finally his head usher came back and said there is a little cloud coming up. Elijah told the king you better get home we are going to get us one of those home floaters like they got in Liberty, TX the other day. 1 Ki 18:45 "And it came to pass in the mean while, that the heaven was black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. And Ahab rode, and went to Jezreel." 1 Ki 18:46 "And the hand of the LORD was on Elijah; and he girded up his loins, and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel." We need to be like the First Baptist Church of Jerusalem when they were in the upper room Scared of what was going to happen next Afraid of the High
Priest But they kept
praying Mary Magdelene saw the Resurrected Lord and ran and knocked on the door where the Church was praying and she told them the Lord has risen Later that evening the 2 men on the Road to Emmaus walked and talked with the Lord and didn't realize who He was until He prayed then they ran back to the First Baptist Church at Jerusalem and knocked on the Church door and told them that Jesus had risen Then Jesus Himself came and appeared to the Church but he didn't knock. He just appeared in the ?WHAT? of them? The Midst. The Church kept
praying until they heard
the Knocking The Church today ought
to be like Hannah The Church today ought
to be like Paul and Silas Paul and Silas just
kept on Praying until they felt the
shaking Daniel was in the Lion's Den with some Cats that had dinner on their mind and he kept on praying until he saw the Angel's coming. He got his rain Jonah was in the Whale's Belly with seaweed around his neck with indigestion on his chest and heart burn in his throat But he kept on Praying until the Whale burped him out on the shore. He got his rain We don't need to
live in the Mist TOPLook again at 1 Kings 18.43 1 Ki 18:43 "And said to his servant, Go up now, look toward the sea. And he went up, and looked, and said, There is nothing. And he said, Go again seven times." Don't stop looking. It may not have rained for years but it does not mean it is never going to rain again. Go look again for the clouds Around here, you need to look West, that is the direction the Rain comes from Go look again Acts 1:9 "And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight." It was a Cloudy day when Jesus left this earth 1 Th 4:17 "Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord." It will be a cloudy day when Jesus comes back for the Church Mat 24:30 "And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory." It is going to be a Cloudy day when Jesus comes to close out the Great Tribulation Rev 14:14 "And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle." It is going to be a cloudy day when Jesus Harvests the Lost who have not placed their trust in Christ We are not looking
for Mist Just because He has not come in the last 2000 years does not mean He is never coming 2 Pet 3:3 "…there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts," 2 Pet 3:4 "And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation." Indeed, where is the Promise of His Coming??? James said … James 5:8 "Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh." It is near It is near It is near and He is coming for me and those that are saved. It is near 1 Cor 4:2 "Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful." Keep looking We don't need to
live in the Mist TOP1 Ki 18:43 "And said to his servant, Go up now, look toward the sea. And he went up, and looked, and said, There is nothing. And he said, Go again seven times." Go again seven times Let some one else keep track of the progress just keep on praying for Rain Keep on I am tempted to say keep going until you see it coming but that is not what I want to say Keep going to you "faith" it coming. 2 Cor 5:7 "(For
we walk by faith, not by sight:)" 2 Cor 4:18 "While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen …" 1 Cor 13:12 "For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face…" "The Just shall live by faith" "Moses, by faith, forsook Egypt …" We don't need to
live in the Mist TOP"There ariseth a little cloud out of the sea like a man's hand" don't be satisfied with the Mist but we can be satisfied with the little things. A little Cloud can
bring a big rain do you remember the parable of the Pounds when the Lord returned and asked the one to whom he gave 10 pounds??? Luke 19:16 "Then came the first, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained ten pounds." Luke 19:17 "And he said unto him, Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities." Listen to what it
says John 12:35 "Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth." We only have Jesus with us for a little while but that little amount is sufficient enough Just a little 1 Cor 5:6 "…Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?" It does not take much only a little Just a little Jesus said, Luke 12:32 "Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom." It does not take a
big flock We don't need to
live in the Mist TOP1 Ki 18:45 "And it came to pass in the mean while, that the heaven was black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. And Ahab rode, and went to Jezreel." We are not talking
about a Mist "Oh ye of little faith" Who thought that
the Lord could only
provide But God sent a real
rain The Weather people in their infinite knowledge decided to slow the wind down by making the storm rain So they seeded the clouds and sure enough it slowed the wind down but by the time it got to our home town it had decided to really rain and that morning it rained over 18 inches for every square foot of ground there was 18 inches of water on top of it When the water came it came and there was flooding but Jesus was in the Midst and there were homes ruined but Jesus was in the Midst and there were businesses ruined but Jesus was in the Midst Phooey on the Mist We need one of
those Rains We need one of
those Rains But even then Sermon Outline From Pastor James TOPTOP
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