Sermon Central
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Jesus In The Midst
Contributed by Jerry Shirley on Jan 26, 2006 (message contributor)
Summary: Christ in our midst makes us Peaceful, Joyful, Useful, and Powerful! Link included to formatted text, handout, and PowerPoint Presentation.
JESUS IN THE MIDST
John 20:19 22
http://gbcdecatur.org/sermons/JesusintheMidst.html
Jesus had risen from the dead. The disciples were gathered in a house behind locked doors. Jesus walked through that locked door and stood in their midst. You could say that 'house' was the first church building where the resurrected Lord was in the midst of His people. And here we are today in another house of God...and here He is in the midst of His people!
This phrase is the essence of our Christian faith: “Jesus in the midst.”
And This Is A Major Theme in The Bible:
Jesus is God, and is eternal, and always has been. He has always been in the midst of all that God is.
At creation, when there was not much more than “mist”, Jesus was in the midst of it all.
Who hath ascended up into heaven, or descended? who hath gathered the wind in his fists? who hath bound the waters in a garment? who hath established all the ends of the earth? what is his name, and what is his son's name, if thou canst tell?
In Exodus 8:22
…I am the Lord in the midst of the earth.
Deut. 23:14
For the LORD thy God walketh in the midst of thy camp, to deliver thee…
Jeremiah exclaimed, in…
…thou, O Lord, art in the midst of us.
Daniel reported Jesus was in the midst of the fiery furnace with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego (3:25)
He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.
As a babe, Jesus was in the midst of the shepherds and the wise men
As a boy, He was in the midst of the doctors of theology in the temple
As God the Holy Spirit, Jesus is in the midst of His people
Matt. 18:20
For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. [that means today!]
At Calvary, Jesus was in the midst of sinners
…they crucified him, and two other with him, on either side one, and Jesus in the midst.
He was the focal point of that day, as well as every day previous or since. History is HIS story. O that we would put Him in the midst of our lives!
As a Lamb in Revelation, Jesus is in the midst of the throne of God
As our resurrected Lord, Jesus is in the midst of the churches
And on the evening of the first Easter Sunday, Jesus "stood in the midst" of His disciples (John 20:26)
Why is this theme repeated?
Because this is the key to the Christian life!
• This is the key to a great life
• This is the key to the fellowship of the church
• This is the key to our witnessing and preaching
Thus, As We Assemble In The House Of Worship, Our Deepest Desire Is That Jesus Will Be In Our Midst!
As a matter of fact, you can have Jesus in the midst of your life. There are some people who have no room for Christ. There are others who have some room for Christ. Jesus deserves every room.
The word “midst” = comes from the word “middle”. That’s why I use the illustration of a wheel with spokes…
Ill.—We all have different “compartments” that make up our lives—work, school, hobbies, family, etc. Many today make the mistake of making Jesus just another compartment…another spoke in the wheel. But He should be the very HUB of our lives, connecting with every spoke, every compartment. Jesus should be the foundation of every one of these spokes. He should be in the midst of our work life, in the midst of our hobbies, in the midst of our family, our ministry, etc.
No Christian can be spiritual, powerful, and growing unless Jesus is in the midst of all of their life.
I. JESUS IN THE MIDST WILL MAKE US PEACEFUL
V. 19b
Isaiah promised in 26:3,
Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.
Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Philip. 4:7
And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
“Passeth” doesn’t mean “giveth”. Rather, it’s short for “surpasseth”. In other words, God’s peace goes far beyond what we can handle. You want the truth about God’s peace… “You can’t handle the truth!”
Have you ever considered what a blessing it is when occasionally our problems pile up so high we can't possibly solve them? Now don't misunderstand me. I am not saying we are to be delighted about the many troubles that cross our pathways. I am saying we should be glad that they are more than we can handle. Why? Because when we finally realize we can't carry the weight of the world on our shoulders, we have taken the first step in overcoming worry and bringing peace into our hearts…peace that “surpasses” whatever we’re up against!
