Youth Week Wednesday Service - Celebrate

Hallelujah, Jesus. You're worthy, God. We worship you, Jesus. We praise you, God. Hallelujah, Lord.

We lift you up, Jesus. Jesus, we love you. God, I thank you for your presence in this place. I thank you that you are as close as the mention of your name, Jesus. There are a lot of things that may we may want, God, but we have to have one thing and that is you.

Your presence, your peace, your purpose for our lives. We have got to have you. And I thank you that you are always available, that you are always willing, that you don't leave, that you don't let up, that you don't relent, that you don't turn away. You are with us all the time, and we can always have as much of what we really need as we are willing to ask for. And so we ask for more of you.

We ask for more of you. We ask that your word would go forth and that it would minister. That there would be ears to hear and eyes to see and hearts to receive. That my eyes would hear. That would be a miracle.

that my eyes would see and my ears would hear and my heart would receive in Jesus name. Amen. You guys can sit. I am so excited to be here with you. I um I could not say enough about the wonderful people of God who lead this church.

In fact, I this is no like, oh, yay, Melinda, but I had to move a couple of things to be here. And whenever I called the people at my church to move some of those things, they said, well, we know you're not going to tell them no, so have fun. I am so so blessed and honored to be here. And um some of my best friends are here and I'm really excited about that. Nolan, thank you for bringing your parents.

Um, I do want to give a special shout out to one of them though. My friend Kristen is a teacher. There is no tired like first week of school teacher tired. And this is Kristen's first week of school and she is here and she is awake and I know that I'm truly loved because of it. So, I do honor you for that.

Thank you. I uh we had parent orientation at my school uh last night and um hi I'm Melinda for those of you who don't know. I used to teach fifth grade. I now am a high school teacher and I was excited about that until sometime this morning. So pray for me when you get a chance.

I know by Friday I'll be excited again. You know it's just those first day moments that we're having. But we had parent teacher orientation last night and I was told that I was just going to have to sit there. That is what I was told. And then somewhere in the middle of my team teacher's notes, she said, "Melinda, why don't you tell us some things about yourself?" And I forgot everything about myself except, "Hi, I'm Melinda.

I love kids. I love books." That was it. I was done. So, there were many parents who do not know me who were so excited to know that I love kids and I love books. And maybe they're looking for another school today.

I don't know. We'll see. But um one of the dads was kind of messing me with me afterwards and he was like, "Well, thank God you don't like speak places because this would be really embarrassing for you if you did." And then he just looked me dead in the eyes and he said, "I'm really excited for APC and their youth week. God bless you." And he left the building. And I'm kind of hoping he does take his kids to another school.

It's not spiritual, but it's just the truth. Speaking of the truth, I prayed and I fasted. Not dramatically because I am starting school this week, right? But there were several times I could have had a Snickers bar and I didn't. I'm just letting you know.

And um I really did, as we should, seek the face of the Lord about what to say tonight because you are so important. I know everybody in this room is important, but these sections right here, you guys are so important. And I get this one opportunity to talk to you about the Lord and his work and celebrating because that's our theme. And it was really important to me that I told you guys the truth tonight because we all want you to know the truth. And um I have really with sincerity thought about what God would like us to know.

And tonight we're going to talk about some of the truth that we don't always like to talk about or maybe that we don't always like to acknowledge and we're certainly not shouting over. Here's what I'm here to tell you. Are you ready? You will not always get what you ask for in prayer. If you specifically would like to run the aisle about that, it's your moment.

No, you hate me. Okay. But you will not always get what you ask for. Maybe sometimes you will pray and fast and believe and the answer will be no or maybe or wait. Or, and this is a fun one, you will pray and fast and believe and the answer will be yes for everybody else on your prayer list that you're praying and fasting about.

And um you will still end up with a no for you. You will maybe prioritize other people come hurricane or high water. And when it is your turn and you are in need, they might be like, "Is that oh, is that a puddle? I know you have just lived through a hurricane for me, but is that a puddle? I just bought new sneakers.

I'm so sorry. Can't get there. Can't make it. And what's been happening for me recently is that I buy um these statement bottles of confetti. Mariah asked me if I was going to have one here tonight and I was like, "Not yet.

Just wait." But I buy these statement bottles of confetti for people when the Lord gives me a promise for them. And then we hold hands and we stand together and we pray and I hang in there and we hang on to the Lord and each other. And it just feels like, can I be honest? I should have asked that sooner. It just feels like the confetti seems to always detonate for absolutely everyone else but me.

And the truth of the matter is that there are multiple things that can be true at the same time. My mother has asked me to illustrate this using a story about when she took me to meet her hero Nona Freeman. And I was yay high and I walked into the house of my mother's hero and I looked around me and I said, "Wow, this place is a mess." And you know what? Multiple things were true at the same time. Nona Freeman was the one of the greatest women of God to ever live.

Her house was in fact a mess. And because multiple things can be true at the same time, it is true that sometimes I am fun and I am glittery and I am full of faith and I worry and I doubt and it feels like more days than not I shut my Bible in the early morning and I take one last sip of coffee and I look around and I'm like, "Oo, this is a mess. Maybe I'm a mess. Maybe I'm a train wreck. But maybe Paul was a shipwreck, so it's okay.

Now, I'm not saying that because he was shipwrecked. I'm saying it because he said in Romans 7:1 19-2, "For the good that I would, I do not. But the evil which I would not, that I do." Now, if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. I find then a law that when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man.

But I see another law in my members, waring against the law of my mind and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. Oh wretched man that I am. I who sh who shall deliver me from the body of death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin.

That was a lot of words. It really felt like I should be reading them in a British accent for some reason. I spared you. You're welcome. But what he's really saying is, I want to get it together.

I want to do the right thing. I want to have my ducks in a row. I do not know where my ducks are. No matter what I do, what I want to do, I just keep on doing the opposite of that over and over and over again. And I identify with him in that way.

In fact, in spite of all the wonderful, beautiful, making me cry and want to crawl under the pew things that were said about me this evening, I am in fact the worst sometimes. And some days, no matter no matter how bad I am, I am actually the least of my problems because my life, and God bless them, some of the people in it are even worse than me. Hard to imagine feeling that way. I'm sure that some of us have this week. And I cannot seem to stop no matter what.

Just being full of this relentless hope that one day I'm going to arrive, you know, when we arrive and there's going to be like balloons and cake and confetti and I'm going to have arrived and it's going to be like Melinda has arrived. and that a life of loving Jesus and being in ministry is going to end up being happy endings and fairy tales and butterflies. And the truth is it is not always like that. It just isn't. And Paul would know because he was talking about his glorious missionary journeys that we admire so much.

And he said in 2 Corinthians 11:23-29, "Are they servants of Christ? I am out of my mind to talk like this." St. Paul, I am more. I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. Five times I received from the Jews the 40 lashes minus one.

Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked. I spent a night and a day in the open sea. I've been constantly on the move. I've been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, and danger from Gentiles.

The world is a dangerous place, apparently. in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at a sea, and in danger from false believers. I have labored and I have toiled and often gone without sleep. I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food, especially Snickers bars. I have been cold and naked.

And besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches. Somebody in here cares so much about other people that you know what it's like to face daily the pressure of your concern for them. And this is not in my notes, but the Lord made you that way. He made you that way. He loves people.

He loves people and he will use you to bless them if you let him. You may not always see it. It may not always culminate in the results that you want, but he will use you to bless people if you let him. Who is weak and I do not feel weak? Who is led into sin and I do not inwardly burn?

He was saying, "We get it, Paul. It's not fun for you." Okay, we get it. Thank you. He's landing on really thick there. And maybe not at that level.

Thank you, Jesus. May it never be so. But maybe not on that level. I get it, too. And it seems like life is lifing all the time and things just keep happening.

And while I am without a doubt, as we all should be absolutely, positively, inherently victorious in Jesus, I am victorious. You are victorious. That is the truth. Sometimes I feel like a character in a video game that just refuses to die. You know what I'm saying?

I'm like, "One more thing has fallen on me, but here I am in the house of the Lord." Do I always talk to the Lord like I should? No. Do I always have the right perspective? No. I am too blessed to be stressed, but it's weird.

I manage to be stressed anyway. Funny how that happens. I am hardpressed on every side. Perplexed, abandoned, struck down. I carry death around in my body.

And if that description sounds familiar, it's because Paul said that, too. And I think we'll need to come back to that. And when we do, we might just find that I've missed a thing or two that was happening in the middle of those verses. Oh, the dreaded middle. Can we talk about the middle for a minute?

What is the middle? You know when there's a date circled in the calendar and you're standing in January, but the date is in July and there's all that calendar space in the middle. Or uh speaking of dates, maybe you're downstairs and you're waiting for yours if you're not just texting her and you've like picked her up like you should and she is upstairs taking forever to get ready. And in between the bathroom sink upstairs and the front door downstairs, there's that lovely little living room couch in the middle where you have to sit and talk to our parents. You know the middle.

Or maybe you have been given a word from the Lord and he's shown you exactly what is happening there in your future. So you've seen that and you are here already. So you know what is happening here around you. But you have no idea what is going to happen with all of that space in the middle. Like that kind of middle.

And what are we doing in the middle? Planning or prepping or doing jumping jacks or organizing our closet or mastering new languages or learning new skills? Maybe. But what's the majority of what we're doing in the middle? What are we doing in the middle?

We are waiting. We are waiting in line. waiting for the next thing, waiting for a calendar date, waiting for an actual date, just waiting in the middle. And it's like, I just need to tell you, if you wait long enough, I guarantee you it will not be fun anymore. I'm just letting you know.

It's like being on a road trip. And uh what games do you guys play on road trips? Not like, do you play games in the car like I spy? Tell me. Just go ahead and tell me.

My cows. Do you say my cows? I also play my cows. We are best friends. We'll talk about it later.

So, like you've started on a road trip and you're playing my cows and then after a while it's just not fun anymore. How many minutes of my cows? How many times can you say that? Do you do bury my cows, marry my cows, all of those things? There's only so much marrying and burying of cows that you can do before you're just up in the front seat like are we there yet?

And time is weird on a road trip. It's actually only been 20 minutes and your parents are never taking you anywhere again. Or so they say, just desperate to be done. There's something about waiting that can make you desperate to be done. And it's amazing that I get to camp out here, hopefully glamp because I'm myself, but just camp out here in the middle and lean on the wisdom of the Lord and learn from his principles.

But God, actually, I just want to get to the party. You know what I'm saying? Where's the confetti at? I just want to get to the party. And when does the party part of my life start?

I've thrown one for everyone else. I'm really good at it. When does the party part of my life start? Because I can't wait to celebrate. Celebrate.

It's our whole theme. This whole celebrate theme has a passage of scripture attached to it. And I actually love this passage of scripture, but it also made me smile. It made me smile because it's true, but it also made me smile because I found it kind of ironic. Allow me to explain.

But first, let's read it. It's Exodus 15. And the Israelites, what's just happened? What has the Lord just done? Somebody tell me.

This is really kind of a dead giveaway if we just look up at the screen, but somebody needs to tell me. What was it? Yes, he just parted the Red Sea. He got them through on dry land. Guys, work with me here.

I'm getting more and more scared about high school tomorrow. That's what's happening right now. And they are just rejoicing, right? Because the Lord has just done this amazing thing and he's just delivered them and they're saying, "I will sing to the Lord for he is highly exalted, both horse and driver. He is hurled into the sea.

The Lord is my strength and my defense. He has become my salvation. He is my God and I will praise him. My father's God, and I will exalt him. The Lord is a warrior.

The Lord is his name. Pharaoh's chariots and his army, he is hurled into the sea. The best of Pharaoh's officers are drowned in the sea. The deep waters have covered them. They sank to the depths like a stone.

Your right hand, Lord, was majestic in power. Your right hand, Lord, shattered the enemy. Who among the gods is like you, Lord? Who is like you? Majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders.

You stretch out your right hand and the earth swallows your enemies. In your unfailing love, you will lead the people you have redeemed. In your strength, you will guide them to your holy dwelling. The nations will hear and tremble. You will bring them in and plant them on the mountain of your inheritance.

The place, Lord, you made for your dwelling. The sanctuary, Lord, your hands established. The Lord reigns forever and ever. Sing to the Lord for he is highly exalted. Both horse and driver he has hurled into the sea.

This is their moment where they're like, "Yes." It's their confetti moment. They are running. They are shouting. They are dancing. They are joyful and merry.

God's people are having a party. God's people are celebrating. Somebody tell me what happens right after that. They wander around. You have all the answers.

It seems how long do they wander around? 40. 40 years. They spend 40 years in the wilderness. Miracle, miracle, confetti, confetti.

Yay. Between point A and point B. 40 years of camping out in the middle. It is at this point that I begin to feel maybe I had one too many meltdowns this week. Maybe my season of waiting is not that bad.

It had better not be 40 years in Jesus name. Amen. 40 years of camping out in the middle. I'm going to tell you guys a true story about me and one of my friends. Is this okay?

The story might paint me in a bad light. Do you still want to hear it? That's what I thought. So, one of my friends um one of my friends had moved away and then she moved back dramatically. She just I feel like maybe in this section there's going to be some personal attachment to the story, but she just moves back dramatically and she just takes over the praise team and everything else and I'm just like welcome home.

And um there's one morning we're just like everything is working and we prayed, we fasted and I should be happy, right, that everything is working, but I'm a human being and I was not every morning, especially if I had not had my coffee. And we get ready to go to church and I show up and it is praise practice. and she turns around and like looks me in the eyes during a specific part of a song that we were singing and she's like, "I sought the Lord and I loved how he answered." And I said on Sunday morning on the platform in the middle of practice that we had prayed over, I looked at her and I said, "Shut up. I do not want to hear how you sought the Lord and you prayed and he answered. She did it again.

She doesn't care when I say shut up. I sought the Lord and I loved how he answered. I'm sorry. It was this hand because she was wearing a ring. I loved how he answered.

And then the worship leader was like, "We're all going to pray." True story. We had to hold hands. It was a beautiful time. Guess what? I also seek the Lord and I do not always love how he answered.

And that is going to happen. Rain falls on the just and the unjust. Seasons change. Things happen and they don't. you're partying or you're having a meltdown in your car by a gas station on a Monday night.

I don't That was a really specific example. I don't know where that came from. Not this week. Don't worry. At that point, I did eat a Snickers bar.

So, lives were saved. But we do not always love the way that the Lord answers. But I will never forget being at her wedding. It was the best thing ever. And they do this exit and everybody had like sparklers and we're all happy and they were singing this song that I had never heard in my life and I will only assume is a praise and worship song but it was like celebrate good times.

Come on. And we were all so happy and we were you know in our worship song because I can only assume because it was a sanctified anointed Holy Ghostfilled wedding. Amen. But we were just having the best time. It was like that day, just so you know, I was just full of I was sick in my body.

I did not have what I wanted yet, but it was one of the best days of my life because I was just so full of the joy of the Lord. He was with me and I was like, "Yeah, celebrate good times." But the truth of the matter is, we are not always going to have a good time to celebrate. But can I tell you that even when you don't have a good time to celebrate for yourself, when you aren't getting married or you aren't making straight A's or you don't have an anniversary or you didn't win the pickle ball tournament. It is always a good time to celebrate though. It is always a good time to celebrate.

My friend and her husband, they got married. We celebrated them. We celebrated them one time. They are going to get married to each other one time in Jesus name. They said their vows and they did that one time, but they live out their vows every single day from now until death.

They love each other and they are together when we're not there to celebrate them with sparklers. when things aren't going well, when they have to move last minute, or other things are going on, they are together always in the middle. And it is the same with us and the Lord. And our relationship with him, our commitment with him, our communion with him is always something to celebrate. Always.

Always. And I love what we begin to see happen with the Israelites in the Old Testament. First of all, they are not just wandering around. They are led. There is a cloud by day.

There's a pillar of fire by night. They are provided for miraculously this whole time in the middle. They are led even in the middle. Even when they felt like they were not getting where they wanted to go, they were led the whole time. Secondly, they make it through the wilderness, but they don't forget it.

Because eventually in the Old Testament, we begin to see the Hebrews practicing celebration. They practice celebration like it is a discipline. They will celebrate the Passover where they remember when the angel of death passed over them. They'll remember that a lamb's blood spared their children and that what they are celebrating then will be fulfilled in the future when the spotless lamb of God takes away the sins of the world. Jesus is ultimately crucified in the future at the same time as everybody around him is slaughtering their lambs in the evening for the Passover meal the next day.

They will celebrate the feast of unleavened bread, which honestly doesn't sound like that is going to be fun, but they do. They celebrate how they left Egypt hastily and had no time to add leaven to their bread and let it rise. And they'll remember the hardships of Egypt and how God freed them. And eventually Jesus, whose sinless life represents bread without leaven, will free them forever. And Jesus will be the bread of life.

Not just saving us from our sins, but providing true nourishment for our souls always. Even in the middle, especially in the middle, they will celebrate the feast of first fruits. On the third day, they would eat a harvest feast to thank God for all he provided. They were just in the middle. They didn't know how God was going to resurrect on first fruits on his own third day celebration.

And Paul, who we were talking about earlier, would later record how Jesus is the first fruits of the dead, the first of the great harvest of souls that include you and me. They would celebrate the feast of Pentecost. the bring the first harvest of grain as well as two leavenven loaves of bread. And this feast pointed to an impending great harvest of souls. They were just in the middle.

But eventually the day of Pentecost would fully come and those who were all in one accord and in one place would receive the gift of the Holy Spirit that God is still pouring out on sons and daughters today. They would celebrate the feast of trumpets. They would experience 10 days of rest and the practice of awe engaging in soularching. This would culminate in three trumpet blasts and eventually the rapture of Christ's church will also be heralded with the sound of a trumpet. We are just in the middle.

But when that trumpet sounds, we will all be caught up in great celebration. They would celebrate the day of atonement with a fast, making restitution for the wrongs they committed. This is where the sacrificing of animals and entering into the Holy of Holies happened. All they were able to offer to the Lord at that time was an annual animal payment because they were in the middle. But eventually they didn't even need a day of sacrifice and atonement anymore because Christ paid that debt once and for all.

They would celebrate the feast of tabernacles or booths. God gave them provision and protection all 40 years of their wandering. They lived in tents, but he tented among them. They would celebrate his presence because he tabernacled with them. Eventually, God would put on flesh and become Emanuel, God with us.

They didn't know about that in the middle. But he would give his life for this lost and dying world, living where we are. So one day we would live forever where he is. They practiced celebration as a discipline. Even in the middle, even in the weight, they were faithfully practicing celebration where they were partying without even knowing all the reasons that he would eventually be giving them to rejoice.

And when you practice celebration where you are, you are in fact partying without even knowing all the reasons that God is going to give you to rejoice. Rejoice in the Lord always. Paul said that there are some things that you have to ask yourself about the discipline of celebration when you're waiting, when it seems like nothing is happening and the confetti doesn't detonate for you. A lot of what follows is from a Don Sheree Wilkerson book, Slowburn, The Work and Wonder of the Weight, that I happened to be reading on celebration when I was prepping for this. We have a decision to make.

Am I going to sulk and isolate and hide from the celebration of others unless I'm holding my own miracle? Or can I fight through the fear? And will I let love pour out of my heart without any self-consciousness or victim mentality? Even if you don't have your own good time to celebrate, it is always a good time to celebrate. Part of the reason we don't celebrate while we wait is because we are scared that things are never going to happen for us.

And can I just tell you, even if they don't, he's still God. He's still good. And not in a parted my Red Sea way back when kind of way, but in a mana every morning. Strength when I am weary, joy when I am sorrowful, goodness and mercy chasing me down sort of way. It unlocks freedom inside of us to know the love we are storing up in our hearts for the future when everything happens can also be used for the present time.

Our love is not wasted in the waiting. The enemy does not control the narrative of my life unless I let him. I am overflowing with the blessings of God right here and right now. Remember when we left some things out in the middle of Paul's verses in 2 Corinthians? I carry treasure in this body, in this jar of clay.

The all surpassing power by which you and I walk through this life victorious is from God, not from us. I impressed but not crushed, perplexed, but not in despair. Persecuted but not abandoned. If you are struck down tonight, guess what? You are not going to be destroyed.

And if you carry around in your body the death of Jesus, it is only so that the life of Jesus may be revealed in you. He's with you. He's for you. He's doing something with your story. He's working it out.

He's working it out when you don't feel like it. He's working it out when it doesn't look like it. I can know that he is working it out for me because he said it. He said it. I read this week about a Japanese lieutenant named Hiro Anoda who received reports that World War II was over, refused to believe them, and went on hiding and fighting in a Philippine jungle for 30 years.

So this man endured the pressures of war, preparing for phantom attacks, attempting to sleep each night feeling like a target, and no one was actually after him at all. He had the victory, but he was not victorious. You can have the victory and not be victorious. But it is the will of God for you to walk in the victory that he has already laid out for you. It is the will of God for you to be victorious in him no matter what.

It may be a jungle out here, but you can believe the report of the Lord. You are victorious. You can choose whose word you will believe and choose to celebrate here and now. Even in times of pain, celebration aligns our hearts with God's presence and brings resilience and strength. The choice to celebrate goes deeper than feelings.

It's a discipline. It's a matter of what we choose to notice and focus on. From the beginning, God created celebrations through the year for his people. Even in the wilderness, they were celebrating. I'm sure they didn't always feel like it, but it was on the calendar.

It wasn't just wishful thinking, but a discipline that changed everything because celebration directs your perspective. In Psalm 118:24, the psalmist writes, "This is the day that the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it." He, it sounds like he's having the best day ever. Can I just tell you, he was not. Things were in upheaval.

His dreams were dead. There was a sense of losing ground and he felt like everything was going to crumble. Yet the psalmist started and ended this chapter by celebrating God. Give thanks to the Lord for he is good. Not give thanks to my circumstances because they're doing what I want them to.

Not give thanks to the people in my life because they are behaving in the way that I think that they should. Give thanks to the Lord for he is good and his steadfast love endures forever. And speaking of Psalms 118, it's literally the very center of the Bible if you were to split it. It's the chapter from the middle and it's speaking of celebration despite difficulty. God's promises are not just for the beginning or the ending of his word.

They are for right in the middle of our mess. God is in the middle of your mess, your mundane, your madness. The result of the willing choosing of your way of thinking, speaking, investing, and living can make all the difference in the world. You can't afford to miss out on the celebration that could be happening here and now. You are cordially invited to your one and only beautiful life.

When Jesus has your heart and he is your message, it doesn't matter how deep a valley might be. Your life has a purpose and you can always celebrate that. Whatever pain you're in today, it's not going to endure forever. Whatever temptation or struggle or injustice or loss, none of those things endure forever. Only one thing will endure forever, and it is God and his love.

As you keep focusing on his goodness, he gives you the strength that you need. Red Sea moment or not, you can say it like Miriam. The Lord is my strength and my defense. He has become my salvation. He is my God and I will praise him right now, right here in the middle.

My father's God and I will exalt him. The Lord is a warrior and he is fighting for me. The Lord is his name. Who among the gods is like you, Lord? Who is like you?

Majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders. There is nobody like him. And you can have as much of him as you want. Right here, right now, beginning, middle, or end. One of the great things about him, by the way, is if you're in the middle, just hang in there.

He finishes what he starts. He finishes what he starts. I am coming to a close. I was in my church altar close to Thanksgiving one year and I saw a woman praying in the altar. I didn't even know her.

She was visiting her family. I didn't know her or anything about her. We were strangers. And she just lingered in the altar that day. And I remember the Lord telling me so spec so specifically, so sweetly.

It was actually the first time I'd ever heard his voice just in that specific way. And uh he said, "As a sign of what I'm going to do for you, I want you to know that I am restoring her marriage." And that was several years ago. I didn't tell her that weekend. It wasn't one of those things that I felt like I should go tell her. The good news is she has informed me since then that if I had told her that that weekend, she would have run the other way because she did not want her marriage to be restored.

But um Monday night in the middle of a meltdown, I walked into her house where she lives with her husband cuz she lives here now and we are not strangers anymore. I walked into her house and I sat down on the couch and they handed me baby number three and I cried and the baby cried and nobody said a word. Nobody spoke. It was just like, "Here's the baby. Here's some popcorn.

God bless you." She's going through a little something right now. But even walking into her house is a living visible tangible proof that God knows what he is doing. Even in the middle, that he redeems and restores and puts back together whatever he wants to whenever he wants to. One of the precious souls that I mentor has been going through it and he came this week and he sat in my classroom. We had scheduled a meeting.

Uh he had actually texted me and he was like, "I know we're both busy." Which was really cute because he is busy with the Dairy Queen and I am living an adult life, but we love him. So he set aside the Dairy Queen job that he worked at and found time for me in his schedule and he came and sat in my classroom and um he was looking a lot different than the last time that we had talked and he did you know he got that look you know what I'm talking about like where he's blushing you guys you know you know what I'm talking about and definitely your friends know what I'm talking about and um he just got this look on his face and he like he was blushing and he was like giggly you know like not even looking me in the eye Um, and he said, "I just have such good news for you. I'm so excited." And I was like waiting. I was like, "Okay, who is she?" You know, "What's her name?" And um, he said, "Nothing has changed since the last time I talked to you. I didn't meet anybody new.

I didn't get a fabulous new job." And I've been wondering because he was so busy, you know. I didn't experience any new life circumstances. Nobody, no prophet swooped down and gave me a word. He said, I just have fallen so in love with Jesus that I cannot get enough of him that I'm just praying for hours. I just can't get enough of him.

And I was so convicted and blessed by that because here he is in the middle of his circumstance. Nothing has changed. And this child is like glowing like he is lit from within. Because the love of God is enough. It is enough to make you glow like you are lit from within if you will let it be.

If you will let it be. I'm not saying that hard times don't happen. I'm not saying you can't be upset or pitch a fit. That would be ridiculous if I said that this week. I am saying that he is enough if you will let him be.

And I am telling you that there is always something to celebrate. Nothing has to change. Nothing has to be moved. Princess Charming does not have to walk into your life. Although in Jesus name, nothing has to be different except your perspective and what you choose to celebrate.

I recently got to talk to someone I love very much who I've been able to watch grow up and she um she's recently seen just this miraculous turn around in her life and it's been beautiful to watch and we finally got together and um she sat down to tell me a bunch of things and uh she was letting me know that I was a part of it was a part of this change which if you love people long enough that will happen. And there is no paycheck on earth that compares to God using you in the life of someone else. I'm just telling you. But uh she sat down. She said, "Yeah, you know, like you preached that sermon about confetti and you give us, you know, like you gave us the confetti and you told us the Lord is good on his promises and that he's a healer and he does what he's going to say and that you believe it." And she said that she was holding her confetti and everybody around her was, you know, praying for the things that they knew that she needed because she did have needs in her life.

She needed healing. She needed circumstances to change. There were a lot of things she needed. And she said, "That is not what I was praying about, though. That's not what I heard." She said, "You told us that the confetti didn't detonate for you.

And if the confetti didn't detonate for you and you didn't get what you wanted, but you were okay and you love Jesus and you love us and you still let him use you and you still hold his hand, then I know that I can live this life victorious. Whether the confetti detonates or not, you can live a victorious life. Whether the confetti detonates or not, there is always something to celebrate. Because if there's something we know about our God, it's what they said in Exodus 15 is still true. It was true in Egypt before he delivered them.

It was true when they were walking through that Red Sea on dry land. It was true every step that they took in the wilderness, just as much as it was true when they stepped into the promised land. In your unfailing love, God, you will lead the people you have redeemed. In your strength, you will guide them to your holy dwelling. The nations will hear and tremble.

You will bring them in and plant them on the mountain of your inheritance. The place, Lord, that you made for your dwelling. The sanctuary, Lord, that your hands established. The Lord reigns forever and ever and ever. He is good and he is God and he is good at being God.

He is good for me. He is God to me. He knows what he is doing and that is always something to celebrate. I wonder if we could all stand right now. I know that we have been especially in the back and the youth we've been learning about this theme and been given all the reasons to celebrate.

We heard about it Sunday. we get to celebrate because of the spirit of God in our life that he brings victory and we did. We we screamed and shouted and snorted and we celebrated the Lord. It's amazing and we love those moments. We love those moments.

But the truth is I believe that there are some people in this room, maybe many people in this room that are indeed in the middle. And maybe you looked on as others celebrated. Maybe you looked on as others rejoiced and shouted. Maybe you even joined in for a little bit. But as soon as the music died down and it got quiet, you felt the weight of the middle again.

And I think that the Lord has stepped in on this first night to remind some of us that he is still giving reasons to celebrate. Even when you don't have the answers, even when you don't know what's going on, even when you don't know where your next steps should be, he does. And he has loved us enough to take time out of his truly busy schedule to remind us that he sees, that he hears, that he strengthens, that he steps alongside. And so tonight, before we close out of this moment, before we close out of this wonderful presence of the Lord that we have felt move into this place, I believe that the Lord wants to give us an opportunity to receive his strength. If that's you, if maybe you're looking on, you're saying, "You know what, Lord?

I am in the middle. And I've been in the middle a long time, but I've heard the truth of your word that even there, your hand is going to guide me. Even there, your spirit is going to lead me. Even there, your word is going to give me the wisdom that I need." If that's you, needing to draw on the strength of that truth. I would just invite you, if you want to step forward, you can step forward and respond to the Lord.

If you just want to lift your hands right where you are, you can lift your hands and respond to the Lord. But I believe if we will call on the God of the middle, he will meet us right there. He will meet us in the middle and he will be the strength we need and he will be the blessing that we need. If that's you or you want to be a strength to someone that you know is in the middle, why don't we begin to just entertain the presence of the Lord right now. He is here.

He is in the room. Let's lift our hands. Let's lift our voices. If we need to step out in a moment of faith, let's do that. Jesus, we need you.

We have heard the truth that you meet us in the middle. That you are the God of the middle, Lord. And so we call on you again. We call on your strength. We call on the truth of your word.

We call on your faithfulness. God, help us. Be our guide. Be our light. Jesus, we need you, Lord.

That's good. ABC. Let's call to the Lord. Let's call to the Lord. The God of the middle.

We need you, Jesus. Praise him. I will praise the Lord. The Lord I will praise him. I will praise the Lord.

My Lord, I will praise him. I will praise the Lord. The Lord I will praise him. I will praise the Lord. The Lord, he is worthy.

He is worthy. He is worthy. He worthy. He worthy. He is worthy.

I will praise him. I will praise the Lord. the Lord. I will praise him. I will praise the Lord.

The Lord I will praise him. I will praise the Lord. The Lord I will praise him. I will praise the Lord. the Lord.

He is worthy. He is worthy. He worthy. He is worthy. He worthy.

He is worthy. He has done great things. He's done great things. He's done great things. He's done.

He has done great things. He's done great things. He's done great things. He's done. I will praise him.

I will praise the Lord. The Lord I will praise him. I will praise the Lord. The Lord I will praise him. I will praise the Lord.

my Lord. I will praise him. I will praise the Lord. The Lord. He is worthy.

He worthy. He is worthy. If you're not already singing this with him, why don't we sing it together as a declaration of faith to the God in the middle. Jesus, you are worthy. We sing it together, God.

He is worthy. He is worthy. Yes, you're worthy, God. You're worthy, God. We praise you, Jesus.

We lift. You're worthy here, God. You're worthy now, Jesus. You're worthy in the good times. You're worthy in the hard times, Lord.

Yes. Yes. Lift your voice again if you haven't already. He is worthy. He is worthy.

Oh, he is worthy. Yes, you are, Jesus. You're worthy, God. You're worthy, God. Thank you, Lord.

Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Lord. Yes, because you're worthy, God. Even in the middle. Even in the middle, I will praise.

I'm going to praise. I'm going to celebrate. I'm going to live my life in faith and in victory, God, in light of your victory. Yes. Yes.

Say, I will I will praise him. I will praise. We praise you, Lord. We praise you, Lord. Thank you, Jesus.

Thank you, Jesus. Yes, I will. I will praise him. Thank you, Lord. Thank you Lord.

Thank you Lord. Thank you Lord. Thank you Jesus. Thank you Jesus. Thank you Lord.

Thank you Lord. Thank you Lord. Thank you Lord.