"Good News In The Middle Of It All" Pastor Reginald W. Sharpe Jr March 22, 2020 10am

praise the Lord we are here to lift up the name of Jesus hallelujah you're worthy to be praised come on from the rising of the Sun to the going down [Music] No you're moaning hi [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] you know that God is good and God is good all the time and all the time God is good I welcome you to our service this morning we pray that your house feels the presence of God we think of our praise team that has gotten us started off with the right flow and flavor worshiping and praising our doc good morning fellowship good morning friends and guests wherever you may be this morning tuning in from all over our country or all over the world we greet you in the matchless marvelous name of Jesus the Christ I promise you that in the midst of everything that's going on I know one thing and that is God is still good you may not feel good things may not look good but God is good and that's why we still come to worship that's why we praise the name of our God so wherever you may be that they find somebody that may be around you even if you by yourself just repeat this after me today is a good day today is a good day today is a good day you have to say that to yourself when you're not feeling it because your mind has power and it believes what you say which is why there is life and death in your tongue you gotta say that it's a good day and their scripture to back that up this is the day that the Lord has made and we will rejoice and be glad and it say it again with me today is a good day today is a good day I want to jump right into this word that God has given me to share with you for just a few moments and I promise you that the rest of your day I pray feels better I promise you you're gonna feel better after this word that God gives us today I don't want to talk to you from the book of Nahum the book of Nahum chapter one naome chapter one that's in aah um nee home chapter one isn't the depths of the Old Testament nee home chapter 1 verse 7 it reads like this nee home chapter 1 verse 7 it reads the Lord is good that's enough right there thank you you may be seated if you're standing nay home chapter one verse seven says the Lord is good I praise you keep your Bibles open coz you may need that in the moments ahead I want to talk today from this talk very simply good news in the middle of it all good news in the middle of it all have you ever had a day where if it wasn't one thing it was another have you ever had a moment in your life where you felt pressure and pain and you were surrounded by problems and and you just didn't have the same level of energy or bandwidth to to navigate some of the weight that was on you have you ever been in the middle of something I'm not talking to those of you who are so saved that you can't admit that you've never had a bad moment or a bad day or things shifted to in the negative direction have you ever just found yourself in the middle of something and you were looking for the red exit signs around the building to find your way out but no matter what you would do you couldn't get yourself out of it because you were just in the middle of something whether it was a family issue whether it was a home issue whether it was a marital issue whether it was a health issue have you ever found yourself in the middle of an issue that you yourself could not get yourself out of it is it's different at the beginning because at the beginning of seasons is always joyous and filled with euphoria and ecstasy and excitement but something happens in the middle it's in the middle of the movie when the plot gets the thickest is in the middle after the wedding bells have finished chiming with their high note frequency it's in the middle of that marriage when things get tense it's in the middle of a test where you feel like I wish this thing was almost over it's in the middle it's when you're in the middle of traffic that you realize I shouldn't listen to my GPS this day or maybe I should have found a different around have you ever found yourself in the middle of something well that's how the people in the text felt right here in the book of Nahum the children of Israel are in Assyrian captivity and they can't get themselves out of it but God sends the prophet by the name of nae home whose name actually means comfort it means comforting one God sins our prophet by the name of nae home to a people who are in the middle of something that they can't get themselves out of and God sends a word of comfort to a people who are in an uncomfortable season and he lets them know this it ain't gonna always be like this now I know the church is not crowded and I know that I can't look at you and you can't look at me but but I don't care where you are or who you are that word ought to shift your spirit from a place of despondency to a place of certainty God sent a prophet by the name of Nate home whose name means comfort to a people in an uncomfortable season to simply let them know although you're in it and you can't get yourself out of it I am still God and after a while I'm gonna shift this thing in your favor doesn't that sound like a word that America needs then they sound like a word then Chicago needs then that sound like a word their fellowship needs because we're in a seat we're in the middle of something then absolutely nobody has the intelligence or the solution for how to come out of it but God has sent a little prophet by the name of reginal sharp Julia to into your house into your kitchen into your living room into your bedroom into your car just to remind you it ain't always gonna be like this i'ma pause right there by myself and take a few minutes to praise our God that he's so good that even when it doesn't feel good he's still good and he lets me know it's not always gonna be like this your failure is not final your trial is only temporary there's an expiration date all your exhaustion this too shall pass is anybody around the house or your house who can give that praise right there that this thing is gonna pass over if I was a tree I could testify never seen a storm that did not pass God said a prophet to the people to tell them I know you're in the middle of it but there's some good news in the middle of it all I mean literally right here in this text verse seven is almost in the middle of chapter one is in the middle of chapter one the Israelites are in the middle of captivity and Nate home brings this word of what is this word of hope I'm so glad you asked number one he said this is the good news God has a heart for Humanity yeah God has a heart for Humanity preacher where did you get that out in the text I'm in a home chapter 1 verse 7 it says this don't read too fast the Lord is good now you cannot appreciate this content unless you understand the context because the claim is that God is good but if you moonwalk backwards to verse 2 something interesting is going to happen what's gonna happen read it for yourself nay whom chapter 1 verse 2 it says God is jealous and the Lord revenge's the Lord revenge's and his furious the Lord will take vengeance on his adversaries and he reserved with wrath for his enemies verse 3 the Lord is slow to anger and great in power y'all reading this and he will not at all acquit the wicked the LORD hath his way in the whirlwind and in the storm and the clouds of the dust of his feet he rebuked if the sea and maketh it dry he dries up the rivers of the Bashan languishes the Carmel and the flower of the lebanon languishes the mountains quake and him in the hills milk and the earth is burned at his present ye the world and all that dwell there is who can stand before the indignation and who can abide in the fishness of his anger his theory is poured out like fire and the rocks are thrown down by him then verse 7 says the Lord is good wait a minute wait a minute wait a minute let me put a pen in it what you mean the Lord is good did you not read what you said may whom all the way from verse 2 to verse 6 you said that the is jealous you said the Lord revenge' you said the Lord ain't nothing to play with the Lord is a guy who is slow to anger but he's still a God of great power between the mountains see God they start shaking when the heel will see God they start melting who can stand the King stuff and they you ease us and throw us in the verse 7 and says the Lord is good I'm confused how is it that you are good and at the same time you have this wrath about you but at the same time you have this grace about you what's going on God and may whom said that's how I know he's good because he is a god of Wrath he is a God that you don't play with he is a God that is a God of justice he is a god better get you when you've been cutting up he is a God that is nothing to just I just throw a quarter and he's a mighty God he's a justice loving God he's a he's a powerful God he's a God that even the mountains and nervous about but the Lord is still good how do you know he's good because he could be bad he could give us what we deserve he has the power to make us pay for what we deserve but His grace is sufficient and His mercies are new every morning which is why I can say he has a heart for humanity and the Lord is good now if you ain't been through nothing you're not gonna feel this point if you never smoked nothing you ain't gonna feel this if you've never messed around and did some stuff that you know you should have been doing you're not gonna shout on this point but there about a hundred of us who tuned in this morning who can admit I'm far from perfect I've done a whole lot of stuff wrong and I was enjoying it while I was doing it and the reason why I know God is good is because he let me leave him I know he's good because he gave me another chance I know he's good cuz he kept me even when I was falling on the floor under my own sin he was a good god to me even when he had every right to be evil and justice field against me somebody oughta park right there and say God thank you for being good if you want it to get America back you could have if you want it to but because you're good and you're gracious thank your merciful and your loving kindness is overflowing think you for you goodness that's why the songwriter said for your goodness and your mercy towards us we offer praise I'm so bad I'm so sad and sorry for those of you that have all this bad theology it's so much bad theology flying around right now y'all know this is the ends of time y'all know that Jesus is on his way back y'all know this is a plague that God sent cuz he tired of America America turned against God and this is just a plague that God sent and you know if you just put a little blood over your house you're not gonna get sick cause he said in the book of Exodus you put the blood let me tell you something you can put as much blood as you want over your house the truth is the coal bit 19 is a real virus this is a real global pandemic and God did not send a plague God did not send some to destroy us and the Bible says and only God knows when Jesus is gonna come back so you can SiC your look your little cynical self down somewhere tell me he's on his way back what you oughta just be relieved about is that God could shut America down but I choose to believe that the Lord is good the Lord is merciful the Lord is on our side the Lord stands with us God he is our refuge in our strip a very present help in the time of trouble the Lord is our Shepherd we shall not want he makes us to lie down in green pastures I'm trying to tell you some he has a heart for Humanity God is not some mean father standing in heaven looking for a way to get you back no the Bible says the wages of sin is death but the gift of God through Jesus Christ is eternal life I don't think God is trying to get America back now God can use this to get our attention back on him oh yeah I let them I let your preacher for a minute God can use this to redirect mind says back to prayer and to focus on what really matters but I don't believe God sent this to destroy us because the Lord is good the Lord is good he has a heart for Humanity but it's not just that he has a heart for Humanity listen he helps in our adversity God doesn't just have our heart for Humanity God helps and I adversity preach away you see that that is right there in verse seven if you stopped running through the text and learn how to tiptoe through the text you'll find a whole lot to shout about he said the Lord is good karma a strong whole in the day of trouble y'all forgive me the Lord is good , a strong whole in the day of trouble the Lord is good come on strong hole in the day of trouble now after the Lord is good that could have been a period because that's enough ones to shout on in to twenty twenty-one but God is so awesome that God is the only one that can add commas where everybody else writes period guarding through blessing you just off of his goodness but I'll speak over your life there's some karmic blessings that are getting ready to fall on your family and fall in your life and fall on your ministry and fall in your bank account somebody holler come yeah I'm gonna get I'm gonna make it through this pandemic come and my family's gonna be alright karma and my house is gonna be alright karma and my health is gonna be sustained , see some of y'all shout no other punctuation you ought to be shout move a comma because that means God ain't through yet I don't know who I'm talking to and I don't care if I'm in here by myself when I think about how god it's good enough to add a comma when I deserved a period I can testify he had not only has a heart for Humanity but but he helps us in our adversity the Lord is good a stronghold get in the day of trouble I don't know what to preach your own first cuz all of it preaches he's our strong we don't use that language in 2020 nobody talks like that if you've seen a stronghold lately what does that mean all it means is is a defense wall that is a that is used in military battles so that those who are in the me no matter what artillery no matter what arrows no matter what weaponry is working a gangster army if you run behind the stronghold you are safe back there because the enemy can't find you and the enemy can't see you y'all ain't listening but you're listening I said the stronghold is a defense wall where military officers are and military fighters would run behind because the enemy couldn't find you and they wouldn't know where to harm you and they wouldn't know whether and where to direct the arrows and the weaponry against you so when it says the Lord is a stronghold it means that God is a safe place God knows how to guard God's children God is so awesome that if you walk with them and you'll work with them and yeah and you get in his word and get in his wheel God literally becomes a stronghold and whatever the enemy was trying to throw at you he don't even know where you are because he can't find you because you've been lost under the feathers of a god who's like a mother Eagle which is why the psalmist said in Psalm 91 he or she that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty the devil don't even know why half of y'all off he'd been looking for you for a long time but he had to understand what he had to understand about Joel I want a kid on my I was trying to take that joy but there's a hedge there's a strong I wish I had a church here there's a strong hole around you and if you can't think off for anything else today let me give you one reason to shout God has been protecting you yeah if some stuff you didn't even know what's coming at you and God has been protecting you cannot get a witness from somebody in the sanctuary or in the homo area and you can thank God this morning that he's been shielding you he's been covering you he's been protecting you you don't even know all the accidents you should have been in because there was an angel placed outside your car that wouldn't even let the cost switch lanes you don't know all the sicknesses you could have had because while you were asleep at night God sent some angels to create a strong hole around you is there anybody that understands God has a way of shielding me I understand this is real but I choose to speak over my life I'm shielded I'm shielded I'm shooting and I speak over your life you're shielded and I speak that even if you get some kind of flu or if your body does go through a sickness I pray that God a shield you from the hand of death I pray that God will be a stronghold watch this now in the day of trouble what churchville don't know in the shell because he could have said he's a stronghold through the years of trumpet he could have said he's a stronghold through the months of trouble but God is so awesome he wanted to give you all a timeline to view it back he said if trouble does show up he ain't gonna be here before a few days yeah he's a stronghold in the day of trouble now I don't know how long Kovach 19 is gonna last but I do know this it can't last forever I know that there is a period I know that this is a season and I know seasons change I know there is an expiration date so if you can rejoice over anything today no I don't know when it's all gonna be open I don't know when we're gonna come back to church no I don't know when everything is gonna work out no I don't know when the vaccine is gonna be created for the virus but what I do know is that it came laughs but for so long because my grandma put it like this trouble don't laughs always and the psalmist said weep it indoors for a night but joy comes in the morning yeah he has a heart for humanity I'm done I'm done I know y'all got breakfast to eat I know you gotta get to your brunch you gotta get to your coffee he helps in adversity but finally God honors our consistency preach are you making this up noise right then verse 7 I told you to stop running through the text and learn how to tiptoe through it the law is good karma NATO in chapter 1 verse 7 the Lord is good comma a stronghold in the day of trouble and he knoweth them that trust in him yea yea he honors our consistency and he knows those who trust in him can I take the tension of this text this was not an easy time to trust because the cure of Israel were in captivity this was not an easy time to trust because they were facing a Syrian slavery this was not an easy time to trust because they were exiled away from their homes this was not easy time to trust because there were powerful leaders in high places that did not have any regard for the least alas the loss or the left out this was not an easy season to trust in God because all the odds were stacked against them are you listening to me see anybody can trust God on an island with a drink and an umbrella in their glass anybody can trust God when life is a tiptoe through the tulips and a dazzling dance to the daisies and a rapid run through the roses anybody can trust God when you like who you married and y'all's house looks like the Huxtables anybody can trust God when your check comes on time and there's some certainty about winners going here is automatic deposit anybody can trust God when you have some cushion in the bank anybody can trust God when your children act like you know Theo and Rudy and and Vanessa anybody can act anybody can trust God when everything is smooth and serene and tranquil and well but that's not when your trust in God really matters your trust in God on the mountaintop is irrelevant God wants to know can you trust me when all the odds are stacked against you can you trust me when your marriage gets shaky can you trust me when your health is not well can you trust me when they're laying off and down can you still say I will bless the Lord at all times and the Bible says that God knows them who trust in him but I just believe on God's nightstand God has a list of people who kept on trusting in a season where all the odds were stacked against them uh and I don't know I just hope my name is on the list somewhere I just hope y'all's names on the list somewhere and if your name is not on there yet this is a good season to make sure your name gets added on gods trust me list and I don't know who I'm preaching to up in here but God says well you can trust me even in the valley well you can trust me even when you're not well when you can trust me even when your family is shaky when you can trust me even when your finances are uncertain if you can trust me while you're walking through the valley of the shadow of death if you can trust me with your anxiety and you can trust me with your grief and if you can trust me with your down moments then I've got some blessings for you on the other side of through huh is there anybody in here who can lift your hands and tell God I trust you I trust you when I'm alone and I trust you when I'm bad now I trust you when I got money and I trust you when my money gets funny huh I trust you when I'm feeling well huh and I trust you when I get sick I feel like preaching to an empty church okay I feel like talking back my god for a minute because is there anybody here we can admit I trust you huh I trust in God I know he cares for me Mountain bleaker on the stormy sea huh go billows roll he keeps my soul huh my heavenly father watches over me huh is there anybody around the sanctuary are at home in the covers of your own bedroom that can lift your hands up this morning and give God your best praise and tell God I've been through a lot time but I still trust you I've had I've had some good days and some bad days Hey I've had some heels to climb up I've had some weary days and the Lord knows I've had some sleepless nights but when I look around then start thinking things over oh but my good days steal I'll await my bad days and I won't complain the clouds hang and I can hardly see the road I asked I asked a question Lord why so much pain but he knows it was best for me don't look at somebody around your house and tell him aren't you glad he knows he knows what's best for me although my weary eyes they can't see so I just say thank you love I don't know what to do tomorrow but thank you long both my children be alright but thank your I don't know what's gonna happen to the church but thank you lord thank you [Music] in my heart [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] Oh [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] the Lord is good [Music] he's a stronghold in the day of trouble and he knows those who trust in him I pray that wherever you are this morning that your heart can rig can rest in the fact that the Lord is good he's a stronghold in the day of trouble and he knows you because you've been trusting in him yeah that's good news in the middle of it all that's good news in the middle of it all and wherever you are put a praise right there if you receive the good news in the middle of it all if you receive the good news in the middle of it all if you receive the good news in the middle of it all I want to ask you a quick question do you know Jesus do you have a church home if you don't know Jesus you can respond down in the comment section on Facebook you can send an email to our congregational care representative here at fellowship Missionary Baptist Church you can email anybody on our staff go to the website and say I was listening to that little preacher over there talk about a home chapter one verse seven and I and I want to accept Jesus Christ I want to follow god I want to join a church where I can be fed the Word of God and have community even if it's virtual even if it's not physical so if you want to connect with this church home do that just right underneath any of the comment sections I want you to write it and I promise you that God will honor you for putting your trust in him do y'all receive that word today if there's anybody else that's all we have to do keep trusting in God keep trusting in God for your goodness and your mercy toward us come on for your goodness and your mercy towards us for goodness [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] see [Music] follow me as good as emerged we still have listen Weber you wanna put your hands together and give God a big thank you for his blessings for his work for the ministry of music here that you've been blessed with that the ship at this time is giving time is giving time and we thank God for an opportunity to soul we have five ways for you to give here at the ship five ways for you to give at the ship you can go to our website right now you can go to our she'll be next giving the app go to your app and download she'll be next giving app and search fellowship and then we have our text again option all the information is right there for you on the screen and you can go to zell and type in give at fellowship chicago comm don't put any spaces and that just put give at fellowship chicago comm you can give there and because our office is closed this week due to the mandate of the governor yesterday we're going to be or friday rather we're going to be closing our church offices so you can't bring an offering in person but your last resort go to cash yet we have the bandwidth now we've switched over from a personal account to a business account with cash cap and they are well aware that there is no drug bus going down on 4543 south Princeton Avenue we were just simply collecting an offering and our tithes so that the church can sail forward so go to the web site to give go to shelby necks giving app to give go to text to give go to zeal to give and let your last option being cash out we already it won't be bounced back to you like it was last sunday we're ready to receive it but let that be your last option we prefer you do shelby necks and all of the other ones text to give is safer is more secure but if you have to give back a shop it is equally secure we just want that to be your absolute option kidding the people look at me quickly on the camera I need to ask you a humongous favor you know that we are in what the bible would consider a famine but the bible says in the book of Genesis that Isaac sold in a family he sold in a famine and in that same year he reaped a 100 fold blessing I'm asking that a hundred people would sow a seed of 100 dollars today and because my life and I are doing it I only need 98 people to do it so no matter who you are even if it is a sacrifice I want you to join me with your faith God knows those who trusted him and even in the area of our tithes and offerings you have to continue to trust God's Word even when things get tight I promise you this if you try him and if you prove him you will never be left out hanging trust in God because he knows those who trust in him the word says he opens the windows of heaven and pour out a blessing that you don't have room enough to receive so I spray that 98 of you who are listening will what would do it jump with me by faith take a jump with me our young people jump with me our seasoned Saints jump with me families jump with me 100 of you giving $100 we will not be able possibly in the next few weeks to join in the sanctuary I'll be preaching from my laptop I preaching from a desktop computer until the shutdown is over but we're not worried about that one's coming at let's make sure that we keep this ship sailing for the glory of God the only reason why we shutdown is because we're taking care of God's people and we're looking out for the Sheep so I want to make sure that as we're looking out for the people and looking out for the sheep we need the people and we need those of us who are the Sheep in God's pasture to make sure that this ship sails on a hundred people so on $100 today preferably above your tithes and offerings I'm asking my faith and I pray that you move by faith we love you here the ship I hope you know everything we've done is to make sure that you're protected and that God's name is still glorified in the earth thank you so much god I pray for us in this time of giving whether they're going to the website whether they're doing the text to give whether they're doing kashyap whether they're doing shelby links or whether they are god just sending a seed however they get it to the church through zell and give at fellowship chicago calm i pray that nobody will lack because of their gift i hope of your people cover our children cover our seniors and god you get the glory even in this season in Jesus name we pray a man a man a man go ahead and give go ahead and give go ahead and give take your time give zel give text to give give on shelby next giving app give on the website give through cash app however you want to do it however you want to do it however you want to do it however you want to do it a couple things while you're giving a couple of just housekeeping updates a couple of housekeeping updates the praise team is getting ready to sing us out of here in a minute so whatever that good upbeat song is there about the shift there but a couple of good housekeeping notes for you to keep in mind the office is closed this week we are under federal regulations from our governor that have five o'clock on Saturday five o'clock yesterday we are all shut down to at least April seventh so our office is closed but we want you to use the comfort care line and that graphic is coming up on the screen take a picture of this if anything happens to you call seven seven three six one nine three five eight three in the event of any emergency someone will be ready and able to provide prayer and support for you in your time of need loss hospitalization or whatever it is we want you to use that comfort care line it is vitally important because the church will be closed at least through this week and we'll give you an update by the end of week and then you can email us at info and fellowship Chicago comm to communicate a congregational care need for real-time updates from fellowships Chicago tix fellowships Chicago two three one nine nine six type in three one nine nine six and type the words fellowships Chicago and you can receive real-time updates amen listen we will still do our refuel on Wednesday online so I want you to tune in for refuel every Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. Central Standard Time every Wednesday we're doing our prayer call Monday through Friday 7:00 a.m. Central Time and Saturdays at 12 p.m. Central Time so join in with us on that prayer call I'll be on there every morning God willing and I'll be teaching God willing every Wednesday and we'll be in church whether it is virtual whether it's me at home I'm a welcome y'all into my kitchen or whether it's right here in our church we're gonna make sure that the Word of God still keeps going for it and I need you all to make sure you keep supporting the ship through this very very trying time finally finally it is my duty as your pastor to give you an update on what's going on in our church with the cold at nineteen crises this past week we received an update that at least two of our members one possibly two of our members we have not confirmed the second have tested positive for : 19 I am encouraged to let you know that the person is in the doctor's care they are quarantined they are preferably receiving the treatment that they need and I want you to know our church has under and enhance cleaning we're making sure that we do all of this take all of the sanitary precautions here at our church I will update you later on it but I would be negligent and I will be derelict and as a pastor to not let you know that there was a member and possibly a second member who have tested positive for : 19 who are members of our church the member was in church on March 8th but thanks be to God because we cancel Church that next Sunday her last time or his last time being in church was on March 8th and so all we ask you to do no need to panic y'all excuse me it's my voice no need to panic look out for the symptoms if you feel a fever you feel a call you feel shortness of breathing then go and seek to be tested if you don't feel those symptoms don't go rushing just because you had a membre to a church that was in service on March 8th that's not how the virus works you wait calm down no need to panic make sure that you look out for your health keep your immune system strong and we will keep you updated family but I had to share that with you unlettered is coming an official letter from our church to let you know but let's be in prayer for one of our members and possibly the second member we will confirm that with you later and I want you to know we're praying that God will restore their bodies into the fullness of their health let the church say Amen and this time we're getting ready to dismiss I hope that the rest of your week is blessed I will see you Wednesday night on our refuel online the virtual ship is still selling now may the Lord bless you and keep you and be gracious unto you may the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and may the Lord give you peace may the Lord make his face shine upon you and all of your days I pray that his peace will be your this is Jesus name we pray that everybody is a man a man a man have a blessed week be blessed by the praise time it's part these are the days of the [Music] [Music] Moses righteousness being restored Oh God [Music] it's time [Music]

Channel: FellowshipChicago

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Length: 52min 12sec (3132 seconds)

Published: Sun Mar 22 2020