STUCK IN THE MIDDLE
Rebekah Clanton
Woodland Church
Sunday, August 24, 2025
(2 Corinthians 4:8-9, NIV) “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed, perplexed, but not in despair, persecuted, but not abandoned, struck down, but not destroyed.”
THE POSITIVE MIDDLE
1. A place of covering
(Psalms 91: 1-4, NLT) “He who lives in the safe place of the Most High will be in the shadow of the All-powerful. I will say to the Lord, “You are my safe and strong place, my God, in Whom I trust.” For it is He Who takes you away from the trap, and from the killing sickness. He will cover you with His wings. And under His wings you will be safe. He is faithful like a safe-covering and a strong wall.
2. Pressure releases potential
(Malachi 3:2b, NLT) “He will be like strong soap, like a fire that refines metal.”
3. A place of support
(Exodus 17:4, Good News Translation) “When Moses’ arms grew tired, Aaron and Hur brought a stone for him to sit on, while they stood beside him and held up his arms, holding them steady until the sun went down.”
4. A place of strength
(Isaiah 41:10, NIV) “Do not fear, for I am with you, do not be afraid, for I am your God, I will strengthen you, I will surely help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
5. A place of the presence of God
(Matthew 18:20, Phillips Translation) “And I tell you once more that if two of you on earth agree in asking for anything it will be granted to you by my Heavenly Father. For wherever two or three people come together in my name, I am there, right among you!”
6. A place of decision
(Genesis 2:9, NLT) “The Lord God made all sorts of trees grow up from the ground—trees that were beautiful and that produced delicious fruit. In the middle of the garden he placed the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.”
The trees in the middle of the garden represented life and consequences
THE NEGATIVE MIDDLE
1. A place of distraction
(1 Kings 18:16-18, NLT) “So, Obadiah went to tell Ahab that Elijah had come, and Ahab went out to meet Elijah. When Ahab saw him, he exclaimed, “So, is it really you, you troublemaker of Israel? ”I have made no trouble for Israel,” Elijah replied. “You and your family are the troublemakers, for you have refused to obey the commands of the Lord and have worshiped the images of Baal instead.”
2. A place of wavering
(1 Kings 18:21, NLT) “How much longer will you waver, hobbling between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him, But, if Baal is God, then follow him…”
3. A place of silence
(1 Kings 18:21b, NLT) “…but the people were silent.”
Silence = Rejecting
Make the choice!
(John 16:33, The Message) “Jesus answered them, “Do you finally believe? In fact, you’re about to make a run for it—saving your own skins and abandoning me. But I’m not abandoned. The Father is with me. I’ve told you all this so that trusting me, you will be unshakable and assured, deeply at peace. In this godless world you will continue to experience difficulties. But take heart! I’ve conquered the world.”
(Joshua 24:15, NET) “If you have no desire to worship the Lord, then choose today whom you will worship, whether it be the gods whom your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living. But I and my family will worship the Lord.”
(Romans 10:9, NLT) “If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”