Gathering Nick Freestone

It was my daughter, actually, who helped me figure out where to start this sermon.

This week, when I picked her up from preschool, she presented me with a hand fistful of yellow autumn leaves.

She saw something so special in them, but I saw work.

And I'll tell you why.

Because we live in a townhouse surrounded by deciduous trees.

Because every April marks this perpetual leave tide, and it just rains down into our backyard.

And the leaves go brown and die quickly, and they stink unless we're consistently cleaning them up quickly.

And even if we keep up with the mess, the leaves still clog the downpipes and drains.

And it feels like whenever I see autumn leaves on the ground, it just reminds me that they serve no good purpose anymore.

But up on the trees above our house, they're beautiful.

The colors changing from green to yellow to orange to red.

They're also giving life to their tree.

They're way better up there, serving their purpose.

Leaves are better on a tree.

But then they fall down, and they're blown about by the wind.

They're dead, and you can see as their colors fade day by day.

I mean, even by the time we got home, that little fistful of leaves that had gone into the bag,

when we pulled it out to chuck them in the bin, they were brown already.

It's the wind that makes them look alive and move about like they've got somewhere to be.

And I can tell you that somewhere is my backyard.

All the leaves in Sydney have got somewhere to be, and that's in our little courtyard in Marsfield.

So as I sweep my yard this autumn, or I watch my kids do it for me,

I wish the leaves were back on their trees, better serving their purpose.

But as I sweep, I'm going to consider my own purpose,

and consider what I should be doing to better serve my purpose.

Because before I knew God, I was just like an autumn leaf blowing about in the breeze.

I had purpose for my life.

Purposes which I thought were good.

Work to do, people to see, places to be.

But then God showed up in my life, and by grace,

He took me, this dead little useless leaf,

and He breathed life back into me.

Now I've got an eternal future because of God.

No breeze can bring an old dead leaf back to life.

And the world or myself couldn't breathe life back into myself.

God acted in love to save me.

And God wishes that all would be saved,

and be led and guided on the journey back to Him,

through confession,

of sin,

through the Bible,

through prayer.

These gifts of the Christian life that we've been talking about for the last three weeks.

And the great and glorious news in our passage today

is that God has another gift to help us on this journey.

And the gift is each other.

He gathers up these living leaves,

people who He has breathed life back into,

and He grafts them back into the lifeblood of a tree,

altogether beautiful again,

contributing to the mission and the purpose

of what God has saved us to do,

together.

And when we're together, we're better,

because we serve that purpose.

And just like the beautiful trees above my house,

before those leaves come down,

God's people,

these people,

look around,

these tired Sunday morning people,

are your gift

for the journey home.

A Christian's purpose

is to glorify God.

And we discover that purpose

through what Jesus did

on the cross.

And to see that,

and to find out more about this gift

that I'm talking about,

this gift that we are from God,

open up Hebrews 10.

If you don't have a Bible,

people in red vests can frisbee one to you.

This one,

most of the New Testament is falling apart,

so I won't frisbee this one to you.

It will fly over the room

like autumn leaves.

Open up to Hebrews 10,

Hebrews 10:19

verse 19.

Therefore, brothers and sisters,

since we have confidence

to enter the most holy place

by the blood of Jesus,

by a new and living way

open to us

for us through the curtain,

that is,

his body.

Since we have a great high priest

over the house of God,

let us draw near to God

with a sincere heart

and a full assurance

that faith brings,

having our hearts sprinkled

to cleanse us

from a guilty conscience

and having our bodies

washed

with pure water.

father.

When I hear that

and hear what Jesus

has achieved

on the cross,

I imagine

myself as that little leaf

being grafted

into a tree

like the cross.

The gift

of faith

and peace

comes through

the cross

of Jesus.

And that brings with us

a desire

toward God.

Let us draw near

to God.

We no longer rely

on the world

or ourselves

glorifying the wind

for blowing us about.

No.

We now glorify God.

The Christian purpose is

to do whatever it is

that glorifies God.

God.

So the one key way

we can pursue that purpose

is gather together

and like this passage

says,

spur one another on

toward love

and good deeds.

So gathering together

is a key thing

for Christians

and that's why

we're here right now.

That's why we do

community groups.

That's why you catch up

for coffee

and actually connect

with one another

and hear about

what's going on

in each other's lives.

It's through

gathering together

that helps

this purpose

of glorifying God

thrive.

So let me say

four things

from our passage

today

about gathering.

First thing,

take note

that in verse 25

the Bible commands

that we not

give up meeting

together

on this journey.

while we might

be saved

individually

we confess

to God

and we read

and we pray

and we can do

that on our own

we're told

to do the journey

home

together.

We need to read

this

and obey it

and here's why.

I can't read

this

and obey it

and show up

to church

and gather

together

on my own.

I need you.

You can't

show up

to a community

group

excited

to gather

together

and pray

with one

another

and hear

God speak

and do

life together

and be the

only one

who shows

up.

We can't

obey this

passage

without each

other.

We need

to obediently

commit

to meeting

together

together.

Second,

take note

of that

scary word

there in

verse 25

straight after

as some

are in the

habit

of doing.

People have

in this

passage here

it says

people have

habitually

given up

meeting

together.

Now habits

are really

hard to

break.

They are

a dependability

pattern

in our

lives.

But God

can break

bad habits.

He has the

power to break

any habit.

But note

here in

this

passage

that there

is no

space

for

personality

or

preference

to get

in the

way of

obeying

God

here

in his

call

for us

to meet

together.

Whatever

our

habitual

rebellion

against

meeting

together

is

then it's

unhelpful

and a

spurning

of a

critical

gift

that God

gives us

for the

journey.

Now I've

spoken to

Christians

professing

Christians

people who I

love and care

for who have

literally said to

me and I'm

quoting them

here they've

said that

they're not

Bible study

people.

And another

I'm just not

suited to

church going.

I've even

heard Christians

explain themselves

by saying

we prefer

doing church

on our

own.

How is

there room

for those

attitudes

to stand

if we want

to bother

reading this

verse and

obey it?

if that's

you or

you know a

Christian who

habitually avoids

gathering with

God's people

in whatever way

that is

then you

or they

are really

missing out.

Be ready to

be wrong

about how you

approach

meeting together

and just

because it's

a habit

doesn't mean

that habit

is a good

thing.

So here's

why obedience

and breaking

that bad

habit of

avoiding

meeting

together

are

important

because

the day

is

approaching.

Look at

the end of

verse 25

there.

It says

meet together

and then

all the

more

as you

see

the day

approaching.

This is

point three.

God wants

us to be

meeting together

more frequently

as the

day

approaches.

Now that

day

is

Christ's

second

coming.

That day

is drawing

near.

But how

do we

know?

How do

we know

that we're

nearing

the day?

It's a pretty

good question

because I

needed help

answering that

and I got

some help

from John

Piper this

week that

was really

helpful and

he would

send us

to Matthew

Matthew 24:12

24

verse 12

where Jesus

is describing

in that

chapter

what is

going to

happen

before he

comes again.

What the

coming age

that before

his coming

is going to

look like.

And it

says there

in the

second half

of verse

12.

The love

of most

will grow

cold.

Do you

look around?

Maybe around

this room?

Do you look

at Christians

around the

place?

Do you look

in your own

life and see

love for God

and love for

people growing

cold?

I look

at when

I was first

saved and I

first knew

Jesus and I

wonder where

that excitement

and love for

other people

has gone

in my life.

I'm really

challenged

because I feel

like my love

is cooling

off.

And to add

to that

I'm over

30 now so

I feel like

I'm able

and old

enough to

kind of look

at the friends

around me and

see a trend.

And the

friends of

mine who I

knew who

were gunning

for God

when they

were 20

have a

frozen love

of God

when they're

30.

Not all

of them

but some

of them.

And I see

the cooling

of Christian

hearts all

over the

world around

me.

And I see

it in some

of the members

of this

church.

I've got to

be honest.

I think the

day is drawing

near.

I read

Matthew 24

Matthew 24:12

verse 12

and I

agree.

So we

need to be

meeting together

more frequently.

As the

passage implies

it's the

benefit of

meeting together

that we

actually need

as the

day is

drawing near.

And the

benefit is

this.

Have a look

back in our

passage at

verse 24.

the culmination

of meeting

together will

be our

collective

growth in

love and

good deeds.

That's why we

meet together.

That's why we

need to meet

together more

frequently.

We need to

heat up our

cooling love

for God

and for each

other.

How does

gathering with

other Christians

grow this

active visible

love for God

and for each

other?

Let me

explain.

We

fight

unbelief

together.

Beneath

that target

of love

that we

want to

grow in,

that we

want to

continue

in,

is the

target

of faith.

And the

opposite of

faith is

unbelief.

Unbelief

infests our

heart and

chokes our

faith.

Without faith

we have no

reason to

desire to

love one

another or

love our

saviour.

Creeping

unbelief turns

our love

cold.

But out of

faith,

love grows.

Our faith

fuels courage

for good deeds,

to serve,

to act,

to be selfless,

to love

others.

love our

faith.

We must

help each

other fight

unbelief.

It's the

one-on-one,

it's the

small group,

or it's the

big gathering,

where we get

to eyeball

one another

and remind

one another

of God's

good gospel

and his

promises

toward us,

strengthening

one another

in our

faith.

Look back

at the

passage,

verse before

what Jimmy

read.

Have a look

what it

says.

It says,

let us

together,

let's get

together and

hold unswervingly

to the hope

that we

profess.

It's

together that

unbelief can

be defeated

and so our

love can

grow.

And ultimately,

so that God

is glorified.

We want to

obey God.

We want to

defeat and

denounce the

habitual sin of

not wanting

to meet

together and

meet more

and more

frequently

together and

fight against

our love

growing cold.

This is the

last point I

want to share

from this

passage.

We need

to be

intentional

to gather

together.

I can tell

you we

cannot

accidentally

meet up

enough.

Just,

oh,

hi,

hi,

just meet

up at

the shops.

Enough,

as Christians,

for this

to work.

So,

more frequently

means

planning,

effort and

time and

shared commitment

to meeting

together,

for love to

flourish amongst

us.

Now,

I just want to

pause here

and say that

I'm not

someone who

is good

at this

intentional

bit.

moment.

I once

had a

friend of

mine who

came to

me at

this point

where their

love was

growing so

cold that

anxiety and

depression and

doubt,

they felt like

their faith was

being pulled

away from

them.

And I said

some helpful

things.

I said,

go to God's

word and

build your

confidence in

God.

I said,

invest time

in prayer

that will

help you

assure you

of God's

love for

you.

He will

meet you

there.

You go do

that.

That's pretty

much what I

said.

And they

probably

tried.

But boy,

did I miss

the encouragement

of this

passage.

You see,

while I

said good

things,

I could

have prayed

with them.

I could

have opened

the Bible

with them.

I could

have offered

reminders of

the promises

of God

with them.

Gone with

them to

community

group.

Gone with

them to

counselling.

Gone with

them to

help build

peace in a

broken

relationship.

If I'd

been with

them, it

would have

been better.

We're

better off

when we're

together.

We're

better off

when we get

together and

sing, when

we pray

together in

song, to

proclaim the

good news

loudly together

for all to

hear, for

people out

there and

for us to

hear, encouraging

our hearts with

the sounds of

many others in

agreement that

God is worthy

of our praise

above all

things.

We're

better off

when we get

together and

pray and we

bring our

needs and

our petitions

and our

unbridled

hearts cry

together to

God.

We're

better when

we get

together to

hear God's

word, discovering

God in the

Bible, discussing

truths that

unwind the

deceptions of

this world, and

working together

to read this

road map.

I don't know

about you, but

I often need

help figuring out

a map.

I'm pretty

good, pretty

good, but I

don't know

Sydney very

well, and I

need a lot

of help.

We need

help to

figure out

the journey

home.

And at

St. Paul's,

our gatherings

look like this.

That's one way

of gathering

together.

We're every

age group,

including the

youngest this

week.

Every generation,

every language,

every culture,

every gender,

anyone can

come together

and celebrate

God.

In our

community

groups, which

are even

more than

just Bible

study for us

here at St.

Paul's, where

we live it

out together,

where we live

the Bible out

together and

pray and carry

one another's

burdens.

And the list

goes on.

Whether it be

catch-ups or

dinners or

coffees or

funerals or

lunch breaks,

in the battle

against unbelief,

doing that

together.

Whatever that

looks like at

St. Paul's,

we do that.

We meet

together in

whatever way

that is.

And we call

this treasuring

Jesus together.

If you've been

around St.

Paul's long

enough, or

even more than

one week, you've

probably heard

treasuring Jesus

together, you

might be tired

of hearing it.

This is what it

says on our

website.

In St.

Paul's, we

believe that

the people

whom Jesus

has called

into relationship

with himself

are his

church and

not an

institutional

building.

For in an

age of

individualism,

we value

vigilance and

accountability

in treasuring

Jesus together.

We are

convinced as

a church that

in this time,

we need

each other

all the more,

like Hebrews

10 says.

So let me

encourage you

to go find

that core value

outside, to go

read it on our

website, pursue

love and good

deeds, pursue

love that's

active together

as we encourage

each other in

faith and foster a

community of love

that we can see

and that the

world around us

can see.

guys, gathering

in this way

glorifies God.

Matthew 5, 16

says,

let your light

shine before

others that

they may see

your good

deeds and

glorify your

Father in

heaven.

Can you see

that the

gathering together

to fight this

unbelief serves

the purpose of

bringing glory to

God?

God, the

light of our

gathering, whatever

way that is, helps

us fulfill our

purpose as

Christians as we

encourage one

another in faith and

grow in our

dependence and our

glorying in our

God who has saved

us together.

As we do that, we

are a light to our

community and they

see God and glorify

him too.

I think that's a

picture of a

tree in full

bloom in autumn

as the leaves

change that makes

people go, oh,

wow.

So that's why we

gather as Christians

at St. Paul's and

ultimately that we

grow in faith and

glorify God and

that many more

would too.

As we grow in

faith, let me say

also that three

incredible things

are going to

increase in your

life if we're

treasuring Jesus

together more and

more.

I can promise you

these.

First, you are

going to encounter

God himself

regularly in ways

that you can see

as easily as the

people sitting

right next to you

today.

God's Spirit is

given and stays

with you when you

become a Christian

and that will

never change.

Jesus promised that

he will never leave

you an orphan in

John 14, one of my

favorite chapters of

the Bible, that his

Spirit would stay

with us.

Christian, he is

with you.

Look at verses

19 and 20.

We are welcomed

into God's

presence through

the death and

resurrection of his

Son in our place

and we enjoy that

presence of power in

the person of his

Spirit.

And that's

incredible.

And, and

there's a mysterious

problem in Matthew

18, 20 and

elsewhere in the

Bible that says,

when two or more

are gathered in my

name, there will I

be with them.

Two or three or

small or large

number, there

Jesus will be.

This is mysterious

considering God

has already promised

that with every

Christian he will be

in them.

So what is this

extra thing?

What is it?

On the simplest

reading of it, and

I'm good at

simple.

And the simplest

reading that I can

understand from that

extra promise that

when people meet

together, Jesus

would be there, I

think Jesus is

saying something

like this.

I might be putting

words in his mouth,

but I think these

would be true.

I think Jesus is

saying, I am

living and working

in each of your

lives, and when

you were together,

you will see me in

each other.

When your brother

shows up and hugs

you, when he hears

your nan has passed

away, I am there.

When your sister

forces you to take a

home-cooked meal

because she wants to

take one thing off

your infinite list

because your husband's

away and you've got

three kids at home on

your own, I am there.

Whenever you see the

love of God displayed

in each other, I am

there.

Guys, when we fight

sin together, fail

and grow together,

rebuke and restore

one another, as Jesus

shapes us and we

gather, then we see

him in each other.

Jesus isn't

promising some

second level, a

second phase of

the presence of

God.

Rather, we see the

evidence of his

work in each other

and he is more

present and more

visible in each

other.

We encounter God

when we get

together, when we

gather, as we see

Jesus' work in each

of our lives, in a

way that we can't if

we're on our own.

The second

incredible thing that

I want to promise

you guys is that

when we gather, we're

going to be stronger

and sharper together.

Ecclesiastes 4,

Ecclesiastes 4:10–12

verse 10 to 12,

says,

two are better than

one because they

have a good return

for their labour.

If either of them

falls down, one can

help the other up.

But pity anyone who

falls down and has no

one to help him up.

Also, if two lie

down together, they'll

keep warm.

But how can one

keep warm alone?

Though one may be

overpowered, two can

defend themselves and

a cord of three

strands is not

easily broken.

We are stronger

together because when

you, when you are

doing well as a

Christian and full of

faith, you are able

to extend your hand

to someone who is

not and together

fight unbelief.

And you, you are

stronger because in

your darkest hour,

you're not alone.

And you can rely on

your brothers and

sisters who will step

into your mess with

you and be there

and remind you of

God's promises and

call you to keep the

faith with them.

We're stronger

together and we're

sharper together.

Proverbs 27, 17.

As iron sharpens

iron, so one person

sharpens another.

consider Sam Lowe,

right?

He's not here, so

this is easy.

He has an incredible

gift for getting to

the heart of a big

chunk of a complicated

section of this.

And this way of

gently explaining it,

there's never

condescending or

arrogant or self

glorifying.

He invites joy in the

complicated passages

and fosters our

excitement in the

Word of God.

So that the next

time that I read my

Bible, I have this

renewed zeal and

understanding in it.

Now I can tell you

that unlike him, I'm

not good at that.

I can tell you what I

think, but I'm not

sharp like Sam is.

Because Sam's care

for me, for you,

for us, to know the

God behind the words

makes me want to do

the same.

It sharpens me.

When I get the

chance to lead and

encourage people in

the Word, I want to

do the same.

When Sam explains the

Bible to me, I'm

rebuked and encouraged,

but I'm learning and

I'm glorifying God for

him and I'm being

sharpened so that when

I do the same, his

iron sharpens me.

We're stronger and

we're sharper together.

And lastly, I think

this is the most

exciting thing.

I can promise all of

you that when you

gather together, you

are going to get a

glimpse of heaven

itself.

We're headed home up

this mountain pass where

it looks like it snows

because it's got a

yellow dotted line.

But we're headed home

to heaven where we're

going to be together

with God.

Now, this is an

amazing passage to

read on a day like

Palm Sunday.

Revelation chapter

Revelation 7 · chapter mention

7 from verse 9.

We're going to be

gathered around his

throne, singing and

praising and

worshipping and

sharing our eternal

joy and closeness to

God, beholding his

perfection, holiness and

majesty together.

All peoples together,

all preferences of

worship, all together.

I really do find it

beautiful and humbling

that I get to read that

passage on Palm Sunday

when we remember, like

Jeevi said, that

foreshadowing that one

day Jesus, like when he

rode into Jerusalem, is

going to save and unite

all the people as

their king.

And while today we

might not have palm

branches, it's an

amazing thing to look

forward to.

If we're going to

gather together in

heaven like that, that

makes our little

imperfect gatherings like

right now an

opportunity to get a

glimpse, a sketch, a

brief little flash of the

gloriously bright future

that's in store for us.

Now, I've got to say,

our gatherings are not

perfect and not

anywhere near the hope

we have in store for

us in heaven.

But I've got to say that

everyone together singing

wholeheartedly to God of

his wondrous grace toward

us, you can't tell me

that's not a little

picture of heaven, a

little glimpse.

The last few times we've

had heartbeat and people

have been praying, it's

been impossible to stop

you from praying.

The night just goes on

and on and on and on.

Those prayers are like an

echo that bounce down this

road, calling us on,

showing us what's going to

happen soon, reminding us

of where we're going to go.

And finally, let me just

encourage you in this.

Hebrews 3, verse 12,

Hebrews 3:12

see to it, brothers and

sisters, that none of you

has a sinful, unbelieving

heart that turns away from

the living God.

But encourage one another

daily, as long as it is

called today, that none of

you may be hardened by

sin's deceitfulness.

Unbelief is fought

together, daily.

Christian gatherings of

all kinds is our daily

encouragement.

It's our daily goal.

It's what gets us out of

bed in the morning, in the

pursuit of glorifying God

and loving him, each other

and loving the world around

us.

So here, Hebrews 10, obey,

meet together, get out of

the habit of going through

life and doing it alone.

Chase more time together,

because we desperately need

it.

Getting up every day with

your purpose in mind and

intentionally building one

another up in faith.

Fight your own unbelief with

others.

We're given this beautiful

gift, guys, this mess of

random, beautiful, purposeful

people that I see here this

morning.

We see God in these people.

We're strengthened and

sharpened by them.

And we get a glimpse of

heaven when we get together

with them.

So this week, every day, go

and do one of all of these

together.

Together.

Celebrate.

Proclaim.

Praise.

Pray.

Preach.

Confess.

Change.

Love.

Serve.

Grow.

Enjoy.

Feel.

Share.

Support.

Disciple.

Baptize.

Sing.

Give.

Honor.

Sweat.

Struggle.

Weep.

Care.

Carry.

Bow.

Gasp.

Laugh.

Turn.

Marry.

Welcome.

Commission.

Hug.

Dance.

Eat.

Drink.

Cook.

Clean.

Build.

Study.

Discuss.

Discover.

Rebuke.

Restore.

Light.

Amplify.

Paint.

Design.

Record.

Retell.

Treasure.

Jesus.

Together.

And maybe as you see the autumn leaves changing colour or as you sweep them up this autumn and shake your head.

Remember that we're on this journey home together.

And we hold unswervingly together to the hope that we profess.

For he who promised is faithful to us.

Amen.

Amen.