The Gathered Church (1)

Begin our worship now. We're going to sing firstly today from Psalm 122, and that's on page 416,

singing the whole psalm to the Tune Free Church.

I joyed when to the house of God go up, they said to me, Jerusalem within thy gates,

our feet shall standing be. Jerusalem as a city is compactly built together,

and to that place the tribes go up, the tribes of God go thither. Back to the days of Israel

in the Old Testament, when they used to go up to the temple to meet together there, various festivals

and times of worship. And the emphasis in the psalm is one of great joy, which should characterize us

as we come before God, to be joyous in His presence, to rejoice in His salvation, to actually have our

hearts stirred as we come to realize the privilege that is ours every time we come together as

worshipers together. So, Psalm 122, we stand for the singings. If you're able to stand,

I joyed when to the house of God.

I joyed when to the house of God.

Go up, they said to me, Jerusalem within thy gates, our feet shall standing be.

Jerusalem as a city is compactly built together, and to that place the tribes go up, the tribes

of God.

Jerusalem as a city is compactly built together, and to that place the tribes of God.

To Israel's testimony, where to God's name come to pray, for thrones of judgment came the thrones of the

of David's house first day.

Jerusalem as a city is compactly built together, and to that place the earth has been

filled with us and filled with us. And the land of Jerusalem has been filled with us, and

the land of Jerusalem may have peace and felicity. Let them that love thee and thy

And thy peace have still prosperity.

Therefore I wish that peace may still

within thy walls remain.

And ever may thy power see, prosperity retain.

Now for my friends and brethren's sakes,

peace be in thee I'll say.

And for the house of God our Lord,

I'll seek thy good always.

Now we're going to join together briefly in prayer.

And prayer at this point is particularly for the young folks

and for the Sunday school.

So let's bow our heads to pray.

Our gracious and eternal God,

we give thanks today that we're able to meet in this way here,

in this place of worship.

And we give thanks that as we do so,

we have our young people with us.

We thank you, Lord, for the valuable place they have in the congregation.

And we pray for them today as they meet together in Sunday school

and other activities.

And we thank you for all who come

and for all parents who bring children and grandparents

to be joined together with us in worship

and to meet together in the Sunday school.

Bless, we pray, each and every one of these young lives.

And we pray as they begin a new session

that you would help those who teach them and lead them

as we give thanks for them too.

We ask, O Lord, that your blessing will follow them,

that they may come to be more and more rooted in your truth,

that their lives may be developed and be shaped by your word,

that they may be able to resist the many different ways

in which the world around us

seeks to pull us away from those things that are important,

those things that are conducive to our growth

in righteousness and holiness and the biblical morality.

And, Lord, we ask for your Holy Spirit

to bless all of these young lives today.

Be pleased now, we pray, to go before us

in the remainder of the service, hear this, our prayer,

and pardon our sin for Jesus' sake.

Amen.

Amen.

Right, before you go through,

I'm just going to say a few words to you,

for the young folks especially.

It's for the older ones too, I'm sure,

but it's for the young folks especially.

Right, hands up, children,

all of those of you who like spiders.

Whoops.

Nobody likes spiders.

Oh, there's some of the backs, eh?

Yes, they like spiders.

Well, we should like spiders.

You know why?

Because spiders are really good to remove things like flies

and other beasties that come into our houses

and actually might be carrying some disease or other.

You never know where flies have been

before they land on your bread or on your food or whatever.

So spiders actually kill flies.

They actually, as you know, they weave webs.

The flies get stuck in the web.

The spider then eats them.

Not very pleasant, but it's good to know

that spiders actually help us in that way.

Well, there's a story about a spider

or a man who really was protected by a spider's web.

Long ago in Scotland, this happened,

a man was being chased by his enemies.

The enemies were soldiers.

And they were chasing this man

and he was running away from them.

They weren't really in a great hurry.

They knew they probably,

they realized they probably would catch him eventually.

But he went off at great speed.

And when he was out of sight,

where the soldiers couldn't see him,

he came across a very small cave,

a very low entrance cave

that you needed to crawl into

in order to get inside.

So he crawled into the cave

and laid down there as far in as he could

and just waited to see what would happen.

And he was pretty sure

that the soldiers, as they chased him,

would actually find him eventually.

So he began thinking about

what he was going to do

when the soldiers actually discovered the cave

and saw that he was inside.

But as he was waiting for quite a long time,

a spider began to weave a web

across the mouth of the cave.

And pretty soon,

most of that entrance

was covered by the spider's web.

And a while after that,

he heard voices.

And these were the soldiers looking for him.

And they came to this cave

and he heard one of them

shouting to another soldier nearby.

He said,

there's nobody here.

Nobody,

there can't be anybody in here.

But if anybody had gone into that cave,

he was thinking,

it would have broken the spider's web

and given the clue that he was inside.

So that spider's web

protected that soldier,

protected that man from the soldiers.

And off they went to look for him somewhere else.

And somebody wrote,

when they heard about that incident,

somebody wrote this.

If God is on your side,

a spider's web

is as good as a stone wall.

If God is not on your side,

a stone wall

is no better than a spider's web.

We're talking about protection.

How God looks after his people

and how believing in Jesus

brings us into the protection of God.

It doesn't mean protecting from everything

that's going to happen to us in life,

but protection especially

from the result of our sin,

where God's own anger,

where God's own displeasure

is directed against us

till we come to believe in Jesus.

And when we come to believe in Jesus,

then we're protected from that

by being safe in Jesus.

Paul,

when he wrote to the Romans,

said,

there is now therefore no condemnation.

Teachers can explain that

to the young ones

in the Sunday school.

What's condemnation?

There is therefore now

no condemnation

to those who are in Christ Jesus.

When we come to believe in Jesus,

we come to be taken

into the protective care of Jesus.

And therefore we are safe.

We are saved.

We come to belong to God's people.

And whatever happens to us in the world,

we're safe

because we're then on the way

to heaven

where we're safe forevermore.

So next time you see a spider

or next time you see a spider's web,

remember that story.

Remember to ask yourself,

am I living a safe life?

Do I believe in Jesus

for my protection forevermore?

Or am I still not one of those

who are in Christ Jesus?

Now we're going to say

the Lord's Prayer again together.

So let's just say the Lord's Prayer

before you go through to your rooms.

Our Father,

which art in heaven,

hallowed be thy name.

Thy kingdom come.

Thy will be done on earth

as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our debts

as we forgive our debtors.

And lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom,

the power and the glory forever.

Amen.

Let's sing once more now.

We're singing this time from Psalm 42.

Psalm 42.

Again, it's in the Scottish Psalter,

page 262.

And singing to the tune,

Glencairn.

And in this psalm,

we find the psalmist who wrote the psalm.

We find him longing for God.

He is actually away from the people of God

at that time.

In verse 4,

you can see when he's thinking about

what happened in the past,

for whatever reason,

he's not able to join with God's people,

the multitude,

when he went with them to God's house.

That would be to the temple

with voice of joy and praise.

So he's thinking back to that

and he's longing to be back again

with those people of God

as they come together to worship him.

So it's like us,

the heart for water brooks

and thirst at pant and bray.

So pants my longing soul,

O God,

that come to thee I may.

The heart for the young folks,

the heart was a kind of deer.

And the deer,

when it's out in a desert area,

especially at times,

longs to get water if it's thirsty.

And so the psalmist is comparing himself

to these deer

and he himself is longing

to take a drink of God's word

in worship with his people.

Let's sing verses 1 to 5

to the tune Glencairn

to God's praise.

Like as the heart for water brooks,

in thirst doth pant and bray,

so pants my longing soul,

O God,

that come to thee I may.

My soul for God,

the living God,

that first when shall I near,

and to thy countenance approach,

and in God's sight appear.

My tears have unto me been meed,

both in the night and day.

While unto me continually,

where is thy God they say?

My soul is poured out to me,

when this I think upon,

because that with the multitude

I here tofore had gone.

With them into God's house I went,

with voice of joy and praise,

yea, with the multitude that kept

the solemn holy days.

O why art thou cast out my soul,

why in this soul is laid?

Thus God,

for I shall praise him yet,

his countenance is mine.

Now if you turn with me please

to Matthew chapter 18.

Matthew 18 · chapter mention

I'm going to read God's word there

at Matthew chapter 18,

Matthew 18 · chapter mention

the Gospel of Matthew.

And we're going to read

the first 20 verses of this chapter.

Matthew 18, verses 1 to 20.

Matthew 18:1–20

At that time the disciples came to Jesus saying,

Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?

And calling to him a child,

he put him in the midst of them

and said,

Truly I say to you,

unless you turn and become like children,

you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

Whoever humbles himself like this child

is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

Whoever receives one such child

in my name receives me.

But whoever causes one of these little ones

who believe in me to sin,

it would be better for him

to have a millstone

fastened round his neck

and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.

Woe to the world for temptations to sin.

For it is necessary that temptations come.

But woe to the one by whom

the temptation comes.

And if your hand or your foot

causes you to sin,

cut it off and throw it away.

It is better for you

to enter life crippled or lame

than with two hands or two feet

to be thrown into the eternal fire.

And if your eye causes you to sin,

tear it out and throw it away.

It is better for you

to enter life with one eye

than with two eyes to be thrown

into the hell of fire.

See that you do not despise

one of these little ones.

For I tell you that in heaven

their angels always see

the face of my Father

who is in heaven.

What do you think?

If a man has a hundred sheep

and one of them has gone astray,

does he not leave the ninety-nine

on the mountain

and go in search of the one

that went astray?

And if he finds it,

truly I say to you,

he rejoices over it

more than over the ninety-nine

that never went astray.

So it is not the will of my Father

who is in heaven

that one of these little ones

should perish.

If your brother sins against you,

go and tell him his fault

between you and him alone.

If he listens to you,

you have gained your brother.

But if he does not listen,

take one or two others along with you

that every charge may be established

by the evidence of two or three witnesses.

If he refuses to listen to them,

tell it to the church.

And if he refuses to listen

even to the church,

let him be to you as a Gentile

and a tax collector.

Truly I say to you,

whatever you bind on earth

shall be bound in heaven,

and whatever you loose on earth

shall be loosed in heaven.

Again I say to you,

if two of you agree on earth

about anything they ask,

it will be done for them

by my Father in heaven.

For where two or three

are gathered in my name,

there am I among them.

May God bless to us

by reading anew of his word

to his own praise.

Before we come back

to look at the final verse

that we read there,

verse 20,

we're going to sing again

this time in Psalm 87.

Psalm 87 from the Sing Psalms version

this time on page 115.

We're singing to the tune,

in Sussex.

On Jerusalem's holy mountain

he has founded his abode.

More than all of Jacob's dwellings,

Zion's gates are near,

are dear to God.

Glorious things of you are spoken,

Zion, city of the Lord.

Many drawn from all the nations,

as your people I record.

When you find Zion in the Old Testament

referred to in this way,

it refers to Zion as the church of God

gathered in different places,

especially here.

He's talking here about

Zion gathered together,

and how the blessing of God

accompanies the gatherings of his people,

and how God delights

in Zion's gates,

it says there in verse 2,

more than all of Jacob's dwellings.

That's generally been interpreted as

how the Lord delights

in the gatherings of his people,

even more than to meet with them individually.

So we'll sing these verses,

Psalm 87,

to Tune Sussex,

on Jerusalem,

Jerusalem's holy mountain.

Amen.

Glorious things of you are spoken,

Zion, city of the Lord.

Many drawn from all the nations,

as your people I record.

I will name as those who know me,

Egypt, Tyre, and Babylon.

Eilestine, along with whose sight,

I will count as Zion born.

Yes, it will be said of time,

this and that on here belong,

and on earth the highest blessing

will descend and make her strong.

Born in Zion,

what will enter?

Then the peoples register,

they will sing our family music,

all my pountains are in love.

Amen.

Well, let's turn now for a short time

to Matthew 18.

Matthew chapter 18.

Matthew 18 · chapter mention

I'd like us to consider verse 20

of this chapter.

For where two or three

are gathered in my name,

there am I among them.

This is, of course,

Jesus speaking to his disciples.

Where two or three are gathered in my name,

there am I among them.

Now, as mentioned in the intimations,

I want to begin a short series of studies today,

maybe some 10, 11, 12 studies the most,

and it's going to be on the theme

of the gathered church.

By the gathered church,

we're going to be looking specifically

at the church gathered as we are today

in a congregational setting,

and some of the important aspects

of how we gather together

and why we gather together,

particularly in worship,

though there are other activities

for which we gather together as well.

And, of course,

God is gathering his church

from all over the world.

According to the promise of the Bible,

God is busy all the time

gathering his church together,

different denominations,

different countries,

different backgrounds,

all of that,

and building them into the one church of God,

the one people of God,

wherever we're based,

and however much we may differ

from other different parts of the world.

So that's one aspect of gathering,

but here it's specifically referring

to the gathered church

in a congregational sense,

which two or three,

where they are gathered in my name,

there I am among them.

And so we're looking at the gathering

of the church.

We're actually very conscious

of the benefits we've received

ever since the pandemic

of having online services

and having live stream services.

I don't want to minimize that.

That's a real blessing from God.

But it can actually be something

of a drawback as well,

because we can come to rely on the fact

that we don't need to actually

physically attend

in order to join with a service

that's live or that's taking place.

And what we want to see

through these studies

is the importance

of actually gathering

physically together

and the benefits that accrue

to us from doing that

compared with actually

watching a service

or taking part in a service

virtually without actually

gathering with the Lord's people.

A pastor in Atlanta

called John Onwuchekwa,

I think that's how you pronounce it,

but this is what he said

at one time of his own experience

as a youngster.

He said,

I thought I hated baseball.

I watched it to cure insomnia.

Then one day in elementary school,

my friends came to the door

with aluminum baseball bats

and tennis balls.

We used cars and landposts

in our cul-de-sac as bases,

and we started playing baseball.

And you know what?

Baseball wasn't all that bad.

In fact, baseball was great.

It was suddenly engaging

and enjoyable.

We played for hours,

and the time just flew by.

It wasn't baseball I hated.

It was just watching it.

What made the difference?

Participation, he says.

The worth of the sport

shouldn't be judged

by spectating,

but by participating.

And I want to change

that last sentence a bit

just to swap the word sport

for the word church.

The worth of the church

shouldn't be judged

by spectating,

but by participating.

And that's what we're really about

in thinking of the church

as gathered

or the gathered church

in the different ways

in which we can see

the importance of that.

Because the Bible tells us

that it's as gathered together,

especially as gathered together,

that we grow

in our understanding

of the Bible,

that we grow

in our appreciation

of each other.

It's as we gather together

that we actually come

to grow spiritually

in our development

in a spiritual

and moral development.

It's as we come together

and grow together

and be together

and meet together

and discuss together

and worship together

that we find ourselves

using the gifts

that God has given us

for the growth

of his kingdom.

All of that is packed

into the important matter

of being gathered together.

And you'll notice

all the way through the Bible

that you have many times

plurals used

to describe

what God's people do.

If you go through

the letters of the Apostle Paul,

even when he's thinking

of such things

as being sanctified,

being made holy,

which we tend

to individualize

perhaps too much.

Of course,

we all need to develop

individually.

We all need to grow

spiritually

as individual Christians.

We all need to

be sanctified individually.

All of these things

are important

in an individual basis.

But if you go through

the letters of the Apostle Paul,

more often than not,

you'll find him saying,

these things are done together.

You are sanctified

as you meet together,

as you actually gather together,

as you are seen together

and appreciate being together.

All of that,

that's why he uses

the pronouns they

and we

and you

in the plural.

Pronouns.

Well,

they're important

in today's society

and for all the wrong reasons.

But the Bible's use

of plurals

is itself

significant for us

because it's one way

in which it reminds us

that we are a plurality,

that we meet together

not as disjointed individuals,

but as a spiritual body

of people,

as the gathered church

of God.

And in a world

where individualism

has for so long

been a feature

of people's thinking

and people's behavior,

the church

in this world,

the church on earth,

the gathered church,

should be

the least

individualistic

body

on earth.

There should be

no room

for individualism

here in this congregation,

any other congregation

of God's people,

because individualism,

as you find it all

too often

in the world

out there,

really says,

I'm in charge

of my own life.

Nobody needs to tell me

how to run my life.

I'll do this

because it feels right

for me to do it.

I'll think of my identity

the way I want to feel

about my identity.

I'll see

to my genders,

I'll see to all the things

that affect me

as an individual.

It doesn't matter

what anybody else says,

and especially

it doesn't matter

what the likes

of the Bible says

or the church says,

I am the boss

of my own life.

And as you meet

together as a church,

and as we seem

to meet together

as a church,

the gathered church

is one of the main ways

in which we counter

the worldly culture

of the world.

That's so important

to us

as individuals

but also collectively.

So that's where

we're coming to

this theme

from the gathered church.

And if you come now

to this verse

in verse 20,

Jesus saying,

for where two or three

are gathered in my name,

there am I among them.

And two things

really strike you.

We'll use these

just as our headings

briefly from that verse.

First of all,

he talks here about

being gathered

in his name.

As many as

two or three

are gathered

in my name.

So they're gathered

in Christ's name.

And the second thing

that comes across strongly

is the fact that

he in these gatherings

is there among them.

Christ's presence

in his church,

in the gatherings

of his church.

And the two things

are very closely connected.

Look at the context here.

It's to do with the church.

We're not going to go through

the various parts

of the passage,

but you can see

how it goes

step by step

from what he looks at

as a matter of

pastoral importance

or even discipline.

A brother sins

against another.

How you go and try

and gain that brother,

reconcile to your brother

or sister.

And if he refuses

to listen,

then you take with you

some witnesses.

You try and do it

in that way,

first of all.

And if that fails,

then you tell it

to the church.

You get the church

to come in.

In other words,

this is a passage

that's always been regarded

as a passage important

regarding the discipline

that ought to be

taking place

in the church.

Now, don't think

of the word discipline

as just punishment.

Discipline is a matter

of order,

keeping order,

keeping good order

in the church.

And it's an important feature

of the church

described in the Bible.

I'm not going to go into that,

but it's the context.

That's the context

in which Jesus

is speaking these words.

And then he widens it out

by talking about

those who ask God,

the Father in heaven.

And verse 19,

if two of you agree

on earth about anything

they ask,

it will be done for them

by my Father in heaven.

And that takes you

into the area

of prayer

and of being together

in prayer

and of having

God's people

sharing in prayer

to God the Father

and seeking His blessing.

And then it widens out

even further,

I think,

in verse 20,

where two or three

are gathered in my name.

In other words,

it's moving out

of the area

of just looking

at the discipline

of the church

into all kinds

of gatherings,

especially worship

gatherings of the church,

where two or three people

are gathered together

in my name.

I am there

in the midst.

And that word gathered

is very close,

actually,

to another passage

we'll look at,

God willing,

in the course

of these studies,

in Hebrews chapter 10,

Hebrews 10 · chapter mention

where the writer

to the Hebrews

was aware

that some people

were just drifting away

and falling away

from being gathered together

or didn't want to gather

anymore with God's people.

And he says to them

in terms of their hope

and their faith

and all the rest of it,

don't, he said,

neglect the assembling

of yourselves together

as is the habit of some.

But all the more

as you see

the day approaching,

he means by that

the last day,

the day of Christ's return,

all the more

as you see

that day approaching,

meet together,

gather together,

be together,

share together.

And it's very close,

that word in Hebrews,

to this word gathered here.

It really means gathered

in a sense of worship.

And one thing

we need to remember

is this.

When we gather together

in worship,

we're not just following

a decision

on our own part,

although that's involved in it.

We meet together today

by Christ's appointment.

And that's important.

We meet together

by Christ's own appointment.

Not just that he's foreseen it

or appointment in that sense,

but appointment in the sense

that he wills it.

In fact,

he orders it.

It's a command on his part

to meet together.

And so by Christ's appointment,

that's why he says here,

meet together in my name.

In other words,

we're meeting together

under his authority,

by his leave

and by his express command,

by his appointment,

under his authority

as the Son of God,

the Savior of his church.

And in relation to that,

there's something

very important.

And that's the visibility

of God's church

in this world.

The visibility

of the church

in this world.

We are a visible body

of people,

but we're not visible

if we individualize everything.

Yes,

our individual lives

should show

that we're committed

to God,

that we're committed

to Jesus,

but it's as people

come to see us

gathering together

and as we do so regularly,

as they see us

gathering together,

then that makes

an impression

upon their minds,

doesn't it,

that why are these people

meeting together?

What is it that draws

these people

to be together?

What is it that they

actually have

as they come together

to worship this God

that they claim

is their God?

That's the way

of the world,

but they're seeing,

they're noticing it.

Jesus,

remember in John chapter 13

John 13 · chapter mention

in verse 35,

he says,

by this shall all

people know

that you are

my disciples

if you have love

one for another.

Now,

you can't love

on your own

unless it's love

for yourself.

When he says,

by this shall all men

know that you're

my disciples

if you have love

one for another,

that's love

made visible.

And how is love

made visible?

Well,

especially in God's

people actually

coming to gather

together from time

to time

to share together

in the worship

of God,

in the exploration

of God's word,

in listening to his voice,

speaking to us

from the scriptures.

Yes,

you can do that

individually.

Yes,

you can do that

online.

And I'm not taking

issue with those

who simply cannot

for various reasons

meet together

with others.

That's where

online services

are truly appreciated

and beneficial

and good.

But when we can,

when we don't have

reasons like that

not to gather together,

then the blessings

of gatherings

are blessings

that are noticed

and make their mark

to others around us.

By this shall all men

know that you're

my disciples

if you love

one another.

And if you love

one another,

then you'll love

to be together

is really pretty much

what Jesus is saying.

And there's a question

for us today,

there's a challenge

for us today,

here.

Do we love

to be here

on an individual

basis?

Is our presence

here today

with others

just on a personal

sense,

just for what I might

get out of it

or what I might

contribute to it?

Or do we just

simply love to be

with God's

worshiping people?

That's how it should

be, isn't it?

And I'm sure

that's the case,

I'm sure,

I hope,

for all of us

here today.

We love to be here

because we love

to be with other

people who worship

God.

We love to be

with like-minded

people for whom

it is so important

that we gather

together to worship

God together.

For whom it's

important that the

world out there

sees that we do

love God and that

we love Him to the

extent that we love

to worship Him

together.

You see,

all of that's

behind this emphasis

on gathering

together.

We're gathered

together today

by Christ's

appointment.

we're gathered

together in

His name.

He's laid the

responsibility of

gathering together

on us.

And it's not just

a responsibility.

I want us really

to think, as we go

through all of these

studies, indeed all

the time, to think

that yes, it's our

responsibility by

Christ's appointment

to come together, to

share together in the

things of worship, but

it's also our

privilege.

privilege.

It's our privilege.

Because the nearest

thing you get to

heaven is not when

you're worshiping God

on your own, great

though that is, and

you might have very

heavenly thoughts and

heavenly experiences

from the blessing of

God while you're on

your knees, when you're

reading your Bible, just

yourself and God.

But the nearest thing

to heaven is when

God's people are

gathered together to

worship Him, to

sing His praises, to

listen to His voice, to

admire His beauty.

That's the nearest

thing to heaven you

can get in this

world.

As we sang in the

psalm, the Lord

delights in Zion's

gates and the

gatherings of His

people more than

all the dwellings of

the individual Jacob.

And that's why

today as we come

together, here is

one of the great

privileges we have

in life, to be

able to gather

together willingly and

under Christ's

disappointment and by

Christ's authority to

come to be here

together as the

gathered church in

worship.

Secondly, we have the

reference there to

Jesus being in the

midst.

Where two or three are

gathered in my name,

there am I among

them.

Of course, you know

that Jesus is God.

He's the second person

of the Trinity that

God is.

And in that sense,

Jesus is everywhere,

just like the

Father and the

Holy Spirit.

The one God is

everywhere in the

creation.

And as they are

everywhere in the

creation, so it's

true of Jesus that

He is as the Son of

God, as the divine

person He is, and in

that sense He is

present more than

just in one

locality.

But this is a

specific presence

that's keyed into

the gatherings of

God's people, where

two or three are

gathered in my name

there.

There.

Wherever that is,

there am I in the

midst of them.

I am actually there

present with them.

The church on earth

is God's dwelling

place.

The church on earth

is God's people.

We sometimes refer to

this building as the

church on Kenneth

Street, the free

church, and it is

that.

But that's not what

the Bible means in the

highest sense by the

church.

The church is not a

building.

The church in the

highest sense is the

people of God, the

worshiping people of

God, the people who

gather together and are

gathered as the people

of God from time to

time to worship Him.

That's the church.

That's where Jesus

dwells.

That's where His

presence is made

known.

There am I in the

midst of them.

There's a sense in

which all who are

God's people, all who

are saved people of

God, come to gather

together with others

and take Jesus with

them.

Why do I say that?

Because the Bible

tells us that when we

come to trust our

lives to Christ and

trust in Christ and

believe in Him and

look to Him for our

salvation, we're told

that the Holy Spirit

comes to live in our

hearts and our souls.

Now, we can't see that

physically, but the

Bible tells us it's a

truth, it's a fact.

And therefore, every one

of you today who is in

Christ, every one of you

who lives by faith in

Christ, everyone here

saved has come to this

building carrying Jesus

with you.

Jesus lives in you.

And when you come

together with other

like-minded people, you

bring Christ with you as

you come together.

I'm not saying that that

is a complete definition

of how Christ is present

in the gatherings of His

people.

What's really important is

not to be able to

necessarily understand

all the various aspects

of that or be able to

explain all the various

aspects of how can God be

with His people, how does

God live in the hearts

of His people?

The important thing that

Jesus is saying is, I am

there.

I am there.

It's not to be questioned.

It's not something that's

spoken of as something in

the future.

He's not saying where two

or three are gathered in

my name, I will be among

them.

Or I will come and go from

amongst them.

I am there.

It's a statement of fact.

The Lord's also, in a sense,

a promise as well, of

course.

He promises that that's

what is true when we

gather together.

He is there.

But it's a statement of

fact that that is where

He is.

And it's actually true here

and now.

Just pause for a moment.

Think how amazing that is

that God, that Jesus, is in

this building, in this

gathering, in these hearts,

that where we are gathered

together today as we are,

this is a fact.

I am there, He says, in the

midst.

And you know, that's

something that should give

us pause for thought, for

reflection, for appreciation,

for thanksgiving.

As we come through these

doors and take our place in

the pew or in this pulpit, it

affects all of us, whether

we're preaching or listening

to the gospel.

It should be something that

gives us pause, cause for

thought, and just to pause

for a moment, reflect upon how

this is true always when we

come together.

How this amazing fact is

actually true as God Himself,

as Jesus Himself says it

truthfully to us, there I am in

the midst.

There I am in the midst.

And if we haven't thought too

much of that in coming to

church today, think about it

now.

Think about it as you leave and

as you go back home or

wherever you're going to go.

Think of where you've been and

that you've been part of a

gathering in Christ's name and

by Christ's authority where He

was present.

Where He, according to His

promise and His fact, is there.

And you can say to people quite

honestly, quite sincerely, I was

in a gathering today and God was

there with me.

Jesus was in our midst.

Because that's His own word of

assurance to us.

Is there anything better than

that?

Is there anything more privileged

than that?

Is there anything that you would

put above that?

Well, John Calvin, that great

reformer whose teachings based on

the Bible, of course.

The Bible was so important to

John Calvin.

And in his writings you find his

emphasis constantly, his

emphasis is, is that what the

Scripture says?

Is that what the Bible says?

This is what he wrote.

He's talking here about this

promise, where two or three

calls it a promise, there am I

among them.

He says, therefore, this promise

should stir us up not a little

to grow into a godly and holy

unity.

For whoever either neglects the

sacred assemblies or separates

himself from his brethren

demonstrates by this fact that he

cares nothing for Christ's

presence.

Those who desire Christ's presence

will meet together in His name.

Those who desire Christ's presence

will meet together in His name.

In other words, if we today are

thinking, or if people are

thinking, I really want to have

Christ's presence, but I don't

want to go to church, you see,

that's an inconsistency.

Calvin is saying, if we really value

God's presence and Christ's

presence, if we want to have

Christ's presence, if we want to

experience what it's like to be

aware of Christ's presence, then we

we must be, he says, regularly

with the gatherings of God's

people.

We cannot separate, you see,

things which God has tied together.

And where God has tied together,

meeting in the name of Christ,

with Christ being there, we can't

separate the one from the other.

We can't say, well, I can have

Christ, but I don't need to be in

church.

I don't need to belong to the

church.

church.

That's taking apart what Jesus

has joined together.

And it's so important for you and

for me always to remember that.

There am I in the midst.

I am there with them.

I am there in their midst when two

or three have gathered in my name.

And you notice the emphasis there on

two or three.

Where two or three are gathered in

my name.

He doesn't say two or three dozen.

He doesn't say two or three hundred.

He doesn't say two or three thousand.

He just says two or three.

Supposing there was just myself

preaching the gospel and two others

here in this church today.

This promise, this statement of fact

would still be true.

That where they meet in his name,

he is there.

What an encouragement that is to us.

Not only an encouragement,

but a stimulus.

Because all of these empty pews that

are still empty,

we want to see them filled.

Why do we want to see them filled?

Because we want to see people

experience what it is to share

together in the kind of gathering

for worship where Christ guarantees

his presence.

We want them to come to know Christ.

We want ourselves to experience more

of what it is to grow in the knowledge

of Jesus.

In our commitment to Jesus.

In experiencing the love of Jesus.

All the things the Bible tells us

are the privileges of God's people.

We come to experience them,

to sharing them together.

And as the gathered church,

that too is our privilege today.

That even if it's just two or three,

we actually can use that

as a matter before God

that we seek his presence

even as two or three.

Now, please don't misunderstand me.

I think this has been misused

over the years as well.

This emphasis on the twos and the threes.

Because there are places, of course,

where there are very, very small

gatherings of God's people

faithfully meeting together today.

And we pray for them

and we remember them.

Not just in our own country,

in our islands,

but throughout the world.

But we mustn't take this verse

and say,

well, there's just the two or three of us

and that really, that'll do.

I'm satisfied with that.

Because the promise of God

is it's not about numbers.

It's not about hundreds

or thousands

or dozens

or whatever.

It's just about the twos and the threes.

As long as two and three

are faithfully meeting together,

that's really it.

That's pretty much all we need.

Is it?

Well, why do we evangelize?

Why has Jesus said

that he requires

that he requires

his worshiping people,

his gathered church,

to be gathered

in a sense as well

to think about evangelizing,

thinking about

how do we actually

transmit the gospel

and the privileges

that we have

as a gathered church?

How do we actually

communicate that

to the world

in which we live?

We go forth

and we evangelize.

Luke chapter 14,

Luke 14:23

verse 23,

part of that great passage

that deals with

the great banquet

as Jesus described it.

Invitations given out

to come to the banquet

were refused.

So then others were invited.

Some of them refused.

And then Jesus said,

well,

go out into the highways

and hedges

and compel them

to come in

that my house

may be filled.

Now, don't

misunderstand that.

We don't compel people

by forcing people.

We're not in the business

of trying to actually

force our views

upon others.

We're not here

because we're forced

to come to church,

but we're here

because we're willing

and because we want to come.

And when God

makes us willing,

he gives us the mind.

He gives us the mind

that's made willing

to come.

And so when Jesus said,

compel them to come in,

what he meant was

use every reasonable

argument you can

to try and persuade people

to come into

the gatherings

of God's people

so that my house

may be filled,

so that my kingdom

may be filled up.

And today,

as we pray

for that world out there,

for those who don't

come near a church,

for those who would,

if God

wills it,

fill these empty pews

that we'd long

to see filled,

well,

he is saying to us

today,

well,

it's your business

as well as the church

of God.

As you gather

from time to time,

what you share together

is not just matters

of worship,

but how we're going

to actually get out there

and bring the gospel

to the world around us.

You share together

in discussing that

and thinking about

how we increasingly

would want to do that.

And, of course,

Matthew's gospel

ends like that,

doesn't it?

He talks,

Jesus says,

all authority in heaven

and on earth

has been given to me.

Therefore,

go and make disciples

of all nations.

You see,

he didn't say

go and make

saved Christians.

He didn't say

go and make converts.

That's God's business.

What he said was

go and make disciples.

Gather people

under the teaching

of the Bible,

under the teaching

of the Word,

into the worship of God,

into the gathered church.

Go and make disciples

of all nations.

And how did he finish it?

And I am with you

to the end of the age.

I am with you.

I will be in your midst.

I will be with you.

I will not leave you

as you go about the business.

of evangelizing

in his name.

I was reading a book

just now by

another pastor

from America

called Tony Marida.

It's a book

that I'm going to be using

in some ways

regarding these studies

as well.

But he talks about

how as a congregation

or as a church

in America,

they were supporting

a church plant,

new church,

in Frankfurt,

in Germany.

and the pastor

of that church

was a man,

Stefan Poues.

And he says that Stefan

one time came over

to America

to spend time

with him,

with Tony

and his people

there in America.

And on a particular

Lord's Day,

he joined

that congregation

in worship.

But then he was due

to leave

early next morning

to go back

to Frankfurt

in Germany.

And Tony said,

I had to apologize

to him

because there was

no time for me.

I really wanted

to show him

something of the city.

I wanted to show him

some of my favorite

restaurants

and eating places

and other aspects

of the city

that were worth

looking at,

that people always

went to see.

So he apologized

to Stefan.

Really sorry

that it wasn't time

to do that.

He would have loved

to have done that.

You know what

Stefan's reply was?

He said this,

There's nothing

greater we could

have done together

than we've done.

There's nothing

greater that you

could have shown me.

I just got to

worship with the

saints at your

church.

We got to enjoy

the end for which

we are created

together.

There's nothing

greater that you

could do today

than to be here

as a worshipping

gathered people

of God.

There's nothing

greater that I

could show you.

Supposing if you

are a visitor

today I would

take you around

all the sites

of the island,

show you all

these wonderful

beaches,

show you all

these great

sites of long

ago,

all these remnants

of temples or

brochs or

whatever.

Remember what he

said,

There's nothing

greater that you

could have done

for me and to

have me join you

in the worship

of God.

For where two

or three are

gathered in my

name, there I

am in the

midst.

Let's pray.

Amen.

Lord, our

gracious God,

we have so

many privileges

in gathering

together as your

word tells us.

Forgive us, we

pray, for the

times when we

fail to appreciate

as we should

to the extent

we should, O

Lord,

how great our

privilege is.

And we pray

that you would

help us as we

value these

privileges,

to be all the

more concerned

and determined

to be together

with your

people as

often as we

can.

We thank you

for worship.

We thank you

for congregational

worship.

We thank you

for the benefits

of fellowship

together,

for the ways

in which you

enable us to

interact with

each other,

so as to

share the

experiences of

life and to

bring these

also under

the teaching

of your

word and

spirit.

We pray,

Lord, today

as we begin

what we

anticipate to

be,

a series

of studies

and your

word's

teaching of

the gathered

church of

God.

O Lord,

of God,

help us,

we pray,

all the more

to be visible

in the world

and to be

seen as

your people

and to be

concerned to

transmit the

gospel and

its values and

its teaching and

its principles

to this needy

world around

us.

We pray for

any today

who heard

your word

and have not

yet come to

give their

life to you,

to come to

trust in you,

come to

receive you

as you are

offered in

the gospel.

We ask,

O Lord,

that your

Holy Spirit

will be active

amongst us,

teaching us,

drawing us,

bringing us

more and more

into that

living fellowship

with yourself

through which

we know

we come to

be saved.

And so

continue to

bless us in

all our

activities as

a congregation.

We acknowledge,

Lord,

we come

together in

so many ways,

not only

for worship

but in

other aspects

of the

congregation's

life.

And we

pray your

blessing today

to follow all

that we

endeavor to

do in

your name.

Be with us

now as we

spend time

in fellowship.

Blessed to

us,

we pray,

refreshments

provided for

us.

Make us

thankful also

that you

look after

our bodily

needs so

well.

Hear us,

we pray,

and pardon

our sin

for Christ's

sake.

Amen.

Well,

let's