Gathering in the Lord's name (Quality: Very good)

[0:00] as the Lord helps me this morning hour I would like to direct your attention to some thoughts found in the 18th chapter of Matthew and my text is verse 20 that's the 18th chapter of Matthew verse 20 for where two or three are gathered together in my name there am I in the midst of them for where two or three are gathered together in my name there am I in the midst of them certainly friends in this particular verse we have a blessed promise but also that which is contained here friends is a very solemn truth when it comes to all scriptures friends we must ever be careful that we do not misapply them or quote them sometimes to suit some of our own end when I was thinking along these lines friends many have sought to hide themselves behind some of the faults of God's word and then the more I looked into scriptures thinking of some of the Psalms and according to this particular thought

[1:19] I thought of David there in the Psalms he was a man after God's own heart he was a man who was much favored and when he did slip and fall out of the way the Lord did chastise him very severely and he was brought again and returned into sweet fellowship with his God but oh when we look upon David friends how he loved the word of God can we stand up against David's experience to David's desires look how he brings as it were every aspect out of the truth of God's word in Psalm 119 it was his delight he was a companion of all of those who feared God because they loved his word the word of the Lord was his guide it was his light it was his path he showed his great delight towards the word also in some of the other Psalms friends he often sets forth his great desires to be amongst the children of God and to be found under the house of God oh truly David was a man of God much favored of the Lord his religion was real oh to have a real religion friends and then also I often think of other scriptures scriptures of which are so often misapplied and quoted and I believe here is one as I already said friend it contains a glorious promise but there is something also which is very solemn about it now just quickly friends if you will notice there beginning with verse 15 down to verse 20 we have the Lord Jesus Christ laying down the true gospel church remember time there up until this time when Christ was upon to the earth at least until he was crucified and the Holy Spirit of course was poured out upon to the church at the day of Pentecost the Lord dealt primarily with the Jews he told that all of those who were of the Abraham seed that word of the Jews was to appear before him three times a year the Lord had ordained a certain place whereby they could meet and the Lord blessed him and he honored that place and he sanctified it but now friends we see that things were going to be far different with the church here upon to the face of the earth now the door was going to be open to the Gentiles and Christ knew by his finished work all that of which was under the Levitical order was finished and to be put away and Paul says it in the book of Hebrews how it was all to wax old but there was something new which was to come not completely new but new in manifestation because ever from the beginning there was these twos and threes and even more who met around thy word and the Lord's blessing was upon it but the time was going to come when the temple was going to be destroyed there was going to be the end of all of the sacrifices there wasn't going to be the Sanhedrin there wasn't going to be the priest the Levites it was all to come to an end there was going to be a new church order and so the Lord Jesus began in a very kindly way to expound to the disciples that of which was to follow oh that good exhortation of which he gives there in the opening verses there beginning with verse 15 about one who has something ought against another to go privately to him to bring his his accusation against them and if that person does not listen properly then he's to take

[5:20] two or three witnesses and then finally bring it before the church I realize in this day and age it's almost extinct then of any type of church excommunication it's a solemn thing oh how everything ought to be done in the feared and tendered and feared of God how one ought to realize what it is to join a church or to be part of the professed church of God realizing it is being a profession that you are a part of the living church of God so those early verses in this particular portion friends speaks as I would say we'll call it a church meeting then we drop down to verse 19 and there we have a prayer meeting that if two or two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that shall that they shall ask it shall be done of them of my father which is in heaven oh what a mercy what a promise and yet how solemn what a mercy and what a favor it is if two hearts are united upon one thought and prayer what a mercy to find your prayers to mingle with those who pray in public or to find that your prayer later was that very petition which somebody else had mentioned maybe in our private meditation we have prayed for a person or a particular thing or maybe we have prayed for the person and found that that person also was brought upon by the spirit of the Lord to also be in prayers and supplication over themselves or over the case of which might be laying heavily upon us friend it is a mercy to have a burden it is a mercy to come to the house of God and to walk around your house with a grief a sigh and a groan out after the Lord

[7:12] I cannot ever believe anyone who fears the Lord to this morning hour could only wish they had a greater grief and a burden for their own loved ones or for the case of Zion oh remember the Lord said when Zion travailed she brought forth there we have a prayer meeting now what we have here in our text friends is what we will call a church worship service for the Lord Jesus here gives a far different interpretation than the disciples have been brought to know prior in the ministry of Christ at times there was great multitudes which followed Christ other times there was just he and his disciples alone possibly sometimes there was only he and a few of his other disciples but I would imagine as they seen the great throng and as they begin to question about who was going to be great in the kingdom of heaven in the opening verses of this particular chapter

[8:12] I believe they begin to think oh great things are going to bubble there's going to be a great thing a great establishment of Israel there's going to be the restoration them to be free from all of the Roman Empire what fleshly conceptions friends we all have by nature but the thing is the Lord must come and overturn all of our fleshly things and sift us and empty us and bring us often as we would say as it were to see what is the truth of the gospel oh friends we might well pray for the reviving we might well pray for the large and gathering we might well covet when we think in times past when great multitudes came to hear but always remember even like Whitefield who had great congregations to follow them it isn't saying that that all were converted or all were wrought

[9:16] I do not want to belittle his work in any way he was mightily owned and used of God for the salvation of multitudes no doubt yet I believe in his day as there is today there do many who made a profession who followed for a while and they turned aside it was something only for time oh friends to have a religion that is right and keeps us right like a religion of David which I mentioned and finally brings us into glory a religion of a God who chastens us who corrects us who teaches us who guides us who brings us into the truths of which are found in God's word yes a religion that makes us right a religion that keeps us right oh this is what we stand in need of in this our day don't we our only hope is the unchangeable nature of

[10:17] God now we find here in this text which lays before us oh just roughly friends five thoughts first of all let us notice something of the place that is where let us notice something of the number that is two or three let us notice something of the nature of the worship they gather in my name then notice fourthly something of the promise which is given there am I in the midst and then may the Lord enable us to make some practical applications upon the whole notice that expression for where oh isn't it a mercy that God is not confined to any one particular place but I want to say this before I go unless I forget let us not misuse that statement again let us not misuse that statement but isn't it a mercy that the

[11:20] Lord is not confined generally speaking we have to say the Lord and I say this reverently and it needs much explanation but I hope you'll understand generally speaking under the old dispensation the Lord did in a I don't like the expression but bear with me confined himself much there to Jerusalem and to the temple but things were going to be changed under the gospel church so where oh isn't it a mercy yes the Lord is not bound to one particular place even Solomon when he built that magnificent temple I would say it was one of the greatest wonders which were ever built upon to the face of this earth quite a broad statement and yet the Solomon says what is this that we build oh realizing that even the heavens of the heavens cannot contain him and then he said what is this which we have built with our own hands where oh when we mercy to look into the Lord we see how that God met Jacob at Bethel

[12:33] Jacob says this is none other than the house of God and this is the place where the Lord met him it was solemn I believe it made Jacob tremble oh the all seen eye of God the omnipresence of God is a great glory a great comfort a glorious truth and then when we think of Christ by the seaside out into the wilderness we think of the disciples in the upper room we think of Paul there by the river side yes where oh he's not confined to brick and mortar yes where oh friend how blessed it is yes how to mercy there can be those who were in persecution had to leave the great cathedrals of that day and go out into the woods or into the caves or into the dungeons or into some little silent place and there meet with some around the word and the testimony lifting up in their heart and prayers before the

[13:47] Lord and their souls were blessed yes the greatness of our God oh where can we extend a limitation to our God there is no limitations to it is there to him where then it also friends distance is not any barrier to our God oh I realize we have our liberties I wonder how long our liberties are going to last we can meet upon our in the house of in this place the house which I hope we can say is the house of God I want to say it I pray that it might prove to be when I think of those in some places of this area and this world friends they dare not one particular country Albania has the most atheistic is the greatest persecuted nation there is today of religion any religion Buddhism or anything it has to be out they dare not even read the

[14:51] Bible if anybody is known to read the Bible they are put in prison they aren't even to name their children with a Bible name like Peter or John or Thomas or any of that nature they're not to be used no thought or expression of religion is to be found anywhere publicly or privately one out of every person out of every 50 person in that country is a personal spy for the country and here we are oh the desecration of his day the mockery of the so-called of worship and yet what a mercy here and there there are the souls of those who in fear and yet some in public who lift up their heart and their souls and prayers and supplications before God now we find then there is a number there are the two or three oh we would have well pray that there might be more but now we meet to this morning hour and what a mercy if there are but two or three who have come to this place this morning hour with a will with a desire with a prayer with a longing to worship God meeting in the name of the

[16:10] Lord Jesus well I hope there's more than two or three but what a mercy if there is now we may say what about a large congregation where there's many people what if there's only two who fear God well friends we've got to be careful don't we if the ministry is not sound I'm sure that the two or the three which do worship there or did worship there would have to leave and to be found by themselves I hope to bring that up a little later in some further thoughts as we progress in the words of our text but two or three isn't it a mercy it hasn't it been a comfort so friends what a mercy to think of the twos and the threes I have in mind some in fact friends I realize as it says the twos and the threes but I have in mind even some of those alone who have no one to fellowship no one to commune with who on to this particular day resort to what do they feel the best they can do as far as the worshiping of God oh the Lord remembers he looks upon to the poor and the afflicted blessed to look upon to the state of the church there in the prophecy of Malachi there was on the one side of the professing church who said it is in vain to serve

[17:34] God they looked upon all of their offerings and upon what they had done and they begin to wonder why the Lord didn't bless them when they seem to follow all of the things which God told them to do but it was all legalistic oh it's sad friends to worship God in fear it is a sad to worship God under a strain of compulsion but we read and they that feared the Lord speak off one to another yes they feared the Lord and those twos and those threes begin to speak one to another to rehearse the goodness of the Lord so we find then that God is not limited to numbers though we may well pray for the prosperity of Zion we may well pray that there might be a growth but yet God is not limited what about the nature now here we come to that of which I said is very searching here is something which is very solemn we read in the words of our text where two or three are gathered together in my name now here's the great question of which we've got to solve what is it to come to the house of God to the means of grace or to worship in the name of Jesus first of all friends it is to to the end of all of self it is to the end of all of form or out of custom oh friend I don't mean to be sounding severe but yet I wonder how many come here this morning hour in his name but is it to come in his name first of all I would say friends it is to come as a hell deserving sinner unworthy of any of

[19:34] God's mercies but to come in the name of Jesus pleading and begging the God of all grace to bless the soul in his name oh that's searching isn't it that's to put away all fleshly means it is to put away all fleshly desires it is put away all that of pride it is to come with a need it is to come with the desire as I said friends it is to come as a sinner it is to it is to look it is to look at him who is the head of the church who hath redeemed the church whose blood alone can wash away all of my sin it is coming unto him knowing that he is the mediator between them and God it is coming unto him his name knowing that he is the greatest of all profit and the minister is nothing more than what the

[20:39] Lord enables him to be and to speak and that he is nothing more than a mouthpiece speaking the things of which God would have him to speak friends it's all on my part oh how we need the Lord's help how we ought to know what it is to come in his name the name of Jesus to realize that it is to his glory it is to his honor it is to come and to sing about these hymns and to find the name of Christ as it were on every page in every line it is to pray in and through his name and petition upon his worth realizing it is his blood alone which can atone for our sin realizing alone that it is his righteousness which must cover us yes in my name into the name of Jesus upon his person upon his worth upon him knowing that he is the great high priest over the house of

[21:40] God oh friends in his name when anyone came up to the old temple worship and you may say well I thought you told me that this was all put away but it was all types and figures pointing on to that which was to come when anybody came into the temple worship or into the tabernacle worship before the temple was built they had to come with a sacrifice if they did not come with a sacrifice friends they could not be received now that sacrifice in every form in every way set forth something of the name of Jesus part of him who was to come they didn't know the name Jesus then as yet friends because he wasn't so named but they knew of him who was the promise of the father they knew him to be that of which was God God going to give his gift they knew some of them that at least knew that he was to be born of a woman of the seed of the woman he knew that he was going to be the desire of all nations there was many things in the old testament many names which were given to him which were most blessed his name was to be called wonderful counselor the mighty king the prince of peace and yet he was to be scarred and wounded beyond all men yes this is the person of whom they were to meet now friends when they would come to there they would put their hand upon the sacrifice and there they would as it were to impute all of their sins and their iniquities upon him oh what a mercy to come to the house of God as it were with the lamb of God in our hands this is what they did they came with their sacrifice then in order there to worship there they came there into to the gate there they would come with their sacrifices and bring it there to the flaming altar all together in his name the one who died in my place the one who there sacrificed himself gave himself an offering for sin oh sometimes do you feel like you just want to lay your hand upon him do you sometimes wish you knew more of that blessed nature of faith in your own soul because faith has its object faith is that of which points to the savior and then how they would lay themselves upon the sacrifice and put it upon the altar there are the flames of divine justice ever thought of it how did those flames ever come to that altar did to the sacrifice I mean did there the whenever when they finally did built the altar that is the one which was commanded of

[24:49] God in Mount Sinai did to the high priest there of course we know they didn't have matches in that day bring a fire to something of their own kindling did they make two sticks together like they had to do in that day and finally bring about the flame and fan it and finally have this great flame have you ever thought that that particular flame friends was that of which God had sent down from heaven oh it showed his justice and yet I would say in through that justice it displayed his love oh when to the children of Israel gathered upon Mount Karma and when to the bail there called upon bail to send fire from heaven to consume to the sacrifice which was upon their altar there was no voice there was no fire there was no respond and then Elisha there turned and he prepared to the altar to the

[25:50] Lord he took twelve stones which spoke of the unity of the saints of God of the tribes of Israel there he laid to the sacrifice and there he poured out of the water bucket after water barrel upon barrel upon to the sacrifice he dug a trench around to contain the water and he bowed his head with his face to the ground the fire of the Lord came down and consumed the sacrifice oh we can imagine the melting of Elijah's heart oh what a mercy what a token of love yes justice and love were mingled there together it was a miracle of God's grace and mercy that that fire didn't consume the children of Israel yes it was because they were guilty they had departed from God but the Lord heard the prayer of Elijah and a sacrifice in other words pointing to that sacrifice which was to take upon Calvary oh friend I wish I had a little more glimpse of

[27:01] Calvary I wish we could all be brought to there by God's grace to realize but here's the pouring out of God's wrath upon one who was sinless who did no evil when that wrath ought to have been poured out upon me have you ever felt to be under the wrath of God that is I'm not speaking of the actual wrath but felt he was under its just desert and that you were guilty of hell and that you ought to have been cast out of his presence forever but then to be able to have a little glimpse of the wrath of the Lord poured out upon his son there's love yes I would set forth the glorious truth there of John 3 16 for God so loved such was the nature of his love that his wrath would be poured out upon his own dear son that his church might be free these are glorious truths oh to meet in his name to meet with his sacrifice to meet as a guilty sinner I already mentioned and it came to my mind as I was speaking about the 12 stones of which were there in that altar remember the kingdom had been divided two tribes stayed under David's reign and the other ten tribes followed other kings multitude of kings one king was raised up in another family nothing but sin nothing but trouble but Jake would do when I when Elijah there would build that altar he thought of the unity my back sliding

[28:52] Ephraim the back sliding Israel the Lord still have thought upon them they are brought into one altar and so he had 12 stones not 10 not 2 but 12 oh friend what a mercy especially in this day and age when there is such a division when some meet here and some meet there some won't speak to this group and another won't speak to that group envy pride malice contention oh to meet in the name of Jesus is to be meet on one ground one worth one hope one spirit united with one end like I said at the beginning friends we have in this text a gracious promise a glorious truth but a solemn truth oh what a mercy to have come to this morning praying one for another and for ourselves in the name of Jesus upon his worth his merit yes in my name realizing he's there at the right hand of God to the father that he knows my heart that he stands there as my representative there he stands as my

[30:20] God my my mediator yes together in my name now we have a glorious promise associated with this when such is the case we read there there am I in the midst of them it doesn't say there will I be in time or there will I come but he is already there isn't it a mercy I realize sometimes we can come to the house of God come cold and indifferent sometimes through the service our heart can be warmed and we can be taken up with the things of God but isn't it a mercy to come with a prayer and a supplication to come in the name of the Lord Jesus like the children of Israel did of old with that lamb and then to find as it were the first hymn seemed to hit our case it seemed to bring out the very desires and the prayers and the longings of our soul to find the scriptures to find the prayer and the sermon and all of the singing to be that of which is just appropriate to our own case friends I was there I think in those days of that early love it seems like everything which was said I'd go home and pick up a book or pick up the

[31:45] Bible everything came to coincide with what all that had transpired that day oh to live on such a plane as that I realize friends we can't live upon frames and feelings we can't always live upon the past but they are glorious to meditate upon but oh to be brought back there again it's a promise isn't it there am I in the midst there am I in the midst of them notice the word them that is the two and the three who gather in my name well now let us look a little bit further at the fulfillment of this promise of which the Lord says he will fulfill amongst those who meet in his name oh friends first of all this promise is fulfilled by the hearing of faith in other words to come into here to those things which are blessed to the soul in other words sometimes friends there is need and we like to be comforted but who are those who are comforted those who mourn who mourn over an absent God who mourn over their sins mourn over their deadness their destitution mourn over the sad state of which they find themselves or mourn after the Lord mourn over after him longing to know him more of him and come with the desires like Paul of and says oh that I might know him or like Job oh that I could find him now Paul was in a little bit different state than Job

[33:35] Job was in a wretched state physically but not spiritually he was still alive Paul was in a glorious state he had had much of the Lord but oh he longed to know more of his Savior so that's meeting there's the promise fulfilled when he appears into the ministry but friends there's time sometimes friends when well there's not the place for comfort we need to be rebuked we need to be as it were scolded into the ministry I don't mean to me the one who's got to be the scolding but I want the word of God do you sometimes pick up the word of the Lord and it rebukes you oh I wonder how many times we could pick up the word and look solemnly at some truths and there to search our soul oh to come honest before the Lord and be able to look upon any portion of scriptures whether it is something that crucifies our own flesh or our own thoughts oh when I think of that love not to the world nor the things of this world oh friends we need it don't we but the Lord says in his promise those who gather in my name there's times when we got to be stripped we live in such a sad day friends when we see such little work of God in this day and age but I love to read some of those old writers

[35:10] I can remember I don't remember the man's name but he went I believe to hear it was Gadsby and when he came he was kind of disdained after the man's simpleness and he seemed to start out so slow in the ministry and the man began to preach and he began to strip out of all man's righteousness and began to expose the evil of man's heart and at first the man was angry with him who does he think I am and the more he began to preach about the depravity and the sinful nature of man the man's heart was open wondered how that man knew he was even in the congregation how could he describe his state but he received it by faith some hear those things they are offended they return no more to hear such ministry but oh to have the Lord Jesus in the midst to when the heart is exposed when the hypocrisy when our sins are made known and say Lord I'm guilty

[36:11] I'm guilty then when the love minister begins as it were or the word begins to expound and bring forth the glories of the redemption of the Lord Jesus Christ to feel in your own soul something going out after that there's my need there's what I desire there's what I stand in need of the glorious truths of the gospel oh friends when Isaiah and Jeremiah reproved to the children of Israel they put them into prison they did away with him oh to receive the admonishments as well as the promises by faith there he says and there am I in the midst of them now thoughts come to me about something of David as I mentioned in the beginning friends David was certainly a man who loved the house of God let me just describe some of the experiences of David in the Psalms first of all friends remember sometimes many times

[37:13] David was deprived of it and how his heart ate I realize sometimes friends there's times when we have to be gone to the great distance sometimes we have to withstand these things do come into our pathway but I hope it's the case that each and every one of us long for the gates of Zion wish only that we could be there to hear the word of God it's never to be taken lightly on one occasion David says Lord I have loved the habitation of thy house and of the place where thine honor dwelleth on another occasion he says one thing have I desired of the Lord that will I seek after that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life what did he want to dwell there what did he want to go there for to see the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple on another occasion he says here for today in thy courts is better than a thousand

[38:24] I'd rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than to dwell in the tents of the wickedness oh friend is this your language if this is your language then you're incorporated into the text which I've given in this morning if it isn't the language oh how sad yes a day in thy courts is better than a thousand I know I sat in the pew plagued with a wandering mind with things which lay before me what I plan on doing begging the Lord to take it away what a conflict sometimes we have but oh to be found in the house of the Lord and have some sweetness brought to the soul to live upon it to live in the light of it and the joy of it for some days to long to come to the house of God he said I would rather oh what is your rather today I'd rather be in the place of entertainment rather be following the course of this world that's not the language of a living child of God is it

[39:31] I'd rather oh friends may the Lord bless these thoughts then again on another occasion there he says this God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of his saints and to be had in reverence of all them that are about him well no doubt to the many portions of scriptures that we could find of David breathing out his desires for the house of God and oh what can we say now when we come to my last thought what an application I've already probably started at it an application how we ought to come with fear and trembling oh friend think of the time when Christ visited the seven churches in Asia he walked amongst them he viewed them where would he each individual heart I hope collectively as well oh sometimes I look upon to those seven churches and I look upon to the Ephesus and I got enough right there who have lost their first love others allowed things to come in oh he walks he walks in the candlesticks he shows himself

[40:48] I want the Lord to show himself friend that he is among us I don't want to presume and I think if you fear God you always feel the same way I do we want to know we want to feel we want to know that he is ours oh that candlestick how it has been removed here and there oh we can go some places in this world of course my mind often goes to England because I visited there and read much of its history there's places here and there which have been closed some places friends of which air has entered in and I not to be the judge but I cannot see any evidence the candlestick is there no more oh I would just love to name a name but you know things go on a recording and I have to be a little bit careful of a place where one of those saints of old who labored earnestly for many years marvelously owned and blessed of God oh air creeps in lethargy carelessness the doctrines no doubt remain but all that is which is of the world oh it's sad isn't it oh friends let us look upon to this truth a glorious truth blessed truth one of which we can plead before the Lord and yet how solemn may we come reverently may we come in his name pleading his worth may the ministry be such that that of us exalts the name of

[42:30] Jesus may we not forsake as Paul apparently already then in Paul's day there were those who despised the means of grace and made light of it yes even there he says not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together as the manner of some is but exhorting one another and so much the more as ye see the day approaching well here I'm going to leave it and oh that the Lord could use these few thoughts for each and every one of us that we all might realize how solemn it is to be an individual to be a professed part of the living church of God and to be part of the living church of God that not one of us might prove to be a hindrance a mark or one of that which stands in the way to be the fault of the Lord withholding his blessing and candlestick and that we are the fault oh could we come in his name who is able to forgive able to bless unto the uttermost all that come unto him by faith well here I'll leave it may the

[43:41] Lord bless it for Jesus sake amen shall we then conclude our service with the singing of hymn number 637 637 jesus thou art our only rest from sin and guilt and fears we love to lean upon thy breast and on thee cast our cares hymn number 637 637 jesus thou art our only rest from sin and and and and and fear we love to lean upon thy breast let love thee cast our care with anxious care and painful thought we boiled and boiled again true holiness was what we thought but this we saw in painוצb files as out but you can find us育 good for portfol

[45:55] Fastened in His song. The lips of nature that are good.

[46:11] In and outing here. Thank you to the Savior's precious love.

[46:26] And banished in that fear. Here's life in light and holiness.

[46:41] And righteousness divine. A boundless treasure all of grace.

[46:59] And peace is all is mine. Oh, what a rest is Christ to be.

[47:16] How precious and how true. From the gift that sin He sets me free.

[47:32] And gives me glory too. I have.

[47:52] I want no rest beside. Here's all God can give.

[48:03] Here to the Lord I constantly abide. And every moment live.

[48:19] May the grace of the Savior. And the love of the Father.

[48:31] And the communion of the Holy Ghost. Rest upon all. Now and forevermore. Amen. them to Christ.

[49:00] If there live. Be from heaven. Even... If there are. No.

[49:10] 天. Amen.