Let's take our Bibles and turn
to the book of Matthew. Matthew chapter 18. Matthew chapter 18. A passage of scripture that I have
referenced, I've quoted, I've made mention. I look back in
my notes and according to my notes, I've never preached on
this passage of scripture. Matthew chapter 18 and verse
20. Matthew 18, 20. For where two or three are gathered
together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. Let's pray together. Our Father, how thankful we are
for this precious time to be together. We thank you, Lord,
that we can call upon you in the name of the Lord Jesus, and
we pray your blessing upon the preaching of the gospel. Help
us to hear. Help us to worship. Lord, we
are needy people. Forgive us of our sins for Christ's
sake. Amen. We know that the Lord is omnipresent. That means that he is everywhere
at all times. There is no place that the Lord
is not. The earth is the Lord's and the
fullness thereof, it's all of Him, is His, and He's everywhere. Omnipresent. But this passage of Scripture
reveals something very special about the Lord's presence with
His people when they meet together publicly to hear the Word of
God preached. No other circumstance has this
promise tied to it. So may we, by the grace of God,
make much to the attendance of hearing the gospel of God's grace
preached. I know that we speak and we speak
thankfully of that day in which we'll be with the Lord. You know,
we talk about leaving this world and we'll be with the Lord. And
that's something I say it, and I know it, I believe that by
faith, but I still can't enter into the depth. To actually see
the Lord, and to know Him as I'm known, and to be like Him. I know that,
But I want to know that. But there is even right now,
while we're together right now, there is a promise from him who
is the faithful and true witness. And he said, where two or three
are gathered together in my name, I'm in the midst of them. I know that there's times when
our numbers are down, and that because of providential circumstances. And truly, we have no reason
to be discouraged. I mean, we want to be more. I pray the Lord's pleased to
increase and enlarge the borders of our assembly. That's what
the Lord said we were to pray for in Ezekiel 36. Ask Him. Ask Him. And I know that when
we're down in number, I know that there's times that we'll
say, you know, just a few of us. But here's the thing. He
said where two or three are gathered together, I'm in the midst of
you. Just this being together, just
a few. That's not a thing to be discouraging,
but it's a thing to be reverenced. I want you to turn to Genesis
28. A few meeting together with the
promise of the Lord, Genesis 28, 16-17. A few meeting together and the
Lord in our presence. We ought to be very, very reverent
when we consider that. Listen to this, Genesis 28. The
reason we are reverent is because the Lord is there. Genesis 28,
16, 17, Jacob awaked out of his sleep and said, Surely the Lord
is in this place." And I knew it not. And he was afraid and
said, how dreadful is this place. This is none other but the house
of God. This is the gate of heaven. Where two or three are gathered
together in my name, His presence is a reverent thing. Moses, take off your shoes. Where you're standing is holy
ground. Why? Because God was there. Because
the Lord was present. But not only were two or three,
but it's where two or three are gathered together. That word, it does mean where
they assemble, but it means where they're collected, like a net,
like a fisherman that throws a net out. The net goes down
and they're gathered, where two or
three are gathered together. You know, we've come tonight
because we want to. That's the reason we came. But
let me ask you this. Why did we want to? Why? Because the Lord gathered us.
Where two or three are gathered together. We came willingly because
we were made willing in the day of his power. You know, we came
the first time willingly. And every time that we come,
we come willingly because the Lord has given a heart to come. It's like faith. Faith cometh. It cometh by hearing. It cometh. It cometh I've heard and I need to hear
and I want to hear. Lord willing, if we're able to
meet again on Sunday, I need the Lord to give me faith to
believe God and give me a willingness to want to come. Now, let me
tell you, the flesh wars against the Spirit. They're contrary, flesh and spirit,
they're contrary one to the other. There's a battle that's going
on. And let me tell you what this flesh says. Well, you know
what, you've had a long day and you're tired. And I know, I know,
those of you that have been out in the workforce and you're tired,
I know that. And I'm telling you, I know.
It's an effort. It's an effort. to come. It's cold outside, we've had
a long day, and it's so easy to say, you know what, I just, you know, I'm just, I'm
just too tired. But when we get together here,
aren't you glad we came? I mean, I'm telling you, we struggle,
I know we do. But when we come together in
the name of the Lord, he's promised I'm going to be with you. I'm
going to meet with you. It's a joy to meet with God's
people, because they're God's people. And we love one another. We cherish one another's love
and presence, but the Lord is here. And the Lord's people,
when they hear the gospel of God's grace, when they hear that
message preached and He's honored, He's glorified, and he's exalted. They're blessed, comforted. Here's the key. Here's the key
to our meeting together. Where two or three are gathered
together, here it is. In my name. In my name. There am I in the midst of them. It's not hard. to meet together. It's not hard for people to meet
together. It doesn't say where two or three are gathered together,
there am I in the midst of them. It says where two or three are
gathered together in my name. So the issue is the meeting together
in his name. There's the blessing. There's
the key. There's the wonder. of it all, because God's people
come together for His honor, for His glory. Listen to this,
Psalm 46, 4 and 5, I'll just read this to you. It says, a
river of God's divine grace, the streams whereof shall make
glad the city of God." In the various manifestations of grace,
the Lord assures His people of His sufficiency, of His supply
for all of their need, and they're glad. There is a river, the streams
whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the
tabernacles of the Most High. His peculiar glory is manifested
to His people, to each one individually, They come together in the presence
of the Lord, collectively, for His honor, in His name. It says, God is in the midst
of her. She shall not be moved. God shall
help her in that right early. Oh, the blessed promise of His
presence. Just for a moment, If we just
stop and just muse upon this thought, the Lord is here. The Lord is here. The one that met with his apostles
after he's raised from the dead. There's old Thomas. They all
got together. There was ten of them. And Judas wasn't there. There
were ten of them. They met together. And the Lord
manifested himself to him. He came, he just, there he was. And they told Thomas later, they
said, Thomas, we've seen the Lord. Thomas said, unless I put
my hand on his side and see the nail prints, I won't believe. I don't believe that. He wasn't
there. But the next time, he was. And
the Lord manifested himself again. And there there were eleven of
them, all together, two or three, gathered together in his name.
And Thomas was there that time, and the Lord came to him and
he said, Thomas, here, put your hand right here, put your hand
on my side. He looked at the prince in my hands. And Thomas said, my Lord, my
God. Meeting together in the name of the Lord. He's promised. I'm in the midst of you. I've got four things to say very
quickly. And Lord willing, we will have
Lord's Supper. Four things concerning what does it mean? When we say
we meet in the name of the Lord, what are we talking about? Well,
let me ask you this question. Who are the ones that are meeting
together in His name? Who are they? Well, if they're
meeting together in His name, I can tell you this, they're
God's elect. I know that. I know that they're
objects of God's mercy. I know that. I know that they're
meeting in His name because they have a heart to meet in His name. Because if the Lord didn't give
them a new heart, they wouldn't meet together in His name. They
might meet, but they didn't come together because they don't know
Him. But if they've come together
in His name, let me tell you, what they are. They're sinners
saved by the grace of God. And they know that. They know
it. They've met together in His name. Christ Jesus came into the world
to save sinners. The Apostle Paul said, of whom
I am chief. Sinners. Sinners that have come together,
gathered by the grace and power of Almighty God, and here's the
first reason. That's what they are. They're
sinners. And they've come together to
seek the Lord for mercy. Now that's the reason. You've
heard, I'm not going to tell you anything new tonight. Aren't
you glad? I'm going to just tell you the
same thing that I've told you and told you and told you. We're
coming together in the name of the Lord seeking mercy. Turn to Romans 9. Listen to this
blessed promise scripture. They're seeking mercy and they
have this assurance. The Lord's promised that he will
have mercy. Romans 9.15, for he saith to
Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy. I will have
compassion on whom I will have compassion. So then it is not
of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that
showeth mercy. I need mercy. I need for the Lord to show mercy
to me. Blind Bartimaeus, the Lord was
coming into Jericho. Blind Bartimaeus heard that Jesus
of Nazareth was walking by. He's walking by. He's walking
by. And old Blind Bartimaeus cried
out, Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy on me. That publican, two men went in
the temple to pray. One of them was a Pharisee, one
of them was a publican. And that Pharisee stood and prayed
thus with himself. And then the publican prayed,
God, be merciful to me, a sinner, a sinner. I am a sinner. I am one that sins and I can't
help. I can't help it. I don't want
to do it. And I cannot not sin. I cannot. I cannot not sin. I have no ability. I wish I could corral my passions. I wish I could, and I just can't.
If we say we have no sin, make God a liar. But if we confess
our sins, he's faithful just to forgive us our sins, to cleanse
us from all unrighteousness. I'm convinced of this. If the
Lord's put away my sin, I don't have any sin to answer for. But
I tell you this, I have sinned. And I need mercy. Lord, forgive
me. Lord, have mercy on me. We've
met together to hear the glorious gospel of God's grace. The message
of God's mercy, because we need mercy. You find a sinner, a sinner
that needs mercy. I know all men are sinners. All
men are sinners. I know that. But you find one
that knows it, that knows himself to be a sinner. And you're going
to find a sinner that's going to be where God is pleased to
meet with his people. I want to be there. I want to
be. To be gathered together in his
name is to seek for mercy. Secondly, to be gathered together
in his name is to seek his Glory. A few weeks ago we met together,
had some special meetings, celebrating Thanksgiving unto our Lord for
allowing the gospel to be here for 60 years. Let me ask you
something. Who gets the glory for that? Glenn was here when it started. Some of you came shortly thereafter. Been here a long time. What believer
would want to have or get or take any of the glory? Man, I've been such a faithful
member all this year. Man, I tell you what, I have
been faithful. I've been faithful in attendance,
faithful in prayer, faithful in faithfulness. Not one. Not one. Not unto us, O Lord,
not unto us, but unto thy name. Give glory for thy mercy and
for thy truth's sake. When Almighty God is pleased
to call a sinner out of darkness, and reveals to him of God's mercy
to him, all self-confidence is gone. I am what I am by the grace
of God. Jeremiah 9. I'll read this for
you if you want to turn. Jeremiah 9, 23-24. Thus saith
the Lord, Let not the wise man glory in
his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might. Let not
the rich man glory in his riches. If we have anything, if we know
anything, if we've been able to accumulate anything in this
world, where do you get it? Let him glory in his riches,
but let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth
and knoweth me. that I am the Lord which exercise
lovingkindness, judgment, righteousness in the earth. For in these things
I delight, saith the Lord." We're here meeting together in
His name that the Lord might be glorified. Whether therefore
you eat or drink or whatsoever you do, do all to the glory of
God. Why? Because He's worthy. He's worthy. Revelation 4.11,
Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power, for
Thou hast created all things for Thy pleasure. They are and
were created. Where two or three are gathered
together in my name, seeking for mercy, seeking His glory,
and thirdly, to seek His righteousness. The scripture says, seek ye first
the kingdom of God and His righteousness,
and all these things will be added unto you. Let me tell you
why we've come seeking the righteousness of God. Seek ye first the kingdom
of God and His righteousness. Why are we seeking His righteousness? Here's the reason, you that know
Him, those that meet together in His name, because you know
we don't have any that will stand before God. We don't have any. All we've
got is filthy rags. And to be accepted by God Almighty,
we must be holy. Holy. chosen in Him from before
the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without
blame before Him in love. Hebrews 12, 14, follow peace
with all men. In this assembly, in your family,
at work, if possible, even your enemies. Follow peace with all men and
holiness without which no man shall see the Lord. You know
how we follow after? Follow after peace, follow peace
and holiness. How do you follow after holiness? Let me tell you how it is. You
believe God. How else are you going to follow
after Him? Believing the Lord. Believing on Him. And how do
we believe? How do we believe? How are they
going to believe if they've never heard? How are they going to
hear without a preacher? How are they going to preach unless
they're sent? We assemble ourselves together in the name of the Lord,
that almighty God might be honored, blessed. We're seeking for mercy,
seeking his righteousness. Lord, teach us. And then fourthly, we gather
together in his name, and listen to this. This was a blessing
to me, all I did was read it. We're gathered together in his
name because that's where he is. That's where he is. Can you imagine? If I heard that there was some
big dignitary, I don't know who it'd be, but if I mean it's going
to be somebody and they're going to be there, you know? And you
just couldn't, you know, you couldn't hold the place. But
you let God Almighty say this, where two or three are gathered
together in my name, I'm in the midst of you. You know what it
takes for a man or a woman to want to come? a new heart. God's going to have to give them
a new heart, a willing heart, willing in the day of his power.
But here is the very presence of the Lord. I'm in the midst
of them, fellowshipping with them, comforting them, teaching
them. Does not our hearts burn as he
speaks to us through the word? I know how, and this is so hard
to admit, but it's the truth. I was doing some reading here
the other day. Lord willing, I'm going to try to preach on
this pretty soon. I was preaching on that passage when the Lord
was speaking to the bride. And the Lord commanded, is the
spirit blow north wind upon my garden. come south, that the
spices, spices of His grace might be made manifest. And the bride
says to Him, you know, come into your garden. Then the Lord says
back to her, I am coming to my garden. And the next thing that
the bride says, is I've already taken off my shoes and taken
my coat off. I'm already in the bed. I don't
have time. Knocks on the door. She won't
get up. Oh, I realize the coldness of
this old heart. The presence of this old man. But I'm telling you, there's
a new man that's there. and that new man desires the
presence of the Lord. There's a battle, it's both of
us going on. But I thank God that the Lord
would allow us the honor and privilege of being in his presence
where he is. Lord Jesus, manifest yourself
to us as we remember you in the eating of your supper. In these
things we pray for Christ's sake.