But once again, it's such a delight
to be together. I enjoyed the facility of the
Zoom meetings, but there's nothing like this. I am not going to the book of
Ezra this morning. I want to ask that you turn with
me to the book of Mark. Mark chapter 10. This is a kind
of a Mother's and Father's Day message. Kind of a Mother's and
Father's Day message. During the recent times that
we've gone through, I've realized all the more the blessing of
meeting with my church family. Compared to some churches, we're
quite small. Yet I have realized more than
ever the wonderful blessing of just meeting together. And I'm
reminded, and we'll bring this up again in the scriptures, but
the Lord shared with his disciples, he shares with his disciples
today, and he will share with his disciples until he comes
again, where two or three are gathered together in my name,
there will I be in the midst of them. What a blessing. In the book of Mark chapter 10,
there's three verses of scripture that I want to read. And one
of them is a quote, excuse me, book of Mark, book of Mark chapter
10. One of those disciples has a
comment to make. And I realize we're breaking
into the middle of a passage of scripture here. But he has
a comment to make that I'm sure it wouldn't be very long that
he wished he hadn't said it. Peter says something here in
the book of Mark chapter 10 and verse 28. Then Peter began to say unto
him, lo, we have left all and followed thee. Now I don't think there's much
that we would say about Peter's comment because it wouldn't be
long and Peter would say, oh my, I have done nothing compared
to what the Lord did to come to me. I don't think after a bit of
thought, Peter, after he said, he would realize it was very
important at all. when he learned more about the
humbling of himself that we heard read there in the book of Philippians
this morning where the Lord humbled himself and became obedient The Lord humbled himself. We can't even get our fingers
around that. I would like to stay right here
for just a moment and turn with me over to the book of Philippians
chapter two. And I want to reread just a couple
of verses that our brother read Philippians chapter two. Peter was going to learn more
about humbling or more about giving up soon than he knew at
that moment. It would not be long. He would
find out that he had not given up anything. And yet we read
in history that he probably gave his life as a martyr. He was
going to learn what it was. But here in the book of Philippians
chapter 2, it says there, verse 6, who being in the form of God. Now, we can't grasp that because
he's just saying, before the foundation of the world, I am
God. There is no past, present, or
future when we look at the person Christ Jesus, or the Father,
or the Holy Spirit. There is no time element with
them. We find here that he made himself, who being in the form
of God, thought it not robbery or something to cling to, or
something to stay with, because the outcome of what he was going
to do would be of great value. It goes on to tell us there,
but made himself of no reputation and took upon him the form of
a servant and was made in the likeness of men. Now, I thought
about that yesterday and I thought about it last night and I've
thought about it this morning. I cannot get my hands around
that. I cannot grasp what it was for the Lord to humble himself
as he did. With such great humility, he
gave up the glory that he had in glory before the world was
and came down on purpose to entertain himself as a man, to take upon
himself the flesh and bone that we have. to be humbled as he
was. There's no greater humility than
all of that, and he truly gave up all. Now Peter shares with
this Lord, we've given up all, and I'm convinced that it wasn't
very long, he realized, that's probably something I wish I had
kept my mouth shut. The Lord goes on, as it's written
about him, became obedient unto death, even the death of the
cross. and then wherefore God hath highly
exalted him. In his resurrection, he highly
exalted him. In his ascension, he highly exalted
him. Sitting down at the right hand
of the Father, he's highly exalted because he did exactly what he
was going to do, and that was to give his life a ransom for
many. Well, let's go back over here
to the book of Mark for just a moment, and we'll notice a
couple of other verses that the Lord Jesus shares with Peter
and with the rest of the disciples that were with him. Jesus answered
and said, Verily I say unto you, there is no man that hath left
houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife,
or children, or lands for my sake and the gospels. Now there
is some sense that we do that. Now it doesn't mean that we had
to actually leave our family or our wife, but to place the
importance of the gospel in its rightful place. The Lord goes
on to tell us in that passage of scripture in verse 30 but
he shall receive a hundredfold now in this time houses and brethren
and sisters and mothers and children and lands with persecutions and
in the world to come eternal life now did you notice there
is one person left out that's found in verse 29 that is not
mentioned in verse 30 fathers Did you notice that? Well, I
believe the Lord is sharing with us that don't forget your fathers,
but there is one father that is highly important. The father
which is in heaven. We have him. Well, the point
I want to make this morning is that the Lord Jesus shares with
us, he answered and said, if you've left, you shall receive
a hundredfold brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and lands.
Physically, the blessings are there, and spiritually, the blessings
are there, and I want to share how valuable it is for me to
gather together with you. You are my family. You are the
ones that we have a relationship. I can get around my own brothers
and my own sisters, and we talk about platitudes. I get around
you, I get to talk about my Savior. I get to talk about spiritual
things. I get to talk about things that are important. things that
are valuable. That's what I get to do when
I get around you. You allow me to stand in this
place and share the gospel, and what a blessing that is to be
refreshed in the gospel as I study for it, and to share it with
you, and then to have you receive it as the truth of the gospel. How little we find we have left,
yet how much has been given to us. The fellowship of saints
has left an enduring mark upon all of Christ's sheep. The fellowship
of the saints to get together with one other sheep. is more
than can be compared with all the riches of this world. I'll
never forget the story of a missionary. He was in a foreign land and
he was just having a tough time and he was in a marketplace and
guess what he heard? Someone speaking English. He
didn't know that person from Adam. He didn't know where that
person was, but there was a commonality between those two. He found himself
in that person's presence and they begin to talk about home. That's just the way it is with
God's sheep. We get to talk about home. We
get to talk about real important things. Now we may talk about
the affairs of the world. We may talk about whether the
earth is spherical or flat. We have all those issues that
come up. But we get to talk about home. How they wish to gather
together to reminisce about what we have and have been given.
And we are far from deserving anything that we've been given. And yet we get to reminisce about
it. So I appreciate the words found
in Acts chapter 1. Would you join there with me
in Acts chapter 1? Mothers and fathers, brothers
and sisters, children, would you join there with me as we
go to the book of Acts chapter 1 and we find in that very first
chapter the Lord Jesus does something with his disciples that he had
done a number of times and that was he assembled with them, he
gathered with them, he was in their presence. It wouldn't be
very long and they'd find out what an actual blessing it was
to have the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ right in their midst. Sometimes, I don't know whether
they appreciated it in his ministry, but it would not be long, they
would appreciate what they had. Here in the book of Acts chapter
1, the former treatise, verse 1, have I made a theopolis of
all that Jesus began both to do and to teach, unto the day
in which he was taken up. After that he, through the Holy
Ghost, had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had
chosen, to whom also he showed himself alive after his passion,
after his death, by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty
days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of
God. We have some of that recorded, but we have his ministry recorded
by and large throughout the Old Testament, and we find that the
Lord Jesus Christ spoke of the things pertaining to the kingdom
of God. And then in verse 4, notice that
with me, and being assembled together with them, What a blessing
that was that day, just before he ascended back to the Father,
that he assembled himself with them. Now there are several translations
that add there that there's part of that word that could mean
they sit down and had a meal together. I mentioned Wednesday
night, I'm looking forward to that time. when we can sit down
and have a meal together. Well, whether the Lord did or
not, we do find here that he assembled together with them. What a blessing of God's free
and sovereign grace that God Almighty would assemble with
any of His creation. That He would condescend to be
in our presence and to give Himself to a ready eye, to have a ready
ear hear Him as He speaks, to have ready feet go with Him where
He goes. All of these blessings that God
provides to His people to his children and we as mothers and
fathers, brothers and sisters and children get to enjoy together
as we meet together in fellowship around the gospel of the Lord
Jesus Christ. Here he assembled with them,
he was close to them, he visited them and we have the privilege
today as we assemble together around the gospel of the Lord
Jesus Christ to have in a spiritual sense what they had in a physical
sense. As we mentioned in Matthew chapter
18 and verse 20, it says, and where two or three are gathered
together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. That
promise comes true when two or three of God's people meet together.
Now, he by his Spirit allows us to assemble, and he assembles
with his people where the truth of the gospel is held high. The truth of the glorious gospel
of the Lord Jesus Christ is held high, even as he said, if I be
lifted up, I'll draw my people to me. It is an exalted gospel,
it is a high gospel, it is a glorious gospel, and when that is held
high, what does it mean? Have a high thought of Jesus
Christ the Lord, that he is more than just a mortal man that walked
upon the earth, but he has the truth, and he said himself about
himself, I am the way, the truth, and the life. He shared with
us through the scriptures that no man comes to the truth except
the Father draw him. We can't comprehend it, we can't
grasp it, we can't get a hold of it until it's revealed by
the Father. Where does he assemble? Where
the redemption work of Christ is declared as recorded in the
scriptures. As God himself shares with us,
all that the Father giveth me shall come unto me and he that
cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out. Don't add to it, don't
take away from it. but let us rejoice in that, and
then we find out that where sheep are gathered together, there
the Lord in the midst of them, because the glorious gospel is
held high. God is held high, exalted. He's more than just someone that
sits in the car beside us, and we call him our co-pilot. I am
resolved that our friends in Denver, Colorado right now, Brother
Lance and Sister Robin, are far from thinking that Jesus is their
co-pilot. The God of heaven is the pilot
of his people wherever he leads them. He was the fire and the
cloud that led the children of Israel for 40 years in the wilderness. And if you've ever looked at
a map of their travels in that wilderness, their paths crossed
their paths several times. It wasn't that they didn't have
time to get where they supposed to go, but God Almighty himself
said, you will not go because we had 10 Wicked spies come back
with an evil report. What does that mean? They didn't
hold God high. They didn't hold the gospel high.
They didn't hold the redemptive work of Christ high. But those
two came back and said, our God is able to do exceedingly, abundantly,
above all that we ask or think. Where does he meet? When the heart work of the spirit
is declared as recorded in the word. I don't know how many people
I visited with recently and they just leave the Holy Spirit completely
out of the work of salvation. Why? Because it's all up to men.
And when it's all up to men, is God going to assemble there?
Is God going to be in that group? When He said, as we heard this
morning in the Bible class time and time again, just from the
Psalms, the work is the Lord's, the work is God's, the work is
His, and we're the recipient of that work. So where two or
three are gathered together as the Lord Jesus Christ assembled
his disciples just prior to his ascension, he met with a group
of people that recognized the fact that he is the gospel. He recognized the fact that he
did die for a people and that the Holy Spirit is the only minister
that will bring that gospel to our heart. They agreed with that
because he met with them. And when he left and he gave
them power to preach that gospel, they without fear would preach
it in the face of the very enemies of the gospel of the Lord Jesus
Christ. He meets with where God is declared
as he's recorded in the word. The God that not only created
the heavens and the earth, but the God that creates the new
creation in Christ Jesus, that God. The folks that love the
message love to gather and it is double valuable for that is
where Christ testifies of his grace in the gathering together,
not as a form, not as a picture, not as a rock, not as that stuff. I'm not a writer, never will
be. But I wrote an article, it's
in the back of your bulletin, because there's a passage of
scripture in the Old Testament that brought out in the New Testament
in the book of Hebrews, those folks were just entangled with
the physical things, and the Lord says, we have been brought
to Mount Zion, the city of the new Jerusalem. You know you can't
grab it? You can't put your arms around
it? You can't see it, you can't behold it, you can't say, come
over here folks and look what I've seen. It's all spiritual
and there's nothing physical about it and that's what God
does. Turn with me to the book of Acts
chapter 4 as we look at this blessed privilege that God has
extended to us to enjoy our fathers and our mothers and our brothers
and our sisters and our children. I find it great comfort. when
people's children, other people's children, come to me and say,
you're kind of like my dad. I like it. Here in the book of
Acts chapter 4, I have to say something about chapter 3. Chapter
3, there was a certain man laying from his mother's womb, and he
was healed by Peter and John. And guess what? Peter and John
are arrested. for doing that. In chapter 4,
and as they spake unto the people, the priests and the captain of
the temple and the Sadducees came upon them, being grieved
that they taught the people and preached through Jesus the resurrection
from the dead. And they laid hands on them and
put them in hold until the next day, for it was eventide. They
arrested Peter and John for healing a man that was a terrible shape
Born that way That's kind of like we are by nature We're born
that way, and we need someone to help us out of that way well
if you travel down with me to verse 23 of The fourth chapter
it tells us there and being let go after they admonished him
don't you preach this anymore and They were let go, they went
to their own company and reported all that the chief priests and
elders had said unto them. They went to their, where did
they go? They went to a sheepfold where there were some other folks
that knew what they were talking about when they were preaching
the gospel. They went to some other folks
who understood that God is in absolute control of what just
happened. They went to some folks that
believed that God Almighty is in control of even the kings
that commanded them not to preach in the name of the Lord Jesus.
They went to some folks, as it tells us there in verse 24, or
verse 23, and they went to their own company. Now let's travel
down to verse 24. And when they heard that, they
lifted up their voice to God with one accord. They went to
their voice with one accord, that which last and said, Lord,
thou art God, which has made heaven and earth, the sea and
all that in them is. We have some agreement. Where's
the Lord gonna be? Where they agree with the Lord. Here's some folks that know what
just went on was absolutely from the hand of Almighty God. They're charged for healing a
man that is from his very birth crippled. and they get together
with folks just like them, that believe just like them, that
have had the same thing revealed to them by the Holy Spirit, and
they say, Lord, we recognize this is of you. Does it sound familiar? Lord, we are assembled together,
realizing This is of you. This whole thing goes on to tell
us, by the mouth of thy servant David hath said, why did the
heathen rage? And the people imagined vain
things. The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were
gathered together against the Lord and against his Christ,
of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed,
both Herod and Pontius Pilate with the Gentiles and the people
of Israel were gathered together for to do whatsoever thy hand
and counsel determined before to be done. Is the Lord with
them? Absolutely. Why? because he has
brought them to this place and they understand that the God
that had them is the God that brought them through that and
also they understood some things about the Lord Jesus Christ.
He came down here on purpose to go to the cross and give his
life a ransom for many. They agreed on that. They're
sheep of the same pasture. They enjoy the same green grass. They've been redeemed out of
the bondman. They have been brought to a presence
with the Lord Jesus Christ, and now, he's in their midst, and
they're crying, pouring out their soul to Almighty God, saying,
Lord, you brought this, and Lord, you came on purpose, and Lord,
you redeemed us from the hand of the fowler. To do, and whatever
they did, they did by your permission. And now, Lord, behold their threatenings,
and grant unto thy servants that with all boldness we may speak
thy word, by stretching forth thy hand to heal, and that signs
and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus. And then, notice verse 31 with
me, and when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they
were assembled. They knew where to be. They knew
the need to be. They needed to be together with
people that God had touched the lives of, just like them. They
were not there for some religious observation. They were not there
for some picture. They were not there for some
type or some shadow. They're there because of Christ,
and they're there because God Almighty had brought this upon
them, and they're rejoicing in God Almighty, and they are a
symbol together because they agree the gospel turn with me
if you would to the book of Acts chapter 11 as Fathers and mothers
brothers and sisters and children are gathered together one more
time Acts chapter 11 verse 25 Acts chapter 11 verse 25 There is a group of people that
have heard the gospel and and they are crying out to God to
bring someone down here where we are so that they can feed
us. That doesn't mean that we can't
enjoy the rich blessings of the gospel in our home. But notice
here, notice here with me in Acts chapter 11 and verse 25,
it says, Then departed Barnabas to Tarsus,
for to seek Saul. Now Saul has quite a reputation
already. He has a pre-gospel reputation,
and he has a post-gospel reputation. Pre-gospel reputation, he is
a scoundrel, a mean guy, and ornery. a post-gospel reputation,
he immediately preaches Christ in him crucified, preaches the
resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. All those verses of scripture
that he had memorized from the Old Testament actually became
alive to him. They were just words on a page,
just words in a scroll until the God Almighty saved him by
his free and sovereign grace, and now all of those verses of
scripture said, there's Christ, there's Christ, there's Christ,
there's Christ. All of those things are there,
and he was a different person, and he began the very first message
he ever preached was not about himself, but was about Christ. began to preach Christ. They
go up there and find him in Tarsus. That's where his home was. When
they found him, he brought him to Antioch. It came to pass that a whole
year they assembled themselves with the church and taught much
people. Now, you know what those people
were doing? They're just like we do with a cup of water and
a straw. They were enjoying it. Here is
a man, brought into their presence, who knew something about the
gospel, and for a solid year, they got to hear the gospel preacher,
Saul of Tarsus. Now did you notice the last caption
of that verse of scripture? He assembled with them for a
whole year, and the last caption, and the disciples were called
Christians first in Antioch. Whoa. Now, first of all, it was
a term of derision. They didn't take that name upon
themselves. They would have just said, we follow God. Who are you? What are you about?
We follow God. Well, everybody does that. Well,
let me tell you about this God. He's in charge of all things.
His son came to die for a specific group of people. He's sitting
at the right hand because he is successful in what he came
to do, and he will save all his people from their sins. Now,
that's the God we worship. Oh, we can't agree with you.
But there were some that did and they were willing to drink
of that living water that Saul of Tarsus brought down to them
when he preached Christ in them crucified because every one of
those people understood they were the chiefest of sinners
and they were gathered together for one purpose. They needed
help. We need each other. We need help. That's why I'm so glad to gather
together. I'm the most needy person of the whole group. I
need your help. I need your love. I need your
prayers. I need you. My life is not fulfilled
without you. It was very difficult on me when
we couldn't meet. My tears fell down my cheeks
the first time Judy brought that message, that Zoom up, because
I got to see your face again. What's so important? Because
we have an agreement in one person, the Lord Jesus Christ, and we
realize he is all and in all. That when we talk about God,
we know who we're talking about. And when we talk about the Gospel,
we know who we're talking about. And when we talk about sin, we
know the only one that can take care of it. And when we talk
about a Redeemer, we know there's only one Redeemer. And where
He is right now is at the right hand of the Father. He's not
in some tomb over there in the Middle East, like all the other
prophets are. Moses' bones are still in the
tomb. And yet we rejoice that one time
he stood by the Lord Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration
and said, you fulfilled all the law. That word assembled found there
in that verse 26 is a word that we find over in John 18 and verse
2. Judas knew about this place.
that betrayed him, knew the place, for Jesus often resorted thither
with his disciples. Aren't you glad that there's
a place that the Savior often resorts with his disciples? And
sits down in our midst, and we rejoice at the feet of the Lord
Jesus. One other passage before our
time is up, and that's found over in the book of Acts chapter
15. I thank you, moms and dads, brothers and sisters, children,
the privilege to meet together. I thank you. Here in the book
of Acts chapter 15 verse 23, and they wrote letters by them
of this, Acts chapter 15 verse 23, they wrote letters by them
after this manor. The apostles and elders and brethren
sent greetings unto the brethren which are of the Gentiles in
Antioch and Syria and Cilicia. For as much as we have heard
that certain which went out from us have troubled you with words. These folks here were going around
telling that Christ is not enough. You must have other things take
place. You must have this besides Christ,
subverting your souls. You know what they didn't like
to do? Assemble with believers. They sat down for a short season,
but when they found out that there was nothing else going
on, Reminds me of a man from Montana called me up, and he
said, I've had a friend of yours recommend your church. I said,
oh, well, fine. He says, my first question is,
what do you have for kids? Well, I understood what he's
asking. Do you have basketball? Do you have swimming? Do you have special church for
them? And all I could answer is, the
only thing we have for children is the gospel. That's all we
have is the gospel. Now, I don't mind going on an
outing with kids, but all we have for kids is the gospel here. All kinds of things are suggested.
Most people want someone to take care of their kids for three
or four hours so that they can have a break. That's what grandparents are
for. They said you must be circumcised
and keep the law to whom we should gave no such commandment Men
that have hazard their life for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ
We have sent therefore Judas and Silas who shall also tell
you the same things by the mouth and It for it seemed good to
the Holy Ghost to let us to lay upon you no greater burden than
these necessary things. Now notice verse 25, it seemed
good unto us being assembled with one accord. Now that word
means in agreement, to assemble in agreement. Now I save that
for last because it is a blessing. To assemble in agreement. to have a high regard for God,
a high regard for his son, to have a high regard for the gospel.
That is the only thing. No, we're living in a pandemic,
but there's a far greater pandemic on this earth than that. This
pandemic, I don't know how many thousands of people that have
died as a result of it worldwide, but I know that the other pandemic
that I'm talking about, everyone will die of it. Everyone. We're born into this world to
die because we're sinners. If God does not intercede somewhere
in our life and allows us to hear the glorious gospel of the
redemption of his son and snatches us out of a horrible pit, That
will happen physically as well as eternally or spiritually.
But I'm thankful to get together with folks that God has revealed
his son to and we can rejoice in him. So thank you moms, dads,
brothers, sisters, and children that we can do that. I need you. I pray that we need each other. Because it is then, Jesus Christ
said, I will be in the midst of you. Where two or three are
gathered together in my name, agreeing upon these serious truths,
I will be in the midst of them. There's no greater place that
anybody could be than to know that the Spirit of the Most High
God dwells with us in our meetings.