Gathered in His Name 1982

I'd like to tie in the hymn we just sang with a passage from, very familiar to us all, Revelation 7, verses 9 through 17. After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude, which no man could number, from every nation, from all tribes, and peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying with a loud voice, salvation belongs to our God, who sits upon the throne, and to the Lamb. And all the angels stood round the throne, and round the elders, and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne, and worshipped God, saying, Amen.

Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honor, and power, and might, be to our God forever and ever. Amen. Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, Who are these, clothed in white robes, and whence have they come? I said to him, Sir, you know.

And he said to me, These are they who have come out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve him day and night within his temple. And he who sits upon the throne will shelter them with his presence, and they shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more.

The sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat, for the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd. And he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Another proof that such a glorious gathering of the saints waits for us at the end of the road, is that the same Lord before whom we will stand then, gives us a foretaste of that glory now.

In order to help us through these days of uncertainty, in order that we might maintain a clear vision of him, in order to give us the power to keep pressing on through the darkness, right on through to that goal, he gives us, as the most precious gift that we will ever have, this side of glory, the gift of the assembled body of the gathered saints. From Matthew 18. Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will 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 in the midst of them. Now, gathered in my name, he's not just talking about people sitting together in a room.

He's talking about people who have literally gathered in his name, who have come together to be with him, who have come together in answer to a divine call from him. And when this happens, and when all the barriers that exist between all of them are down, then something happens to these people when they're gathered together in this way that can never happen when they're alone, separated from the body, from the physical and spiritual gathering of the saints. The Lord himself comes into their midst and imparts to the body the life of God in a way that this life can never come when they're cut off from each other, either by being geographically separated or by being physically together but spiritually scattered.

For instance, Pentecost. Notice how it came. It was not on Pentecost as if Peter were up on the rooftop praying as it happened later on.

No, no. The gift of Pentecost does not come to Peter in a special way as a vision which he then imparts to some of the lesser saints. On the day of Pentecost, they were all together in one place.

They were gathered in his name. They were one. They were yielding their hearts in obedience and suddenly there came a sound from heaven like the rush of a mighty wind and it filled all the house where they were sitting.

Not just Peter's bedroom. And there appeared to them tongues like as a fire distributed and resting on each of them. And Peter's wasn't any bigger than anybody else's.

And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the spirit gave them utterance. The missionary outreach of the church in Antioch was the same kind of thing. In this case, it was five men who've come together now to fast and pray and minister to the Lord.

And as they are ministering to the Lord and fasting, the spirit said to the body, to the church. Separate, set apart from me Saul and Barnabas for the work to which I've called them. And after fasting and praying, they laid hands on them and sent them forth.

In every turning point in the life of the church and in all the day in and day out labor of the body of Christ, the fountainhead of its life is the Lord coming to the gathered saints. I believe that most of us would agree that there is a move of the spirit going on now, a new move, we could say. And it's been obvious, I think, around the Detroit area for all the problems, not only in the economy and everything else, but even the problem that exists among Christians and with each other.

For all this, there is there is something distinct and something that that is similar in some ways to what we saw in the late 60s and early 70s. But what we see going on in this area is surely happening and can be seen by believers in Shanghai and Hong Kong, in the Soviet Union. In Zimbabwe and Brazil and Bolivia and Oslo, Norway and all over the earth.

And basically what's taking place is that people are being gathered out of the world and brought into the kingdom. Now, the extent to which we will be involved in this and really part of it depends on whether we're willing to allow ourselves to be gathered out of ourselves. And drawn into the purpose and the mind and the will and the name of Jesus.

Whether we're really willing to be one. One in a way we've never been. For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of that.

Consider what it means to be gathered. To be gathered means surely as Jesus speaks these words, something more than a casual coming together to hold a service. I mean, we can be sitting together in a room and still be spiritually a universe apart from each other.

And sometimes we can be sitting in the same queue, even side by side and be a universe apart from each other. On the other hand, we can be coming together for a service of this kind. And if we are willing to be one, then this becomes, in fact, the gathering of the saints.

To be gathered in this way means that we come together with our hearts. And the barriers, the walls of culture and nationality are pushed aside with an act of the will by each of us. And the walls of indifference and resentment and unforgiveness are pulled down by each of us.

And we open those doors which are normally shut against each other wide. And then we draw near to the Lord and to each other. The same call of the Lord that somehow we heard in our hearts that drew us through the cold to come together physically in this room right now.

Is the call of the Lord now for all of us to come together with our hearts. For where two or three are gathered in my name. To be gathered in his name, there am I in the midst of that.

And to be gathered in his name means that the purpose of our coming together is Jesus. And so we leave our own mind for him. We leave our own will for his.

And we enter into him all week long on our jobs and in our homes and among our friends. And fighting the battle on the freeways or walking down the street or wherever it's been. We've been trying to serve Jesus.

But there have been many distractions. Now we put all this aside. Push it behind.

And we draw together just to be refreshed by him. Lord, you are the vine. We are the branches.

Apart from you, we can do nothing. Lord, you are our life. Cut off from you, we have no life.

Without your spirit dwelling in the body. We have no purpose. Our individual lives even have no purpose.

Now it won't happen until we are in fact gathered. Really gathered. With our hearts.

Nor will it happen until we are gathered in his name. In the name, the nature, the mind, the will of Jesus. But when we really are willing to be one.

Then Jesus literally comes into our midst. And makes his presence known. He makes us know that he has come.

First of all. By imparting to us a peace which this world cannot give. From John 21.

On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being shut. Where the disciples were for fear of the Jews. Jesus came and stood among them and said to them.

Peace be with you. When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.

Jesus said to them again. Peace be with you. And the peace he gave them.

This wasn't just a greeting. This was the impartation of life. And the peace he gave them, he now gives us.

It's a peace that quiets the storms within us. It's a peace that heals. It's a peace that fulfills us.

Nothing in this world does. And we can take this peace. His peace.

And walk in it. Think in it. We can speak and work and eat and sleep in this peace all week long.

Peace be with you. God help us to receive it. And to let it rule in our hearts.

Jesus makes us know that he has come into our midst. By renewing to us the gift of the Holy Spirit. And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them.

Receive the Holy Spirit. Every time the Lord comes into our midst. The Spirit.

Comes afresh into our hearts. And becomes God in us. Becomes Christ in us.

Afresh and anew. And becomes our comforter. Begins to direct us.

And guide us. And open our minds to truth. And open our hearts to the scriptures.

And causes love to overflow from us. Toward each other. That does not come from us.

And must absolutely. When that love begins to move. Must break the barrier.

That we've raised up against that brother. Against that sister. That has to go.

Jesus makes us to know that he has come into our midst. By clothing us in his authority. When he had said this, he breathed on them and said.

Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any. They are forgiven.

And if you retain the sins of any. They are retained. Truly I say to you.

That 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.

There comes a boldness. To stand in the presence of God. And worship.

And pray. And give thanks. And ask for the things we need.

To get the job done. Lord raise up laborers for the harvest. Lord give us bread for these hungry people.

A friend of mine has come on a journey. And I have nothing to set before him. There comes a boldness.

To stand against the powers of Satan. To disarm him. To throw down his strongholds.

To uncover his lies. And there comes a boldness. That drives the fear of man.

Out of our hearts. So that we begin to have the guts. To say and do the things.

We know we have to say and do. That have been neglected for all too long. And finally.

Jesus makes us to know. That he has come among us. By sending us forth.

To make disciples. Jesus came and stood among them and said. Peace be with you.

When he said this. He showed them his hands on his side. Then the disciples were glad.

When they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again. Peace be with you.

As the Father has sent me. Even so. I send you.

The proof. That Jesus. Has come into our midst.

Begins to appear. When it's time to leave. He's been in our midst.

We don't just shuffle out the door. But we go. As people.

Who have been sent. We have a purpose. We have a calling.

And we're out there now. To get it done. We know that we are to go out there.

And gather others. In the same way. That he gathered us.

Go make disciples. Go out into the highways and hedges. And compel them to come in.

That my house may be filled. And it will be filled. But it begins.

With this. For where two or three are gathered in my name. There am I. In the midst of them.

The Lord. Will take care of his part of this promise. But we have to take care of ours.

Are we. Really. Gathered? Are the walls down? Are the attitudes gone? Are we one? Are we in his name? Are we out of ourselves? And in him? If we are.

Then he is with us now. And we will know his peace. We will receive his spirit.

We will be. Clothed in his authority. And we will be sent forth.

In his power. By him. To gather others.

Into his kingdom. Let's wait upon him now. In silence for a while.