Thank you, Mr. Don. Could you turn your Bible tonight to the book of Genesis, chapter forty-nine? While you're turning and finding that particular place in your Bible, I'd like to mention that if we are consciously aware of our need, some of the thoughts that I didn't finish giving the other night, Sunday evening, and also some last evening, if we're consciously aware of our need to be conformed to the image of God's Son in a practical way, perhaps the Lord by His Spirit, and the Lord is that Spirit, we're told in Second Corinthians three, will be working in our lives to bring about that conforming that needs to take place. Too often, When we take up ministry, it becomes doctrine and not practical reality. I think one of the tragedies of this series of meetings is going to be if we hear God's Word and then are not willing for God the Holy Spirit to make it very practical in our lives. If we read that the purpose of God in Christ reaching and saving us is to conform us to the image of God's Son, then it's only when we're so practically aware of that will that process really begin to start functioning in our life. What do you mean functioning? Well, God the Holy Spirit never seems to force a Christian to maturity. There has to be a willingness. I do not believe I can find one shred of evidence that God the Holy Spirit forces someone to be mature. God is in the business of bringing mature sons to glory. We're told he who has begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. I indicated Sunday evening that I believe that the ultimate, and even Sunday morning, of the Christian life is to be conformed to the image of God's Son, and I do not believe that that passage in Romans chapter eight, verse twenty nine, means just totally when we get to the glory. I'm convinced the process is to be starting here, and God is interested in you and I being like Christ here. The Apostle Paul could say in Galatians four nineteen, My little children, of whom I travail in birth again, until Christ be formed in you. He could tell us in Colossians chapter one, verse twenty seven, Christ in you, the hope of glory, whom we preach, warning every man and teaching every man. In order of that we may present every man perfect, full-grown, mature, come to completion in Christ Jesus. And obviously the ultimate there is once more stated in Ephesians four, where he says he gave some apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers toward maturing the saints with a view to doing the work of service with the view to edifying or building up the body of Christ till we all come in the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man. What do we mean perfect? Full grown, mature, complete. God wants us to be conformed to the image of His Son, and anything short of that is not the will of God. Secondly, The work of God is to be done in the energy and power of the Spirit of God. The Apostle Paul telling the Corinthians that he was with them in weakness and fear and much trembling. And he said, My preaching was not with enticing words of men's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power. Had the joy of going into a home this afternoon and hearing a man. finally say that he had believed on the Lord Jesus Christ and say that he had received Christ. I was unable to win him. I was there, had the privilege of talking with him. But let me say this, only when we're really empowered of the Spirit of God are we going to be able to get the message across adequately and see results. You cannot deny that every time you read in the New Testament, where the Spirit of God is given us that expression, filled with the Spirit, it is either in the context of speaking or functioning or working in some particular way and getting the message out. Almost with that exception, speaking is linked up with being filled with the Spirit. And I think sometimes we're so mute. We're out in the world there's someone standing right beside us. We could be saying something. Are we filled with the Spirit? If so, very likely we're going to be speaking. We may not feel it's so profound. Don't forget we're not the judge of that. God is. Give the message. Someone says, well, you know, I'd like to witness to this man, but I haven't prayed about witnessing to him because, after all, maybe the Lord doesn't want me to witness to that man. Pardon my simplicity, but, you know, Mark XVI reveals that the Lord said he wants us to preach the gospel to every creature. No exceptions. If my Papa at home said, Son, I want you to plow the garden, take the cows out, and clean the chicken house. And if Papa came home that evening and said, Son, did you get the job done? I said, well, no, Dad, I decided I'd pray about it. My Dad and I went to the barn. He got the best of the situation. You know what my dad expected? Obedience. Obedience is better than sacrifice, and the hearken is better than the fat of rims. God wants you and I to obey. If he said preach the gospel of every creature, let's tell him. But we need to do it in the energy and power of the Spirit of God. And when we do, leave all the results with God. I think most of us have come to the conclusion we can't make the results. God has to do that, but we can witness. So the Lord does want us to be filled with His Spirit. And then even in our gatherings, such as tonight, There is that which should characterize our gathering, if not someone with a fine ability to preach, though that might help. It would have helped if you had a good preacher. It isn't someone's ability to lead in a very exuberant song service. I'm sure that we did have a good song service, and I enjoy singing. But that still is not what really characterizes a good meeting or gathering of saints. What should really characterize our coming together. And this is it. Knowing and sensing Christ in our midst. How many of you, and you don't have to answer out loud, but how many of you have ever gone to a meeting of Christians and you went away somewhat let down and sad? I have. You may never have, but I have. And I've often wondered, Lord, what was wrong? But I believe if we'll look in the subject tonight in the Scripture that It's going to bring this out so clearly from the first verse that we'll read. We'll understand what really characterizes a meeting of Christians and what should be anticipated every time we come together. Reading now from Genesis forty-nine, verse eight. We'll start there. Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise. Thy hands shall be in the necks of thine enemies. Thy father's children shall bow down before thee. You see, in this particular passage, the age Jacob or Israel, is telling what's going to befall his sons in the latter days. And so he begins with Reuben, the firstborn, and he says he was unstable as water. Simeon and Levi were men of cruelty. Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise, he says in verse eight. Thy hands shall be in the neck of thine enemies. Thy father's children shall bow down before thee. Judah is a lion's wealth. From the prey, my son, thou art gone up. He stooped down. He couched as a lion. And as an old lion, who shall rouse him up? And then notice this verse. The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh comes, and unto him shall the gathering of the people be. I'd like to put two words on the board tonight. Notice the scepter shall not depart from Judah nor a lawgiver from between his feet until Shiloh come, and unto him shall the gathering of the people be. Unto him. Psalm twenty-two. There we'll pick up our second word. It's very clear that this is a messianic psalm or a psalm speaking about our blessed Redeemer, our Lord Jesus Christ, before he ever was born as a man. You're familiar with the first verse, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Obviously, these are words that the Lord Jesus uttered while he was on the cross. Looking now at verse twenty-two, he says, I will declare thy name unto my brethren. In the midst of the congregation... will I praise thee in the midst." Notice unto and midst. Psalm fifty, verse five. Psalm fifty and verse five. While you're turning, let me mention this. These truths are especially precious to me. For years I gathered with Christians in a capacity that today I look back on as a wrong ground of gathering. There are those who teach that the ground of gathering of Christians is the one body. But let me say that that's not true. Because you see, the truth is we cannot gather with all who are in the body. Why can't we? There's a question. Now loosen your ties. Let's get kind of comfortable tonight. Let's get it home. Can a Christian steal, yea or nay, yes, they're right? Yes, we can, can't we? Sure can. Okay, suppose that Brother Stuart Henrich has a hundred and fifty-acre watermelon patch, and it's the evening before they're ready to be plucked and sent to the market. And I have a forty-four-foot tandem van and a five-ton international diesel tractor And it just so happens that two o'clock in the morning, I back into his field, full moonlight night. One of those nights that he's sleeping very well. You know, he got that nice supper and had a nice time of visiting with the family, and they had a time around the Scriptures and prayer, and he went to bed, and he's really in a restful, peaceful sleep. So I just happened to back my tractor-trailer rig into his watermelon patch. And I'm out there loading up his watermelon. Now stop and think about this. And remember, you did agree, I think you did agree, most of you did, that a Christian could steal. See, I'm a Christian. I know I am. Could I steal his watermelons? Could I? Oh, yes, no question about that. Especially if they're Garrisonians or Tom Watson's, you know, some of those special kinds. A good Texas brand. Papa told me he used to haul Granddad's watermelons to market Vernon, Texas. And some of them weighed more than a hundred pounds. They only brought about thirty-five cents. Thirty-five cents. So now they're loading up Brother Stewart's watermelons. Now, of course, you may think, nice thought, said, well, Donald's going to help Stewart out. He's out there. He says, Stewart's in there resting and sleeping, and Donald's out there working. He's going to help him out. But the truth is, I go to market with his watermelons, and I put the money in my pocket instead of his pocket. Then comes, now that's on Thursday. Remember that, Thursday. Then come Sunday morning, and we're going to gather together as Christians, and we're going to eat the Lord's Supper together. And suppose that three of you, brethren, saw me stealing those watermelons, and three others saw me marketing those watermelons and sticking the money in my pocket. Sunday morning, are you going to break bread with me? Yes or no? Now, if you commit yourself, you're stuck now. Remember that. You know good well you're not. Isn't that right? Come on, be honest. You're not going to do that, are you? And if you do, you're tolerating sin. God says, Holiness becomes unhealth, O Lord, forever. The house of God is to be characterized by holiness. What's going to have to happen to Donald? Discipline, right? It was a public matter. Therefore, I'm going to have to be dealt with, isn't that right? So, you see, if the ground of gathering is the one body, then you're forced together with me because I'm in the body. But that's not the ground of gathering. Now,withstanding what certain theological teachers have said, and they're men that I have seen in the Lord, great men of the book, and they will teach you that the ground of gathering is the one body. But I had to thrash this out years ago. It isn't true. The ground of gathering is the Lordship of Christ. That is, only as I bow to His lordship am I fit for the gathering and fellowship. Because you've admitted that if I'm out there stealing, I think you have, hopefully you have, vanilla. If I'm out there stealing a brother's watermelons or anyone else's watermelons, for that fact. If I'm out there stealing watermelons, I'm in open condition to be gathering with Christians and eating the Lord's Supper until that's dealt with. Isn't that right? And we'll come to that in a moment. I believe you'll agree with that. I think you will. It wouldn't hurt your smile. I wish I had a mirror so you could see your faces. My soul. You're going to get me scared here in a minute. Loosen up a little. You see, when the Lord Jesus saves a sinner, it doesn't guarantee he won't sin. It does guarantee, though, he does not have to sin. You see that in First John chapter two, verse one. That verse says, My little children, I write these things unto you in order that you sin not. And if any man sin, we have a comforter. The word there advocate is the thing that's translated comforter three or four times in the book of John. It's the word chaleo meaning to call and the word para meaning alongside. One call to the side of another is a comforter. We have a comforter with the Father. Jesus Christ the righteous. You remember in John fourteen Jesus said, if you love me, you will keep my commandments and I will pray the Father and he shall give you another comforter. Now you say, well mine says, if you love me, keep my commandments. But if you translate it correctly, you'll see that it's the exact same expression and construction found in verse twenty three. It's future indicative. So he says in John fourteen and verse fifteen, if you love me, you will keep my commandments, and I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another comforter. That is another one just like me. So two comforters. Now the Holy Spirit is the comforter here on earth, and the Lord Jesus is the comforter there in heaven. What does the comforter do? Well, the word tells us. It's Kaleo meaning to call And parameen alongside. So meaning alongside is a very near place to a believer. So God has called His Holy Spirit to our side. And the way He comforts you and I when we're facing a sin situation or facing any kind of difficulty or conflict, the Holy Spirit has been called to our side to minister Christ to us. It's not saying magic words that gets us out of sin. It's not saying cliches or sometimes not even quoting scripture that gets us out of the sin problem. But the Spirit of God has been called to our side to take the things of Christ and minister them to you and I. I'll never forget how that the Lord impressed my mind with that word comforter years ago, a few years ago, when my father-in-law died. I was preaching in a Bible camp. Matter of fact, I was here in the state of Missouri, over at Springfield. I got a long-distance phone call. My wife had already left the camp and gone back to Iowa because my sons were playing high school football and they had to start football practice two weeks ahead of school time. So she'd already gone back with the children. I was left at the camp to finish up my part of the ministry. Got a long-distance call from my brother-in-law saying, Donald, your father-in-law has passed away. I said, well, do me a favor. Call certain ones in Atlantic. Have them to go over to my home. Have them to be there. And then we'll call Gloria. And they did. We got the message to my wife that her father was gone. The next morning... The brothers in the camp said, well, brother, we think you should go. I had still another half day of ministry left. They said, we think you should go and you should go quick. Be with your wife and comfort her and whatever you need to do. So I took off for Iowa, got up there, got my family together. We jumped in the car and raced to Texas. To make the long story short, the day of the funeral came and my wife and my little family, along with some of the rest of her family, gathered about the casket, looking into the face. of the body in which my father-in-law had occupied. He was gone. He wasn't there any longer. And I'll never forget, most of the family had moved out of the way when my wife walked up to the casket. She walked up at an oblite angle. And she was looking down into that face. And as she was looking down that face, her body began to crumble. And she started toward the floor. And I just reached over and grabbed hold of her and held her up. That's the word comforter. Call to the side to aid in time of need. And, oh, beloved, the Spirit of God has been called of God to our side. And the way he ages is not physical hands to hold the physical body up. That isn't really what we need. They're spiritual hands. And those spiritual hands take the things of Christ and minister them to our hearts. And as he ministers Christ to our hearts, my beloved friend, we're able to rise up over the conflict and go on victoriously for God. And that's the only way we can. You see, it's Christ that we're to be occupied with, not the Holy Spirit. Don't you ever try to get occupied with the Holy Spirit. You're going to miss God's program. Be occupied with the Lord Jesus, and the Holy Spirit will see to it that that's carried on in your life. That's his job. So we can see that God has made a provision for us that we do not have to sin. But alas, as the Old and Brethren would say, sometimes we do sin. So the ground of gathering is not the one body, for if it's the one body, everyone who's saved, we are obliged together with, whether they're walking with God or not, whether they're stealing or not, whether they're getting drunk or not, or whatever they're doing. So you see, the ground of gathering is not the one body, but the Lordship of Christ. Am I acknowledging human Lord in my life? If so, then I'm fit to be gathered with, along with other fellow saints of God. Now in Psalm fifty and verse five, look what he says. When he says, Gather my saints together unto me, those who have made a covenant with me by sacrifice. Notice the word unto once more. We had unto in Genesis forty-nine and ten, and we had myths in Psalm twenty-two, and now we've got unto once more. Now let us go to Luke chapter twenty-four and John twenty. Luke twenty four and John twenty. It is the day of our Lord's resurrection, and in verse thirteen, behold, two of them went that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem about three-score furlongs, or roughly about six and a half miles. And they talked together of all these things which had happened. It came to pass that while they communed together and reasoned Jesus himself drew near and went with them, but their eyes were holding that they should not know him. And he said unto them, What manner of communications are these that you have one to another as you walk and are sad? Can you imagine someone that has realized that Christ died on the cross for his sins? Christ was buried and Christ was raised? And Christ had saved by his grace through faith? You see, God made sure that Christ died for every sinner, every person that's ever been born in this world, even if it was Judas Iscariot. It matters not who. Christ died for his sins. Now he died in behalf of all. He died instead of only those who believe him. Jesus said, if you believe not that I am he, you shall die in your sin. My friend, if you go away tonight, not having received Christ as Lord, you're risking your soul and the tragedy of time and eternity may be yours if you die without Christ. It will be. You can have him. God is offering his son. He says, here's my son. I want you to have him. And as many as receive him, to them he gives the right to become the children of God, even to those that believe on His name. Will you believe on His name tonight? Will you receive Him as your own Lord and Savior? My friend, if you do, you'll be saved. Here we're talking about those who actually had known the Lord. And so Jesus draws near them. He holds their eyes as they should not know who He was. And He says, what manner of communications are these that you have one to another as you walk and are sad? Now, isn't it a bit paradoxical that here are two disciples of the Lord and Here is the Lord in the midst of them, and they're sad. You know, that's ironic, isn't it? It really is. Can you think you're being sad in the Lord's presence? Not me. Jesus talked with them. One of them said, You must be a stranger. Verse eighteen. Jesus began to speak in verse nineteen and gave a message. They drew near in verse twenty-eight to the place where they were going, these two fellows. And Jesus made as though he'd go with them or go a little farther. Verse twenty-nine says that they constrained him to come in and stay with them. It was evening. He agreed to go in. Verse thirty says it came to pass as he sat at meat with them. He took bread and blessed it and break and gave to them, and their eyes were open, and they knew him, and he vanished out of the sight. And they took off running for Jerusalem. It says in verse thirty-four, they said the Lord has risen indeed in the Spirit of Simon. They found the eleven gathered in the upper room or wherever they were. And they told what things were done in the way and how he was known of them in breaking of bread, a common meal. And as they thus say, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, the word on the right. He stood in the midst of them and said unto them, Peace be unto you. But they were terrified and afraid, and supposed that they had seen a spirit. And he said unto them, Why are you troubled, and why do thoughts arise in your heart? Be all my hands with my feet, that as I myself handle me and see, or a spirit has not flesh and bones as you see me have. John chapter twenty, a parallel passage. I think we were looking at this, perhaps even last evening, or the evening before. John chapter twenty, verse nineteen. Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut, Where the disciples were assembled, for fear the Jews came Jesus, and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. And when he had so said he showed unto them his hands and his sides, then were the disciples sad. Is yours read that way? Mine don't. Then were the disciples glad when they saw the Lord. You know, beloved, what really gives character to a meeting? Discerning the Lord's presence. Two men had the Lord's presence with them. He was right in the midst of them. They walked together the three as they went down the road, and they were sad. They didn't discern His presence. Here Jesus, the same person, is in the midst of the same kind of people, and this time they're glad. Why? They discerned His presence. You know what's going to give character to every meeting that we have as Christians? Discerning the Lord's presence is the Lord really in the midst. I hear it say it so often in prayer, well, Lord, we know you're here in the midst. How do we know that? Just a minute now. Let's be careful. You say, well, the Bible says, now listen to me. See if I quote it right. The Bible says, where two and three gather together in my name, there are mine in the midst of them. It doesn't say that. We'll see that in a moment. I'd like to submit that there may be times when we gather together and the Lord is not in our midst. I'd like to try to prove that tonight. You see, Christ is here, isn't he? There are two good verses of Scripture that support that Christ is in everyone that's saved, in us. We are in him and he is in us. That's composite in his relationship. Colossians one, twenty-seven is one I quoted a moment ago. Christ in you, the hope of glory. That's one aspect of the great mystery, that Christ was being a Gentile. Christ in you, the hope of glory. Then also you can see in Second Corinthians, chapter thirteen, verse five, Examine yourselves whether you be in the faith. Prove your own selves. Know you not your own selves how that Jesus Christ is in you except you be reprobate. So there are two verses of Scripture that teach Christ is in us. So Christ is here tonight. But the question is, is Christ in the midst, beloved? That's another doctrine. Oh, you said, no, it isn't. We'll see. We'll see if we can prove it to our satisfaction. Notice both times when the Lord Jesus stood in the midst and they discerned its presence, Look what he said, number one, P-E-A-C-E, peace. One thing that will characterize the fact of his presence is real peace, beloved. There's going to be peace. Where the Lord Jesus is, there's going to be peace. Look, if you will, now to Matthew chapter eighteen. We'll begin our reading in verse fifteen. This is where I'd like to start on the subject of discipline. We'll not be taking that up tonight, but it's certainly in connection with our context. So, verses fifteen, sixteen, and seventeen, we'll read those to begin with. Moreover, if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell his neighbor. No. Go tell your lady friend or your boyfriend or your other kind of friend, or even your enemy. It doesn't say that, does it? If thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone. But, oh, isn't a sweet marshal to go tell someone else, sir. Say, did you know what so-and-so said? Did you know he did that? Oh, he did. Oh, and you know, this goes on all the time, doesn't it? What does the Lord say? If your brother trespasses against you, you go to him directly, personally, privately. Tell him his fault. But it's much easier, Lord, to go tell my neighbor. Sure, I realize it's easier. It's really a lot easier. When someone trespasses against us, isn't it just much easier to tell some brother in Christ other than the one that did it or some sister in Christ? Sure, it's easier, but it's not right. Thy brother shall trespass against me, go and tell him as far between being him alone. If he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. Ah, the Lord knows our naughty hearts. So the Lord could say, all right, you know, this is what I told you. And we say, Lord, I heard it. That's right. But you know, Lord, he is the one that did me wrong. And it's his responsibility to come to me. What does the Lord say here? I said, you go to him. Now the one that did the wrong could say, well, you know, it's his responsibility to come to me because the Lord said if your brother trespasses against you, go and tell him it's false. So let's reconstruct that right quickly. Let's suppose that Clem Cadittlehopper trespasses against me, Donald Wilbur. What am I to do, according to this verse? Send it home and wait on him to come. No, I'm to go to him and say, Clem, this is what you did. It was wrong. Is that right? But you know, on the other side, Clem could say, well, by the way, it's his responsibility to come to me, so I'm going to wait. And he knows good and well. I'm a little slow about doing things like I ought to do. And do you know what the Lord says? He said, I'm going to catch him with Matthew five. In Matthew chapter five, notice what the Lord says there. The Lord gives us both sides of this issue. He says, I know your heart, and therefore I'm going to fix it so that both of you are responsible. Chapter five, verses twenty-three and twenty-four, therefore, if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there remembers that thy brother hath ought against thee, now let's see if we can define who that is, if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there remembers that thy brother hath ought against thee. You see, Clem Cadittlehopper sinned against me. So I have something against Clem. And God says to Clem, before you offer anything to me, I'm going to make you responsible to go to Donald. And Donald, since he has sinned against you, I'm going to make you responsible to go to him. So hypothetically, we should meet each other halfway. Is that right? If God makes him responsible to come to me and makes me responsible to go to him, is that right? See? We really should meet one another. But in case that one of us are dragging our feet, God makes both of us responsible for the reconciliation. Now, back in Matthew eighteen. Moreover, if thy brother should trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone. If he hear thee, thou art gain thy brother. But if he will none hear thee, take with thee one or two more that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word is established. So reconciliation is sought. But now it's going to be turned down. And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church. But if he neglects to hear the church, let him be unto thee, as a heathen man and a publican. A heathen man was an unconverted, a publican was a social outcast. There you have the first steps of discipline as I see it in Scripture for the New Testament. All right. We can notice here, then, that we have in verses fifteen, sixteen, and seventeen, church discipline. Verse eighteen, we have judgment. Verily I say unto you, whatsoever you shall bind on earth shall have already been, and presently is bound in heaven. That's the sense of it. It's the perfect tense. and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall have already been and presently is loose in heaven. You see, God doesn't give us any authoritarian power to say, okay, I bind you, I loose you. He says, we only bind and we only lose as heaven has bound or loosed, whichever way it is. For instance, I go out and witness to a man and I say, sir, I'm presenting the good news to you about Jesus Christ, how he died for your sins, was buried in Moses' game, and your only hope of heaven is Christ. You must receive him or die in your sins. And what if that man says, I'll have nothing to do with Christ. I say, sir, your sins are bound. Did that make me authoritarian? No, I'm just going along with what God has said. Heaven's already declared. You receive Christ or you die in your sins. See, that's the idea of verse eighteen. That's judgment. Verse nineteen is prayer. Again I say unto you, that if two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father who is in heaven. Now notice all the way through you have collective testimony. And then he says in verse twenty, for where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. So once more we have the word midst. Let us notice really what verse twenty is saying. I submit that this is the only verse in the whole Bible that says this. If you can find this anywhere else, you be sure and tell me after the meeting. I can't find it anywhere else. It's the only time that this particular promise is made, and I want us to notice the conditions upon which it's made. What it does not say, and I'd like to read it in that way, what it does not say is where two or three gather together in my name. It says where two or three are gathered together in my name. There am I in the midst of them. Okay, now we have a verse before us. Let us think tonight about the ground of gathering. Are we really gathered in a scriptural way here at Southside or Bible Chapel or whatever it is? Meeting Hall, something. I'll get it right in a moment. It's a good building. I'm enjoying my time here. I just hope you will. Are we gathered right? I'm not talking about our physical seating arrangement. I'm talking about the ground of our gathering. What really is going to guarantee Christ in the midst? Well, someone says, I got it, Donald. We don't have a denominational name here. Good. I commend you for that. I think taking denominational names is wrong. Anytime we name ourselves, that's denominating. You remember when we're learning to add fractions or subtract them or divide them or multiply them? We had to get those fractions to the lowest common denominator. That means names. The moment we name ourselves, we've got a problem on our hands. First the period of Corinth, as best I can tell, they had begun to name themselves after men. People are still doing it. Okay. Someone says, well, you know, here we believe the Bible. That's good. It'll be commended for it. I'm glad that you do. I do, too. But does that mean necessarily that we're gathered right? What is going to guarantee Christ is in our midst? What can we be absolutely sure about as far as the right way together to ensure us that Christ is in our midst. Well, let us try to break the verse down and see if we can find what God is really saying here. Notice we have a, rather a clause, down through the word name where there is a comma after that. For where two or three are gathered together in my name. That's a clause as a subject and a verb. Okay, what is the subject of that first clause in that verse? What is the subject of it? Is it two or three? Isn't that it? I think it is. I'm going to put it up here. Okay. Where's the verb? Are gathered. Isn't that right? Or you could say are gathered together if you want to put it that way. abbreviate together quicker. What is the object of that verb? The prepositional phrase in my name. All right. Here we have in that last expression there in my name an object. So two or three is the subject. Are gathered together the verb in my name. is the opposite. The verb in this verse is passive in voice. It's not active. In the active voice verbs the subjects do the acting, and the object is acted upon. In the passive voice verbs the subject is acted upon, and the direct object does the acting. Notice what he's saying here. He's saying where two or three are gathered. Donald carried the chalk, active or passive, in the verb. Donald carried the chalk, active or passive. Active, why? Donald the subject did the carrying, and the chalk, the object, received the action of the verb. The chalk was carried by Donald, active or passive. You sister, the teacher, got a lot of work ahead of you. The chalk was carried by Donald. Passy. The chalk is the subject. Did it do the carrying? No. Donald did. They received the action of the verse. Now, in this particular construction, you say, I don't like grammar. I'm sorry. You don't like the Bible then? It's full of it. Let's face it, let's be honest. A lot of people don't see a lot of things because they're not willing to dig in. Let me tell you, this verse does not say where two and three gather. It says where two and three are gathered. That makes a world of difference, beloved. The two and three do not do the gathering. Let's be sure of that. Now, where two and three are gathered together in my name, what does the acting in that particular clause mean? The name does the gathering. The verb is also a perfect tense. That means it has a past time and a present result. Literally where two or three have been and are gathered together. But now the Spirit of God says I'm going to add a little more to it. It's a participle. Now, I'm not going to ask you what that is. I'd rather just tell you. I don't want to risk it. A participle is a verbal adjective. It gives us the I-N-G ending. It shows motion, something going on. So literally the Lord is saying, we're two or three, having been past time. Having been. There's your participial part. Having been. and are being gathered together. There's your present aspect. Unto my name, where it says in my name, it's literally unto, or with a due to. It's a preposition. Those of you who like to study your Greek Testament, there's your preposition. Where two or three having been and are being gathered together unto my name, there's there am I in the midst of them. Dear Christian friend, let me say this. It's only when that precious name has gathered you and I that we can absolutely count on the Lord being in the midst. And two things that will really characterize His presence are number one peace and number two power. Go back to the context. In the context here, they were going to have power to exercise discipline. They were going to have power to seal judgment. And they were going to have power to call down an answer from heaven in prayer. And then he says, For where two or three having been and are being gathered together unto my name, there am I in the midst of them that is named of the gathering tonight. Oh, it's so easy to come out of tradition. It's so easy to come out of habit. Nothing wrong with good traditions and good habits. They're wonderful. But, oh, beloved, get the picture. If the subject doesn't be the acting of that verse, the two and three, if the direct object doesn't be acting, His name. This is the picture. His name. And his name draws together. You can be sure his presence is going to be there. If it isn't his name, mark it down. He can't at the present, but not in the room. I would submit to you that that's the reason many times we go to a meeting and leave a little bit disturbed or let down. We didn't really discern his presence. Now, he promised, and he can't fail. I want to share with you something about this, how it's linked up with priesthood, just to show you how God linked this together, and I'm convinced he's so linked it that you cannot afford to miss out on. You've got to see it. Turn in your Bible, if you will, to the book of First Peter, Chapter Two, real quickly. We'll try to get it all in tonight and not run overboard on the time. First Peter, Chapter Two. Do you remember our holy priesthood is in verse five? It's there that we offer up. And our royal priesthood is in verse nine. It's there we show forth. Now our son, brother, will be so kind as to read verse five and then verse nine, probably please. Very loudly, very clearly, and slow so we can all get it. He also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. Verse nine, But he are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy priesthood, an holy nation, a people of his own, that he should show forth the praises of him who has called you out of darkness into his marvelous life. Thank you, Brother Jim. Now, let us put in here... In our holy priesthood, we're told, you also have living stones or built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood... to offer which direction, upward or outward, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, accessible to God, where it says, by, it is this preposition here, the eye meaning through. So when the Lord Jesus is in our midst, then we, beloved, or to be offering up spiritual sacrifices accessible to God through the Lord Jesus Christ. He is our acceptance before God. He is the one person through whom we can go to God. Apart from him, we can never get into God's person. I think you believe that. All right. Now in verse nine, we have something else. But you're a chosen generation. A royal priesthood. a holy nation, a peculiar people, that you should show forth the praises of him that called you out of darkness into his marvelous night. Now you say, what are these things right here? Beloved, that's you and I. I want to show you what the Lord did for us. You see that expression of the King James Virgin, the peculiar people? And I believe Jim read a people for his own or something like that. That's what it was, Jim? Let me show you what that word is. This word here, poieo, meaning to direct in English or construct. Direct or construct. That's the meaning of that word. The Holy Spirit compounded it with this little preposition here, meaning around. So the Lord says, just so you learn that truth, positionally now, you know the difference between the position of the believer and the practice of the believer. Sometimes it varies. It shouldn't have been studied. God says, positionally, I'm going to erect you around my blessed son. His place is in the midst. Nobody else has that right. And he says, I'm going to erect you around him so that you're absolutely faced with him constantly. I want you to be occupied with him. Isn't that the exhortation? Looking unto Jesus, the author and finish of our faith. God always ever wants us to be looking on the Lord. This is my beloved son in whom I am wealthy. Here you hear him. And so the word peculiar people means literally a people who are erected, are constructed around. obvious that God erected us around His blessed Son. So we'd always be occupied with Him. And you know why? That the King James Translated, I think, put out peculiar people. Because it really is the word people. It's just people constructed around peculiar. Anytime that we're erected around the Lord Jesus, and He alone, that absolutely makes us peculiar. Because folks want to get erected around good teachers, good preachers, Famous people, you name some famous name, let it hit St. Louis, and I guarantee you the crowd will rush down. Isn't that right? You know, they want the truth. But give me two or three, or thirty or forty, or a hundred and three, it doesn't matter, who allow the name of the Lord Jesus to do the gathering. And there's where the peace and the power is. That's what makes it secure, beloved. And in this sense, once we really, now here's how please do it, it's linked up with this. Once we really look at the Lord, we can send up spiritual sacrifices. You try to send up a spiritual sacrifice to God without thinking about the Lord Jesus. You're true. God wants us to be occupied with this. Blessed one right here, the Lord Jesus Christ. It's him and him all we're to be occupied with, not one another either. God wouldn't have us to be occupied with each other. It's the Lord Jesus. And if everything of God is occupied with him, Then our spiritual sacrifices are going to be ascending up to God, and God is going to be well pleased and glorified. Now, if we've really been in His presence in genuine worship, let me tell you, we'll not have to put platters on our back and say, look, I've been worshiping Jesus. You know why? He'll show it your life. You show He's not one that's been in His presence, and I'll guarantee you, I'll guarantee you, they'll be showing forth His praises to the world around you. Beloved, once more, may I stretch it once more? It's occupied with Him. Are you occupied with this lovely one? God says He's my beloved Son, in whom I will be. Let's get occupied with Him. Let's be a people of the person. Sometimes we call a people in the book. It's wonderful. Don't forget the book is exalting one person. That's the Lord Jesus. Oh, beloved, if we really see that, If we really allow his name to do the gathering, we can count on him being in the midst. And it matters not what brother gets up to speak. So often, many attendants, the attendants would be good if there's a good speaker. Quote, unquote, good, you know. If someone's not considered a very good speaker, well, then the attendance kind of goes down. Isn't that a shame? Oh, beloved, you know what? Every Christian ought to be at every meeting. Unless God brings the hindrance. Because the Lord said he'd be in the midst if his name was the gathering. You know what? They're really missing? The Lord. It's not some other brother or myself or anyone else. It's the Lord. That's what gives character to the meeting. The Lord in the midst. May we ever hold to this. May we lay hold to this truth. And better yet, may this truth lay hold to us. And I'll tell you what, it'll do something for our attendance. It'll do something for our life. It'll enrich us. It'll enhance us. And it'll cause us really to be a peculiar people. Because as we send up those spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ, we'll go out to a world around us and show forth the praises of Him that called us out of darkness into His marvelous light. And that's going to be a wonderful thing, because as God begins to form Christ in us, and as we're beginning to be conformed to His image, empowered by His Spirit, the world is going to sit up and listen to what we've got to say. Too often when we go out to say something, they don't pay much attention. But we go in the power of the Spirit of God, conform to the image of Christ, having been in the very presence of Christ, and something's going to happen. Something wonderful. Shall we pray? Loving Father, we thank you.