For quite some time, we have been fellowshipping on this matter of why we gather. I wonder if we are tired of this subject.
Back in 1867, the great evangelist D. L. Moody felt a little moody, so he went to England trying to get some help. He received liberal help, but he met a young evangelist by the name of Henry Morehouse.
This young evangelist told D. L. Moody that he would be going to the United States and would like to minister in his church. D. L. Moody was not very much impressed by him because he looked like a boy of seventeen years old. And what could he preach? But out of courtesy, he said, “All right. If you come, look me up.” And Moody forgot it.
Back in Chicago, he received three letters from that young man saying that he was coming and would be there on a Thursday. Now, it happened that Moody would be away Thursday and Friday, so he told his elders that a young man was coming and wanted to preach. “Well, give him a chance and see how he does.”
His elders told Moody, “Now, the Lord is blessing us, and people seem to be hungry for the Lord. It does not seem right to get some stranger to speak whom we do not know.” But Moody said, “Why not try him out and see how it works?”
When he came back on Saturday, he asked his wife, “How was the young man?” His wife said, “Everybody loved to hear him.” Moody asked, “Did you hear him?” She said, “Yes, I did. He preaches a little bit differently from you, but everybody loves it.”
Moody said, “Well, if he preaches differently from me, it must be wrong.” So his wife said, “Well, hear him first, and I think probably you will agree with him.”
So Saturday night, Moody went to hear this young man. The young man came to the platform and said, “Turn to John 3:16.” That had been his text for Thursday and Friday, and he preached on the love of God.
He did not preach in the way of number one, number two, number three, and number four. But he went through Genesis to Revelation, through the prophets, showing people how God loved the world. And Moody was deeply touched.
Then came Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday, and every night people went to hear him. As a matter of fact, in Chicago at that time, Monday was the day when the women did their washing. But somehow these women left their washing and all came to the church to hear this young man.
The young man said, “Please, if you want to find my text, it is in John 3:16.” On the seventh night, Moody said, “Now, what will he preach tonight?” The young man came up and said, “All day I have been trying to find a new text, but I could not find one. There is nothing better than this old text, John 3:16.”
So he preached on John 3:16 for the seventh time. And do you know that changed Moody’s ministry? Formerly, when Moody preached the gospel, he preached as though God was at the back of man, holding a sword, chasing man, and trying to kill him. But from that day onward, he began to preach that God was chasing after man with love, and unfortunately man fled from Him.
Now, I hope this morning, as I repeat the same subject, that some change may come upon you.
Why do we meet at all? Well, the very meaning of the church is the called-out ones assembled.
We all receive the life of our Lord Jesus, and we all share that life. God has called us out of all nations to make us one people unto Him. This is what we are, and because this is what we are, we cannot help but gather together.
Now, you know, in the early days, when the gospel was preached and people were saved, spontaneously they came together. They came together to worship the Lord. They came together to serve the Lord as one people, one church, one body. There was no problem.
But today we have problems. Why? Because we find that among those who are saved by grace, even though we may be living in the same area, we are not gathering together.
Some gather together under a kind of denominational organization. Others gather together in the form of a kind of independent fellowship. We find that God’s people are scattered. God’s people are not together, even though they are meeting. Yet they are not meeting as one people, as one church, as one body.
We must gather with our brothers and sisters. But where should we go? With whom should we gather? Is there any justification for us to gather separately from the other fellowships and the other denominations? Is there any justification for us to gather together in this manner?
I think this is a very important question. It is a very vital question. We must answer it, and if we cannot answer it positively, then we should be disbanded. We should not be here at all.
Dear brothers and sisters, may I raise this question with you? What is the justification for you to be here this morning? Why are you not with some other denomination or with some other independent group? Do you have a positive answer to this question?
To answer this question brings us right back to the purpose of God through the ages. You know, it is not just a kind of accidental thing. It really brings us back to the very purpose of God through all eternity.
Why do we gather here? Why do we gather at all? Why are we so gathered? There is one reason: we gather together to fulfill God’s purpose concerning His Son.
Our gathering together is not for the sake of meeting our own needs. It is true that we have many needs, and it is equally true that if we gather rightly, many of our needs will be met. Thank God for that. But that is the byproduct.
We do not gather together to meet our needs. We gather together to meet the very need of God. Our God has a need, and His need is concerned with His Son. He has a very definite purpose concerning His Son. He has a very definite idea about His Son. He is not vague about it at all.
What is His purpose concerning His beloved Son, the apple of His eye?
Ephesians 1:10 says:
To head up all things in Christ.
Colossians 1:19 says that He may have the first place in all things. God has created all things in Christ, by Christ, and for Christ, that Christ may have the first place in all things, that He may head up all things.
Now, in order for that to be fulfilled, He has to have this fulfilled first among His people—that is, in His church. Ephesians 1:22-23 says that God has made Him, that is Christ, Head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who filleth all in all.
So, dear brothers and sisters, here you find a very definite reason for our gathering together. The reason why we gather together is that Christ may be all things to us, that He may be Head over all things in the church, that He may have the first place in our lives individually and together. And that is the reason why we are so gathered.
You know, the simplest explanation of the church is found in Matthew 18:
Where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them.
Where two or three are gathered together, to whom do they gather? They are gathered together unto the name of the Lord Jesus. They are gathered together unto His name—the name that is above every name, and to that name every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord.
Unfortunately, God’s people today do not gather together unto that marvelous, matchless name. On the contrary, you will find many of God’s people gathered together unto the names of some great men of God.
Now, we do respect these great men of God. We do thank God for Martin Luther, but are we together unto the name of Luther? We do respect John Wesley. God used him mightily, and we receive a good inheritance, but do we gather unto the name of Wesley?
We may have a good opinion of Simon Menno, but do we gather unto the name of Menno—Mennonites? Many are gathered unto the name of a form, an organization.
Now, we may believe in Presbyterian government, but do we gather unto the name of the Presbyterian? We may believe in congregational government, but do we gather together unto the name of the Congregationalist?
Some people gather together under the name of a truth, a doctrine. Now, we do believe these truths. We do not believe heresy, but we do believe these truths. Some people gather around a heresy; that is true. But some people do gather around the truth.
We do believe in the baptism of believers, but do we gather under the name of the Baptist? We do believe in holiness, but do we gather unto the name of holiness?
Some people gather under the name of an experience, a Christian experience. Now, we do believe in all these Christian experiences. We do believe in Pentecost, but do we gather under the name of the Pentecostal? We do believe in charismatic experience, but do we gather under the name of the Charismatic?
Dear brothers and sisters, the problem today is that God’s people are gathered together unto different names. Because they are gathered together unto different names, they are divided.
The Word of God tells us that we need to be gathered together unto His name. There is only one name under heaven by which we can be saved, and it is only unto that name that we must gather. If God’s people would gather together unto that name and that name alone, they would be one. They would be united. They would not be scattered, and there would be no confusion.
Why do we so gather? It is because we will not identify ourselves with any other name than the matchless name of our Lord Jesus. We believe that His name is sufficient for us. We believe that His name is all that we need. We do not want to be called by any other name but by the name of our Lord Jesus.
By doing so, we believe that we are one with our brothers and sisters. We are not divided. We are not a cause of confusion.
But what is meant by being unto His name? It is not just a title. We may call ourselves the Church of Christ and say, “Well, we are under His name.” Or we can call ourselves the Assembly of God and say, “We are under His name.”
But, dear brothers and sisters, the name is not just a title. The name speaks of His presence, because the Bible says:
Where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them.
In other words, where His name is honored, there His presence is.
In other words, unto His name means putting yourself under His authority. Let Him be the Head. He is Head over all things to the church. We hold Christ as our Head, and because we hold fast the Head, the whole body is ministered to and united together. That is the meaning of unto His name.
We may name His name. We may use His name, and yet we may go our own way. You remember in Matthew, it says people will come to Him in the last day and say, “Lord, Lord, did we not in Your name cast out demons? Did we not in Your name do this and do that?” And the Lord will say, “I never knew you.” Why? Because they do not do the will of God.
Dear brothers and sisters, do we gather together unto the matchless name of our Lord Jesus? Is it just a title, a formality, a technicality, or is it a reality? Do we really put ourselves under His authority, letting Him be the Head of the church?
Let His authority be over all of us in all things—not in certain things, with certain things decided by the Lord and other things decided by the committee. Everything is to be under His authority. Is this a reality?
If Christ is not Head in the church, how can He head up all things? If Christ does not have the first place in all things in the church, how can He have the first place in the universe? Those who have trusted Him, those who have believed Him—if they do not honor Him and His authority, who will?
Dear brothers and sisters, the only justification, if any, for us to be so gathered is to put ourselves completely, absolutely, unto the name of our Lord Jesus. Let Him be our Head. Let His authority be known. Let His will be done. Let Him be honored and respected.
We do not come together to meet our own needs. We come together to meet the need of God. We do not come together to fulfill our purpose, even a spiritual purpose. We come together to fulfill the purpose of God concerning His Son.
We come together not to see one another, but to see Him. We come together not to seek for anything, but to seek the Lord Jesus. He is our foundation stone. He is our cornerstone, and He is our headstone. He is the One on whom we stand. He is the One by whom we are joined together, and He is the One who holds everything. Christ and Christ alone. That is why we are so gathered.
Now, of course, to hold fast the Head, so that He may be Head over all things, first of all requires revelation.
We need God to open our eyes to see Christ as God sees Him. If we do not see Christ as God sees Him, we will never be able to honor Him as we should.
The only way that we can really hold fast the Head is to see Him as the Head, as God wills it. Revelation.
After revelation, I give you three “Rs.” After revelation, you have resolution. Having seen the revelation, you do not just see it and leave it alone. If you really see the revelation, then there will be a resolution. In other words, you will resolve in your heart that He should be the Head.
Then comes revolution, because it will revolutionize your life. You will find that you cannot make Him your Head if you still live in the flesh. You will find that the flesh has to go. There has to be a revolution in your life. It should be Christ and no longer you.
That is the only way that we can really hold fast the Head. In this way, God’s purpose concerning His Son may be fulfilled. Now, our brothers have already talked about these things. I have just summed up what they said.
But this morning I would like to continue on this matter of why we so gather. I think, aside from the reason we have just given, there is another reason.
The second reason for our being gathered in this way is this: we gather together to respond to God’s purpose concerning His people, the church. Not only to fulfill God’s purpose concerning His Son, but also to respond to God’s purpose concerning His people.
You know, God has a very definite purpose not only concerning His Son, but also concerning those who believe in His Son. The Father has a very clear and definite idea about His Son—what He will do for His Son. But He also has a very clear and definite idea about those who are His people, what He wants His people to be as to His Son.
You remember Romans 8. We are told:
All things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.
We are all called according to purpose. Now, what is that purpose? What is our calling?
Our calling is to be the body of Christ. This is our calling. This is God’s purpose: that we be one body to the one Head, who is Christ.
You know, dear brothers and sisters, we are all saved individually. In other words, I cannot be saved for you, nor can you be saved for me. Just as I cannot be baptized for you, and you cannot be baptized for me.
In the early days, in the church in Corinth, they had a practice which was not scriptural: they baptized for the dead. A person was already dead but had not been baptized, so a living one was baptized for the dead, because they believed that if you were not baptized, you would go to hell. That is baptismal regeneration, a very old error.
Nobody can be baptized for you. Nobody can believe for you. Nobody can be saved for you. You have to be saved yourself. In other words, God saves everyone individually.
Now, it is true: if God saves one in a family, God does have a promise that He will save the whole family, if your whole household is promised and if you give a good testimony. You will find the whole family will be saved. But even so, every member of the family has to come to the Lord individually, personally.
We are saved individually, but we are called corporately. To know the salvation of the Lord individually is to know the grace of God. But to know the call of God corporately is to know the purpose of God.
Many people are saved; few know the purpose of God. Many people know the grace of God. Thank God for that. But, dear brothers and sisters, if we only know the grace of God and do not know the purpose of God, it is true that we have received much from God—but how much does God receive from us?
Well, you get the better bargain. That is true. What does it profit God? Then we become selfish, self-centered Christians. Everything is for us; even God is for us. And if God should be a little slow in answering your prayer, you murmur.
That is not the kind of Christian God wants. Thank God, we know the grace of God. But, dear brothers and sisters, we need to know the purpose of God. Only when you see the purpose of God are you delivered from self-centeredness to Christ-centeredness.
You will find that God’s purpose is that we are called to be the body of Christ. We are called as a body. Why a body? Because our Christ is so rich that it takes the whole body to contain the unsearchable riches of Christ.
Why the body? Because our Christ is so glorious that it takes the whole body to manifest His glory.
We are not called to be an organization, a human organization or institution. We are called to be an organism, a living organism.
We do not join an organization and become a member. In this body of Christ, there is no membership in the human sense. You do not join. You cannot join. There is no way, even if you want to join it. You have to be born into it.
The membership is all the members of the body of Christ. If you are born into the body of Christ, you are a member. There is no membership in the human sense. And all who are born from above are born into that one body.
Back in the nineteenth century, there in Dublin, Ireland, was a dentist, Dr. Cronin. Now, this Dr. Cronin loved the Lord very much. He not only loved the Lord, but he really loved God’s people.
When he first moved to Dublin, Ireland, he began to visit his brethren in the Lord. One Sunday he would go to one church and try to meet with the brothers and sisters there.
After he had met with them for a few weeks or a few months, the pastor said, “Well, Dr. Cronin, it is so good that you meet with us, and we would like you to be a member of our church.”
Dr. Cronin said, “I am sorry. I do love to meet with you, but I do not feel I can join your church as a member.” “Well, if you are not a member, you are not welcome.” So Dr. Cronin had to find another church.
He went to another church and began to meet with the brothers and sisters there. He was happy with them. Then, after a few Sundays, again the pastor came and said, “Dr. Cronin, you are most welcome to be with us, but we would like you to be a member of our church.”
Dr. Cronin said, “I am sorry. I cannot join any organization. I really want to be one with all the brothers and sisters.” “Well, you are not welcome.”
So I think he had been to various places. Finally, he had nowhere to go. He wanted to be one with all the brothers and sisters, but no brothers and sisters would have him if he wanted to be one with all. Everyone wanted him to be one with a few, but not with all.
So Dr. Cronin had nowhere to go. Finally, thank God, God raised up another couple with the same thought that he had, so they began to meet together in their home. You know, this is the beginning of the Brethren movement.
Brothers and sisters, why do we so gather? There are so many gatherings. Why do we need to have another one? What is the justification?
Why should we not join ourselves with some denominational church and be a member there? Or why do we not join ourselves with an independent fellowship group? Why should we be gathered in this way? Probably, if we gather in this way, we will be rejected by all. Why?
There is one reason: we believe that God has called us to be one body.
Colossians 3 says that we are called in one body. In Ephesians 2, you find God has put the Gentiles and the Jews together and reconciled them in one body unto God by the cross.
We believe in the oneness of the body of Christ. We believe that God’s people must not be divided. We believe that we should not be separated into sects. We stand on the ground of the unity of the body of Christ.
We want to open our hearts to all God’s people. Whoever Christ receives, we want to receive, because they are our brothers and sisters. This is the only ground on which we feel we can meet.
We do not pretend, nor are we presumptuous enough to say that we are the body of Christ. We are not. Or that we are the church. We are not. Because the body of Christ includes all God’s people. The church includes all God’s saints.
We are but a few, and yet we do testify to the fact that the body is one. Therefore, we meet together on the ground of the oneness of the body of Christ.
We do not meet on the ground of any special doctrine, any special form, or under any special name. We gather together in the name of our Lord Jesus and on the ground of the unity of the body of Christ.
There is no membership here. If you are the Lord’s, you are a member of the body of Christ. You do not need to join. You are in, because you are in the body of Christ. Is that not wonderful?
In order to fulfill that calling—that we are one body—dear brothers and sisters, how we need to diligently keep the unity of the Spirit in the uniting bond of peace.
We do thank God that He has given us the unity of the Spirit. It is given to all God’s people:
One body, and one Spirit, even as also ye were called in one hope of your calling;
one Lord, one faith, one baptism,
one God and Father of all, Who is over all, and through all, and in all.
Brothers and sisters, all who really believe in the Lord Jesus have the unity of the Spirit in them. Let us keep it diligently.
We will meet our brothers and sisters only on this ground. We will not meet our brothers and sisters on grounds other than Christ.
If we diligently keep the unity of the Spirit in the uniting bond of peace, if we are willing to fellowship with all our brothers and sisters, if we are willing to tolerate all differences—thank God for all the differences, because differences and varieties bring fullness—then we will be open to one another.
If we are not closed to one another, if we do not insist upon our own way but are willing to consider one another, we believe that God is able to work in us until we may all arrive at the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a full-grown man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. Then we will not be like babes, tossed and carried about.
We believe that, and because we believe that, we gather in this way.
Not only do we gather together on the ground of the unity of the body of Christ, but we believe that it is God’s will that we who are so gathered should express Christ together.
In other words, what is the church? The church is a corporate expression of Christ.
In 1 Corinthians 12:12, it is said:
Though we are many, yet we are one. Though there are many members, yet there is only one body. One body, and yet many members; so also is the Christ.
In other words, Christ wants to express Himself in a corporate way through the body. That is the reason why we are so gathered. We want to express Christ together.
It is true that every one of us has some expression of Christ. That ought to be. Every one of us ought to express Christ in some way. But to express Christ fully takes all God’s people.
By the Holy Spirit, Christ dwells in our hearts by faith, that we may be rooted and grounded in love, that we may be able to apprehend with all the saints the breadth, the length, the depth, and the height—the love of God in Christ Jesus.
Dear brothers and sisters, why do we gather together? We gather together to express Christ together, so that Christ may be expressed in a fuller way.
In order that we may express Christ together, we have to be built up together.
We are living stones. But living stones scattered around are a picture of ruin. Living stones piled together into a heap do not make it less ruinous.
Living stones have to be built up together organically in order to be a holy habitation of God.
God cannot live in just one stone. That one stone may be a monument, but not a house. God cannot live under a heap; that would be a grave. God can only live in a house. The living stones have to be built up together.
Oh, brothers and sisters, I see heaps after heaps after heaps. I see the church of the dead, not the church of the living.
I remember years ago when I was in England, I went to see that famous Westminster Abbey. As I walked in Westminster Abbey and through the whole place—it is a big church, a cathedral—my feeling was that this is the church of the dead, not the church of the living.
Why? Because every step you take, you step upon a dead man. They bury the dead on the floor. They bury the dead in the rooms. Everywhere, even on the walls, you find the names there. It is the church of the dead, not the church of the living. It is a heap, not a house.
Why has God gathered us together? Is it that we may be piled one upon another and remain as we are?
You know, we can pile upon one another and remain as we are. If I have a corner up here, I can pile with you, and the corner may never be cut. And this is what it is. You will find many gatherings of God’s people, but all these corners remain forever.
When you feel uncomfortable, you move. You are never touched.
No, no. Let us be built together to express Christ.
For us to be built together, dear brothers and sisters, I will give you three “Cs”: commitment, crisis, and cross.
If we really want to be built up together, we need to be committed. I think that is evident. You must be committed not only to the Lord, but committed to your brothers and sisters.
Now, the clever ones never commit themselves. “Do not get so close. If you get so close, you may be burned.” Well, thank God for the fire. Are we committed?
If you are really committed, dear brothers and sisters, crisis will come. You will not have a peaceful time.
If you want to have a restful time, go to the theater. Now, I am not telling you to go to the theater. If you go to church—real church—remember, crisis will come into your life.
Very soon you will find a crisis hits you. You will begin to feel, “This brother—oh, terrible! That sister—impossible!” You will encounter some crisis in your life.
When crisis comes, well, that is the third “C”: cross. Are you willing to deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow the Lord?
This is the only way that we can really be built together. Dear brothers and sisters, why is there not more building up among God’s people? You see lots of gatherings, but very little building. Why?
Because we are not committed. Because we try to evade all the crises. Because we escape the cross. That is why.
Oh, that we may see. The reason why we are so gathered is that we want to express Christ properly. We want Him to dwell and have His satisfaction and rest in us.
We want to be built up together. And to be built up together, brothers and sisters, it does require these three “Cs.” Now, do you have them?
In order to express Christ, we must not only be built up together, but we need to function together.
You find in 1 Peter 2:5:
As we come to Christ, we are as living stones, being built up together into a spiritual house, a holy priesthood.
We are not only a spiritual house to express Christ. You know, when you go to a house, that house represents the owner of the house. It expresses the owner’s taste and all these things. But you find that we are also the holy priesthood in the house.
Therefore, we gather together in order that we may function together. Every member, every part in the body, has its gift and grace that God has wonderfully given, and it is our responsibility that we all should work.
We do not gather together to listen to someone. We do not gather together to be served by a few. We gather together that we may all function as members of the body of Christ. This is why we are so gathered.
Do not consider yourself a stranger. In Ephesians 2, it says we are no longer strangers and sojourners, but we are of the household of God.
We are being built up together on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the cornerstone, that we may be a holy habitation of God. That is what we are.
So, we who gather together are all expected to function—not just a few functioning, but every member functioning according to the gift and grace that God has given to each, and functioning coordinately, not independently.
The beautiful picture of the priesthood is when the priests serve—not just one or two. We know that thousands and thousands of priests served in the temple. They served by turns, by courses, and they served together as one under the high priest.
There was no confusion, no disorder. Everything was orderly, directed by the high priest. Our Lord Jesus is our High Priest. The Holy Spirit represents the High Priest today on earth, and we are all priests.
We need to serve in the house of God as a priesthood under the direction of the Holy Spirit. Oh, how beautiful that will be. That is why we are gathered together.
Why do we gather together as the body of Christ? We all gather together to serve God.
We are not only a vessel; we are an instrument in God’s hand. As a vessel, we are to be filled with the fullness of Christ. As an instrument, we are to be used by God to bring in His kingdom, to bring His will upon the earth as it is in heaven, and to bring back the King.
Ephesians 3 says that to the principalities and authorities might be made known through the church the manifold wisdom of God. In Ephesians 6, we are told that we are to stand, to withstand, and then to stand for the will of God to be fulfilled.
That is why we are gathered here. We are gathered here to work together with God. We are here together to worship God, to minister unto the Lord together, to minister unto God’s people together, and even to minister to the world.
We are not here just having a leisurely time. Do you expect to go to heaven carrying all your luggage? Or do you expect to fight all your way up to heaven?
Is there any wound in your body? Are you so comfortable that you are intact?
Oh, brothers and sisters, why do we gather together? These are the reasons why we are so gathered.
May it please the Lord. May it be so. If we fail Him, God forgive us. We will be removed, and God will raise up other people for His testimony.
Through the centuries and the generations, even though the church of God has failed, God has never failed to have His testimony on this earth. There will be some faithful to Him. Oh, would to God that we may be ranked among those.
O Lord, have mercy upon us, in Thy precious name. Amen.