0636. Christ in the Midst Hearing

Christ in the Midst Hearing

"For where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them" (Mat_18:20).

1. Who hath despised the day of small things? God is not dependent on the great multitudes. He is in the midst of the few. Describe Gideon and his battle. He began with 32,000 and then the number was cut down to 10,000 and then still cut down to 300. Yet with Christ in the midst as the leader of the hosts, there is victory–and God gets the glory.

Jonathan says to the young man that bears his armor, "Come and let us go over unto the garrison of these uncircumcised, for it may be that the Lord will work for us: for there is no restraint to the Lord to save by many or by few" (1Sa_14:6). And so it was that the victory against great hordes of the Philistines was given to two men. What multitudes feared to attempt, God and two men accomplished. And this is still true. It is not in numbers, nor in human strength, but, "Where two or three are gathered together."

When a man is clothed with God, then "one shall chase a thousand, or two shall put ten thousand to flight."

2. The great thought is, however, not the "two or three," but Christ in the midst of the two or the three. This is God’s gracious promise to the ones whom He has sent. "Go * * and lo, I am with thee" (Mat_28:18-19).

If Christ is in the house all is well, but if He is not, they labor in vain who build.

Let our chief concern be to have Christ in the midst. With Him, all things are possible, without Him, all must fail.

3. And with whom does Christ say: "I will be in the midst"? With those who have great church edifices, and magnificent choirs, and magnificent equipment? No. With those who are learned and gifted and possessed of great oratorical gifts? No. It is with the two or the three gathered together in His name.

(1) Christ cannot be with those who are unclean. "Be ye clean, that bear the vessels of the Lord." "The Lord thy God is walking in the midst of thy camp, therefore must thy camp be holy, that He see no unclean thing in thee and turn away from thee."

(2) Christ cannot be with those who are mixing and mingling with the world. "Wherefore come ye out from among them, saith the Lord and touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you." If Christ is to dwell with us, we must go outside the camp and bear His reproach.

(3) Christ cannot be with those who lean upon the arm of flesh. "It is not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit saith the Lord of Hosts."

Autor: R.E. NEIGHBOUR