Rifle Adventist Church Sermon Notes
Series: The Need of Fellowship / Matthew 18:20
More than One
Matthew 18:20 ESV
For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.”
a common used verse for when churches have low attendance
Assembled for a common reason
If two or three stand in the same 10 foot radius, are they συνάγω?
This is just a group of people. there’s no necessary rhyme or reason to them all standing around
that’s not the word the bible authors use here. the word you’re thinking of is πρασιαὶ.
Mark 6:40 ESV
So they sat down in groups, by hundreds and by fifties.
This wasn’t an intentially meeting together for something that united them. they’re just a group. i mean. they were all hungry, i suppose
Not always a good thing
if the commonality is for bad
Matthew 28:12 ESV
And when they had assembled with the elders and taken counsel, they gave a sufficient sum of money to the soldiers
Mat 28:12-14 “And when they had assembled with the elders and taken counsel, they gave a sufficient sum of money to the soldiers and said, “Tell people, ‘His disciples came by night and stole him away while we were asleep.’ And if this comes to the governor’s ears, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.””
A coming together is to be united, but unity is not the metric for being aligned to the will of god.
it’s not enough to want a united church, we must have the right thing in common
The Modern Problem
commentary on how we water down unity and purpose
commentary on the need for forgiveness and letting go resentment in order to achieve true unity
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