Why Do We Have Meetings?
Sermon • Submitted • Presented
0 ratings
· 2 viewsNotes
Transcript
18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; Though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
Introduction.
Introduction.
Bro. Darrell Ward Saturday morning
In this text God is calling His people together for a conference. He wants to have what we would call a “meeting”.
God’s people have always gathered together. The Patriarchs built altars and worshipped with their families and servants. When they died the Bible says they were “gathered with their people”.
The Tabernacle in the wilderness was called “The Tabernacle of the Congregation” or “Assembly”.
The Israelites had seven feasts, during which they gathered at the Tabernacle and later the Temple to worship. “Solemn Assemblies”.
God has always had a gathering of the people.
We know that the true gathering today, is to Christ. He is God’s provided place of worship.
10 The sceptre 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.
5 But unto the place which the Lord your God shall choose out of all your tribes to put his name there, even unto his habitation shall ye seek, and thither thou shalt come:
But He said, “I’ll choose the place to put My Name.” And the Name was Jesus. And Jesus is the Word, Saint John 1. Is that right? That’s the place of worship, in Christ the Word. “I come in My Father’s Name.” 65-1128M — God's Only Provided Place Of Worship
“In My Name they shall cast out devils!” That’s the Name of the Father. He put His Name in Jesus Christ. And in Him He meets, to worship. In Him He meets, to cast out devils. In Him He meets, to heal the sick. In Him He meets, to save. In Him He meets, to save, fill with the Holy Ghost. That’s God’s only place to meet people for worship. 65-0425 — God's Provided Place Of Worship
When and where will the people of God gather for the last Word? In Christ. Yep! For the last day, they’ll gather in Christ. Don’t forget that now. We got a gathering place; we got it just exactly. 64-0830E — Questions And Answers #4
This does not take away our desire to gather together and have a meeting.
25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
In the Book of Acts the disciples gathered almost constantly.
46 And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,
Catholicism killed the assembling of the faithful and swapped it for church councils, where the laity was not involved, not even the priests, just the Bishops and Cardinals, and Masses where the people simply watched the Priest and obeyed orders.
The Ephesian church lost it’s first love.
But there’s something I got against you, and that is that you’ve left your first love. You left that love that you once had for them good, old-fashioned, Holy Ghost meetings, and you’re begin to kind of slide backwards into that formal, come in with ‘Our Father…’” Nonsense! 60-1205 — The Ephesian Church Age
Methodism really brought back the idea of having a conference, or meeting. Wesley himself preached with George Whitefield in the open air. Ever since then Evangelicals have held protracted meetings, conferences, conventions and revival services.
Bro. Branham held meetings all over the country for at least 20 years, in all sorts of tents, halls, churches, theatres, motels and restaurants.
He also held meetings in his local church.
In his first meeting back at Jeffersonville he gave us a definition for revival:
Israel and the Church series:
A revival, to my opinion, doesn’t consist of, well, bringing in new members. A revival doesn’t consist of a bunch of conversions, although those things go along with a revival. But a revival is “to revive what you’ve already got,” just to get them revived. 53-0325 — Israel And The Church #1
Mark of the Beast/Seal of God Series:
And these type of services, if God willing, is not directed to the…It’s directed to the Church, for the benefit of the Church, where we feel that it’s so greatly needed at the time, everywhere, is, too, for the edifying of the Body of Christ. 54-0512 — The Seven Church Ages
Easter 1957
And seemingly good in our soul that we return again tonight to begin another one of those old-fashion revivals where sinners call out for mercy, and where the backslider makes things right with God again. And the Holy Spirit is the main Person in the meeting, Who takes hold and rules, and brings to us the Bread of Life through the Word.
And we pray that He’ll minister to us night after night in this revival, heal the sick and the needy, sanctify every believer, and get glory out of these efforts that we put forth. 57-0417 — The Second Coming Of The Lord
Holy Ghost series:
And I believe that we are so close to the Coming of the Lord Jesus, that it behooves us to do all that we possibly can to bring every soul to the Kingdom, and to bring the Kingdom to the people, that we might be healed of our spirits. 59-1216 — What Is The Holy Ghost?
Bro. Branham preaches the church ages and seals as meetings in his church as well.
The first Message meetings were really the meetings in the Junior High School in Jeffersonville where he preached Marriage and Divorce. Several thousand people gathered in that meeting to hear the Word, not for healing.
We don’t come together to hear a new Message, but we rally around the Message that has already been revealed.
Why go to the trouble and expense to have meetings here at Word of Life Tabernacle?
Why go to the trouble and expense to have meetings here at Word of Life Tabernacle?
1. Fellowship
1. Fellowship
This is one way we have found to have fellowship with our brothers and sisters.
Fellowship isn’t trivial, we were born to fellowship.
1 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brethren to dwell together in unity!
2 It is like the precious ointment upon the head, That ran down upon the beard, even Aaron’s beard: That went down to the skirts of his garments;
3 As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: For there the Lord commanded the blessing, Even life for evermore.
(Bro. Branham and the Bears)
Oh, my! They like to make things rattle. They are Pentecostal, to the core, that way. So they just like…They just love that. So they get in and knock a stove pipe down, and just mash it up. Now, talking about noise, well, I better leave that alone.
I can prove, anything that hasn’t got emotion in it is dead. So if your religion ain’t got a little emotion in it, you’d better bury it, and get something. You have to have emotion to be alive.
(We have shown both sides of this) (Bear making noise. Pistol and the tree)
But, however, this little old bear, the little fellow had got his paw, and got this bucket open. They love sweet stuff, you know. And he got his little paw in this molasses bucket. He didn’t know how to eat it with his hands, so he just smear them and lick, you know. Then he would smear and lick, after he had got the bucket all sopped out.
I said, “Get out of there.” I kept hollering at him. He wouldn’t even turn. And after he got the bucket sopped out, he turned around, looked at me. And he couldn’t get his eyes open, you know. From the top of his ears, plumb down his little belly, he was just full of molasses.
I thought, “That’s right. There’s no condemnation. That’s just like a good old pentecostal meeting. When you get your hand right down in the molasses bucket, or honey jar, up to your elbows, and just shouting, praising God, I don’t care what goes on, you don’t hear it.
But, you know, the strange thing was, after he got over it, and the rest of them standing out there scolding him; when he got over there, the rest of them had fellowship. They all licked him.
Now, them people that didn’t attend this meeting, they can just lick your molasses, at the…see, after it’s over. All right. 63-0607 — Be Not Afraid
2. To Serve Others
2. To Serve Others
Eternal life is living for others. It ought to be the greatest privilege in our lives to serve our brothers and sisters in the Lord.
10 As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.
Now, the first thing I want to say, is, Jesus never lived for Himself. His life was spent for others. That’s, perfectly, Eternal Life. When you say you go to church, and you do good things, that’s fine. But when you live your life to yourself, you haven’t Eternal Life.
Eternal Life, is living for others. It proved it when It come in the Lamb of God. He lived, and had Eternal Life, because He did not live for Himself. He lived for others. And you receive Eternal Life, by receiving that day, and you don’t live for yourself no more. You live for others. 60-0925 — That Day On Calvary
3. Atmosphere
3. Atmosphere
We want to experience the presence of the Pillar of Fire among us.
1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.
And how did this great Pillar of Fire, the Angel of God, the Logos that went out of God, that led the children of Israel through the wilderness…When It come among the people, It separated Itself, and great licks of fire begin to come upon each one as the Pillar of Fire begin to break up, and to—God dividing Himself among His people…
Oh, that ought to tear the heart out of anybody. God tearing Himself apart, that He might divide Himself a little bit with each one of us, that all together…You see what it means?
Can you see now why I’m standing for unity of every church, every full gospel church, every believer? We ought to be one heart, one mind, and one accord. No matter how much we different in the Scriptures; that might be…One might see this that way, or—that has nothing to do with it.
But in principle, we ought to stand, one great, mighty, army of God marching on, because each one of you in your peculiarity, God has proved that He’s ignoring your doctrine, because He give you the Holy Ghost. And the Bible said, “He gave them the Holy Ghost that obeyed Him.”
Now, if I obeyed Him in my peculiar way, and you obeyed Him in your peculiar way, He give us both the Holy Ghost, so we ought to be Christian brethren and sister enough, to arm up together and march on for one great purpose, the Gospel. 60-0304 — Thirsting For Life
Speaking about Communion:
But now when we come together in this way, there God comes down. And the communion table is, actually, break, broken, bodies of the Body of the Lord that we separate among us. Now, that is the literal Body, of the bread that we break, representing the Body of Christ.
Did you notice on the Day of Pentecost, what a great thing we have there? That, God, Who led the children of Israel through the wilderness, He, that great Pillar of Fire. And on the Day of Pentecost, this great Fire fell, and then divided Itself among His people.
Oh, to think how that He wants us to sit together in Heavenly places, then, each one enjoying that warmth of the Fire of the Holy Spirit. “Cloven tongues set upon them like Fire, licks of Fire,” God dividing Hisself amongst the Church. Oh, wouldn’t that, though, just set our hearts burning. That’s when we can come together in Heavenly places. 63-0122 — Remembering The Lord
Now, you see, we are not a divided people, we’ve got to be in unity, because each one of us holding a part of God. And we must come together, and then the Pillar of Fire is manifested in the wholeness, in the fulness of It;
...when His Church sets together in Heavenly places, then the fulness of the power of God is in His Church. Each one of us holding spiritual gifts and spiritual offices, coming together, brings that Pillar of Fire back again. 63-1201M — An Absolute
It takes the Spirit of God to bring Life, and that Life must not come out of just the intellectual revival. It’s got to come out of the Bible, Word revival, and that Word is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
And when It falls today, and quickens, you get the same results you did in Acts 2. Exactly. It always has, and it always will be, because it’s the Spirit of God that conditions the atmosphere.
It takes atmosphere to do things. That’s the reason you men are always taught, “Bring your children here.” Well, certainly that’s right. I was glad to see my daughter, Rebekah, come in and sit down, just a few minutes ago.
Some of you seen me wink at a woman, it was my daughter, so she come in and sat down. I want her to receive the baptism of the Spirit, and that’s why she is here in the meeting. That’s what the purpose of it. It takes atmosphere. 65-0123 — Broken Cisterns
4. Cleansing
4. Cleansing
Meetings like this are for the church.
16 Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil;
17 Learn to do well; Seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, Judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.
18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; Though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
Lake Michigan:
I was standing out there watching the waves as they would come in, and, oh, that sea was a jumping, or the waters a jumping, and the boats a rocking. And I thought, “What is that going on?” I thought, “Why, the lake is having a revival.”
That’s it. It jumping and shaking, why? There is a rushing mighty wind coming down on it. I thought, “Well, you know what? There isn’t one more drop of water in it right now than what it was when it was perfectly still.”
No more water in it; it’s just all stirred up. Well, now, what’s it stirred up about? You know what a stirring up of the water does? Washes all the trash out of it, up on the bank.
That’s what we need, a washing of unbelief out, on the bank. Let the Word of God have preeminence. That’s what we need, a revival, and wash all the unbelief out, and all the bugs and superstitions, and things. Come out and see that God is still God. That’s what we have revivals for. 64-0618 — The Presence Of God Unrecognized
And then I think, “That’s like the lake having a revival.” See? It shakes it, and jumps it, and jerks it around, until all of the dross gets out.
That’s just the way a revival is, is to let us come into the Spirit of the Lord, and rejoice, and make wrongs right, and a closer walk, and reconsecration, and dedication, until all the things and doubts of the world are all throwed out onto the bank, you see.
Then it’s a good, clear running, from then on, when the old ship of life begins to stir through it. Oh, you don’t have to watch so much, because everything is out of the way. That’s good. 59-0525 — Images Of Christ
5. Practicing For Heaven
5. Practicing For Heaven
And so, but in a group like this it’s the closest place to Heaven that there is on earth. When here we are setting together this morning, we are already dead, that job is done over, and we are buried, that’s right, all buried, and then we are, not only that, but we are risen again.
We are raised and in Christ in His resurrection, we are part of it. And now we’re assembling together in Heavenly places in Christ Jesus. See? We are in Him by baptism, see, “By one Spirit all baptized in one Body,” and here we are, now assembled, the Body of the Lord Jesus. 62-0609B — Show Us The Father And It Will Sufficeth Us
11 Therefore the redeemed of the Lord shall return, And come with singing unto Zion; And everlasting joy shall be upon their head: They shall obtain gladness and joy; And sorrow and mourning shall flee away.
Man complaining about the noise:
This is the quietest place you’re ever live. I’ll tell you that. Cause if you go to hell there’ll be weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth.
If you go to Heaven, why, even the Angels don’t stop, day and night, screaming, ‘Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty.’ See? Why, such, ‘Hallelujahs!’ and, ‘Amens!’ and, ‘Praise the Lord!’: well, you never heard such, till you hear that meeting up There.” 64-0619 — Perseverant
What did we do in the mind of God? How did we act?
God asked Job, where were you?
7 When the morning stars sang together, And all the sons of God shouted for joy?
Conclusion
Conclusion
But let us purpose in our heart, today, that in commemoration and waiting for that Tabernacle to come, that we will so characterize ourself by His Spirit, that we will worship in this place as if we were in that other Place, waiting for that Place to come. 63-0317M — God Hiding Himself In Simplicity, Then Revealing Himself In The Same