1. While Jesus is present when Christians gather in His name, the Bible also says He walks among the churches and will always be with believers, indicating He desires relationship with individuals as well as groups. 2. God wants to dwell with His people individually and collectively. Jesus promises to be with believers always, even until the end of the age. 3. Those who are not Christians can still find God's presence when gathering with other believers seeking truth, as Jesus draws all people to Himself. God desires relationship with all people.

1. …for where two or
three are gathered
together in My
name, I am there in
the midst of them.

2. Matthew 18
if your brother sins
15 “Moreover
against you, go and tell him his fault
between you and him alone. If he
hears you, you have gained your brother.

3. Jesus the Rabbi/Leviticus 19
17 ‘Youshall not hate your brother in your heart.
You shall surely rebuke your neighbour,
and not bear sin because of him.18 You shall
not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against
the children of your people, but you shall
love your neighbour as yourself:
I am the LORD.

4. Jesus the Rabbi/Matthew
22/Deuteronomy 6:5/Leviticus 19:18
36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in
the law?” 37 Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love
the LORD your God with all your heart, with all
your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This
is the first and great commandment.
39 Andthe second is like it: ‘You shall love
your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 On these
two commandments hang all the Law and the
Prophets.”

5. Lightfoot, Commentary on the New Testament from the
Talmud and Hebraica

6. loving your neighbour
rebuking your
neighbour

8. Love covers all sins
And above all things have fervent love for one
another, for “love will cover a multitude of sins.” [1
Peter 4:8]
Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all sins.
[Proverbs 10:12]
For I say, through the grace given to me, to
everyone who is among you, not to think of
himself more highly than he ought to think, but to
think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a
measure of faith. Romans 12:3]

10. Don’t overlook serious habitual sin
“If there is found among you, within any of your gates which the LORD your God gives
you, a man or a woman who has been wicked in the sight of
the LORD your God, in transgressing His covenant, who has gone and
served other gods and worshiped them, either the sun or
moon or any of the host of heaven, which I have not commanded, and it is told you,
and you hear of it, then you shall inquire diligently. And if it is indeed true and certain
that such an abomination has been committed in Israel, then you shall bring out to
your gates that man or woman who has committed that wicked thing, and shall stone
to death that man or woman with stones. Whoever is deserving of death shall be put
to death on the testimony of two or three witnesses; he
shall not be put to death on the testimony of one
witness. The hands of the witnesses shall be the first against him to put him to
death, and afterward the hands of all the people. So you shall put away the evil from
among you. [Deuteronomy 17:2-7]

12. Do respect others’ “measure of
faith”/1 John 2
12 I write to you, little children,
Because your sins are forgiven you for His name’s sake.
13 I write to you, fathers,
Because you have known Him who is from the beginning.
I write to you, young men,
Because you have overcome the wicked one.
I write to you, little children,
Because you have known the Father.
14 I have written to you, fathers,
Because you have known Him who is from the beginning.
I have written to you, young men,
Because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you,
And you have overcome the wicked one.

13. Matthew 18
16 But if he will not hear, take with you one or
by the mouth of
two more, that ‘
two or three witnesses every
word may be established.’
[cf Deuteronomy 17:2-7]

14. Matthew 18
17 And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to
the church [εκκλησία from LXX].
But if he refuses even to hear the church,
let him be to you like a heathen
and a tax collector.

15. Case study/1 Corinthians 5
1 It
is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and
such sexual immorality as is not even named among the Gentiles—that
a man has his father’s wife! 2 And you are puffed up,
and have not rather mourned, that he who has done this deed might
be taken away from among you. 3 For I indeed, as absent in body but
present in spirit, have already judged (as though I were present) him
who has so done this deed. 4 In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
when you are gathered together, along with my spirit, with the power
deliver such a one to
of our Lord Jesus Christ, 5
Satan for the destruction of the flesh,
that his spirit may be saved in the day
of the Lord Jesus.

16. Case study/2 Corinthians 2
5 Butif anyone has caused grief, he has not grieved me, but all of you
to some extent—not to be too severe. 6 This punishment
which was inflicted by the majority is sufficient for such a
man, 7 so that, on the contrary, you ought rather to forgive
and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one be swallowed up with
too much sorrow. 8 Therefore I urge you to reaffirm your love to
him. 9 For to this end I also wrote, that I might put you to the test,
whether you are obedient in all things.10 Now whom you forgive
anything, I also forgive. For if indeed I have forgiven anything, I
have forgiven that one for your sakes in the presence of Christ, 11 lest
Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his
devices.

17. Matthew 18
18 “Assuredly, I say to you, whatever
you
bind on earth will be bound in
heaven, and whatever you loose on
earth will be loosed in heaven.

18. Matthew 16
13 When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His
disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?” 14 So they
said, “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of
the prophets.” 15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon
Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living
God.” 17 Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah,
for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in
heaven. 18 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I
will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail
against it. 19 And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and
whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven,
and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in
heaven.”
20 Then He commanded His disciples that they should tell no one that He was
Jesus the Christ.

19. Matthew 18
19 “Again [see Matthew 16:19] I say to you that
if two of you agree on earth
concerning anything that they ask, it
will be done for them by My Father in
heaven…

20. Matthew 18
…For where two or
20
three are gathered
together in My name, I
am there in the midst of
them.”

21. Is Jesus only
with courts of
the church?

22. God desires to be with us!/Psalm 132
13 For the LORD has chosen Zion;
He has desired it for His dwelling place:
14 “This is My resting place forever;
Here I will dwell, for I have desired it.
15 I will abundantly bless her provision;
I will satisfy her poor with bread.
16 I will also clothe her priests with salvation,
And her saints shall shout aloud for joy.
17 There I will make the horn of David grow;
I will prepare a lamp for My Anointed.
18 His enemies I will clothe with shame,
But upon Himself His crown shall flourish.”

23. Jesus is with us/Revelation 2
1 “To the angel of the church of Ephesus write,
‘These things says He who holds the seven
stars in His right hand, who walks in
the midst of the seven
golden lampstands.

24. Jesus will always be with us/Matthew
28
20 teachingthem to observe all things that I have commanded
I am with you
you; and lo,
always, even to the end of the age.”
Amen.

25. Question 1
Can you be a solo Christian?

26. Question 2
What if you’re not a Christian?