Sermon Outlines

By Frederick F. Schwindt, Evangelist

GOD'S REGARD FOR THE ASSEMBLY OF HIS PEOPLE

1. What is the most inspiring scene of human association?
   1. An assembly of legislators, who meet and enact good laws!
   2. An assembly of philosophers is interesting too!
2. But, according to our text, the assembly of God's children surpasses them all. To this our text immediately directs our attention:

1. God loves the dwelling of His people:
   1. He made a hedge about the home of Job - Job 1:10
   2. The angel of the Lord guards the homes of God's children - Ps. 34:7; that was Lot's experience - Gen. 19:1-11
   3. God's love for dwellings of His people is implied in our opening text itself "The Lord loveth more"; that indicates that the difference of God's love is by degrees, but it remains that He loves the dwellings of His people.
2. The glorious declaration "He loveth the gates more" indicates the attachment of the Lord to the house of God:
   1. To be in the congregation of God's people was one of the first and most important provisions in the construction of the sanctuary - Ex. 25:8; 29:46
   2. God communed with Israel from the mercy seat - Ex. 25:17, 22
   3. The Saviour promised to meet with His people even if only two or three are gathered together - Matt. 18:20
   4. Mal. 3:16 is a wonderful commentary to our subject - "Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another; and the Lord hearkened and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord and thought upon his name."

1. The motive of such assemblies:
   1. Worship - this is and ever should be the chief reason for the assembly of the people -
      1. It is a perpetual motive; it will never cease to be - Isa. 66:23
      2. It is the very life of God's people - Ps. 95:6; 99:5, 9
   2. It is one of God's communication centers where He will make known His holy will - Ex. 25:22
2. To share the blessing of the Lord with one another is still another incentive for God's special favor of the gates of Zion:
   1. That is the way God approved to encourage one another in the way of life - 1 Cor. 14:12; Eph. 4:11-18
   2. Communion prayer is another good reason for God's special favor.
   3. Think of what such prayer meetings have accomplished?
      1. On the day of Pentecost - Acts 1:13-16; 2:1-16
      2. In time of severe persecution - Acts 4:23-31; 12:12
3. To make united plans for carrying on the work of the Lord:
   1. That was done in the days of the apostles - Acts 15:6-30
   2. What would happen to the Advent Movement without such assemblies?
   3. "Where no counsel is, the people fall; but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety." - Prov. 11:14; 24:6
4. These and other good reasons should convince us that God has a special blessing for His people who assemble in the gates of Zion to reverence the Lord and think on His wonderful name: