Wow! Well we're just so happy
to invite you to join with us
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as we begin the Sabbath here
in West Frankfort, Illinois.
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We're at the
beautiful Worship Center 3ABN...
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has been built by you: those of
you that support this ministry.
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And we've just been praising
God here since Wednesday night.
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It's been a
tremendous time, hasn't it?
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This is meeting #15, if you
can believe it or not - Wow! -
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and we still have a full
day to go. And each sermon has
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been powerful and
pointed and very practical.
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And the music has been
really, really wonderful.
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This has been a great Camp
Meeting, and were we to stop
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just now I think it
would be one of our best.
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But we've got one
more full day to go
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and a lot of
blessings in store. Wow!
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And we just are looking
forward to this whole weekend.
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And every single
message has been anointed.
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We have felt the power
of the Holy Spirit here
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when we've been in the
back praying with the speakers.
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It's just amazing.
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I heard from Lonnie
Melashenko today. He called me
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back to tell me
what a blessing it was
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for him to be here
with this congregation.
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And he was at...
picking out some flowers
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for the service they
will have for his father
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when he called me. So
keep the Melashenko family
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in your prayers. You
know, Jim, I met Colin and Judy.
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They are from England - OK -
and they came all the way over
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just for this Camp Meeting. I
don't know where they are seated
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but Colin said - There they are
right here. They are right down
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front - that 3ABN was
instrumental in his coming back
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to the Lord - Amen - coming back
to the church, and so he came
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to be with us. So Colin and
Judy, you've come a long way.
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God bless you both.
Right. And we're so happy that
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you're here and we want
to hear more about your story
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some time because... I know you
were able to share some of it
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with Danny and
he was real excited
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when he heard about your story.
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So God bless you and we're...
again, welcome to Illinois.
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Well listen, our
brother John is going to sing.
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Indeed! He's going to be
singing Your Grace Amazes Me.
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And then, of course,
our speaker is Ty Gibson.
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All right. And we know
Ty. We all know that he's
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the co-director
along with James Rafferty
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of a fantastic ministry. What's
the title of that ministry?
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Lightbearers
Ministry. That's right... OK!
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And it's so tremendous I
forgot the title... but...
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But he's also very
active here on 3ABN.
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And we enjoy so much
being with James and Ty.
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They were wonderful men.
They love the Lord Jesus with
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all of their hearts but
they're real people. Um-hmm.
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Real people who
enjoy life, enjoy...
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You heard this morning when Ty
was telling a little bit about
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how he got James
involved with romance
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and that's how much... These
guys have a great relationship.
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They really do. And I
wish some more of us had better
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relationships with each other.
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But... What are you
trying to say, Gilley?
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As I tell people
"We have the same father
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just a different
mother. " All right? Um-hmm.
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John, are you ready? OK...
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My faithful Father,
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enduring Friend,
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Your tender mercy's
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like a river
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with no end.
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It overwhelms me,
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covers my sin.
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Each time I come into
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Your presence I stand in wonder
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once again.
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Your grace
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still amazes me.
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Your love
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is still a mystery.
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Each day
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I fall on my knees...
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Your grace
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still amazes me...
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Your grace
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still amazes me.
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O patient Savior,
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You make me whole.
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You are the author
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and the healer
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of my soul.
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What can I give You?
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Lord, what can I say?
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I know there's no way
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to repay You...
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only to offer You
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my praise.
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Your grace
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still amazes me.
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Your love
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is still a mystery.
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Each day
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I fall on my knees...
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Your grace
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still amazes me...
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Your grace
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still amazes me.
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It's deeper,
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it's wider,
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it's stronger,
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it's higher,
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it's deeper,
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it's wider,
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it's stronger
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and it's higher than anything
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my eyes can see.
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Your grace
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still amazes me.
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Your love
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is still a mystery.
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Each day
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I fall on my knees...
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Your grace
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still amazes me...
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Your grace
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still amazes
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me.
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Amen.
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Amen! I've said it
before and I'll say it again:
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I'd be willing to
max out a credit card
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and pay monthly
payments with 15% interest
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till the second coming
to sing like that brother.
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Well, good evening
everybody! Good evening!
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I'm so glad to be
here at... wait a minute...
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For the life of me
I can't remember the
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name of this ministry.
Hold on just a minute...
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Jim... what's the
name of your ministry?
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Hope Channel. The Hope
Channel... that's right.
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That's right... that's right.
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That fact is I'm very
happy to be here at 3ABN...
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mostly because of you and
secondarily because of Jim.
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I've been given the
privilege of speaking
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on an amazing subject.
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You saw the title, didn't you?
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The People He's Coming For.
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Now I want to clarify: I
wish the title of this message
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was: The People
For Whom He's Coming.
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But I'm not going to get into
the grammar of the preposition
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at the end of the
sentence. What I'm going to do
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is begin with a thesis statement
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right after we
offer a word of prayer.
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Father in heaven,
You are so incredible!
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The closer we get to You
the more our hearts race.
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We are literally excited
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by the prospect that soon
and very soon we will have
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the privilege of standing
in Your immediate presence.
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What grace, what
love, what acceptance
00:11:26.91\00:11:31.67
we will see in Your eyes.
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Thank you so much
for the opportunity
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to know You and to prepare
for the soon coming of Your Son
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who will usher us
into Your presence.
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Please, Father,
right now give me clarity.
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Help me to speak
effectively on Your behalf.
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May all my brothers and sisters
here and those who are viewing
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be blessed by the
breaking of the Bread of Life.
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In Jesus' name, Amen.
00:12:03.14\00:12:06.47
So my opening thesis
statement is simply this:
00:12:06.77\00:12:09.03
listen very carefully...
We're going to go in a direction
00:12:09.23\00:12:12.71
that might be a
little bit unexpected
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on a topic such as ours.
00:12:15.53\00:12:17.43
Thesis statement: the
second coming of Jesus
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is a matrimonial event.
00:12:21.62\00:12:25.10
The second coming of
Jesus is a matrimonial event.
00:12:26.55\00:12:30.54
Now we have
oftentimes specialized
00:12:30.94\00:12:34.86
in reducing the glorious
Biblical truth of the second
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advent to a negation argument
00:12:39.68\00:12:43.71
to proclaim what it's not.
00:12:44.21\00:12:47.94
In other words, we have
often reduced the second coming
00:12:48.14\00:12:51.85
to simply a doctrinal argument
regarding the fact that it's not
00:12:52.15\00:12:57.36
a secret rapture and
amassing the arsenal of texts
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from scripture to
point by point demonstrate
00:13:02.56\00:13:07.52
that fact. Now... it's important
00:13:07.82\00:13:11.94
for us to understand the manner
of the second coming of Jesus.
00:13:12.24\00:13:16.56
But listen very carefully now:
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not at the expense
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of
understanding why He's coming.
00:13:23.09\00:13:26.60
The truth of the second
advent of Christ is a positive
00:13:27.75\00:13:32.53
Biblical declaration. In
order for us to construct
00:13:32.73\00:13:37.76
our argument
against the secret rapture
00:13:37.96\00:13:41.31
we have to pool
various Bible verses -
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and it's a sound argument
- in order to piece by piece,
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line by line - prove our
point against what we know to be
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a false
doctrine. But the fact is
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if we focus on what it's not
00:14:00.65\00:14:03.53
to the exclusion of what it is,
00:14:03.73\00:14:06.56
our hearts are
robbed of the anticipation
00:14:06.87\00:14:11.96
of a beautiful event that
ought to have our hearts racing
00:14:12.06\00:14:17.68
and palpitating with excitement
for the prospect of Jesus
00:14:17.78\00:14:22.00
coming back in our lifetime.
00:14:22.10\00:14:24.72
Now I've stated that the second
coming is a matrimonial event.
00:14:25.22\00:14:29.83
Let me wrap additional
language around it so you know
00:14:29.93\00:14:32.86
exactly where I'm coming
from as we formulate the message
00:14:32.96\00:14:35.37
tonight. The
second coming of Jesus is
00:14:35.47\00:14:39.38
the consummation
of a great love story.
00:14:39.58\00:14:43.79
It's that climactic
point - the crescendo point -
00:14:45.19\00:14:49.61
of the ages
00:14:49.81\00:14:52.11
when human hearts that
have been knit together
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in deep love for the Savior
finally stand in His presence
00:14:57.78\00:15:02.98
and feel the affirmation
00:15:03.28\00:15:06.20
of a bride before her groom.
00:15:06.40\00:15:09.94
Jesus is looking to
form a corporate bride
00:15:10.34\00:15:15.43
to be prepared for His coming.
00:15:15.73\00:15:18.13
So the short answer to the
question regarding the people
00:15:18.44\00:15:22.48
for whom Jesus is
coming is simply this:
00:15:22.68\00:15:25.76
He's coming for a bride. He's
coming for a group of people -
00:15:25.97\00:15:29.99
a corporate body - who are head-
over-heels in love with Him.
00:15:30.19\00:15:33.86
He's coming for a
people whose hearts have been
00:15:34.36\00:15:39.29
growing and swelling
with excitement for who He is
00:15:39.39\00:15:43.98
as the divine lover of our souls
00:15:44.18\00:15:46.33
to the point that when He
comes He will look into our eyes
00:15:46.53\00:15:50.54
and there will be resonance.
He will see our acceptance
00:15:50.75\00:15:55.50
of Him, our love for
Him returning to His heart.
00:15:55.70\00:16:00.62
And what joy Jesus
Himself will experience
00:16:01.51\00:16:06.97
to be in the presence of
those who love Him like that.
00:16:07.27\00:16:11.01
Now in order to get into
the meat of this message tonight
00:16:11.41\00:16:16.79
I want you to begin with me
by allowing scripture to paint
00:16:16.89\00:16:21.27
for us a picture of
God's matrimonial aspirations
00:16:21.37\00:16:26.35
beginning with
the Song of Solomon.
00:16:27.51\00:16:29.56
No better place to begin.
00:16:29.66\00:16:31.24
Song of Solomon is one of
those books of the Bible -
00:16:31.54\00:16:33.93
one of a very
few... one of three -
00:16:34.13\00:16:36.50
that were under debate
during the period of time when
00:16:36.70\00:16:39.77
the canon of
scripture was being composed
00:16:39.87\00:16:42.51
that gave us the 66 books.
00:16:42.81\00:16:45.29
We almost ended up with just 65
00:16:45.59\00:16:47.80
because there were many scholars
who were arguing against
00:16:48.10\00:16:51.54
Song of Solomon being
included in scripture.
00:16:51.74\00:16:54.20
They just couldn't
understand why the Holy Spirit
00:16:55.06\00:16:59.68
would inspire a
love song such as this.
00:16:59.88\00:17:03.19
And so scholars
were arguing against
00:17:03.59\00:17:07.12
Song of Solomon being
included in scripture.
00:17:07.32\00:17:09.60
Praise God that
scholars who understood
00:17:10.50\00:17:15.54
the depth of God's love
for the human soul won out
00:17:15.84\00:17:18.87
in that argument and
now we have the privilege
00:17:18.97\00:17:21.77
of having this
sacred text at our disposal
00:17:21.80\00:17:24.59
and we need to
remember something about it.
00:17:24.89\00:17:27.81
Song of Solomon is
a part of scripture.
00:17:28.21\00:17:30.95
Because of this we understand
00:17:32.02\00:17:35.10
that all scripture is
given by inspiration of God
00:17:35.31\00:17:38.81
and is profitable. We
understand according to Peter
00:17:39.01\00:17:42.00
that holy men of old
spoke as they were moved upon
00:17:42.10\00:17:45.47
by the Holy Spirit.
So yes, Solomon composed
00:17:45.57\00:17:49.08
his book, the book
that bears his name.
00:17:50.14\00:17:52.17
Solomon composed
it, but he composed it
00:17:52.47\00:17:54.94
like all the other prophets:
under inspiration of the
00:17:55.14\00:17:57.33
Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit's
fingerprints are all over
00:17:57.43\00:18:01.21
this love song.
00:18:01.41\00:18:03.17
When we come to Song
of Solomon we see a basic
00:18:03.67\00:18:07.57
pattern that develops.
This is a song about a love
00:18:07.77\00:18:13.62
relationship between
Solomon and his girl.
00:18:13.72\00:18:16.83
She's called the Shulammite.
00:18:17.03\00:18:19.20
Solomon loves her and expresses
through various poetic means
00:18:19.90\00:18:25.85
his love for her.
She responds in the song
00:18:26.05\00:18:28.79
by expressing
her love back to him.
00:18:29.09\00:18:31.30
And it's just this beautiful
lyrical cadence back and forth.
00:18:31.51\00:18:35.30
"I love you. "
"No... I love you more. "
00:18:35.60\00:18:37.14
"You're beautiful, beyond
anything I've ever encountered
00:18:37.44\00:18:40.08
in this... " "No, you
are altogether lovely. "
00:18:40.18\00:18:43.72
Back and forth, back and forth.
00:18:44.02\00:18:45.46
Some of the most beautiful
lines not just in scripture
00:18:45.66\00:18:48.28
but in all of literature are
found in the Song of Solomon...
00:18:48.78\00:18:53.17
the Song of Solomon.
For example, at one point
00:18:53.27\00:18:56.00
the woman - the
Shulammite - looks at Solomon
00:18:57.36\00:19:00.84
and she says: "Your eyes
are pools of understanding. "
00:19:01.04\00:19:05.46
"You get me... you
understand me, Solomon,
00:19:06.51\00:19:10.01
and I'm affirmed in the fact
that when I look into your eyes
00:19:10.31\00:19:15.06
I feel understood. "
00:19:15.16\00:19:17.21
Another line that's
incredible in Song of Solomon
00:19:17.71\00:19:20.92
is when the Shulammite -
the woman - says to Solomon:
00:19:21.12\00:19:26.46
"You are my
lover and my friend. "
00:19:26.86\00:19:31.91
In other words, Solomon,
under the inspiration of the
00:19:32.31\00:19:36.20
Holy Spirit understood
that the pinnacle of love
00:19:36.30\00:19:40.05
is friendship,
mutuality, reciprocation.
00:19:40.35\00:19:45.37
The pinnacle of
love is when the person
00:19:46.50\00:19:50.24
your heart is reaching out to
00:19:50.44\00:19:52.94
you sense is
reaching back into your heart.
00:19:53.15\00:19:56.42
It's the most amazing thing
in the world to fall in love
00:19:56.72\00:19:59.48
with someone. It's
incredible on a whole new level
00:19:59.58\00:20:03.16
to realize they love you back.
00:20:03.36\00:20:06.45
That's the beauty
of the Song of Solomon.
00:20:06.75\00:20:10.03
Now this is incredible
because as we move through
00:20:10.24\00:20:13.03
this beautiful love
song going back and forth
00:20:13.23\00:20:16.02
we come to the point in the song
00:20:16.23\00:20:20.12
where God Himself is
introduced to us in chapter 8.
00:20:20.32\00:20:24.77
Chapter 8 of Song of Solomon,
coming to the last chapter,
00:20:25.21\00:20:30.54
don't miss this... this is
the part you're probably heard
00:20:30.77\00:20:32.85
in weddings: verse 6.
Notice that I'm going to read it
00:20:32.95\00:20:37.58
in the New King James version
00:20:37.61\00:20:39.70
and I'm going to call your
attention to a poor translation
00:20:39.90\00:20:43.81
in most versions and give
you something here that I think
00:20:44.01\00:20:48.13
will be a blessing from the
text. "Set me as a seal... "
00:20:48.23\00:20:51.06
verse 6... "upon your heart,
as a seal upon your arm. "
00:20:51.26\00:20:56.54
Pause right there. What
is she basically saying?
00:20:56.74\00:20:58.70
My heart... my arm.
The interior of my being,
00:20:59.80\00:21:04.98
my thinking and
feeling process and my deeds.
00:21:05.18\00:21:08.54
This is an early-developed
mention of what we have later on
00:21:08.77\00:21:13.72
in the book of
Revelation of the seal of God
00:21:13.82\00:21:17.28
in the forehead. The
seal of God taking captive
00:21:17.58\00:21:22.90
the hearts and
minds of God's people.
00:21:23.10\00:21:25.16
This is love that is
being described here.
00:21:25.56\00:21:29.06
Not slavery; not servitude.
00:21:29.36\00:21:32.17
This is: "Solomon,
you're in my heart,
00:21:32.37\00:21:36.63
you're in my deeds. I live
for you from the inside out.
00:21:36.93\00:21:40.77
Set me as a seal...
fix me in your love.
00:21:40.97\00:21:44.94
Solidify me. Bring me
into a relationship with you
00:21:45.24\00:21:49.55
that's immovable...
that cannot be changed.
00:21:49.75\00:21:53.56
Seal me in this
relationship that we have. "
00:21:53.76\00:21:56.71
"For love... "
the text continues...
00:21:57.12\00:22:00.44
"is as strong as death. " That's
simply a poetic way of saying
00:22:00.64\00:22:05.00
"I love you and you love me
with a love that can't even be
00:22:05.20\00:22:10.56
thwarted by death
itself. I would rather die
00:22:10.76\00:22:16.06
than stop loving you. "
00:22:16.26\00:22:17.98
That's what she's saying.
"There is no self-interest
00:22:18.28\00:22:22.24
that could in any way
compromise my love for you. "
00:22:22.44\00:22:25.70
And then: "Jealousy is
as cruel as the grave. "
00:22:26.49\00:22:30.82
That doesn't sound real nice,
but literally what it means
00:22:31.02\00:22:34.20
is that jealousy,
that this quality of love
00:22:34.40\00:22:37.47
that is exclusive, that
jealousy is as tenacious
00:22:37.67\00:22:42.60
not cruel in the sense that
we understand the word cruelty
00:22:42.70\00:22:45.47
today but as
tenacious as the grave.
00:22:45.57\00:22:48.94
A person dies.
They go into the grave
00:22:49.14\00:22:50.86
and nothing but the voice
of God at the resurrection
00:22:50.96\00:22:53.63
is bringing that
person back to life.
00:22:53.73\00:22:55.56
"Death is tenacious in
its grip on those who have
00:22:56.06\00:23:01.60
fallen to it. I
love you and you love me
00:23:01.80\00:23:04.81
like that, Solomon.
00:23:04.91\00:23:06.78
With that kind of love...
with that strength of love.
00:23:06.98\00:23:10.45
With a love that is stronger
than death and more tenacious
00:23:10.75\00:23:14.52
than the grave. " Then
notice the language of passion:
00:23:14.72\00:23:18.26
"Its flames are
flames of fire. "
00:23:18.56\00:23:22.68
The flames of fire.
What's being described here?
00:23:23.08\00:23:26.66
This love between us.
00:23:26.86\00:23:29.53
"There's a fire
in my heart for you.
00:23:29.83\00:23:33.18
There's passion for
you, Solomon... " and Solomon
00:23:33.38\00:23:36.36
to the Shulammite:
"There's a living, thriving
00:23:36.46\00:23:40.76
energy-emitting kind of love
00:23:41.06\00:23:44.18
in my heart for you
and in yours for me. "
00:23:44.38\00:23:46.80
Notice this
now... here's the point:
00:23:47.10\00:23:48.72
Its flames are
flames of fire. My version
00:23:49.02\00:23:52.29
"A most vehement flame. "
00:23:52.49\00:23:55.30
Now it's there that the trans-
lators have gone all wrong
00:23:55.60\00:23:59.19
because they didn't
know what to do with this
00:23:59.39\00:24:01.49
in the original language.
00:24:01.69\00:24:03.37
So they said: "Huh...
we're just going to go ahead and
00:24:03.77\00:24:06.62
and translate this vehement
because we think it's simply
00:24:06.72\00:24:10.76
conveying the idea of
strength. " But here's what it
00:24:10.96\00:24:13.68
literally says in the Hebrew:
00:24:13.78\00:24:16.23
"It's flames... " That
is, the flames of love...
00:24:16.53\00:24:20.11
"are flames of
fire... the very fire
00:24:20.31\00:24:24.48
of Yahweh Himself. "
00:24:24.78\00:24:27.83
And there for the one
and only time in the song
00:24:28.23\00:24:32.66
God is brought into the picture.
00:24:32.96\00:24:35.76
Essentially what Solomon
has ingeniously crafted for us
00:24:36.16\00:24:40.38
is a love song in
which he has created
00:24:40.58\00:24:43.65
a sense of how powerful and
beautiful the love is that can
00:24:43.85\00:24:49.06
exist in its ideal form
between a man and a woman
00:24:49.16\00:24:53.54
in marriage. Not love as
we've experienced it necessarily
00:24:53.74\00:24:57.83
if we've had
broken love relationships.
00:24:58.03\00:25:00.71
When God speaks in
matrimonial terms to you and me
00:25:01.01\00:25:04.00
don't do an immediate crossover
into whatever pain you may have
00:25:04.20\00:25:08.27
experienced. But you know
if you've ever been married
00:25:08.37\00:25:12.65
if you said
"Yes" to marriage vows
00:25:12.85\00:25:16.10
you know that whatever
brokenness may have befallen you
00:25:16.30\00:25:19.26
afterwards that you married
because of what you knew in your
00:25:19.36\00:25:22.58
heart marriage ought to be.
00:25:22.69\00:25:24.91
The ideal of marriage, right?
00:25:25.31\00:25:28.06
And because you know in
your heart what it ought to be
00:25:28.46\00:25:31.94
you can resonate with
what's being described here.
00:25:32.04\00:25:35.38
Regardless of whatever pain
or brokenness we've experienced
00:25:35.78\00:25:38.65
the fact is that
matrimonial love at its zenith,
00:25:38.85\00:25:42.53
at its pinnacle, in all its
beauty, is the most incredible
00:25:42.73\00:25:46.26
thing two human beings can
ever experience in this life.
00:25:46.36\00:25:49.89
And here we are told
by Solomon that this love
00:25:50.33\00:25:56.21
is like the very
love of Yahweh Himself.
00:25:56.51\00:26:02.05
Then, verse 7:
"Many waters cannot quench
00:26:02.45\00:26:07.14
love nor can the floods drown
it. If a man were to give all
00:26:07.34\00:26:12.38
the wealth of his house
for love it would be utterly
00:26:12.58\00:26:15.68
despised. " You hear
what's being said here?
00:26:15.88\00:26:18.68
Love is, according to this text,
00:26:19.18\00:26:21.89
the absolute most
precious, most valuable
00:26:22.09\00:26:25.54
thing that any human
being can ever experience.
00:26:25.78\00:26:28.42
And in its purest form
00:26:28.62\00:26:31.26
that love that we
know we were made for
00:26:31.46\00:26:33.91
exists in the heart of God.
00:26:34.11\00:26:36.39
As Solomon comes to the
conclusion he does something
00:26:37.52\00:26:40.16
ingenious that is lost upon
us unless we look at the text
00:26:40.26\00:26:44.36
very carefully,
and that is this:
00:26:44.46\00:26:46.33
Solomon is the
male lover in the song.
00:26:46.53\00:26:50.94
Shulammite is the female.
00:26:51.24\00:26:53.04
Amazingly,
Solomon is the male name
00:26:54.15\00:26:59.84
that is Shalom.
Peace... wellbeing.
00:27:00.04\00:27:04.21
An overall sense of
composure and happiness
00:27:04.41\00:27:08.67
and joy all bundled up into one.
00:27:08.87\00:27:11.55
Peace, Shalom. That's the name
of the man in the love story.
00:27:12.05\00:27:16.45
Shulammite is
the female pronoun.
00:27:16.65\00:27:20.26
It's the female name for peace.
00:27:20.57\00:27:23.86
Shalom and Shalom have
fallen in love, and we come
00:27:24.06\00:27:29.53
to the point in verse 10
where the Shulammite says:
00:27:29.74\00:27:34.00
"I am a wall and my
breasts are like towers.
00:27:34.20\00:27:38.53
Then I became in his eyes
00:27:38.73\00:27:42.16
as one who found
Shalom... peace. "
00:27:42.26\00:27:47.72
This is the point of resolve.
00:27:48.16\00:27:51.33
This is what it
was all moving toward.
00:27:51.64\00:27:53.84
The whole
trajectory of this relationship
00:27:54.04\00:27:56.71
was that the man and the
woman - Solomon and Shulammite -
00:27:56.91\00:28:00.73
Shalom and Shalom -
would together in their love
00:28:00.93\00:28:03.52
find Shalom. They would
find complete satisfaction
00:28:03.72\00:28:08.58
in one another's love.
00:28:08.78\00:28:10.37
When we look at the
Biblical narrative as it unfolds
00:28:10.68\00:28:15.61
over and over again
God introduces Himself
00:28:16.01\00:28:21.17
in matrimonial terms.
00:28:21.47\00:28:23.58
He wants us to view
Him as a lover in pursuit
00:28:23.78\00:28:27.73
of His beloved. Turn now
in your Bible to Ezekiel 16.
00:28:27.93\00:28:32.07
Anybody who has any
familiarity with me at all
00:28:32.37\00:28:36.04
is familiar with my
love for this passage.
00:28:36.34\00:28:41.33
If you've encountered it before
00:28:41.63\00:28:44.30
in my preaching, so what.
00:28:44.50\00:28:49.91
That's OK... you're
about to see it again.
00:28:50.11\00:28:52.41
All right. Ezekiel chapter 16
00:28:52.81\00:28:55.97
in verses 4 through
8 we have a microcosm
00:28:56.17\00:28:59.77
of the plan of salvation
in the form of a story.
00:28:59.97\00:29:03.55
The whole plan of
salvation is encapsulated
00:29:03.85\00:29:07.48
in verses 4 through 8.
00:29:07.58\00:29:10.43
And God here - Yahweh - the
Almighty Creator of heaven and
00:29:10.73\00:29:14.68
earth... He is
telling a story to you and me.
00:29:14.78\00:29:17.51
"As for your nativity
and the day of your birth
00:29:17.91\00:29:22.52
on the day that You were
born... " I'm in verse 4...
00:29:22.73\00:29:25.47
Your navel cord was not cut
nor were you washed in water
00:29:25.67\00:29:30.52
or no one cleansed you.
You were not rubbed with salt
00:29:30.73\00:29:34.88
nor were you wrapped
in swaddling clothes. "
00:29:35.08\00:29:38.05
Look at verse 5.
00:29:38.25\00:29:40.17
"No eye pitied you.
" Another version says
00:29:40.37\00:29:42.70
"No one loved you on
the day of your birth. "
00:29:43.00\00:29:46.63
"No one loved you to do
any of these things for you,
00:29:47.03\00:29:50.54
to have compassion on
you, but you were thrown
00:29:50.74\00:29:54.55
into an open field. " This is
God telling you and me a story.
00:29:54.75\00:29:58.74
And He says: "On the
day that you were born... "
00:29:59.04\00:30:01.64
Of course, locally historically
this is God telling a story
00:30:01.84\00:30:04.89
about Israel.
On the larger scale
00:30:04.99\00:30:08.11
the microcosm in
its macro manifestation
00:30:08.31\00:30:11.97
is a story
about all of humanity.
00:30:12.27\00:30:14.24
You and I from birth
are as it were abandoned
00:30:14.65\00:30:20.16
babies that nobody loves.
00:30:20.36\00:30:22.70
That is to say no
matter what mother, father,
00:30:23.10\00:30:26.68
brothers, sisters
you happen to have,
00:30:26.88\00:30:29.60
whether they be good familial
relationships or negative ones,
00:30:29.80\00:30:33.48
the fact is that in
this broken world nobody
00:30:33.68\00:30:37.14
can love you in the
way - to the degree -
00:30:37.34\00:30:41.18
with the quality of love
with which you heart longs to be
00:30:41.38\00:30:44.47
loved. God alone
has that gift of love
00:30:44.57\00:30:49.91
to bestow upon you. And
God says that your condition
00:30:50.01\00:30:53.84
as a sinner is
characterized by the fact
00:30:54.04\00:30:57.27
that you are
born into abandonment.
00:30:57.47\00:31:00.39
You are born into
abandonment and He says: "No one
00:31:00.79\00:31:04.20
loved you. " This is amazing.
00:31:04.40\00:31:06.97
"No one loved you. You were
thrown... " verse 5... "into
00:31:07.17\00:31:09.19
an open field. "
Look at this... verse 6:
00:31:09.29\00:31:12.32
"And when I passed you
by I saw you struggling
00:31:13.48\00:31:18.09
in your blood...
in your own blood. "
00:31:18.29\00:31:20.85
Can you picture it?
00:31:21.05\00:31:23.12
An abandoned baby
torn from the womb
00:31:23.92\00:31:27.79
the umbilical cord not
properly, caringly cut.
00:31:28.19\00:31:32.19
The blood of birth still
on the flesh of this infant.
00:31:33.06\00:31:35.94
Yanked from the womb and
thrown off the side of the road
00:31:36.90\00:31:42.67
into an open field.
00:31:42.87\00:31:44.87
And God says: "I was passing by
00:31:45.47\00:31:48.78
and I saw you
struggling in your blood. "
00:31:49.08\00:31:53.93
"I saw you dying. "
00:31:54.17\00:31:57.46
And He says: "I
said to you in your blood
00:31:57.86\00:32:00.95
live! Yes, I said to you
00:32:01.15\00:32:05.54
in your blood
live. " That's verse 6.
00:32:05.84\00:32:10.44
God is speaking
into our broken, damaged,
00:32:10.74\00:32:15.14
wounded, fallen
condition of lovelessness
00:32:15.24\00:32:19.57
and He says to you and me:
"I want you to survive this.
00:32:19.77\00:32:24.46
I want you to live. I
don't want you to be overcome
00:32:24.66\00:32:30.05
and succumb to death.
00:32:30.25\00:32:33.41
I want to give you the gift
of eternal life and salvation. "
00:32:33.61\00:32:36.96
And so how's He going to do it?
00:32:37.16\00:32:38.80
Verse 7: "So I
made you to thrive
00:32:39.20\00:32:44.24
like a plant in the field.
And you grew and you matured. "
00:32:44.44\00:32:48.87
Hold onto that.
"You grew and you matured
00:32:49.07\00:32:51.61
and you became very beautiful. "
00:32:51.91\00:32:56.19
This is God
speaking to you and me.
00:32:56.49\00:32:59.47
This finds parallel in
Paul where Paul describes
00:33:00.31\00:33:04.50
that God is in the process
of forming a bride without spot
00:33:04.70\00:33:10.07
or wrinkle or any such thing.
00:33:10.27\00:33:11.98
The plan of salvation isn't
merely about getting you and me
00:33:12.58\00:33:16.04
out of hell into heaven.
00:33:16.24\00:33:17.84
Out of trouble
into the good place.
00:33:18.15\00:33:20.11
The plan of salvation is
about something more than that.
00:33:20.41\00:33:23.39
According to scripture
the plan of salvation...
00:33:23.69\00:33:26.51
Right here in this incredible
text the plan of salvation
00:33:26.71\00:33:30.12
is a beautification process.
00:33:30.32\00:33:33.53
God is looking into
your brokenness and mine
00:33:33.93\00:33:38.14
and He says: "I'm going to
give you beauty for ashes. "
00:33:38.35\00:33:41.11
"I'm going to restore to
you the beauty of character
00:33:41.31\00:33:46.05
and personality
that I created you for.
00:33:46.15\00:33:49.53
You're going to grow
up and mature, " He said,
00:33:49.73\00:33:52.82
"into a very beautiful woman. "
00:33:53.03\00:33:57.00
In the corporate sense.
Men, don't take it personal.
00:33:57.20\00:33:59.48
"You're going to grow up and
mature into a beautiful woman. "
00:34:00.79\00:34:03.28
God wants you and
me to be beautiful.
00:34:03.49\00:34:05.12
I want to tell you
something in passing here.
00:34:05.33\00:34:07.04
Yes, God loves
you... He loves me...
00:34:07.54\00:34:10.98
with agape love
in the New Testament
00:34:11.18\00:34:13.87
which is unilateral
love. It's one-way love.
00:34:13.97\00:34:16.94
It's "I love you regardless
of what's going on with you
00:34:17.14\00:34:19.89
because I am love.
00:34:19.99\00:34:22.25
And you can't alter
the fact that I love you. "
00:34:22.45\00:34:25.02
That's agape love. It's
one way; it's unilateral
00:34:25.22\00:34:27.67
but it looks for reciprocation.
00:34:27.87\00:34:30.75
God loves you and
me unconditionally
00:34:31.35\00:34:34.22
but that unconditional
unilateral agape love
00:34:34.42\00:34:37.69
God lavishes upon our heart
for the purpose of stimulating
00:34:37.89\00:34:43.72
a response. He wants us
to look back into His eyes
00:34:43.82\00:34:47.74
and say something
like "I love You, too. "
00:34:47.84\00:34:52.01
I John 4:19 says
"We love Him because He
00:34:52.31\00:34:55.82
first loved us. " That's
the circuit of beneficence
00:34:55.92\00:34:59.79
to use the words of
the book Desire of Ages.
00:34:59.99\00:35:01.82
That's the circle. That's the
love of God going out and down
00:35:02.02\00:35:06.75
and then He smiles
because it comes out and up
00:35:06.96\00:35:10.59
to Him from our hearts.
00:35:10.70\00:35:13.27
This scripture says God is in
the process of beautifying us.
00:35:13.67\00:35:18.52
"You became beautiful. "
Then look at this, verse 8,
00:35:18.82\00:35:21.51
this is amazing: "When
I passed you by again... "
00:35:21.72\00:35:24.95
You've been going
through a maturation process.
00:35:25.99\00:35:28.37
"When I passed you by
again and I looked upon you
00:35:28.67\00:35:33.10
indeed... " My version says:
00:35:34.13\00:35:36.82
"your time was
the time of love. "
00:35:37.23\00:35:41.91
Another version:
"I passed you by again
00:35:42.12\00:35:45.54
and I saw that it was
time for you to fall in love. "
00:35:45.74\00:35:50.28
She's grown up in verse 7.
00:35:50.78\00:35:53.04
She's thriving...
she's gone through puberty.
00:35:53.24\00:35:55.82
Spiritually the
church has got to grow up.
00:35:56.02\00:35:58.69
And as the church grows
and matures in this beauty
00:35:59.09\00:36:03.21
that God has planned for
us the bride of Christ is
00:36:03.31\00:36:06.24
becoming ready
for His second coming.
00:36:06.44\00:36:11.14
"I passed you by again
and I saw that it was time
00:36:11.54\00:36:14.16
for you to fall in
love, so I spread My wings
00:36:14.26\00:36:17.34
over you and I covered
you... " And watch this:
00:36:17.54\00:36:20.45
"Yes, I swore an oath to you. "
00:36:20.65\00:36:24.18
In the Hebrew: "I entered
into covenant with you. "
00:36:24.38\00:36:28.08
I made a covenant promise.
00:36:28.28\00:36:30.07
"I swore an oath to you and
entered into a covenant with you
00:36:30.10\00:36:34.55
and... " Notice this tender
language from God in heaven...
00:36:34.75\00:36:39.89
"and you became Mine. "
00:36:40.09\00:36:43.81
There is a natural and
godly possessiveness to love.
00:36:44.12\00:36:47.88
There is an
exclusiveness to love.
00:36:48.18\00:36:51.47
There is a forsaking
all others for the one.
00:36:51.77\00:36:55.73
And God is here delighting
in the fact that His people
00:36:56.06\00:36:59.34
grow up and mature to the point
where He can look upon them
00:36:59.54\00:37:03.52
and see beauty and say to them
00:37:03.72\00:37:07.31
"You became Mine. "
00:37:07.62\00:37:10.44
Now when He says "Your
time was the time of love;
00:37:10.64\00:37:13.34
I saw that it was time
for you to fall in love, "
00:37:13.54\00:37:15.38
God is describing here
preparation for marriage.
00:37:15.58\00:37:21.04
She's finally ready... it's
time for you to fall in love.
00:37:21.24\00:37:26.03
I want to say to you...
From the bottom of my heart
00:37:26.13\00:37:28.86
I want to say to you, my
brothers and sisters in Christ,
00:37:29.26\00:37:33.21
I want to say to us as
Seventh-day Adventists,
00:37:33.41\00:37:35.70
it is time for us to
fall in love with Jesus.
00:37:36.20\00:37:41.37
It is time for us
to grow up and mature
00:37:41.61\00:37:44.46
beyond mere negation arguments
00:37:44.66\00:37:48.86
and comparing
ourselves among ourselves
00:37:49.06\00:37:51.63
and assessing one
another with downward gaze
00:37:52.03\00:37:56.68
with condemnation. It
is time for us as a people
00:37:57.09\00:38:01.69
to grow up spiritually,
00:38:01.89\00:38:05.02
to become
beautiful in God's eyes.
00:38:05.42\00:38:07.63
It is time for you and me
to fall in love with Jesus.
00:38:08.83\00:38:14.43
Now quickly rush
over to Hosea chapter 2.
00:38:14.73\00:38:18.81
Hosea chapter 2, and you'll
see additional matrimonial
00:38:19.59\00:38:22.96
language that is
introduced to us to describe
00:38:23.06\00:38:27.27
God's aspiration for you and me
00:38:28.35\00:38:30.58
preparatory to the
consummation of the ages:
00:38:30.78\00:38:34.40
the second
coming of Jesus Christ.
00:38:34.60\00:38:36.35
In chapter 2 again the
sin problem is described.
00:38:36.86\00:38:40.10
Here the sin problem
is described as the people
00:38:40.50\00:38:44.00
forgetting God. God
says in Hosea: "I loved you.
00:38:44.20\00:38:49.73
I gave Myself to you.
00:38:49.93\00:38:51.74
We entered in to marriage
relationship with one another
00:38:51.94\00:38:55.24
but you forgot Me
00:38:55.44\00:38:57.14
and you pursued other
loves, you pursued other lovers.
00:38:57.34\00:39:00.88
And as you pursued other loves
00:39:02.45\00:39:06.53
I realized that
something needed to be done. "
00:39:06.73\00:39:09.39
So He says in verse
14 of chapter 2 of Hosea:
00:39:09.69\00:39:13.32
"Therefore behold
I will allure her.
00:39:13.66\00:39:16.94
I will bring her into the
wilderness and I will speak
00:39:17.34\00:39:21.56
comfort to her. " That is:
"I will speak words of love
00:39:21.76\00:39:25.71
to her" in the Hebrew...
in some versions as well.
00:39:25.91\00:39:28.99
God is saying here
that He is going to save
00:39:29.90\00:39:32.59
you and me by
alluring us to Him.
00:39:32.89\00:39:37.12
By putting on
display before us the beauty,
00:39:37.53\00:39:40.22
the irresistible
beauty of His love for us.
00:39:40.32\00:39:44.31
"I'm going to
allure you to Me. "
00:39:45.77\00:39:47.38
"I'm going to take you
into a quiet place alone
00:39:47.58\00:39:49.70
and I'm going to speak
words of love to you. "
00:39:49.74\00:39:51.83
Now watch what happens. This
is the ultimate paradigm shift
00:39:52.13\00:39:56.11
in verse 16.
00:39:56.41\00:39:58.49
"And it shall
be in that day... "
00:39:58.99\00:40:02.62
Pause... what day? In the
day when I allure My people
00:40:03.02\00:40:06.55
to Myself. When I capture their
attention and pull them away
00:40:06.65\00:40:11.45
from the idols of this
world, from the other lovers
00:40:11.65\00:40:14.73
that they have been pursuing.
00:40:14.83\00:40:16.24
When I finally arrest
the attention of My people
00:40:16.44\00:40:20.51
and allure them to Me, verse
16: "And it shall be in that day
00:40:20.71\00:40:24.87
says the Lord
that you will call Me
00:40:25.07\00:40:28.03
my husband and you will no
longer call me my master. "
00:40:29.04\00:40:35.00
Here God is drawing a contrast
00:40:36.23\00:40:39.30
between two kinds or
qualities of relationships.
00:40:39.40\00:40:43.19
There is on the one hand
the servant/master relationship.
00:40:43.49\00:40:47.97
And God looks upon
that kind of dynamic
00:40:48.18\00:40:51.25
and He pushes back on it.
00:40:51.45\00:40:53.39
He essentially says: "I don't
want that between you and I. "
00:40:53.80\00:40:56.59
"I don't want you to be My
servant in the slave sense. "
00:40:57.00\00:41:01.80
There's another sense in which
scripture does use the word
00:41:02.00\00:41:04.13
servant in a positive
sense. Paul talks about being
00:41:04.23\00:41:07.90
a willing captive
to the heart of God.
00:41:08.11\00:41:12.64
But that's very similar to a
man and a woman falling in love
00:41:12.94\00:41:15.31
and entering into an
exclusive relationship
00:41:15.41\00:41:18.06
in which I give
myself to you voluntarily.
00:41:18.26\00:41:20.58
It's still not
coercion or manipulation.
00:41:20.88\00:41:23.22
But here the
servant/master dynamic
00:41:24.11\00:41:28.71
is negated in favor
of a husband/wife...
00:41:29.75\00:41:33.68
a bridegroom dynamic.
00:41:33.98\00:41:35.94
God says that when you
finally see me for who I am,
00:41:36.44\00:41:39.86
when your attention is
drawn to Me and you are
00:41:40.27\00:41:44.19
allured to Me, you
see My love for you,
00:41:44.40\00:41:47.83
in that day you will stop
relating to Me as a servant
00:41:48.04\00:41:52.47
to a master and you
will begin relating to Me
00:41:52.67\00:41:55.39
on a whole new premise.
00:41:55.59\00:41:57.87
You won't say any
more: "My Master. "
00:41:58.27\00:42:00.87
You'll say: "Ah, my Husband. "
00:42:01.07\00:42:03.58
There are two different
dynamics described here.
00:42:04.58\00:42:08.79
This is where God
is leading His people.
00:42:09.53\00:42:12.01
And then He drops to
His knees in verse 19.
00:42:12.11\00:42:17.02
"I will betroth you to Me
forever. Yes I will betroth you
00:42:18.65\00:42:23.42
to Me in
righteousness and in justice,
00:42:23.56\00:42:26.59
in loving-kindness and in
mercy. I will betroth you to Me
00:42:26.69\00:42:32.15
in faithfulness, and
you will know the Lord. "
00:42:32.35\00:42:35.83
This is so incredible that
God would speak to you and me
00:42:36.49\00:42:39.95
like this. This tells us
that He is aiming for something
00:42:40.05\00:42:44.73
beautiful and high
and glorious and wonderful
00:42:44.83\00:42:47.77
in the relationship
between ourselves and Him.
00:42:48.07\00:42:51.49
And I want you to notice
that the weight of the focus
00:42:51.92\00:42:55.45
is on His love and mercy
00:42:56.06\00:43:01.45
and righteousness
and faithfulness to us.
00:43:01.75\00:43:06.44
That's the nature of the
Biblical covenant between
00:43:06.94\00:43:11.00
God and His people.
00:43:11.20\00:43:12.51
Salvation is premised
upon God's promises to us...
00:43:13.36\00:43:17.02
not ours to Him.
00:43:17.22\00:43:18.83
God's love for you and
me... not our ratcheted-up
00:43:19.93\00:43:25.18
disciplined love for Him.
00:43:25.38\00:43:27.03
It is impossible for the
human heart if left to itself
00:43:27.33\00:43:32.00
to bring about the kind
of love that is described
00:43:33.77\00:43:38.02
in scripture. We need a Savior.
00:43:39.04\00:43:42.23
We need One who is
unswervingly faithful to us
00:43:42.53\00:43:47.45
in the face of our
rebellion and unfaithfulness
00:43:47.95\00:43:52.44
to finally get our attention
so that as we run from Him
00:43:53.20\00:43:58.28
into the arms of other lovers
finally our hearts are broken
00:43:58.49\00:44:03.63
by the fact that He has
never stopped loving us.
00:44:03.83\00:44:07.12
And so covenantal love in
scripture is God's promise
00:44:07.63\00:44:13.59
of faithfulness
to you and to me.
00:44:13.79\00:44:16.70
And that love
reaching into our hearts
00:44:17.20\00:44:20.88
produces a
returning current of love
00:44:21.08\00:44:24.31
to complete the
circle of beneficence.
00:44:24.51\00:44:26.92
We don't initiate the
circle with our faithfulness.
00:44:27.12\00:44:32.56
You will continue, I
will continue to be weak
00:44:32.99\00:44:36.86
and impotent and crippled
in our spiritual experience
00:44:37.06\00:44:40.64
precisely to the degree
that we emphasize the human part
00:44:41.04\00:44:44.85
of the equation.
00:44:44.95\00:44:46.45
To the degree that we focus on,
preach about, and communicate
00:44:47.48\00:44:51.85
what we ought to do,
must do, ought not to do,
00:44:52.15\00:44:55.33
ought not to
do... should not do,
00:44:55.43\00:44:57.82
to the degree that we
focus on the human part of the
00:44:58.02\00:45:02.44
equation. Not that
there isn't a human part...
00:45:02.54\00:45:04.58
there is. But the human
part is utterly and completely
00:45:04.78\00:45:08.24
dependent on the divine part.
00:45:08.37\00:45:11.73
You've seen these
pictures, haven't you?
00:45:12.74\00:45:15.60
of massive icebergs
jutting up out of the ocean
00:45:15.80\00:45:21.32
larger than any
building in any skyscraper city.
00:45:21.73\00:45:26.93
And then you eyes drop
down in the photo to see
00:45:27.23\00:45:30.01
that what you thought was
massive was just the tip of the
00:45:30.21\00:45:32.82
iceberg and there is
this massive ice structure
00:45:32.92\00:45:38.49
that is beneath the
surface of what we see.
00:45:38.69\00:45:41.98
The objective love
of God for you and me,
00:45:43.17\00:45:48.65
His faithfulness, is
that massive structure
00:45:48.85\00:45:53.43
beneath the surface that gives
rise to this tip of the iceberg
00:45:53.63\00:45:58.90
that we tend to want to
focus on and specialize in.
00:45:59.20\00:46:02.43
To the degree that we
focus on what we had better do,
00:46:02.93\00:46:06.85
ought to do, should do
we will be spiritually weak
00:46:06.95\00:46:10.37
and impotent. BUT, the more
you focus on the heart of Jesus
00:46:10.57\00:46:14.54
toward you the more you'll
find yourself experiencing
00:46:14.84\00:46:18.43
a kind and quality of love
for Him that you never thought
00:46:18.63\00:46:20.99
was possible. Your experience
will begin to be built upon
00:46:21.09\00:46:24.25
His promises not yours... which
Ellen White in Steps to Christ
00:46:24.35\00:46:27.51
says of those promises that
they are like ropes of sand...
00:46:27.71\00:46:29.92
the promises of
human beings to God.
00:46:30.32\00:46:34.83
But God's faithfulness is
the point of the covenant.
00:46:35.74\00:46:39.41
He drops to one knee here
and is proposing to you and me.
00:46:39.62\00:46:43.50
He says: "I will betroth
you to Me forever. " Amen!
00:46:43.80\00:46:47.68
"I will betroth you to Me
in righteousness and justice
00:46:47.78\00:46:51.13
and loving-kindness and mercy.
That's how I'll relate to you. "
00:46:51.33\00:46:54.06
"And I'll relate to you, "
He says, "with faithfulness
00:46:54.36\00:46:57.53
and you shall know the Lord.
00:46:57.93\00:47:00.21
You'll know Me when you get
a glimpse of My faithfulness
00:47:00.41\00:47:04.09
toward you. Then you'll
begin to know Me as a husband
00:47:04.29\00:47:09.81
rather than a master, and
the whole tenor and quality
00:47:10.11\00:47:14.60
of your spiritual experience
will be radically changed. "
00:47:14.70\00:47:17.90
You will find yourself
loving the things that God loves
00:47:18.20\00:47:21.77
and hating the
things that God hates.
00:47:21.97\00:47:24.45
You'll find
yourself saying things like:
00:47:24.75\00:47:26.67
"I do always those
things that please Him. "
00:47:26.87\00:47:29.16
"Oh how I love Your
law. It is my meditation
00:47:29.36\00:47:31.60
day and night. " "I
delight to do Your will
00:47:31.80\00:47:34.31
O my God because
Your law is in my heart. "
00:47:34.52\00:47:37.05
"Give me understanding
and I shall keep Your law. "
00:47:37.25\00:47:40.46
"Yes, I will observe
it with my whole heart.
00:47:40.67\00:47:43.82
As the deer pants for the
water brook so pants my heart
00:47:44.02\00:47:47.64
for You, O God...
for the Living God.
00:47:47.74\00:47:50.06
When will You come to me? "
00:47:50.26\00:47:52.95
You'll begin to
identify with the language
00:47:53.25\00:47:57.43
of love that is
pervasive in scripture.
00:47:57.64\00:48:01.82
Language that at one
point in your experience
00:48:02.02\00:48:04.60
was foreign to you.
You just passed over it.
00:48:04.80\00:48:07.05
You didn't even know what to
do with it. You didn't relate
00:48:07.36\00:48:09.32
to that language. You're
like: "What does that mean?
00:48:09.42\00:48:11.69
I don't get that; I don't feel
that; I don't experience that. "
00:48:11.99\00:48:14.41
You will. You
will when you shift
00:48:14.71\00:48:19.66
the weight of your
focus and dependence
00:48:19.86\00:48:22.86
upon the covenant
faithfulness of God
00:48:23.06\00:48:26.06
in the plan of salvation
through which He gave His Son
00:48:26.26\00:48:29.94
at Calvary to die for you
and me. And the vision of that
00:48:30.14\00:48:34.63
love will radically change
the quality of your experience
00:48:34.83\00:48:39.20
with God. Now the Old Testament
00:48:39.30\00:48:41.53
is pervasive with this
kind of matrimonial language.
00:48:41.83\00:48:44.82
God is a pursuing lover.
00:48:45.22\00:48:48.23
It's not surprising
then that when we come to the
00:48:48.63\00:48:51.70
New Testament to the
gospel of John in chapter 3
00:48:51.81\00:48:55.40
and verse 29. Does this give
you a hint of where we're going?
00:48:55.71\00:48:58.35
You should be turning there now.
00:48:58.55\00:48:59.90
John chapter 3 and verse
29. It shouldn't be surprising
00:49:00.00\00:49:04.69
to us then that when
Jesus comes into the world,
00:49:04.79\00:49:08.96
when He steps out
of eternity into time,
00:49:09.36\00:49:12.67
when Jesus comes up close
and personal into our world
00:49:12.87\00:49:17.37
John the Baptist
sees Him and points to Him
00:49:17.57\00:49:21.45
and he says: "He's... "
And then he tells us who He is.
00:49:21.85\00:49:25.90
John's followers were saying:
"Wait a minute. Who is this guy
00:49:26.95\00:49:29.66
who has come
out of nowhere here?
00:49:29.86\00:49:31.56
We're followers of
you, John the baptizer. "
00:49:31.86\00:49:34.67
And John says:
"Ah, wait a minute.
00:49:35.07\00:49:37.47
Let me clarify something here. "
00:49:37.68\00:49:39.47
Verse 29 of John 3:
"He who has the bride
00:49:39.67\00:49:43.72
or He to whom the bride belongs
00:49:43.92\00:49:45.77
is the bridegroom. But
the friend... " That is,
00:49:45.97\00:49:50.58
in our culture the best man...
00:49:50.78\00:49:52.70
"the friend of the bridegroom
who stands and hears Him
00:49:53.00\00:49:56.97
rejoices because of
the bridegroom's voice.
00:49:57.18\00:50:00.48
Therefore this joy
of mine is complete. "
00:50:00.68\00:50:03.28
John essentially
says: "Ladies and gentlemen,
00:50:03.48\00:50:06.22
may I introduce
you to your groom. "
00:50:06.42\00:50:11.07
He essentially says: "Jesus
has now come to this world
00:50:11.57\00:50:16.08
to claim His bride. "
00:50:16.28\00:50:19.19
The gospel of John then unfolds
with a kind of wooing process.
00:50:19.69\00:50:25.02
It unfolds like a tryst.
00:50:25.22\00:50:27.77
Like a beautiful interaction
between Jesus and one person
00:50:28.07\00:50:32.71
after another. From
every angle possible
00:50:32.81\00:50:36.30
people are getting a glimpse
of His goodness and His love.
00:50:36.50\00:50:39.62
And then we come to chapter 14
00:50:39.82\00:50:42.36
the great second coming
passage of the New Testament.
00:50:42.66\00:50:46.87
And there Jesus
says to His disciples:
00:50:48.25\00:50:51.13
Verse 1: "Let not your heart
be troubled; ye believe in God
00:50:51.33\00:50:56.07
believe also in Me. "
00:50:56.27\00:50:57.72
Notice this: "In My Father's
house are many mansions. "
00:50:58.02\00:51:01.84
More accurate translation:
"In My Father's house are many
00:51:01.94\00:51:04.70
rooms. " "If it were not
so, I would have told you.
00:51:04.80\00:51:08.18
I go... yes, I'm leaving...
I go to prepare a place
00:51:08.99\00:51:12.97
for you. But if I go
to prepare a place for you
00:51:13.17\00:51:16.50
I WILL COME AGAIN to
receive you to Myself
00:51:16.70\00:51:22.65
that where I am
there you may be also. "
00:51:22.85\00:51:27.17
Jesus, who was
introduced by the baptizer
00:51:27.47\00:51:30.53
as the groom who
has come for His bride,
00:51:30.73\00:51:33.34
is now invoking the local
cultural language of the time
00:51:33.54\00:51:37.87
regarding matrimony.
00:51:38.07\00:51:40.19
In that culture a
man would see a woman
00:51:40.39\00:51:43.56
over the vegetable stand or
at the well, and he would say:
00:51:43.66\00:51:48.47
"She's the one. I hope
she feels the same way. "
00:51:48.67\00:51:52.14
And he will go through a wooing
process getting to know her.
00:51:52.48\00:51:55.77
And if that love
begins to reciprocate
00:51:56.07\00:52:00.06
and they begin to understand
that "Hey, this is mutual!
00:52:00.26\00:52:03.65
Not only do I love
you but you love me! "
00:52:03.85\00:52:06.25
Then at that point
the man in that culture
00:52:06.65\00:52:10.87
would say:
"OK... it's settled. "
00:52:11.27\00:52:15.07
The proposal is
made; the date is set.
00:52:15.47\00:52:18.31
"I'm going away. I'm
going to go to my father's house
00:52:18.61\00:52:22.87
and I'm going to
prepare the matrimonial room...
00:52:23.07\00:52:26.30
our new home. I'm
going to prepare the place
00:52:26.60\00:52:29.67
for you, my bride.
But be sure of this:
00:52:29.87\00:52:33.38
I'm coming back to get you
as soon as the room is ready. "
00:52:33.58\00:52:38.66
And then he would go back
and he would get his bride.
00:52:38.96\00:52:42.72
The marriage would take
place and he would take her
00:52:42.92\00:52:46.29
to live forever for
the rest of their lives
00:52:46.49\00:52:49.59
with him in his father's house.
00:52:49.79\00:52:52.71
Jesus is telling the
story of His second advent
00:52:53.21\00:52:57.45
in the exact
narrative trajectory
00:52:57.65\00:53:02.41
of the Old Testament here.
00:53:02.71\00:53:04.79
When you come to chapter 17
He pulls that language up again.
00:53:05.09\00:53:09.44
Chapter 17...
you're going there quickly.
00:53:09.64\00:53:11.39
Chapter 17 verse 3.
And Jesus in verse 3
00:53:12.07\00:53:15.13
defines eternal life in
the same terms that Hosea used
00:53:15.23\00:53:18.23
in chapter 2 of Hosea.
00:53:18.43\00:53:20.11
"And this is
eternal life, " Jesus says,
00:53:20.31\00:53:23.00
"that they may know You,
the only true God, and Jesus
00:53:23.20\00:53:26.26
Christ whom You have sent. "
00:53:26.36\00:53:27.82
"That they might know
You. " Down in verse 20
00:53:28.12\00:53:31.61
notice the language: "I
do not pray for these alone
00:53:31.81\00:53:34.74
but also for
those who believe in Me
00:53:35.04\00:53:38.91
through their words.
That they all may be one... "
00:53:39.11\00:53:43.04
Watch this... "as You,
Father, are in Me and I in You
00:53:43.14\00:53:46.80
that they also may be one in Us
00:53:47.00\00:53:50.10
that the world may
believe that You sent Me.
00:53:50.30\00:53:52.86
And the glory which You
gave Me I have given them
00:53:53.06\00:53:56.03
that they may be one
just as We are One. "
00:53:56.23\00:54:00.37
Verse 23: "I in
them and You in Me. "
00:54:00.47\00:54:04.31
This is the language
of the closest intimacy.
00:54:04.51\00:54:07.28
"That they may be
made perfect in one
00:54:07.58\00:54:11.04
and that the world may
know that You have sent Me
00:54:11.24\00:54:13.65
and... " Watch this: "have
loved them as You have loved Me.
00:54:13.76\00:54:18.76
Father, I desire also that
those whom You have given Me
00:54:18.96\00:54:23.73
may be with Me where I am. "
00:54:23.93\00:54:28.72
Jesus closes His public ministry
00:54:29.81\00:54:33.95
expressing the aspiration
00:54:34.15\00:54:37.17
to be with us and
for us to be with Him.
00:54:38.26\00:54:41.43
As we come to the
book of Revelation
00:54:42.28\00:54:44.34
the second coming is
depicted in chapter 19
00:54:44.64\00:54:48.22
again with matrimonial language.
00:54:48.42\00:54:51.32
Chapter 19 verse 7:
"Let us be glad and rejoice
00:54:51.83\00:54:55.66
and give Him glory for
the marriage of the Lamb
00:54:55.86\00:54:59.46
has come and His wife
has made herself ready. "
00:54:59.66\00:55:05.25
Remember? The bride
has been going through
00:55:05.46\00:55:08.66
a maturation process,
a beautification process
00:55:08.86\00:55:11.73
of character and personality,
00:55:11.94\00:55:13.86
growing in the
love of her bridegroom.
00:55:14.06\00:55:18.88
She's made herself ready.
00:55:19.29\00:55:21.94
She's made
herself ready. Verse 8:
00:55:22.24\00:55:25.00
"And to her was granted
to be arrayed in fine linen
00:55:25.30\00:55:29.08
clean and bright, for the
fine linen is the righteous acts
00:55:29.28\00:55:33.58
of the saints. " Do you
see what's happened here?
00:55:33.78\00:55:35.95
Jesus comes for a people...
00:55:37.42\00:55:40.39
the people He's coming for.
00:55:41.25\00:55:43.22
He's coming for a
people - a corporate body
00:55:43.75\00:55:47.25
like you and me -
whose love has reached back
00:55:47.35\00:55:52.23
to His love, whose
faithfulness has reached back
00:55:52.43\00:55:57.05
into His faithfulness.
00:55:57.36\00:55:59.21
He's initiated the relationship.
00:55:59.51\00:56:02.23
He's wooed us; He's
cultivated a connection with us.
00:56:02.43\00:56:07.77
We've moved
through a trysting process.
00:56:08.17\00:56:10.75
He's been romancing our hearts
through Bible study and prayer.
00:56:10.95\00:56:15.57
And as we have grown
closer to Him - and I urge you
00:56:16.26\00:56:19.36
in the name of Jesus that
if what we're describing here
00:56:19.46\00:56:22.72
does not approximate what
you know to be your experience
00:56:22.85\00:56:26.52
with Jesus, it is time
for you to fall in love.
00:56:26.72\00:56:32.01
It is time for you
to begin to identify
00:56:32.41\00:56:35.13
with the lover's heart
that is the Savior of the world.
00:56:36.00\00:56:40.36
Jesus is coming
back for a people.
00:56:40.76\00:56:44.21
He's coming back for you and me:
00:56:44.41\00:56:46.80
a beautiful bride who
has made herself ready
00:56:47.30\00:56:50.42
who loves Him in
return for His love...
00:56:50.62\00:56:55.64
His faithful
covenantal love for us.
00:56:55.84\00:56:58.43
Do you want to be
ready when Jesus comes? Amen!
00:56:58.93\00:57:01.30
Well that's what it looks like.
00:57:01.51\00:57:02.93
Let's pray
together. Father in heaven,
00:57:03.13\00:57:05.09
thank you for
loving us the way You do.
00:57:06.10\00:57:08.55
You're incredible
in the extreme, Lord.
00:57:08.95\00:57:11.83
We've not known
any love like this
00:57:12.03\00:57:14.71
even in the best relation-
ships that we've ever had.
00:57:15.11\00:57:18.53
We long for a love
that is greater still.
00:57:18.83\00:57:22.11
Our hearts were made for You.
00:57:22.51\00:57:25.79
Prepare us, Lord, for
the soon coming of Jesus.
00:57:25.99\00:57:29.76
In His name we pray, Amen!
00:57:30.16\00:57:34.24