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
00:11:26.82\00:11:31.65
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.
00:12:03.05\00:12:06.45
So my opening thesis
statement is simply this:
00:12:06.69\00:12:08.99
listen very carefully...
We're going to go in a direction
00:12:09.12\00:12:12.69
that might be a
little bit unexpected
00:12:12.93\00:12:15.26
on a topic such as ours.
00:12:15.40\00:12:17.37
Thesis statement: the
second coming of Jesus
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is a matrimonial event.
00:12:21.50\00:12:25.07
The second coming of
Jesus is a matrimonial event.
00:12:26.44\00:12:30.51
Now we have
oftentimes specialized
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in reducing the glorious
Biblical truth of the second
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advent to a negation argument
00:12:39.59\00:12:43.69
to proclaim what it's not.
00:12:44.13\00:12:47.93
In other words, we have
often reduced the second coming
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to simply a doctrinal argument
regarding the fact that it's not
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a secret rapture and
amassing the arsenal of texts
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from scripture to
point by point demonstrate
00:13:02.44\00:13:07.48
that fact. Now... it's important
00:13:07.72\00:13:11.92
for us to understand the manner
of the second coming of Jesus.
00:13:12.15\00:13:16.52
But listen very carefully now:
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not at the expense
00:13:19.96\00:13:22.73
of
understanding why He's coming.
00:13:22.96\00:13:26.57
The truth of the second
advent of Christ is a positive
00:13:27.64\00:13:32.47
Biblical declaration. In
order for us to construct
00:13:32.61\00:13:37.71
our argument
against the secret rapture
00:13:37.85\00:13:41.28
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
00:14:00.54\00:14:03.47
to the exclusion of what it is,
00:14:03.61\00:14:06.51
our hearts are
robbed of the anticipation
00:14:06.78\00:14:11.91
of a beautiful event that
ought to have our hearts racing
00:14:11.95\00:14:17.65
and palpitating with excitement
for the prospect of Jesus
00:14:17.69\00:14:21.99
coming back in our lifetime.
00:14:22.02\00:14:24.69
Now I've stated that the second
coming is a matrimonial event.
00:14:25.13\00:14:29.76
Let me wrap additional
language around it so you know
00:14:29.80\00:14:32.80
exactly where I'm coming
from as we formulate the message
00:14:32.83\00:14:35.34
tonight. The
second coming of Jesus is
00:14:35.37\00:14:39.34
the consummation
of a great love story.
00:14:39.47\00:14:43.75
It's that climactic
point - the crescendo point -
00:14:45.08\00:14:49.58
of the ages
00:14:49.72\00:14:52.09
when human hearts that
have been knit together
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in deep love for the Savior
finally stand in His presence
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and feel the affirmation
00:15:03.16\00:15:06.17
of a bride before her groom.
00:15:06.30\00:15:09.90
Jesus is looking to
form a corporate bride
00:15:10.24\00:15:15.38
to be prepared for His coming.
00:15:15.61\00:15:18.08
So the short answer to the
question regarding the people
00:15:18.35\00:15:22.45
for whom Jesus is
coming is simply this:
00:15:22.58\00:15:25.72
He's coming for a bride. He's
coming for a group of people -
00:15:25.89\00:15:29.96
a corporate body - who are head-
over-heels in love with Him.
00:15:30.09\00:15:33.83
He's coming for a
people whose hearts have been
00:15:34.23\00:15:39.23
growing and swelling
with excitement for who He is
00:15:39.27\00:15:43.94
as the divine lover of our souls
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to the point that when He
comes He will look into our eyes
00:15:46.41\00:15:50.51
and there will be resonance.
He will see our acceptance
00:15:50.65\00:15:55.48
of Him, our love for
Him returning to His heart.
00:15:55.62\00:16:00.59
And what joy Jesus
Himself will experience
00:16:01.42\00:16:06.96
to be in the presence of
those who love Him like that.
00:16:07.20\00:16:10.97
Now in order to get into
the meat of this message tonight
00:16:11.30\00:16:16.74
I want you to begin with me
by allowing scripture to paint
00:16:16.77\00:16:21.24
for us a picture of
God's matrimonial aspirations
00:16:21.28\00:16:26.31
beginning with
the Song of Solomon.
00:16:27.42\00:16:29.52
No better place to begin.
00:16:29.55\00:16:31.22
Song of Solomon is one of
those books of the Bible -
00:16:31.45\00:16:33.89
one of a very
few... one of three -
00:16:34.02\00:16:36.49
that were under debate
during the period of time when
00:16:36.62\00:16:39.76
the canon of
scripture was being composed
00:16:39.79\00:16:42.46
that gave us the 66 books.
00:16:42.70\00:16:45.23
We almost ended up with just 65
00:16:45.47\00:16:47.77
because there were many scholars
who were arguing against
00:16:48.00\00:16:51.51
Song of Solomon being
included in scripture.
00:16:51.64\00:16:54.18
They just couldn't
understand why the Holy Spirit
00:16:54.94\00:16:59.65
would inspire a
love song such as this.
00:16:59.78\00:17:03.15
And so scholars
were arguing against
00:17:03.49\00:17:07.09
Song of Solomon being
included in scripture.
00:17:07.22\00:17:09.59
Praise God that
scholars who understood
00:17:10.43\00:17:15.50
the depth of God's love
for the human soul won out
00:17:15.73\00:17:18.83
in that argument and
now we have the privilege
00:17:18.87\00:17:21.67
of having this
sacred text at our disposal
00:17:21.70\00:17:24.54
and we need to
remember something about it.
00:17:24.77\00:17:27.78
Song of Solomon is
a part of scripture.
00:17:28.11\00:17:30.91
Because of this we understand
00:17:31.91\00:17:35.08
that all scripture is
given by inspiration of God
00:17:35.22\00:17:38.79
and is profitable. We
understand according to Peter
00:17:38.92\00:17:41.99
that holy men of old
spoke as they were moved upon
00:17:42.02\00:17:45.46
by the Holy Spirit.
So yes, Solomon composed
00:17:45.49\00:17:49.03
his book, the book
that bears his name.
00:17:50.03\00:17:52.13
Solomon composed
it, but he composed it
00:17:52.37\00:17:54.90
like all the other prophets:
under inspiration of the
00:17:55.04\00:17:57.27
Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit's
fingerprints are all over
00:17:57.31\00:18:01.18
this love song.
00:18:01.31\00:18:03.14
When we come to Song
of Solomon we see a basic
00:18:03.58\00:18:07.55
pattern that develops.
This is a song about a love
00:18:07.68\00:18:13.59
relationship between
Solomon and his girl.
00:18:13.62\00:18:16.79
She's called the Shulammite.
00:18:16.93\00:18:19.19
Solomon loves her and expresses
through various poetic means
00:18:19.83\00:18:25.80
his love for her.
She responds in the song
00:18:25.93\00:18:28.74
by expressing
her love back to him.
00:18:28.97\00:18:31.27
And it's just this beautiful
lyrical cadence back and forth.
00:18:31.41\00:18:35.28
"I love you. "
"No... I love you more. "
00:18:35.51\00:18:37.11
"You're beautiful, beyond
anything I've ever encountered
00:18:37.35\00:18:40.05
in this... " "No, you
are altogether lovely. "
00:18:40.08\00:18:43.69
Back and forth, back and forth.
00:18:43.92\00:18:45.42
Some of the most beautiful
lines not just in scripture
00:18:45.55\00:18:48.26
but in all of literature are
found in the Song of Solomon...
00:18:48.69\00:18:53.16
the Song of Solomon.
For example, at one point
00:18:53.19\00:18:55.96
the woman - the
Shulammite - looks at Solomon
00:18:57.23\00:19:00.80
and she says: "Your eyes
are pools of understanding. "
00:19:00.94\00:19:05.41
"You get me... you
understand me, Solomon,
00:19:06.37\00:19:09.98
and I'm affirmed in the fact
that when I look into your eyes
00:19:10.21\00:19:15.02
I feel understood. "
00:19:15.05\00:19:17.19
Another line that's
incredible in Song of Solomon
00:19:17.62\00:19:20.89
is when the Shulammite -
the woman - says to Solomon:
00:19:21.02\00:19:26.43
"You are my
lover and my friend. "
00:19:26.76\00:19:31.87
In other words, Solomon,
under the inspiration of the
00:19:32.20\00:19:36.17
Holy Spirit understood
that the pinnacle of love
00:19:36.20\00:19:40.01
is friendship,
mutuality, reciprocation.
00:19:40.24\00:19:45.35
The pinnacle of
love is when the person
00:19:46.41\00:19:50.22
your heart is reaching out to
00:19:50.35\00:19:52.92
you sense is
reaching back into your heart.
00:19:53.05\00:19:56.39
It's the most amazing thing
in the world to fall in love
00:19:56.62\00:19:59.46
with someone. It's
incredible on a whole new level
00:19:59.49\00:20:03.10
to realize they love you back.
00:20:03.23\00:20:06.40
That's the beauty
of the Song of Solomon.
00:20:06.63\00:20:09.97
Now this is incredible
because as we move through
00:20:10.14\00:20:12.97
this beautiful love
song going back and forth
00:20:13.11\00:20:15.98
we come to the point in the song
00:20:16.11\00:20:20.08
where God Himself is
introduced to us in chapter 8.
00:20:20.22\00:20:24.75
Chapter 8 of Song of Solomon,
coming to the last chapter,
00:20:25.12\00:20:30.53
don't miss this... this is
the part you're probably heard
00:20:30.69\00:20:32.83
in weddings: verse 6.
Notice that I'm going to read it
00:20:32.86\00:20:37.47
in the New King James version
00:20:37.50\00:20:39.67
and I'm going to call your
attention to a poor translation
00:20:39.80\00:20:43.77
in most versions and give
you something here that I think
00:20:43.91\00:20:48.08
will be a blessing from the
text. "Set me as a seal... "
00:20:48.11\00:20:51.01
verse 6... "upon your heart,
as a seal upon your arm. "
00:20:51.15\00:20:56.52
Pause right there. What
is she basically saying?
00:20:56.65\00:20:58.69
My heart... my arm.
The interior of my being,
00:20:59.69\00:21:04.96
my thinking and
feeling process and my deeds.
00:21:05.09\00:21:08.50
This is an early-developed
mention of what we have later on
00:21:08.66\00:21:13.67
in the book of
Revelation of the seal of God
00:21:13.70\00:21:17.24
in the forehead. The
seal of God taking captive
00:21:17.47\00:21:22.88
the hearts and
minds of God's people.
00:21:23.01\00:21:25.11
This is love that is
being described here.
00:21:25.45\00:21:29.02
Not slavery; not servitude.
00:21:29.25\00:21:32.15
This is: "Solomon,
you're in my heart,
00:21:32.29\00:21:36.59
you're in my deeds. I live
for you from the inside out.
00:21:36.83\00:21:40.76
Set me as a seal...
fix me in your love.
00:21:40.90\00:21:44.90
Solidify me. Bring me
into a relationship with you
00:21:45.13\00:21:49.50
that's immovable...
that cannot be changed.
00:21:49.64\00:21:53.51
Seal me in this
relationship that we have. "
00:21:53.64\00:21:56.68
"For love... "
the text continues...
00:21:57.01\00:22:00.42
"is as strong as death. " That's
simply a poetic way of saying
00:22:00.55\00:22:04.99
"I love you and you love me
with a love that can't even be
00:22:05.12\00:22:10.53
thwarted by death
itself. I would rather die
00:22:10.66\00:22:16.00
than stop loving you. "
00:22:16.13\00:22:17.93
That's what she's saying.
"There is no self-interest
00:22:18.17\00:22:22.20
that could in any way
compromise my love for you. "
00:22:22.34\00:22:25.67
And then: "Jealousy is
as cruel as the grave. "
00:22:26.37\00:22:30.78
That doesn't sound real nice,
but literally what it means
00:22:30.91\00:22:34.18
is that jealousy,
that this quality of love
00:22:34.32\00:22:37.45
that is exclusive, that
jealousy is as tenacious
00:22:37.59\00:22:42.59
not cruel in the sense that
we understand the word cruelty
00:22:42.62\00:22:45.46
today but as
tenacious as the grave.
00:22:45.49\00:22:48.90
A person dies.
They go into the grave
00:22:49.03\00:22:50.80
and nothing but the voice
of God at the resurrection
00:22:50.83\00:22:53.57
is bringing that
person back to life.
00:22:53.60\00:22:55.50
"Death is tenacious in
its grip on those who have
00:22:55.94\00:23:01.58
fallen to it. I
love you and you love me
00:23:01.71\00:23:04.78
like that, Solomon.
00:23:04.81\00:23:06.75
With that kind of love...
with that strength of love.
00:23:06.88\00:23:10.42
With a love that is stronger
than death and more tenacious
00:23:10.65\00:23:14.49
than the grave. " Then
notice the language of passion:
00:23:14.62\00:23:18.23
"Its flames are
flames of fire. "
00:23:18.46\00:23:22.63
The flames of fire.
What's being described here?
00:23:22.96\00:23:26.60
This love between us.
00:23:26.74\00:23:29.47
"There's a fire
in my heart for you.
00:23:29.70\00:23:33.14
There's passion for
you, Solomon... " and Solomon
00:23:33.27\00:23:36.31
to the Shulammite:
"There's a living, thriving
00:23:36.34\00:23:40.72
energy-emitting kind of love
00:23:40.95\00:23:44.15
in my heart for you
and in yours for me. "
00:23:44.29\00:23:46.79
Notice this
now... here's the point:
00:23:47.02\00:23:48.69
Its flames are
flames of fire. My version
00:23:48.92\00:23:52.26
"A most vehement flame. "
00:23:52.39\00:23:55.26
Now it's there that the trans-
lators have gone all wrong
00:23:55.50\00:23:59.13
because they didn't
know what to do with this
00:23:59.27\00:24:01.44
in the original language.
00:24:01.57\00:24:03.34
So they said: "Huh...
we're just going to go ahead and
00:24:03.67\00:24:06.57
and translate this vehement
because we think it's simply
00:24:06.61\00:24:10.71
conveying the idea of
strength. " But here's what it
00:24:10.85\00:24:13.65
literally says in the Hebrew:
00:24:13.68\00:24:16.18
"It's flames... " That
is, the flames of love...
00:24:16.42\00:24:20.09
"are flames of
fire... the very fire
00:24:20.22\00:24:24.46
of Yahweh Himself. "
00:24:24.69\00:24:27.76
And there for the one
and only time in the song
00:24:28.10\00:24:32.60
God is brought into the picture.
00:24:32.83\00:24:35.70
Essentially what Solomon
has ingeniously crafted for us
00:24:36.04\00:24:40.34
is a love song in
which he has created
00:24:40.48\00:24:43.61
a sense of how powerful and
beautiful the love is that can
00:24:43.75\00:24:49.02
exist in its ideal form
between a man and a woman
00:24:49.05\00:24:53.52
in marriage. Not love as
we've experienced it necessarily
00:24:53.66\00:24:57.79
if we've had
broken love relationships.
00:24:57.93\00:25:00.70
When God speaks in
matrimonial terms to you and me
00:25:00.93\00:25:03.97
don't do an immediate crossover
into whatever pain you may have
00:25:04.10\00:25:08.24
experienced. But you know
if you've ever been married
00:25:08.27\00:25:12.61
if you said
"Yes" to marriage vows
00:25:12.74\00:25:16.08
you know that whatever
brokenness may have befallen you
00:25:16.21\00:25:19.21
afterwards that you married
because of what you knew in your
00:25:19.25\00:25:22.55
heart marriage ought to be.
00:25:22.58\00:25:24.89
The ideal of marriage, right?
00:25:25.22\00:25:28.02
And because you know in
your heart what it ought to be
00:25:28.36\00:25:31.93
you can resonate with
what's being described here.
00:25:31.96\00:25:35.33
Regardless of whatever pain
or brokenness we've experienced
00:25:35.66\00:25:38.60
the fact is that
matrimonial love at its zenith,
00:25:38.73\00:25:42.47
at its pinnacle, in all its
beauty, is the most incredible
00:25:42.60\00:25:46.21
thing two human beings can
ever experience in this life.
00:25:46.24\00:25:49.84
And here we are told
by Solomon that this love
00:25:50.21\00:25:56.18
is like the very
love of Yahweh Himself.
00:25:56.42\00:26:02.02
Then, verse 7:
"Many waters cannot quench
00:26:02.36\00:26:07.13
love nor can the floods drown
it. If a man were to give all
00:26:07.23\00:26:12.33
the wealth of his house
for love it would be utterly
00:26:12.47\00:26:15.64
despised. " You hear
what's being said here?
00:26:15.77\00:26:18.64
Love is, according to this text,
00:26:19.07\00:26:21.84
the absolute most
precious, most valuable
00:26:21.98\00:26:25.51
thing that any human
being can ever experience.
00:26:25.68\00:26:28.38
And in its purest form
00:26:28.52\00:26:31.22
that love that we
know we were made for
00:26:31.35\00:26:33.89
exists in the heart of God.
00:26:34.02\00:26:36.36
As Solomon comes to the
conclusion he does something
00:26:37.43\00:26:40.13
ingenious that is lost upon
us unless we look at the text
00:26:40.16\00:26:44.30
very carefully,
and that is this:
00:26:44.33\00:26:46.27
Solomon is the
male lover in the song.
00:26:46.40\00:26:50.91
Shulammite is the female.
00:26:51.14\00:26:53.01
Amazingly,
Solomon is the male name
00:26:54.04\00:26:59.81
that is Shalom.
Peace... wellbeing.
00:26:59.91\00:27:04.19
An overall sense of
composure and happiness
00:27:04.32\00:27:08.66
and joy all bundled up into one.
00:27:08.79\00:27:11.53
Peace, Shalom. That's the name
of the man in the love story.
00:27:11.96\00:27:16.40
Shulammite is
the female pronoun.
00:27:16.53\00:27:20.20
It's the female name for peace.
00:27:20.47\00:27:23.81
Shalom and Shalom have
fallen in love, and we come
00:27:23.94\00:27:29.48
to the point in verse 10
where the Shulammite says:
00:27:29.64\00:27:33.98
"I am a wall and my
breasts are like towers.
00:27:34.12\00:27:38.49
Then I became in his eyes
00:27:38.62\00:27:42.12
as one who found
Shalom... peace. "
00:27:42.16\00:27:47.66
This is the point of resolve.
00:27:48.03\00:27:51.27
This is what it
was all moving toward.
00:27:51.53\00:27:53.80
The whole
trajectory of this relationship
00:27:53.94\00:27:56.67
was that the man and the
woman - Solomon and Shulammite -
00:27:56.81\00:28:00.68
Shalom and Shalom -
would together in their love
00:28:00.81\00:28:03.48
find Shalom. They would
find complete satisfaction
00:28:03.61\00:28:08.55
in one another's love.
00:28:08.68\00:28:10.35
When we look at the
Biblical narrative as it unfolds
00:28:10.59\00:28:15.59
over and over again
God introduces Himself
00:28:15.92\00:28:21.13
in matrimonial terms.
00:28:21.36\00:28:23.53
He wants us to view
Him as a lover in pursuit
00:28:23.67\00:28:27.67
of His beloved. Turn now
in your Bible to Ezekiel 16.
00:28:27.80\00:28:32.04
Anybody who has any
familiarity with me at all
00:28:32.27\00:28:36.01
is familiar with my
love for this passage.
00:28:36.24\00:28:41.28
If you've encountered it before
00:28:41.52\00:28:44.29
in my preaching, so what.
00:28:44.42\00:28:49.89
That's OK... you're
about to see it again.
00:28:50.03\00:28:52.39
All right. Ezekiel chapter 16
00:28:52.73\00:28:55.93
in verses 4 through
8 we have a microcosm
00:28:56.06\00:28:59.73
of the plan of salvation
in the form of a story.
00:28:59.87\00:29:03.51
The whole plan of
salvation is encapsulated
00:29:03.74\00:29:07.44
in verses 4 through 8.
00:29:07.48\00:29:10.38
And God here - Yahweh - the
Almighty Creator of heaven and
00:29:10.61\00:29:14.65
earth... He is
telling a story to you and me.
00:29:14.68\00:29:17.49
"As for your nativity
and the day of your birth
00:29:17.82\00:29:22.49
on the day that You were
born... " I'm in verse 4...
00:29:22.62\00:29:25.46
Your navel cord was not cut
nor were you washed in water
00:29:25.59\00:29:30.47
or no one cleansed you.
You were not rubbed with salt
00:29:30.60\00:29:34.84
nor were you wrapped
in swaddling clothes. "
00:29:34.97\00:29:38.01
Look at verse 5.
00:29:38.14\00:29:40.14
"No eye pitied you.
" Another version says
00:29:40.28\00:29:42.68
"No one loved you on
the day of your birth. "
00:29:42.91\00:29:46.58
"No one loved you to do
any of these things for you,
00:29:46.92\00:29:50.52
to have compassion on
you, but you were thrown
00:29:50.65\00:29:54.52
into an open field. " This is
God telling you and me a story.
00:29:54.66\00:29:58.73
And He says: "On the
day that you were born... "
00:29:58.96\00:30:01.60
Of course, locally historically
this is God telling a story
00:30:01.73\00:30:04.83
about Israel.
On the larger scale
00:30:04.87\00:30:08.07
the microcosm in
its macro manifestation
00:30:08.20\00:30:11.94
is a story
about all of humanity.
00:30:12.17\00:30:14.21
You and I from birth
are as it were abandoned
00:30:14.54\00:30:20.12
babies that nobody loves.
00:30:20.25\00:30:22.68
That is to say no
matter what mother, father,
00:30:23.02\00:30:26.65
brothers, sisters
you happen to have,
00:30:26.79\00:30:29.59
whether they be good familial
relationships or negative ones,
00:30:29.72\00:30:33.46
the fact is that in
this broken world nobody
00:30:33.60\00:30:37.10
can love you in the
way - to the degree -
00:30:37.23\00:30:41.14
with the quality of love
with which you heart longs to be
00:30:41.27\00:30:44.44
loved. God alone
has that gift of love
00:30:44.47\00:30:49.88
to bestow upon you. And
God says that your condition
00:30:49.91\00:30:53.82
as a sinner is
characterized by the fact
00:30:53.95\00:30:57.25
that you are
born into abandonment.
00:30:57.39\00:31:00.36
You are born into
abandonment and He says: "No one
00:31:00.69\00:31:04.19
loved you. " This is amazing.
00:31:04.33\00:31:06.96
"No one loved you. You were
thrown... " verse 5... "into
00:31:07.10\00:31:09.13
an open field. "
Look at this... verse 6:
00:31:09.16\00:31:12.27
"And when I passed you
by I saw you struggling
00:31:13.30\00:31:18.04
in your blood...
in your own blood. "
00:31:18.17\00:31:20.81
Can you picture it?
00:31:20.94\00:31:23.08
An abandoned baby
torn from the womb
00:31:23.81\00:31:27.75
the umbilical cord not
properly, caringly cut.
00:31:28.08\00:31:32.15
The blood of birth still
on the flesh of this infant.
00:31:32.95\00:31:35.92
Yanked from the womb and
thrown off the side of the road
00:31:36.83\00:31:42.63
into an open field.
00:31:42.76\00:31:44.83
And God says: "I was passing by
00:31:45.37\00:31:48.74
and I saw you
struggling in your blood. "
00:31:48.97\00:31:53.88
"I saw you dying. "
00:31:54.08\00:31:57.41
And He says: "I
said to you in your blood
00:31:57.75\00:32:00.92
live! Yes, I said to you
00:32:01.05\00:32:05.52
in your blood
live. " That's verse 6.
00:32:05.75\00:32:10.43
God is speaking
into our broken, damaged,
00:32:10.66\00:32:15.10
wounded, fallen
condition of lovelessness
00:32:15.13\00:32:19.53
and He says to you and me:
"I want you to survive this.
00:32:19.67\00:32:24.41
I want you to live. I
don't want you to be overcome
00:32:24.54\00:32:30.01
and succumb to death.
00:32:30.15\00:32:33.38
I want to give you the gift
of eternal life and salvation. "
00:32:33.52\00:32:36.92
And so how's He going to do it?
00:32:37.05\00:32:38.79
Verse 7: "So I
made you to thrive
00:32:39.12\00:32:44.23
like a plant in the field.
And you grew and you matured. "
00:32:44.36\00:32:48.83
Hold onto that.
"You grew and you matured
00:32:48.96\00:32:51.57
and you became very beautiful. "
00:32:51.80\00:32:56.14
This is God
speaking to you and me.
00:32:56.37\00:32:59.44
This finds parallel in
Paul where Paul describes
00:33:00.21\00:33:04.48
that God is in the process
of forming a bride without spot
00:33:04.61\00:33:10.05
or wrinkle or any such thing.
00:33:10.19\00:33:11.95
The plan of salvation isn't
merely about getting you and me
00:33:12.49\00:33:16.02
out of hell into heaven.
00:33:16.16\00:33:17.83
Out of trouble
into the good place.
00:33:18.06\00:33:20.10
The plan of salvation is
about something more than that.
00:33:20.33\00:33:23.33
According to scripture
the plan of salvation...
00:33:23.57\00:33:26.47
Right here in this incredible
text the plan of salvation
00:33:26.60\00:33:30.07
is a beautification process.
00:33:30.21\00:33:33.48
God is looking into
your brokenness and mine
00:33:33.81\00:33:38.11
and He says: "I'm going to
give you beauty for ashes. "
00:33:38.25\00:33:41.08
"I'm going to restore to
you the beauty of character
00:33:41.22\00:33:46.02
and personality
that I created you for.
00:33:46.05\00:33:49.49
You're going to grow
up and mature, " He said,
00:33:49.62\00:33:52.79
"into a very beautiful woman. "
00:33:52.93\00:33:56.97
In the corporate sense.
Men, don't take it personal.
00:33:57.10\00:33:59.43
"You're going to grow up and
mature into a beautiful woman. "
00:34:00.67\00:34:03.24
God wants you and
me to be beautiful.
00:34:03.37\00:34:05.07
I want to tell you
something in passing here.
00:34:05.21\00:34:07.01
Yes, God loves
you... He loves me...
00:34:07.44\00:34:10.95
with agape love
in the New Testament
00:34:11.08\00:34:13.85
which is unilateral
love. It's one-way love.
00:34:13.88\00:34:16.92
It's "I love you regardless
of what's going on with you
00:34:17.05\00:34:19.85
because I am love.
00:34:19.89\00:34:22.22
And you can't alter
the fact that I love you. "
00:34:22.36\00:34:24.99
That's agape love. It's
one way; it's unilateral
00:34:25.13\00:34:27.66
but it looks for reciprocation.
00:34:27.76\00:34:30.70
God loves you and
me unconditionally
00:34:31.23\00:34:34.17
but that unconditional
unilateral agape love
00:34:34.30\00:34:37.64
God lavishes upon our heart
for the purpose of stimulating
00:34:37.77\00:34:43.68
a response. He wants us
to look back into His eyes
00:34:43.71\00:34:47.72
and say something
like "I love You, too. "
00:34:47.75\00:34:51.99
I John 4:19 says
"We love Him because He
00:34:52.22\00:34:55.79
first loved us. " That's
the circuit of beneficence
00:34:55.82\00:34:59.76
to use the words of
the book Desire of Ages.
00:34:59.89\00:35:01.76
That's the circle. That's the
love of God going out and down
00:35:01.90\00:35:06.70
and then He smiles
because it comes out and up
00:35:06.84\00:35:10.57
to Him from our hearts.
00:35:10.61\00:35:13.24
This scripture says God is in
the process of beautifying us.
00:35:13.58\00:35:18.48
"You became beautiful. "
Then look at this, verse 8,
00:35:18.71\00:35:21.48
this is amazing: "When
I passed you by again... "
00:35:21.62\00:35:24.92
You've been going
through a maturation process.
00:35:25.89\00:35:28.36
"When I passed you by
again and I looked upon you
00:35:28.59\00:35:33.09
indeed... " My version says:
00:35:34.00\00:35:36.77
"your time was
the time of love. "
00:35:37.10\00:35:41.87
Another version:
"I passed you by again
00:35:42.00\00:35:45.51
and I saw that it was
time for you to fall in love. "
00:35:45.64\00:35:50.25
She's grown up in verse 7.
00:35:50.68\00:35:53.01
She's thriving...
she's gone through puberty.
00:35:53.15\00:35:55.78
Spiritually the
church has got to grow up.
00:35:55.92\00:35:58.65
And as the church grows
and matures in this beauty
00:35:58.99\00:36:03.19
that God has planned for
us the bride of Christ is
00:36:03.22\00:36:06.23
becoming ready
for His second coming.
00:36:06.36\00:36:11.10
"I passed you by again
and I saw that it was time
00:36:11.43\00:36:14.10
for you to fall in
love, so I spread My wings
00:36:14.14\00:36:17.31
over you and I covered
you... " And watch this:
00:36:17.44\00:36:20.41
"Yes, I swore an oath to you. "
00:36:20.54\00:36:24.15
In the Hebrew: "I entered
into covenant with you. "
00:36:24.28\00:36:28.05
I made a covenant promise.
00:36:28.18\00:36:29.98
"I swore an oath to you and
entered into a covenant with you
00:36:30.02\00:36:34.52
and... " Notice this tender
language from God in heaven...
00:36:34.66\00:36:39.86
"and you became Mine. "
00:36:40.00\00:36:43.77
There is a natural and
godly possessiveness to love.
00:36:44.00\00:36:47.84
There is an
exclusiveness to love.
00:36:48.07\00:36:51.44
There is a forsaking
all others for the one.
00:36:51.67\00:36:55.68
And God is here delighting
in the fact that His people
00:36:55.94\00:36:59.31
grow up and mature to the point
where He can look upon them
00:36:59.45\00:37:03.49
and see beauty and say to them
00:37:03.62\00:37:07.29
"You became Mine. "
00:37:07.52\00:37:10.43
Now when He says "Your
time was the time of love;
00:37:10.56\00:37:13.33
I saw that it was time
for you to fall in love, "
00:37:13.46\00:37:15.33
God is describing here
preparation for marriage.
00:37:15.46\00:37:21.00
She's finally ready... it's
time for you to fall in love.
00:37:21.14\00:37:25.97
I want to say to you...
From the bottom of my heart
00:37:26.01\00:37:28.81
I want to say to you, my
brothers and sisters in Christ,
00:37:29.14\00:37:33.18
I want to say to us as
Seventh-day Adventists,
00:37:33.31\00:37:35.68
it is time for us to
fall in love with Jesus.
00:37:36.12\00:37:41.36
It is time for us
to grow up and mature
00:37:41.52\00:37:44.43
beyond mere negation arguments
00:37:44.56\00:37:48.80
and comparing
ourselves among ourselves
00:37:48.93\00:37:51.57
and assessing one
another with downward gaze
00:37:51.90\00:37:56.64
with condemnation. It
is time for us as a people
00:37:56.97\00:38:01.64
to grow up spiritually,
00:38:01.78\00:38:04.98
to become
beautiful in God's eyes.
00:38:05.31\00:38:07.58
It is time for you and me
to fall in love with Jesus.
00:38:08.72\00:38:14.39
Now quickly rush
over to Hosea chapter 2.
00:38:14.62\00:38:18.79
Hosea chapter 2, and you'll
see additional matrimonial
00:38:19.49\00:38:22.90
language that is
introduced to us to describe
00:38:22.93\00:38:27.24
God's aspiration for you and me
00:38:28.24\00:38:30.54
preparatory to the
consummation of the ages:
00:38:30.67\00:38:34.38
the second
coming of Jesus Christ.
00:38:34.51\00:38:36.31
In chapter 2 again the
sin problem is described.
00:38:36.75\00:38:40.08
Here the sin problem
is described as the people
00:38:40.42\00:38:43.99
forgetting God. God
says in Hosea: "I loved you.
00:38:44.12\00:38:49.69
I gave Myself to you.
00:38:49.82\00:38:51.73
We entered in to marriage
relationship with one another
00:38:51.86\00:38:55.20
but you forgot Me
00:38:55.33\00:38:57.10
and you pursued other
loves, you pursued other lovers.
00:38:57.23\00:39:00.84
And as you pursued other loves
00:39:02.34\00:39:06.47
I realized that
something needed to be done. "
00:39:06.61\00:39:09.34
So He says in verse
14 of chapter 2 of Hosea:
00:39:09.58\00:39:13.28
"Therefore behold
I will allure her.
00:39:13.55\00:39:16.92
I will bring her into the
wilderness and I will speak
00:39:17.25\00:39:21.52
comfort to her. " That is:
"I will speak words of love
00:39:21.66\00:39:25.69
to her" in the Hebrew...
in some versions as well.
00:39:25.83\00:39:28.93
God is saying here
that He is going to save
00:39:29.80\00:39:32.53
you and me by
alluring us to Him.
00:39:32.77\00:39:37.07
By putting on
display before us the beauty,
00:39:37.41\00:39:40.18
the irresistible
beauty of His love for us.
00:39:40.21\00:39:44.28
"I'm going to
allure you to Me. "
00:39:45.68\00:39:47.35
"I'm going to take you
into a quiet place alone
00:39:47.48\00:39:49.62
and I'm going to speak
words of love to you. "
00:39:49.65\00:39:51.79
Now watch what happens. This
is the ultimate paradigm shift
00:39:52.02\00:39:56.09
in verse 16.
00:39:56.32\00:39:58.46
"And it shall
be in that day... "
00:39:58.89\00:40:02.56
Pause... what day? In the
day when I allure My people
00:40:02.90\00:40:06.50
to Myself. When I capture their
attention and pull them away
00:40:06.53\00:40:11.41
from the idols of this
world, from the other lovers
00:40:11.54\00:40:14.68
that they have been pursuing.
00:40:14.71\00:40:16.21
When I finally arrest
the attention of My people
00:40:16.34\00:40:20.48
and allure them to Me, verse
16: "And it shall be in that day
00:40:20.62\00:40:24.85
says the Lord
that you will call Me
00:40:24.99\00:40:27.99
my husband and you will no
longer call me my master. "
00:40:28.96\00:40:34.96
Here God is drawing a contrast
00:40:36.10\00:40:39.27
between two kinds or
qualities of relationships.
00:40:39.30\00:40:43.14
There is on the one hand
the servant/master relationship.
00:40:43.37\00:40:47.94
And God looks upon
that kind of dynamic
00:40:48.08\00:40:51.21
and He pushes back on it.
00:40:51.35\00:40:53.35
He essentially says: "I don't
want that between you and I. "
00:40:53.72\00:40:56.55
"I don't want you to be My
servant in the slave sense. "
00:40:56.92\00:41:01.79
There's another sense in which
scripture does use the word
00:41:01.92\00:41:04.09
servant in a positive
sense. Paul talks about being
00:41:04.13\00:41:07.86
a willing captive
to the heart of God.
00:41:08.00\00:41:12.60
But that's very similar to a
man and a woman falling in love
00:41:12.83\00:41:15.27
and entering into an
exclusive relationship
00:41:15.30\00:41:18.01
in which I give
myself to you voluntarily.
00:41:18.14\00:41:20.54
It's still not
coercion or manipulation.
00:41:20.78\00:41:23.18
But here the
servant/master dynamic
00:41:24.01\00:41:28.68
is negated in favor
of a husband/wife...
00:41:29.62\00:41:33.66
a bridegroom dynamic.
00:41:33.89\00:41:35.92
God says that when you
finally see me for who I am,
00:41:36.36\00:41:39.83
when your attention is
drawn to Me and you are
00:41:40.20\00:41:44.13
allured to Me, you
see My love for you,
00:41:44.30\00:41:47.77
in that day you will stop
relating to Me as a servant
00:41:47.94\00:41:52.44
to a master and you
will begin relating to Me
00:41:52.57\00:41:55.34
on a whole new premise.
00:41:55.48\00:41:57.85
You won't say any
more: "My Master. "
00:41:58.18\00:42:00.85
You'll say: "Ah, my Husband. "
00:42:00.98\00:42:03.55
There are two different
dynamics described here.
00:42:04.49\00:42:08.76
This is where God
is leading His people.
00:42:09.42\00:42:11.99
And then He drops to
His knees in verse 19.
00:42:12.03\00:42:16.97
"I will betroth you to Me
forever. Yes I will betroth you
00:42:18.53\00:42:23.41
to Me in
righteousness and in justice,
00:42:23.44\00:42:26.54
in loving-kindness and in
mercy. I will betroth you to Me
00:42:26.57\00:42:32.11
in faithfulness, and
you will know the Lord. "
00:42:32.25\00:42:35.78
This is so incredible that
God would speak to you and me
00:42:36.38\00:42:39.92
like this. This tells us
that He is aiming for something
00:42:39.95\00:42:44.69
beautiful and high
and glorious and wonderful
00:42:44.73\00:42:47.76
in the relationship
between ourselves and Him.
00:42:47.96\00:42:51.43
And I want you to notice
that the weight of the focus
00:42:51.80\00:42:55.40
is on His love and mercy
00:42:55.94\00:43:01.41
and righteousness
and faithfulness to us.
00:43:01.64\00:43:06.41
That's the nature of the
Biblical covenant between
00:43:06.85\00:43:10.99
God and His people.
00:43:11.12\00:43:12.49
Salvation is premised
upon God's promises to us...
00:43:13.25\00:43:16.99
not ours to Him.
00:43:17.13\00:43:18.79
God's love for you and
me... not our ratcheted-up
00:43:19.83\00:43:25.13
disciplined love for Him.
00:43:25.27\00:43:26.97
It is impossible for the
human heart if left to itself
00:43:27.20\00:43:31.97
to bring about the kind
of love that is described
00:43:33.68\00:43:37.98
in scripture. We need a Savior.
00:43:38.95\00:43:42.18
We need One who is
unswervingly faithful to us
00:43:42.42\00:43:47.42
in the face of our
rebellion and unfaithfulness
00:43:47.86\00:43:52.43
to finally get our attention
so that as we run from Him
00:43:53.13\00:43:58.23
into the arms of other lovers
finally our hearts are broken
00:43:58.37\00:44:03.57
by the fact that He has
never stopped loving us.
00:44:03.71\00:44:07.08
And so covenantal love in
scripture is God's promise
00:44:07.51\00:44:13.55
of faithfulness
to you and to me.
00:44:13.68\00:44:16.69
And that love
reaching into our hearts
00:44:17.12\00:44:20.86
produces a
returning current of love
00:44:20.99\00:44:24.29
to complete the
circle of beneficence.
00:44:24.43\00:44:26.90
We don't initiate the
circle with our faithfulness.
00:44:27.03\00:44:32.50
You will continue, I
will continue to be weak
00:44:32.87\00:44:36.81
and impotent and crippled
in our spiritual experience
00:44:36.94\00:44:40.61
precisely to the degree
that we emphasize the human part
00:44:40.94\00:44:44.81
of the equation.
00:44:44.85\00:44:46.41
To the degree that we focus on,
preach about, and communicate
00:44:47.38\00:44:51.82
what we ought to do,
must do, ought not to do,
00:44:52.05\00:44:55.29
ought not to
do... should not do,
00:44:55.32\00:44:57.79
to the degree that we
focus on the human part of the
00:44:57.93\00:45:02.40
equation. Not that
there isn't a human part...
00:45:02.43\00:45:04.53
there is. But the human
part is utterly and completely
00:45:04.67\00:45:08.24
dependent on the divine part.
00:45:08.27\00:45:11.67
You've seen these
pictures, haven't you?
00:45:12.57\00:45:15.58
of massive icebergs
jutting up out of the ocean
00:45:15.71\00:45:21.28
larger than any
building in any skyscraper city.
00:45:21.62\00:45:26.89
And then you eyes drop
down in the photo to see
00:45:27.12\00:45:29.99
that what you thought was
massive was just the tip of the
00:45:30.13\00:45:32.79
iceberg and there is
this massive ice structure
00:45:32.83\00:45:38.43
that is beneath the
surface of what we see.
00:45:38.57\00:45:41.94
The objective love
of God for you and me,
00:45:43.07\00:45:48.61
His faithfulness, is
that massive structure
00:45:48.74\00:45:53.38
beneath the surface that gives
rise to this tip of the iceberg
00:45:53.52\00:45:58.89
that we tend to want to
focus on and specialize in.
00:45:59.12\00:46:02.39
To the degree that we
focus on what we had better do,
00:46:02.82\00:46:06.83
ought to do, should do
we will be spiritually weak
00:46:06.86\00:46:10.33
and impotent. BUT, the more
you focus on the heart of Jesus
00:46:10.47\00:46:14.50
toward you the more you'll
find yourself experiencing
00:46:14.74\00:46:18.37
a kind and quality of love
for Him that you never thought
00:46:18.51\00:46:20.94
was possible. Your experience
will begin to be built upon
00:46:20.98\00:46:24.21
His promises not yours... which
Ellen White in Steps to Christ
00:46:24.25\00:46:27.48
says of those promises that
they are like ropes of sand...
00:46:27.62\00:46:29.88
the promises of
human beings to God.
00:46:30.22\00:46:34.79
But God's faithfulness is
the point of the covenant.
00:46:35.66\00:46:39.39
He drops to one knee here
and is proposing to you and me.
00:46:39.53\00:46:43.47
He says: "I will betroth
you to Me forever. " Amen!
00:46:43.70\00:46:47.64
"I will betroth you to Me
in righteousness and justice
00:46:47.67\00:46:51.07
and loving-kindness and mercy.
That's how I'll relate to you. "
00:46:51.21\00:46:54.01
"And I'll relate to you, "
He says, "with faithfulness
00:46:54.24\00:46:57.48
and you shall know the Lord.
00:46:57.81\00:47:00.18
You'll know Me when you get
a glimpse of My faithfulness
00:47:00.32\00:47:04.05
toward you. Then you'll
begin to know Me as a husband
00:47:04.19\00:47:09.79
rather than a master, and
the whole tenor and quality
00:47:10.03\00:47:14.56
of your spiritual experience
will be radically changed. "
00:47:14.60\00:47:17.87
You will find yourself
loving the things that God loves
00:47:18.10\00:47:21.74
and hating the
things that God hates.
00:47:21.87\00:47:24.41
You'll find
yourself saying things like:
00:47:24.64\00:47:26.64
"I do always those
things that please Him. "
00:47:26.78\00:47:29.11
"Oh how I love Your
law. It is my meditation
00:47:29.24\00:47:31.58
day and night. " "I
delight to do Your will
00:47:31.71\00:47:34.28
O my God because
Your law is in my heart. "
00:47:34.42\00:47:37.02
"Give me understanding
and I shall keep Your law. "
00:47:37.15\00:47:40.42
"Yes, I will observe
it with my whole heart.
00:47:40.59\00:47:43.79
As the deer pants for the
water brook so pants my heart
00:47:43.93\00:47:47.60
for You, O God...
for the Living God.
00:47:47.66\00:47:50.00
When will You come to me? "
00:47:50.13\00:47:52.90
You'll begin to
identify with the language
00:47:53.13\00:47:57.37
of love that is
pervasive in scripture.
00:47:57.54\00:48:01.78
Language that at one
point in your experience
00:48:01.91\00:48:04.58
was foreign to you.
You just passed over it.
00:48:04.71\00:48:07.02
You didn't even know what to
do with it. You didn't relate
00:48:07.25\00:48:09.28
to that language. You're
like: "What does that mean?
00:48:09.32\00:48:11.65
I don't get that; I don't feel
that; I don't experience that. "
00:48:11.89\00:48:14.39
You will. You
will when you shift
00:48:14.62\00:48:19.63
the weight of your
focus and dependence
00:48:19.76\00:48:22.80
upon the covenant
faithfulness of God
00:48:22.93\00:48:26.00
in the plan of salvation
through which He gave His Son
00:48:26.13\00:48:29.90
at Calvary to die for you
and me. And the vision of that
00:48:30.04\00:48:34.58
love will radically change
the quality of your experience
00:48:34.71\00:48:39.18
with God. Now the Old Testament
00:48:39.21\00:48:41.48
is pervasive with this
kind of matrimonial language.
00:48:41.72\00:48:44.79
God is a pursuing lover.
00:48:45.12\00:48:48.19
It's not surprising
then that when we come to the
00:48:48.52\00:48:51.69
New Testament to the
gospel of John in chapter 3
00:48:51.73\00:48:55.36
and verse 29. Does this give
you a hint of where we're going?
00:48:55.60\00:48:58.30
You should be turning there now.
00:48:58.43\00:48:59.87
John chapter 3 and verse
29. It shouldn't be surprising
00:48:59.90\00:49:04.64
to us then that when
Jesus comes into the world,
00:49:04.67\00:49:08.91
when He steps out
of eternity into time,
00:49:09.24\00:49:12.65
when Jesus comes up close
and personal into our world
00:49:12.78\00:49:17.35
John the Baptist
sees Him and points to Him
00:49:17.49\00:49:21.42
and he says: "He's... "
And then he tells us who He is.
00:49:21.76\00:49:25.89
John's followers were saying:
"Wait a minute. Who is this guy
00:49:26.86\00:49:29.60
who has come
out of nowhere here?
00:49:29.73\00:49:31.50
We're followers of
you, John the baptizer. "
00:49:31.73\00:49:34.64
And John says:
"Ah, wait a minute.
00:49:34.97\00:49:37.44
Let me clarify something here. "
00:49:37.57\00:49:39.44
Verse 29 of John 3:
"He who has the bride
00:49:39.57\00:49:43.68
or He to whom the bride belongs
00:49:43.81\00:49:45.75
is the bridegroom. But
the friend... " That is,
00:49:45.88\00:49:50.55
in our culture the best man...
00:49:50.69\00:49:52.69
"the friend of the bridegroom
who stands and hears Him
00:49:52.92\00:49:56.96
rejoices because of
the bridegroom's voice.
00:49:57.09\00:50:00.46
Therefore this joy
of mine is complete. "
00:50:00.60\00:50:03.23
John essentially
says: "Ladies and gentlemen,
00:50:03.37\00:50:06.17
may I introduce
you to your groom. "
00:50:06.30\00:50:11.04
He essentially says: "Jesus
has now come to this world
00:50:11.47\00:50:16.04
to claim His bride. "
00:50:16.18\00:50:19.15
The gospel of John then unfolds
with a kind of wooing process.
00:50:19.58\00:50:24.99
It unfolds like a tryst.
00:50:25.12\00:50:27.76
Like a beautiful interaction
between Jesus and one person
00:50:27.99\00:50:32.69
after another. From
every angle possible
00:50:32.73\00:50:36.26
people are getting a glimpse
of His goodness and His love.
00:50:36.40\00:50:39.57
And then we come to chapter 14
00:50:39.70\00:50:42.30
the great second coming
passage of the New Testament.
00:50:42.54\00:50:46.84
And there Jesus
says to His disciples:
00:50:48.14\00:50:51.08
Verse 1: "Let not your heart
be troubled; ye believe in God
00:50:51.21\00:50:56.05
believe also in Me. "
00:50:56.18\00:50:57.69
Notice this: "In My Father's
house are many mansions. "
00:50:57.92\00:51:01.82
More accurate translation:
"In My Father's house are many
00:51:01.86\00:51:04.69
rooms. " "If it were not
so, I would have told you.
00:51:04.73\00:51:08.13
I go... yes, I'm leaving...
I go to prepare a place
00:51:08.86\00:51:12.93
for you. But if I go
to prepare a place for you
00:51:13.07\00:51:16.47
I WILL COME AGAIN to
receive you to Myself
00:51:16.60\00:51:22.61
that where I am
there you may be also. "
00:51:22.74\00:51:27.15
Jesus, who was
introduced by the baptizer
00:51:27.38\00:51:30.49
as the groom who
has come for His bride,
00:51:30.62\00:51:33.32
is now invoking the local
cultural language of the time
00:51:33.46\00:51:37.86
regarding matrimony.
00:51:37.99\00:51:40.16
In that culture a
man would see a woman
00:51:40.30\00:51:43.50
over the vegetable stand or
at the well, and he would say:
00:51:43.53\00:51:48.44
"She's the one. I hope
she feels the same way. "
00:51:48.57\00:51:52.11
And he will go through a wooing
process getting to know her.
00:51:52.37\00:51:55.74
And if that love
begins to reciprocate
00:51:55.98\00:52:00.05
and they begin to understand
that "Hey, this is mutual!
00:52:00.15\00:52:03.62
Not only do I love
you but you love me! "
00:52:03.75\00:52:06.22
Then at that point
the man in that culture
00:52:06.55\00:52:10.86
would say:
"OK... it's settled. "
00:52:11.19\00:52:15.03
The proposal is
made; the date is set.
00:52:15.36\00:52:18.27
"I'm going away. I'm
going to go to my father's house
00:52:18.50\00:52:22.84
and I'm going to
prepare the matrimonial room...
00:52:22.97\00:52:26.27
our new home. I'm
going to prepare the place
00:52:26.51\00:52:29.64
for you, my bride.
But be sure of this:
00:52:29.78\00:52:33.35
I'm coming back to get you
as soon as the room is ready. "
00:52:33.48\00:52:38.62
And then he would go back
and he would get his bride.
00:52:38.85\00:52:42.69
The marriage would take
place and he would take her
00:52:42.82\00:52:46.26
to live forever for
the rest of their lives
00:52:46.39\00:52:49.53
with him in his father's house.
00:52:49.66\00:52:52.67
Jesus is telling the
story of His second advent
00:52:53.10\00:52:57.41
in the exact
narrative trajectory
00:52:57.54\00:53:02.38
of the Old Testament here.
00:53:02.61\00:53:04.75
When you come to chapter 17
He pulls that language up again.
00:53:04.98\00:53:09.42
Chapter 17...
you're going there quickly.
00:53:09.55\00:53:11.35
Chapter 17 verse 3.
And Jesus in verse 3
00:53:11.99\00:53:15.09
defines eternal life in
the same terms that Hosea used
00:53:15.12\00:53:18.19
in chapter 2 of Hosea.
00:53:18.33\00:53:20.10
"And this is
eternal life, " Jesus says,
00:53:20.23\00:53:22.96
"that they may know You,
the only true God, and Jesus
00:53:23.10\00:53:26.20
Christ whom You have sent. "
00:53:26.23\00:53:27.77
"That they might know
You. " Down in verse 20
00:53:28.00\00:53:31.57
notice the language: "I
do not pray for these alone
00:53:31.71\00:53:34.71
but also for
those who believe in Me
00:53:34.94\00:53:38.88
through their words.
That they all may be one... "
00:53:39.01\00:53:43.02
Watch this... "as You,
Father, are in Me and I in You
00:53:43.05\00:53:46.79
that they also may be one in Us
00:53:46.92\00:53:50.09
that the world may
believe that You sent Me.
00:53:50.23\00:53:52.83
And the glory which You
gave Me I have given them
00:53:52.96\00:53:55.96
that they may be one
just as We are One. "
00:53:56.10\00:54:00.34
Verse 23: "I in
them and You in Me. "
00:54:00.37\00:54:04.27
This is the language
of the closest intimacy.
00:54:04.41\00:54:07.24
"That they may be
made perfect in one
00:54:07.48\00:54:11.01
and that the world may
know that You have sent Me
00:54:11.15\00:54:13.62
and... " Watch this: "have
loved them as You have loved Me.
00:54:13.65\00:54:18.72
Father, I desire also that
those whom You have given Me
00:54:18.85\00:54:23.69
may be with Me where I am. "
00:54:23.83\00:54:28.66
Jesus closes His public ministry
00:54:29.70\00:54:33.90
expressing the aspiration
00:54:34.04\00:54:37.14
to be with us and
for us to be with Him.
00:54:38.14\00:54:41.38
As we come to the
book of Revelation
00:54:42.18\00:54:44.31
the second coming is
depicted in chapter 19
00:54:44.55\00:54:48.18
again with matrimonial language.
00:54:48.32\00:54:51.29
Chapter 19 verse 7:
"Let us be glad and rejoice
00:54:51.72\00:54:55.62
and give Him glory for
the marriage of the Lamb
00:54:55.76\00:54:59.43
has come and His wife
has made herself ready. "
00:54:59.56\00:55:05.20
Remember? The bride
has been going through
00:55:05.33\00:55:08.60
a maturation process,
a beautification process
00:55:08.74\00:55:11.67
of character and personality,
00:55:11.84\00:55:13.81
growing in the
love of her bridegroom.
00:55:13.94\00:55:18.85
She's made herself ready.
00:55:19.18\00:55:21.92
She's made
herself ready. Verse 8:
00:55:22.15\00:55:24.99
"And to her was granted
to be arrayed in fine linen
00:55:25.22\00:55:29.06
clean and bright, for the
fine linen is the righteous acts
00:55:29.19\00:55:33.56
of the saints. " Do you
see what's happened here?
00:55:33.70\00:55:35.90
Jesus comes for a people...
00:55:37.30\00:55:40.34
the people He's coming for.
00:55:41.14\00:55:43.17
He's coming for a
people - a corporate body
00:55:43.64\00:55:47.21
like you and me -
whose love has reached back
00:55:47.24\00:55:52.18
to His love, whose
faithfulness has reached back
00:55:52.31\00:55:57.02
into His faithfulness.
00:55:57.25\00:55:59.19
He's initiated the relationship.
00:55:59.42\00:56:02.19
He's wooed us; He's
cultivated a connection with us.
00:56:02.32\00:56:07.76
We've moved
through a trysting process.
00:56:08.06\00:56:10.70
He's been romancing our hearts
through Bible study and prayer.
00:56:10.83\00:56:15.54
And as we have grown
closer to Him - and I urge you
00:56:16.14\00:56:19.31
in the name of Jesus that
if what we're describing here
00:56:19.34\00:56:22.71
does not approximate what
you know to be your experience
00:56:22.74\00:56:26.48
with Jesus, it is time
for you to fall in love.
00:56:26.61\00:56:31.99
It is time for you
to begin to identify
00:56:32.32\00:56:35.09
with the lover's heart
that is the Savior of the world.
00:56:35.92\00:56:40.33
Jesus is coming
back for a people.
00:56:40.66\00:56:44.17
He's coming back for you and me:
00:56:44.30\00:56:46.77
a beautiful bride who
has made herself ready
00:56:47.20\00:56:50.37
who loves Him in
return for His love...
00:56:50.51\00:56:55.61
His faithful
covenantal love for us.
00:56:55.74\00:56:58.38
Do you want to be
ready when Jesus comes? Amen!
00:56:58.81\00:57:01.28
Well that's what it looks like.
00:57:01.42\00:57:02.88
Let's pray
together. Father in heaven,
00:57:03.02\00:57:05.05
thank you for
loving us the way You do.
00:57:05.95\00:57:08.52
You're incredible
in the extreme, Lord.
00:57:08.86\00:57:11.79
We've not known
any love like this
00:57:11.93\00:57:14.66
even in the best relation-
ships that we've ever had.
00:57:15.00\00:57:18.47
We long for a love
that is greater still.
00:57:18.70\00:57:22.07
Our hearts were made for You.
00:57:22.40\00:57:25.74
Prepare us, Lord, for
the soon coming of Jesus.
00:57:25.87\00:57:29.71
In His name we pray, Amen!
00:57:30.05\00:57:34.22