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You can open your Bibles once again

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to the Song of Solomon.

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Let's pray.

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Father, we're coming to Your Word.

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Your Word.

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Speak, O Lord. Speak.

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Speak.

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May my brothers and sisters in this place

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hear more than the voice of a man.

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I pray in Christ's name, Amen.

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The Song of Solomon.

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I look forward to looking 
at this Song with you

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one last time.

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Because, for one reason,

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just looking at it this week,

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two realities jumped out at me

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that once again just assure me

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and give me unwavering confidence

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that this is speaking 
of more than Solomon.

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And I want you to see it as we look

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at what we're going to look at today.

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Really, all my messages

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from the Song of Solomon

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have been moving us and 
directing us towards today.

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We've been thinking 
about the love of Christ.

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The breadth, and length,

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and the height, and depth.

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To know the love of Christ

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that surpasses knowledge.

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That's why we've taken this trip

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back into the Old Testament,

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which I believe Spurgeon was right.

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When it comes to the love of Christ,

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this is the holy of holies.

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Let's read in this Song in chapter 5.

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Chapter 5:2.

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"I slept, but my heart was awake.

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A sound.

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My Beloved is knocking.

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'Open to Me, My sister, My love,

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My dove, My perfect one,

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for My head is wet with dew,

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My locks with the drops of the night.'

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I had put off my garment.

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How could I put it on?

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I'd bathed my feet.

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How could I soil them?

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My Beloved put His hand to the latch

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and my heart was thrilled within me.

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I arose to open to my Beloved

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and my hands dripped with myrrh,

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my fingers with liquid myrrh

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on the handles of the bolt.

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I opened to my Beloved,

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but my Beloved had turned and gone.

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My soul failed me when He spoke.

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I sought Him, but found Him not.

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I called Him, but He gave no answer."

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I feel it's time to move on.

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I feel Ephesians is calling.

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I have one more sermon

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from this Song of songs.

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You know it was called that.

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Look back in chapter 1:1,

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right at the very beginning.

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Look at the very first thing that's said.

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"The Song of songs which is Solomon's."

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What I want you to recognize

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is we're holding in our hands a book

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that is God-breathed.

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All Scripture is God-breathed.

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This is Scripture.

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So whoever the author is,

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you can clear that right out of your mind.

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Whether it's Solomon or somebody else,

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the reality is this,

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this is the Word of God.

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And so what we have in this title

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is we have what God wants us to know

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this letter by.

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This is in God's estimation -

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this is so important that you get this.

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In God's estimation,

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for God to identify any song

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that has ever been sung by men,

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for God to look down,

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clear all the rest away,

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and leave that one standing and say:

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that is the Song of all songs.

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And it can only be 
because in God's estimation

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this is a song about the 
greatest imaginable thing

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that a song could ever be written about.

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That fact alone should lift us

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above the physical, above the worldly,

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above the mundane,

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above Solomon,

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up into the heavenlies

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to behold something beyond this.

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Something beyond Solomon

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and one of his thousand wives.

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Listen, when it comes to relationships -

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and there's a relationship

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that's being put on display for us here -

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Christ and Christians

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are the greatest persons 
if you think about it -

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they're the greatest persons

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who have ever, ever partaken of humanity.

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And the truth is that 
in every relationship,

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anything that's good, 
anything that's excellent,

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anything that's desirable, 
anything that's beautiful,

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and all the relationships out there

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whether it be between a man and a woman -

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you know what Paul did.

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Paul looked at that and he said

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you may see a man and a woman,

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and that's maybe what 
you see here in this book,

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but he says what's behind
all this is a mystery.

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The mystery of mysteries.

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Christ and the church.

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That's what we're supposed to see.

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The two greatest lovers of them all.

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You just never forget this.

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God Himself says this is the Song

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above every other song,

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which must mean it's about a topic

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that is above every other topic.

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So we turn our attention 
here one more time,

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not to find Solomon,

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but something greater than Solomon

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and to behold once again

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His - He that is greater than Solomon -

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His love that He has for His bride,

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the church.

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Now, what I want to do

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is we're going to end up in these verses

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in chapter 5.

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But I want you to see,

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because you know what I've been doing

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over the last couple of months?

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I read this. I pore over this.

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(incomplete thought)

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I'll tell you what I'm watching

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is I'm watching fluctuation.

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You say: what do you mean?

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(incomplete thought)

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I mean, it's very interesting.

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Right here is one of the reasons

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why I know this is not 
speaking about Solomon.

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Solomon the man had 
all manner of imperfections.

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But you know what's interesting?

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As you watch this letter,

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and you go through from the beginning,

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it's 8 chapters and you 
go all the way through,

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you know what you see?

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You see in her fluctuations -

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spiritual alterations.

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But you know what?

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When you look at Him,

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there's no movement.

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Oh, yes, there's movement as far as

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His proximity to her.

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But in His attitude towards her;

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in His responses to her,

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what you find is He's steady.

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She's the one that's given to fluctuation.

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And what I want you to see right now -

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what I want you to do is come with me

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and just walk through the up's and down's,

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the back and forth's of her.

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Look right at the beginning of the letter.

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Chapter 1:2. We're just going to do

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a quick survey,

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because I want you to see this.

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"Let Him kiss me..." v. 2 of chapter 1.

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"Let Him kiss me with 
the kisses of His mouth,

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for Your love is better than wine."

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Now, what do you see there?

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What I see there is desire.

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You know what I see there?

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A woman who wants a man to kiss her,

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but she is not at that moment

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experiencing his kisses.

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But she desires it to be so.

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Right? You see that.

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Desire.

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And then, look at v. 4.

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"Draw me after You and we will run."

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You know what I see there?

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A desire for desire.

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You know, having desire is one thing.

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Having a desire to have desire

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is another thing.

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I mean, do you feel that?

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I mean, you feel the desire in v. 2,

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but then in v. 4,

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she's sensible of some need to be drawn.

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She's sensible of some sort of coldness

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or deadness in her spirit,

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and she secretly desires 
further quickening.

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Now, brethren, what I 
want you to see in all of this

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is I want you to see something

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that every single Christian in 
this room can identify with.

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Every one of us.

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I want you to feel the movement

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and the fluctuations

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in our relationship with Christ.

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That's what I want you to feel here.

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She has desire.

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We are like that.

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We desire Him.

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But then, there are other times

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we're asking Him to draw us.

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There are times we recognize

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we don't long for Him like we should.

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We want Him to operate on us

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and make us want what is good

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more than we want it.

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There's a desire for desire.

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You go to chapter 2:3-4.

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Look with me here.

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Song of Solomon 2:3-4;

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she says, "With great delight

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I sat in His shadow and 
His fruit was sweet."

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Now see, again, as Christians we can say

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we know these seasons

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of delight and sweetness.

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We know that.

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Christ came along and He upbraided

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that church at Ephesus

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because they had lost their first love.

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But there is some reality as first love.

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There's that sweetness to that love.

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That's what you see

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being put on exhibition for us there.

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Now, look, I'm going to tell you

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that the next thing I see here

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is a decline.

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Now you may have question 
about that at first,

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but stay with me.

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I see a decline in the affection.

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Because what I see here is a distance.

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You see, last we heard, she was

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in His shadow.

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That's close.

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You're close when you're 
in someone's shadow.

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Later on, we're going to see, 
she's leaning on Him.

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There's actual contact there.

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She's close.

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But notice what happens in chapter 2:9.

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Just go down a little bit 
from v. 3-4 to v. 9.

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Now follow me.

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"Behold, there He stands..."

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But where is He?

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He's behind our wall.

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Now, I probably should have done more

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with just this possessive pronoun "our."

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It shows up in every translation.

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I'm just not going to take 
the time to go there,

259
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but I find that - it's "our wall."

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Maybe because it's "our" house.

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But notice this,

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He stands behind it.

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What does that mean?

264
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He's behind the wall.

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Does that mean He's on the inside?

266
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Or does that mean He's on the outside?

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And where is she at?

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Look at the position.

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He's behind the wall.

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He's gazing through the windows

271
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looking through the lattice.

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Who knows what a lattice is?

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What's a lattice?

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(unintelligible)

275
00:14:18,826 --> 00:14:21,551
It's an opening of some sort

276
00:14:21,551 --> 00:14:28,034
that you look through.

277
00:14:28,034 --> 00:14:30,803
Which direction is He facing?

278
00:14:30,803 --> 00:14:32,104
He's looking through it.

279
00:14:32,104 --> 00:14:34,350
Is He on the outside looking in?

280
00:14:34,350 --> 00:14:39,545
Is He on the inside looking out?

281
00:14:39,545 --> 00:14:43,659
What's He looking at?

282
00:14:43,659 --> 00:14:46,021
I'll tell you what He's looking at.

283
00:14:46,021 --> 00:14:49,316
He's looking at you, Christian.

284
00:14:49,316 --> 00:14:50,767
You say: how do you know that?

285
00:14:50,767 --> 00:14:56,012
I know that from v. 10.

286
00:14:56,012 --> 00:14:57,322
You see what He's saying?

287
00:14:57,322 --> 00:14:59,840
"Arise My love, My beautiful 
one, come away."

288
00:14:59,840 --> 00:15:01,199
He's speaking to her.

289
00:15:01,199 --> 00:15:04,652
This basically is a picture of Him

290
00:15:04,652 --> 00:15:06,470
standing there at a distance.

291
00:15:06,470 --> 00:15:08,297
He's on the other side of the wall.

292
00:15:08,297 --> 00:15:09,639
He's behind the lattice.

293
00:15:09,639 --> 00:15:13,053
He's gazing through the window.

294
00:15:13,053 --> 00:15:17,769
What is this wall that 
has come between them?

295
00:15:17,769 --> 00:15:20,710
Between Him and us.

296
00:15:20,710 --> 00:15:23,777
What's happened? She was 
in the shadow before.

297
00:15:23,777 --> 00:15:25,493
Now He's looking through the window.

298
00:15:25,493 --> 00:15:29,215
Some sort of distance has taken place.

299
00:15:29,215 --> 00:15:32,682
And you know what you 
find all the way through?

300
00:15:32,682 --> 00:15:34,564
He's calling to her.

301
00:15:34,564 --> 00:15:37,059
He's constantly calling to her.

302
00:15:37,059 --> 00:15:39,401
No matter how far away she gets;

303
00:15:39,401 --> 00:15:41,486
no matter what walls come up,

304
00:15:41,486 --> 00:15:44,302
He's just always calling.

305
00:15:44,302 --> 00:15:51,065
That is the steadiness of Him.

306
00:15:51,065 --> 00:15:52,742
What's happened to us?

307
00:15:52,742 --> 00:15:56,598
See, we can enter in here.

308
00:15:56,598 --> 00:15:58,908
We realize some distance has come

309
00:15:58,908 --> 00:16:00,618
between us and Christ.

310
00:16:00,618 --> 00:16:02,596
And you know what, the 
devil's right there to say

311
00:16:02,596 --> 00:16:04,838
He doesn't want anything to do with you.

312
00:16:04,838 --> 00:16:07,585
And yet, if you'll open your 
eyes and ears to Scripture,

313
00:16:07,585 --> 00:16:09,614
He's constantly bidding us,

314
00:16:09,614 --> 00:16:14,688
"Come. Come. Come."

315
00:16:14,688 --> 00:16:17,262
He's speaking.

316
00:16:17,262 --> 00:16:18,808
Whatever coldness has crept in,

317
00:16:18,808 --> 00:16:20,408
He's not silent.

318
00:16:20,408 --> 00:16:21,870
Look at v. 10.

319
00:16:21,870 --> 00:16:24,761
From the other side of 
the window, He's saying,

320
00:16:24,761 --> 00:16:27,474
"My Beloved speaks..." that's her.

321
00:16:27,474 --> 00:16:29,063
She's recognizing this.

322
00:16:29,063 --> 00:16:32,046
She's recognizing that He speaks.

323
00:16:32,046 --> 00:16:35,827
Oh, it is so good when 
we recognize He's calling us.

324
00:16:35,827 --> 00:16:38,204
Don't be deceived, brothers and sisters.

325
00:16:38,204 --> 00:16:40,463
He's calling.

326
00:16:40,463 --> 00:16:42,006
But watch.

327
00:16:42,006 --> 00:16:44,266
"He says to me,

328
00:16:44,266 --> 00:16:47,426
'Arise, My love, My beautiful one

329
00:16:47,426 --> 00:16:49,015
and come away.'"

330
00:16:49,015 --> 00:16:51,051
And you see this in v. 13-14.

331
00:16:51,051 --> 00:16:55,030
And again, "Arise, 
My love, My beautiful one..."

332
00:16:55,030 --> 00:16:56,456
You see, it's repetitive.

333
00:16:56,456 --> 00:17:00,234
Why? What's repetition in Scripture?

334
00:17:00,234 --> 00:17:02,362
You know what it is. It's emphasis.

335
00:17:02,362 --> 00:17:04,024
What's the emphasis?

336
00:17:04,024 --> 00:17:06,825
The emphasis isn't on 
the other side of the wall.

337
00:17:06,825 --> 00:17:09,857
The emphasis is: Come away.

338
00:17:09,857 --> 00:17:11,482
Come away.

339
00:17:11,482 --> 00:17:14,392
Why? Because that's what 
God wants you to get.

340
00:17:14,392 --> 00:17:16,498
That's what He really wants you to hear.

341
00:17:16,498 --> 00:17:19,054
Open your ears, brethren. Come away.

342
00:17:19,054 --> 00:17:20,221
Come away.

343
00:17:20,221 --> 00:17:23,650
"Arise, My love, My beautiful 
one and come away.

344
00:17:23,650 --> 00:17:27,504
Let Me see your face. 
Let Me hear your voice.

345
00:17:27,504 --> 00:17:29,672
Your voice is sweet. Your face is lovely."

346
00:17:29,672 --> 00:17:32,625
And then you see - look at v. 1

347
00:17:32,625 --> 00:17:34,415
of chapter 3.

348
00:17:34,415 --> 00:17:38,075
Go to chapter 3:1.

349
00:17:38,075 --> 00:17:43,207
Now you see, she's not with Him.

350
00:17:43,207 --> 00:17:49,308
At one time, she's in His shadow.

351
00:17:49,308 --> 00:17:52,021
Another time, He's on the 
other side of the window.

352
00:17:52,021 --> 00:17:54,835
He's calling to her.

353
00:17:54,835 --> 00:18:00,016
Where is He now?

354
00:18:00,016 --> 00:18:03,624
I know this. He's not with her.

355
00:18:03,624 --> 00:18:05,440
Or maybe I should put it like this,

356
00:18:05,440 --> 00:18:09,172
she's not with Him.

357
00:18:09,172 --> 00:18:12,415
"On my bed by night, I sought Him

358
00:18:12,415 --> 00:18:14,895
whom my soul loves."

359
00:18:14,895 --> 00:18:19,648
There's a stirring of 
desire here on her part.

360
00:18:19,648 --> 00:18:22,205
"I sought Him but found Him not."

361
00:18:22,205 --> 00:18:24,823
He's not with her. She's not with Him.

362
00:18:24,823 --> 00:18:25,871
And you know what?

363
00:18:25,871 --> 00:18:28,516
She can't find Him.

364
00:18:28,516 --> 00:18:32,156
Again, the Christian life.

365
00:18:32,156 --> 00:18:37,122
There are times when it's 
like some cloud has come.

366
00:18:37,122 --> 00:18:41,551
And you look and you can't find.

367
00:18:41,551 --> 00:18:44,263
Where is He?

368
00:18:44,263 --> 00:18:46,574
He hides His face.

369
00:18:46,574 --> 00:18:48,455
We all know that.

370
00:18:48,455 --> 00:18:51,774
That's reality to the Christian.

371
00:18:51,774 --> 00:18:55,686
But... look at v. 4.

372
00:18:55,686 --> 00:18:57,540
And you know what happens.

373
00:18:57,540 --> 00:18:59,770
See, He departs for those seasons,

374
00:18:59,770 --> 00:19:01,888
but it's not to be cruel.

375
00:19:01,888 --> 00:19:04,037
And it's not because 
He lacks desire to us,

376
00:19:04,037 --> 00:19:07,043
because every time He comes 
popping back up in this story,

377
00:19:07,043 --> 00:19:10,556
it's with such desire for her.

378
00:19:10,556 --> 00:19:13,356
But He doesn't depart to be cruel.

379
00:19:13,356 --> 00:19:17,448
He departs so that she might

380
00:19:17,448 --> 00:19:19,627
think on Him and muse about Him

381
00:19:19,627 --> 00:19:23,617
and have her passions 
stirred up about Him.

382
00:19:23,617 --> 00:19:25,851
And see what happens

383
00:19:25,851 --> 00:19:27,800
when there's those seasons of departure?

384
00:19:27,800 --> 00:19:29,869
When she finds Him after that -

385
00:19:29,869 --> 00:19:32,374
after you seek and you don't find

386
00:19:32,374 --> 00:19:34,864
for a season and you can't find Him

387
00:19:34,864 --> 00:19:36,376
and you can't find Him,

388
00:19:36,376 --> 00:19:38,543
there's this darkness; there's this wall;

389
00:19:38,543 --> 00:19:40,837
there's this distance; 
there's this coldness,

390
00:19:40,837 --> 00:19:43,156
and you search for Him 
and you search for Him

391
00:19:43,156 --> 00:19:45,106
and then He comes.

392
00:19:45,106 --> 00:19:48,205
Oh how you value that!

393
00:19:48,205 --> 00:19:52,857
And look at it. Look what she says.

394
00:19:52,857 --> 00:19:55,200
She says, "Scarcely had I passed them

395
00:19:55,200 --> 00:19:56,648
when I found Him.

396
00:19:56,648 --> 00:19:58,305
I found Him whom my soul loves."

397
00:19:58,305 --> 00:20:02,736
And look, she's not casual now.

398
00:20:02,736 --> 00:20:07,166
"I held Him and I would not let Him go."

399
00:20:07,166 --> 00:20:10,553
But you know the problem is

400
00:20:10,553 --> 00:20:14,303
we're such vacillating creatures.

401
00:20:14,303 --> 00:20:16,792
We know that. He's come back again.

402
00:20:16,792 --> 00:20:19,677
And we're like I'm holding on to Him.

403
00:20:19,677 --> 00:20:20,879
I'm not letting Him go.

404
00:20:20,879 --> 00:20:22,940
I'm not going back down in that valley.

405
00:20:22,940 --> 00:20:24,701
I'm not going back out in the desert.

406
00:20:24,701 --> 00:20:27,236
I'm not going back to where 
I don't know where He is.

407
00:20:27,236 --> 00:20:28,920
I am not going to let sin creep in.

408
00:20:28,920 --> 00:20:31,300
I am not going to grieve the Spirit.

409
00:20:31,300 --> 00:20:32,636
We make these resolutions.

410
00:20:32,636 --> 00:20:34,249
We plead - you ever been there?

411
00:20:34,249 --> 00:20:35,381
Pleading with the Lord:

412
00:20:35,381 --> 00:20:38,181
Please Lord, don't ever let 
me go back to the way it was.

413
00:20:38,181 --> 00:20:41,163
Keep me here on this 
mountaintop always.

414
00:20:41,163 --> 00:20:43,937
You ever been there?

415
00:20:43,937 --> 00:20:46,964
I've been there.

416
00:20:46,964 --> 00:20:51,999
Because the pitiful thing about this -

417
00:20:51,999 --> 00:20:54,199
it's the reality.

418
00:20:54,199 --> 00:20:59,475
Now we go to chapter 5.

419
00:20:59,475 --> 00:21:04,180
And in v. 2, she says -

420
00:21:04,180 --> 00:21:05,608
and the interesting thing is,

421
00:21:05,608 --> 00:21:08,815
she's not with Him anymore.

422
00:21:08,815 --> 00:21:13,336
In fact, she's sleeping.

423
00:21:13,336 --> 00:21:16,826
She's fallen asleep.

424
00:21:16,826 --> 00:21:19,793
She's not with Him again.

425
00:21:19,793 --> 00:21:23,798
She's allowed separation - again.

426
00:21:23,798 --> 00:21:25,942
She's not dead

427
00:21:25,942 --> 00:21:29,300
like those who know not the Lord.

428
00:21:29,300 --> 00:21:32,878
There's still reality in her heart.

429
00:21:32,878 --> 00:21:36,029
Still His voice resonates with her.

430
00:21:36,029 --> 00:21:37,974
Her heart is awake.

431
00:21:37,974 --> 00:21:39,299
And we know this.

432
00:21:39,299 --> 00:21:43,790
Christ's sheep hear His voice.

433
00:21:43,790 --> 00:21:45,995
There's still, though we can become

434
00:21:45,995 --> 00:21:48,433
cold and calloused in seasons.

435
00:21:48,433 --> 00:21:49,971
And He's speaking to her,

436
00:21:49,971 --> 00:21:53,592
and like always here, what's He saying?

437
00:21:53,592 --> 00:21:55,776
What does He say to her?

438
00:21:55,776 --> 00:22:00,072
"Open to Me."

439
00:22:00,072 --> 00:22:03,830
Oh, if we only had ears to hear that.

440
00:22:03,830 --> 00:22:06,517
He's saying it all the time to His people.

441
00:22:06,517 --> 00:22:09,651
"Open to Me."

442
00:22:09,651 --> 00:22:13,482
"My sister, My love, 
My dove, My perfect one."

443
00:22:13,482 --> 00:22:18,766
And notice the excuses.

444
00:22:18,766 --> 00:22:20,437
Yes, this is us as well.

445
00:22:20,437 --> 00:22:24,545
Again, you know what I 
want to emphasize to you?

446
00:22:24,545 --> 00:22:28,931
You will never find Him making excuses.

447
00:22:28,931 --> 00:22:32,009
He is always saying, "open."

448
00:22:32,009 --> 00:22:35,098
He is always calling to her.

449
00:22:35,098 --> 00:22:36,917
He doesn't make excuses.

450
00:22:36,917 --> 00:22:38,839
Only she does.

451
00:22:38,839 --> 00:22:40,211
Now look, if you went back

452
00:22:40,211 --> 00:22:42,870
to the earthly Solomon

453
00:22:42,870 --> 00:22:46,415
and one of his brides,

454
00:22:46,415 --> 00:22:49,056
you would not find 
such perfections in him.

455
00:22:49,056 --> 00:22:50,929
He was not a perfect man.

456
00:22:50,929 --> 00:22:52,753
We know that.

457
00:22:52,753 --> 00:22:55,088
But here, we're dealing with a Solomon

458
00:22:55,088 --> 00:22:56,655
who is perfect.

459
00:22:56,655 --> 00:23:00,082
We're dealing with One who is constantly

460
00:23:00,082 --> 00:23:02,249
in the right frame;

461
00:23:02,249 --> 00:23:04,516
constantly expressing His love;

462
00:23:04,516 --> 00:23:05,853
constantly loving -

463
00:23:05,853 --> 00:23:08,197
no matter how He's treated,

464
00:23:08,197 --> 00:23:12,033
He's constantly expressing His desire.

465
00:23:12,033 --> 00:23:13,833
It's unwavering.

466
00:23:13,833 --> 00:23:15,054
It's unchanging.

467
00:23:15,054 --> 00:23:17,285
She's the one that vacillates.

468
00:23:17,285 --> 00:23:21,935
She makes excuses. He never does.

469
00:23:21,935 --> 00:23:24,655
That's not real to life.

470
00:23:24,655 --> 00:23:26,739
That's not real to a man and a woman

471
00:23:26,739 --> 00:23:28,137
in any marriage here.

472
00:23:28,137 --> 00:23:30,293
The man and the woman 
both have their problems.

473
00:23:30,293 --> 00:23:33,004
What's interesting is in 
the Song of Solomon

474
00:23:33,004 --> 00:23:34,813
only she has problems.

475
00:23:34,813 --> 00:23:36,283
He never does.

476
00:23:36,283 --> 00:23:37,952
He's perfect.

477
00:23:37,952 --> 00:23:39,583
He's altogether blameless,

478
00:23:39,583 --> 00:23:42,391
altogether beautiful, 
altogether desirable,

479
00:23:42,391 --> 00:23:44,647
the chief among ten thousand.

480
00:23:44,647 --> 00:23:46,630
You find that.

481
00:23:46,630 --> 00:23:51,618
And notice: "I put off my garment.

482
00:23:51,618 --> 00:23:53,758
How could I put it on?

483
00:23:53,758 --> 00:23:56,958
I bathed my feet. How could I soil them?"

484
00:23:56,958 --> 00:23:58,825
And brethren, I'll just say this,

485
00:23:58,825 --> 00:24:00,138
do these verses not agree

486
00:24:00,138 --> 00:24:04,359
to the experience of us all?

487
00:24:04,359 --> 00:24:07,799
Our Lord is bidding us to come.

488
00:24:07,799 --> 00:24:14,014
This is such a cheap excuse.

489
00:24:14,014 --> 00:24:18,210
But does it not resonate with us?

490
00:24:18,210 --> 00:24:21,275
And then you see what happens.

491
00:24:21,275 --> 00:24:26,175
She moves, but she moves too late.

492
00:24:26,175 --> 00:24:27,723
And He's gone.

493
00:24:27,723 --> 00:24:30,169
Look at v. 4 and following.

494
00:24:30,169 --> 00:24:33,779
"My Beloved put His hand to the latch.

495
00:24:33,779 --> 00:24:36,358
My heart was thrilled within me.

496
00:24:36,358 --> 00:24:37,826
I arose to open to my Beloved,

497
00:24:37,826 --> 00:24:40,753
and my hands dripped with myrrh,
my fingers with liquid myrrh

498
00:24:40,753 --> 00:24:42,047
on the handles of the bolt.

499
00:24:42,047 --> 00:24:43,190
I opened to my Beloved,

500
00:24:43,190 --> 00:24:46,346
and my Beloved had turned and gone."

501
00:24:46,346 --> 00:24:50,250
He was gone.

502
00:24:50,250 --> 00:24:52,896
"My soul failed me when He spoke.

503
00:24:52,896 --> 00:24:55,556
I sought Him but found Him not.

504
00:24:55,556 --> 00:24:57,548
I called Him but He gave no answer."

505
00:24:57,548 --> 00:25:01,434
How did she get back here again?

506
00:25:01,434 --> 00:25:06,540
By her own excuses and by her own sleep.

507
00:25:06,540 --> 00:25:11,372
She delayed and now He's gone.

508
00:25:11,372 --> 00:25:13,760
And she can't find Him.

509
00:25:13,760 --> 00:25:16,443
And then you look what happens in v. 7.

510
00:25:16,443 --> 00:25:18,624
She gets a thrashing.

511
00:25:18,624 --> 00:25:21,352
"The watchmen found me as 
they went about in the city.

512
00:25:21,352 --> 00:25:22,870
They beat me. They bruised me.

513
00:25:22,870 --> 00:25:24,826
They took away my veil."

514
00:25:24,826 --> 00:25:28,970
These watchmen of the walls.

515
00:25:28,970 --> 00:25:31,920
And the reality is, with His departure,

516
00:25:31,920 --> 00:25:33,961
she becomes exposed to such things

517
00:25:33,961 --> 00:25:37,718
as she would have never been exposed to

518
00:25:37,718 --> 00:25:43,668
if she had gotten up in time.

519
00:25:43,668 --> 00:25:46,363
She's suffering this for 
her own consequences.

520
00:25:46,363 --> 00:25:48,542
If she'd gotten up 
in time, He'd be with her

521
00:25:48,542 --> 00:25:51,628
and none of this would have ever happened.

522
00:25:51,628 --> 00:25:53,617
And the thing about it is,

523
00:25:53,617 --> 00:25:57,023
it just makes me think,

524
00:25:57,023 --> 00:26:01,514
as a Christian, we can bear trials

525
00:26:01,514 --> 00:26:06,563
as long as He's with us.

526
00:26:06,563 --> 00:26:08,691
Have you been in the midst of a trial

527
00:26:08,691 --> 00:26:10,938
and you can't find Him? He's gone?

528
00:26:10,938 --> 00:26:13,249
And there's no answer?

529
00:26:13,249 --> 00:26:16,290
Yeah, that's where Job was.

530
00:26:16,290 --> 00:26:18,379
Job in the midst of all of his trials,

531
00:26:18,379 --> 00:26:20,218
you don't see him bemoaning too much

532
00:26:20,218 --> 00:26:21,696
the loss of his children

533
00:26:21,696 --> 00:26:23,335
or the loss of his riches.

534
00:26:23,335 --> 00:26:24,786
The thing he really bemoaned

535
00:26:24,786 --> 00:26:28,015
was the loss of the face of God.

536
00:26:28,015 --> 00:26:32,706
And that makes any trial most miserable.

537
00:26:32,706 --> 00:26:35,226
And you know what's interesting?

538
00:26:35,226 --> 00:26:40,959
From this point to the end of this Song,

539
00:26:40,959 --> 00:26:47,574
it's not apparent when 
she finds Him again.

540
00:26:47,574 --> 00:26:50,900
You will find no specific verse that says,

541
00:26:50,900 --> 00:26:54,097
"I found Him."

542
00:26:54,097 --> 00:26:56,006
Not after this.

543
00:26:56,006 --> 00:27:01,034
But, we only know that she does find Him.

544
00:27:01,034 --> 00:27:02,130
How do we know that?

545
00:27:02,130 --> 00:27:07,457
Well, look at chapter 8:5.

546
00:27:07,457 --> 00:27:10,015
What we find after this

547
00:27:10,015 --> 00:27:12,039
through the rest of this Song

548
00:27:12,039 --> 00:27:15,836
is just enormous amounts 
of mutual adoration.

549
00:27:15,836 --> 00:27:18,663
She overflows about Him.

550
00:27:18,663 --> 00:27:21,272
He overflows about her.

551
00:27:21,272 --> 00:27:23,454
But when exactly she finds Him,

552
00:27:23,454 --> 00:27:25,453
we're not made overly aware.

553
00:27:25,453 --> 00:27:27,445
We just know that she does find Him

554
00:27:27,445 --> 00:27:31,401
because in chapter 8:5,

555
00:27:31,401 --> 00:27:33,979
"Who is that coming 
up from the wilderness

556
00:27:33,979 --> 00:27:36,921
leaning on her Beloved?"

557
00:27:36,921 --> 00:27:39,804
Well, she's at His side now.

558
00:27:39,804 --> 00:27:42,645
And you know what's 
interesting for all that?

559
00:27:42,645 --> 00:27:48,447
There's never any indication 
of separation after that.

560
00:27:48,447 --> 00:27:52,321
And yet, when you get 
to the very last verse

561
00:27:52,321 --> 00:27:54,794
of this Song of Solomon,

562
00:27:54,794 --> 00:27:56,452
notice what it says.

563
00:27:56,452 --> 00:27:58,668
Chapter 8:14,

564
00:27:58,668 --> 00:28:04,821
she ends with these last words.

565
00:28:04,821 --> 00:28:06,975
Looking to Christ,

566
00:28:06,975 --> 00:28:11,140
she says, "Make haste."

567
00:28:11,140 --> 00:28:14,186
"Make haste, my Beloved, 
and be like a gazelle."

568
00:28:14,186 --> 00:28:16,677
Gazelles are fast.

569
00:28:16,677 --> 00:28:20,300
"...Or a young stag on the 
mountains of spices."

570
00:28:20,300 --> 00:28:22,172
Make haste.

571
00:28:22,172 --> 00:28:27,880
To me, that's a perfect finale.

572
00:28:27,880 --> 00:28:31,270
Because it resonates 
with that finale we find

573
00:28:31,270 --> 00:28:33,759
in Revelation, does it not?

574
00:28:33,759 --> 00:28:36,283
The Spirit and the bride -

575
00:28:36,283 --> 00:28:39,554
what are their words 
as you end the Scripture?

576
00:28:39,554 --> 00:28:41,286
"Come."

577
00:28:41,286 --> 00:28:44,991
Make haste, Lord. Come.

578
00:28:44,991 --> 00:28:47,442
Because the reality is -

579
00:28:47,442 --> 00:28:49,506
the reality of all this is

580
00:28:49,506 --> 00:28:52,388
that no matter how much you have here,

581
00:28:52,388 --> 00:28:54,117
you want Him to make haste to come

582
00:28:54,117 --> 00:28:57,110
so that we might have 
something even better,

583
00:28:57,110 --> 00:29:01,814
even fuller, even deeper, even richer.

584
00:29:01,814 --> 00:29:07,434
So, you have these separations.

585
00:29:07,434 --> 00:29:09,024
You have excuses.

586
00:29:09,024 --> 00:29:11,125
You have her finding Him.
You have her close.

587
00:29:11,125 --> 00:29:14,559
You have Him departing.

588
00:29:14,559 --> 00:29:16,800
What makes this so wonderful

589
00:29:16,800 --> 00:29:19,939
and so practical is that every one of us

590
00:29:19,939 --> 00:29:21,890
true Christians in this room -

591
00:29:21,890 --> 00:29:24,566
we know this. We feel this.

592
00:29:24,566 --> 00:29:27,001
This is reality. This is reality.

593
00:29:27,001 --> 00:29:29,002
Seasons where we can't find Him.

594
00:29:29,002 --> 00:29:30,604
Seasons where He's silent.

595
00:29:30,604 --> 00:29:32,005
Seasons when we're close.

596
00:29:32,005 --> 00:29:34,114
Seasons when we desire more desire.

597
00:29:34,114 --> 00:29:35,898
Lord, draw me.

598
00:29:35,898 --> 00:29:39,311
Seasons when, ah, we want. We desire.

599
00:29:39,311 --> 00:29:40,737
Seasons when we have Him.

600
00:29:40,737 --> 00:29:43,477
Seasons when our souls 
are ravished by Him.

601
00:29:43,477 --> 00:29:46,943
But this is our experience - fluctuation.

602
00:29:46,943 --> 00:29:50,601
Spiritual fluctuation are all part of it.

603
00:29:50,601 --> 00:29:54,426
In heaven, there is going to be a sense -

604
00:29:54,426 --> 00:29:56,213
I want to be careful how I say this.

605
00:29:56,213 --> 00:30:01,240
In heaven, there's going to be this 
glorious unchangeableness.

606
00:30:01,240 --> 00:30:04,650
But by that, I don't mean static.

607
00:30:04,650 --> 00:30:07,670
I just mean this:

608
00:30:07,670 --> 00:30:09,667
I think everything increases,

609
00:30:09,667 --> 00:30:11,956
because I think Edwards was right.

610
00:30:11,956 --> 00:30:15,345
Because the longer we're in heaven,

611
00:30:15,345 --> 00:30:18,366
the more we're going to come to know Him

612
00:30:18,366 --> 00:30:20,844
and to know Him is to love Him,

613
00:30:20,844 --> 00:30:22,537
so with the increase of knowledge

614
00:30:22,537 --> 00:30:24,411
will come the increase of love.

615
00:30:24,411 --> 00:30:27,152
But I see it unchangeable in the sense

616
00:30:27,152 --> 00:30:30,866
that it's this unchangeable increase.

617
00:30:30,866 --> 00:30:32,572
There will never be the decrease

618
00:30:32,572 --> 00:30:33,986
that we experience here

619
00:30:33,986 --> 00:30:38,805
because here it's spirit and flesh.

620
00:30:38,805 --> 00:30:46,567
The spirit is willing, and...

621
00:30:46,567 --> 00:30:49,206
the flesh is weak.

622
00:30:49,206 --> 00:30:52,169
That's where we find ourselves.

623
00:30:52,169 --> 00:30:53,628
In heaven, there's going to be

624
00:30:53,628 --> 00:30:58,048
this increasing consistency

625
00:30:58,048 --> 00:31:00,453
in our love, in our communion,

626
00:31:00,453 --> 00:31:02,502
intimacy, fellowship.

627
00:31:02,502 --> 00:31:04,522
But how given to change we are here!

628
00:31:04,522 --> 00:31:06,015
And it's not just us.

629
00:31:06,015 --> 00:31:07,520
You know what?

630
00:31:07,520 --> 00:31:10,251
Don't you love that Scripture is real?

631
00:31:10,251 --> 00:31:12,987
I mean, you go to it and what do you find?

632
00:31:12,987 --> 00:31:15,726
Abraham - a friend of God.

633
00:31:15,726 --> 00:31:17,876
Certainly here is a pillar of faith.

634
00:31:17,876 --> 00:31:21,405
Certainly here in 
Romans 4, he's set forth.

635
00:31:21,405 --> 00:31:26,009
His faith didn't waver.

636
00:31:26,009 --> 00:31:31,619
Well, what's this with Pharaoh?

637
00:31:31,619 --> 00:31:33,764
Abraham, you couldn't trust the Lord

638
00:31:33,764 --> 00:31:37,378
well enough to protect you and Sarah

639
00:31:37,378 --> 00:31:41,425
to not be letting Pharaoh snatch

640
00:31:41,425 --> 00:31:45,087
your wife away?

641
00:31:45,087 --> 00:31:48,743
Or, Elijah - I mean, bold!

642
00:31:48,743 --> 00:31:52,681
400 prophets of Baal.

643
00:31:52,681 --> 00:31:54,502
Where is Baal?

644
00:31:54,502 --> 00:31:56,885
Maybe he's gone on a vacation?

645
00:31:56,885 --> 00:32:00,587
In the literal, it's: 
maybe he's in the bathroom.

646
00:32:00,587 --> 00:32:06,883
But then he's running away from Jezebel.

647
00:32:06,883 --> 00:32:10,404
David - you see David -

648
00:32:10,404 --> 00:32:12,168
he makes expression,

649
00:32:12,168 --> 00:32:14,214
surely, one of these days,

650
00:32:14,214 --> 00:32:17,242
Saul is just going to catch me.

651
00:32:17,242 --> 00:32:20,154
Yet, he can hear the threats of Goliath

652
00:32:20,154 --> 00:32:22,764
and he is bold as a lion.

653
00:32:22,764 --> 00:32:25,754
There are fluctuations, fluctuations.

654
00:32:25,754 --> 00:32:26,781
We see it.

655
00:32:26,781 --> 00:32:29,712
I mean, sometimes,

656
00:32:29,712 --> 00:32:32,373
Samson looked like a champion.

657
00:32:32,373 --> 00:32:34,488
We know he was one of the people of God.

658
00:32:34,488 --> 00:32:36,777
And there's other days, 
he didn't look so good.

659
00:32:36,777 --> 00:32:39,917
Solomon himself -

660
00:32:39,917 --> 00:32:43,869
what wavering, what vacillating!

661
00:32:43,869 --> 00:32:45,827
We see that. We're vacillating.

662
00:32:45,827 --> 00:32:47,190
We're unsteady. We waver.

663
00:32:47,190 --> 00:32:48,600
But you know what's beautiful

664
00:32:48,600 --> 00:32:50,574
about the Song of Solomon?

665
00:32:50,574 --> 00:32:56,636
Is He, our Beloved,

666
00:32:56,636 --> 00:33:00,898
there's no fluctuation with Him.

667
00:33:00,898 --> 00:33:02,512
There's steadiness.

668
00:33:02,512 --> 00:33:03,885
Steadiness.

669
00:33:03,885 --> 00:33:06,486
You know what I find?

670
00:33:06,486 --> 00:33:10,272
She made her excuses.

671
00:33:10,272 --> 00:33:13,960
He still addresses her as "My love."

672
00:33:13,960 --> 00:33:15,608
She's been asleep.

673
00:33:15,608 --> 00:33:17,755
He still addresses her as "My love."

674
00:33:17,755 --> 00:33:19,293
There's been separation.

675
00:33:19,293 --> 00:33:22,616
He still addresses her as His love.

676
00:33:22,616 --> 00:33:26,988
He still is inviting her to come close.

677
00:33:26,988 --> 00:33:28,960
He still calls her.

678
00:33:28,960 --> 00:33:30,409
Just look at it.

679
00:33:30,409 --> 00:33:36,473
Look at chapter 2:13.

680
00:33:36,473 --> 00:33:39,799
Notice. He says,

681
00:33:39,799 --> 00:33:43,874
"Arise, My love, My beautiful 
one, and come away."

682
00:33:43,874 --> 00:33:47,340
But then when we get to chapter 3,

683
00:33:47,340 --> 00:33:48,844
He's gone. He's not with her.

684
00:33:48,844 --> 00:33:51,151
There's been some separation.

685
00:33:51,151 --> 00:33:52,695
She's thinking about Him.

686
00:33:52,695 --> 00:33:54,893
She pursues Him - can't find Him.

687
00:33:54,893 --> 00:33:58,174
But notice, when He shows up again,

688
00:33:58,174 --> 00:34:03,286
Song of Solomon 4:1.

689
00:34:03,286 --> 00:34:05,488
"Behold, you are beautiful, My love.

690
00:34:05,488 --> 00:34:09,085
Behold, you are beautiful."

691
00:34:09,085 --> 00:34:11,480
She's been asleep. She's fallen asleep.

692
00:34:11,480 --> 00:34:13,462
Take this as spiritual sleep.

693
00:34:13,462 --> 00:34:14,950
We slumber sometimes.

694
00:34:14,950 --> 00:34:18,355
We fall into some spiritual sleep

695
00:34:18,355 --> 00:34:20,227
and what happens?

696
00:34:20,227 --> 00:34:22,627
There He is again.

697
00:34:22,627 --> 00:34:24,636
"Open to Me, My sister, My love,

698
00:34:24,636 --> 00:34:26,625
My dove, My perfect one."

699
00:34:26,625 --> 00:34:28,680
Even when she's been sleeping.

700
00:34:28,680 --> 00:34:30,343
And then beyond that,

701
00:34:30,343 --> 00:34:32,197
she makes the excuses.

702
00:34:32,197 --> 00:34:34,318
Well, I can't get up and let Him in.

703
00:34:34,318 --> 00:34:35,815
My feet are clean.

704
00:34:35,815 --> 00:34:37,687
And you know what, even after that,

705
00:34:37,687 --> 00:34:39,175
after that account, when you go

706
00:34:39,175 --> 00:34:41,884
to Song of Solomon 6:4-5 -

707
00:34:41,884 --> 00:34:45,790
see, there's no movement on His part.

708
00:34:45,790 --> 00:34:49,572
There's no excuse-making.

709
00:34:49,572 --> 00:34:54,525
He simply says,

710
00:34:54,525 --> 00:34:56,636
"You are beautiful as Tirzah, My love,

711
00:34:56,636 --> 00:34:58,195
lovely as Jerusalem,

712
00:34:58,195 --> 00:34:59,973
awesome as an army with banners.

713
00:34:59,973 --> 00:35:04,881
Turn away your eyes from Me,
for they overwhelm Me."

714
00:35:04,881 --> 00:35:09,116
This is what you need to grasp.

715
00:35:09,116 --> 00:35:14,771
On your worst day, you're still His love.

716
00:35:14,771 --> 00:35:18,064
His sister, His friend, His bride.

717
00:35:18,064 --> 00:35:21,081
None of that ever changes.

718
00:35:21,081 --> 00:35:22,634
Do you see that?

719
00:35:22,634 --> 00:35:24,491
Do you feel that?

720
00:35:24,491 --> 00:35:28,499
In this state of grace in which we stand,

721
00:35:28,499 --> 00:35:31,552
oh, how many fluctuations and alterations

722
00:35:31,552 --> 00:35:33,155
and changes do we experience,

723
00:35:33,155 --> 00:35:35,238
and yet the reality of all this is,

724
00:35:35,238 --> 00:35:38,155
Christ's love to us remains unmoved,

725
00:35:38,155 --> 00:35:39,506
it remains the same.

726
00:35:39,506 --> 00:35:42,755
Once loved, forever loved.

727
00:35:42,755 --> 00:35:44,941
That's the reality of all this.

728
00:35:44,941 --> 00:35:47,189
No inconsistency on His part.

729
00:35:47,189 --> 00:35:53,505
Yes, flesh and blood, united to us -

730
00:35:53,505 --> 00:35:55,945
or flesh and spirit.

731
00:35:55,945 --> 00:35:57,882
The spirit willing...

732
00:35:57,882 --> 00:36:00,260
we feel weighed down by the flesh.

733
00:36:00,260 --> 00:36:03,120
We feel its tug.

734
00:36:03,120 --> 00:36:05,703
I'll tell you this, consistent

735
00:36:05,703 --> 00:36:09,544
uninterrupted communion with Christ -

736
00:36:09,544 --> 00:36:11,327
greatly to be desired,

737
00:36:11,327 --> 00:36:13,534
greatly to be sought.

738
00:36:13,534 --> 00:36:16,048
And I'll tell you, we should 
be moving towards that.

739
00:36:16,048 --> 00:36:18,699
We should be longing towards that.

740
00:36:18,699 --> 00:36:22,172
But the realities in this life

741
00:36:22,172 --> 00:36:25,428
is it does get interrupted.

742
00:36:25,428 --> 00:36:28,664
There's yet unsubdued corruption

743
00:36:28,664 --> 00:36:30,357
and it gets the best of us.

744
00:36:30,357 --> 00:36:32,241
And we've all been there as Christians.

745
00:36:32,241 --> 00:36:35,248
And yet His voice - it's like 
through all of it though,

746
00:36:35,248 --> 00:36:36,630
even on our worst day,

747
00:36:36,630 --> 00:36:38,458
even when we fall into temptation,

748
00:36:38,458 --> 00:36:43,254
even when we're discouraged 
and we're cast down,

749
00:36:43,254 --> 00:36:46,462
and yet the thing about His voice,

750
00:36:46,462 --> 00:36:50,209
His voice all the way through this song -

751
00:36:50,209 --> 00:36:51,752
it's a Song!

752
00:36:51,752 --> 00:36:55,192
He's singing over His bride.

753
00:36:55,192 --> 00:36:59,457
He sings to us constantly this voice.

754
00:36:59,457 --> 00:37:01,994
Chapter 5:2, "Open to Me,

755
00:37:01,994 --> 00:37:04,741
My sister, My love, 
My dove, My perfect one,

756
00:37:04,741 --> 00:37:06,366
for My head is wet with dew,

757
00:37:06,366 --> 00:37:11,733
My locks with the drops of the night."

758
00:37:11,733 --> 00:37:14,901
The causes of sleep - 
let's think about this.

759
00:37:14,901 --> 00:37:17,270
She's sleeping.

760
00:37:17,270 --> 00:37:19,110
(incomplete thought)

761
00:37:19,110 --> 00:37:21,953
Oh, that's another thing.

762
00:37:21,953 --> 00:37:24,474
You'll notice this.

763
00:37:24,474 --> 00:37:28,867
She sleeps.

764
00:37:28,867 --> 00:37:32,687
You'll find her on her bed.

765
00:37:32,687 --> 00:37:34,474
He never sleeps.

766
00:37:34,474 --> 00:37:36,668
You'll never find Him sleeping

767
00:37:36,668 --> 00:37:39,229
one time in this whole Song.

768
00:37:39,229 --> 00:37:42,764
He doesn't sleep.

769
00:37:42,764 --> 00:37:45,189
And I was thinking,

770
00:37:45,189 --> 00:37:46,748
what are some of the reasons

771
00:37:46,748 --> 00:37:49,551
that we go to sleep?

772
00:37:49,551 --> 00:37:55,277
Spiritual sleep. Spiritual slumber.

773
00:37:55,277 --> 00:37:56,994
You remember this?

774
00:37:56,994 --> 00:37:58,711
"When Christ arose from prayer,

775
00:37:58,711 --> 00:38:00,066
He came to the disciples

776
00:38:00,066 --> 00:38:05,501
and found them sleeping for sorrow.

777
00:38:05,501 --> 00:38:06,548
And He said to them,

778
00:38:06,548 --> 00:38:08,565
'Why are you sleeping? Rise and pray,

779
00:38:08,565 --> 00:38:10,911
that you may not enter into temptation.'"

780
00:38:10,911 --> 00:38:15,337
You know one of the 
reasons we can go to sleep?

781
00:38:15,337 --> 00:38:18,467
Sorrow.

782
00:38:18,467 --> 00:38:19,825
Trials.

783
00:38:19,825 --> 00:38:21,323
(incomplete thought)

784
00:38:21,323 --> 00:38:25,744
You know, if anyone in here

785
00:38:25,744 --> 00:38:27,542
says the Christian life is easy,

786
00:38:27,542 --> 00:38:30,945
you haven't lived it that long.

787
00:38:30,945 --> 00:38:34,118
Through many tribulations -

788
00:38:34,118 --> 00:38:36,746
and be sure, that's no exaggeration.

789
00:38:36,746 --> 00:38:38,586
Momentary light affliction,

790
00:38:38,586 --> 00:38:41,983
but affliction nevertheless.

791
00:38:41,983 --> 00:38:44,130
(incomplete thought)

792
00:38:44,130 --> 00:38:46,496
Not every season's the same.

793
00:38:46,496 --> 00:38:47,597
I'll grant you that.

794
00:38:47,597 --> 00:38:50,438
And we're all in different seasons.

795
00:38:50,438 --> 00:38:52,729
There may be some 
commonalities that overlap

796
00:38:52,729 --> 00:38:54,071
with some of us here,

797
00:38:54,071 --> 00:38:55,803
but we're all in different seasons.

798
00:38:55,803 --> 00:38:59,076
(incomplete thought)

799
00:38:59,076 --> 00:39:02,792
We're all at a different 
place in the race.

800
00:39:02,792 --> 00:39:04,404
Some more near the beginning,

801
00:39:04,404 --> 00:39:07,590
some more near the end.

802
00:39:07,590 --> 00:39:10,926
We're at different places of maturity.

803
00:39:10,926 --> 00:39:13,323
We're in different forms and shapes

804
00:39:13,323 --> 00:39:15,068
of trials in our life.

805
00:39:15,068 --> 00:39:17,214
But you know,

806
00:39:17,214 --> 00:39:19,167
we can get to places where we're

807
00:39:19,167 --> 00:39:23,260
just barraged by temptations.

808
00:39:23,260 --> 00:39:26,726
We're barraged by emotions

809
00:39:26,726 --> 00:39:29,769
like sorrow and grief.

810
00:39:29,769 --> 00:39:32,615
And then there's this,

811
00:39:32,615 --> 00:39:36,251
sometimes just discouragement.

812
00:39:36,251 --> 00:39:38,485
We get discouraged.

813
00:39:38,485 --> 00:39:40,218
Discouraged with our own growth,

814
00:39:40,218 --> 00:39:47,308
discouraged by our own 
lack of sanctification,

815
00:39:47,308 --> 00:39:50,430
discouraged by God not doing everything

816
00:39:50,430 --> 00:39:52,846
that we desire God to do.

817
00:39:52,846 --> 00:39:56,060
We can just get discouraged.

818
00:39:56,060 --> 00:39:58,255
And you know what? We can get weary.

819
00:39:58,255 --> 00:39:59,748
Just with striving,

820
00:39:59,748 --> 00:40:02,867
just with the spiritual exertion required

821
00:40:02,867 --> 00:40:04,422
especially in some seasons.

822
00:40:04,422 --> 00:40:06,076
The truth is, why do you think

823
00:40:06,076 --> 00:40:07,426
there are texts that say

824
00:40:07,426 --> 00:40:08,990
not to get weary in well-doing,

825
00:40:08,990 --> 00:40:10,805
and we should pray and not faint?

826
00:40:10,805 --> 00:40:14,348
Because the reality is we get worn down.

827
00:40:14,348 --> 00:40:16,166
I feel that.

828
00:40:16,166 --> 00:40:17,511
Oh, there are some seasons

829
00:40:17,511 --> 00:40:20,168
that are a breath of fresh air.

830
00:40:20,168 --> 00:40:22,886
There's these reviving winds.

831
00:40:22,886 --> 00:40:25,420
But there are times when it's difficult

832
00:40:25,420 --> 00:40:26,731
and we get worn out.

833
00:40:26,731 --> 00:40:29,807
And that can put us to sleep.

834
00:40:29,807 --> 00:40:31,735
We can sleep for sorrow.

835
00:40:31,735 --> 00:40:34,448
You can want to sleep 
when things get difficult.

836
00:40:34,448 --> 00:40:36,748
Because you know what, 
when they get difficult,

837
00:40:36,748 --> 00:40:38,493
you want to turn aside.

838
00:40:38,493 --> 00:40:40,564
You want to lay down.

839
00:40:40,564 --> 00:40:41,877
You want to withdraw.

840
00:40:41,877 --> 00:40:44,835
You want the trial to stop.

841
00:40:44,835 --> 00:40:47,505
Or there's this, and it comes 
out of this letter too.

842
00:40:47,505 --> 00:40:49,157
Another way we fall to sleep

843
00:40:49,157 --> 00:40:52,584
is by neglect of prayer.

844
00:40:52,584 --> 00:40:55,146
And you see that in the same text.

845
00:40:55,146 --> 00:40:58,994
"Watch and pray that you may 
not enter into temptation..."

846
00:40:58,994 --> 00:41:00,558
is what Scripture says.

847
00:41:00,558 --> 00:41:03,984
Watch and pray that you may not...

848
00:41:03,984 --> 00:41:05,912
you see, it's not "sleep and pray,"

849
00:41:05,912 --> 00:41:08,311
because you don't pray when you're asleep.

850
00:41:08,311 --> 00:41:10,085
Neglect of prayer.

851
00:41:10,085 --> 00:41:14,445
Staying awake.

852
00:41:14,445 --> 00:41:16,400
You know, in Scripture,

853
00:41:16,400 --> 00:41:17,990
being alert, being awake,

854
00:41:17,990 --> 00:41:21,401
goes hand-in-hand with praying.

855
00:41:21,401 --> 00:41:24,968
Oh, Christian, we can very foolishly

856
00:41:24,968 --> 00:41:28,156
get to the place where we lay

857
00:41:28,156 --> 00:41:30,165
a small priority;

858
00:41:30,165 --> 00:41:34,700
we give little creedance to prayer.

859
00:41:34,700 --> 00:41:36,652
We can get to the place where:

860
00:41:36,652 --> 00:41:38,834
Oh, I can miss the prayer meeting.

861
00:41:38,834 --> 00:41:40,262
It won't affect my life.

862
00:41:40,262 --> 00:41:41,975
I won't go to sleep.

863
00:41:41,975 --> 00:41:43,792
And yet, Jesus is specifically saying

864
00:41:43,792 --> 00:41:45,135
watch and pray.

865
00:41:45,135 --> 00:41:46,309
And these two things:

866
00:41:46,309 --> 00:41:47,948
an alertness, an aliveness,

867
00:41:47,948 --> 00:41:50,044
an awareness -

868
00:41:50,044 --> 00:41:52,778
it goes hand-in-hand with prayer.

869
00:41:52,778 --> 00:41:55,814
Oh, it's okay that I didn't get 
into the secret place today.

870
00:41:55,814 --> 00:41:57,567
I did it three days ago.

871
00:41:57,567 --> 00:41:59,951
It's okay that I don't go to the 
prayer meeting this week,

872
00:41:59,951 --> 00:42:03,305
because after all, it won't matter.

873
00:42:03,305 --> 00:42:04,580
It won't matter.

874
00:42:04,580 --> 00:42:07,572
I won't be more asleep for 
not having been there.

875
00:42:07,572 --> 00:42:09,645
That's not true.

876
00:42:09,645 --> 00:42:12,766
Be very careful.

877
00:42:12,766 --> 00:42:14,380
Be very careful.

878
00:42:14,380 --> 00:42:17,386
Not praying is not being watchful

879
00:42:17,386 --> 00:42:18,655
and you go to sleep.

880
00:42:18,655 --> 00:42:22,542
And that's exactly what 
he is describing here.

881
00:42:22,542 --> 00:42:26,939
Sleep takes you.

882
00:42:26,939 --> 00:42:29,991
The individual who sleeps - 
you think about it -

883
00:42:29,991 --> 00:42:31,392
they're not cognizant.

884
00:42:31,392 --> 00:42:32,690
They're not aware.

885
00:42:32,690 --> 00:42:33,745
When you're sleeping,

886
00:42:33,745 --> 00:42:35,788
you're not really aware 
that you're asleep.

887
00:42:35,788 --> 00:42:38,070
You're aware of dreams,

888
00:42:38,070 --> 00:42:40,826
but you're not really aware of reality.

889
00:42:40,826 --> 00:42:42,600
You're disconnected from reality.

890
00:42:42,600 --> 00:42:44,152
That's the reality with sleep.

891
00:42:44,152 --> 00:42:46,658
While you sleep, you can't discuss sleep.

892
00:42:46,658 --> 00:42:49,198
You can't contemplate how you sleep.

893
00:42:49,198 --> 00:42:52,567
Why? Because you're asleep.

894
00:42:52,567 --> 00:42:57,991
Or besides these two things -

895
00:42:57,991 --> 00:42:59,865
we get weary,

896
00:42:59,865 --> 00:43:02,271
we get negligent of prayer.

897
00:43:02,271 --> 00:43:04,152
How about this?

898
00:43:04,152 --> 00:43:06,371
(incomplete thought)

899
00:43:06,371 --> 00:43:08,746
Have you ever been around 
somebody that yawns?

900
00:43:08,746 --> 00:43:10,088
You're in a group of people

901
00:43:10,088 --> 00:43:11,852
and you watch somebody yawn over here

902
00:43:11,852 --> 00:43:15,900
and then, something happens in our brain.

903
00:43:15,900 --> 00:43:19,205
You get around yawning persons

904
00:43:19,205 --> 00:43:22,021
and it's contagious.

905
00:43:22,021 --> 00:43:23,439
There's something to that.

906
00:43:23,439 --> 00:43:25,667
So it is spiritually speaking.

907
00:43:25,667 --> 00:43:28,295
If you want to fall asleep,

908
00:43:28,295 --> 00:43:30,455
truthfully, you want to fall asleep?

909
00:43:30,455 --> 00:43:33,088
Surround yourself with 
spiritual sluggards.

910
00:43:33,088 --> 00:43:35,792
It will put you down.

911
00:43:35,792 --> 00:43:39,151
I'll tell you, there is nothing like,

912
00:43:39,151 --> 00:43:41,485
if you're in biography

913
00:43:41,485 --> 00:43:42,883
or you're in the church,

914
00:43:42,883 --> 00:43:45,135
there is nothing like surrounding yourself

915
00:43:45,135 --> 00:43:48,050
with people who run faster than you do.

916
00:43:48,050 --> 00:43:50,416
People who are all out.

917
00:43:50,416 --> 00:43:52,613
You want to fall asleep?

918
00:43:52,613 --> 00:43:55,569
I'm talking about professing believers

919
00:43:55,569 --> 00:44:01,378
who are just content 
with the way their life is.

920
00:44:01,378 --> 00:44:05,648
They're just an example of 
slumbering Christianity.

921
00:44:05,648 --> 00:44:07,975
The contented - you know the kind.

922
00:44:07,975 --> 00:44:10,900
They're just coasting. Contented coasters.

923
00:44:10,900 --> 00:44:14,738
Or worse, the complainers.

924
00:44:14,738 --> 00:44:16,926
The cold.

925
00:44:16,926 --> 00:44:19,258
Those who are just cold water

926
00:44:19,258 --> 00:44:21,713
on any sort of heat in the church,

927
00:44:21,713 --> 00:44:23,534
alertness, any sort of fire

928
00:44:23,534 --> 00:44:26,332
to live for Christ and run for Christ

929
00:44:26,332 --> 00:44:28,076
and have intimacy with Christ.

930
00:44:28,076 --> 00:44:30,355
Surround yourself with 
those kind of people.

931
00:44:30,355 --> 00:44:31,766
They're just a wet blanket,

932
00:44:31,766 --> 00:44:35,713
a cold bucket of water.

933
00:44:35,713 --> 00:44:37,441
That'll put you down.

934
00:44:37,441 --> 00:44:39,185
Get around people who, you know,

935
00:44:39,185 --> 00:44:41,341
you want to talk about something spiritual

936
00:44:41,341 --> 00:44:44,292
but it always goes carnal.

937
00:44:44,292 --> 00:44:46,740
That'll put you to sleep.

938
00:44:46,740 --> 00:44:50,023
That's a sleep-inducer.

939
00:44:50,023 --> 00:44:51,691
What's the hallmark of sleepers?

940
00:44:51,691 --> 00:44:55,101
(incomplete thought)

941
00:44:55,101 --> 00:44:57,558
You know what it's like.

942
00:44:57,558 --> 00:44:59,751
Somebody wants to sleep?

943
00:44:59,751 --> 00:45:01,530
They often want to be alone.

944
00:45:01,530 --> 00:45:03,364
You know, if one of my children gets sick

945
00:45:03,364 --> 00:45:05,071
and they want to sleep, where do they go?

946
00:45:05,071 --> 00:45:06,424
They go to be alone.

947
00:45:06,424 --> 00:45:08,561
Scripture actually says 
something about being alone.

948
00:45:08,561 --> 00:45:11,279
"Whoever isolates himself 
seeks his own desire."

949
00:45:11,279 --> 00:45:13,988
It says that in Proverbs. 
That's not such a good thing.

950
00:45:13,988 --> 00:45:15,130
People who want to sleep

951
00:45:15,130 --> 00:45:17,758
typically don't want to be around those

952
00:45:17,758 --> 00:45:19,303
that are on fire.

953
00:45:19,303 --> 00:45:22,031
Men who want to sleep - 
what do they like to do too?

954
00:45:22,031 --> 00:45:26,522
I mean, oftentimes,

955
00:45:26,522 --> 00:45:27,826
my wife closes the blinds.

956
00:45:27,826 --> 00:45:29,366
Why are you closing the blinds?

957
00:45:29,366 --> 00:45:31,028
People can see us in here.

958
00:45:31,028 --> 00:45:32,705
Well, we're on the second story

959
00:45:32,705 --> 00:45:34,561
and we've got trees all the way around

960
00:45:34,561 --> 00:45:36,747
and I like to see the light come through.

961
00:45:36,747 --> 00:45:38,671
But typically, people when they sleep,

962
00:45:38,671 --> 00:45:39,931
they close the blinds.

963
00:45:39,931 --> 00:45:41,145
They draw the curtains.

964
00:45:41,145 --> 00:45:43,798
Why? They want dark.

965
00:45:43,798 --> 00:45:46,741
Or they don't want people to see them.

966
00:45:46,741 --> 00:45:50,490
That's true of people that want to sleep.

967
00:45:50,490 --> 00:45:52,647
They don't want to be in the light.

968
00:45:52,647 --> 00:45:56,289
You know, there's something about light.

969
00:45:56,289 --> 00:45:58,607
Guys that have to work third shift,

970
00:45:58,607 --> 00:46:00,615
to me, that would be extremely difficult

971
00:46:00,615 --> 00:46:02,501
because there's something about light.

972
00:46:02,501 --> 00:46:04,247
In fact, they say that about people

973
00:46:04,247 --> 00:46:05,602
who live like up in Alaska,

974
00:46:05,602 --> 00:46:07,664
and the closer you 
get to the Arctic Circle

975
00:46:07,664 --> 00:46:09,294
where in the summertime -

976
00:46:09,294 --> 00:46:11,130
our sister was up there working

977
00:46:11,130 --> 00:46:12,792
way up in Canada.

978
00:46:12,792 --> 00:46:15,450
You can ask her what that 
was like in the summertime.

979
00:46:15,450 --> 00:46:17,890
You know, where your days 
are 18 or 20 hours long.

980
00:46:17,890 --> 00:46:21,294
Very difficult to sleep 
when there's light.

981
00:46:21,294 --> 00:46:24,757
You want to not sleep? Come in the light.

982
00:46:24,757 --> 00:46:27,184
Come where the light is.

983
00:46:27,184 --> 00:46:30,221
Get away from the slumbering life

984
00:46:30,221 --> 00:46:38,995
and example of some professing Christians.

985
00:46:38,995 --> 00:46:42,924
Those who sleep sleep at night.

986
00:46:42,924 --> 00:46:46,959
How do you discern your own sleep?

987
00:46:46,959 --> 00:46:51,979
Well, there's a couple good rulers.

988
00:46:51,979 --> 00:46:54,046
Are you running as well as you did before?

989
00:46:54,046 --> 00:46:55,575
I mean, that's where Jesus goes

990
00:46:55,575 --> 00:46:59,306
with the church at Ephesus.

991
00:46:59,306 --> 00:47:03,425
You know, you have this coming

992
00:47:03,425 --> 00:47:04,629
from the mouth of Paul:

993
00:47:04,629 --> 00:47:06,446
You did run well.

994
00:47:06,446 --> 00:47:07,962
That was said of the Galatians.

995
00:47:07,962 --> 00:47:09,861
You did run well.

996
00:47:09,861 --> 00:47:11,315
In other words, he's implying,

997
00:47:11,315 --> 00:47:13,032
you're not running well now.

998
00:47:13,032 --> 00:47:14,769
But you did run well.

999
00:47:14,769 --> 00:47:16,740
That's often a good marker.

1000
00:47:16,740 --> 00:47:19,464
Did I run better in the past?

1001
00:47:19,464 --> 00:47:22,679
Did I have a greater love in the past?

1002
00:47:22,679 --> 00:47:23,848
What's another way?

1003
00:47:23,848 --> 00:47:26,462
Another way is compare yourself.

1004
00:47:26,462 --> 00:47:28,429
Example is powerful in Scripture.

1005
00:47:28,429 --> 00:47:30,994
But compare yourself to people 
who you know are godly

1006
00:47:30,994 --> 00:47:32,616
and who do run well.

1007
00:47:32,616 --> 00:47:34,733
If you're sadly lacking,

1008
00:47:34,733 --> 00:47:38,678
that can be a good way 
to discern your own sleep.

1009
00:47:38,678 --> 00:47:40,170
But you just have to ask.

1010
00:47:40,170 --> 00:47:42,066
Joy.

1011
00:47:42,066 --> 00:47:45,556
Joy in the singing.

1012
00:47:45,556 --> 00:47:46,923
Has that diminished?

1013
00:47:46,923 --> 00:47:48,061
You know, you can tell.

1014
00:47:48,061 --> 00:47:51,174
You can kind of feel if you've 
grieved the Spirit in your life.

1015
00:47:51,174 --> 00:47:53,106
Because part of the fruit -

1016
00:47:53,106 --> 00:47:56,610
that so desirable fruit

1017
00:47:56,610 --> 00:47:58,348
that comes from the Spirit,

1018
00:47:58,348 --> 00:48:01,814
a certain aspect of that is joy.

1019
00:48:01,814 --> 00:48:04,555
And you know when you 
begin to lose joy in prayer

1020
00:48:04,555 --> 00:48:06,898
and you lose joy going to the Word

1021
00:48:06,898 --> 00:48:08,781
and you lose joy in the singing,

1022
00:48:08,781 --> 00:48:10,407
that can be a real wake up call.

1023
00:48:10,407 --> 00:48:12,186
Something is lacking.

1024
00:48:12,186 --> 00:48:14,391
Something isn't here.

1025
00:48:14,391 --> 00:48:17,415
You can tell that something is diminished.

1026
00:48:17,415 --> 00:48:19,244
There's this fluctuation.

1027
00:48:19,244 --> 00:48:23,624
You're kind of on the down side of things.

1028
00:48:23,624 --> 00:48:25,407
Coming into the presence of Christ

1029
00:48:25,407 --> 00:48:27,330
is just not so thrilling to your soul,

1030
00:48:27,330 --> 00:48:28,720
not so exciting.

1031
00:48:28,720 --> 00:48:30,445
(incomplete thought)

1032
00:48:30,445 --> 00:48:32,147
We get sloppy.

1033
00:48:32,147 --> 00:48:34,937
You get sleepy. You get sloppy.

1034
00:48:34,937 --> 00:48:36,834
Somebody was just telling me recently

1035
00:48:36,834 --> 00:48:39,298
about being in class and taking notes.

1036
00:48:39,298 --> 00:48:40,560
And I remember,

1037
00:48:40,560 --> 00:48:43,306
being in college myself,

1038
00:48:43,306 --> 00:48:46,677
and you're so tired and 
you're taking the notes

1039
00:48:46,677 --> 00:48:49,495
and the prof is writing 
on the board up there

1040
00:48:49,495 --> 00:48:50,602
or on the overhead,

1041
00:48:50,602 --> 00:48:52,153
and you're taking these notes

1042
00:48:52,153 --> 00:48:55,445
and you just fall asleep.

1043
00:48:55,445 --> 00:48:57,150
That's what happens when you sleep.

1044
00:48:57,150 --> 00:48:58,388
You get sloppy.

1045
00:48:58,388 --> 00:49:01,407
And remember what it's like in Malachi?

1046
00:49:01,407 --> 00:49:04,256
What kind of offerings 
are you bringing Me?

1047
00:49:04,256 --> 00:49:05,572
Blind?

1048
00:49:05,572 --> 00:49:08,788
You go offer that to your governor.

1049
00:49:08,788 --> 00:49:12,693
We can get sloppy in what 
we're offering to the Lord.

1050
00:49:12,693 --> 00:49:16,251
That's what happens when you go to sleep.

1051
00:49:16,251 --> 00:49:18,628
Brethren, before we wrap this up,

1052
00:49:18,628 --> 00:49:19,991
what I want you to see

1053
00:49:19,991 --> 00:49:29,283
is the greatest offense in all of this.

1054
00:49:29,283 --> 00:49:32,153
Notice Song of Solomon 5:2,

1055
00:49:32,153 --> 00:49:35,251
"I slept, but my heart was awake.

1056
00:49:35,251 --> 00:49:39,895
A sound, my Beloved is knocking."

1057
00:49:39,895 --> 00:49:41,612
Oh, I want you to see something here

1058
00:49:41,612 --> 00:49:46,890
that you probably have missed up till now.

1059
00:49:46,890 --> 00:49:49,026
"Open to Me, My sister, My love,

1060
00:49:49,026 --> 00:49:52,669
My dove, My perfect one.

1061
00:49:52,669 --> 00:49:58,130
For My head is wet with dew,

1062
00:49:58,130 --> 00:50:03,745
My locks with the drops of the night."

1063
00:50:03,745 --> 00:50:06,328
And she responds: 
Well, I'd put off my garment,

1064
00:50:06,328 --> 00:50:07,531
"how could I put it on?

1065
00:50:07,531 --> 00:50:10,115
I bathed my feet. How could I soil them?"

1066
00:50:10,115 --> 00:50:13,404
And yet, here is Christ saying,

1067
00:50:13,404 --> 00:50:16,335
"My head is wet..."

1068
00:50:16,335 --> 00:50:19,655
and she's saying, 
"I've put off my garment."

1069
00:50:19,655 --> 00:50:24,176
"My locks drip..."

1070
00:50:24,176 --> 00:50:26,700
She's saying, "I've bathed my feet."

1071
00:50:26,700 --> 00:50:29,124
May God give us eyes to 
see what's happening here.

1072
00:50:29,124 --> 00:50:32,847
When the Lord calls to His love

1073
00:50:32,847 --> 00:50:34,729
and He says these words:

1074
00:50:34,729 --> 00:50:39,193
"My head is wet with dew,"

1075
00:50:39,193 --> 00:50:45,127
that may not strike 
you at first as it ought,

1076
00:50:45,127 --> 00:50:46,549
but here's the thing,

1077
00:50:46,549 --> 00:50:50,530
don't imagine that prior to Him

1078
00:50:50,530 --> 00:50:52,351
coming to her door,

1079
00:50:52,351 --> 00:50:55,616
He was out in the middle of the fields

1080
00:50:55,616 --> 00:50:58,503
sitting there getting wet

1081
00:50:58,503 --> 00:51:00,957
and now He's wet and He says,

1082
00:51:00,957 --> 00:51:02,506
I know what I'm going to do,

1083
00:51:02,506 --> 00:51:07,758
I'm going to go to My 
love's bedroom and knock.

1084
00:51:07,758 --> 00:51:10,797
That's not the picture.

1085
00:51:10,797 --> 00:51:15,117
Rather, the picture you 
probably want to see here

1086
00:51:15,117 --> 00:51:21,170
is He was dry and He came to the door.

1087
00:51:21,170 --> 00:51:24,290
And He began knocking.

1088
00:51:24,290 --> 00:51:26,744
And He knocked so long

1089
00:51:26,744 --> 00:51:29,931
and He called so long

1090
00:51:29,931 --> 00:51:31,901
that the dew settled on Him.

1091
00:51:31,901 --> 00:51:34,326
I think that's the picture

1092
00:51:34,326 --> 00:51:37,384
that you want to see.

1093
00:51:37,384 --> 00:51:39,099
He was wet.

1094
00:51:39,099 --> 00:51:42,238
He was wet due to the time

1095
00:51:42,238 --> 00:51:45,845
he stood outside that door knocking.

1096
00:51:45,845 --> 00:51:47,397
Not because of what He was doing

1097
00:51:47,397 --> 00:51:49,077
before He came knocking.

1098
00:51:49,077 --> 00:51:53,674
And I would just say this: what love!

1099
00:51:53,674 --> 00:51:55,545
And what patience!

1100
00:51:55,545 --> 00:51:58,328
Oh, have you not found it so?

1101
00:51:58,328 --> 00:52:03,324
Has Christ not been 
abundantly patient with us?

1102
00:52:03,324 --> 00:52:05,333
Have you not repeatedly said,

1103
00:52:05,333 --> 00:52:09,224
oh, what a fool I am!

1104
00:52:09,224 --> 00:52:15,073
And He still says, "Come to Me, My love."

1105
00:52:15,073 --> 00:52:16,457
He continues knocking.

1106
00:52:16,457 --> 00:52:17,920
He continues calling

1107
00:52:17,920 --> 00:52:21,387
until His head is wet with the dew.

1108
00:52:21,387 --> 00:52:23,195
And what does she do?

1109
00:52:23,195 --> 00:52:26,412
What do we do?

1110
00:52:26,412 --> 00:52:27,726
Well, you know what we do?

1111
00:52:27,726 --> 00:52:29,844
We miss His heart.

1112
00:52:29,844 --> 00:52:31,645
(incomplete thought)

1113
00:52:31,645 --> 00:52:35,188
Get the picture!

1114
00:52:35,188 --> 00:52:38,957
This is a bedroom.

1115
00:52:38,957 --> 00:52:40,912
Christ comes.

1116
00:52:40,912 --> 00:52:43,169
Excuse me if you have tender ears,

1117
00:52:43,169 --> 00:52:47,455
but He wants to make love to your soul.

1118
00:52:47,455 --> 00:52:51,278
And we have excuses.

1119
00:52:51,278 --> 00:52:52,434
I can't go to prayer.

1120
00:52:52,434 --> 00:52:53,803
I can't go walk with Him.

1121
00:52:53,803 --> 00:52:57,364
I can't go meditate on what He says to me.

1122
00:52:57,364 --> 00:53:00,366
I don't have time for this.

1123
00:53:00,366 --> 00:53:08,016
Because after all, I have social media.

1124
00:53:08,016 --> 00:53:11,130
We are fools.

1125
00:53:11,130 --> 00:53:12,914
And I'll tell you this,

1126
00:53:12,914 --> 00:53:17,029
what this says to every one 
of us is we could have more.

1127
00:53:17,029 --> 00:53:19,805
And He wants more.

1128
00:53:19,805 --> 00:53:24,174
And He calls to us to give us more.

1129
00:53:24,174 --> 00:53:26,668
Oh, what excuse making on our part!

1130
00:53:26,668 --> 00:53:29,739
What hesitations!

1131
00:53:29,739 --> 00:53:31,455
I won't put my garment on

1132
00:53:31,455 --> 00:53:32,818
and risk soiling my feet.

1133
00:53:32,818 --> 00:53:36,295
Oh brethren, that sounds silly.

1134
00:53:36,295 --> 00:53:38,768
It's almost like to write that in here,

1135
00:53:38,768 --> 00:53:41,365
what silliness!

1136
00:53:41,365 --> 00:53:43,880
Oh yeah, but if we're honest,

1137
00:53:43,880 --> 00:53:46,676
we've probably missed

1138
00:53:46,676 --> 00:53:48,933
intimacies with Christ

1139
00:53:48,933 --> 00:53:53,904
for even more silly excuses.

1140
00:53:53,904 --> 00:53:56,679
Isn't that the way we live our lives?

1141
00:53:56,679 --> 00:54:00,577
We're constantly measuring.

1142
00:54:00,577 --> 00:54:02,281
Should I do this? Should I do this?

1143
00:54:02,281 --> 00:54:05,516
We're constantly making these decisions.

1144
00:54:05,516 --> 00:54:07,426
Should I sit down and do this?

1145
00:54:07,426 --> 00:54:09,727
Should I do this? Should I do this?

1146
00:54:09,727 --> 00:54:13,200
And in these decisions that we make,

1147
00:54:13,200 --> 00:54:15,828
oh, on a regular basis, every one of us

1148
00:54:15,828 --> 00:54:20,051
would confess we've made decisions.

1149
00:54:20,051 --> 00:54:22,442
We've hesitated.

1150
00:54:22,442 --> 00:54:25,784
That's the thing. Hesitations.

1151
00:54:25,784 --> 00:54:27,420
He's come to His bride at night

1152
00:54:27,420 --> 00:54:30,053
to her bedroom ready for intimacy.

1153
00:54:30,053 --> 00:54:31,913
He calls to her. He knocks.

1154
00:54:31,913 --> 00:54:35,452
He beckons until His head is wet with dew.

1155
00:54:35,452 --> 00:54:37,879
And what's she doing? 
She's making excuses.

1156
00:54:37,879 --> 00:54:39,134
And I would just say this,

1157
00:54:39,134 --> 00:54:42,066
brethren, look, sometimes we can take

1158
00:54:42,066 --> 00:54:45,086
this idea from Scripture about hastiness.

1159
00:54:45,086 --> 00:54:47,108
Whoa, I'm not going to be hasty.

1160
00:54:47,108 --> 00:54:50,542
I'll tell you this, you should be hasty

1161
00:54:50,542 --> 00:54:52,469
to run into the arms of Christ.

1162
00:54:52,469 --> 00:54:55,143
You should be hasty 
to spend time with Him.

1163
00:54:55,143 --> 00:54:56,738
We deliberate too much.

1164
00:54:56,738 --> 00:54:58,100
We're too cautious.

1165
00:54:58,100 --> 00:54:59,351
Too much calculation.

1166
00:54:59,351 --> 00:55:01,240
Too much carefulness on our part

1167
00:55:01,240 --> 00:55:03,485
when it comes to living all out for Christ

1168
00:55:03,485 --> 00:55:07,325
and being for Christ 
and being with Christ.

1169
00:55:07,325 --> 00:55:10,127
Right here, His unimaginable love

1170
00:55:10,127 --> 00:55:11,875
is put on display.

1171
00:55:11,875 --> 00:55:16,015
He endures such indignities from us

1172
00:55:16,015 --> 00:55:18,704
as to sit outside that door and knock

1173
00:55:18,704 --> 00:55:22,283
and call to us until His head is wet

1174
00:55:22,283 --> 00:55:23,279
with the dew.

1175
00:55:23,279 --> 00:55:29,908
Christ endures indignities 
from His church.

1176
00:55:29,908 --> 00:55:31,647
And we all have to raise our hand -

1177
00:55:31,647 --> 00:55:33,243
this is true to our experience.

1178
00:55:33,243 --> 00:55:36,211
We all know it. We feel it.

1179
00:55:36,211 --> 00:55:42,632
Still, after this insult, in chapter 6:4,

1180
00:55:42,632 --> 00:55:45,471
"You are beautiful as Tirzah, My love."

1181
00:55:45,471 --> 00:55:47,324
He's making us beautiful.

1182
00:55:47,324 --> 00:55:49,360
And we just can never get away from that.

1183
00:55:49,360 --> 00:55:52,713
"Lovely as Jerusalem."

1184
00:55:52,713 --> 00:55:56,588
He says, "Turn away your eyes from Me,

1185
00:55:56,588 --> 00:56:04,019
for they overwhelm Me."

1186
00:56:04,019 --> 00:56:06,127
Yes, when she delayed,

1187
00:56:06,127 --> 00:56:09,076
He turned and He left.

1188
00:56:09,076 --> 00:56:11,505
But again, I'll tell you, 
it's not to be cruel.

1189
00:56:11,505 --> 00:56:12,920
And if you look right there,

1190
00:56:12,920 --> 00:56:15,851
if you've got your Bibles 
open to chapter 5,

1191
00:56:15,851 --> 00:56:20,729
you'll see that when He left,

1192
00:56:20,729 --> 00:56:23,544
"my Beloved had turned and gone,"

1193
00:56:23,544 --> 00:56:27,029
when you get over to v. 10,

1194
00:56:27,029 --> 00:56:28,738
you know what it produces in her?

1195
00:56:28,738 --> 00:56:33,672
It produces her thinking about Him.

1196
00:56:33,672 --> 00:56:36,477
Her longing for Him just erupts.

1197
00:56:36,477 --> 00:56:38,748
"My Beloved is radiant and ruddy,

1198
00:56:38,748 --> 00:56:41,809
distinguished among ten thousand..."

1199
00:56:41,809 --> 00:56:44,002
See what His departure did?

1200
00:56:44,002 --> 00:56:48,834
It causes a yearning. It's a good thing.

1201
00:56:48,834 --> 00:56:51,540
It's a good thing.

1202
00:56:51,540 --> 00:56:54,688
And He's withdrawn, 
but it's only for a season.

1203
00:56:54,688 --> 00:56:57,232
It always is for His children.

1204
00:56:57,232 --> 00:56:59,314
Because His heart really is like this.

1205
00:56:59,314 --> 00:57:01,681
It's yearning for His people.

1206
00:57:01,681 --> 00:57:03,856
What you need to see here is Christ

1207
00:57:03,856 --> 00:57:08,162
never has enough of 
you and your affections.

1208
00:57:08,162 --> 00:57:10,341
You'll remember back there in Ephesians 3

1209
00:57:10,341 --> 00:57:12,452
where we came from.

1210
00:57:12,452 --> 00:57:17,854
It's that Christ might dwell 
in your hearts through faith.

1211
00:57:17,854 --> 00:57:19,931
It's Christ coming close.

1212
00:57:19,931 --> 00:57:21,407
He desires that.

1213
00:57:21,407 --> 00:57:24,154
He will have more and more of you.

1214
00:57:24,154 --> 00:57:26,906
That's why He says to 
a church like Ephesus:

1215
00:57:26,906 --> 00:57:30,706
Repent! I will remove candlesticks

1216
00:57:30,706 --> 00:57:32,524
if I do not have your love.

1217
00:57:32,524 --> 00:57:35,096
It means that much to Me.

1218
00:57:35,096 --> 00:57:37,158
He will have our love.

1219
00:57:37,158 --> 00:57:40,952
And He still greatly desires her.

1220
00:57:40,952 --> 00:57:42,848
He will have your love more and more.

1221
00:57:42,848 --> 00:57:45,168
He will have your hearts more and more.

1222
00:57:45,168 --> 00:57:48,195
He desires further 
entrance into your heart,

1223
00:57:48,195 --> 00:57:49,840
into your affections,

1224
00:57:49,840 --> 00:57:52,677
that He might dwell there more deeply

1225
00:57:52,677 --> 00:57:53,723
all the time.

1226
00:57:53,723 --> 00:57:56,985
I'll tell you, He is not content

1227
00:57:56,985 --> 00:58:00,491
with any of this until 
we're all in heaven.

1228
00:58:00,491 --> 00:58:02,818
And you see it in that 
high priestly prayer.

1229
00:58:02,818 --> 00:58:04,697
I mean, when He's praying to His Father

1230
00:58:04,697 --> 00:58:06,732
there in John 17, He says:

1231
00:58:06,732 --> 00:58:10,921
"My desire is that they be 
with Me where I am."

1232
00:58:10,921 --> 00:58:12,595
And that's where we're all headed.

1233
00:58:12,595 --> 00:58:15,986
He's not content. His desire is that we

1234
00:58:15,986 --> 00:58:17,364
would be with Him.

1235
00:58:17,364 --> 00:58:19,340
You answer me, Christian.

1236
00:58:19,340 --> 00:58:22,082
When there's any separation,

1237
00:58:22,082 --> 00:58:24,473
when there's any coldness or strangeness

1238
00:58:24,473 --> 00:58:26,797
between your soul and Christ,

1239
00:58:26,797 --> 00:58:28,786
are you going to blame Christ?

1240
00:58:28,786 --> 00:58:31,154
Will you blame Him?

1241
00:58:31,154 --> 00:58:34,076
Not when He's the one who 
is portrayed in Scripture

1242
00:58:34,076 --> 00:58:36,486
as standing at the door and knocking -

1243
00:58:36,486 --> 00:58:39,003
even knocking until the 
very locks of His head

1244
00:58:39,003 --> 00:58:44,438
are dripping with dew.

1245
00:58:44,438 --> 00:58:46,422
This speaks loudly to the fact

1246
00:58:46,422 --> 00:58:48,401
that He takes no delight or desire

1247
00:58:48,401 --> 00:58:51,695
in separation or distance between us.

1248
00:58:51,695 --> 00:58:54,567
And look, when we don't prize Him

1249
00:58:54,567 --> 00:58:56,016
as we ought to,

1250
00:58:56,016 --> 00:58:58,071
and we make our excuses against

1251
00:58:58,071 --> 00:59:02,284
drawing close to Him,

1252
00:59:02,284 --> 00:59:07,292
it's no wonder that 
He draws away at times.

1253
00:59:07,292 --> 00:59:09,981
He knocks. Oh, He knocks.

1254
00:59:09,981 --> 00:59:14,406
Therefore, we should lay 
the blame on ourselves.

1255
00:59:14,406 --> 00:59:16,795
If we don't know more of revival,

1256
00:59:16,795 --> 00:59:19,846
more of the ravishing of the soul,

1257
00:59:19,846 --> 00:59:24,254
more of filling, more of glory,

1258
00:59:24,254 --> 00:59:28,012
typically, we can blame 
ourselves for that

1259
00:59:28,012 --> 00:59:32,507
because of choices that we've made.

1260
00:59:32,507 --> 00:59:35,185
Look, what you have to gather from this

1261
00:59:35,185 --> 00:59:39,912
is nothing contents Him 
about saving a people

1262
00:59:39,912 --> 00:59:43,415
but intimacy.

1263
00:59:43,415 --> 00:59:47,754
Eternal life is that we might know Him.

1264
00:59:47,754 --> 00:59:49,880
Intimacy.

1265
00:59:49,880 --> 00:59:51,656
That's it.

1266
00:59:51,656 --> 00:59:54,587
What condescension on His part!

1267
00:59:54,587 --> 00:59:56,252
I mean, you think about this.

1268
00:59:56,252 --> 00:59:58,606
You think about this.

1269
00:59:58,606 --> 01:00:01,427
He's in heaven.

1270
01:00:01,427 --> 01:00:05,844
I mean, He asked His Father to restore Him

1271
01:00:05,844 --> 01:00:07,991
to the glory that He had with the Father

1272
01:00:07,991 --> 01:00:10,272
before the world began. That's happened.

1273
01:00:10,272 --> 01:00:12,300
He's in the glory.

1274
01:00:12,300 --> 01:00:13,822
Surrounded by angels.

1275
01:00:13,822 --> 01:00:16,100
He's got His Father at His right hand.

1276
01:00:16,100 --> 01:00:20,270
And seriously? For all that,

1277
01:00:20,270 --> 01:00:24,353
He comes to us down here?

1278
01:00:24,353 --> 01:00:26,769
And He asks us to open to Him?

1279
01:00:26,769 --> 01:00:30,736
And He speaks such sweet 
things to our souls?

1280
01:00:30,736 --> 01:00:35,412
And He even stands outside 
and gets His head wet?

1281
01:00:35,412 --> 01:00:40,473
And we make excuses?

1282
01:00:40,473 --> 01:00:41,804
What is this?

1283
01:00:41,804 --> 01:00:44,694
Look, what has all this been about?

1284
01:00:44,694 --> 01:00:46,968
It's been about the love of Christ.

1285
01:00:46,968 --> 01:00:49,942
Is there any such love 
like this for anybody?

1286
01:00:49,942 --> 01:00:51,497
He laid down His life.

1287
01:00:51,497 --> 01:00:53,323
He comes. He knocks.

1288
01:00:53,323 --> 01:00:56,052
Look, He comes out of love for us.

1289
01:00:56,052 --> 01:00:57,740
He knocks out of love for us.

1290
01:00:57,740 --> 01:01:00,129
He lets His head grow wet for love for us.

1291
01:01:00,129 --> 01:01:02,838
He waits for us. He calls to us.

1292
01:01:02,838 --> 01:01:05,710
I would just say this, for any of you

1293
01:01:05,710 --> 01:01:09,117
believers out here, you've relapsed.

1294
01:01:09,117 --> 01:01:10,996
Oh, we don't like "backsliding"

1295
01:01:10,996 --> 01:01:12,624
in our circles.

1296
01:01:12,624 --> 01:01:15,317
It's too much of the carnal Christian.

1297
01:01:15,317 --> 01:01:18,071
Yeah, but there are seasons 
where Christians get carnal,

1298
01:01:18,071 --> 01:01:19,769
and you can call them carnal Christians

1299
01:01:19,769 --> 01:01:22,357
just like the Corinthians were 
called carnal Christians

1300
01:01:22,357 --> 01:01:23,949
and the reality is this,

1301
01:01:23,949 --> 01:01:25,200
we do backslide.

1302
01:01:25,200 --> 01:01:26,730
We do have fluctuations.

1303
01:01:26,730 --> 01:01:28,775
And I would just say to any

1304
01:01:28,775 --> 01:01:31,040
who have relapsed in any way,

1305
01:01:31,040 --> 01:01:34,838
don't be discouraged to 
return to Him but at once!

1306
01:01:34,838 --> 01:01:36,391
Go to Him!

1307
01:01:36,391 --> 01:01:38,613
Don't stay away. Don't stay at a distance.

1308
01:01:38,613 --> 01:01:41,803
The church here was drowsy, sleepy,

1309
01:01:41,803 --> 01:01:44,749
treated Christ unkindly, made excuses,

1310
01:01:44,749 --> 01:01:48,548
yet He's so patient and He waits for her,

1311
01:01:48,548 --> 01:01:53,074
like at her leisure, you could say.

1312
01:01:53,074 --> 01:01:56,633
Constantly saying, 
"open to Me, open to Me."

1313
01:01:56,633 --> 01:01:59,325
You just remember times like Thomas,

1314
01:01:59,325 --> 01:02:01,682
how condescending Christ was.

1315
01:02:01,682 --> 01:02:04,594
He didn't just blast him for his unbelief.

1316
01:02:04,594 --> 01:02:07,596
Come. Come.

1317
01:02:07,596 --> 01:02:09,254
Put your finger in here.

1318
01:02:09,254 --> 01:02:11,051
Or Peter after the rejection.

1319
01:02:11,051 --> 01:02:12,915
He comes to him.

1320
01:02:12,915 --> 01:02:15,239
Be encouraged.

1321
01:02:15,239 --> 01:02:18,855
Christ never has enough of His church.

1322
01:02:18,855 --> 01:02:23,243
And He's calling, calling, calling.

1323
01:02:23,243 --> 01:02:26,937
"Come closer. Come, My love."

1324
01:02:26,937 --> 01:02:28,671
Just let this grab you

1325
01:02:28,671 --> 01:02:31,135
through this whole thing,

1326
01:02:31,135 --> 01:02:37,063
He never ever stops calling her His love.

1327
01:02:37,063 --> 01:02:39,515
She may mistreat Him.

1328
01:02:39,515 --> 01:02:45,404
He doesn't stop calling her His love.

1329
01:02:45,404 --> 01:02:51,121
"Father, I desire that they may 
be with Me where I am."

1330
01:02:51,121 --> 01:02:54,071
You hear His voice in this.

1331
01:02:54,071 --> 01:02:56,827
"Come away. Come away.

1332
01:02:56,827 --> 01:03:02,148
I desire to see your face."

1333
01:03:02,148 --> 01:03:05,440
If you've got eyes to see,

1334
01:03:05,440 --> 01:03:09,250
if you've got ears to hear,

1335
01:03:09,250 --> 01:03:14,253
something greater than Solomon is here.

1336
01:03:14,253 --> 01:03:19,653
Father, I pray that Your Word 
would speak to Your people.

1337
01:03:19,653 --> 01:03:22,086
I pray it in Christ's name, Amen.