Let's take our Bibles and turn
to Song of Solomon, chapter 8. Song of Solomon 8. This has been such a wonderful
study it has for me to be able to just look and ask the Lord
to teach me something of the blessed relationship between
the bride and the Lord Jesus, the bridegroom. And as we come to these last
verses, as I think about seven verses left, I plan to look at
three of them this evening. And we've been able together
to look into the Scriptures and behold, by revelation, by faith,
truly some intimate talk between the Lord and His Beloved. Talk that is truly only heard
between two that love each other. And this evening, as we look
at verses 8, 9, and 10, I've entitled this, The Bride's Love
for Christ's Own. The Lord said, by this shall
all men know. that you are my disciples. You
have love one for another. And in this final section of
Song of Solomon, we find the bride and her beloved speaking
to each other and giving each other the words of love. Last week, The bride asked the
Lord, set me as a seal upon thine arm, for love is strong as death,
jealousy as cruel as the grave. The coals thereof are coals of
fire, which hath the most vehement flame. Many waters cannot quench
love, neither can the floods drowned it. If a man would give
all the substance of his house for love, it would utterly be
contemned. And then the bride being assured of his love for
her, because he told her so, I thought to myself, has he told
you? Now, you know. The Scriptures clearly reveal
that the sheep hear His voice. They hear His voice in the Gospel. And by faith that is not of themselves. The gift of God. They hear the
Lord Jesus Christ speak of His love to His people. I began to think of that. I've
listened. I've watched. I've read these verses and how
the Lord speaks to His beloved. He tells her these things. Oh, my beloved, you are. You
are. You're mine. Let me ask you this. Do you believe Him to be your
eternal surety? Do you believe that the Lord
Jesus Christ is the one that the Father has
eternally looked to. Look to Him. The surety of the
sheep. You know what a surety is. Co-signer. Sign for the note. Do you believe
that the Father has eternally looked to the Son for your debt? To pay your debt? That's what
Brother Scott was talking about. Just for the unjust. Do you believe that the Father
has ever looked to you for payment? Or do you believe that the Son
has been your eternal surety, chosen, considered in Him, redeemed
by Him? Having been made sin, took your
place, your substitute, what you owed, He was made to be. Took your place. Do you believe
that you were called out of spiritual darkness in regeneration? And by faith, God taught you
Not that your faith was your salvation, but God revealed to
you by faith that He justified you freely, without a cause in
you. You believe that? And that He
keeps you by His power unto the day of salvation. You believe
that? That there's absolutely nothing
that you've ever done or could do to merit your salvation or
to keep your salvation. That God saves His people totally
by grace. Without works on their part.
Totally. He chose you, redeemed you, regenerated
you, kept you. You believe that? Salvation's
of the Lord. You believe that? Then He's spoken
to you. He's spoken to you. And you tell
Him of your love for Him. How? You believe Him. You believe
Him. You believe in heart. And there
is a manifestation of our love for Him. And it's found in verse
8. This is what the bride says.
This is how we know that we love Him. He said you have love one
for the other. You love the brethren. The bride
says we have a little sister and she hath no breast. What
shall we do for our sister in the day when she shall be spoken
for? Truly, I do understand and I
did read some places where this is speaking of the Jewish believers,
the Jews, the ones that the Lord first came to, and that the Jews
were told by the Lord Himself. He told them that He had a people
that were not of that fold, that were not Jewish, that they were
Gentiles. He told them in John 10, 16,
ìOther sheep I have, which are not of this fold.î They are not
Jewish, national Jews. Spiritual Jews, yes, not national
Jews. And He says, ìThem also I must
bring, and they shall hear My voice, and they shall be one
fold, and one shepherd.î They are little sisters. and they
hath no breast." That is to say, they have no knowledge of God.
I understand where this could be speaking of the Jewish nation,
but I think more personally, more intimately pertaining to
us tonight, what has this got to do with right now at Katie
Baptist Church? There is a group of people here
that I am without doubt that the Lord has called out of darkness. And the true bride, the true
church, you that believe, you say this right here, we have
a little sister. She hath no breast. Who are they? I don't know. I don't know who
they are. I know that there's some that
don't know Christ. They don't know the Scriptures.
They have no breast of instruction. They're strangers to the covenant
of promise. I know that they are sisters
in the sense of being betrothed to our elder brother and heirs
of God and joint heirs with Christ. I know that there are some that
belong to Christ, having been given Him by the Father but as
of yet are uncalled." I know that. The Lord knows His own
eternally and therefore are our kinsmen in the sense only of
being eternally chosen in Him as those that believe have been.
But we don't know who they are. We know that all who shall believe
have been given to the Lord Jesus Christ. The Scripture says in
Acts chapter 9, the Lord gave Paul some instruction. Acts 9. This is a blessed passage of
Scripture. Acts chapter 9 and verse 17,
Ananias went his way and entered into the house and putting his
hands on him, said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared
unto thee in the way as thou camest hath sent me, that thou
mightest receive thy sight and be filled with the Spirit of
God." Here was a man that God had called out of darkness and
taught something of who he was. We have a sister. But we don't
know who she is, the bride's telling the Lord. We have a little
sister, no breast. What shall we do for her? What
shall we do for our sister in the day when she shall be spoken
for? Here's where we find the manifestation
of the love of Christ. What shall we do? Well, John 21, verse 15 tells
us, that if we love Him, we love
His. That's what the Lord said. Simon,
son of Jonas, lovest thou Me more than these? He saith unto
him, Yea, Lord, thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto
him, Feed My lambs. If a man loves Christ, he speaks
of Christ. As the Jewish sheep knew by divine
revelation that they had a sister, in the elect Gentiles. That's
what the Lord told them. He said, other sheep I have.
Those Jewish believers. You take Peter and Paul. You think when the Lord told
Peter and John and His disciples, you think when He told them,
Carl, other sheep I have, you think they doubted that? Not
a bit. As these Jewish sheep knew by
divine revelation that they had a sister, In the Gentiles, we
know that the Lord has an elect people in this world today. I don't know where they are. I don't know who they are. Also,
in the book of Acts chapter 18, after Paul had been called out
of darkness into Ananias, Paul had been breathing out threatenings
against the Jews and all that were of the way. And when the
Lord revealed to Ananias who Paul was, Ananias came up to
him. That's what he called him back
where we just read. He said, Brother Paul. Ananias knew him
then to be a brother. But before, he didn't know who
he was, but the Lord knew him. The Lord told Paul in Acts 18
verse 9 and 10, Then spake the Lord to Paul in a in the night
by vision. Be not afraid, but speak, and
hold not thy peace. For I am with thee, and no man
shall set on thee to hurt thee. For I have much people in this
city." Do you know the encouragement that I have to preach is that
God's got a people. And I know this. He's going to
call His own out. I know that. Those of us that have children
here, is it not a blessed encouragement to know that the Lord has a people
and that He will call out His own through the preaching of
the gospel? Who knows? It may be one of yours. I have a people. I have much
people. And the bride says, we have a little sister. We have
her. How do you know we have her?
The Lord told us that we have her. She's a sister according
to election, according to grace, according to the remnant. But
she's in Him. What shall we do for her? Knowing that even so, then, at
this present time, there's a remnant according to the election of
grace, they have no breast, I don't know who they are. They have
no heart. They have no affection for Christ. No principle of grace. She's not yet openly spoken for. What shall we do for her when
she shall be spoken for? When the Lord shall call her
out of the dead? I know this. The Lord said, all that the Father
giveth Me shall come to Me. I hope this doesn't sound too
foolish, but every time someone comes and sits here, visitor
comes, every time someone new comes or another person, those
that I see sit, you know what goes through my mind often? I
wonder if they're one of the Lord's own. Who knows? They may be. Who knows? God may please to call out one,
one that you know, one that I know, but I do know this. He's going
to call them out under the preaching of the gospel of Christ. What
shall we do? Just what we're doing right now.
That's what we're doing. Preaching Christ. Proclaiming
God has a people. God is sovereign in salvation. God is sovereign. He does as
He will, chosen. We just proclaim that. We preach
Christ. We preach what God has done for
His people and His Son. And in the indescribable mercy
of Almighty God, the Spirit of God, when it pleases Him, takes
that Word and imparts life. And a man or a woman that God's
purposed to set His affection on, they hear it the first time. It calls them out. We have a
little sister. The Lord's promised that we do.
What shall we do for her? We'll just preach. Ezekiel, what do you see? Dry
bones. Dry bones. Ezekiel, can these
bones live? Lord, you know. What do you tell
him? Preach to him. You preach to
him and I'll cause the wind to blow. I'll cause life to be there. You preach to him. You do just
exactly what I told you to do. You preach to him. Here's the
power of God unto salvation. Salvation. Blessed is the man,
Psalm 65 verse 4 says, whom thou choosest and causeth to approach
unto thee that he may dwell in thy courts. Oh, may we do all that we can
in obedience to His command, in preaching the gospel, supporting
the gospel. We do what we do. Because that's
what we're commanded to do. You're commanded. Commanded. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. But it's going to take God to
give a man or woman a heart to believe that. Paul said in 2
Timothy 2 saying, Therefore I endure all things for the elect's sake. that they may also obtain the
salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory." Pray
for them. Preach to them. Is there too
many hours to spend in preparation to preach? Is there too much time to pray
for one another? Lord, would You have mercy on
my children? Lord, would You teach my kids of Yourself? Would
You draw them to Yourself? I know it doesn't appear as though
that they're little sisters, but Lord, I don't know who they
are. And who knows? They may be one of Yours. I pray
You'd bring glory to Yourself. And listen to the comfort and
the assurance that's given the bride by Him who alone is powerful
to accomplish His people's salvation. That's what the bride said. We
have a little sister. We don't know who she is. She
hath no breast, no heart, no milk of the Word. What shall
we do for our little sister in the day when she shall be spoken
for? We'll preach to her and listen to the words of our Lord. Comfort. He said, if she be a
wall, we will build upon her a palace of silver. And if she
be a door, We will enclose her with boards of cedar. The Lord
now is speaking. He's heard the prayer of His
people. He's heard the assurance of His
people. He put the assurance in the heart
of His people to say, we have a little sister. And then He
tells her, if she be a wall, that is, if she be a joined together
one, If she be one of the lively stones called out, if she be
one of My own, we, Father, Spirit, and Son, the
Father who chose her, the Son who redeemed her, and the Spirit
of God who calls her out, if she's Mine, if she be a wall,
We will build. We will enclose her. The Lord
shall surely call her out. And she shall be a complete habitation,
a palace of Christ Himself. Turn back to Psalm 117. The Lord
told her, He said, if she's Mine, if there is a wall there, There's
a door. He said, we'll enclose her with
boards of cedar. The beams, Song of Solomon 117,
the beams of our house are cedar and our rafters are fir. He builds
her with that which endures. That's what that's speaking of.
If she be a door, he said, if she's a wall, a joined one, if
she's a door, that means a swinging gate. an elect door knocked upon by
the bridegroom. Not like the world preaches. What the world is really saying,
because the Scripture reveals that all men born in Adam, they
are just dead. They are stones. They are just
hard. There is nothing. He said, if
she be a door, a place that I have chosen to reveal Myself, If she
be a door, a swinging gate, an elect door knocked upon by the
bridegroom, the one that he says, back in Song of Solomon that
we read last week, and we don't have to turn again, the one that
he says to, open to me, my beloved. The one that gave him all the
excuses. You know, we've read this so
many times. The one that He purposed, He wouldn't leave to Himself.
The one that He placed His hand in the hole by the door and her
bowels were moved for Him. If she'd be that door, if she'd
be a door, He said, We'll enclose her. We'll
call her out. He said, I'll come in to Him
and sup with Him and He with Me. She'll be that holy Jerusalem
revealed in Revelation 21 to that holy city, New Jerusalem,
the church, the bride, the elect of God coming down from God out
of heaven prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. If she
be a wall that is on a sure foundation, the foundation of the Lord Jesus
Christ, an elect sister will enclose her. We do all we can in labor. We do all we can. We come together. We prepare. We preach. You encourage and attend and
you give and you support this ministry. We support other ministries
where the Gospel is proclaimed freely. What shall we do? We do all we do. For the glory
of Almighty God, we do what we can. In 1 Corinthians 3, 5-7,
Paul speaking, he says, Who is Paul? Who is Apollos, but ministers
by whom ye believe, even as the Lord gave to every man? I planted
Apollos' watered But God gave the increase, so then neither
is he that planteth anything, neither he that watereth, but
God that giveth the increase. We have a sister. What shall
we do? You preach for her." And the Lord says, if she's mine,
I'll call her out. You preach to her. And then in
verse 10, the bride, she's got some comfort. She says, I am
a wall, and my breast like towers. Then was I in his eyes as one
that found favor or peace." The bride acknowledges him to be
the one that she trusts. He is ever faithful. She knows
this by experience. Think of where he has brought
you from. Think of where he has brought
you to and realize this. He's brought you to this place
tonight and He's not forsaken you. He's not left you to yourself. I am a wall, the bride says. Paul expressed it like this,
I am what I am by the grace of God. He raised me up. He made me. He bought me. And she says, and my breasts
are like towers. Song of Solomon 513 gives a good
understanding of this. When it says towers, actually
what that towers means is bed of flowers. My heart, she's talking
about, my breast, my heart is a bed of flowers. His cheeks,
Song of Solomon 513, are like a bed of spices. That's sweet
towers. I'm sorry, sweet flowers. or the rendition or the meaning
of that is the towers of perfumes. She said, My breast are sweet
spices. My heart has been planted as
the sower. He came forth and sowed the seed. It fell on good ground, ground
that He made to be good. She said, Then was I in His eyes
as one that found favor like Noah. You think back on what
the Lord said. He said He looked and He saw
that the wickedness of man was great. And every thought of imagination
was evil continually. And it repented the Lord that
it had made man. And He said, I'll destroy man.
But. My, what a word. But Noah found grace in the eyes
of the Lord. Well, I tell you this, why don't
you just stop right now and you just think of your name. If you
know Him. You know, I think God said, I'll
destroy man. But Marvin found grace in my
eyes. You know, all of a sudden he
looks different, Brother Scott. He says, am a wall and my breast are like
towers. Then was I in his eyes as one
that found favor, chosen in him, redeemed by him, kept by him
to an inheritance undefiled, fadeth not away, hedged about,
guarded." Ephesians 1.11 says we have obtained
an inheritance. She says, I am a wall built on
Him. We have obtained an inheritance
being predestinated according to the purpose of Him who worketh
all things after the counsel of His own will. Matthew 1.21
says, And she shall bring forth a Son, and thou shalt call His
name Jesus, for He shall save His people. from their sins. And then lastly, in Isaiah 43,
last verse, the brideís confidence, ìI am a wall, my breast is towers,
I was as one that in His eyes found favor.î Isaiah 43 verse
5, ìFear not, for I am with I will bring thy seed from the east,
and gather thee from the west. I will say to the north, Give
up. To the south, Keep not back. Bring my sons from far, and my
daughters from the ends of the earth, even every one that is
called by my name. For I have created him for my
glory. I have formed him. Yea, I have
made him." We have great reason to be joyful
that the Lord would reveal Himself to us. I don't know who's living in
Farmington. I don't know who's here tonight,
really. I don't know your heart. You don't know mine. The Lord
does. I don't know those that live Farmington or Katy or Whitehall
or Crossville? I don't know. But I do know this. The Lord knows. And wherever
His people are, I know that it is the Lord that will get them
unto the gospel. And I know that the Lord Himself
will raise up a preacher. And He is going to give that
man a heart to preach the gospel. And God's going to call His people
out. He shall have them. They will come to Him. And the
gospel is the power of God and salvation. And by God's grace,
this place that God has maintained for 50 years, we pray God may
be pleased to keep it for His honor and for our good. Well, let's be dismissed. It's
good to have Brad and Pam with us tonight. I know you all are
glad to be visiting here with your parents. Brad, why don't
you dismiss us this evening?