Last night I had a very sad,
distressing telephone call while I was preparing this message.
I had a fellow called, he called and left a message on Anthony
King earlier in the week while we were in Cherokee. He has a
daughter here in town. She's an undeliver. She's looking
for a place to send her to church. And he wanted to know if we were
of the persuasion of those big B Baptists, you know, who think
Baptists are the only ones who got anything, and asked questions
about closed communion, questions about alien baptism, and all
of the tomfoolery that goes with religion and religious dogma,
and had absolutely no obvious interest in whether or not his
lost daughter might find Christ in this place. And when I answered
his question, according to scripture, he decided he shouldn't send
her over here. And I thought to myself, how
sad. That a man is more interested
in making his child religious than his child finding Christ.
I've realized he doesn't know that. I've realized that. for
a sad, sad delusion. I bring the point for this reason. When Satan turns our mind to
any object, and makes any object to be dominant in thought, in
teaching, or in preaching, other than Jesus Christ himself, Satan
has won the day, and we're in trouble. Now the title of my
message this evening is where can Christ be found? Where is
the Lord Jesus Christ to be found? Let me give you the context.
The church, the Shulamite, the bride of Christ, is here described
for us in the psalm of Solomon chapter 5 as one who, by her
negligence, her indifference, her coldness, her callousness
toward the Son of God, has been for the time left without his
manifest presence, and she's gone about seeking him, calling
wherever she could for folks to help her that she might find
him, because he is indeed her beloved. And the daughters of
Jerusalem ask the question, well what is thy beloved more than
another beloved? Then the spouse, the Shulamite,
the church, the Bride of Christ, took the opportunity to tell
these daughters of Jerusalem all about her beloved. Though
he was revealed only in the types and shadows of the Old Testament,
they heard him well described by one who knew him, who had
experienced his grace, who trusted him and loved him. They heard
of the excellency of his character, they heard of the efficacy of
his work, and they heard of the exceeding greatness of his love.
She said, I'll be glad to tell you about it. He is my God and
he is my beloved. He is the God-man, my savior.
He has redeemed me with his precious blood, robed me with his righteousness,
and made me righteous before God in him. And he loves me. Oh, how he loves me. With an everlasting love, as
Ruth sang just a little bit ago, in spite of me, he loves me. These daughters of Jerusalem
heard of Christ, and that which they heard created in their hearts
an interest and a desire to know him. And they wanted to know
him so earnestly that in this text we see these daughters of
Jerusalem asking where they might find the Lord. Whither is thy
beloved gone, O thou fairest among women? Whither is thy beloved
turned aside, that we may seek him with thee? Now let me pause
for just a moment to point out that this is just one of the
many passages in the Song of Solomon that tell us plainly
that our allegorical or spiritual interpretation of this blessed
song is exactly right. If these daughters of Jerusalem
were speaking to the Shulamite about her husband literally,
there'd be some confusion here. This is talking about believers
and the Lord Jesus Christ and his bride, not the marriage and
the loving relationship of a man and his wife. In fact, Paul states
plainly that when the scriptures deal with marriage and the loving
relationship between a man and his wife, that marriage and that
relationship really is but an illustration of Christ and his
church. In this day when Preachers everywhere
have gotten into this family counseling business and talking
about good husbands and fathers and how to raise your children
and all that stuff has become a way of life. They've missed
the message. They just missed the message.
The message of scripture is Christ crucified. These other things
flow from the message of Christ crucified. When they become the
message, they become idolatrous and they become errors. The Shulamites
then ask, whither is thy beloved? I pray, oh I pray that some of
you have come here tonight awakened to a sense of your need of him
and that you want to know where Christ can be found. And I pray
that you who know him have come earnestly seeking him. May God
be pleased this evening to speak to our hearts and speak plainly
to our hearts and calls us to find him whom we seek with all
our heart. This is his promise. The Lord
is good to them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh
him. It is promised, I will, you will
seek for me with all your heart and you shall find me when you
seek me with all your heart. So if you come knowing your need
of him, you come sensing your desperate need of Christ, sensing
that you must have Christ, you come seeking him honestly and
earnestly, the scriptures are plain, you will find him. If
you're playing games, if you're just trying to fool yourself,
delude yourself, trying to deceive God, then you're going to go
out as you came in. Oh, but if you come seeking him.
you come seeking him with all your heart, he says you'll find
me. Now let me show you three things
in the first three verses of this sixth chapter of the Song
of Solomon. First, here is a very earnest question. Whither is
thy beloved gone, O thou fairest among women? Whither is thy beloved
turned aside, that we may seek him with thee? hear these daughters
of Jerusalem being anxious about their souls, anxious to know
Christ, ask for help. They came to one who knew the
Lord and said, where can we find him? They're like those Greeks
who in John chapter 12 came to Philip and Andrew and we would
see Jesus. These daughters of Jerusalem
said, where is your beloved? Now what is this question? What's
the meaning of it? Really it's just this. Where
can we find that beloved one? of whom you speak. Where can
we find that one who has so enravished your heart, that one who has
done such great things for you, that one who does such wondrous
things for sinners? Where can we find that one who
is so great and so gracious, that one who is indeed the friend
of sinners? Now this is what inspired the
question. They saw and recognized the blessedness of the Lord's
people, O thou fairest among women, whether it be by the law. We recognize that according to
your testimony, the Lord God has done something for you that
is not done for us. He's done something for you that
no other people in the world can speak of. Now tell us, where
is he, O thou fairest among women, made fair by his grace? They had heard the faithful testimony
of a believer about the Lord Jesus. Turn over to 1 John chapter
1 for a moment. Hold your hands here in the Song
of Solomon. Turn to 1 John 1. Though in this particular place
the Lord's child was to be blamed for much, her sin, her neglect
were great. Her heart was greatly troubled,
yet she had borne loving, faithful witness to the Lord Jesus. Though
she had neglected him, though she had by her own evil sin and
corruption and indifference quenched his spirit so that he had withdrawn
himself from her, yet she speaks of him in the most wondrous terms. Read that fifth chapter again.
It is as though she had said, though I don't now enjoy his
manifest presence. that i do not yet find again
sweet intimate communion with him i can speak of him i can
talk of my beloved i can tell you about him and she did now
let's be like her faithful witnesses to the son of god now witnessing
for christ i i wish i could state this as emphatically as clearly
as plainly as it ought to be stated Witnessing for Christ
is not going out and debating with folks about God's sovereignty
and Arminianism and free willism and all that nonsense. Debating
with me is not going to do you any good. It's just strife and
debate and God calls it wickedness. Well how do you witness for Christ?
You tell folks who He is. You tell them what He's done.
You tell them what you've experienced, what you know by experience. You witness of that which you
have seen. That which you have been through.
Not theories, not speculation, but of a person. We are his witnesses. Do you understand the difference?
If you, Brother Mahan once years ago made this illustration. You
take a fellow who's walking down the road and he's got a limp
and he's got a old crooked knotty stick. And he walks along, he
just, he kind of wobbles and the stick kind of wobbles with
him. And you just walk over there and hand him a straight stick. Just hand him a straight stick.
And he looks at that crooked, weak, wobbly stick. Takes that
straight stick and he walks right along. But you go over to him
and start telling him your stick's not it. Your stick's crooked. Your stick's not any good. He'll
take your stick and beat you to death with it. And that's
very much the way it is with true religion involved. With
Christ and other religions. No point in arguing with folks
about their religion. Show them Christ. Show them who
he is and what he's done. Look here in 1 John 1. This is
how John witnessed. He said, that which was from
the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with
our eyes. Do you see that? We heard. We
didn't get a second hand, we heard it. We have seen with our
eyes which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled of
the word of life, for the life was manifested and we have seen
it, and bear witness and show unto you that eternal life which
was with the Father and was manifested unto us, that which we have seen
and heard declare we unto you. that you also may have fellowship
with us and truly our fellowship is with the father and with his
son Jesus Christ." So the spouse here, the church, the bride of
Christ, the believing heart, in the midst of her dejection
and despondency because she recognizes she has driven from her the blessed
manifest sweet communion of Christ. Yet there is no better medicine
for the despondent heart than to talk of him, no better cure
for spiritually troubled believers than to speak of Christ. Though
I can't always sense his presence, though I cannot always walk in
his manifest company, I can always speak truthfully about him. And
those who speak of him, speak of him with love, speak of him
with faith, speak of him with reverence, will not long be without
his manifest presence. Skip down to verse 4 and look
at this. We'll look at it in more detail another time, but
look here at verse 4. After these questions come and
the answer is given, the Lord Jesus speaks again to his bride,
Thou art beautiful, O my love. as terrible as an army with banners,
turn away thine eyes from me, for they have overcome me." I
can't resist, I can't resist the look of your eyes needing
me, the look of your eyes believing me, the look of your eyes loving
me. I'm overcome with just the look
of your eyes. Well why did these daughters
of Jerusalem ask this question? that we may seek him with thee. You see, their curiosity was
not an idle curiosity about religion. They were not simply asking about
dogma or denominations. They were not just asking about
ordinances and orthodoxy. They were asking about a person
that we may seek him with thee. They wanted Christ, and were
determined to find It is as though they said, if there is such a
God and Savior as this, I cannot rest till I have him. If there is indeed a friend of
sinners such as you have described, I must have him. If there is
indeed one who can make me altogether lovely, I've got to have him. wealth and honor I disdain, earthly
comforts all in vain, these can never satisfy, give me Christ
or else I die. This then is the question expressed
in this verse, a very earnest question, where is Christ to
be found? Secondly, here's a very confident
answer, verse two, my beloved is going down into his garden. to the beds of spices, to feed
in the garden." Now underscore that, he's gone down to his garden,
then she speaks in the plural, to the beds of spices, to feed
in the garden, to gather his limit. Here the spouse, the church,
the child of God was given yet another opportunity to speak
of her beloved. While she was pointing the daughters
of Jerusalem to Christ, she was also ministering to her own heart.
As she was, she heard them say, Whither is thy beloved, that
we may seek him with thee? She said, Well, I've been put
to food. He told me where he was. He said in verse one of
chapter five, he said, I've gone, I've come into my garden. She
said, Is that where he is? He's gone down into his garden. Though our text speaks of Christ
coming down to his garden to visit his people in grace and
mercy, he has gone up to his heaven, the garden of God, where
he sits upon the throne of grace and universal dominion. But this
one who is now seated in heaven at the right hand of God because
he's accomplished our redemption in his omnipresent Godhood, constantly
visits his churches and comes down to his garden upon the earth. The Lord Jesus is to be found
in the midst of his church and his people on this earth. Where
is Christ to be found? In the midst of his garden, in
his church, with his people. Our Lord said, I am come into
my garden. His garden is the church considered
as a whole. That is all true believers. Saints
in heaven and saints on the earth. I must stress I am not suggesting
all profess the least. I am not suggesting all churches
going together to make up one church. Those who would accuse
us of that nonsense are either fools or liars, whichever they
want to take. We are not suggesting that in the least. What I am
saying is this, the church of Christ is one. and all gods elect
are in Christ, redeemed by Christ, chosen by Christ, saved by Christ,
united for Christ, and they are the church body and bride of
Christ. Yet at the same time, our Lord
speaks here of beds, of spices, and smaller gardens, and they
seem to refer to the many congregations of the Lord's people. The spices
and lilies in the text refer to individual believers. The
church, then, is the Lord's garden, and what may be said of the church
universal may also be said certainly to a degree of every true local
church, of this local ascender. He bought it with his blood.
Bob Pottser, you've been bought with the blood of the Son of
God. Children of God, he purchased
you. Not only has he purchased us,
he has enclosed us. in his providence to keep and
protect us. He plants his garden by his grace,
and he protects it by his power. And the Lord Jesus dwells in
the midst of his people. Listen to this, he said, where
two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the
midst of them. Oscar, I've said this so many
times, but somehow there is a a mystical, spiritual coming together of
hearts in the name of Christ. And as we come together for the
worship of God in the name of Christ, we are the temple of
the living God. This is not just an organization.
This is not just a club of religious folks. This, this gathering of
believers, be it small or great, is the temple of the living God,
the Spirit of God, the Spirit of God's hand. Our Lord says,
Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. He said, He said, I am the Son
of God and I walk in the midst of the seven golden lands. those
lampstands representing his churches in this world. He said, I'm always,
I'm always actively going about in the midst of the lampstand. I'm always with you. Always meeting with you. Always
watching over you. Always caring for you, whether
you sense it or don't. Always. If the Son of God is
in our midst, what blessed company we have. Now if you're interested in your
immortal soul, if you seek the Lord, you must not neglect the
public assembly of his people to worship him and hear his words. I tell you what I've discovered
in 30 years of preaching, my health and life, I've been preaching
the gospel of God's grace around this country for 30 years, and
I'll tell you what I've discovered. It is a rare occasion to find
a man or a woman saved by the grace of God, rare occasion to
find a man or a woman who truly believes on Christ, who was not
called to life and faith in as a direct result of the public
ministry of the Word of God in the assembly of God's grace.
I know God always uses the preaching of the gospel one way or the
other, but usually when the Lord calls his sheep, he calls them
right in the midst of his sheep, normally. What's the Lord doing
in his garden? Why, he's feeding his flock.
feeding them by the ministry of the Word. He has chosen pastors
according to his own heart to feed his sheep, and he promises
that those pastors whom he has chosen, whom he will give to
his people, shall be pastors who will feed you with knowledge
and with understanding. That is, being led of the Spirit
of God and taught of the Spirit of God, the servant of God finds
a message from God. and giving himself to study,
and preparing to minister the Word, he has knowledge of the
Word of God. But more than that, by the direction
of God's Spirit, he understands what's needed right now. Understands
what you need now, and delivers the Word to you. And the fact
is that James Jordan comes with one vision, the Judaistic with
another. But if God speaks to both by
the lips of one man through his word, both needs are met. The
servant of God, being a servant of God, feeds the flock of God
with knowledge and with understanding. And I'll tell you something else,
he always feeds them with simplicity. The older I get, the more weary
and more disgusted I get with a show of intellectualism. A pastor must be a student. He must give himself to the study
of the Word of God. But being the student of the
Word, he comes and brings the Word of God to men and women
with utmost simplicity. Paul said, I'm concerned lest
you be moved from the simplicity of Christ. Our Lord said to Peter,
feed my shoes. feed my sheep, take care of the
little ones, take care of my sheep, those newborn babes in
my kingdom. Pastors are given to be teachers
in the church of God for the perfecting of the saints, for
the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.
Not only is the Lord feeding his church, he's feeding himself
in his garden. That is to say he gathers the
products of his own grace in his people. And he finds satisfaction
and pleasure in that which he has accomplished for us and in
us for his glory. It is the Lord that taketh pleasure
in those that fear him. Matthew Henry sometimes can say
things as no one else. He said he has many gardens,
many particular churches of different sizes and shapes. But while they
are his, he feeds into them all. manifest himself among them,
and is well pleased with them. And the Lord is gathering lilies
in his garden, lilies with which he is pleased to entertain and
adorn himself. Isn't that amazing? He's, my beloved is, he's gone
down into his garden, he's there, he's feeding, feeding his sheep
and feeding himself, and he's gathering lilies lilies which
he planted, lilies he loves to smell, lilies that please him,
lilies that adorn him. There was a great gathering of
his lilies when he raised from the dead and we were raised up
together with him and made to sit with him in heavenly places
as were all God's elect at that time. There is a great gathering
of lilies when he sends out his word and by the grace and power
of his spirit he calls his elect to faith in Christ. He comes
down into his garden and he gathers his lilies one or two at a time
here and there when he calls believers out of this world up
to glory and soon all soon he is coming to sure enough gather
his lilies. He's going to gather them all.
You read 1 Thessalonians chapter 4 again, the Lord Jesus is coming. Paul said he's coming with a
shout, with the comfort of God, with the voice of the archangel.
Folks talk about a secret rapture, but that's foreign to Scripture.
No, no. When he comes, that's going to be it, bud. That's going
to wrap everything up. And when he comes, he comes to
gather up every wretched sinner who's ever lived upon the earth.
in resurrection glory. One of the old writers put it
this way, he picks the lilies one by one and gathers them to
himself and there will be a great general harvest of them in the
great day when he will send forth his angels to gather all his
lilies that he may forever be glorified and admired in them. All right, here's a very earnest
question. Whither is thy beloved gone? Here's a very confident
answer. My beloved has gone down into
his garden. Now thirdly, here's a very comforting
assurance. I am my beloved. My beloved is
mine. He's seated among the dead. Though the Lord had withdrawn
himself for a while, Though his manifest presence was taken from
her, she speaks here with assured confidence of her relationship
with him. How can that be? How can that
be? Because, Merle, she understood
what very few people understand. The believer's relationship with
God is never altered by our How do you fight that? How do
you fight that? The manifestations are altered.
The enjoyment is altered. But our standing and acceptance
with God depends not on our work, but His work. Not on our faithfulness,
but His faithfulness. And she speaks with an empty
heart knowing her neglect and indifference, longing for the
fresh manifestation of his presence, and yet in that condition she
says, I am my belongs. I'm his by an eternal gift, by
a loving election. I'm his by special redemption
and distinguishing grace. I'm his by a deliberate purpose
choice. I take it. I'm here. I'm here. And my beloved is mine. Mine because the father gave
him to me. Because he swore that he would
be. He said I will be for thee. He is mine because he has revealed
himself to me and revealed himself in me. He's mine because I trust
him. because he gives me faith to
trust him. He feedeth among the lilies. I know that he's mine
and I know that I'm his. And I know that he feeds among
the lilies. He meets with his people in his
garden. He walks with them, communes
with them, and reveals himself to them. Therefore I hope that
when he comes into his garden He'll come and make himself known
to me one more time. Oh Lord, make that so now, for
Christ's sake. Amen.