0:00:01.111,0:00:09.581 Let's pray. 0:00:09.581,0:00:11.215 We heard about it in the song; 0:00:11.215,0:00:14.721 we heard about it in the first hour - 0:00:14.721,0:00:18.882 the grace and truth of Jesus Christ. 0:00:18.882,0:00:22.245 Grace and truth. 0:00:22.245,0:00:24.294 Lord, we pray for that. 0:00:24.294,0:00:26.566 Please deal with us in a way 0:00:26.566,0:00:29.477 that is not according to our sins. 0:00:29.477,0:00:32.111 Grant us grace. 0:00:32.111,0:00:36.218 And truth - sanctify them with Thy truth. 0:00:36.218,0:00:37.667 Thy Word is truth. 0:00:37.667,0:00:40.028 We pray for that cleansing, 0:00:40.028,0:00:42.613 purifying, sanctifying reality 0:00:42.613,0:00:44.762 to be in this place today. 0:00:44.762,0:00:46.163 Father, please. 0:00:46.163,0:00:48.016 You sent Your Son to this earth. 0:00:48.016,0:00:49.561 The Word became flesh 0:00:49.561,0:00:51.122 and He dwelt among us. 0:00:51.122,0:00:53.250 And because He did and because He has 0:00:53.250,0:00:54.433 and because He died 0:00:54.433,0:00:57.431 and because it is finished, 0:00:57.431,0:00:59.478 because there is salvation to be had 0:00:59.478,0:01:02.967 and there is a room full of [br]saved people in this place, 0:01:02.967,0:01:05.670 we would appeal to that blood [br]by which we were saved 0:01:05.670,0:01:08.410 and that cross work that was finished 0:01:08.410,0:01:09.653 and made complete, 0:01:09.653,0:01:11.327 so that we don't have to stand here 0:01:11.327,0:01:13.403 in any of our own doings or works 0:01:13.403,0:01:15.658 or accomplishments or merits. 0:01:15.658,0:01:19.133 We stand here based on that sacrifice - 0:01:19.133,0:01:20.775 the Lamb of God, 0:01:20.775,0:01:24.113 who, we thank You, has put away - 0:01:24.113,0:01:26.713 many of this in this place can say 0:01:26.713,0:01:30.183 You've put away our sins. 0:01:30.183,0:01:33.603 And we stand here forgiven - [br]a forgiven people. 0:01:33.603,0:01:36.450 And Lord, because of the kindness [br]that You've shown to us, 0:01:36.450,0:01:38.444 we pray, Lord, we want to appeal 0:01:38.444,0:01:41.889 to Your past mercies [br]to give us fresh ones. 0:01:41.889,0:01:47.085 We ask in the name of our [br]Lord Jesus Christ, Amen. 0:01:47.085,0:01:50.131 The love of Christ. 0:01:50.131,0:01:51.550 I would take you once again 0:01:51.550,0:01:55.068 to the Song of Solomon. 0:01:55.068,0:01:59.449 This is a little bit of an aside 0:01:59.449,0:02:02.828 for a number of weeks 0:02:02.828,0:02:05.825 to the Song of Solomon. 0:02:05.825,0:02:13.449 But the purpose is to keep 0:02:13.449,0:02:18.827 in the spirit of Ephesians 3, 0:02:18.827,0:02:20.640 "and that we would have the strength 0:02:20.640,0:02:22.296 to comprehend with all the saints 0:02:22.296,0:02:23.738 what is the breadth and length 0:02:23.738,0:02:24.767 and height and depth 0:02:24.767,0:02:27.344 and to know the love of Christ 0:02:27.344,0:02:30.677 that surpasses knowledge." 0:02:30.677,0:02:32.889 And as we're seeking to explore 0:02:32.889,0:02:34.301 that love of Christ 0:02:34.301,0:02:38.733 and to span some of the depths of it, 0:02:38.733,0:02:43.111 as I told you last week, 0:02:43.111,0:02:45.008 my thoughts have come back 0:02:45.008,0:02:47.421 to the Song of Solomon 0:02:47.421,0:02:48.846 again and again and again. 0:02:48.846,0:02:50.897 The Song of Solomon. 0:02:50.897,0:02:53.738 It's in your Bibles right before 0:02:53.738,0:02:56.448 the major prophet Isaiah. 0:02:56.448,0:02:58.150 Isaiah's typically easy to find 0:02:58.150,0:02:59.788 even though the Song of Solomon 0:02:59.788,0:03:02.337 may not be so easy. 0:03:02.337,0:03:12.228 The Song - Solomon's Song. 0:03:12.228,0:03:19.162 The old preachers called it: Canticles. 0:03:19.162,0:03:26.652 Found right before the prophet Isaiah. 0:03:26.652,0:03:29.498 I want you to look at 2 verses 0:03:29.498,0:03:34.928 in chapter 1 of the Song of Solomon. 0:03:34.928,0:03:40.550 Verses 15 and 16. 0:03:40.550,0:03:43.990 Some of your Bibles don't supply this. 0:03:43.990,0:03:46.468 Some do. 0:03:46.468,0:03:51.367 The ESV has actually separated 0:03:51.367,0:03:54.807 this letter into parts. 0:03:54.807,0:03:57.472 And you can tell in the original language 0:03:57.472,0:04:01.174 there are indicators [br]as to who is speaking. 0:04:01.174,0:04:02.963 You can see it in the flow 0:04:02.963,0:04:04.446 of the song as well. 0:04:04.446,0:04:10.698 But in v. 15, it says, 0:04:10.698,0:04:12.616 "He." 0:04:12.616,0:04:15.247 And He says, 0:04:15.247,0:04:20.077 "Behold, you are beautiful, My love. 0:04:20.077,0:04:24.298 Behold, you are beautiful. 0:04:24.298,0:04:26.554 Your eyes are doves." 0:04:26.554,0:04:29.916 V. 16, she says, 0:04:29.916,0:04:35.186 "Behold, You are beautiful, my Beloved, 0:04:35.186,0:04:39.559 truly delightful. 0:04:39.559,0:04:41.180 Our couch is green." 0:04:41.180,0:04:44.765 Now, I am not going to preach [br]on "our couch is green." 0:04:44.765,0:04:47.157 You can take your own [br]meanings with that one. 0:04:47.157,0:04:49.107 I don't know what that means 0:04:49.107,0:04:54.010 and I haven't really thought about it. 0:04:54.010,0:04:58.819 But hear me. 0:04:58.819,0:05:02.578 Look back at v. 1. 0:05:02.578,0:05:07.811 The Song of Songs. 0:05:07.811,0:05:11.417 This is a song. 0:05:11.417,0:05:14.960 Yes, we say, the Song of Solomon, 0:05:14.960,0:05:17.055 but it's a song. 0:05:17.055,0:05:19.763 It's meant to be sung. 0:05:19.763,0:05:23.689 God gave it to us to sing it out. 0:05:23.689,0:05:26.244 This is inspired. Don't miss that. 0:05:26.244,0:05:27.569 This is in your Bibles. 0:05:27.569,0:05:28.962 This is inspired. 0:05:28.962,0:05:32.377 God gave a song for us to sing. 0:05:32.377,0:05:33.824 And I can tell you this, 0:05:33.824,0:05:36.185 that if you went up and down this road 0:05:36.185,0:05:38.350 singing a song about Solomon 0:05:38.350,0:05:39.575 and one of his harem, 0:05:39.575,0:05:44.189 I would think you were pretty weird. 0:05:44.189,0:05:47.082 That is not the kind of song [br]He wants us to sing from this. 0:05:47.082,0:05:50.698 That is not the song of songs. 0:05:50.698,0:05:54.160 "Holy of holies" is used [br]for the most holy. 0:05:54.160,0:05:56.072 "King of kings" for the greatest King. 0:05:56.072,0:05:57.960 "Lord of lords" for the highest Lord. 0:05:57.960,0:06:02.290 And so this is the song of songs, 0:06:02.290,0:06:05.044 being the most excellent of songs. 0:06:05.044,0:06:06.550 You know what that means? 0:06:06.550,0:06:09.215 Never has man spoken or written 0:06:09.215,0:06:12.737 a song to excel this song. 0:06:12.737,0:06:14.239 It surpasses all others. 0:06:14.239,0:06:16.342 Not only human songs. 0:06:16.342,0:06:18.643 Remember, if Solomon [br]was simply saying this; 0:06:18.643,0:06:20.270 if a man walked in here and said: 0:06:20.270,0:06:23.587 of all the songs that I ever wrote, [br]this is the song of all my songs. 0:06:23.587,0:06:26.345 But you have to hear God's voice. 0:06:26.345,0:06:28.493 This is inspired. 0:06:28.493,0:06:33.442 The Holy Spirit is saying, Christian, 0:06:33.442,0:06:37.921 this is the song of all songs 0:06:37.921,0:06:39.406 not only humanly speaking, 0:06:39.406,0:06:42.463 but divinely speaking. 0:06:42.463,0:06:44.660 Again, if you were to say that's simply 0:06:44.660,0:06:47.316 Solomon and one of his harem, 0:06:47.316,0:06:54.009 that is not an impressive song. 0:06:54.009,0:06:58.085 And remember just how fitting 0:06:58.085,0:06:59.924 the placement of this book. 0:06:59.924,0:07:04.871 You come out of vanity of vanities 0:07:04.871,0:07:09.517 into song of songs. 0:07:09.517,0:07:12.581 The emptiness, and then, 0:07:12.581,0:07:17.856 Solomon turns us to the fullness. 0:07:17.856,0:07:20.703 And as I reminded you last time, 0:07:20.703,0:07:26.486 this isn't one woman 0:07:26.486,0:07:29.006 with one she loves. 0:07:29.006,0:07:36.140 If you look at chapter 1, v. 3, 0:07:36.140,0:07:38.752 "Your anointing oils are fragrant. 0:07:38.752,0:07:40.897 Your name is oil poured out. 0:07:40.897,0:07:44.701 Therefore, virgins love you." 0:07:44.701,0:07:46.584 Or you look at v. 4. 0:07:46.584,0:07:48.966 "Draw me after You..." 0:07:48.966,0:07:54.496 Not, let me run, let us run. 0:07:54.496,0:07:56.529 As I said before, 0:07:56.529,0:08:00.530 there's no woman who glories 0:08:00.530,0:08:05.929 in the love other women [br]have for their own husband. 0:08:05.929,0:08:08.082 But if the virgins are those 0:08:08.082,0:08:11.944 in the spirit of 2 Corinthians 11:2 0:08:11.944,0:08:16.631 where Paul says that he's betrothing us 0:08:16.631,0:08:18.874 as virgins to Christ, 0:08:18.874,0:08:20.345 the whole thing makes sense. 0:08:20.345,0:08:22.456 Each of us as individuals can glory 0:08:22.456,0:08:23.957 in the love of Christ, 0:08:23.957,0:08:26.293 but we can glory in the [br]fact that other people 0:08:26.293,0:08:29.447 run after Him as well. 0:08:29.447,0:08:32.738 That's the flavor of the Song of Songs. 0:08:32.738,0:08:40.561 Now, when we come to v. 15 and 16, 0:08:40.561,0:08:43.128 the reason I want to take you here 0:08:43.128,0:08:46.505 is you have mutual expressions. 0:08:46.505,0:08:47.913 What jumped out at me first 0:08:47.913,0:08:51.127 was what He says to us, 0:08:51.127,0:08:52.153 we say to Him. 0:08:52.153,0:08:54.184 What we say to Him, He says to us. 0:08:54.184,0:08:55.542 It's the same language. 0:08:55.542,0:08:56.893 Do you see it there? 0:08:56.893,0:09:00.479 "Behold, you are beautiful." 0:09:00.479,0:09:03.213 Both say that to each other. 0:09:03.213,0:09:06.293 There's a mutual expression 0:09:06.293,0:09:09.305 of admiration and attraction. 0:09:09.305,0:09:17.586 Now, we know how we feel about Christ, 0:09:17.586,0:09:19.869 because the truth is, we feel it. 0:09:19.869,0:09:21.192 We know the attraction. 0:09:21.192,0:09:24.981 What makes the Song of Songs so precious 0:09:24.981,0:09:29.523 is that we hear God-inspired words 0:09:29.523,0:09:35.754 as to how Christ feels about us 0:09:35.754,0:09:38.432 and the attraction that He has for us. 0:09:38.432,0:09:41.009 And the truth is 0:09:41.009,0:09:45.399 it's something we would hardly believe 0:09:45.399,0:09:48.530 unless it was written here. 0:09:48.530,0:09:53.337 And watch this, in v. 15, 0:09:53.337,0:10:00.582 "Behold, you are beautiful, My love." 0:10:00.582,0:10:04.367 She never calls Him by that terminology. 0:10:04.367,0:10:08.130 Those are His words for her. 0:10:08.130,0:10:14.683 "My love." 0:10:14.683,0:10:16.801 As you go through here, 0:10:16.801,0:10:19.629 do you know what He calls her? 0:10:19.629,0:10:23.864 My beautiful one, 0:10:23.864,0:10:27.777 My perfect one, 0:10:27.777,0:10:30.176 My dove, 0:10:30.176,0:10:32.669 My bride, 0:10:32.669,0:10:36.009 My sister. 0:10:36.009,0:10:41.652 And that possessive pronoun: Mine. 0:10:41.652,0:10:43.529 You know what that reminds me of? 0:10:43.529,0:10:46.184 You kind of come across this 0:10:46.184,0:10:47.941 and you must maybe shoot past it. 0:10:47.941,0:10:51.379 You're reading Revelation. 0:10:51.379,0:10:53.963 You know when Jesus is speaking 0:10:53.963,0:10:58.384 to the churches in Asia Minor? 0:10:58.384,0:11:01.720 Chapters 2 and 3 of Revelation? 0:11:01.720,0:11:03.732 He says something. 0:11:03.732,0:11:08.650 He gives a promise to the people of God 0:11:08.650,0:11:10.543 who overcome. 0:11:10.543,0:11:12.145 Listen to what He says. 0:11:12.145,0:11:15.949 He says, "I will give you..." [br]if you overcome, 0:11:15.949,0:11:21.112 "I will give you a white stone." 0:11:21.112,0:11:22.480 What's that? 0:11:22.480,0:11:25.729 Well, it's not so much the stone 0:11:25.729,0:11:30.081 as what's written on it. 0:11:30.081,0:11:32.606 Do you know what's written on it? 0:11:32.606,0:11:35.632 A name. 0:11:35.632,0:11:39.825 Does anybody remember what name? 0:11:39.825,0:11:42.287 What was it? 0:11:42.287,0:11:44.779 A new name. And listen to how it says it. 0:11:44.779,0:11:47.577 "A new name written on the stone 0:11:47.577,0:11:50.022 that no one knows 0:11:50.022,0:11:54.762 except the one who receives it." 0:11:54.762,0:12:02.186 Jesus has personal intimate names 0:12:02.186,0:12:06.369 just between you and Him, 0:12:06.369,0:12:09.188 and no one else knows it. 0:12:09.188,0:12:12.179 He says these names, 0:12:12.179,0:12:15.321 "My love," "My dove." 0:12:15.321,0:12:19.063 Mine - not just love - My love. 0:12:19.063,0:12:22.465 "My beautiful one," "My bride," "My dove." 0:12:22.465,0:12:24.371 So what are we talking about? 0:12:24.371,0:12:29.403 We're talking about the love [br]of Christ for His people. 0:12:29.403,0:12:31.986 A love that surpasses knowledge. 0:12:31.986,0:12:35.436 And as we're looking at these two verses, 0:12:35.436,0:12:37.825 v. 15 and 16 of chapter 1, 0:12:37.825,0:12:39.492 I want to say something that might 0:12:39.492,0:12:43.214 at first not register with us. 0:12:43.214,0:12:44.877 If I were to ask you, 0:12:44.877,0:12:46.782 which of these two verses 0:12:46.782,0:12:51.649 seems to most capture [br]Christ's love for us? 0:12:51.649,0:12:55.443 Which one would you pick? 0:12:55.443,0:12:57.538 You'd probably say that's easy. 0:12:57.538,0:12:59.059 Yeah, v. 15. 0:12:59.059,0:13:01.431 And undoubtedly it does [br]express His love for us, 0:13:01.431,0:13:03.318 but you know what? 0:13:03.318,0:13:05.827 As I looked at these 0:13:05.827,0:13:12.415 and I read through the whole book again, 0:13:12.415,0:13:15.904 I found myself struck 0:13:15.904,0:13:22.517 by how much v. 16 reveals His love to us. 0:13:22.517,0:13:25.970 And yes, you heard me right. V. 16. 0:13:25.970,0:13:32.372 V. 16 expresses Christ's love to me. 0:13:32.372,0:13:39.403 Think what Christ has done for you 0:13:39.403,0:13:42.958 that such expression should ever come 0:13:42.958,0:13:46.445 from people like us. 0:13:46.445,0:13:49.209 Think about the expressions here. 0:13:49.209,0:13:52.272 Think about what Christ has done 0:13:52.272,0:13:54.023 and how He's responsible 0:13:54.023,0:13:57.248 and what expressions of love it is 0:13:57.248,0:14:01.958 from Him to us that out of our mouth 0:14:01.958,0:14:07.202 should ever come such [br]expressions as these. 0:14:07.202,0:14:10.003 If you think about where [br]you have come from: 0:14:10.003,0:14:11.727 the miry clay, the pit - 0:14:11.727,0:14:13.793 if you remember the things you've done, 0:14:13.793,0:14:15.981 if you remember the things you've thought, 0:14:15.981,0:14:20.676 if you think about the stock. 0:14:20.676,0:14:40.249 Look at chapter 2:3. 0:14:40.249,0:14:52.208 2:3, "With great delight, [br]I sat in His shadow." 0:14:52.208,0:14:54.547 Now, here's what I want you to feel. 0:14:54.547,0:14:58.005 I want you to feel the expressions 0:14:58.005,0:15:00.365 of the church to Him. 0:15:00.365,0:15:02.064 Think about these. 0:15:02.064,0:15:05.850 I find the most amazing expressions. 0:15:05.850,0:15:09.967 She is saying, 0:15:09.967,0:15:13.056 "Behold, You are beautiful." 0:15:13.056,0:15:16.158 In 2:3, she says, 0:15:16.158,0:15:20.281 "With great delight, I sat in His shadow." 0:15:20.281,0:15:22.379 Now see the delight. 0:15:22.379,0:15:25.613 Look at 2:5, she says, 0:15:25.613,0:15:29.079 "I am sick with love." 0:15:29.079,0:15:30.070 Now think. 0:15:30.070,0:15:31.745 We're talking about the Christian. 0:15:31.745,0:15:33.366 Think about the Christian. 0:15:33.366,0:15:34.734 Think about you. 0:15:34.734,0:15:37.933 Think about you going through this life, 0:15:37.933,0:15:41.109 living in this world. 0:15:41.109,0:15:42.868 We heard "love not the world," 0:15:42.868,0:15:44.631 but you're actually going along 0:15:44.631,0:15:46.673 and your mind is working 0:15:46.673,0:15:48.350 as you go through your day 0:15:48.350,0:15:49.719 and go through your life, 0:15:49.719,0:15:54.763 and such feelings well up in you 0:15:54.763,0:15:58.597 that you could say I find beauty in Him. 0:15:58.597,0:16:01.144 Or that you're even speaking to Him 0:16:01.144,0:16:04.365 on an intimate level. 0:16:04.365,0:16:07.958 You are beautiful, my Beloved. 0:16:07.958,0:16:12.212 Not just that: truly delightful. 0:16:12.212,0:16:17.165 "With great delight I sit in His shadow." 0:16:17.165,0:16:20.181 I'm sick with love. 0:16:20.181,0:16:22.690 I mean there's an ache [br]to have more of Him, 0:16:22.690,0:16:24.243 to see more of Him, 0:16:24.243,0:16:26.781 to hear His voice more clearly, 0:16:26.781,0:16:28.510 to have a visitation. 0:16:28.510,0:16:32.999 Look at chapter 5:9-10. 0:16:32.999,0:16:36.936 Here you have others in v. 9. 0:16:36.936,0:16:38.215 Others say to her, 0:16:38.215,0:16:41.083 "What is your Beloved more [br]than another beloved?" 0:16:41.083,0:16:43.233 I mean who is this? 0:16:43.233,0:16:45.904 Who is this that you talk [br]about Him like this? 0:16:45.904,0:16:47.771 "O most beautiful among women, 0:16:47.771,0:16:50.902 what is your Beloved more [br]than another beloved?" 0:16:50.902,0:16:54.231 And in v. 10 she says, 0:16:54.231,0:16:58.287 "My Beloved is radiant." 0:16:58.287,0:17:01.726 The NAS says "dazzling and ruddy." 0:17:01.726,0:17:04.659 "Distinguished among 10,000," 0:17:04.659,0:17:07.093 or "Chief among 10,000" in KJV. 0:17:07.093,0:17:08.507 Or the New American Standard, 0:17:08.507,0:17:12.343 "outstanding among 10,000." 0:17:12.343,0:17:17.160 Look at v. 16 of Song of Solomon 5. 0:17:17.160,0:17:21.905 "He is altogether desirable." 0:17:21.905,0:17:23.491 Or as the KJV says, 0:17:23.491,0:17:27.992 "He is altogether lovely." 0:17:27.992,0:17:29.557 And here's the thing. 0:17:29.557,0:17:33.521 I would say to you, Christian, 0:17:33.521,0:17:37.342 when you have felt the most, 0:17:37.342,0:17:39.611 when you have seen Him most clearly, 0:17:39.611,0:17:42.570 when you've heard His voice 0:17:42.570,0:17:46.355 with most audibleness, 0:17:46.355,0:17:49.181 when you've smelled the [br]fragrance of His presence, 0:17:49.181,0:17:52.067 when the power of the Word has opened up, 0:17:52.067,0:17:54.972 when He has come across [br]most beautiful to you, 0:17:54.972,0:17:57.276 I would say where's the pen? 0:17:57.276,0:17:58.567 Where are the thoughts? 0:17:58.567,0:18:00.537 Who is the poet? Where is the songwriter? 0:18:00.537,0:18:03.504 Some of the songwriters are fantastic 0:18:03.504,0:18:06.435 in the way they're able to bring out 0:18:06.435,0:18:08.564 what we feel, 0:18:08.564,0:18:12.552 but who can put what a [br]Christian feels into words? 0:18:12.552,0:18:14.217 But the Song of Solomon 0:18:14.217,0:18:17.723 seems to capture it oftentimes. 0:18:17.723,0:18:21.330 And look, right now, 0:18:21.330,0:18:24.259 I am not speaking to everyone. 0:18:24.259,0:18:28.594 I'm speaking to you who [br]know what I'm talking about. 0:18:28.594,0:18:31.491 You who have felt this. 0:18:31.491,0:18:32.953 Have you ever considered 0:18:32.953,0:18:38.450 what Christ's love has done for you 0:18:38.450,0:18:41.147 that you could even be delighted in Him? 0:18:41.147,0:18:43.083 I mean, do you hear what I'm getting at? 0:18:43.083,0:18:46.990 Christ finding me beautiful? 0:18:46.990,0:18:50.074 I mean, that should blow us away. 0:18:50.074,0:18:53.230 What sort of expression [br]of love is that to me! 0:18:53.230,0:18:56.190 But here's the thing, me [br]finding Him beautiful, 0:18:56.190,0:19:01.108 that too is a massive [br]expression of His love to me. 0:19:01.108,0:19:04.862 All these, I mean, they are vehement 0:19:04.862,0:19:09.908 expressions of affection to Christ. 0:19:09.908,0:19:12.966 Look, think with me. 0:19:12.966,0:19:16.047 If you go looking around the world, 0:19:16.047,0:19:17.803 go looking on the Internet, 0:19:17.803,0:19:19.782 go through the channels, 0:19:19.782,0:19:20.700 do whatever, 0:19:20.700,0:19:23.356 do whatever gives you a [br]picture into this world. 0:19:23.356,0:19:28.457 Go through the radio stations. 0:19:28.457,0:19:30.178 You know what? 0:19:30.178,0:19:34.301 To find men who are attracted to women 0:19:34.301,0:19:35.900 on the computer screen, 0:19:35.900,0:19:38.410 that's common. 0:19:38.410,0:19:43.411 To find young men [br]attracted to computer games, 0:19:43.411,0:19:46.613 that's pretty normal. 0:19:46.613,0:19:49.060 To find young ladies that are interested 0:19:49.060,0:19:50.706 in being attractive, 0:19:50.706,0:19:53.150 addicted to their cell phones, 0:19:53.150,0:19:55.545 trying to make themselves pretty, 0:19:55.545,0:19:57.470 that's average. 0:19:57.470,0:19:59.456 To find people grasping for money, 0:19:59.456,0:20:03.230 movies, popularity, clothes, [br]food, fame, power, 0:20:03.230,0:20:06.011 there's nothing unusual about that. 0:20:06.011,0:20:08.162 You think with me here. 0:20:08.162,0:20:12.300 To find a man, a woman, or a child 0:20:12.300,0:20:15.666 whose heart jumps 0:20:15.666,0:20:19.540 when they hear the name of Christ, 0:20:19.540,0:20:22.546 that is rare. 0:20:22.546,0:20:25.301 That is special. 0:20:25.301,0:20:28.905 That is a mark of God at work in somebody 0:20:28.905,0:20:31.514 in an absolutely miraculous way 0:20:31.514,0:20:33.617 because that is not common. 0:20:33.617,0:20:35.984 Not at all. 0:20:35.984,0:20:38.084 The thing to ask is this: 0:20:38.084,0:20:44.682 Where do such people come from? 0:20:44.682,0:20:45.796 Go back there. 0:20:45.796,0:20:59.294 Go back to Song of Solomon 1:16. 0:20:59.294,0:21:02.800 Now I recognize that for a man 0:21:02.800,0:21:06.355 to actually speak 0:21:06.355,0:21:09.093 with some of these words 0:21:09.093,0:21:10.749 and speak them about Christ - 0:21:10.749,0:21:12.761 I don't know, maybe it [br]would cause some people 0:21:12.761,0:21:14.066 to be uncomfortable. 0:21:14.066,0:21:16.092 But I can tell you this, 0:21:16.092,0:21:18.602 the manliest of men - 0:21:18.602,0:21:20.165 and Christians should be men. 0:21:20.165,0:21:22.091 "Quit you like men." 0:21:22.091,0:21:24.109 Be men. 0:21:24.109,0:21:26.072 But you know what? 0:21:26.072,0:21:30.800 The purest men in this world, 0:21:30.800,0:21:32.338 they may not walk around using 0:21:32.338,0:21:33.655 terminology like this, 0:21:33.655,0:21:38.622 but God's man, he feels this in his heart. 0:21:38.622,0:21:41.149 He feels v. 16. 0:21:41.149,0:21:45.053 When he feels the realities of Christ, 0:21:45.053,0:21:48.142 he can say, 0:21:48.142,0:21:54.551 "Oh Christ, You are beautiful. 0:21:54.551,0:21:57.663 You are truly delightful." 0:21:57.663,0:22:02.110 He feels it in the [br]very fabric of his soul. 0:22:02.110,0:22:06.451 And the thing to ask is [br]where do they come from? 0:22:06.451,0:22:09.681 Where do people who truly feel 0:22:09.681,0:22:11.713 in the depths of their being 0:22:11.713,0:22:14.425 that Christ is beautiful and desirable - 0:22:14.425,0:22:17.646 where do they come from? 0:22:17.646,0:22:21.527 Seminaries don't make them. 0:22:21.527,0:22:25.843 The truth is churches don't make them. 0:22:25.843,0:22:32.160 None of us have a mother [br]that makes people like these. 0:22:32.160,0:22:34.419 Listen - in fact, turn there. 0:22:34.419,0:22:35.806 You're very close to it. 0:22:35.806,0:22:38.153 Turn to Isaiah 53. 0:22:38.153,0:22:41.723 Isaiah's right after Song of Solomon. 0:22:41.723,0:22:53.130 Go to the well known Isaiah 53. 0:22:53.130,0:22:55.705 All I have to do is take you here 0:22:55.705,0:22:57.616 and take you in your mind 0:22:57.616,0:23:02.364 back to former days. 0:23:02.364,0:23:04.383 And here we are. 0:23:04.383,0:23:09.189 Isaiah 53:2. 0:23:09.189,0:23:15.048 "Like a root out of dry ground..." 0:23:15.048,0:23:21.505 A root sticking up out of dry ground. 0:23:21.505,0:23:23.988 "...He had no form or majesty 0:23:23.988,0:23:27.782 that we should look at Him, 0:23:27.782,0:23:33.682 no beauty that we should desire Him." 0:23:33.682,0:23:40.061 That statement right there 0:23:40.061,0:23:47.747 given the chapter of [br]Scripture that it's in, 0:23:47.747,0:23:56.710 man in his fallen state is so backward. 0:23:56.710,0:24:00.033 "No beauty..." and look at v. 3. 0:24:00.033,0:24:04.999 "Despised, rejected by men, 0:24:04.999,0:24:10.275 as one from whom men hide their faces, 0:24:10.275,0:24:13.502 He was despised 0:24:13.502,0:24:17.982 and we esteemed Him not." 0:24:17.982,0:24:19.603 Do you remember? 0:24:19.603,0:24:23.193 Pilate said to the Jews, 0:24:23.193,0:24:27.160 "Behold your King." 0:24:27.160,0:24:28.711 And they did. 0:24:28.711,0:24:31.320 They looked. They beheld Him. 0:24:31.320,0:24:32.936 See Him standing there 0:24:32.936,0:24:35.854 with His crown of thorns. 0:24:35.854,0:24:38.487 His robe of purple. 0:24:38.487,0:24:40.789 I mean, never, never had they stood 0:24:40.789,0:24:43.496 in the presence of one pure 0:24:43.496,0:24:46.717 or more beautiful or more pleasing to God 0:24:46.717,0:24:48.750 or more willing to save, 0:24:48.750,0:24:52.841 and they cried out. 0:24:52.841,0:24:54.425 You know what they cried out. 0:24:54.425,0:24:56.725 "Away with Him! Away with Him! 0:24:56.725,0:25:00.294 Crucify Him!" 0:25:00.294,0:25:04.856 You know what that songwriter said. 0:25:04.856,0:25:10.884 "Ashamed, I hear my mocking voice 0:25:10.884,0:25:15.966 call out among the scoffers." 0:25:15.966,0:25:18.170 Do you remember? 0:25:18.170,0:25:21.127 Do you remember those days? 0:25:21.127,0:25:23.023 That was your voice. 0:25:23.023,0:25:25.548 That was my voice. 0:25:25.548,0:25:27.569 Ashamed. 0:25:27.569,0:25:31.148 Ashamed. I can hear my voice 0:25:31.148,0:25:34.400 in that crowd. 0:25:34.400,0:25:37.536 I can listen for it. 0:25:37.536,0:25:40.028 Clint was telling me 0:25:40.028,0:25:42.602 that when he's over on the oil rigs, 0:25:42.602,0:25:45.362 he sometimes watches us livestream. 0:25:45.362,0:25:48.072 I said you listen for Caroline's voice 0:25:48.072,0:25:49.697 in the singing, don't you? 0:25:49.697,0:25:53.878 And he said, yeah, I do. 0:25:53.878,0:25:57.438 But you listen for your voice 0:25:57.438,0:26:01.274 in this crowd because it's there. 0:26:01.274,0:26:03.783 We didn't esteem Him. 0:26:03.783,0:26:08.072 We despised Him. 0:26:08.072,0:26:10.032 Despised Him. 0:26:10.032,0:26:13.926 That any of us should [br]find Christ attractive 0:26:13.926,0:26:16.913 is only shocking to the degree 0:26:16.913,0:26:19.154 that we realize it is not natural, 0:26:19.154,0:26:20.404 it is not normal. 0:26:20.404,0:26:21.806 Do you know what normal is? 0:26:21.806,0:26:23.687 "They hated Me without a cause." 0:26:23.687,0:26:25.755 You know what normal is? 0:26:25.755,0:26:27.170 "He came to His own 0:26:27.170,0:26:31.069 and His own received Him not." 0:26:31.069,0:26:33.549 You know, we get these guys. 0:26:33.549,0:26:35.373 They want to write these stories 0:26:35.373,0:26:37.063 about the end times; 0:26:37.063,0:26:38.536 tell us about the antichrist. 0:26:38.536,0:26:41.118 You know, he's going to come [br]from the European Union. 0:26:41.118,0:26:45.703 He's going to have 666 [br]stamped on his forehead. 0:26:45.703,0:26:50.339 You don't have to look to Europe, 0:26:50.339,0:26:52.497 because the reality is all we had to do 0:26:52.497,0:26:56.275 is walk into the bathroom 0:26:56.275,0:27:00.187 and look at ourselves in the mirror. 0:27:00.187,0:27:02.663 You know what John said? 0:27:02.663,0:27:12.569 He said, "Now many antichrists have come." 0:27:12.569,0:27:15.658 We were the antichrists. 0:27:15.658,0:27:20.911 Anti means to be against. 0:27:20.911,0:27:22.500 We were them. 0:27:22.500,0:27:24.506 We would have never admitted it, 0:27:24.506,0:27:27.249 but that's precisely... 0:27:27.249,0:27:30.043 Man's natural disposition is such 0:27:30.043,0:27:32.515 that the Song of Songs 0:27:32.515,0:27:36.358 is a foreign language. 0:27:36.358,0:27:40.949 The lost man - it is unintelligible. 0:27:40.949,0:27:44.076 It's basically a parable. 0:27:44.076,0:27:46.363 And you know how in the New Testament, 0:27:46.363,0:27:48.014 the disciples asked, 0:27:48.014,0:27:50.561 why do You speak to them in parables? 0:27:50.561,0:27:53.362 And Jesus said this is why [br]I speak to them in parables: 0:27:53.362,0:27:56.222 "Because seeing they do not see,[br]hearing they do not hear, 0:27:56.222,0:27:57.738 nor do they understand." 0:27:57.738,0:27:59.909 You see, that's the thing with this. 0:27:59.909,0:28:04.267 The Song of Solomon to the unconverted: 0:28:04.267,0:28:06.203 what's that? 0:28:06.203,0:28:11.998 It is in a foreign language. 0:28:11.998,0:28:15.638 But I know we have a whole number 0:28:15.638,0:28:17.329 of people in this room 0:28:17.329,0:28:20.315 that do have eyes to see and ears to hear 0:28:20.315,0:28:22.058 and you do understand. 0:28:22.058,0:28:25.382 And when you hear these expressions 0:28:25.382,0:28:29.355 come from her to Him, 0:28:29.355,0:28:32.782 something jumps inside you and says, 0:28:32.782,0:28:37.007 yes, that's how I feel. 0:28:37.007,0:28:38.789 You see the thing is 0:28:38.789,0:28:41.775 Christ is not ugly. 0:28:41.775,0:28:44.433 He is not unkind. He is not cruel. 0:28:44.433,0:28:47.068 He is the Savior of the world 0:28:47.068,0:28:49.623 and robed in the beauty of holiness. 0:28:49.623,0:28:52.732 He's altogether lovely, [br]altogether desirable. 0:28:52.732,0:28:54.849 Man's great problem? Newton said it 0:28:54.849,0:28:57.289 in his most famous song: 0:28:57.289,0:29:00.653 "I was blind, but now I see." 0:29:00.653,0:29:05.118 Do you recognize 0:29:05.118,0:29:08.738 that when Adam took that fruit 0:29:08.738,0:29:11.995 and he brought it up to his mouth, 0:29:11.995,0:29:15.730 you can just imagine [br]two daggers right there. 0:29:15.730,0:29:18.152 The moment his teeth 0:29:18.152,0:29:21.347 broke the skin on that thing, 0:29:21.347,0:29:27.504 those daggers took his eyes out. 0:29:27.504,0:29:29.063 And the problem was they took 0:29:29.063,0:29:32.039 all of our eyes out as well. 0:29:32.042,0:29:34.904 They were gone. 0:29:34.904,0:29:38.031 We could see the ground, 0:29:38.031,0:29:39.772 the fields, 0:29:39.772,0:29:42.974 the weeds that now were in the world. 0:29:42.974,0:29:46.973 We could feel the pain that came, 0:29:46.973,0:29:48.945 the age. 0:29:48.945,0:29:52.871 We could see the sun, [br]the moon, and the stars. 0:29:52.871,0:29:55.064 But we couldn't see. 0:29:55.064,0:29:58.822 Our eyes had been put out. 0:29:58.822,0:30:01.111 We sang this too: 0:30:01.111,0:30:06.754 "Something lives in every hue, 0:30:06.754,0:30:11.951 Christless eyes have never seen." 0:30:11.951,0:30:16.249 Beloved, do you remember 0:30:16.249,0:30:19.630 when you carried around in your head 0:30:19.630,0:30:25.194 Christless eyes and Christless ears? 0:30:25.194,0:30:28.161 I remember it. 0:30:28.161,0:30:29.866 You remember how it was? 0:30:29.866,0:30:31.823 Jesus said it. 0:30:31.823,0:30:34.693 Jesus said it this way, 0:30:34.693,0:30:39.317 "those who are well 0:30:39.317,0:30:43.256 have no need of a physician." 0:30:43.256,0:30:46.457 Do you know how it was? 0:30:46.457,0:30:48.889 No need. 0:30:48.889,0:30:51.132 We didn't need Him. 0:30:51.132,0:30:52.989 We were okay without Him. 0:30:52.989,0:30:55.429 We could walk around. We could smile. 0:30:55.429,0:30:59.540 We could joke. We could laugh... 0:30:59.540,0:31:00.869 without trembling. 0:31:00.869,0:31:04.145 We could casually sin [br]without screaming in terror. 0:31:04.145,0:31:06.104 We could go to sleep each night. 0:31:06.104,0:31:07.811 We could talk about death and hell 0:31:07.811,0:31:10.063 as if they were fairy tales. 0:31:10.063,0:31:12.200 I mean, here we were walking through life, 0:31:12.200,0:31:17.210 this great big mouth of hell 0:31:17.210,0:31:21.016 underneath us waiting to swallow us. 0:31:21.016,0:31:23.730 And we were so casual. 0:31:23.730,0:31:27.426 So careless. So confident. 0:31:27.426,0:31:29.689 No thought ever crossed our minds: 0:31:29.689,0:31:32.703 "Oh, may He kiss me 0:31:32.703,0:31:34.872 with the kisses of His mouth." 0:31:34.872,0:31:39.544 Things like that - what? Christ? 0:31:39.544,0:31:42.153 We sang "Joy to the World." 0:31:42.153,0:31:44.458 He's a little baby in a manger. 0:31:44.458,0:31:45.650 I would see it. 0:31:45.650,0:31:48.176 Yeah, that crucifix up on the wall. 0:31:48.176,0:31:52.160 Yeah, that's Christ. 0:31:52.160,0:31:54.230 For me it was a word of cursing 0:31:54.230,0:31:56.465 and swearing in my mouth. 0:31:56.465,0:31:59.769 Some effeminate looking picture 0:31:59.769,0:32:08.731 of probably some Catholic priest. 0:32:08.731,0:32:12.224 Isaiah is spot on. 0:32:12.224,0:32:14.810 Look at it. 0:32:14.810,0:32:17.989 V. 2, "No beauty." 0:32:17.989,0:32:22.663 Isaiah 53:2, "No beauty 0:32:22.663,0:32:26.197 that we should desire Him." 0:32:26.197,0:32:34.660 What Christless eyes we had! 0:32:34.660,0:32:40.139 "One from whom men hide their faces." 0:32:40.139,0:32:43.376 We don't want to look at Him. 0:32:43.376,0:32:44.786 We hide our faces from Him. 0:32:44.786,0:32:47.359 We don't want to look His way.[br]We don't want to look at Him. 0:32:47.359,0:32:48.791 We don't want to regard Him. 0:32:48.791,0:32:51.306 We don't want to esteem Him. 0:32:51.306,0:32:53.360 And just see where Isaiah takes us. 0:32:53.360,0:32:56.252 Look at v. 4. 0:32:56.252,0:32:59.756 This is what's so amazing about it! 0:32:59.756,0:33:02.392 It's not as though you [br]continue reading here 0:33:02.392,0:33:04.126 and you look at it and you say, 0:33:04.126,0:33:06.559 oh yeah, yeah... 0:33:06.559,0:33:08.273 yeah, there was no beauty. 0:33:08.273,0:33:10.990 He was ugly. 0:33:10.990,0:33:12.254 Listen to it. 0:33:12.254,0:33:14.914 "Surely He has borne our griefs 0:33:14.914,0:33:17.809 and carried our sorrows." 0:33:17.809,0:33:22.225 V. 5, "He was pierced [br]for our transgressions, 0:33:22.225,0:33:24.833 crushed for our iniquities. 0:33:24.833,0:33:27.115 Upon Him was the chastisement 0:33:27.115,0:33:29.261 that brought us peace. 0:33:29.261,0:33:32.074 With His wounds we are healed." 0:33:32.074,0:33:35.468 Or v. 6, "The Lord laid on Him 0:33:35.468,0:33:37.625 the iniquity of us all." 0:33:37.625,0:33:41.957 V. 8, "Stricken for the [br]transgression of My people." 0:33:41.957,0:33:45.693 V. 11, "Out of the anguish of His soul, 0:33:45.693,0:33:49.752 God shall see and be satisfied. 0:33:49.752,0:33:52.867 He shall make many to [br]be accounted righteous. 0:33:52.867,0:33:54.918 He shall bear their iniquities." 0:33:54.918,0:33:57.357 V. 12, "He poured out His soul to death 0:33:57.357,0:34:00.828 and was numbered with the transgressors, 0:34:00.828,0:34:03.052 yet He bore the sin of many, 0:34:03.052,0:34:06.795 and makes intercession [br]for the transgressors." 0:34:06.795,0:34:08.920 What Christless eyes! 0:34:08.920,0:34:10.649 Do you remember? 0:34:10.649,0:34:13.187 Well, I have no memory of these verses 0:34:13.187,0:34:18.339 because I doubt I ever saw them. 0:34:18.339,0:34:20.635 I didn't care. 0:34:20.635,0:34:21.855 In the midst of my life, 0:34:21.855,0:34:24.215 if somebody would have [br]read those verses to me 0:34:24.215,0:34:28.952 it's like clear them aside. 0:34:28.952,0:34:31.950 I lived for the weekends. 0:34:31.950,0:34:34.590 I just existed during the week. 0:34:34.590,0:34:37.606 I lived for the weekends. 0:34:37.606,0:34:41.299 Make money during the week to live it up. 0:34:41.299,0:34:44.410 Words like this meant nothing. 0:34:44.410,0:34:46.818 Don't bother me with [br]that religious nonsense. 0:34:46.818,0:34:49.663 We had it figured out, right? 0:34:49.663,0:34:51.509 I mean, most of us, 0:34:51.509,0:34:53.952 we kind of come from the same stock. 0:34:53.952,0:34:56.630 A bit of religion - that was me. 0:34:56.630,0:34:57.822 Just a bit. 0:34:57.822,0:35:02.136 A lot of superstition. 0:35:02.136,0:35:06.287 A good dose of self-love. 0:35:06.287,0:35:09.146 A portion of self-righteousness. 0:35:09.146,0:35:11.915 We were good. We were good! 0:35:11.915,0:35:19.138 Jesus? We had a manger thing growing up. 0:35:19.138,0:35:24.441 Or my dad had a crucifix on the wall. 0:35:24.441,0:35:28.326 Yeah, He's either a baby or He's dead, 0:35:28.326,0:35:30.420 but don't bother us with that. 0:35:30.420,0:35:32.359 We're pretty good. 0:35:32.359,0:35:36.610 We esteemed Him not. 0:35:36.610,0:35:41.603 And that is the world around us. 0:35:41.603,0:35:45.222 This idea, this Song of Solomon 0:35:45.222,0:35:50.025 is so foreign to this world. 0:35:50.025,0:35:56.730 People - yeah, show me how to miss hell. 0:35:56.730,0:35:59.540 But the idea, 0:35:59.540,0:36:03.228 this is what it means to be saved. 0:36:03.228,0:36:05.473 So often, people just think 0:36:05.473,0:36:07.568 no lake of fire in the end. 0:36:07.568,0:36:10.206 That's not really being saved. 0:36:10.206,0:36:12.431 Yes, yes, that's not suffering 0:36:12.431,0:36:14.453 the consequences and the punishment 0:36:14.453,0:36:15.908 that our sins deserve. 0:36:15.908,0:36:18.731 But to truly be saved, 0:36:18.731,0:36:20.868 to truly have life 0:36:20.868,0:36:27.051 is to know God and to know His Christ. 0:36:27.051,0:36:31.959 To know - intimacy - to have this love. 0:36:31.959,0:36:34.026 We know this. 0:36:34.026,0:36:37.670 Listen, the greatest thing 0:36:37.670,0:36:40.258 about the way God has designed us; 0:36:40.258,0:36:43.555 the thing that causes the greatest joy 0:36:43.555,0:36:47.766 and expression in who we [br]are as human beings 0:36:47.766,0:36:52.048 is when we are madly in love. 0:36:52.048,0:36:54.504 There's no getting around that. 0:36:54.504,0:36:57.623 This is what we find here. 0:36:57.623,0:37:01.269 Brethren, how did we ever come 0:37:01.269,0:37:03.122 to esteem Him? 0:37:03.122,0:37:05.420 What happened to us 0:37:05.420,0:37:08.930 that we looked up one day? 0:37:08.930,0:37:12.172 I can remember that time in my life. 0:37:12.172,0:37:22.201 It's like suddenly the fog was gone. 0:37:22.201,0:37:29.229 How did I never see Him before? 0:37:29.229,0:37:32.126 Who is this? 0:37:32.126,0:37:35.216 I was stunned. 0:37:35.216,0:37:38.860 (incomplete thought) 0:37:38.860,0:37:42.132 How did this even happen? 0:37:42.132,0:37:45.503 John tells us. 0:37:45.503,0:37:51.849 We love Him because what? 0:37:51.849,0:37:54.574 You see, the thing is, [br]we're incapable of loving Him - 0:37:54.574,0:37:57.945 and you say, I didn't get that.[br]What did he even say? 0:37:57.945,0:38:00.676 1 John 4:19, 0:38:00.676,0:38:02.881 "We love Him because He first loved us." 0:38:02.881,0:38:04.540 What John is teaching is this: 0:38:04.540,0:38:06.334 The one has to come before the other 0:38:06.334,0:38:08.611 because the one is [br]responsible for the other. 0:38:08.611,0:38:10.505 The one produces the other. 0:38:10.505,0:38:12.584 We're incapable of loving Christ 0:38:12.584,0:38:14.643 apart from what He does to us. 0:38:14.643,0:38:16.565 Left to ourselves, the reality is, 0:38:16.565,0:38:21.867 there's nothing in us [br]to call forth love for Him. 0:38:21.867,0:38:24.153 I loved everything else. 0:38:24.153,0:38:26.862 Many other things. 0:38:26.862,0:38:28.650 What did our Lord teach us? 0:38:28.650,0:38:31.446 He said this - 0:38:31.446,0:38:33.231 He said one day after He had fed 0:38:33.231,0:38:34.855 those 5,000 people, 0:38:34.855,0:38:38.647 He was talking about the true bread. 0:38:38.647,0:38:43.315 He said, "No one can come to Me 0:38:43.315,0:38:49.668 unless My Father who sent Me draws..." 0:38:49.668,0:38:53.583 What sort of drawing was that? 0:38:53.583,0:38:55.815 It wasn't chains of a slave. 0:38:55.815,0:38:57.865 It's something else. 0:38:57.865,0:39:01.443 Something pulled us to Christ. 0:39:01.443,0:39:03.767 This is how He saves. 0:39:03.767,0:39:10.759 He saves by causing us to behold Christ. 0:39:10.759,0:39:13.069 Christ asked the question: 0:39:13.069,0:39:16.706 What think ye of Christ? 0:39:16.706,0:39:19.919 How you answer that 0:39:19.919,0:39:22.623 says everything about you - 0:39:22.623,0:39:23.923 not about Him. 0:39:23.923,0:39:25.809 What you say positive or negative 0:39:25.809,0:39:27.098 doesn't change Him. 0:39:27.098,0:39:28.924 But how you answer that question 0:39:28.924,0:39:31.118 says everything about you. 0:39:31.118,0:39:33.460 And it says everything about the love 0:39:33.460,0:39:36.519 that Christ has expressed to you, 0:39:36.519,0:39:38.458 what He has done for you, 0:39:38.458,0:39:40.518 what He has done in you. 0:39:40.518,0:39:43.081 And we can go back to Song of Solomon now 0:39:43.081,0:39:44.677 if you're in Isaiah. 0:39:44.677,0:39:48.432 Song of Solomon - you remember this. 0:39:48.432,0:39:53.185 Chapter 1:4 - I mean, yes, you have 0:39:53.185,0:39:55.643 there in John 6, 0:39:55.643,0:39:59.671 "No one can come to Me 0:39:59.671,0:40:03.457 unless My Father draws..." 0:40:03.457,0:40:08.717 Here it's the church herself saying - 0:40:08.717,0:40:11.742 she's coming to that recognition. 0:40:11.742,0:40:16.595 "Draw me. Draw me." 0:40:16.595,0:40:20.240 We will run. Let us run. 0:40:20.240,0:40:24.607 Draw, draw, draw. 0:40:24.607,0:40:26.478 (incomplete thought) 0:40:26.478,0:40:30.014 Look, this is appealing to Him 0:40:30.014,0:40:32.529 to do something to us. 0:40:32.529,0:40:35.215 Pull me. 0:40:35.215,0:40:38.203 We are so willingly hard, 0:40:38.203,0:40:41.587 so willingly blind, so willingly do we not 0:40:41.587,0:40:44.358 want to find anything beautiful in Christ 0:40:44.358,0:40:46.394 that unless there is this powerful, 0:40:46.394,0:40:50.058 effectual drawing of the soul to Christ, 0:40:50.058,0:40:53.068 both at conversion and afterwards, 0:40:53.068,0:40:56.874 we will gladly run right into hell. 0:40:56.874,0:40:58.102 We will. 0:40:58.102,0:41:00.877 A soul's coming to Christ for life 0:41:00.877,0:41:03.981 is not the product of any power 0:41:03.981,0:41:06.526 or free will of man - 0:41:06.526,0:41:08.065 power found in man - 0:41:08.065,0:41:11.452 it's the result of Christ giving us life. 0:41:11.452,0:41:14.598 Have you ever read this? 0:41:14.598,0:41:20.851 "Whoever does not love 0:41:20.851,0:41:24.545 abides in death." 0:41:24.545,0:41:27.529 Think about that. 0:41:27.529,0:41:31.550 To love is to live. 0:41:31.550,0:41:34.822 To live is to love. 0:41:34.822,0:41:36.467 We looked up one day 0:41:36.467,0:41:40.738 and we can't explain how it happened. 0:41:40.738,0:41:45.805 But Christ was increasing. 0:41:45.805,0:41:49.008 He was growing brighter. 0:41:49.008,0:41:52.297 And everything else was growing pale. 0:41:52.297,0:41:55.764 Everything else was decreasing. 0:41:55.764,0:41:56.740 You know. 0:41:56.740,0:41:58.275 The Apostle Paul comes along 0:41:58.275,0:42:02.244 to the Philippians and he says, 0:42:02.244,0:42:06.032 there was a day my circumcision, 0:42:06.032,0:42:08.787 my Jewishness, 0:42:08.787,0:42:12.186 my belonging to one [br]of the premier tribes - 0:42:12.186,0:42:13.280 the tribe of Benjamin - 0:42:13.280,0:42:14.751 that was one of the two tribes 0:42:14.751,0:42:17.337 that stayed loyal to the Southern kingdom. 0:42:17.337,0:42:22.485 A Hebrew of the Hebrews. 0:42:22.485,0:42:26.278 He says but I saw Christ. 0:42:26.278,0:42:28.759 I saw Him. 0:42:28.759,0:42:32.823 I mean, the Christless [br]eyes were taken away. 0:42:32.823,0:42:34.309 And what does he say? 0:42:34.309,0:42:37.359 I count it all loss 0:42:37.359,0:42:40.814 that I might have Christ, 0:42:40.814,0:42:42.549 that I might know Christ. 0:42:42.549,0:42:43.722 For the sake of Christ. 0:42:43.722,0:42:45.385 Indeed, I count everything as loss 0:42:45.385,0:42:47.428 because of the surpassing worth of knowing 0:42:47.428,0:42:50.406 Christ Jesus my Lord. 0:42:50.406,0:42:53.601 We looked up one day 0:42:53.601,0:42:55.253 and we began to have such thoughts 0:42:55.253,0:42:57.956 as like we find in the Song of Solomon. 0:42:57.956,0:42:59.679 Do you notice? 0:42:59.679,0:43:04.048 Do you remember how that happened? 0:43:04.048,0:43:07.205 Out at Community, we used to sing a lot - 0:43:07.205,0:43:08.571 we sing it sometimes here, 0:43:08.571,0:43:12.717 but from Revelation 5 - 0:43:12.717,0:43:15.577 4 and 5, they both have the words: 0:43:15.577,0:43:17.599 Worthy. 0:43:17.599,0:43:22.141 Can you remember when you were lost, 0:43:22.141,0:43:24.341 you never, unless you were lost 0:43:24.341,0:43:26.260 and your parents made you go to church 0:43:26.260,0:43:29.236 where they sang Revelation 4 or 5 - 0:43:29.236,0:43:34.643 you never put the word "worthy" 0:43:34.643,0:43:39.730 in the same sentence with Christ. 0:43:39.730,0:43:42.049 Ninety-nine percent of the time 0:43:42.049,0:43:47.381 when His name came out of my mouth, 0:43:47.381,0:43:52.612 I was simply cursing and swearing. 0:43:52.612,0:43:56.667 Never did the term worthy 0:43:56.667,0:43:59.356 fall in the same sentence with Him. 0:43:59.356,0:44:01.585 Or the term "precious." 0:44:01.585,0:44:07.526 Or the term "beautiful." 0:44:07.526,0:44:11.494 Therefore - this is the KJV, [br]the New King James Version, 0:44:11.494,0:44:14.727 but you know this from 1 Peter 2:7. 0:44:14.727,0:44:17.522 "Therefore to you who believe, 0:44:17.522,0:44:23.075 He is precious." 0:44:23.075,0:44:25.714 And the thing that was amazing 0:44:25.714,0:44:28.869 is that once you have the eyes to see - 0:44:28.869,0:44:30.810 because I remember this - 0:44:30.810,0:44:35.246 I could see and I suddenly looked around, 0:44:35.246,0:44:37.892 and all my friends - 0:44:37.892,0:44:40.201 all the comrades that I hunted with 0:44:40.201,0:44:41.304 and drank with 0:44:41.304,0:44:42.718 and lived my life with 0:44:42.718,0:44:44.641 and my co-workers, 0:44:44.641,0:44:47.478 my family - 0:44:47.478,0:44:50.018 and you look around, 0:44:50.018,0:44:54.112 and they're like the [br]deer caught in headlights. 0:44:54.112,0:45:00.111 I had such revelations to my soul. 0:45:00.111,0:45:03.849 I said oh, I am certain 0:45:03.849,0:45:06.316 that once I tell them, 0:45:06.316,0:45:07.980 they are going to see what I see 0:45:07.980,0:45:10.595 and they are going to jump on board. 0:45:10.595,0:45:12.531 And one after another, 0:45:12.531,0:45:17.951 they looked at me like I had three heads. 0:45:17.951,0:45:19.743 Unwilling to come to Christ for life. 0:45:19.743,0:45:21.049 But this is what He says, 0:45:21.049,0:45:23.758 "You refuse to come to Me [br]that you may have life." 0:45:23.758,0:45:27.566 All day long - the book of Romans - 0:45:27.566,0:45:30.462 "I have held out My hands to a disobedient 0:45:30.462,0:45:32.337 and contrary people." 0:45:32.337,0:45:33.934 But here's the thing, 0:45:33.934,0:45:36.175 those Christ sets His love upon 0:45:36.175,0:45:40.950 are made willing in the [br]day of Christ's power 0:45:40.950,0:45:44.817 by some secret, invisible power. 0:45:44.817,0:45:47.640 He slays that enmity that was in us. 0:45:47.640,0:45:50.532 That that despised Him;[br]that that didn't esteem Him; 0:45:50.532,0:45:53.692 that that was repulsed, that hid our face. 0:45:53.692,0:45:56.200 We didn't want to see.[br]We didn't want to know. 0:45:56.200,0:45:58.890 Give me a small christ, [br]a weak christ, a dead christ - 0:45:58.890,0:46:00.385 not the Christ of Scripture. 0:46:00.385,0:46:01.490 I can't tolerate Him. 0:46:01.490,0:46:03.871 Not the one that says [br]that I have to die to self 0:46:03.871,0:46:05.859 and carry my cross and follow after Him. 0:46:05.859,0:46:10.076 And unless I forsake all that [br]I have, I can't be His disciple. 0:46:10.076,0:46:12.131 And unless I repent, I'm going to perish - 0:46:12.131,0:46:14.210 not that Christ. I don't want Him. 0:46:14.210,0:46:16.389 Not the Christ that deals [br]with me about my sin. 0:46:16.389,0:46:18.378 Not the Christ that's [br]going to make me holy. 0:46:18.378,0:46:21.587 Not the Christ that's going [br]to love me so much 0:46:21.587,0:46:26.125 that He's going to remove [br]every single idol from my life. 0:46:26.125,0:46:29.995 I don't want that. 0:46:29.995,0:46:31.922 But we were made willing. 0:46:31.922,0:46:36.834 Christ exercised such a power on us. 0:46:36.834,0:46:41.446 He killed that enmity that was in here. 0:46:41.446,0:46:43.169 It was in the heart, in the brain, 0:46:43.169,0:46:46.438 in the thoughts, in our discernment. 0:46:46.438,0:46:50.432 (incomplete thought) 0:46:50.432,0:46:53.063 Something way beyond our power. 0:46:53.063,0:46:56.477 But we weren't forced. 0:46:56.477,0:47:00.881 It was like it was a sweet drawing. 0:47:00.881,0:47:04.968 It was us beholding that He was desirable 0:47:04.968,0:47:07.132 that makes us run. 0:47:07.132,0:47:13.095 He captures us by [br]capturing our affections, 0:47:13.095,0:47:14.544 changing the desire. 0:47:14.544,0:47:18.241 That's precisely what happened. 0:47:18.241,0:47:21.854 I was thinking as we [br]were listening to Jeff 0:47:21.854,0:47:23.997 in the first hour. 0:47:23.997,0:47:25.182 Those words: 0:47:25.182,0:47:31.012 We have seen His glory. 0:47:31.012,0:47:36.995 But you know, what glory? 0:47:36.995,0:47:38.527 He didn't walk around shining. 0:47:38.527,0:47:40.512 I know on the Mount of Transfiguration, 0:47:40.512,0:47:42.237 but I don't believe that is at all 0:47:42.237,0:47:45.300 what John is talking about. 0:47:45.300,0:47:48.272 His glory - we have seen His glory. 0:47:48.272,0:47:50.122 But that "we" right there, 0:47:50.122,0:47:53.645 that is not everybody. 0:47:53.645,0:47:55.747 There are many people who with their eyes 0:47:55.747,0:48:00.948 they saw Christ do His miracles. 0:48:00.948,0:48:02.775 They didn't repent. 0:48:02.775,0:48:05.091 They didn't believe. 0:48:05.091,0:48:07.277 Jesus appeals to them in John 5. 0:48:07.277,0:48:09.820 We'll see that when [br]our brother gets there. 0:48:09.820,0:48:11.930 He says they bear witness. 0:48:11.930,0:48:20.415 My works bear witness that I am Him. 0:48:20.415,0:48:27.680 It is a gift of all gifts 0:48:27.680,0:48:32.297 that you stand in the crowd 0:48:32.297,0:48:35.955 and Christ does His miracles 0:48:35.955,0:48:45.232 and you say, 0:48:45.232,0:48:48.203 I need Him more than I need anything else. 0:48:48.203,0:48:50.039 I've got to have Him. 0:48:50.039,0:48:51.710 There's a beauty, there's a power, 0:48:51.710,0:48:53.038 there's forgiveness. 0:48:53.038,0:48:56.801 This is what my heart has [br]been looking for forever. 0:48:56.801,0:48:59.464 When the crowd is big 0:48:59.464,0:49:03.970 and you look around and most in the crowd: 0:49:03.970,0:49:06.054 what's for dinner? 0:49:06.054,0:49:11.511 And away they go. 0:49:11.511,0:49:15.571 This is a phenomenal gift. 0:49:15.571,0:49:18.242 Brethren, do you count it 0:49:18.242,0:49:22.130 one of the greatest gifts [br]of Christ's love to you 0:49:22.130,0:49:24.769 that your heart aches for Him? 0:49:24.769,0:49:28.201 Because it is. And it's special. 0:49:28.201,0:49:30.516 And He doesn't just haphazardly 0:49:30.516,0:49:33.759 and randomly throw that gift around. 0:49:33.759,0:49:38.551 They are for His loved ones. 0:49:38.551,0:49:42.561 He said this, that drawing - 0:49:42.561,0:49:45.193 He said you lift Me up 0:49:45.193,0:49:48.103 and I will draw all men. 0:49:48.103,0:49:50.382 That doesn't mean all without exception. 0:49:50.382,0:49:53.417 It means men from all the nations. 0:49:53.417,0:49:55.096 There were Greeks there. 0:49:55.096,0:49:58.372 That's the context in which He said that. 0:49:58.372,0:50:00.960 The thing that is so [br]beautiful about Christ 0:50:00.960,0:50:03.007 is not like the beauty that we would find 0:50:03.007,0:50:08.850 in a woman necessarily or in a sunset. 0:50:08.850,0:50:12.278 Actually, that which Christ Himself says 0:50:12.278,0:50:15.882 has that drawing efficacy 0:50:15.882,0:50:18.792 is lift Me up and I will draw. 0:50:18.792,0:50:21.683 Do you realize His death, His blood, 0:50:21.683,0:50:25.225 the gore, the agonies, 0:50:25.235,0:50:30.497 the shame of that cross, 0:50:30.497,0:50:33.670 that's where so much [br]of His beauty is found. 0:50:33.670,0:50:37.144 It's found in those words [br]we read in Isaiah 53. 0:50:37.144,0:50:42.630 That is the most [br]precious thing imaginable. 0:50:42.630,0:50:45.509 "The Word became flesh 0:50:45.509,0:50:47.986 and He dwelt among us." 0:50:47.986,0:50:52.597 But He took His humanity - the God-man, 0:50:52.597,0:50:53.845 to do what He did. 0:50:53.845,0:50:56.176 Would you not say it is [br]one of the greatest gifts 0:50:56.176,0:50:57.535 He has ever given you 0:50:57.535,0:51:02.279 to find Him whom you have never seen - 0:51:02.279,0:51:04.647 this is what Peter says. 0:51:04.647,0:51:08.260 Peter says though you have [br]not seen Him, you love Him. 0:51:08.260,0:51:09.658 I mean, can you imagine it? 0:51:09.658,0:51:13.951 Can you imagine that [br]you have been given a gift 0:51:13.951,0:51:18.296 to ache for, to worship, to long after, 0:51:18.296,0:51:21.740 to feel the need of, to have a love for, 0:51:21.740,0:51:27.570 to find desirable this Christ. 0:51:27.570,0:51:30.080 And you love Him more [br]than anything else. 0:51:30.080,0:51:34.754 More than father or mother [br]or husband or wife. 0:51:34.754,0:51:37.529 And you've never seen Him. 0:51:37.529,0:51:40.544 That is a miracle. 0:51:40.544,0:51:43.017 That is a gift. 0:51:43.017,0:51:46.437 And that is altogether [br]an expression of His love 0:51:46.437,0:51:49.472 that you can look up and say, 0:51:49.472,0:51:56.778 You are beautiful, my Beloved. 0:51:56.778,0:51:59.999 Altogether desirable and precious. 0:51:59.999,0:52:02.871 That is a manifestation of His love. 0:52:02.871,0:52:05.920 Now next week, what I want to look at 0:52:05.920,0:52:10.648 is Him looking at her - 0:52:10.648,0:52:12.867 looking at us; 0:52:12.867,0:52:16.885 looking at His people and saying, 0:52:16.885,0:52:21.444 "You are beautiful, My love." 0:52:21.444,0:52:25.279 "You are beautiful." 0:52:25.279,0:52:28.733 Because we often don't feel it. 0:52:28.733,0:52:30.668 But I want you to see His heart 0:52:30.668,0:52:34.484 expressed to you, Lord willing, next week. 0:52:34.484,0:52:36.111 Father, I pray, 0:52:36.111,0:52:41.497 help us just to delight 0:52:41.497,0:52:46.538 in the fullness, the realities 0:52:46.538,0:52:49.921 of what it means to be loved by Christ. 0:52:49.921,0:52:52.207 This love that surpasses knowledge. 0:52:52.207,0:52:57.587 Help us, give us according [br]to the riches of Your glory, 0:52:57.587,0:53:00.324 Lord, enable us to comprehend 0:53:00.324,0:53:02.738 with all the saints 0:53:02.738,0:53:06.493 what is the breadth and length [br]and height and depth. 0:53:06.493,0:53:09.340 We ask this in the name [br]of our Savior, Amen.