Preached at Poulner Baptist Chapel
25th January 2009
Dave G Roberts
Introduction
1. The Beloved’s Portrait of the Lover (SoS 2:3-6)
2. The Beloved Encourages Others about the Lover (SoS 2:7-9)
3. Lover is like no other and wants to hear your voice (SoS 2:10-15)
Recapitulation
Conclusion
Let’s sit down and chat!!, originally uploaded by Jeanette’s Ozpix.
Notice how seats like this are not made for one!! They are made to share.
How easy is it for us not to take time for the people that matter to us in life? And not to mention the other people around us, who we’d sooner not matter to us?
I had this hit home to me this morning!! Lying in bed, listening to the Christian radio station, I heard a message about how relationships matter.
At one time, someone had asked Jesus what was the most important thing to God. He said…
“Which is the first commandment of all?”
Jesus answered him, “The first of all the commandments is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is one. And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment.
“And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12:28-31, NKJ)
So our relationship with God, and our relationship with others, go together. Our love for God is seen in our love for one another.
“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.” (1 John 4:7, NKJ)
17:1 Hear, Yahweh, my righteous plea;
Give ear to my prayer, that doesn’t go out of deceitful lips.
17:2 Let my sentence come forth from your presence.
Let your eyes look on equity.
17:3 You have proved my heart.
You have visited me in the night.
You have tried me, and found nothing.
I have resolved that my mouth shall not disobey.
17:4 As for the works of men, by the word of your lips,
I have kept myself from the ways of the violent.
17:5 My steps have held fast to your paths.
My feet have not slipped.
17:6 I have called on you, for you will answer me, God.
Turn your ear to me.
Hear my speech.
17:7 Show your marvelous loving kindness,
you who save those who take refuge by your right hand from their enemies.
17:8 Keep me as the apple of your eye.
Hide me under the shadow of your wings,
17:9 from the wicked who oppress me,
my deadly enemies, who surround me.
17:10 They close up their callous hearts.
With their mouth they speak proudly.
17:11 They have now surrounded us in our steps.
They set their eyes to cast us down to the earth.
17:12 He is like a lion that is greedy of his prey,
as it were a young lion lurking in secret places.
17:13 Arise, Yahweh, confront him.
Cast him down.
Deliver my soul from the wicked by your sword;
17:14 from men by your hand, Yahweh,
from men of the world, whose portion is in this life.
You fill the belly of your cherished ones.
Your sons have plenty,
and they store up wealth for their children.
17:15 As for me, I shall see your face in righteousness.
I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with seeing your form.
“And why worry about your clothing?
“Look at the (flowers) of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are.
“And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, He will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?”
- Jesus (Matthew 6:28-30, NLT)
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not ALL his benefits!! (Psalm 103:2, NKJ)
Blessed be the Lord, Who daily loads us with benefits, the God of our salvation! (Psalm 68:19, NKJ)
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with EVERY spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ. (Ephesians 1:3, NKJ)
The real children of Abraham, then, are those who put their faith in God.
What’s more, the Scriptures looked forward to this time when God would declare the Gentiles to be righteous because of their faith. God proclaimed this good news to Abraham long ago when he said, “All nations will be blessed through you.” So all who put their faith in Christ share the same blessing Abraham received because of his faith.” (Galatians 3:7-9, NLT)
O, how we can take things for granted.
This is the pair of Rainbow Lorikeets that have claimed our place. It was two years ago this week, that the first one, Lulu, came. We thought she must have been someone’s pet, because she seemed fairly tame, but not tame enough to touch.
So we gave her some bread and honey. She came back a couple more times, and then one day, she brought her friend. And then a few weeks later there were MORE friends!! The most I’ve counted at one time is 24.
Anyhow, none of the other lorikeets have become as tame as our two. And Lorri and Lulu visit us everyday lately. If we don’t come in a hurry, they will sit on the front door and look inside.
But, as beautiful as they are, they have become such commonplace around here, that I can tend to take them for granted, and forget what a blessing they are!!
O, how we need to so often remind ourselves, not to forget all God’s blessings to us, especially if we belong to Christ!! But how could we ever count them all??
Here’s some thoughts I shared, a few months ago, in a forum called “Do you believe?” Many of the members are professing athiests.
I just love how Jesus had a way with words!! You know, He was on earth for a short 33 years and His earthly ministry was only 3. How could someone so young have so much wisdom?
Yet lately, I’ve been reading my Bible, Matthew’s Gospel in particular. One thing that strikes me is how He answered all His religious critics. They were constantly trying to trap Him and catch Him up in what He said. But His answers to them were BRILLIANT!! He knew exactly how to answer them and stop them in their tracks.
If you don’t have a Bible handy, you can read Matthew’s gospel here.
These religious dudes were out to get Jesus, because He was cramping their style. He exposed their hypocrisy. On the outside, these guys looked very sanctimonious and holy, but inside they were rotten to the core. Check what Jesus said about them… Matthew 23..
“The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. So you must obey them and do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. They tie up heavy loads and put them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them….
“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.
“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men’s bones and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.” (Mat 25, NIV)
Boy, this is a lot different to the meek and mild picture we normally get of Jesus. But He hated hypocrisy… and He was not into religious experiences. He was into REAL LIFE!!
And here’s something else He said in Matthew’s gospel…(Chapter 11:25-30)
“I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure.
“All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
And that is the spiritual experience I have found. I’ve been in love with this Jesus for 30+ years!! And I’d never turn back!! Compared to Jesus, what could the world or religion offer?
At our Tuesday night Bible study, we’ve been studying Hebrews. We started before Christmas, and we’re now up to chapter 10.
Anyhow, rewind five chapters back, and five months ago!! We were looking at chapter 5 and talking about the priesthood.
When I think of a priest, I’d think of someone dressed in nice clothes, and very sanctimonious, and clean.
But when you look at what a priest had to do… he had to be a butcher!! He had to slaughter animals!! People would bring their animals to the priest to be sacrificed to pay for their sins. Can you imagine the stench that must have been in the temple? Heaps of animal poo and stuff!!
And then, when the animal was killed… all the blood and guts!! Eewww!!
And then, when it was burned, this would have been the good bit… roast lamb, beef or poultry!! … enough to make the mouth water.
But was struck me, was all the work that was involved to appease man’s sin… to turn away God’s wrath.
That, to me, was the heavy burden and yoke that Jesus was talking about. Just imagine having to do all that today?
I am SO grateful, and feel so blessed, that Jesus has done all that. He paid the price… the sacrifices are all done away with.
All we have to do is BELIEVE!!! His yoke is grace and His burden is righteousness through faith… our right standing with God!! It was a matter of receiving His love and mercy… realizing that we are accepted and forgiven because of what Jesus has done.
For them, the burden was being righteous by keeping the Law, and the yoke was the works and rituals one had to go through to try and please God. They served God out of fear, and hoped to appease His anger.
And the difference is the same as what we find in Romans 7 and 8.
I reckon that’s what Jesus was talking about in Matthew 11.
“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (v. 28-30, ESV)
Here are some thoughts from the Bible on “Yokes and Burdens” …
Firstly, some words from Jesus:
“At that time Jesus answered and said, “I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight. All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.
“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” (Matthew 11:25-30, NKJ)
So what was this heavy burden Jesus referred to? I believe it was the yoke of legalism. Looking at the Law legalistically will rub and be burdensome, and one will be weighed down with lots of do’s and don’t’s!
But Christ came to fulfill the Law. His was a law of love. He told us that if we love Him, we will fulfill the Law. The best bit is that we will have the “want to” to do it and it won’t be a burden. His yoke is easy and His burden is light.
“Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.” (Galatians 5:1, NKJ)
And some MORE SCRIPTURES… (from NKJ)
Matthew 5:17-18
“Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.”Matthew 22:36-40
“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?”
Jesus said to him, “ ‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”Matthew 23:23-24
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone. Blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!John 1:17
For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.Galatians 6:1-3
Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself.John 13:34-35
A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
