Excellent. What do you make of this line?
It's from a film that came out in 1987, and if you're wondering, I was too.
I won't ask you to work out the master of what you were.
It's a film that had this iconic scene.
Now, I've never watched this film, but I know this iconic scene,
and I know this quote from this film,
and the scene is these two characters who've been far apart in this film.
They're called Wesley and Buttercup.
All of a sudden, at the end of the film, they're reunited,
and they come out with this line.
He says this over her. It's iconic.
He says,
Death cannot stop true love.
All it can do is delay it for a while.
And lines like that, they kind of grab our hearts, don't they?
Lines like that, you'll hear them everywhere
if you listen out hard enough for them in movies,
in books, in musicals, and in particular,
you'll hear them everywhere in songs,
because we love the thought of a happily ever after.
Love when you have it,
it feels, doesn't it,
like the most intoxicating and precious thing to you in the world
when you have it,
when you find it.
And because of that love,
when you lose it,
it feels like a piece of you goes missing.
Summed up, I think,
in that famous insight from Queen Elizabeth II,
all those years ago,
who just said simply,
grief is the price that we pay for love.
Now, to some extent,
as we bring this series home this morning,
as we think about love when we have it
and what it feels like when we lose it,
to some extent,
we all know what that feeling is like.
But for many of us,
we will know that pain so acutely
and so deeply this morning,
as maybe you recall that person
who used to be in your life
and you miss them more than words can convey.
And you've been so in my mind
and my prayers this week
as I've been studying this text.
And my prayer for you has simply been
that God would meet you
and he would comfort you
and he would remind you
by his Holy Spirit gloriously
of the most wonderful news
that you'll ever hope to hear.
Because this really is,
as we take this in at the end of this song,
this is the most glorious song
that we could ever hope to hear.
And that you would know
that Jesus has gently placed
the stories that our wounds tell
within the bigger and the eternal story
that his wounds tell.
And that's the theme of this couple's song
this morning in the Song of Songs.
Because what this is,
is both a celebration
and a declaration of
a love that will last forever.
And it's a massive signpost
to the only place
where we can ever hope
to experience a love like this
and a love that's so much greater than this.
So let's pick this up,
will we, at verse 5.
As we get into this last little section
of the Song of Songs.
And through this song,
if you remember this journey,
if you're just joining us this morning,
you're joining us right at the end of the series.
We've journeyed with this couple.
We've thought about the fact
that in this song,
there is a kind of narrative progression.
We've heard this couple
at the beginning,
and you can check these out online
if you want to go back
and get the series.
We've met this couple.
They've told us about their first date,
as it were,
where their eyes first met,
how they felt about each other.
It was all butterflies in the stomach.
We've heard about their wedding day.
We've come through that.
We've heard about a cold patch
that they came through together.
And last week,
we heard them sing about
just how exclusive
their love for each other is.
And now,
as we approach these final few verses,
notice the touching detail in the text.
Verse 5.
That she is now leaning
on her beloved.
Do you see it?
Now, question,
when do people normally
lean on each other?
Okay, think Bill Withers.
Lean on me when you're not strong.
When do we lean on each other?
Periods of our lives
when we're not strong, right?
So here,
right at the end of the song,
I don't think it's too much of a stretch,
and a lot of commentators
will say this as well,
to view this couple
as now being nearing old age.
And if that's the case,
here they are,
verse 5,
they're reminiscing about
the early days, right?
That's what's going on here.
They're reminiscing about
the early days.
And it's almost as if
she grabs the microphone
at verse 6 and 7,
and she sings
all about the quality
of the love that they have
for each other.
And just see,
there's two things in her song
that she's telling us
about their love.
Firstly,
she's telling us
that she wants their love
to be permanent.
Do you hear that in her voice?
She's speaking to him.
She's saying,
set me as a seal
upon your heart.
Now,
a seal there
that she's singing about
is just this marker
of ownership.
Okay,
I often do this
with my books
when I buy them.
Alex,
knowing me well enough,
bought me a
personalized book name stamp
a number of years ago.
Still one of my favorite gifts
I've ever received.
And I stamp my books
with this thing,
Graham Shanks.
And that's what a seal
is in this day.
It's a stamp
of ownership.
And what she's saying
is that I want you
to write my name
onto your body.
That's what she's saying.
I want you to make
this permanent.
And people do that,
don't they?
They get the names
of their spouse
or maybe the names
of their children
tattooed on their body.
It's their way
of saying that
I will always carry
your name permanently
with me
wherever I go.
And I take it
she's talking
about the arm there
because that's just
the most visible place.
So she wants
their love.
She wants it
to be permanent.
She wants it
to be sealed.
And then she moves
from telling us
about what she wants
for their love
and their relationship
to telling us
about what it means
to her.
And I think
that's what the word
for there indicates.
So to anyone
who will listen,
here's how she feels
about their love
and you can imagine
her, she's scratching
her head,
she's thinking to herself,
what is the most
final and fixed
thing that I can think of?
What is the one thing
in life that really
is permanent
that's not going to change?
And it might sound
a bit morbid
but see what she goes for
and this is important
for where we'll come back.
Love is as strong
as death.
It's the most
fixed thing,
it's the most permanent
thing that she can think of
as she's scratching
her head.
It's jealousy,
it's as fierce
as the grave.
It is the very flame
of the Lord
and it's interesting
that the first time
in this book
we get the covenant
name of God there,
L-O-R-D
in capital letters
and it's a reference
to the promise
making God.
So she's referring
there to the fact
that this God
does not change,
He never changes
and likewise
this love
will not change.
many waters
cannot quench it
or take it away
or floods drown it
so the best
fire brigade team
in the world
can't put out
the fire
of their love
and you can't
buy this kind
of love either
even if a man
emptied his savings
account
and was all geared up
to hit send
and a bank transfer
of everything
that he had
to try and purchase
this kind of love
for himself,
what she's saying
is it would be
futile
because you can't
buy
this kind of love.
Maybe there's a way
of reading this as well
when maybe you
consider verses
11 and 12
and that's kind of
a reference there
to Solomon
and his approach
to sex
and the mention
of Baal there
if you see it
is suggesting
in contrast
to the Lord
Baal
just this
idol
that's taking
God's people
away from him
it's suggestive
of the fact
that it's not
a good thing.
Maybe there's a sense
of which she's saying
no amount of money
in the world
would convince me
to walk away
from this kind of love.
Do you see how
verse 12
just see it
she says
my own vineyard
is mine to give
so this kind of love
is not something
that I think
you could say
there at verse
8 and 9
her predictive
brothers
are going to
usher her into
it's not something
that Solomon's
going to buy
from her
this is something
she's an independent
woman
she is saying
my vineyard
which is a metaphor
for her body
my vineyard
is mine to give
do you see that?
So this love
that I have
nothing
will tear me
away from it.
Remember that show
Deal or No Deal
well here she is
telling Noel Edmonds
no deal.
And so bring
all those similes
bring all those
metaphors
bring all those
longings
bring all those
comparisons
in her song
together
what is she
saying about
their love
first of all
it's permanent
second of all
it's priceless
and we all
long for the
kind of love
that she describes
here don't we
we all long
for that kind
of love
that's permanent
that's priceless
it's why the
official music
video to Ed Sheeran
song Perfect
when I checked
it the other day
on YouTube
it presented me
with a number
that was so
large that I
actually had to
take the number
copy and paste it
and put it into
Google to tell me
what it was in
words because it
was just so many
digits
and if you're
wondering it's
just short of
four billion views
that that music
video has
since it came out
seven years ago
only goes to show
that we all
long for a love
that is both
permanent and
priceless
a love that
will last
forever
a love like
this
but it raises
the question
doesn't it
and she's
raised it in
her song
how secure
is all of
this
particularly if
they are in
their old age
let's run with
that theory for a
minute if they
are in their
old age
they know
what's around
the corner
how secure
is all of
this
because once
the enchanted
spell of the
Disney like
ending has
worn off and
we touch back
down onto
planet reality
as wonderful
as this is
they know that
there is someone
who is out to
put a full
stop into
their relationship
sentence
someone who
is a hundred
percent guaranteed
to succeed
and we've heard
about him already
in her song
because she's
right isn't
she that there
is nothing
as certain
and permanent
as death
and you can
attempt to
recreate that
scene from
Titanic where
Jack and Rose
are floating on
the water as
the Titanic
sinks behind
them and you
can sing along
with Celine Dion
and believe that
your heart will
go on and you
can sing it
till you're
hoarse
but at the
end of the
day that is
shallow and
short-lived
comfort when we
feel the sting of
being separated
from love
you know we've
talked about in
this series all
the way along
about turning
down the
world's song
and turning up
the song of
God
see when it
comes to
this
friends I've
been to
enough
humanist
funerals in
my time to
know that
those feelings
that love
will go on
that memories
will last
they are
shallow and
short-lived
and God in
his word wants
to give us
something so
much better
so much more
permanent
something so
much more
priceless to
base our
lives upon
because there
is nothing as
final and as
fixed as the
grave right
not so says
Jesus
not so says
Jesus
you know one of
my favorite
scenes in the
gospels
and you can go
home and read
this in your own
time if you want
is we find it
in Matthew 22
where a group
of people called
the Sadducees
right we
know one thing
about the
Sadducees
they're so
Sadducee
and this will
come on to
explain why
this group of
Sadducees
they come to
quiz Jesus
this new kid on
the block with
all his religious
theories with
all his wisdom
his so-called
wisdom they come
to him to
quiz him
now the
Sadducees are a
group of people
who view the
world in a
certain way
we'll come on
to it a minute
but before we
get on to the
Sadducees
here's what we
need to see
friends we all
view the world
in a certain
way
all view the
world in a
certain way
this is what
Christians call
your world
view
we all put on
a pair of
spectacles every
day and we
look at the
world and we
interpret the
world
you know I
was walking
home with a
fellow school
parent about
six months ago
and we're
walking up to
King's Buildings
from our school
at Liberty
primary
and we're
talking about
life and we're
talking about
jobs and we're
talking about
the football and
we're talking about
holidays and we're
talking about
weekend activities
and we're talking
about hopes and
aspirations for our
kids and then
they said of
course but we're
not religious
and the conversation
ended about ten
seconds later as
we parted and it
suddenly occurred to
me in that moment
that I'd missed a
massive evangelistic
opportunity
because you know
what I should have
said
to get her to
think I should
have said
yes you are
I view the
world in a
certain way
you view the
world in a
certain way
I believe that
life is all
about something
you believe life
is all about
something
the only difference
between you and
I is that the
glasses that I
wear every day
are Jesus
shaped
and so here's
my confession as
I was thinking
about this passage
today never miss
those evangelistic
conversational
connecting points
friends we all
view the world in
a certain way
all view the
world in a certain
way the only
question is is it
right and will it
hold what are you
basing it on
you know there was
a survey of
students recently
a survey of
serving students up
and down the UK
and apparently
74% of students
around today who
currently don't
attend church
said that they
would be going
up for going to
church if a friend
asked them
well cool 74%
do you know I
think what I
think that shows
I think it shows
that there's a
massive openness
right now the
likes perhaps of
which there has
never been in
many of our
lifetimes
this group called
the Sadducees
they view the
world a certain
way and one
of those things
that they are
massively sceptical
about is this
whole idea of
resurrection
it's this whole
idea of
physical life
after death
surely that is
jack-in-the-bean
stock stuff
and the
Sadducees
they come to
Jesus and they
hit him with
this ridiculous
hypothetical scenario
in Matthew 22
and the game
they want to
leave Jesus
floundering
they want to
put him in the
spot with a
hypothetical situation
that only goes to
show the fact that
he cannot answer it
goes to show the
ridiculous nature of
this notion of life
after death of a
physical new
creation so they
want to leave Jesus
scratching his
head which if you
know anything about
Jesus is a very
dangerous game to
play and here's
the scenario
they come to
Jesus and they
say suppose a
woman is married
to a man
you following it
suppose a woman
is married to a
man well suppose
that man dies
and as would have
been the Old
Testament custom of
the day that
man's brother
steps in to
marry the woman
to keep the line
going got it
right this is
always where I
lose the plot
in the scenario
okay but suppose
that man dies
and another brother
steps in
and suppose that
brother dies
and another brother
steps in and it
keeps going on and
on and on until
we're at the
seventh brother and
then they go for
the checkmate and
they say to Jesus
but suppose now that
the woman dies
at this resurrection
that you speak of
which brother's
wife will she be
and they think
rock hard place
Jesus surely
but don't
underestimate
Jesus
he is
beauty and wisdom
personified
and how he answers
that question
the scenario
is the solution
to our grave
shaped conundrum
Jesus says
your question
it only goes
to show
that you know
neither the
scriptures nor
the power of
God
because he is
not the God
of the dead
he is the God
of the living
and it is a
wonderful comfort
this morning
if you want to
read in Matthew
22 just while
we're here
we'll stop
it is one of
the places
in the Bible
thing that we
can say with
confidence
friends that
when our
loved ones
die and
they trust
in Jesus
they will
go to be
with him
spiritually
speaking
before the
new creation
before Jesus
comes back
they will go
to be with
him
one of the
places you can
go to make
that argument
but Jesus
says that the
resurrection
they will
neither marry
nor be given
in marriage
and what
he's saying
in the
broader
context
is that
because there
will only
be one
marriage in
heaven
and it's
the marriage
between him
and his
people the
church
there's only
going to be
one marriage
in heaven
you know
always think
about this
friends the
Bible should
be a three
chapter book
really really
should be
Genesis 1
and 2
God creates
the world
God creates
human beings
Genesis 3
Adam and
Eve they
rebel against
God
and that
really should
be game
over
game over
for mankind
but God
in his
grace
despite the
Old Testament
story developing
documenting
how human
beings have
given God
every reason
possible
to scrap
project
salvation
God
didn't
but it's
better than
that
God sent
his son
and his
son willingly
took on
human flesh
and entered
a world
of sinful
rebels
but it's
better than
that
Jesus came
desiring a
bride
desiring a
people
and desiring
that this
bride
would be
his
and so
the groom
was the
one who
went to
the cross
and who
gave up
his life
to save
his bride
and so
Jesus
prayed the
bride
place
of his
blood
friends our
sin was
nailed to
the cross
with him
and in so
doing he
wiped away
the guilty
record and
the sinful
stains of
his people
meaning
that if our
trust is in
him today
that we can
be forgiven
and we
can know
and be
made right
with the
living God
but it's
better than
that
God wanted
more than
just a
marriage of
convenience
the father
sent the
son
why
it was all
about freeing
sinners
and turning
them into
a bride
who delights
in his
son
the father
wants us
to feel
the same
way about
his son
as he
does about
his son
and so
by his
spirit
living in
them he
gave them
new hearts
complete with
new desires
that means
that we can
say we
love you
Lord Jesus
there is
none like
you
the discovery
our astonished
hearts make
as we live
the Christian
life is that
discipleship is
an invitation
to taste
joy
but it's
better than
that
when he
returns
this Lord
Jesus
there will
be a new
creation
just as like
he walked
out of that
tomb
dead
now alive
friends
all
one day
all of
creation
will walk
out there
with him
one day
in the same
way
and so if
our faith
is in him
we can know
that what
happened to
Jesus
is going to
happen to
us a
beautified
bride on
that day
when he
returns
a glorious
groom
a glorious
wedding
resurrection
bodies
and that
great day
stands
irremovable
in the
future
as the
hope
to which
we're
called
when we
will one
day be
free
from the
presence
of sin
and that
is Fort
Knox
secure
and today
what this
woman sings
about here
concerning the
love that
she knows
and enjoys
and rests
in with her
husband
we can take
her words
and quite
literally just
put them on
our mouths
and sing
them about
our groom
Jesus
can you
follow with
me here
in the text
verse 6
friends
Christ is
the one
who has
written
our names
as a
seal upon
his heart
you can
know that
today
Christ is
the one
whose love
is not
just like
the power
of death
Christ is
a love
that breaks
the power
of death
Christ's
jealousy
his yearning
that we
would be
his
is not
just like
the grave
actually
it's so much
more
it bursts
open the
grave
because
his love
for us
is the
love
that's
going to
last
truly
that is
the song
of songs
you know
just as we
close
you know
there was
a romantic
comedy film
that was
released
back in
1989
it was
called
When Harry
Met Sally
and the
main character
Harry
had the
strange
personality
quirk
that showed
itself
in how
he read
a book
and this
was his
famous line
he says
when I
buy a
book
I read
the last
page
first
that way
in case
I die
before I
finish
I know
how it
ends
and it
turns out
what is
an annoying
personality
trait
is actually
a very
sound bit
of discipleship
advice
this morning
God wants
us to see
the last
page
wants us
to see
the last
page
and we
can base
all of
our lives
on the
truth
as it
were
united to
Jesus
now
but we
can base
all of
our lives
on the
truth
that we
know the
last
page
we know
how the
story
ends
this is
our future
with him
can I
try and
apply this
just as
we
close
to some
of us
here
today
friends
I know
that you're
in a
transitional
season
of life
and what
I mean
by that
is that
you're
leaving
something
that you
know
and you're
stepping into
something
that you
don't
know
as if
your life
was two
columns
if you
imagine
the
known
and the
unknown
is why
I imagine
it feels
like your
known
column
was really
full
and all
of a
sudden
it feels
like it
is being
depleted
and the
unknown
column
is going
up and
it's a
scary
place to
be
isn't
it
unknown
it's
why
often
when we
speak
to
kids
when we
do
the
issue
group
at
Liberty
!
primary
many
of them
will
tell us
that their
favourite
do
with
this
kind
of
stuff
is when
your
known
column
is at
its
max
we
know
everything
we
know
the
teachers
know
the
school
know
the
playground
know
everything
and all
of a sudden
when you
move up
to school
it just
goes
that way
many of us
are at
a
transitional
stage
of life
and that's
really
scary
but if
you're here
today and
your faith
is in
Jesus
can I
tell you
something
as scary
as life
feels
right now
here's
two
things
that
aren't
on your
unknown
list
number
one
your
union
with
Jesus
doesn't
change
you're
united
to
him
that
is
in
your
known
column
number
two
is
your
eternal
future
with
him
so
scary
as
life
gets
as
many
things
crop
up
in
that
unknown
column
there
are
two
things
that
are
not
going
to
change
and
nothing
absolutely
nothing
in
all
of
life
is
going
to
sever
you
from
Jesus
and
his
love
for
you
and
we
can
walk
confidently
into
an
unknown
tomorrow
knowing
that
will
never
change
is that
not
true
is that
not
why
we
can
take
risks
for
the
gospel
is it
not
why
we
can
contemplate
moving
out
of
our
comfort
zone
is it
not
why
we
can
think
about
having
evangelistic
conversations
with
our
friends
and
taking
a shot
that
God
by his
spirit
will
do
something
well
above
our
imaginations
see if
the future
is certain
see if
his love
for us
is sure
as hard
as it
gets
down
here
we
can
base
our
lives
on the
truth
of
his
love
for
us
and
so
let's
finish
this
series
then
with
just
the
words
of
Romans
chapter
8
and
let's
just
let me
read
these
to
you
friend
and
take
in
the
truth
of
these
today
because
this
is what
Paul
is
saying
in
Romans
if
you
want
to
track
it
through
this
is
what
he's
saying
in
Romans
is
he
climaxes
almost
his theological
argument
in this
section
what it
means
what does
the
gospel
mean
he
says
this
for
I'm
convinced
that
neither
death
nor
life
that's
what
we've
been
thinking
about
this
morning
neither
angels
nor
demons
neither
the
present
nor
the
future
nor
any
powers
neither
height
nor
depth
nor
anything
else
in all
creation
will be
able to
separate
us
from the
love of
God
that is
in Christ
Jesus
our Lord
friends
that truly
is
the song
of songs
Christ
and his
abounding
love for
us
so let
me pray
and then
we'll
stand and
respond to
this and
sing a
couple of
songs as
we close
and so
Father we
just thank
you for
your love
for us
this
morning
and we
thank you
for the
gospel
truth
that
nothing
will be
able to
separate
us
from the
love of
God
in Christ
Jesus
thank you
that Romans
chapter 8
starts a
chapter that's
all about
no condemnation
and it
ends in
no separation
and so
Father
particularly
pray for us
this morning
for whom
this has
maybe been
painful
this has
been hard
this has
brought back
memories
oh Lord
may
the comfort
that's found
in Jesus
the fact
that he
is the
one who
will not
break a
bruised
reed
that he
will not
blow out
a
snuffering
candle
Father
may him
and his
gospel
today
come with
a
renewed
sweetness
Father
we just
thank you
for each
other
we thank
you
that we
do not
walk
this
Christian
life
alone
and may
today
just be
another
day
where we
help
each
other
remind
each
other
of
the
greatness
of our
King
and his
love
for us
so
Father
we thank
you
for
today
we
thank
you
for
this
series
and the
Song of
Songs
and we
just
commit it
to
you
Father
in
Jesus
name
we
pray
!
Amen
B