Morning everyone. I hope you're well. It's great to see you today. Great to meet some people for the first time today as well.
! My name is Graeme and I'm the pastor of the church here and it's just lovely to have you with us.
If you have a Bible then please turn to the Song of Songs. We're going to be taking in
chapters 6 from 6-4 to 8-4 today. Is that right David? We've got that? We've got that.
And it's brilliant. So please come there. We're going to read this in about 10 minutes time. David's going to come and read that for us as we get into it.
But I thought it'd be helpful, like we've done most weeks, just to have a little run-up so that we can kind of understand what we're going to read together from God's Word.
So, as we get into this theme today, talking of golden oldies, Bruce Springsteen, the boss, released a song at the beginning of the 80s,
the title of which so wonderfully captures the essence of what we're thinking about today in the Song of Songs.
Springsteen's song is about the deep-seated restlessness and always searching nature that exists inside human beings.
And do you know what he called the song? He called the song, Everybody's Got a Hungry Heart.
Do I love that metaphor? Is that not so relatable? Everybody's got a hungry heart.
And we recognise the metaphor. We relate to the metaphor because we are, as human beings, we are creatures of desire.
We yearn, we search, we think, we feel, we long, we smile, we cry.
And here's the thing. God didn't need to make us like that.
You know, I often play a game in my head and it's called this.
It's called, Imagine the World God Could Have Made.
I'd like you to play it with me this morning.
Imagine the world God could have made.
He could have made a world with one colour.
Right? We'd all be like John Wayne walking about in a black and white Western movie.
One colour.
God could have made a world with one type of food.
And because of that, a world where there was only one flavour.
Okay?
Just imagine how boring potluck dinners would be with one food and one flavour.
God could have made a world where there was just one smell.
God could have created a world where there was just one species of birds.
God could have created a world where there was one type of flavour.
God could have created a world where there was one type of weather.
but what we discover about this God when you come to the pages of the Bible
is that there is a reason that he didn't.
God made a world with such breathtaking variety and diversity
in order to communicate to us something of the reality of who he is
and his beauty as the triune God, Father, Son and Spirit.
And if you think about human beings,
he could have made a world where all of us were just C-3PO's.
Have you ever thought about that?
Could have made us all robots.
He could have done this whole gig, this whole world with ChatGBT.
Couldn't he?
Computers do words well better than we do.
Computers are reliable way more than we are.
God could have created a world like that.
We were all robots.
But this God chose to create human beings with desires.
And what we're going to see is although those desires have been disordered
and tainted by the fall,
we have to understand that they are not the result of the fall.
Particularly those desires for love and romance,
which is what this series has really been all about.
Which begs the question, does it not?
Considering the world God could have made.
It begs the question, why?
Now all the way through this series we've talked about turning down the world's song
and turning up God's song in the Song of Songs.
Because into our world right now, our hyper-individualized culture,
if you remember way back at the first one of these,
we thought about our culture today.
The song that it's singing is saying,
Feelings are king.
The world song right now is,
You decide.
You decide who you want to be.
And if it feels good,
then who is anyone else to come along and tell you that it's wrong?
Do it.
And the inbuilt assumption, isn't it,
with all that stuff,
is that our desires, particularly our romantic ones,
the things that we want are always right.
And maybe a question for you to think about today,
wherever you're coming at this from,
we love that you're here,
is how do you know?
You know, here's non-Christian columnist,
Christine Emba,
she's writing for the Washington Post 2017,
in an article that she called it,
Is It Time to Rethink Sex?
She wrote this, it's on the screen.
Is it time to pursue the theory
that sex possibly has a deeper significance
than just recreation?
I love those moments
when society kind of catches up with scripture,
because that's precisely what our creator
has been telling us since the beginning,
that when it comes to our desires,
there's something bigger going on.
And there's something bigger
that's on offer that we need to see.
God designed human sexuality
as is expressed in the marriage
between one man and one woman,
designed it so that we'd understand
what it is to self-give yourself to a spouse,
so that we would see that those desires
are but a faint echo
of and a massive pointer to
the love that Jesus has for the church.
And that's the meaning of the cosmos.
It's why we're here today.
We're swept up into this story.
It's all wrapped up in the purpose of the universe.
And see, when you understand
it against that bigger backdrop,
here's what I think this tells us loud and clear.
It means that we can know
that we're so much more
than our relationship status.
We are so much more than our marital prospects.
We are so much more,
if I can put it like this,
than our sex lives.
We were made to revere
and know somebody
infinitely more interesting
than ourselves.
I turned 40 the other day
when I told people that
it was almost as if
welcome to the boring club.
And do you know what?
I'm okay with that.
Do you know why?
Because I think
the one thing God has taught me
over the years is that,
that I was made to know somebody
infinitely way more interesting than me.
Because I'm not all that interesting.
But come to the God of the Bible
and you find a God
who is infinitely interesting,
fascinating,
beautiful,
wonderful.
And it's Him
that we are designed to know.
You and I were made, friends,
to know
the God
who delights
in us.
And in turn,
this is what we're going to see today.
We were made
to delight in
and desire
Him.
And that's what we're going to hear today
in this song.
In the voices of this man
and the woman
who are singing to us
in the Song of Songs.
If you're joining us
for the first time,
we are in the
wisdom section
of our
Bibles.
which is all about
how to live
in God's way,
in God's world,
for His glory
and for our good.
It's wisdom.
And we've journeyed
with this couple
as it were
from their first date,
through their wedding day,
through a cold spell
in the relationship.
And now today
we're going to see
their love for each other
continue to blossom.
And here,
as we just hear it read,
here's two things
I want you to look for
here in His voice.
Listen for how
He describes
how in His eyes
this woman
is utterly unique.
And in turn,
listen for how
in her voice
she responds
in love
to His
all-out pursuit
of her.
So David is going to come now
and we're going to read this together
beginning at 6,
chapter 4
and then we're going to get
into it together.
So David,
over to you.
My name is David
and I have the privilege
of being a member here.
Just before we read this,
I would just like to pray.
Father,
we just thank you again
for your word.
It's so precious
and we just ask that
as we read it,
your spirit
might be with us
and that we might
just hear your voice.
It's being read,
it's being
talked about
just so that
there's a message
for each one of us.
A personal message.
None left out.
And we just ask
for each one of our hearts
that we might just
hear your voice
and hear this message
for us.
and just be with Graham too
as he seeks to
open up this passage.
Sometimes some of the
words and the imagery
is difficult to understand
but we just ask
that your spirit
might be with him
to give him the words
and to give him the message
and to open it up
in clarity
for each one of us
so that we understand
more
the wonderful love
that you have for us
and that the experience
we can have
of a relationship
with yourself.
We just ask this
in your name.
Amen.
We're in the Song of Songs
chapter 6
and verse 4
and that's
page 684
in the Pew Bibles.
Starts in verse 4.
This is the
bridegroom speaking.
You are as beautiful
as Terzah my darling
as lovely
as Jerusalem
as majestic
as troops
with banners.
Turn your eyes
from me
they overwhelm me
your hair
is like a flock
of goats
descending from Gilead
your teeth
are like a flock
of sheep
coming up
from the washing
each has its twin
not one of them
is missing
your temples
behind your veil
are like the halves
of a pomegranate
sixty queens
there may be
and eighty concubines
and virgins
beyond number
but my dove
my perfect one
is unique
the only daughter
of her mother
the favourite
of the one
who bore her
the young woman
saw her
and called her
blessed
the queens
and the concubines
praised her
who is this
that appears
like the dawn
fair as the moon
bright as the sun
majestic
as the stars
and processing
I went down
to the grove
of nut trees
to look
at the new growth
in the valley
to see if the vines
had budded
or the pomegranates
were in bloom
before I realised it
my desire
set me upon
the royal chariots
of my people
come back
oh Shulamite
come back
that we may gaze
on you
why would you gaze
on the Shulamite
as in the dance
of Mahanaim
how beautiful
your shrandled feet
told Prince's daughter
your graceful legs
are like jewels
the work
of an artist's hands
your navel
is a rounded goblet
that never lacks
blended wine
your waist
is a mound of wheat
encircled by lilies
your breasts
are like two fawns
like twin fawns
of a gazelle
your neck
is like an ivory tower
your eyes
are the pools
of Heshbon
by the gate
of Bathraben
your nose
is like the tower
of Lebanon
looking towards Damascus
your head
crowns you
like Mount Carmel
your hair
is like royal tapestry
the king
is held captive
by its tresses
how beautiful
you are
and how pleasing
my love
with your delights
your stature
is like that
of the palm
and your breasts
like clusters of fruit
I said
I will climb
the palm tree
I will take hold
of its fruit
may your breasts
be like clusters
of grapes
and the vine
the fragrance
of your breath
like apples
and your mouth
like the best wine
may the wine
go straight
to my beloved
flowing gently
over lips
and teeth
I belong
to my beloved
and his desire
is for me
come my beloved
let us go
to the countryside
let us spend
the night
in the villages
let us go
early to the vineyards
to see if the vines
have budded
if their blossoms
have opened
and if the
pomegranates
are in bloom
there I will
give you my love
the mandrakes
sent out their
fragrance
and at our door
is every delicacy
both new
and old
and I have
stored up for you
my beloved
if only you were
to me like a brother
who was nursed
at my mother's breasts
then
if I find you
outside
I would kiss you
and no one
would despise me
I would lead you
and bring you
to my mother's house
she who has taught me
I would give you
spiced wine to drink
the nectar
of my pomegranates
his left arm
is under my head
and his right arm
embraces me
daughters of Jews
whom I charge you
do not arouse
or awaken love
until it so desires
it's the word of the Lord
okay thanks so much David
so folks
here's what we're
going to do
I just want to pick
out one big theme
that captures
the essence
of his song
over her
and then in turn
I want us to think
about one big theme
that captures
the essence
of her song
over him
so
beginning with
his song
here's the theme
really simply
is I want
all of you
and this is the
inverse isn't it
of remember that
Chesney Hawk song
that we still sing
all the time
he's saying
you are the one
and only
that's what he's
saying isn't it
you are the one
and only
picking it up
at verse 4
of chapter 6
and hear him
celebrate the
renewed togetherness
that he and his
wife have just
experienced
and he's going
with the compliments
isn't he
so you are as
beautiful as
Tisra
and Jerusalem
my love
so these are the
these are the
two prominent
Israelite cities
cities
and what's
going on here
what he's saying
is you wow
me
right I remember
cities they
they often have
that effect on us
as human beings
don't they I
remember taking
off from a
couple of years
ago from New
York airport
and just being
struck by the
sheer size and
the vastness of
New York as it
hits you right
there and that
Alicia Keys song
comes to mind
these streets will
make you feel
brand new big
lights will inspire
you we get this
stuff we get the
wow factor that
comes with cities
that's kind of
what's going on
here and he's
saying it's your
beauty is almost
overwhelming I
have to turn away
and I love it it
was Keita who
pointed out to me
just how specific
he is with his
compliments did you
notice that your
hair your teeth
your cheeks and
see him sum up at
verse 9 he says
60 queens 80
concubines so I
think what he's
doing is he's
saying the world
is not short of
woman but to me
you are not simply
a woman you are
the woman and you
are utterly unique
did you pick that
up in his voice
and then if you
jump over to
chapter 7 his
kind of song
breaks for a bit
and then he goes
back we get more
of his song he
goes your belly
your breasts your
neck your eyes and
you'd be right in
thinking that we've
kind of heard this
stuff before but
before we label him
uncreative and write
him off as a picks
up flowers from the
petrol station just
before he gets home
on his anniversary
kind of guy understand
that what he's saying
to her is all these
beauties I still see
them in you but more
than that verse 4 he
says do you notice
your nose your head
crowns you like
caramel and the the
reference to purple
there conveys this
idea of royalty how
beautiful and pleasant
you are verse 9 your
scent your mouth your
scent your mouth do you
see it this is brand
new material and what
he's conveying is that
he sees as well as
the beauties that have
always captured his
eyes and his heart
is that he sees now new
beauties in her because
he knows her so much
better and there's a
side application there
isn't there firstly for
those of us who are
married and it's to make
our spouses our lifelong
phd project what new
beauties do you notice
in them they don't need
to necessarily be
physical I take it they
could be character
compliments I see you
growing in patience I
see how you're being a
good friend to so many
people I see how you're
sacrificing yourself for
the kids I see how you're
responding to work in a
different way than you
did previously when you
look at them how do you
see the spirit at work in
their lives but the same
as we brought the same
principle we brought
out applies to our
church family as well
because our culture has
made an idol of romantic
love but the truth we
need to hear is that we
don't have to be
romantically involved with
or in love with someone to
experience what true love
is because the love that
God creates and he calls
us together to exhibit
this love within the
people of God is a
species of love that is
found nowhere else in the
world and why is that it
is because it's a love that
comes from above you know a
church we're loving
appreciation of each other
that we notice the little
things when that is the
norm that is going to be
wildly attractive to a
world out there who really
knows nothing of this so who
could you be thanking
specifically this morning
what could you be appreciating
in someone else this morning
a brother and sister who
served you in this church
you know his view of her is
that she is utterly unique
and that means that his love
for her is totally exclusive
and that's marriage love
according to God's good
design as we see it here in
his wisdom portion of his
word and as we look upon the
way of wisdom here I realize
friends that for so many of us
this hasn't been our
experience personally maybe
it's something that you've
viewed in your family or
whatever and you have been
much in my prayers constantly
this week that the Holy
Spirit would be particularly
near to you bringing you a
very sense very real sense of
Jesus's love for you and his
hold on you and his knowledge
of your life in all its ups
and downs maybe for some of us
this might be a really timely
reminder about how seriously
we should take exclusivity
that you don't look at other
people the way that you do
your spouse whether in real life
or maybe particularly in the
culture and in the day in which
we live online friends let me
say in love as your pastor do
not let porn torpedo your
marriage and steal from you the
love that's at the center of your
relationships and your
friendships if the snake of
porn has slithered its way
subtly into your life you've got
to do all that you can to get out
of it and if that means telling
someone this morning can I
encourage you to do the brave and
the right thing because the devil
will do anything to help to convince
you that the darkness is the safer
place to live your life and Jesus
would call you out of that into his
marvelous light and freedom
you know we all long for
faithfulness
it's the thing that we seek in all
our important relationships in our
communities it's the thing that we
even want in our governments you
know my brother is in finance and
that's why he often tells me that a
good day in the markets is a stable
day in the markets that's why mr
trump is still causing headaches all
over the world isn't he
you can work with stability you know
where you are with stability and
that's exactly what he's saying about
his love for her it is exclusive it is
fiercely loyal and it will fight to
have love right at the center
and if that's the theme of his song
all I want is you the reciprocating
theme of her song is you have all of
me and if you look at verse 13 see
that hole and maybe you notice it
there it's quite striking isn't it the
whole come back come back shulamite
language and presumably shulamite is
most likely a reference to just where
she's from
that could just be another indicator
that's showing us that she's still
feeling a little bit insecure unsure
doesn't really want know what to do
with this love and attention
but notice the directional language
that you get at verse 10 and if you
remember one verse from this section
remember this
notice the directional language what is it
that changes the game for her
it is the knowledge of how secure and
how firm and how exclusive and how loyal
his desire is for her
and what that does is stir a response
within her of love and desire for him
and the Hebrew word there for desire
it's only used two other places in the
Old Testament
one of which is Genesis 3
so you get in that scene as Eve eats the
the fruit from the forbidden tree and God
lays out to Adam and Eve the consequences for
their sin and rebellion
one of those things is going to be that
their desires are going to be inverted
so Eve will now seek to desire and possess
Adam and in turn Adam will attempt to rule over
her
so rather than love being self-giving
a result of the fall is that love is now going to be
self-serving and there's going to be friction and there's going to be tension
and this as we read Genesis 3 is desire gone wrong
and by the time you get to Genesis 4 and we meet Cain
the same word is used there
when God says to Cain sin is crouching at your door
its desire is to master you
have you
so desire in Genesis 3 and 4 is about turning away from God
and turning inward towards sin and self-worship
but notice see if you look at chapter 7 verses 10 to 13
just have a look at it there
scan your eyes over it
notice the echoes of Eden
notice the Garden of Eden imagery
do you see it?
vineyards
vines
blossoms
mandrakes
delicacies
life in Eden pre-sin
so what I think this is telling us is that what we have here with this couple
unlike Adam and Eve
is desire made right
and so at verse 3 we take them in being eye to eye
we need to see how the power of his embrace
stirs something deep within her
to the point where she implores her friends
not to awaken love until the time is right
she's saying don't settle for anything less than this
and the fact that that is the third time that this refrain has cropped up in this song
should awaken us to the fact that God in his perfect wisdom
is trying to communicate something to us
that he knows we so desperately need to hear
because friends we are poor captains of our own ships
we are poor stewards of our own identities
we are poor objects of our worship
maybe you're feeling the pain of misdirected and unmet desires today
even as I speak and as we read this together
there is wonderful hope for all of us
but maybe particularly for you this morning
as we take in this
because as we take in his desire for her
we need to know that there was another man in the Bible who came
desiring a bride
and his name is Jesus
he came to earth
for his bride
he lived a perfect life
to win his bride
he died on the cross to redeem
and cleanse his bride
from all our mistakes
all our sin
and all our shame
Christ came
seeking a bride
and so as we gaze at this woman
and hear her tell us
that it was the safe knowledge of how secure
his desire was for her
that brought out this reciprocal love for him
here's what we need to know today
that if you're a Christian here today
we can look on Christ
and we can savour the fact
that his desire
is for us
God's plan
since the found
before the foundation of the world
has been to call out
and create
a people for himself
call them out of the world
God's plan has always been to call out a people
and to have them know
and savour the fact
that they are a bride
and to have that bride
as she takes in the love
of the bridegroom for her
to have that bride
absolutely gush in affection
for the groom
and that's exactly where this points us
to the gospel
and to how wonderful our king is
and his desire for us
and his love for us
and his exclusive affection for us
no matter how you're feeling here today
if you're feeling weak in your faith
if you're feeling discouraged
if you're feeling disheartened
if you're feeling really, really sad
then take in your groom's love
for you
you know just as we close
and maybe to try and
set this up
for where we're going to finish next week
as we finish this little series
please come back for it
but here's a thought for you
do you know that there's only two types of people
in this world that read a will
can you think who they are
I remember this from my time
studying law at university
there's only two types of people
that read a will
here's the first type of person
it's the lawyer
and to them reading a will
is really just doing a job
simply being paid to interpret
and execute words on a page
right
I've got a lot of friends
who work in succession
in the states
and that's what they tell you
they just keep on coming
I'm not really getting excited
about a will
I'm just executing
delivering
passing on the information
I'm just doing my job
but there's a second type of person
who reads a will
it's an heir
and to them reading a will
it's not just a job
it's not just words on a page
it's a promise
and it's a promise
about what's coming to them
at some point in the future
and how about how
what's coming to them
at some point in the future
totally changes
how they live today
in anticipation of the thing
that's coming to them
and Fred's God
would want us to read this
not as a lawyer would
but as an heir would
about all his promises
in scripture
have you ever thought about
that's how we should read them
we should read them
as an heir
looking at a will
thinking about this
is what the future holds
you see now we know
the one who desires us
by faith
through the power
of the spirit
but this is particularly
what we're going to think
about next week
see when he returns
we will no longer
know him by faith
we will no longer
know our groom
by faith
as we read his words
as we meet him
through the power
of his spirit
we will know him then
by sight
I belong to my beloved
and his desire
is for me
let me pray
and so father
we thank you
for the gospel
this morning
thank you
for the message
about the
all pursuing
loving
Jesus
thank you
that we can
read this
and know
that the church
those who
put their faith
in Jesus
truly are
the apple
of his eye
and so father
I pray
that as
this
word of yours
this morning
as it touches
lord
our hearts
in different ways
I pray
father
that by your spirit
that you may be
bringing healing
and that you
would be bringing
certainty
lord
that you would be
bringing conviction
and challenge
but father
most of all
you would bring us
that knowledge
of our saviour
and his love
for us
father
we thank you
for each other
today
that we do not
journey this
Christian life
alone
but we journey
together
and so father
as we move
to a time
of communion
in just a few
moments
lord
may the sweetness
of what Jesus
has done
for us
come home
maybe in
a fresh
reality today
father we thank
you for your love
for us
and we pray
now that you
would continue
to be with us
by your spirit
in Jesus's name
we ask
amen