Introduction: A car salesman was sure he could make a big sale to me if he could just get me inside one of their new computerized cars. This model came complete with a computer generated voice that told you everything. The salesman noted the little voice would tell me how much gas was left, when I needed to turn on my lights, how far I had traveled, and how fast I was going. In an attempt to close the sale he said, "Sir, there’s nothing this car won’t tell you." To his surprise he lost the sale. I quietly walked away and said, "Why would I need one of those? I’ve got a wife!"
I was in my office at the church one day when the phone rang. "Is the preacher there?" a man asked. I explained that I was a minister. The man wanted to know which Scripture verses applied to funeral services. I gave him several references, and he jotted them down."What about the `ashes to ashes, dust to dust’ part?" he asked. I read it to him slowly. Then, intending to offer him some sympathy, I inquired, "And who is the deceased?""My daughter’s pet turtle," he replied.
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As people go through life they look for happiness in some strange places. It is a popular subject in many churches. Where can you find the love of your life, Who can show the way to it. Is it possible at all to really experience a real discovery. Well, I want to look in a book of the Bible that is not often preached out of, The Song of Solomon, also known as Songs. The Song of Solomon is a love song written by Solomon and full of metaphors and oriental imagery. As we look deep into The Song of Solomon we see a depiction of life finding it’s highest fulfillment in in the love of man and woman, so spiritual life finds it’s fulfillment in the love of God for His people and Christ for His church. As we read The Song of Solomon we see the book is arranged like scenes in a drama with three main speakers: the bride (Shulamite), the king (Solomon) and a chorus (daughters of Jerusalem). Today’s text shows the bride (Shulamite) searching for her true love and in that setting is where we begin today.
Song 3:1-4
1 By night on my bed I sought him whom my soul loveth: I sought him, but I found him not.
2 I will rise now, and go about the city in the streets, and in the broad ways I will seek him whom my soul loveth: I sought him, but I found him not.
3 The watchmen that go about the city found me: to whom I said, Saw ye him whom my soul loveth?
4 It was but a little that I passed from them, but I found him whom my soul loveth: I held him, and would not let him go, until I had brought him into my mother’s house, and into the chamber of her that conceived me.
I. We all look for the eternal things
A. We see the bride relaying things about the search for her true love.
1. The search for her true love was not going well.
a. The search was not going well in her present condition
b. Inside of Her was a desire that couldn’t be quenced
2. The issues off the heart can’t be quenched by mere sleep.
a. The bride would have probably wanted to rest from the quest.
b. There is never rest when you don’t have things of Jesus.
B. We are no different from the bride
1. We will look for the eternal love of our life
There are three huge gates that lead into the Cathedral of Milan. Over one gate there is an inscription in marble under a beautiful flower bouquet that says, "The things that please are temporary." Over the second gate, there is a cross with this inscription: "The things that disturb us are temporary." However, over the central gate, there is a big inscription saying, "Eternal are the important ones."
2. It is a built in trait.
Jer 31:33
33 But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.
a. you can’t run from it
*nothing will let you hide from it
b. It’s a promise
c. It is an ingrained truth
*all the world points to the law of God
*It is because of this that none will have an excuse.
Deion "Prime Time" Sanders, outfielder for the Atlanta Braves and cornerback for the Atlanta Falcons, is the only athlete to have hit a Major League home run and scored an NFL touchdown in the same week. Sanders grew up on the mean streets of Fort Myers, Fla., where exposure to some would-be athletes spurred him to make a success of himself. He explains: "I call them Idas. ’If I’da done this, I’d be making three million today...If I’da practiced a little harder, I’d be a superstar.’ They were as fast as me when they were kids, but instead of working for their dreams they chose drugs and a life of street corners. When I was young, I had practice; my friends who didn’t went straight to the streets and never left. That moment after school is the moment we need to grab. We don’t need any more Idas.
Rom 1:20-25 (The Living Bible)
20 Since earliest times men have seen the earth and sky and all God made, and have known of his existence and great eternal power. So they will have no excuse [when they stand before God at Judgment Day].
21 Yes, they knew about him all right, but they wouldn’t admit it or worship him or even thank him for all his daily care. And after awhile they began to think up silly ideas of what God was like and what he wanted them to do. The result was that their foolish minds became dark and confused.
22 Claiming themselves to be wise without God, they became utter fools instead.
23 And then, instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they took wood and stone and made idols for themselves, carving them to look like mere birds and animals and snakes and puny men.
24 So God let them go ahead into every sort of sex sin, and do whatever they wanted to-- yes, vile and sinful things with each other’s bodies.
25 Instead of believing what they knew was the truth about God, they deliberately chose to believe lies. So they prayed to the things God made, but wouldn’t obey the blessed God who made these things.
II. The search will almost always take people to the wrong place/ Something about people,
2 I will rise now, and go about the city in the streets, and in the broad ways I will seek him whom my soul loveth: I sought him, but I found him not.
A. The bride couldn’t find so she went to the world to find the eternal love.
1. She never thought that had she waited she would have saved herself a lot of trouble.
2. We become impatient when we can’t find happiness and love.
a. We want it the Burger King way, fast and our way
*It just doesn’t work that way.
3. I’ve met many people who have entered a marriage only to have it fail.
a. They had to have it know.
*I want to tell you something, when you unite with Jesus it wont be wrong.
B. She went the broad way
1. It is always easy to enter the broad way
Matt 7:13-14
13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
a. Explain the broad way is like a funnel big at the top but always leads to the narrow way of Satan and Hell and eternal death.
b. The broad way leads to the narrow way of destruction
*The wider (fun, exciting, lust,) leads to a narrow opening.
I want to tell the story of how an Eskimo kills a wolf. The account is grisly, yet it offers fresh insight into the consuming, self-destructive nature of sin. "First, the Eskimo coats his knife blade with animal blood and allows it to freeze. Then he adds another layer of blood, and another, until the blade is completely concealed by frozen blood. "Next, the hunter fixes his knife in the ground with the blade up. When a wolf follows his sensitive nose to the source of the scent and discovers the bait, he licks it, tasting the fresh frozen blood. He begins to lick faster, more and more vigorously, lapping the blade until the keen edge is bare. Feverishly now, harder and harder the wolf licks the blade in the arctic night.
So great becomes his craving for blood that the wolf does not notice the razor-sharp sting of the naked blade on his own tongue, nor does he recognize the instant at which his insatiable thirst is being satisfied by his OWN warm blood. His carnivorous appetite just craves more--until the dawn finds him dead in the snow!"
It is a fearful thing that people can be "consumed by their own lusts." Only God’s grace keeps us from the wolf’s fate. We then must take the narrow road.
2. It’s hard to enter the narrow way
a. As enter though, Jesus will open it up and it leads to wide open fields.
C. Guess what? She sought Him in the world but couldn’t find Him/ not every one will
14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
1. All seek that witch they love.
a. We always seek in the flesh first
*We want to find the happiness in the world.
b. Satan wants you to.
*He’ll make real pretty and really good.
*It won’t last for ever.
Heb 11:25
25 Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;
*Sin is fun for a time, but there is always, always payment.
*Jesus lasts forever.
2. When we seek for true happiness we will find Jesus
a. He will add what will make us happy
b. When we think something other than Jesus will make us happy we always end up going back to him
III. When she left the world behind she found something.
4 It was but a little that I passed from them, but I found him whom my soul loveth: I held him, and would not let him go, until I had brought him into my mother’s house, and into the chamber of her that conceived me.
A. When she passed from the city she found her true love.
1. When we leave the world and the lust of the flesh we will find the love of our life.
a. We won’t be consumed by the worlds pleasure.
b. The devil will have no hold over us.
B. Something else happened/ she wouldn’t let Him go.
1. Once she had him she wouldn’t let him go
a. Isn’t that just like a young bride.
b. We all are like that when we fall in love.
*We have to know where the other is.
2. It’s the same when we come to Jesus
a. Some lack spiritual victory that comes from a union with the one they love/ They fail to cling to Jesus and release the old relationship
*Many cling to the old person and the old way
*It eventually destroys the reltionship
*It eventually destroys the marriage
b. If we are to enjoy the marriage then we must cling to the new relationship.
Col 2:6-10
6 As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him:
7 Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.
8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.
10 And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:
*To have the relationship we have to walk with Jesus
*To have the relationship we have to let the others in our life go.
One of the hardest things in my life to do was to walk away from my dad. He’s a great guy. He loves his boy’s. When my mother left, it was just the boy’s and my father clung to them and we clung to him. Yes, that is a great story, a father who loves you. He ended up marring again and I have a step-mother who took on the essential role of love in my life, but the real story still lies in the relationship with my father. He took care of me. He was the man! But I turned 25 and got married. The hardest thing was to let go and walk with Marsha. I wanted to cling to the security of the old guy who took care of me, no matter what. It had to happen though. Marsha and I grew more and more until finally I understood, I had to cling to my love and never let her go. Just like a Christian, we have to let go and cling to the love of our life, JESUS!
C. One last thing, once Jesus Has you, He wont let you go either.
1. Salvation is forever.
a. you’ve heard me preach it and I’ll preach it any chance I get.
1 Pet 1:3-5
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
4 To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,
5 Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
b. It doesn’t mean I’m perfect it means somebody loves me enough to talk to God on my behalf so I don’t have to suffer in Hell.
I Jn 2:1-2 (The Living Bible)
1 My little children, I am telling you this so that you will stay away from sin. But if you sin, there is someone to plead for you before the Father. His name is Jesus Christ, the one who is all that is good and who pleases God completely.
2 He is the one who took God’s wrath against our sins upon himself and brought us into fellowship with God; and he is the forgiveness for our sins, and not only ours but all the world’s.
c. We have to respond to what He says though.
I Jn 2:3-7 (The Living Bible Translation)
3 And how can we be sure that we belong to him? By looking within ourselves: are we really trying to do what he wants us to?
4 Someone may say, "I am a Christian; I am on my way to heaven; I belong to Christ." But if he doesn’t do what Christ tells him to, he is a liar.
5 But those who do what Christ tells them to will learn to love God more and more. That is the way to know whether or not you are a Christian.
6 Anyone who says he is a Christian should live as Christ did.
7 Dear brothers, I am not writing out a new rule for you to obey, for it is an old one you have always had, right from the start. You have heard it all before.
Conclusion: As we close today, I want to say some things.
Are you looking for the love of your life. Let me say, look to Jesus today. With Him you can find true love and happiness. He is the one who will allow all the other relationships to prosper in your life.
Are you looking for someone to love you, you guessed it, Jesus. He loves even when the world turns their back on you. It’s time let Him take you by the time and lead you home.
We all think of eternal things, It’s time to think on eternal things. Eternity is real and where and who you spend it with is important today.
Lastly, relationships sometimes get strained, they could be better, but we have to realize that Jesus doesn’t want a relationship with you that‘s not right. If your here today and that relationship with Jesus isn’t what it should be then reach out to Him and experiance that wonderful true love that Solomon wrote about, that true love, that only comes from knowing Jesus in His fullness.
