The Blessed Relationship

From the desk of Pastor Toby Powers

Truth Baptist Church

Hwy 78

Bremen, GA

Correspondence Address:

56 Taylor Cir

Carrollton, GA 30117

Email: tjpowers@gfb.org

The Blessed Relationship

SOS 8:5

Intro: We belong to the Lord. He is our beloved, and we have a divine relationship with him. I like those passages that illustrate this relationship. I like:

1. Father- Son Relationship- may be without fortune and fame, but I have a father!

2. Sheep- Shepherd Relationship, He alone is qualified to be the shepherd. He is the: Certified Shepherd... eight times the Gospels call Jesus the beloved Son. Chief Shepherd...(I Peter 5:4) Crucified Shepherd...(Matthew 26:31 ¡§It is written, I will smite the shepherd...¡¨) Caring Shepherd... (I Peter 5:7) Church¡¦s Shepherd... (I¡¦m not the shepherd, the deacons aren¡¦t the shepherd, the Pope¡¦s not the shepherd, He¡¦s the shepherd) Common Shepherd...(That is, he is humbled to be the shepherd, Genesis 46:34) Compassionate Shepherd...(Mark 6:34) He¡¦s the Good Shepherd (John 10:11, 14).. The Great Shepherd (Heb 13:20)... The Gathering Shepherd ... My Shepherd... He is one Shepherd (Ecc 12:11)... Feeding Shepherd... Keeping Shepherd... Jeremiah said ¡§He¡¦s the Appointed Shepherd¡¨... Ezekiel said ¡§He¡¦s the seeking Shepherd¡¨... Amos said ¡§He¡¦s the Protecting Shepherd¡¨... Zechariah said ¡§He¡¦s the Wise Shepherd¡¨... Jesus said ¡§I¡¦m the only Shepherd (John 10:1)...and in John 10:3-5 he is the Calling Shepherd!

3. Soldier- Captain Relationship- He¡¦s the Captain of our salvation. Joshua 5:13

4. Vine- Branch Relationship, John 15:5 ¡§I am the vine, ye are the branches... without me ye can do nothing.¡¨

5. Potter- Clay Relationship, Jeremiah 18, saw the clay in the hand of the potter.

6. In SOS we have that Bride- Groom Relationship- We belong to each other.

I¡¦m his and he is mine. Therefore, I¡¦m part:

Of a Body That Cannot be Diseased

Of a Battalion That Cannot be Defeated

Of a Building That Cannot be Destroyed

Of a Bride That Cannot be Divorced

Adam and Eve show us how he Forgives the Bride, He sought to forgive her, but Jesus did it.

Ruth and Boaz show us how he Favors the Bride

Isaac and Rebecca show us how he Finds the Bride, Rebecca met the servant by the well.

SOS shows us how he Fellowships with the Bride

ƒÞ This Shulamite girl said my beloved is gone into the garden to pick lilies.

ƒÞ Still, I heard him when he knocked on the door. I smelled him when he ran his hand over the peep hole, and the perfume dripped off his countenance.

ƒÞ I felt him put his right hand under my head, and he embraced me! He stayed me with flags and his banner over me was love.

ƒÞ Draw me up beloved and kiss me with the kisses of thy mouth. Thy kisses are sweeter than wine- The world may be rocking with the storms of sin, but there is fellowship between Christ and his church.

5 things the bride is doing that the church is doing:

I. Sitting Under His Shadow: SOS 2:3, met him in the shadow of the tree (8:5 says her mother raised her under that tree, and she may have often wondered why she was there, but her mother wanted her to meet the beloved!). I no longer dwell in a shack near life¡¦s ghettos, and I don¡¦t cater to what life may bring! Instead I¡¦m surrounded by angels, and I live in the house of a King! My soul has found a resting place! Not in device nor creed. I trust the ever-living one, His wounds for me did bleed! I need no other argument; I need no other plea. It is enough! That Jesus died, and that he died for me!

II. Dining At His Table: SOS 2:4, no more searching for a morsel or crumb falling from the master¡¦s table. I¡¦m not eating the leeks and garlic from Egypt or the slop from the hog pens and wash buckets of sinful Moab. But there¡¦s a table spread where the saints of God are fed, and he calleth to the children, come and dine!!

III. Leaning On His Arm: SOS 8:5, Learned to lean on Jesus. Trusting him.

IV. Listening For His Call: SOS 2:10-11, We¡¦re listening for the sound that says, ¡§Rise Up! My love, and come away!¡¨

V. Decked In His Glory: She no longer is wearing that old robe tattered and torn by the fields of disgrace, but she walks through the wedding chamber of the king decked in the garments fit for the bride of majesty! It is not her glory, but it is the royal wardrobe of the kinsman redeemer. John saw angels that could not look on the Lord, but one day we will do what the angels can not do! But he also saw a great host wearing white robes made clean in the blood of the Lamb.