Monday, August 18, 2008

The Banqueting House

Temple Baptist Church - 8-17-2008

Song of Solomon 2:1-7

Introduction:

A. In chapter 1, we found the drawing of the Bride.

1. The Description Of God’s Love – vs. 2 “better than wine”

Ephesians 3:17-19 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; 19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. (To know the unknowable and to comprehend the incomprehensible. God draws the unlovable and the undesirable. Greater love hath no man than this!)

2. The Drawing Of God’s Love – vs. 4 “Draw me”

John 6:44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.

John 12:32 And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all [men] unto me. (In 1976, He drew me unto Himself! When I could not come to Him, He came to me! I will never understand what He saw in me but will forever praise Him for His love.)

3. The Desiring Of God’s Love – vs. 4 “we will run…we will be glad…we will remember”

Revelation 22:17 And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. (You have to get thirsty before you drink. Our Lord said, “If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink!” I remember the day I got thirsty and got hold of that living water.)

B. In chapters 1-2, we found the description of the Bride.

1. The Curse of Her Sin – vs. 5-6 “black”

Ezekiel 16:6 And when I passed by thee, and saw thee polluted in thine own blood, I said unto thee [when thou wast] in thy blood, Live; yea, I said unto thee [when thou wast] in thy blood, Live.

2. The Comparison Of Her Saviour – vs. 5, 8-9 “but comely”

Ephesians 5:27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.

3. The Comprehending Of Her Splendor – vs. 2:1 “rose…lily”

Jude 24 Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present [you] faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,

THE BANQUETING HOUSE - There Will Be A Gathering - On many formal invitation, we find the letters “R.S.V.P.”

RSVP "Répondez s'il vous plaît", a French phrase that translates to "reply, please." or literally "reply, if it pleases you" [1]. It is with this meaning that invitation cards and similar documents are often marked with "R.S.V.P." It is standard practice to reply to an RSVP request whether confirming attendance or declining.

1. The Decision Of The Gathered - Luke 14:16-24 Then said he unto him, A certain man made a great supper, and bade many: 17 And sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready. 18 And they all with one consent began to make excuse. The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused. 19 And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused. 20 And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come. 21 So that servant came, and shewed his lord these things. Then the master of the house being angry said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind. 22 And the servant said, Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room. 23 And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. 24 For I say unto you, That none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper. (Whosoever will and whosoever won’t! Eternal life and death are in the decisions of the lost!)

2. The Division Of The Gathered - 2 Thessalonians 2:1 Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and [by] our gathering together unto him,

1 Thessalonians 4:14-16 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive (to have been quickened – Ephesians 2:1) [and] remain (Not to have seen death) unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. 16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

Ephesians 1:10 That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; [even] in him:

Matthew 24:31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

1. The Jewish Trumpet Was Blown To Start A Journey (Num 10:6)

2. The Trumpet Was Blown To Call Men To War (Num 10:9)

3. The Trumpet Was Blown To Signal Holy Days (Num 10:10; Lev 25:9)

4. The Trumpet Was Blown To Call The Camp Of Israel To A General Assembly (Num 10:7)

5. The Trumpet Will Be Blown To Inaugurate The Rapture (I Thes 4:16; I Cor 15:52; Rev. 4:1)

6. The Trumpet Will Be Blown To Announce the Beginning of The Tribulation (Joel 2:1, 2)

7. The Trumpet Will Be Blown To Sound The Judgments Of The Tribulation (Rev 8:1-9; 11:15-19)

8. The Trumpet Will Be Blown to Signal The Re-gathering of Israel To The Land (Mat. 24:31)

3. The Designation Of The Gathered – “His banner over me was love”

a. A Special Place Designated - Revelation 3:12 Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, [which is] new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and [I will write upon him] my new name.

Revelation 21:2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. (There’s no place like home! “man goeth to his long home.”)

b. A Special People Designated - Revelation 21:27 And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither [whatsoever] worketh abomination, or [maketh] a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.

Joel 3:17 So shall ye know that I [am] the LORD your God dwelling in Zion, my holy mountain: then shall Jerusalem be holy, and there shall no strangers pass through her any more. (Billy Kelly used to sing a song which goes like this: “I’ll not be a stranger when I enter that city; I’m acquainted with folks over there!”)

c. A Special Purpose Designated - 1 Thessalonians 4:17 Then we which are alive [and] remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

Psalms 23:6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever. (Home! I’m going home! Never more to roam!)

Conclusion: There will be a Gathering. There will be a Guest. There will be a Garnishing!

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