How was your memorial Day? Did you have a picnic or a grill out? Were you invited to someone else’s house. However you celebrated, I hope it was good. Do you remember when Memorial Day was called Decoration Day? My family is from the hills of Harlan County, Kentucky, and I remember hearing my mom and dad call it Decoration Day. Was that just a southern thing, or did any of you Yankees call it that as well? How about you southern folk? Was Decoration day just a Kentucky term, or did you call it that too? Some of you who remember, e-mail me and let me know. Let me know what part of the country you lived in when you called it that.
Yesterday at Friendship Harmony was a good day. Our attendance was pretty good for a holiday week end, and visitors continue to come. Pray that these visitors, who are local full time folk, will continue to come and soon take membership with us.
I preached a message from Song Of Solomon 1:2. If you can’t find Song of Solomon in your Bible, look for Song of Songs. Some Bibles call it that. I poled our congregation Sunday, and about 25% had Song of Songs. Either is fine, but if you lived in the United States during the time of the Revolutionary War, your Bible might very well have called it The Canticle of Canticles, which translates Song of Songs. In our verse, Solomon writes, speaking for the betrothed, “Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth: for thy love is better than wine.” In the sermon notes below, we look at four ways our Bridegroom, Jesus, kisses His bride, the church. I do hope you will find these notes helpful. This message was a deeper look into the wedding ceremony we investigated last week with the Parable of the Ten Virgins.
The Groom’s Kisses
Song of Solomon 1:2
By Pastor Vic Cooper
5/24,25/12
Intro: Every bride enjoys the kisses of her groom. When the bride is the Church, and the Groom is Christ, those kisses are even sweeter.
I. He kissed us when He took our nature into His Divinity.
A. Our nature was a sin nature from birth. David said, “ Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me. “
Psalm 51:5
B. Our nature had to change and only our Groom could change it.
1. He takes away our stony heart and replaces it with a heart of flesh.
Ezekiel 36:26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.
2. We are a new creature; new creature equals new nature.
2 Cor. 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
C. Taking our old nature into Him did not contaminate His Divine nature. Ezekiel 36:25a Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you…
1. Christ touched the lepers to heal them, but He never contracted the disease.
II. He kissed us when He called us to Himself.
A. The bride couldn’t be a bride had the groom not proposed i.e. called her to him.
2 Peter 1:3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
1. Romans 1:6 Among whom are ye also the called of Jesus Christ:
2. 1 Cor. 1:9 God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.
3. 1 Peter 1:15 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;
4. Rev. 19:9 And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.
III. He kissed us when He gave us His name.
A. It is a new name. Isaiah 62:2,4 And the Gentiles shall see thy righteousness, and all kings thy glory: and thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of the Lord shall name. [4] Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken; neither shall thy land any more be termed Desolate: but thou shalt be called Hephzi-bah, and thy land Beulah: for the Lord delighteth in thee, and thy land shall be married.
B. The name is written on us. Rev. 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.
1. This written name is similar in scope to today’s bride’s wedding band. If you look at my wife’s fourth finger on her left hand, you’ll see a gold band that says she has the right to be called by my name. (No wonder her favorite verse is, “I am of all women most blessed.”)
IV. He kissed us when He granted us His security.
A. Look back to the verse above in III. B. It says we will “go no more out.” (Rev 3:12)
B. We are counted as secured sheep in a secure pasture secured by the omnipotence of Almighty God. No wonder His kisses are so sweet.
Conclusion: Has the Lord Jesus proposed to you? Have you accepted His proposal? If you want the kind of kissing and loving Solomon wrote about, say yes to Jesus today.
If you want to accept Jesus’ proposal, I’d like to talk to you about it. You can E-mail me at preachercooper@hotmail.com, or call me at 239-283-8331. Now in closing let me make an announcement, then turn it over to Miss Bessie for a final word.
The Men’s Fellowship Breakfast for this Saturday morning is canceled due to the permanent closing of The Twisted Lemon Restraurant. We will attempt to find another place with a private room, but that will prove difficult. Pray about this, please. Now getting the last word (as usual) here is Miss Bessie.
Good day to all the ladies that are reading the Friendship Harmony Baptist Blog. I just wanted to give all you ladies a special invitation to our Ladies Luncheon on June 12, at 1:00pm at The Island Grill in the Winn Dixie Shopping Plaza. Please feel free to bring a guest or two. Karen Fain will be leading our devotion, and she wants each of you to bring a picture of your dad. I am looking forward to our time together. It is always such a blessing when we have prayer and fellowship with our sisters in Christ. If you’re in town, try to be with us. If not, please pray for us. It will be such a special time. I’ll see you there on June 12, at 1:00pm. Don’t forget your dad’s picture. Have a good and healthy week and Vic will see you next Monday Morning With Pastor Vic!!
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