(Missions Conference Shoals) - Part 6 — Paul Washer

Put up our Bibles to the song of Solomon chapter 4. As you know, we've extended these meetings God has been very very gracious to us and Tomorrow night will not be having meetings but Sunday and We will again Sunday and Sunday night and I know that many of you were visiting will probably and should go back to your churches support your pastors and.

But I just want to thank you. It's been a great privilege For me to be here. It scares me a bit. I feel a I feel something like John Wesley. He was Riding on his horse one day and going from one preaching spot to another and he realized that In the last few weeks people had been unusually kind to him.

So he got down off the horse and he got down on his knees and he asked God to forgive him because he said I must Be compromising in my preaching. I must be carnal in some way to have so much affection for men placed upon me and while he was praying a Farmer who hated him saw him and threw a brick at him and it missed his head by a few inches and he said thank You Lord for that confirmation of my ministry.

But at the same time I know that the leadership not only the pastor But the leadership in this church and many of you have gone through Many of the same things that I have gone through so I was telling a sister this morning I said do you remember the the message that I preached on the cross of Jesus Christ and she said oh Yes, brother Paul.

I said I preached that in a Southern Baptist Church a few years ago the first morning that the revival was to begin or the first evening that the revival was to begin and The next morning the leadership came to me and asked me to leave because I had said that the wrath of God abided upon men and Jesus Christ when he was on the cross bore our guilt and our shame and the wrath of God Crushed him in our place and because of that the meetings were canceled so I want you to realize that that I I appreciate I Do not I never.

I want to be quick not to flatter men, but I appreciate what God is doing here. I appreciate it in a great and tremendous way and I only hope that God will grant you the courage the courage to continue the Reformers coined a phrase in Latin Semper Reformanda.

Returning to the Biblical Way

Always reforming always reforming and there is such a need in the Southern Baptist Convention not to move on to new ideals. Not to move on to new fads and new theories but to turn back from the rock from which we were cut and Embrace the old way.

The biblical way we don't need anything new. We need to go back to what is old now. Before I enter into this message. I need to explain again that we have throughout this week preached against the idea of a Continuously carnal Christian that there is no such thing that assurance does not come from praying a prayer and assurance does not come from writing your name In the back of your Bible and putting the date there.

Assurance comes from a continuing work of the grace of God in a person's life a work that will be evident. And if there is no fruit in your life. And if there is no discipline or correction and you can live in ungodliness.

That my friend is the evidence of a lack of regeneration. You are not a Christian and so we've preached hard on that this week. But then we came to last night and it seemed that as though we almost contradicted Ourselves, but then again if you read Romans chapter 6, you'll find the same thing in the Apostle Paul.

Because of his view of grace and his declaring grace to the people of God the true people of God some people were saying Well, let us sin that grace may abound and that was not what Paul was teaching last night.

I was done with preaching to carnal lost church members and began to preach to the people of God and The people of God need to know that God has done a work and that work is finished and By virtue of the death of the Son of God.

They are pardoned of all their sin and all their iniquity and all their trespasses against the Lord of glory. By virtue of the perfect life. He lived. He is not only forgiven you but he has granted you his righteousness.

So that you are the very righteousness of God in Christ and it is for these very reasons that angels long to peer into. The very things that have been given to you the very things that have been given to you now.

The Surpassing Riches of Grace

Before I go into the Song of Solomon, I just have to turn over to the book of Ephesians. So forgive me if my old preaching professor is here, well, I'm out of school and you can't flunk me now. Let's go to the book of Ephesians just quickly.

I Want to show you something? Something that is so dear to my heart and I must say it quickly because there's other things that must be said. But have you ever wondered the reason behind everything God has ever done?

Have you ever wondered the reason behind everything God has ever done? You know people will say well, why did he make the earth? Why did it fall? Why this? Why that? Why all these things? Well, the book of Ephesians tells us.

And you're wrapped up in the answer. Or maybe even the answer is wrapped up in you. Look in Ephesians chapter 2. In verses 4 through 6 He's talking about the work of God in Christ on behalf of God's people and then he gives the reason for it in verse 7.

So that in the ages to come he might show the passing riches of his grace and his kindness towards us in Christ Jesus. Why has he done everything that he's done so that in the ages to come? He might show the surpassing riches of his grace in kindness towards us in Christ Jesus.

Now go to chapter 3 verse 10. Speaking about the church the same thing in verse 10 of chapter 3. He says so that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.

What is this all about? God is doing a demonstration. Even liberal theologians will agree with me on this. God is a God of revelation. What does that mean? Not that he's the God simply of the book of Revelation.

But one of the the thing that God desires to do most within his creation is reveal himself to his creation. Not only unto men but unto angels. So you often think that angels know everything? Well, they don't.

Because angels are creatures and they're finite and finite can never grasp an infinite God. So not only for us not only for this earthly creation but for all of heaven. God is revealing himself and he has chosen to do his greatest work of revelation through you.

The greatest Revelation God will ever give he has given through the work of his son Jesus Christ. And it has much to do with you to declare to all Principalities and powers mights dominion men's crickets and clowns.

To all of them who he is. I want you to think about something for a moment. God makes a ball of dirt. That's basically what the earth is. Makes a rock ball of dirt something far beneath him. They tell me heaven is more splendid this than this place in which we live.

So, why did he make a lesser place than heaven and They tell me that angels are spectacular creatures. That if one were to walk in right now, we would probably all fall on the floor, but you walked in and we didn't do that.

So, why did he make a ball of dirt and why did he put Little pieces of clay. Living life on this planet when he could have done something far much greater far greater far greater. We have no idea the works of God in heaven we have no idea the the Miraculous and the special and the the unbelievable sorts of things he has done elsewhere and yet he has made us.

Mercy, Grace, and the Fall of Humanity

And then we have a man who clenches his fist in the face of God and Rebels. Now, what do you suppose the principalities and powers and mights and dominions thought on that day? Well from what we know from Scripture, they'd only been one other rebellion that anyone even knew about and That was Satan and his angels.

And what happened on that day when they rebelled against God perfect Justice happened on that day. You rebel against God, there's one thing you will know he is holy. He is just he is sovereign and he shares his throne with no one.

And so with that disobedience of the creature we see judgment. No mercy. No grace pure judgment. Isn't it amazing? The angels fell and God never sent them a Savior that ought to tell us something. He didn't have to send one to us either.

If God had saved no man, he would still be God. He owes him to man. A. W. Tozer said one time. He said if everyone on the face of the earth were to go blind It would not diminish the glory of the Sun and if every man on the face of the earth were to turn their back on God and spend eternity in hell, it would not diminish the glory of God.

But now you've got these Principalities and powers and mights and dominions that are looking on to learn of the wisdom of God the manifold wisdom of God. The only thing they knew was this you disobey judgment.

What do you expect they thought was going to happen When Adam clenched that dirty paw of his and shook it in the face of God. Judgment, but what happened? Mercy. Oh, here's a new thing. Here is a new thing.

He was a splendid thing. We have never seen before mercy and Grace, you say no brother Paul there was judgment. I mean after all there was the sentence of death. There was there was the the suffering in the world.

There was the pain in childbirth. There were all these things judgment judgment judgment. No judgment would have been the annihilation of the race. But we saw mercy and know this people know this every time you go out sir every time you go out.

And you go to that factory or you go to that job and you work by the sweat of your brow and you see around You what seems to be? So much without meaning you know what that is you say yes. It's the judgment of God.

God said I would have to work that way by the sweat of my brow. Not only is it judgment my dear friend. It's mercy. It is mercy. God has brought that upon you because with that sweat on your brow and with that struggling in your life He is screaming out to you lost lost lost.

You need me. You need me. You need me here. Here I am and woman in childbirth every Ounce of pain shooting through your body like a knife you say judgment. Yes, but also mercy and grace and God's voice calling out to you fallen fallen fallen.

Turn to me turn to me turn to me. There is a Savior these principalities and powers and mights and dominions. My how they learned something about God the day that Adam fell. Things they had never seen and then the incarnation of the Christ.

The Son of God becomes a man and all of heaven. Stands in all all of heaven every splendid being speechless as the creator of the universe the glory of glories. Takes upon himself human flesh and then goes to a cross and takes upon himself The sins of his people.

The iniquities of his nation and he stands in their law place and all the judgment of Almighty God falls down upon him and The principalities and mights and dominions say what is this new thing? Who is this God?

You see if you've ever questioned the wisdom of God in the fall of the human race. Although the fall was definitely the fault of the human race. The sovereignty of God was also there and if you've ever wondered what was the purpose of the fall?

Let me throw this out at you if God truly is God and If God is worthy and if knowledge of God is the greatest gift then no matter what the cost It is worth it. If God all of God might be known. You say what are you getting at in a world where everyone meets the conditions?

You will never know anything about unconditional love. In a world where everyone keeps the rules God's mercy is hidden and in a world where everyone deserves What they deserve? You know nothing of grace this fallen world though it be Laid squarely at the feet of man and the blame placed upon man and man alone.

There was a purpose in this fall of God revealing God. You say but what a high price. Not if it's God. What's worth more to you? That's what I ask Christians sometimes that are suffering. What's worth more to you?

The knowledge of God or Tranquil life. And then there's you oh Those angels know you better than you know you. Do you know why they know you better than you know you? Because they know God better than you.

They know he is holy. Oh in such a way that the most powerful most holy most beautiful angels that have ever been Created bow their knee bow their faces in the presence of God and cannot look to him. Look at Isaiah 6 in the year the king is I died I saw so the Lord high and lifted up in his train filled the temple and above him stood the seraph each one having six Wings with two he covered his feet with two he covered his face and with two he did fly and one cried unto the other.

Holy holy holy is the Lord of hosts the whole earth is full of his glory. They're the most powerful the most splendid the most beautiful the most holy you say. How do you know that brother Paul because of their proximity to the throne?

There's no creature closer to the throne than them and yet they Cannot look him in the face and that is why When Adam fell, I'm sure there was a rattling of swords and spears and lances in heaven the only thought That they should think they're in glory is it's time for war.

Let's go down and annihilate the whole lot of them and then they see you in your unconverted state. And I must anger them when they think of how conceited you are. Not knowing the holiness of God lifting your head so high in your disobedience.

Thinking you could stand up against some nipotence not knowing as they know that you would melt before him like a tiny wax figurine in a blast furnace and Although they looked at you and said judgment judgment judgments one day through the preaching of the gospel God declared grace Grace grace and He saved you and on the day that he saved you every Principality and power and might and dominion on the in all of heaven itself fell down and worshipped God who could do such things.

And then throughout all your life He will be working throughout all your life He will be working and working and working giving ever greater measures of grace and placing it upon you. Just like the servant who went to get a bride for Isaac.

Don't you suppose when he found the girl and began to bring her back? If with every step of the camel probably her heart would doubt who is this one? I am going to meet will he really love me and that servant every time He saw that look on her face pulled another jewel out of his pocket and said this is from your Lord.

This is from your Lord and every time you have doubted every time you have become weary God has given you extra measure and extra measure and extra measure of grace and all of heaven looks on at the demonstration of God's goodness in you and then one day a trumpet sounds a trumpet a Trumpet sounds the trumpet and there you stand before the Lord you say well what will be my main thing?

Heaven as the Eternal Revelation of God's Grace

In heaven. Do you really want to know? Let me show you What do your purpose will be in glory in? Ephesians chapter 2 verse 7 so that in the ages to come so that in the ages to come he might show the surpassing riches of his grace in kindness towards us in Christ Jesus.

As the pastor was sharing yesterday from Jonathan Edwards and from his own particular studies, I was sitting there going, I thought I thought of that. But now we know there are no days in heaven. We do know that, don't we?

But let's just say they are for the sake of learning something. You walk into heaven, you say, well I know everything, Brother Paul, when I get there. No, you'll know a lot, but you won't know everything.

And that's what makes heaven, that's what keeps heaven from becoming boring. You will spend the rest of eternity marking out an infinite God. And with every new dawn will bring greater measures of the knowledge of God and throw you into greater states of ecstasy and joy.

But not only that, the first day you arrive, grace is lavished upon you. The kindness of God is lavished upon you. You walk through the door and the kindness of God in front of all of creation is poured forth on you.

And all of creation looks at what you were, what God has made you and the kindness he is bestowing on you on that day. And they go, now we understand who God is. And they fall down and they worship God because of his kindness to you.

And then day two. Day two, we all wake up, you get up and all of heaven once again turns its eyes toward you and waits. What will God do to this one today? And then God comes with a greater measure of kindness and a greater measure of grace and a greater measure of beauty and love and douses you with it.

He lavishes it upon you. And there they go again. All principalities and powers and mights and dominions fall down and worship God because of his goodness revealed to them through what he does to you.

That is why angels, the most spectacular, long to look at the things that have been ordained for you. Now, I wanted to say that before we got to the Song of Solomon, let's go there now. How then should we be?

Longing for Christ as the Bride Longs for the Bridegroom

If your Christianity is marked by rule keeping and nothing more, then this has nothing to do with you. Or maybe it does. Maybe you will learn tonight that Christianity is much more than rule keeping. I hope to take some of you back to what has horribly been called your honeymoon with Jesus.

You know, someone gets saved and they're all excited and we say, well, that's just a honeymoon period. I remember the first time someone told me that I should have known at that moment I was going to have trouble with my mouth the rest of my Christian life.

He said, well, this is just your honeymoon period. One day you'll be like us. And I said, I hope God kills me before I'm like you. Verse 16 of chapter four, Awake, O North Wind. Now, this is the this is the girl speaking.

Awake, O North Wind and come wind of the south. Make my garden breathe out fragrance. Let its spices be wafted abroad. May my beloved come into his garden and eat his choice fruits. This little girl and I'll refer to her in that way.

This is not a wealthy princess. This is not some woman of means. This is a simple girl. And what is her greatest desire? Her greatest desire is to draw the king. Her greatest desire is for him to come.

Her greatest desire is when he is walking down the path that he will turn and look to her. Oh, she knows he's great. She knows he's something. She knows all about him. But her one desire is that he will just stop and glance her way.

Remember last night when I spoke about how God, his heart beats faster with every glance from your eye. Well, here we see something very, very special. Here is the bride. Here is the church. And her only desire is to catch his eye.

Do you remember when you were a brand new Christian? Now, some of you won't even know what I'm talking about, and it could be evidence that you've never come to know him. But you remember when you were a brand new Christian and the only thing you wanted was to catch his eye?

You would pray. You would cry out to him. If anything of service or any opportunity came to do something in the name of Jesus, you would want to do it. No matter how great or how small, you just wanted to be involved.

And you hoped that with all the things that you did, you hoped that you would, you would, you know, sense his pleasure on your life, that he would turn your way, that he would look at you. You didn't desire anything else.

It just seemed that you were consumed with this one passion that he might look your way, that he might send a smile your way, that he might say, it is well, that he might just look at you. I'm amazed.

Seeking the Father's Attention and Christ's Approval

And fathers, this is a word for you. When I go to the playground with my little boy, usually I'm the only dad there. The other boys are all there with their mom. And it's amazing. When I begin to play with my little boy, that all the other little boys that are there at the playground run over to me because I'm a man and they say, sir, watch me.

I can do that, too, sir. Watch me. Watch me, sir, because I can do that, too. The only thing they want because their dad's not giving it to them and their dads will pay dearly, and so will the child. The only thing they want is for me to look, swing off monkey bars, half kill themselves on the trapeze, whatever it takes, but just look my way, sir.

That's all I want is that glance from you. I remember when I was a new Christian, and I hope you do, too, when all I wanted, you know, was, you know, I'd pray, just, oh Lord, just a sense of your presence.

And sometimes you'd feel His presence and you'd just think that you were the most special person on the face of the earth, that He had done something with you He didn't do with anybody ever. And then I would get in church.

I remember my first activity, first ministry ever given to me in a church. I, you know, I thought, well, the preacher will ask me to teach or preach or something. And he said, you're from a farm, aren't you?

I said, yeah. He goes, you know how to build a fence? I said, yeah, go out to the ballpark and build a fence. And I can remember going out there and just building that fence. You know, the only thing was, you know, Jesus, look at my fence.

I made this fence for you. Look at me, Lord. I'm having my quiet time. It wasn't a thing of works. It wasn't a thing of trying to earn. No, I just wanted Him to see me. I just wanted Him to look my way.

I just wanted that hand on the shoulder. I would have died a thousand deaths for that. Maybe that's the only ambition we should ever have. This little girl stands there and she goes, oh, come winds of the north and southeast and west, whichever will find my beloved.

Take this, this thing I have. I made this little garden. Now take it and blow it towards Him that He might know and that He might come and that He might take from me. The only thing she wanted to do was give everything she had to Him and she would be happy.

Do you remember when you felt that? Oh, I hope you do. Do you remember those days? Now here's the amazing thing. Verse 1. I have come into my garden. This is the bridegroom, my sister, my bride. I have gathered my mirth along with my balsam.

I have eaten my honeycomb and my honey. I have drunk my wine and my milk. Now here's something very interesting. In verse 16, it's her garden that she made. In verse 1, he claims it as his own. He takes it.

Offering Our Small Gifts to Christ

You say, well, what's so big about that? Don't you understand? This is the King. This King has thousands of gardens. He has thousands, maybe tens of thousands of men doing nothing but working in the royal gardens and making them one of the great wonders of the world.

What does He need with a puny little garden of some little girl? But you see, this King is different. Oh, this King is different. There's none like this King. He's the one among ten thousand. He takes it.

He takes it. That's one of the most beautiful things in the world to me. Maybe I'm not making myself clear, but it's one of the most beautiful things in the world to me. I'm never going to be big. I'm probably never going to do great things.

When I die, my name will die with me, just like millions and millions of other servants of God. I have nothing to offer someone like Him. I have nothing worthy. I just have a little garden. And there's all these other men out there that have these gardens that are just so much bigger than mine.

What's somebody like me to do? I'll tell you what someone like me should do. Take that little garden of mine and hand it over to Him, and He will claim it as His own. He will not despise it. I know of wealthy, strong, proud men who own everything.

And if you were to, if some little peasant were to walk up to them and hand them a little crocheted napkin or something that they had made, they'd say, you know, value does this have? But Jesus is not that way.

Dear Saint, everything that you offer to Him out of a sincere heart, He will take it and call it His own. Oh, this is a feeble prayer. How can I offer it to Him? Everything I have is feeble. Why not offer it?

He is a gracious master. Oh, this ministry of mine, it is such a tiny thing. It is just so silly itinerant preacher running around the country. What am I to do? Give it to Him and He will take it. You say, well, you know, I'm a janitor in the church, right?

I cut the lawn here at the church. I was out there today with the guy cutting the lawn. You've got the coolest tractor I've ever seen. You can spin that thing on a diamond. I almost hit somebody's car in the parking lot.

Have you never read that even a cup of cold water given to a disciple because he is a disciple, you will not lose your reward? That I so encourage you. You know, so much of our lives are governed by fear.

The fear of man is a snare. But also our lives are governed by the fear of rejection. There is so much we don't do because we think what we do doesn't matter and that it will not be received. But that is not the case with him.

The smallest thing, he takes it and he calls it his home. You say, what's the Christian reward? That's it. He took it. That is the reward. He took it. He esteemed it. He took it. Now, he says in verse one, eat friends, drink and imbibe deeply, O lovers.

A Passionate Church Draws Others to Christ

Although this is a relationship between two people, an intimate relationship, it is amazing that when this intimate relationship is as it should be, when she is passionately, when the church is passionately in love with Christ and Christ, of course, always passionately in love with his church.

And when the one believer is passionately in love with Jesus, it just seems to overflow with joy to so many other people. So many other people are brought in. You don't need hype in this church. You don't need entertainment in this church.

You don't need to turn this church into a six flags over Jesus. Fall in love with Jesus Christ and that will flow out into other people. Passionately seek him and that will flow out into others and it will bring others in.

What do you know about that church, great preacher? Oh, praise to God. They never say that. Pray to God. They say, oh, there's such a passion. There's such a passionate love for Christ. Such a passionate love for him.

And I went there and I was just brought into, sucked up into the joy, you know, kind of like when you go to a wedding and you don't even know if you're really supposed to be there, but there's so much joy and there's so much life.

You just get caught up into it and you forget you're not even related to anybody. It is that sort of thing. Basically, most churches in America are lawless. They're without discipline. There's no church discipline.

That's why there's just ungodliness runs rampant. And the name of God is blasphemed because of unconverted church members and all sorts of things. And when I preach those things, people think of me as someone who will be, you know, very strict and very this and very that and very proper and very solemn.

I am completely the opposite. I hope to be like my Lord, who at times spoke about God and the wrath of God and the holiness of God. And men were afraid to walk with Him. And yet at other times, speaking about other things, children ran to Him.

There is a real sense in which this church needs to stand up as a lighthouse and preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and preach the attributes of God. And if those things are not enough to draw men, then nothing will do any good.

But at the same time, when they walk in here, there should be an overwhelming sense of people who are in love with Jesus Christ. So many churches have, you know, you can go in, you can tell that this is a Bible church.

This is a Bible church. I preach in Bible churches. What are Bible churches? Man, they're scholars. It's just the Word, the Word, the Word, the Word. And when you walk in church, everybody's just looking down at their Bible.

And then there's the charismatics. And they're over there, you know, jumping through hoops and doing everything that they think they need to do in the name of the Holy Spirit. And then there's this evangelistic church and this church and that church.

What you need to be church is a church that preaches biblical messages from the Word of God, but people who do not hold preaching to be the end, but a transformed life of people who love Jesus Christ.

And if you love Jesus Christ, you'll love everybody else. You'll love everybody else. And other people will be brought in to your joy. Now we go to verse 2. I was asleep, but my heart was awake. A voice, my beloved, was knocking, open to be my sister, my darling, my dove, my perfect one, for my head is drenched with dew and my locks with the damp of the night.

Christ's Tender Regard for His Church

Now, first of all, here again is the lover, the man. And look at the way he sees her. My darling, my dove, my perfect one. How does Christ see the church, the true church of Jesus Christ? Not the membership role, the church.

How does he see the church? Exactly this way. If you are a Christian, how does he see you? Exactly this way. In terms of endearment, in terms of love, in terms of purity, this is how he sees you because he has done a work on your behalf.

And another thing that you need to realize, here he comes at the watch of the night, at the hour least expected, at the hour least expected. Sometimes I'm preaching and I have great, great fear when I preach or when I go to a place.

It's like Duncan Campbell preaching about the Great Hebrides revival. The first thing he says in the message is, I want you to know that Duncan Campbell did not bring revival to the Greater Hebrides. Revival doesn't ride on the back of a man.

Revival comes as a sovereign work of God when Jesus Christ walks in the door. And so many times we try to plan things and get people motivated in so many things, but Jesus Christ doesn't walk in the door.

And he usually walks in the door at the hour least and an hour least convenient for the believer and for the church. That's why sometimes I have trouble with the idea of quiet time. To me, quiet time is like putting my wife in a closet and bringing her out 20 minutes a day to talk to her and then putting her back in the closet.

Jesus, didn't you already had my quiet time? Jesus, we had the revival last week. No, you had meetings last week. I wasn't there, so it wasn't a revival. Are you constantly a lover watching, watching, watching?

This little girl, man, when she first met this guy, if she even heard that he was going to be walking through the market, she'd say, Mom, I'm going to buy eggs. She'd walk around that market a thousand times in the heat of the day just hoping to catch one glimpse of his eye.

Lord, I'll turn that TV off. Would you come? Lord, I think I heard you call my name. It's four in the morning. Did you call, Lord? Speak. Speak, Lord. I'm waiting. I'm waiting. A true man or woman of prayer is someone who waits.

They hear no voice. They hear no sound. They do not speak much. They wait. But here we see something else. Verse 3, I have taken off my dress. How can I put it on again? I have watched my feet. How can I dirty them again?

Oh my, this is you. When you were a brand new Christian, maybe felt the leadership of the Holy Spirit to read your Bible or to pray, to turn away from the world and things. It wasn't even hard. I mean, you didn't have to have a mystical experience.

It's what you wanted to do. You wanted to read your Bible. You wanted to pray. You wanted to be around other believers and all sorts of things. And now your life is so filled with activity, maybe even church activity.

Your life is so filled with so many things, both religious and secular, worldly and carnal. And your life is filled with so many things. And Jesus stands at the door and knocks. And by the way, if there's any evangelists here, stop using that verse out of context, because it's a verse to the church, not to the unregenerate.

You say, well, it's good, but that still doesn't give you the right to twist it out of its context. Behold, I stand at the door and I knock. And there was a time if you would have heard him knocking at your door, you would have jumped out of bed so fast.