Hungry Hearts

Morning everyone. I hope you're well. It's great to see you today. Great to meet some people for the first time today as well.

! My name is Graeme and I'm the pastor of the church here and it's just lovely to have you with us.

If you have a Bible then please turn to the Song of Songs. We're going to be taking in

chapters 6 from 6-4 to 8-4 today. Is that right David? We've got that? We've got that.

And it's brilliant. So please come there. We're going to read this in about 10 minutes time. David's going to come and read that for us as we get into it.

But I thought it'd be helpful, like we've done most weeks, just to have a little run-up so that we can kind of understand what we're going to read together from God's Word.

So, as we get into this theme today, talking of golden oldies, Bruce Springsteen, the boss, released a song at the beginning of the 80s,

the title of which so wonderfully captures the essence of what we're thinking about today in the Song of Songs.

Springsteen's song is about the deep-seated restlessness and always searching nature that exists inside human beings.

And do you know what he called the song? He called the song, Everybody's Got a Hungry Heart.

Do I love that metaphor? Is that not so relatable? Everybody's got a hungry heart.

And we recognise the metaphor. We relate to the metaphor because we are, as human beings, we are creatures of desire.

We yearn, we search, we think, we feel, we long, we smile, we cry.

And here's the thing. God didn't need to make us like that.

You know, I often play a game in my head and it's called this.

It's called, Imagine the World God Could Have Made.

I'd like you to play it with me this morning.

Imagine the world God could have made.

He could have made a world with one colour.

Right? We'd all be like John Wayne walking about in a black and white Western movie.

One colour.

God could have made a world with one type of food.

And because of that, a world where there was only one flavour.

Okay?

Just imagine how boring potluck dinners would be with one food and one flavour.

God could have made a world where there was just one smell.

God could have created a world where there was just one species of birds.

God could have created a world where there was one type of flavour.

God could have created a world where there was one type of weather.

but what we discover about this God when you come to the pages of the Bible

is that there is a reason that he didn't.

God made a world with such breathtaking variety and diversity

in order to communicate to us something of the reality of who he is

and his beauty as the triune God, Father, Son and Spirit.

And if you think about human beings,

he could have made a world where all of us were just C-3PO's.

Have you ever thought about that?

Could have made us all robots.

He could have done this whole gig, this whole world with ChatGBT.

Couldn't he?

Computers do words well better than we do.

Computers are reliable way more than we are.

God could have created a world like that.

We were all robots.

But this God chose to create human beings with desires.

And what we're going to see is although those desires have been disordered

and tainted by the fall,

we have to understand that they are not the result of the fall.

Particularly those desires for love and romance,

which is what this series has really been all about.

Which begs the question, does it not?

Considering the world God could have made.

It begs the question, why?

Now all the way through this series we've talked about turning down the world's song

and turning up God's song in the Song of Songs.

Because into our world right now, our hyper-individualized culture,

if you remember way back at the first one of these,

we thought about our culture today.

The song that it's singing is saying,

Feelings are king.

The world song right now is,

You decide.

You decide who you want to be.

And if it feels good,

then who is anyone else to come along and tell you that it's wrong?

Do it.

And the inbuilt assumption, isn't it,

with all that stuff,

is that our desires, particularly our romantic ones,

the things that we want are always right.

And maybe a question for you to think about today,

wherever you're coming at this from,

we love that you're here,

is how do you know?

You know, here's non-Christian columnist,

Christine Emba,

she's writing for the Washington Post 2017,

in an article that she called it,

Is It Time to Rethink Sex?

She wrote this, it's on the screen.

Is it time to pursue the theory

that sex possibly has a deeper significance

than just recreation?

I love those moments

when society kind of catches up with scripture,

because that's precisely what our creator

has been telling us since the beginning,

that when it comes to our desires,

there's something bigger going on.

And there's something bigger

that's on offer that we need to see.

God designed human sexuality

as is expressed in the marriage

between one man and one woman,

designed it so that we'd understand

what it is to self-give yourself to a spouse,

so that we would see that those desires

are but a faint echo

of and a massive pointer to

the love that Jesus has for the church.

And that's the meaning of the cosmos.

It's why we're here today.

We're swept up into this story.

It's all wrapped up in the purpose of the universe.

And see, when you understand

it against that bigger backdrop,

here's what I think this tells us loud and clear.

It means that we can know

that we're so much more

than our relationship status.

We are so much more than our marital prospects.

We are so much more,

if I can put it like this,

than our sex lives.

We were made to revere

and know somebody

infinitely more interesting

than ourselves.

I turned 40 the other day

when I told people that

it was almost as if

welcome to the boring club.

And do you know what?

I'm okay with that.

I'm okay with that.

Do you know why?

Because I think

the one thing God has taught me

over the years is that,

that I was made to know somebody

infinitely way more interesting than me.

Because I'm not all that interesting.

But come to the God of the Bible

and you find a God

who is infinitely interesting,

fascinating,

beautiful,

wonderful.

And it's Him

that we are designed to know.

You and I were made, friends,

to know

the God

who delights

in us.

And in turn,

this is what we're going to see today.

We were made

to delight in

and desire

Him.

And that's what we're going to hear today

in this song.

In the voices of this man

and the woman

who are singing to us

in the Song of Songs.

If you're joining us

for the first time,

we are in the

wisdom section

of our

Bibles.

which is all about

how to live

in God's way,

in God's world,

for His glory

and for our good.

It's wisdom.

And we've journeyed

with this couple

as it were

from their first date,

through their wedding day,

through a cold spell

in the relationship.

And now today

we're going to see

their love for each other

continue to blossom.

And here,

as we just hear it read,

here's two things

I want you to look for

here in His voice.

Listen for how

He describes

how in His eyes

this woman

is utterly unique.

And in turn,

listen for how

in her voice

she responds

in love

to His

all-out pursuit

of her.

So David is going to come now

and we're going to read this together

beginning at 6,

chapter 4

and then we're going to get

into it together.

So David,

over to you.

My name is David

and I have the privilege

of being a member here.

Just before we read this,

I would just like to pray.

Father,

we just thank you again

for your word.

It's so precious

and we just ask that

as we read it,

your spirit

might be with us

and that we might

just hear your voice.

It's being read,

it's being

talked about

just so that

there's a message

for each one of us.

A personal message.

None left out.

And we just ask

for each one of our hearts

that we might just

hear your voice

and hear this message

for us.

and just be with Graham too

as he seeks to

open up this passage.

Sometimes some of the

words and the imagery

is difficult to understand

but we just ask

that your spirit

might be with him

to give him the words

and to give him the message

and to open it up

in clarity

for each one of us

so that we understand

more

the wonderful love

that you have for us

and that the experience

we can have

of a relationship

with yourself.

We just ask this

in your name.

Amen.

We're in the Song of Songs

Song of Solomon 6 · chapter mention

chapter 6

and verse 4

and that's

page 684

in the Pew Bibles.

Starts in verse 4.

This is the

bridegroom speaking.

You are as beautiful

as Terzah my darling

as lovely

as Jerusalem

as majestic

as troops

with banners.

Turn your eyes

from me

they overwhelm me

your hair

is like a flock

of goats

descending from Gilead

your teeth

are like a flock

of sheep

coming up

from the washing

each has its twin

not one of them

is missing

your temples

behind your veil

are like the halves

of a pomegranate

sixty queens

there may be

and eighty concubines

and virgins

beyond number

but my dove

my perfect one

is unique

the only daughter

of her mother

the favourite

of the one

who bore her

the young woman

saw her

and called her

blessed

the queens

and the concubines

praised her

who is this

that appears

like the dawn

fair as the moon

bright as the sun

majestic

as the stars

and processing

I went down

to the grove

of nut trees

to look

at the new growth

in the valley

to see if the vines

had budded

or the pomegranates

were in bloom

before I realised it

my desire

set me upon

the royal chariots

of my people

come back

come back

oh Shulamite

come back

come back

that we may gaze

on you

why would you gaze

on the Shulamite

as in the dance

of Mahanaim

how beautiful

your shrandled feet

told Prince's daughter

your graceful legs

are like jewels

the work

of an artist's hands

your navel

is a rounded goblet

that never lacks

blended wine

your waist

is a mound of wheat

encircled by lilies

your breasts

are like two fawns

like twin fawns

of a gazelle

your neck

is like an ivory tower

your eyes

are the pools

of Heshbon

by the gate

of Bathraben

your nose

is like the tower

of Lebanon

looking towards Damascus

your head

crowns you

like Mount Carmel

your hair

is like royal tapestry

the king

is held captive

by its tresses

how beautiful

you are

and how pleasing

my love

with your delights

your stature

is like that

of the palm

and your breasts

like clusters of fruit

I said

I will climb

the palm tree

I will take hold

of its fruit

may your breasts

be like clusters

of grapes

and the vine

the fragrance

of your breath

like apples

and your mouth

like the best wine

may the wine

go straight

to my beloved

flowing gently

over lips

and teeth

I belong

to my beloved

and his desire

is for me

come my beloved

let us go

to the countryside

let us spend

the night

in the villages

let us go

early to the vineyards

to see if the vines

have budded

if their blossoms

have opened

and if the

pomegranates

are in bloom

there I will

give you my love

the mandrakes

sent out their

fragrance

and at our door

is every delicacy

both new

and old

and I have

stored up for you

my beloved

if only you were

to me like a brother

who was nursed

at my mother's breasts

then

if I find you

outside

I would kiss you

and no one

would despise me

I would lead you

and bring you

to my mother's house

she who has taught me

I would give you

spiced wine to drink

the nectar

of my pomegranates

his left arm

is under my head

and his right arm

embraces me

daughters of Jews

whom I charge you

do not arouse

or awaken love

until it so desires

it's the word of the Lord

okay thanks so much David

so folks

here's what we're

going to do

I just want to pick

out one big theme

that captures

the essence

of his song

over her

and then in turn

I want us to think

about one big theme

that captures

the essence

of her song

over him

so

beginning with

his song

here's the theme

really simply

is I want

all of you

and this is the

inverse isn't it

of remember that

Chesney Hawk song

that we still sing

all the time

he's saying

you are the one

and only

that's what he's

saying isn't it

you are the one

and only

picking it up

at verse 4

of chapter 6

and hear him

celebrate the

renewed togetherness

that he and his

wife have just

experienced

and he's going

with the compliments

isn't he

so you are as

beautiful as

Tisra

and Jerusalem

my love

so these are the

these are the

two prominent

Israelite cities

cities

and what's

going on here

what he's saying

is you wow

me

right I remember

cities they

they often have

that effect on us

as human beings

don't they I

remember taking

off from a

couple of years

ago from New

York airport

and just being

struck by the

sheer size and

the vastness of

New York as it

hits you right

there and that

Alicia Keys song

comes to mind

these streets will

make you feel

brand new big

lights will inspire

you we get this

stuff we get the

wow factor that

comes with cities

that's kind of

what's going on

here and he's

saying it's your

beauty is almost

overwhelming I

have to turn away

and I love it it

was Keita who

pointed out to me

just how specific

he is with his

compliments did you

notice that your

hair your teeth

your cheeks and

see him sum up at

verse 9 he says

60 queens 80

concubines so I

think what he's

doing is he's

saying the world

is not short of

woman but to me

you are not simply

a woman you are

the woman and you

are utterly unique

did you pick that

up in his voice

and then if you

jump over to

chapter 7 his

kind of song

breaks for a bit

and then he goes

back we get more

of his song he

goes your belly

your breasts your

neck your eyes and

you'd be right in

thinking that we've

kind of heard this

stuff before but

before we label him

uncreative and write

him off as a picks

up flowers from the

petrol station just

before he gets home

on his anniversary

kind of guy understand

that what he's saying

to her is all these

beauties I still see

them in you but more

than that verse 4 he

says do you notice

your nose your head

crowns you like

caramel and the the

reference to purple

there conveys this

idea of royalty how

beautiful and pleasant

you are verse 9 your

scent your mouth your

scent your mouth do you

see it this is brand

new material and what

he's conveying is that

he sees as well as

the beauties that have

always captured his

eyes and his heart

is that he sees now new

beauties in her because

he knows her so much

better and there's a

side application there

isn't there firstly for

those of us who are

married and it's to make

our spouses our lifelong

phd project what new

beauties do you notice

in them they don't need

to necessarily be

physical I take it they

could be character

compliments I see you

growing in patience I

see how you're being a

good friend to so many

people I see how you're

sacrificing yourself for

the kids I see how you're

responding to work in a

different way than you

did previously when you

look at them how do you

see the spirit at work in

their lives but the same

as we brought the same

principle we brought

out applies to our

church family as well

because our culture has

made an idol of romantic

love but the truth we

need to hear is that we

don't have to be

romantically involved with

or in love with someone to

experience what true love

is because the love that

God creates and he calls

us together to exhibit

this love within the

people of God is a

species of love that is

found nowhere else in the

world and why is that it

is because it's a love that

comes from above you know a

church we're loving

appreciation of each other

that we notice the little

things when that is the

norm that is going to be

wildly attractive to a

world out there who really

knows nothing of this so who

could you be thanking

specifically this morning

what could you be appreciating

in someone else this morning

a brother and sister who

served you in this church

you know his view of her is

that she is utterly unique

and that means that his love

for her is totally exclusive

and that's marriage love

according to God's good

design as we see it here in

his wisdom portion of his

word and as we look upon the

way of wisdom here I realize

friends that for so many of us

this hasn't been our

experience personally maybe

it's something that you've

viewed in your family or

whatever and you have been

much in my prayers constantly

this week that the Holy

Spirit would be particularly

near to you bringing you a

very sense very real sense of

Jesus's love for you and his

hold on you and his knowledge

of your life in all its ups

and downs maybe for some of us

this might be a really timely

reminder about how seriously

we should take exclusivity

that you don't look at other

people the way that you do

your spouse whether in real life

or maybe particularly in the

culture and in the day in which

we live online friends let me

say in love as your pastor do

not let porn torpedo your

marriage and steal from you the

love that's at the center of your

relationships and your

friendships if the snake of

porn has slithered its way

subtly into your life you've got

to do all that you can to get out

of it and if that means telling

someone this morning can I

encourage you to do the brave and

the right thing because the devil

will do anything to help to convince

you that the darkness is the safer

place to live your life and Jesus

would call you out of that into his

marvelous light and freedom

you know we all long for

faithfulness

it's the thing that we seek in all

our important relationships in our

communities it's the thing that we

even want in our governments you

know my brother is in finance and

that's why he often tells me that a

good day in the markets is a stable

day in the markets that's why mr

trump is still causing headaches all

over the world isn't he

you can work with stability you know

where you are with stability and

that's exactly what he's saying about

his love for her it is exclusive it is

fiercely loyal and it will fight to

have love right at the center

and if that's the theme of his song

all I want is you the reciprocating

theme of her song is you have all of

me and if you look at verse 13 see

that hole and maybe you notice it

there it's quite striking isn't it the

whole come back come back shulamite

language and presumably shulamite is

most likely a reference to just where

she's from

that could just be another indicator

that's showing us that she's still

feeling a little bit insecure unsure

doesn't really want know what to do

with this love and attention

but notice the directional language

that you get at verse 10 and if you

remember one verse from this section

remember this

notice the directional language what is it

that changes the game for her

it is the knowledge of how secure and

how firm and how exclusive and how loyal

his desire is for her

and what that does is stir a response

within her of love and desire for him

and the Hebrew word there for desire

it's only used two other places in the

Old Testament

one of which is Genesis 3

so you get in that scene as Eve eats the

the fruit from the forbidden tree and God

lays out to Adam and Eve the consequences for

their sin and rebellion

one of those things is going to be that

their desires are going to be inverted

so Eve will now seek to desire and possess

Adam and in turn Adam will attempt to rule over

her

so rather than love being self-giving

a result of the fall is that love is now going to be

self-serving and there's going to be friction and there's going to be tension

and this as we read Genesis 3 is desire gone wrong

and by the time you get to Genesis 4 and we meet Cain

the same word is used there

when God says to Cain sin is crouching at your door

its desire is to master you

have you

so desire in Genesis 3 and 4 is about turning away from God

and turning inward towards sin and self-worship

but notice see if you look at chapter 7 verses 10 to 13

just have a look at it there

scan your eyes over it

notice the echoes of Eden

notice the Garden of Eden imagery

do you see it?

vineyards

vines

blossoms

mandrakes

delicacies

life in Eden pre-sin

so what I think this is telling us is that what we have here with this couple

unlike Adam and Eve

is desire made right

and so at verse 3 we take them in being eye to eye

we need to see how the power of his embrace

stirs something deep within her

to the point where she implores her friends

not to awaken love until the time is right

she's saying don't settle for anything less than this

and the fact that that is the third time that this refrain has cropped up in this song

should awaken us to the fact that God in his perfect wisdom

is trying to communicate something to us

that he knows we so desperately need to hear

because friends we are poor captains of our own ships

we are poor stewards of our own identities

we are poor objects of our worship

maybe you're feeling the pain of misdirected and unmet desires today

even as I speak and as we read this together

there is wonderful hope for all of us

but maybe particularly for you this morning

as we take in this

because as we take in his desire for her

we need to know that there was another man in the Bible who came

desiring a bride

and his name is Jesus

he came to earth

for his bride

he lived a perfect life

to win his bride

he died on the cross to redeem

and cleanse his bride

from all our mistakes

all our sin

and all our shame

Christ came

seeking a bride

and so as we gaze at this woman

and hear her tell us

that it was the safe knowledge of how secure

his desire was for her

that brought out this reciprocal love for him

here's what we need to know today

that if you're a Christian here today

we can look on Christ

and we can savour the fact

that his desire

is for us

God's plan

since the found

before the foundation of the world

has been to call out

and create

a people for himself

call them out of the world

God's plan has always been to call out a people

and to have them know

and savour the fact

that they are a bride

and to have that bride

as she takes in the love

of the bridegroom for her

to have that bride

absolutely gush in affection

for the groom

and that's exactly where this points us

to the gospel

and to how wonderful our king is

and his desire for us

and his love for us

and his exclusive affection for us

no matter how you're feeling here today

if you're feeling weak in your faith

if you're feeling discouraged

if you're feeling disheartened

if you're feeling really, really sad

then take in your groom's love

for you

you know just as we close

and maybe to try and

set this up

for where we're going to finish next week

as we finish this little series

please come back for it

but here's a thought for you

do you know that there's only two types of people

in this world that read a will

can you think who they are

I remember this from my time

studying law at university

there's only two types of people

that read a will

here's the first type of person

it's the lawyer

and to them reading a will

is really just doing a job

simply being paid to interpret

and execute words on a page

right

I've got a lot of friends

who work in succession

in the states

and that's what they tell you

they just keep on coming

I'm not really getting excited

about a will

I'm just executing

delivering

passing on the information

I'm just doing my job

but there's a second type of person

who reads a will

it's an heir

and to them reading a will

it's not just a job

it's not just words on a page

it's a promise

and it's a promise

about what's coming to them

at some point in the future

and how about how

what's coming to them

at some point in the future

totally changes

how they live today

in anticipation of the thing

that's coming to them

and Fred's God

would want us to read this

not as a lawyer would

but as an heir would

about all his promises

in scripture

have you ever thought about

that's how we should read them

we should read them

as an heir

looking at a will

thinking about this

is what the future holds

you see now we know

the one who desires us

by faith

through the power

of the spirit

but this is particularly

what we're going to think

about next week

see when he returns

we will no longer

know him by faith

we will no longer

know our groom

by faith

as we read his words

as we meet him

through the power

of his spirit

we will know him then

by sight

I belong to my beloved

and his desire

is for me

let me pray

and so father

we thank you

for the gospel

this morning

thank you

for the message

about the

all pursuing

loving

Jesus

thank you

that we can

read this

and know

that the church

those who

put their faith

in Jesus

truly are

the apple

of his eye

and so father

I pray

that as

this

word of yours

this morning

as it touches

lord

our hearts

in different ways

I pray

father

that by your spirit

that you may be

bringing healing

and that you

would be bringing

certainty

lord

that you would be

bringing conviction

and challenge

but father

most of all

you would bring us

that knowledge

of our saviour

and his love

for us

father

we thank you

for each other

today

that we do not

journey this

Christian life

alone

but we journey

together

and so father

as we move

to a time

of communion

in just a few

moments

lord

may the sweetness

of what Jesus

has done

for us

come home

maybe in

a fresh

reality today

father we thank

you for your love

for us

and we pray

now that you

would continue

to be with us

by your spirit

in Jesus's name

we ask

amen