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SONG OF SOLOMON

"THE CHURCH"

Intro: This is a book of marital love, a couple very much in love describe
       each  other, and their feelings for each other. The Jews saw it as
       their  relationship to God. The Church sees it as describing its
       relationship to  Christ. In 6:10 the bridegroom describes the
       bride.

I. "WHO IS SHE THAT LOOKETH FORTH AS THE MORNING?"
        A. The church lives today in world of darkness.
                1. Moral and spiritual corruption on all sides.
                        a. Educational system has adopted the philosophy
                           that God does not exist that all things evolved
                           from ameba through processes of chance and that
                           man is nothing more than highly evolved animal.
                        b. Judicial system has given over to philosophy
                           that criminals are to be corrected, not
                           punished and have become more interested in
                           protecting their rights than the innocent
                           victims.
                        c. Man given to philosophy of lawlessness. Do what
                           you want, just don't get caught.
                        d. Result is the moral chaos on all sides.
        B. Israel in Isaiah's day was going through a similar moral
           crisis - put on sackcloth and lamented, "awake, awake put on
           strength O arm of the Lord."
                1. God said, "I have not been sleeping, but you have been
                   asleep to my plans."
                2. The church has clothed herself in sackcloth and sadly
                   lament the corrupts world scene.
                        a. We should put on our bridal gown and point the
                           world toward the eastern sky.
        C. The church's strength lies in her hope.
                1. The weakness lies in the loss of vision.
                2. This is a purifying hope "Beloved now are we..."
                3. This is a strengthening hope, "and this hope machete
                   not ashamed."
                4. Peter tells of unbelief in promise of Christ's return
                   that will come in last days. 
                        "In the last days scoffers will come..."
                5. The darker the days, the brighter our hope, the
                   greater our message.

II. "FAIR AS THE MOON" THE CHURCH TOWARD THE WORLD."
        A. The world no longer sees the Son of God.
                "The world seeth me no more."
                1. The church is a living witness that He is not dead,
                   but still shines.
                2. As the moon we reflect the light of the departed
                   sun, bearing witness that it is still shining.
                3. Lifted above the world we can see what they do not see.

III. "CLEAR AS THE SUN" THE CHURCH TOWARD HER LORD."
        A. Our burning devotion toward Christ.
        B. Pure or clear as the sun is how He sees His bride.
                1. Perfected in His righteousness.
                        a. "Pure as He is pure."

IV. TERRIBLE AS AN ARMY WITH BANNERS" THE CHURCH TOWARD THE ENEMIES OF
    THE LORD.
        A. The church should be a terror towards evil doers.
                1. Those getting rich from selling drugs should be in
                   great fear of the church.
                        a. Not that we are going to bear arms and
                           apprehend.
                        b. We seek to Christianize their customers.
                2. Herein lies weakness in church today.
                        a. Compromise with evil.
                        b. Sometimes cooperating with evil.