THE CHASE Part III

THE CHASE

(Part III)

The God Chasers Reward

        I.  EVERY ONE CHASES SOMETHING

1.     Blessing Chasers

John 6:24-27

²⁴ when the people therefore saw that Jesus was not there, nor His disciples, they also got into boats and came to Capernaum, seeking Jesus. ²⁵ And when they found Him on the other side of the sea, they said to Him, “Rabbi, when did You come here?” ²⁶ Jesus answered them and said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled. ²⁷ Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him.”

·         Self-motivated

·         All in if there is something to gain

·         Not in if no benefit

·         Can’t endure much persecution

·         Can easily be tempted with other blessings

2.     Pleasure Chasers

Exodus 32:1-6

Now when the people saw that Moses delayed coming down from the mountain, the people gathered together to Aaron, and said to him, “Come, make us gods that shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.” ² And Aaron said to them, “Break off the golden earrings which are in the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.” ³ So all the people broke off the golden earrings which were in their ears, and brought them to Aaron. ⁴ And he received the gold from their hand, and he fashioned it with an engraving tool, and made a molded calf. Then they said, “This is your god, O Israel, that brought you out of the land of Egypt!” ⁵ So when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it. And Aaron made a proclamation and said, “Tomorrow is a feast to the Lord.” ⁶ Then they rose early on the next day, offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.

·         Seldom grateful

·         Never Satisfied

·         Can’t see the good things God is doing

·         Quick to get mad at God

·         Quick to embrace self-pity

3.     Law (Standard) Chasers

2 Cor. 3:5-6

⁵ Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God, ⁶ who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life

Luke 13:10-16

¹⁰ Now He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. ¹¹ And behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bent over and could in no way raise herself up. ¹² But when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him and said to her, “Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity.” ¹³ And He laid His hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God. ¹⁴ But the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath; and he said to the crowd, “There are six days on which men ought to work; therefore come and be healed on them, and not on the Sabbath day.” ¹⁵ The Lord then answered him and said, “Hypocrite! Does not each one of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or donkey from the stall, and lead it away to water it? ¹⁶ So ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound—think of it—for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath?”

John 5:37-39

³⁷ And the Father Himself, who sent Me, has testified of Me. You have neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His form. ³⁸ But you do not have His word abiding in you, because whom He sent, Him you do not believe. ³⁹ You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me.

      II. THE GOD CHASER 

1.      Their Motive is God

Phil 3:7-10

⁷ But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. ⁸ Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ ⁹ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; ¹⁰ that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death.

2.      Their Desire is God

Psalm 27:1-4

¹ The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid? ²   When the wicked came against me To eat up my flesh, My enemies and foes, They stumbled and fell. ³ Though an army may encamp against me, My heart shall not fear; Though war may rise against me, In this I will be confident. ⁴  One thing I have desired of the Lord, That will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord All the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the Lord, And to inquire in His temple.

3.     Their will is subject to God’s Will

Matthew 26:39

³⁹ He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.”

John 5:30

³⁰ I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me.

4.     They Live for God’s Pleasure

2 Cor. 5:9

⁹ Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. 

    III. THE REWARDS OF A GOD CHASER

1.     They Keep Oil in Their Lamps

Matthew 25:1-12

“Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. ² Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. ³ Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, ⁴ but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. ⁵ But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept. ⁶ “And at midnight a cry was heard: ‘Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!’ ⁷ Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. ⁸ And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ ⁹ But the wise answered, saying, ‘No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.’ ¹⁰ And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut. ¹¹ “Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’ ¹² But he answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.’

2.      Live on Offense Instead of Defense

2 Cor 11:1-3 AMP

I WISH you would bear with me while I indulge in a little [so-called] foolishness. Do bear with me!  2 For I am zealous for you with a godly eagerness and a divine jealousy, for I have betrothed you to one Husband, to present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. 3 But [now] I am fearful, lest that even as the serpent beguiled Eve by his cunning, so your minds may be corrupted and seduced from wholehearted and sincere and pure devotion to Christ. [Gen. 3:4.]

3.      When You Get the Giver You Get the Gifts

Col 2:8-10

⁸ Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. ⁹ For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; ¹⁰ and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.

·         Faith is Confidence in a Person

·         He is the Anointed One

·         The gifts are “Gifts of the Spirit”

·         Truth is a person.  “I am the way the Truth…”

  

Matthew 6:33

³³ But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you

4.     Identity Becomes Settled

Song 2:16

¹⁶ My beloved is mine, and I am his.

YOU SAY

Lauren Daigle

I keep fighting voices in my mind that say I'm not enough
Every single lie that tells me I will never measure up
Am I more than just the sum of every high and every low
Remind me once again just who I am because I need to know
Ooh oh

You say I am loved when I can't feel a thing
You say I am strong when I think I am weak
And you say I am held when I am falling short
And when I don't belong, oh You say I am Yours
And I believe (I)
Oh I believe (I)
What You say of me (I)
I believe

The only thing that matters now is everything You think of me
In You I find my worth, in You I find my identity
Ooh oh

You say I am loved when I can't feel a thing
You say I am strong when I think I am weak
And you say I am held when I am falling short
And when…

5.     You Are Not Easily Moved

Acts 20:22-25

²² And see, now I go bound in the spirit to Jerusalem, not knowing the things that will happen to me there, ²³ except that the Holy Spirit testifies in every city, saying that chains and tribulations await me. ²⁴ But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God. ²⁵ “And indeed, now I know that you all, among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God, will see my face no more.

Song 5:5-8

⁵ I arose to open for my beloved, And my hands dripped with myrrh, My fingers with liquid myrrh, On the handles of the lock. ⁶ I opened for my beloved, But my beloved had turned away and was gone. My heart leaped up when he spoke. I sought him, but I could not find him; I called him, but he gave me no answer. ⁷ The watchmen who went about the city found me. They struck me, they wounded me; The keepers of the walls Took my veil away from me. ⁸ I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, If you find my beloved, That you tell him I am lovesick!

6.     Life Becomes Less Complicated

Mark 4:18-19

¹⁸ Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word, ¹⁹ and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.

7.     You Overwhelm Him

THE CHASE Part II

THE CHASE

Part II

       I. THE SONG

1.      An Allegory

a.                   Natural Interpretation – depicts a love story between King Solomon and His Bride.

b.                  Allegorical Interpretation – symbolic story that illustrates the love relationship we have with the Messiah.  (Galatians 4)

c.                   The Facts

·         More commentaries have been written on the Song of Solomon throughout church history than any other book in the Bible, except the book of Romans.

·         This song illustrates the relationship between Jesus and the corporate church (Rev.19: 7-9, 21:9; Eph. 5:23-25; 2 Cor. 11:1-2).

·         This book details many of the God uses to draw us to himself.

·         The Song of Solomon is the greatest song ever written.

2.      The Characters

a.       King Solomon is depicted in the allegorical interpretation as a type of the triumphant resurrected Jesus Christ who is the Lord of Lords and King of Kings. Jesus is the real king. Solomon is only the type.

b.      The Shulamite woman is depicted as a type or a picture of the Bride of Christ who eventually experiences full spiritual maturity.

c.       The “daughters of Jerusalem” are a group that appears regularly throughout the SONG. They are never clearly identified or defined. However, when we study what they say and do throughout the SONG, we learn that they love Jesus, yet never attain to the same degree of intimacy and maturity as the Bride. They are most characterized by a spiritual dullness and passivity and yet they clearly possess an inquisitive and sincere spirit to seek Jesus.

3.      Blown Away  

Song 1:2-3

² Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth—For your love is better than wine.

·         Cry for deeper

·         He is better than the best this world has

4.      The Request

Song 1:4

                  Draw me, we will run after thee:

5.     The Revelation of Weakness

Song 1:5-6

⁵ I am dark, but lovely, O daughters of Jerusalem, Like the tents of Kedar, Like the curtains of Solomon. ⁶ Do not look upon me, because I am dark, Because the sun has tanned me. My mother’s sons were angry with me; They made me the keeper of the vineyards, But my own vineyard I have not kept.

6.      The Desire to be with Him

Song 1:7

Tell me, O you whom I love, where you feed your flock, Where you make it rest at noon. For why should I be as one who veils herself By the flocks of your companions?

7.      The Season of Affirmation

Song 1:8-11

If you do not know, O fairest among women, Follow in the footsteps of the flock, And feed your little goats Beside the shepherds’ tents. ⁹           I have compared you, my love, To my filly among Pharaoh’s chariots. ¹⁰   Your cheeks are lovely with ornaments, Your neck with chains of gold. ¹¹We will make you ornaments of gold With studs of silver.

8.      Settling of Identity

Song 1:12

¹² While the king is at his table, My spikenard sends forth its fragrance.

9.     The Bliss of Encountering the Love of God

Song 2:1-7

I am the rose of Sharon, And the lily of the valleys… ³Like an apple tree among the trees of the woods, So is my beloved among the sons. I sat down in his shade with great delight, And his fruit was sweet to my taste. ⁴ He brought me to the banqueting house, And his banner over me was love. ⁵ Sustain me with cakes of raisins, Refresh me with apples, For I am lovesick… ⁷ I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, By the gazelles or by the does of the field, Do not stir up nor awaken love Until it pleases.

II. THE IMPLICATIONS OF A SETTLED IDENTITY

1.     Provision

2.     Protection

3.     Healing

4.     Revelation

5.     Authority

6.     Access

7.     Success

8.     Jealousy

  III. IDENTITY TESTED

The human tendency is to settle in Identity and simply embrace the comfort. Once the longing of every human heart is satisfied we cease striving. If not careful we will not fulfill our mandate. Jesus won’t let us settle there. He will challenge us to rise up and take territories in his name.

1.     Challenging the place of Comfort

Song 2:8-17

⁸ The voice of my beloved! Behold, he comes Leaping upon the mountains, Skipping upon the hills. ⁹ My beloved is like a gazelle or a young stag. Behold, he stands behind our wall; He is looking through the windows, Gazing through the lattice. ¹⁰ My beloved spoke, and said to me: “Rise up, my love, my fair one, And come away. ¹¹ For lo, the winter is past, The rain is over and gone. ¹²   The flowers appear on the earth; The time of singing has come, And the voice of the turtledove Is heard in our land. The fig tree puts forth her green figs, And the vines with the tender grapes Give a good smell. Rise up, my love, my fair one, And come away!

2.     Rejection due to weakness

Song 2:16-17

¹⁶ My beloved is mine, and I am his. He feeds his flock among the lilies. ¹⁷Until the day breaks And the shadows flee away, Turn, my beloved, And be like a gazelle Or a young stag Upon the mountains of Bether.

 IV. STRATEGIES FOR INTENTIONAL MATURING

1.     A step back

Song 3:1-2

By night on my bed I sought the one I love; I sought him, but I did not find him. ² “I will rise now,” I said, “And go about the city; In the streets and in the squares I will seek the one I love.” I sought him, but I did not find him.

2.     Renewed motivation to pursue

Song 3:3-5

³ The watchmen who go about the city found me; I said, “Have you seen the one I love?” ⁴ Scarcely had I passed by them, When I found the one I love. I held him and would not let him go, Until I had brought him to the house of my mother, And into the chamber of her who conceived me. ⁵ I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, By the gazelles or by the does of the field, Do not stir up nor awaken love Until it pleases.

    V. REVELATION OF A TRUSTWORTHY SAVIOR

1.     He’s strong and capable

Song 3:6-11

⁶ Who is this coming out of the wilderness Like pillars of smoke, Perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, With all the merchant’s fragrant powders? ⁷ Behold, it is Solomon’s couch, With sixty valiant men around it, Of the valiant of Israel…¹¹ Go forth, O daughters of Zion, And see King Solomon with the crown With which his mother crowned him On the day of his wedding, The day of the gladness of his heart.

2.     Prophetic Affirmation

Song 4:1-8

Behold, you are fair, my love! Behold, you are fair! You have dove’s eyes behind your veil. Your hair (Strength) is like a flock of goats, Going down from Mount Gilead. ² Your teeth (Ability to assimilate the Word) are like a flock of shorn sheep Which have come up from the washing, Every one of which bears twins, And none is barren among them. ³ Your lips are like a strand of scarlet, And your mouth (Speech) is lovely. Your temples behind your veil Are like a piece of pomegranate. ⁴ Your neck is like the tower of David, Built for an armory, On which hang a thousand bucklers, All shields of mighty men. ⁵ Your two breasts are like two fawns, Twins of a gazelle, Which feed among the lilies.

3.      Taking Courage

⁶ Until the daybreaks And the shadows flee away, I will go my way to the mountain of myrrh And to the hill of frankincense. ⁷ You are all fair, my love, And there is no spot in you. ⁸ Come with me from Lebanon, my spouse, With me from Lebanon. Look from the top of Amana, From the top of Senir and Hermon, From the lions’ dens, From the mountains of the leopards.

 VI. THE OVERWHELMED GOD

1.     Our affections touch him

Song 4:9-10

⁹ You have ravished my heart, My sister, my spouse; You have ravished my heart With one look of your eyes, With one link of your necklace. ¹⁰ How fair is your love, My sister, my spouse! How much better than wine is your love, And the scent of your perfumes Than all spices! ¹¹ Your lips, O my spouse, Drip as the honeycomb; Honey and milk are under your tongue; And the fragrance of your garments Is like the fragrance of Lebanon.

2.     The deeper commitment

Song 4:16

¹⁶ Awake, O north wind, And come, O south! Blow upon my garden, That its spices may flow out. Let my beloved come to his garden And eat its pleasant fruits.

3.     God’s deeper ownership

Song 5:1

I have come to my garden, my sister, my spouse; I have gathered my myrrh with my spice; I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey; I have drunk my wine with my milk. Eat, O friends! Drink, yes, drink deeply, O beloved ones!

VII. PROOF OF HER MATURITY

1.     The test that reveals her affection

Song 5:2-8

² I sleep, but my heart is awake; It is the voice of my beloved! He knocks, saying, “Open for me, my sister, my love, My dove, my perfect one; For my head is covered with dew, My locks with the drops of the night.” ³ I have taken off my robe; How can I put it on again? I have washed my feet; How can I defile them?  ⁴My beloved put his hand By the latch of the door, And my heart yearned for him. ⁵ I arose to open for my beloved, And my hands dripped with myrrh, My fingers with liquid myrrh, On the handles of the lock. ⁶ I opened for my beloved, But my beloved had turned away and was gone. My heart leaped up when he spoke. I sought him, but I could not find him; I called him, but he gave me no answer. ⁷ The watchmen who went about the city found me. They struck me, they wounded me; The keepers of the walls Took my veil away from me. ⁸ I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, If you find my beloved, That you tell him I am lovesick! 

VIII. DECLARATION OF HER AFFIRMATION

1.     Oh My

Song 5:9-16

⁹ What is your beloved More than another beloved, O fairest among women? What is your beloved More than another beloved, That you so charge us? ¹⁰ My beloved is white and ruddy, Chief among ten thousand. ¹¹ His head is like the finest gold; His locks are wavy, And black as a raven. ¹² His eyes are like doves By the rivers of waters, Washed with milk, And fitly set. ¹³            His cheeks are like a bed of spices, Banks of scented herbs. His lips are lilies, Dripping liquid myrrh. ¹⁴            His hands are rods of gold Set with beryl. His body is carved ivory Inlaid with sapphires. ¹⁵ His legs are pillars of marble Set on bases of fine gold. His countenance is like Lebanon, Excellent as the cedars. ¹⁶ His mouth is most sweet, Yes, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, And this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem!

2.     The witness

Song 6:1

Where has your beloved gone, O fairest among women? Where has your beloved turned aside, That we may seek him with you?

  IX. THE SEAL

1.     The fiery Seal of Divine Love

Song 8:5-7

⁵ Who is this coming up from the wilderness, Leaning upon her beloved? I awakened you under the apple tree. There your mother brought you forth; There she who bore you brought you forth. ⁶           Set me as a seal upon your heart, As a seal upon your arm; For love is as strong as death, Jealousy as cruel as the grave; Its flames are flames of fire, A most vehement flame. ⁷ Many waters cannot quench love, Nor can the floods drown it. If a man would give for love All the wealth of his house, It would be utterly despised.