Sermon Tone Analysis

# True Lovers - Part IV ()

## 'Happily Ever After?'

Let me ask you a question: What's your favourite romantic story?

Do you go for something historical like _Pride and Prejudice_?

Maybe you perfer romantic films that are bit more off beat like _Forest Gump_ or _Meet the Parents_?

What about one that s out of this world like Pixar's _Wallie_.

Whatever you tastes there is a romance novel or movie out there for you.

Personally, whilst I enjoy Wallie as much as the next dad, I'm not a huge fan or romantic stories myself.

I won't lie to you, my favourite novel series ends with everyone thinking the man character is dead and his love interest marries his best friend.

But that's just me...

But my opinion is irrelevant, because the romance genre is big business.

Do you know that the top 5 most successful romantic films made over 1.7 billion dollars in US box office _ALONE_.

To give you some scale, that's about the same as the total UK government spending... for the last two years!

1.7 billion dollars!

That'd pay for a couple of extra GPs wouldn't it!

But that's pocket change compared to the most successful romantic film of all time.

Would anyone like to guess what it is?

Don't be shy, shout it out...

**Slide**

That's right it is Titanic.

Released in 1997, Titanic made 2.2 billion dollars at the box office worldwide.

Just so you know, that's enough to buy over 600 million McDonald's Happy Meals.

Or about three hours in a hospital car park.

So clearly, I'm in the minority - people are in love with romance!

Despite the fact that you know how it will end, that every plot is almost exactly the same, people still part with their money to watch a the latest film or buy the next paperback.

In some ways, Song of Songs is like a romantic movie - the poetry, the language, the passion - like romantic films the Song is an idealised picture of married life.

A 'happily every after' on every page.

But in others ways, the Song has greater honesty about what it takes to be true lovers in a sinful and dying world, and what that love will cost them to maintain.

That is especially true of our passage this morning.

In fact, this morning the Song is going to show us, that **If we want to go the distance, we're going to need persistence** {Repeat}

Specifically, it is going to show us that we need...

1. Persistence in adversity (5:2-7)

2. Persistence in friendship (5:8-9,16)

3. Persistence in passion (6:1-13)

That's what it takes to go the distance.

So keep your bible open to Song of Songs chapter 5 and use the outline in bulletin to guide you if it helps.

## 1. Persistence in Adversity (5:2-7) (965)

Firstly then, persistence in adversity.

begins with the words "I slept but my heart was awake."

In other words, she is dreaming.

Her body is aleep but her heart (her will and affections) all still active.

And her dream begins with her love knocking at the door to their house.

Then as if to confirm what she already knows the man speaks and so begins this interchange between the two of them.

The language is playful and passionate. he wants her to open up and she is playing hard to get.

Dream or not, these two are into each other and by v4 he's practically breaking down the door whilst she's excited about where things might lead.

All of this builds poetically to the moment when the women opens the door.

If it were a romantic movie this would the moment where the door swings open and they kiss.

But that isn't what happens, verse five shatters the expectation as this dream turns from fantasy to nightmare!

The door swings open and he has gone.

Alone and rejcted her heart sinks.

Suddenly, the dream shifts scenes again and now the women is running through the dark streets of the city.

She looks for him; calls for him.

But she can't find him.

When she had a similar dream back in chapter 3 the watchman of the city aided her in her quest.

BUt now the nightmare takes on a darker more sinister character as they set upon her, beat her, and strip her.

{Pause}

What on earth are we to do with this verse?

To simply step away from the text and say "well, it is only a poetry isn't it..."", that will not do.

Both the Author and the Holy Spirit have included this verse in our passage for a reason.

So what is happening here?

Let's gently unpick the threads togathe.

First of all we simply cannot escape the relaity that the women has been attacked and to some degree sexually assaulted.

Look, I'll concede that the language is poetic, but the description of what is happening is telling.

They've hit her hard enough to bruise and **at the very least** leave her in some form of nakedness.

At the very least.

Secondly, It is important that we notice something else here or rather the lack of something.

Notice, that the poet makes no moral judgement on the women for heading out into the city, in middle of the night on her own, shouting and running around hysterically.

Instead we have a frank description of the women's encounter with a group of men who exploited her when they should have protected her.

I think all of us can learn something here.

To often the suffering of an abuse surviror is compounded by the thoughtless remarks from those in the church."Well,

if she hadn't been on her own later at night acting like that it wouldn't have happen, would it."

"The Elder?

The youth worker?

The highly regarded church member?

Oh no dear, they'd never do a thing like that.

Why are you telling lies: God hates liars you know."

If you are here this morning and you are a survivor of abuse - any kind but especially sexual violence, I want to apologise to you.

If you have ever been disbelieved or shamed by those in the church, who should have championed your cause, I am truly sorry from the bottom of my heart.

The Lord does not disbelieve you and he will ensure that those who abused you, or through inaction were complicite in abuse, will be held to account for their sin either by bringing them to repentance or by bringing them to justice.

Thirdly, and most importantly, I also want you to know that as a survivor of abuse (or even as an abuser) their is hope for you.

For the survivor: Those feelings of anger, guilt, shame, the shattered self-image you may hold, those things do not need to define you any longer.

You are not defiled.

you are not dirty.

You are made in the image of a God loves you and made you for himself.

Not as thing to be used, and cast aside, but as a person to be valued and delighted in.

And although we have turned our back on him, he still seeks us.

He comes to us in the person of Jesus to experience our life, to endure horrific phsyical and emotional abuse, and then to die that we might experience forgiveness and acceptence.

Having died, he returned o life gain so that he might be rescue us from both our own sin, and the sins that others have committed against us, making us perfect in his sight, without stain or blemish.

More than that, in to make all things new.

And that includes you.

A remaking that begins now by trsuting in Christ, is continued in this life by the Holy Spirit, and completed in the age to come.

If you are here today and are suvivor of abuse, whether sexual, physically, emotional, intellectual, or spiritual - I want you to know that their is one who knows exactly what you experienced, that he believes you, he loves you, and he is calling you to come to him so that he might set you free.

I won't promise it will be easy, but you don't have to do it alone, the Lord has given you himself, you rspouse (if you are married), the church community, and the leadership here.

**if you want to go the distance, and be free from your past, it is going to persitence** - but you don't do it alone - we are here to support you every step of the way.

## 2. Persistence in Friendship (5:8-9, 13-6:3) (808)

Secondly, persistence in friendship.

In v8 the dream-scene changes once again and now she is in front of the chorus of her friends.

The daughters of Jerusalem.

She begins the similar refrain, "O daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you..." But it doesn't end the way we expect it too.

Instead it turns into a plee.