What Kind of Bride Are You?

Last time I was here and gave a sermon, we talked about dating. And we compared the Sabbath to a date with God. And we looked at Genesis 1, verse 14, as the Bible describes that this day is a religious appointment. Moed, or Moedah, means a religious appointment with God. Every seven days, he gives us the opportunity to have this appointment with him. And then seven times during the year, he also has a Moedah, a religious appointment with us. And just like we may have an appointment book, we can also call it a date book. Because it's certain dates that we want to keep. I have one in my bag there that I carry with me all the time. It keeps me knowing what's up ahead, what I'm doing, what I should be doing, and what I need to be thinking about. Why do people date? Sure, most of us had dates in our lives. Dated our wives, or we dated other people. It was interesting, I saw a bumper sticker just yesterday on a car truck in front of me that said, marriage is finding that special person. You want to annoy the rest of your life. Well, hopefully that's not how it goes, but for those who've been married a long time, or any time, you can kind of relate to that. But why do we date? I came up with five reasons why I dated, or five reasons that other people might have dated. One is you're attracted to one another. In my case, I was attracted to my wife. Another for companionship. Some people date for companionship. Others to get to know someone better. Maybe you find someone interesting, so you may have a date one-on-one to spend some time. Another, you may just enjoy interaction with the opposite sex. You may just enjoy different conversations. Then I thought of another one yesterday. Sometimes, people date for a free meal.

That's true. Sometimes. But extended dating typically leads to a relationship. And that type of relationship usually leads to a marriage. So we could actually say that dating leads to marriage. I had a minister tell me that one time when I was dating quite a few different girls, and I thought, no. But typically, it does. We date for long lengths of time to see if we are compatible. To see if we can actually get along with each other, spending a little more time, or a date maybe a couple hours when it starts.

It goes into maybe half a day, and even spending a day or two or three days together.

And we also get the chance to see if we could possibly have a future with that other person. And eventually, we hope we will live happily ever after as the fairy tales go. That's what most of us want. We do not usually lay it out and go, well, I hope this marriage lasts a week. I hope this relationship lasts for two weeks. Now, that may be how it goes in Hollywood. You read some of those stories. But we don't live in Hollywood. We live in real life. Is this date with God every seven days that we spend? Is it a chance for Him to see if we could live happily ever after with Him and His sons? Could that be a reason we are keeping this date today? It gives Him a chance to see. If it's going to be a short-term relationship or something that could last for a very, very long time. Is it possibly an evaluation of the compatibility of a bride and a groom? Would that be too simple? Is that too simplistic? I don't think so. If you do not like or love going out with a person week after week after week, would you continue dating them? Most people wouldn't. But I actually counseled someone one time that didn't want to break up, even though she had really no feelings for the guy she had been dating for six or seven months. But she didn't want to be alone. And so, she stayed in there. But it eventually came to nothing. Does God see us loving our dates with Him or enduring our dates? And could it be because we are not focused on Him? Could that be? That the entire date, this 24-hour period of time, we spend a little time with Him. But just what we have to. Maybe you might have had a date. I know the gentleman probably have here. Many of you have dated in the past. Have you ever been on a date and the girl just kept talking about an old boyfriend? And they would spend time talking about, well, you know, I once went out with and then and he took me over here and he did this, he did that and you know, he had the nicest car and... Makes you feel a little awkward on the date. Makes you kind of feel like, what am I doing here? She's enthralled with someone else. Could God possibly feel that same way with us on the Sabbath? To where we're at the date. Don't go like on the Sabbath. You may come in for a few hours, but then it's kind of like, I've got this other stuff I want to do. Maybe God has felt that way. Would you want a loveless marriage? Someone here may have experienced that. Does God want a one-sided relationship? You might remember two weeks ago we talked about in Ezekiel how he loved and he was dedicated to his bride. But he didn't really care. It got old to her. Would you want that? It's interesting that marriage, the word marriage, wedding, various things, various words like that, in the Bible there's about a hundred, almost a hundred different references to weddings, to marriage. Seems to be special to God.

This relationship in Genesis 2 and verse 24, you all know it. It says, Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother, and be joined to his wife, and they shall be one flesh. It's kind of the leave and cleave. You're to leave this and cleave to your wife, to your husband, to your mate. Leave and cleave. And the Bible even says, Well, God has joined together. Let no man separate. A wedding seems to be very, very important to God. So important to Him, this relationship between two individuals to become one, that He actually inspired one whole book in the Bible to be written about a relationship between a husband and a wife, which pictures Jesus Christ and His bride, the church. And if you read all the commentaries, there's not one commentary that I even have or read that does not relate that story. And that is the Song of Solomon. And you can break that down into a wonderful Bible study sometime. I will not go it here because we have some young people and it can be very R rated of all the books in the Bible when you break it down. Because it's about a husband and a wife becoming one flesh. Very important to God. And it pictures. Because it is a spiritual meaning of the Song of Solomon. It's a relationship between His Son and His bride, the church. In the Song of Solomon, Chapter 1, Verse 2, the Shulamite bride, Shulamite woman, she's in love with Solomon. The pictures, who is being pictured as Jesus Christ in the story. And she actually says in Chapter 1, Verse 2, she says, Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth. For your love is better than wine. New Living Translation says, Kiss me and kiss me again. Talking about being romantic. There are feelings there. And this is the beginning. Because that's what a relationship should be. In Chapter 4, the man speaks. It's like Christ saying to you, His bride is beautiful. That's what He said. To him, His bride is beautiful. New Living Translation says, You are beautiful, my darling. Beautiful, beyond words. Verse 9, You have captured my heart. You are my treasure. You are my bride. Very important to God that His Son will marry someone who loves Him. Why don't you turn to 2 Corinthians 11. 2 Corinthians 11 verse 2. 2 Corinthians 11 verse 2. It said, For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.

All talking to the church. Are we that virgin? Do we have our minds, our hearts set on Christ? Having that mind, wanting to become one with Him. You know, our dating will lead. Our dating.

In this life, right now, in this room, will lead to a beautiful, grand, spectacular, luxurious wedding. Or, to a bride being left standing at the altar, jilted by the groom. Which will it be?

The reason? She will be jilted. Left is she was a fraud. The bride will be a fraud. She wasn't a virgin. She gave herself off to other pursuits, other things. Idolatry.

Fornication with the world by living in the world. She was to save herself for her husband. We are to save ourselves for Christ. So, it is very important that we have our hearts set on Him. Another step, she wasn't ready. One of the reasons this bride will be left at the altar. She wasn't ready.

He wasn't her everything. And what does God want from us? Everything. Everything. That's why it's so important. You know, it's amazing because when we're baptized, we make that commitment, don't we? We say He is our everything. Just sometimes have to come out of the water after a few years go by. We forget. It's like the young man driving down the road after he's married. He's on his honeymoon, comes back, and just can't get his wife, his new wife, out of his mind. He just thinks about her during the day.

He's driving. All of a sudden, he goes by a billboard. And there's this beautiful, half-naked woman up there. What's he gonna do? What are you gonna do? Let that hang in the air. It's about God. It's about God. She wasn't ready. This is incredible. Chapter Matthew 24, as I go through this time every year, as I go through Jesus Christ telling about what's gonna happen at the end time, telling about what's gonna happen in the coming years.

And He lays it out so well. And He tells, as it also matches up with the book of Revelation, and we'll go through that at some time. So Matthew 24 tells all the events. But then He goes to Matthew 25, if you'll turn there. And it's so amazing that He jumped from one, the spectacular story in Matthew 24 that all of us know. And no matter how many times I read it, I still get something from Matthew 24, something new. He talks about when He will be coming again, the end time. And then He goes to Matthew 25.

Matthew 25, verse 1. He says, Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins, who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. As we have the Greek word there, for foolish is morose, where you actually get the word moron or moronic.

Okay? So they're not real smart, these foolish virgins. Now five of them were wise and five were foolish. Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them. But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. So at that time, mostly you had this little lamp, and just enough oil, they would just keep enough oil in that lamp, so that they could light it. That way you wouldn't spill it. But you also had another vessel. You had a vessel over here that held the oil. Olive oil is what they use. And they could use it for lighting.

So they wanted to make sure you didn't lose that oil, because there's just enough in the little lamp to get it lit. And as most commentaries or most authorities today, religious authorities, have no problem relating that this oil is symbolic of the Holy Spirit. And it makes sense. So how much oil do you have as a bride of Christ? Verse 5, But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered, and they all slept. And at midnight a cry was heard, Behold, the bridegroom is coming!

Go out to meet him! Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out! But what happened? What happened? But the wise answer said, No, lest there should not be enough for us and you, but go rather to those who sell and buy for yourself. The others, if foolish, didn't think it was important enough to have plenty of oil on hand.

Not that important. They didn't stir up the Spirit, as the Scriptures say. They didn't read the Bible, as the Scriptures say, to help stimulate more of the Holy Spirit. Like it's said about Stephen. He was a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit. He was full! These virgins are full, except for the foolish ones. I guess they decide, well, maybe I can buy some right at the end. 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. Afterward, the other virgins came also, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us! But he answered and said to them assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you. You're not my bride. Will that be us? He says, Watch, therefore for you know, neither the day nor the hour, in which the Son of Man is coming. A young man told me one time that he thought he understood, well, I know Christ is coming back, and I know this world's coming to an end.

He was raised in the church, but he said, I think I can just see right when He's coming. I think I can get my act together. Hmm. Left at the door. Brethren, the day is coming. When the bride will be here. When the bride will make herself ready, and the groom will be here. It's coming. I won't touch on this to great detail, because it'll be touched on in the Feast of Trumpets, but I'd like you to turn to 1 Thessalonians. 1 Thessalonians 4.

1 Thessalonians 4. Verse 9. It's interesting because Thessalonica, as we go after we go through the book of James, I want to go through, and for our church here, I want to go through the book of both 1st and 2nd Thessalonians, and also Philippians, because those are pretty solid churches, and we can learn great lessons if we want a solid church. If we want to have a church that God can be proud of, there's a lot of lessons. I want to go through them first. It says in verse 9, But concerning brotherly love, you have no need that I should write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another. Pretty good recommendation for God there about the church. And indeed, you do so towards all the brethren who are in Macedonia. But we urge you, brethren, that you increase more and more, that you also inspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands as we commanded you, that you may walk properly toward those who are on the outside, and that you may lack nothing. But I do not want you to be ignorant brethren. Song, you've heard before, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, God will bring with Him those who sleep in Christ. For this we say to you by the Word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first, and we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. The groom is coming, and the bride will meet Him. I turn to 1 Corinthians. 1 Corinthians. You should read this at a funeral. 1 Corinthians 15. Verse 23. It says, But each in his own order, Christ the firstfruits, and after those who are Christ at His coming. Same day. Same day. When the seventh trump sounds. Guess what? Time for the bride. The meter has... 1 Corinthians 15. Verse 50 through 53. Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God. Flesh and blood will not marry spiritual Christ. We're going to be changed in a moment, in a twinkling of an eye.

Right? Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet, the seventh trumpet. We will be changed.

For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible. And we shall be changed for this. Corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. Hmm. So after this change, this quickening, this flight to meet the groom, this flight to meet Christ, what happens then? What's next? Well, in Matthew 22, if you will turn there. Matthew 22. Verse 2. It says, The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son.

Sound familiar? And he sent out his servants who called those who were invited to the wedding, and they were not willing to come. Now, skip down to verse 9. Therefore, he said, Go into the highways, and as many as you find, invite them to the wedding.

So these servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all whom they found, both bad and good. And what he described to us, there's some good people God called. Also, there's some bad people right here. Okay, not a very good person. God called. And the wedding hall was filled with guests. But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man there who did not have on a wedding garment.

Hmm, you gotta have a wedding garment? So he said to him, friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment? And he was speechless. Then the king said, then bind him hand and foot. Take him away and cast him into outer darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Used to be at the wedding. As a matter of fact, if you've ever been invited to wedding, you get something in.

A lot of times, they have this little piece of cloth in there. And it used to be, hundreds and thousands of years ago, that was actually a wedding garment, and you would actually cut these little pieces out and send it to someone. And that was your entrance into the wedding as a guest, because it's very expensive. And so not everyone could come, but only those who are invited, only those who had a piece of the wedding garment.

Here he says, you need a piece of, you need a wedding garment. So what's he telling us? At this wedding, at the wedding supper, guess what? No one sneaks in. You can't sneak in. You can't just think, well, maybe I'll get there. No one tricks gone. There's going to be no tricks played on the groom like there was with Laban and Jacob. Remember? Jacob thought he had one sister and he had the other. That's not going to happen. Christ knows his bride. No one can fool the groom. He knows what she looks like. He knows all about it. I'd like you to turn to Psalm.

Psalm 45. I meant to bring a New Living Translation up. Makes it a little clearer, but I left it in my car. Now, that's fine. Psalm 45 verse 10. Listen, O Daughter. If you look at the very first of the chapter, I don't know how yours is broken apart, but it's under the heading of Psalm 45. The glories of the Messiah and his bride. He talks about how beautiful she is. But in verse 10, he says, Listen, O Daughter, consider and incline your ear.

Forget your own people also and your father's house. Talking to us. That means forget the old world. Leave and cleave. Leave the world and cleave to the new promised world. The new life you are to live. So the King will greatly desire your beauty because he is your Lord. Worship him, and the daughter of Tyre will be there with a gift. The rich among the people will seek your favor. The royal daughter is all glorious within the palace. Her clothing is woven with gold.

He's promising great riches to his bride. Says you will inherit all things, all things that God owns, and he owns it all. She shall be brought to the King in robes of many colors. The virgins, her companions who follow her, shall be brought to you. With gladness and rejoicing, they shall be brought. They shall enter the King's palace. That's the kingdom of God. Instead of your fathers, shall be your sons.

Whom you shall make princes in all the earth. I will make your name to be remembered in all generations. Therefore, the people shall praise you forever and ever. Praise you forever and ever. His bride.

Do we understand this?

Praise, because of who you are married to. Hmm. I believe God likes big weddings. Read this book. I look at Jesus Christ, the very first miracle, public miracle. He did what? He was at a wedding. And he turned the water into wine. Depends on what commentaries you read. Anywhere between 20 gallons and 80 gallons.

Most say it's 40 to 50 gallons of wine. I'm going to tell you, it's going to be a party! This is the time to celebrate. And it wasn't cheap wine either. It was good stuff. You know, most marriages, or most weddings, or marriage celebrations in the Scriptures, lasted about seven days. Okay? Seven days. If you were extremely wealthy, sometimes they went 14. But most, as a whole, lasted seven days. And all the people came in and they celebrated this. And the marriage supper was big. Food was... it was a feast! It was an incredible party. Food, wine, everything you could want. Even clothing was furnished. What about ours? Do you think God gives all these examples here, and then we'll decide to change things? Well, let's just have a small ceremony. Let's just... We just like go down justice of the peace. And get hitched. That's not what I read in here. The marriage, supper, the wedding is going to be something to see, to be a part of. The wedding, 2,000 years in the making. Christ and the bride. The Son of God and His virgin bride. Let's go look at it. Because it's laid out for us in Revelation 19. Revelation 19. Ever thought about you being here? Revelation 19, verse 7. This is the marriage supper. And said, let us be glad. Verse 7, let us be glad and rejoice. And give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come. And His wife has made herself ready. Are you ready? Are we ready? If it takes place next month, next year, are we ready? Or will we be a foolish virgin? And she made herself ready. And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen. Clean and bright, for the fine linen is what? The righteous acts of the saints. And the Bible describes how we will be clothed in white linen. Just the same way that the high priests work. But this white clothing is symbolic of the righteousness of the saints. We will have that. We will be the bride because of the righteous acts. For being righteous. Then He said to me, Right! Bless! Bless are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb. And He said to me, These are the true saints of God. Are we ready? Okay, so the groom has come. The bride has met Him. The wedding has taken place.

And the marriage supper has taken place. What about a time lapse? Okay, how about a time lapse? What happens after the marriage supper? Okay.

If you have a question about the time lapse, does it say? The Scriptures say? How much time? No. I have read and read and read. And people want to come up with all these opinions. All this stuff they can put together. But what matters is what the Bible says. Is there a time lapse? Yes. Do we know what the time lapse is? Absolutely not. Not revealed. Is it a day? Do we have the marriage supper? Does the bride have and the marriage happen? And then all of a sudden, the same day, we come down, come back and fight the battle? Is the marriage supper seven days? Like it was there? Is it 10 days? Is it six weeks? Is it a month? We don't know. God doesn't tell us.

It's not important, is it?

Because it does say, what happens after whatever time lapse it is, and you just follow the next verses down into Revelation 19 and verse 11.

Then, after the marriage supper, then after the wedding, then after the resurrection, then I saw heaven opened and behold a white horse. And he who sat on him was called faithful and true, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except himself. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and his name is called the Word of God.

And the armies in heaven clothed in what?

Fine linen, white and clean, followed him on white horses.

That's not angels, Brett.

That's not angels.

Chose when Jesus Christ comes that angels gather his elect from the four winds.

Right?

This is not angels fighting this battle. This is our battle.

This is humans fighting, not humans.

We're humans.

Change humans into spirit beings, into the army of God, coming down and taking control and charge on what is ours.

Says, we shall inherit the earth.

Guess what? Time to inherit.

Time to put down.

Does Christ need us?

Does a groom need us?

To take over the world? Absolutely not.

But we have the opportunity to share because we are one flesh.

We are one at that time.

How it all comes about in detail?

He doesn't give us every single detail.

That's why you have so many men writing so many books, selling tapes, selling all this stuff, trying to make you believe this and this and this. I heard two or three this week, and it was utterly ridiculous.

God tells us everything we need to know.

I don't know.

Every little detail. I don't need to.

But you know what I do know?

I do know there is a wedding.

I do know there is a marriage supper.

There is a war. And finally, peace.

World. Peace.

At last.

And the bride and the groom live happily ever after.

And last but not least, after the honeymoon of a thousand years.

What a honeymoon!

Mine lasted about a week.

But after a thousand years, when the father comes, it says in Revelation 21, you all know it, 1-4.

It talks about him coming, and a new heaven and a new earth. And you know what's amazing about those first beautiful verses in Revelation 21, 1-4? It says that it describes this as a bride adorned for her husband.

Even at the end.

God and Christ can't get over.

What a wonderful picture. A beautiful marriage.

Beautiful relationship of being one flesh is. What a time! What a future!

A time when the whole world will be at one with God.

You know my first date with Mary?

My very first date with Mary was lunch.

Met her at a feast at Tabernacles.

Sitting right beside me.

I looked over.

Didn't know how old she was, but I saw the high school ring, so she was old enough, I guess.

And so after services, I went over and asked her, she wanted to go for lunch.

And we had lunch at the Brown Derby restaurant, no longer there in St. Petersburg.

That's been over 30 years ago.

Never dreamed at that one date that it would lead to marriage.

But after it did, our goal is to spend eternity together.

Our goal is to not only spend this lifetime together, but together for eternity.

And it all started with the dates.

It all started with the dates.

The Sabbath, the coming for four fall holy days, our dates with God. Brethren, our destiny, our eternity starts with a date, a date with God.