The Voice of the Bridegroom

will you please turn to the gospel according to john chapter 3 gospel according to john chapter 3 verse 29 just one verse john chapter 3 verse 29 he that has the bride is the bridegroom but the friend of the bridegroom who stands and hears him rejoices in heart because of the voice of the bridegroom this my joy then is fulfilled the song of songs the song of Solomon chapter 2 verse 8 song of songs song of Solomon chapter 2 verse 8 the voice of my beloved behold he cometh leaping upon the mountains skipping upon the hills same book chapter 5 verse 2 chapter 5 verse 2 I slept but my heart was awake the voice of my beloved he knocked open to me my sister my love my dove my undefiled for my head is filled with you my locks with the drops of the night and finally Matthew chapter 25 Matthew

chapter 25 verse 6 but in the middle of the night there was a cry behold the bridegroom go forth to meet him may we look to the Lord in prayer our Heavenly Father as we continue in thy presence we do pray that the light of thy countenance may shine upon us remove from our hearts any veil that may be there that we may behold the glory of the Lord with unveiled face and be transformed from glory to glory according to his image by the Lord the spirit we ask the Lord that our will release thy word to us tonight speak to our heart draw us to thyself show us the beauty of thy beloved son that we may run after thee in the name of our Lord Jesus we mentioned last night that John the Baptist considered himself as a friend of the bridegroom when he heard the voice of the bridegroom he was glad and

his joy was fulfilled now this evening we would like to continue on with the voice of the bridegroom John the Baptist was a voice in the wilderness preparing the way of the Lord but before that voice passed away the voice of the bridegroom was heard and when John heard the voice of the bridegroom his joy was filled and we do look to the Lord that tonight we may also hear the voice of the bridegroom and thus our joy be filled now historically we know that John the Baptist began his ministry six months ahead of our Lord Jesus because he was the forerunner of our Lord and there in the wilderness he began to cry repent for the kingdom of the heavens has drawn out but after six months his voice was silent he was put into prison by King Herod then our Lord Jesus began his public ministry in

real earnestness we remember how he began in Galilee and when our Lord Jesus began his ministry his message to the people was the same repent for the kingdom of the heavens has drawn out even though there were two voices one voice has just passed and the other voices voice began and yet the message was one repent for the kingdom of the heavens has drawn out that is the preparation for then we began to hear the voice of the bridegroom and the first voice that we hear of the bridegroom is the voice calling people to himself if you look into Matthew chapter 4 verse 17 from that time began Jesus to preach and to say repent for the kingdom of the heavens has drawn out here our Lord Jesus continue to call the people to repent and if any person will repent then he will come to the Lord so in

Matthew chapter 11 we find it is said come to me all ye who labor and are burdened and I will give you rest the result of repenting is to come to the Lord the voice of the bridegroom is saying come to me all ye who labor and are heavy laden come to me and I will give you rest in John chapter 5 we find our Lord Jesus said verily verily I say unto you he that hears my voice and believe in the one who has sent me he shall have eternal life he is passed out of death into life and again on the last day of the feast of the tabernacle our Lord Jesus stood on high place and he cried if anyone is thirsty come to me and drink of me he that believe it as the scripture said out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water and then in chapter 10 of the gospel of John the Lord Jesus said I'm the good

shepherd my sheep hear my voice I gave my life for my sheep and no one can take my sheep out of my hand so here you find the voice of the bridegroom the first voice of the bridegroom is said come to me anyone who is heavily burdened anyone who is thirsty anyone who is dead in sins and transgressions can come to him and if we come to him we shall find rest we shall be satisfied and we will be secured that is the voice of the bridegroom in terms of our Savior and I believe brothers and sisters we have all have heard that voice we have come to him and we find rest in him we find our sins forgiven we find eternal life we find eternal security in Christ Jesus but then the voice of the bridegroom continues and if you read Matthew chapter 4 verse 18 you'll find after the Lord Jesus said repent

then the next voice is and walking by the Sea of Galilee he saw two brothers Simon called Peter and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea for they were fishers and he said to them verse 19 come after me and I will make you fishers of men it is still the voice of the bridegroom but here you'll find the voice gets a little bit deeper instead of calling us to come to him he said come after me not only to come to him and find rest but to come after him it is the call of discipleship the call of discipleship it is also the voice of the bridegroom he wants us not only to come to him and be saved but he wants those who have come to him and are saved to come after him he said learn of me take my yoke upon you and learn of me for I'm lowly and kneeking heart and you shall find rest in your

soul he said if anyone wants to come after me he must deny himself take up his cross daily and follow me if you lose your life for my sake you shall find it if you find your life today you shall lose it dear brothers and sisters it is still the voice of the bridegroom calling us to come after him it is not enough just to come to him we who have come to him we have to come after him we have to lay down ourselves deny ourselves take up our cross and follow him we must learn of him we are his disciples he call us to follow him that is also the voice of the bridegroom and you know to come to him is to receive all that he has provided for us to come after him it requires a little cost we have to deny ourselves and how many of God's people refuse to deny themselves they do not want to take up

their cross and follow the Lord and learn of him so the cry of the Lord to us tonight is that if you have already come to him and you have not yielded your life to him you have not accepted him as your Lord as well as your savior you have not put your life into his hand you have not yet deny yourself and take up the cross then you do it tonight because he is calling you to do that but it does not end here if you turn to John chapter 21 and you'll find the voice of the bridegroom is calling again and in that case of course we know that he is talking to Simon Peter in John chapter 21 verse 15 when therefore they had dined Jesus said to Simon Peter Simon son of Jonas lovest thou me more than these that he says to him yea Lord thou knowest that I'm attached to thee and he says to him feed my

lambs we know the story of Simon Peter when he met the Lord the first time his brother Angel took him to the Lord Jesus and the Bible tells us that the Lord just look at him it is not just a casual glance but the Lord really look him over and the Lord said now you are Simon but you shall be called Peter and from that day on this man became a believer of our Lord Jesus then the Lord Jesus called this man to follow him he was fishing because he was a fisherman and the Lord Jesus passed by the sea of Galilee and saw Simon and his brother Angel they were casting their nets and the Lord Jesus said come after me and I will make you fishers of men and you remember Simon and his brother Angel they left the nets and follow the Lord they responded to the call now of course we know from the record

in Luke chapter 5 after he had followed the Lord for a time when the Lord began to come to his city Capernaum you remember Simon went back to fishing again that night but he didn't catch any fish and the next morning our Lord Jesus borrowed his boat to preach to the multitude and after he finished preaching he told Simon launch out to the deep and cast the net now Simon being a fisherman he said for the whole night there was no fish but in respect as a respect to the master he just follow the instruction and to his surprise he caught a full net of fishes he realized who this man was he knelt before him and said Lord depart from me I'm a sinner I'm not worthy to be your disciple as a matter of fact secretly Simon was thinking of dropping out and that's the reason why he went fishing he

felt that he would never make it but the Lord Jesus said fear not I will make you a fisher of men and from that day onward you remember how he followed the Lord Jesus and even when you come to the gospel of John chapter 6 when the Lord Jesus began to say something hard to hear seek not for the food that perishes but seek for the food that does not perish do the work of God I'm the bread of life he that eats of me he that drinks of me shall have eternal life and shall never die and when people heard about these things the bible said many of his disciples said this is too hard we don't understand and they drop out when the Lord Jesus turned to that few that were with him said do you want to go to Simon Peter said Lord where should we go you have the word of eternal life we are stuck with

you we will follow you to the very end and here you'll find Simon Peter really follow after the Lord it was a very difficult time for him how he was disciplined by the Lord again and again of all the twelve disciples he was the one that was most disciplined you know who was the one that was the least disciplined or not disciplined Judas but Simon was the one who was most disciplined by the Lord but no matter how the Lord disciplined him he wouldn't go he wouldn't go and when after three years before our Lord Jesus was betrayed and crucified on that night the Lord Jesus said all you will be scattered and Simon Peter said no Lord the others may scattered but I am going to die with you I stick with you I love you I'm willing to die with you and you remember that very night he denied the Lord

three times thank God after our Lord Jesus was risen from the dead you remember that he appeared to Simon Peter alone we do not know what happened in that interview oh how Simon Peter needed that but we can imagine after denying the Lord probably he felt that from now on probably I'm finished would the Lord ever forgive me would the Lord ever receive me accepted me as his disciples again and no doubt when the Lord appeared to Simon alone the Lord assured him of his love but then that morning when Simon and a few of the other disciples were fishing again the Lord appeared to them and during the breakfast time the Lord Jesus turned to Simon Peter in the company of the other disciples and he asked him a question it is the voice of the bridegroom Simon son of Junah do you love me more than

these you know why the Lord Jesus asked him these questions three times the Lord had already met him privately and assured him of his love why then did the Lord Jesus should ask him this question three times before the other disciples I believe it is not to assure him of the Lord's love towards him but actually to restore Peter of his first love you remember in Revelation chapter 2 the voice of the bridegroom to the church in Ephesus said you have lost your first love how are you going to regain it remember when where did you fall and repent and do the first words so here you'll find our Lord Jesus is reminding Peter trying to restore his first love towards the Lord so he asked him do you love me more than these the fire he failed by the fireside the company he was in company with the

servants of the high priest he loved company do you love these more than me the food his own life ah Peter thought he loved the Lord but he discovered that he loved himself more than he loved the Lord and here the Lord Jesus said do you love me do you love me and Peter dare not say he loved the Lord with all his heart he knew he had failed but strangely he said Lord you know even though I cannot say I really love you more than anything else because I have failed but strangely I feel I am attached to you I cannot get away from you and the Lord said feed my lambs three times the Lord asked him do you love me and by asking this question dear brothers and sisters I believe Peter's first love was restored and because his first love was restored the Lord was able to commit his sheep his land

into the hand of Simon Peter dear brothers and sisters what is the voice of the bridegroom the voice of the bridegroom begin with come to me continue on with come after me and it is consummated in do you love me you know the relationship between the bride and the bridegroom is love if there is no love if there are lots of activities if there are lots of works lots of labors lots of knowledge lots of service and yet if there is no love then you'll find something is basically wrong the one thing that the bridegroom is looking in the bride is love first love when we first believe in the Lord Jesus we love him you know when you are first saved when your sins are being forgiven and you know you have his life in you oh it's so marvelous at that time you really love him with all your heart at

that time you don't think of yourself at that time nothing you will consider as too costly for him you're willing to give up everything for him you think of him and you really love him that's first love but dear brothers and sisters even though we have that first love in time but it may not be in first quality you find that that first love has to be developed first love has to be increased until it is not only first in time but first in quality you really love him you're willing to lay down yourself for him and because of this i cannot help but return to the song of songs because the song of songs is a song of loves and here you'll find it is that relationship between the virgin and the beloved now in the song of songs you find we read two verses and these two verses tell us one thing the

voice of the beloved you know in the song of songs you find that the virgin heard the voice of the beloved this virgin the song of songs began not with getting saved the song of songs began with one who is saved who is in his for her first love she had just tasted the grace of god in christ jesus and her heart is just stirred within her he she wanted to know more of the beloved so it does not start with getting saved it is not starting with a prodigal son returning home the prodigal son has already returned home and because of this he wants to know more of his father's love so the song of songs begin with a cry from the heart of one who is just stirred in her first love for her beloved and she cry out that she may have a closer walk a closer relationship more intimate relationship with

the one whom she loved and because of her cry her cry was answered you'll find how she was brought into the chambers how she was banqueting sitting at the table with the beloved how she was resting together with the beloved even though at that time she had to pay a little cost because even the brothers of her mother do not understand her and yet there you'll find how she rested in the beloved you know brothers and sisters after we are saved and if we really have a heart for him we really desire for him the lord really answered our desire you know the reason why some people do not think seem to progress in the lord is because they don't have a much desire for the lord if you really desire for the lord if you really cry for him you really want to know him and know him more he will come to

you you will find that he is really near to you he will read you lead you into his chambers in other words he will lead you into all kinds of experiences he will exhibit to you he will show you his unsearchable riches in one room you will see certain thing in another room you will enjoy another thing and you will be sitting together with him and you will be resting in him you will find that how restful he is how rich he is you have a real time with him and as you are doing that probably you will be misunderstood sometimes by some people they think that you are just too passive you are just wanting the lord and nothing else you know and you will be misunderstood but that's a very little cost to pay she was so comfortable with her beloved she thought that that was just wonderful and then

suddenly in chapter 2 verse 8 the voice of my beloved she thought that the beloved was with her but then suddenly he discovered that the lord the beloved was not with her she heard the voice of the beloved the voice of the beloved coming from outside she was in the room she was in bed she was walled in but the voice of the beloved coming through the window and the voice of the beloved coming and calling her to come out with him the winter is over the summer is coming come out and go with him to the mountains over the hills now brothers and sisters when we have a real life with the lord we find all our supplies in him we find our rest in him or how we want just to stay there forever we think that that's everything and you know as a matter of fact we are enjoying the lord that's true we say

we love the lord yeah we do but actually we love the lord because we enjoy him so much as a matter of fact it is very self-centered even in our spiritual pursuit it is really the lord is mine it is for me he is for me and i enjoy him so much i will not let him go i just want to stay here and continue to enjoy him in other words we are still very much self-centered in our spiritual pursuit and the lord has to call us out the voice of the beloved dear brothers and sisters the lord has so much for us to learn and yet we are so contented with the little that we have of him we think that is enough but the beloved said it is just the beginning come out come out of yourself go with me on to resurrection ground and you know only when we come out of ourselves and come with him onto resurrection

ground we really come begin to have a union with him if you read the song of songs carefully you will find that before this time we may say it is still in the period in the stage of courtship it is as if there is a courtship between the virgin and the beloved how the virgin sought for the beloved and how the beloved came to him her and try to draw her out so we may say it's just in the stage of courtship not until you come out of yourself instead of trying to hold the lord to yourself that you may enjoy him but you're willing to let go of yourself and go move on with him to the resurrection ground really there is still no engagement you know the engagement period actually come after the virgin respond to the call to the voice of the beloved leave her bed go out of the room and try to find

him and it is there you'll find she it was moved on to resurrection ground what is resurrection resurrection is life out of death you have to go through death and anything that goes into death and cannot come out from death that is the old creation that is yourself but if you can go through death and something can come out of death that is resurrection that is the new creation that is christ himself so brothers and sisters the voice of the beloved is calling us to come out of ourselves even all our spiritual self we think we are very spiritual we think that we really love the lord we think we really know him even that we have to come out of it until we move on to resurrection ground that is to say nothing but christ his life he is our life he is our resurrection life and only when we move

to resurrection ground you find there is the espousal the this be total the engagement you remember the apostle paul said to the church in corinth i'm jealous with you with the jealousy of god because i have espoused you to one man even jesus christ assays virgins to that one man and i'm fearful that you may be enticed by the enemy like eve was deceived oh brothers and sisters we are his and he is very jealous of us we are exposed to him as case virgin to that one man our lord jesus and if we are really espoused to him then you have to move on resurrection ground because only on resurrection ground you are really one with him on this side of resurrection is you on that side of resurrection is he so we have to move on into resurrection ground in order to be really espoused to him now how

do we know that this was the time he was and really engaged because if you read chapter 3 verse 11 go forth daughters of zion and behold king solomon with the crown wherewith his mother crowned him in the day of his espousals and in the day of the gladness of his heart when that virgin she heard the voice of the beloved and are willing to go out of herself and follow him then you'll find it was the time of espousal and then following that in chapter four you will find verse eight is they come with me from lebanon my spouse with me from lebanon now before that you'll find the lord never called the virgin my spouse my love but not my spouse but after that you'll find he called that virgin my spouse there is an engagement there is a deeper union with the because it is now on resurrection

ground and being on resurrection ground you begin to enter into the ascension ground the victory that is in christ jesus we cannot experience the victory in christ jesus until we are on resurrection ground and there we experience his victory so here you'll find that virgin after she experienced the victory that is in christ jesus he felt that that must be the peak of everything now that must be the end and here your chapter 5 verse 2 again i slept he was so satisfied now i slept but my heart was awake the voice of my beloved again you'll find she heard the voice of the beloved oh brothers and sisters how we need to hear the voice of the bridegroom and as we hear his voice he is calling us moving us on with him until we are really united with him in purpose so here you'll find again this

virgin was resting she felt that she has reached the peak of her spiritual life she got the victory of christ now what else can you have but fortunately even though she was asleep her heart was still awake now how can that be all the mothers know how it can be you know the mothers when they are sleeping they are really sleeping but their heart is awake because when the baby utter a little noise immediately mother knows it because the heart is awake so here you'll find this virgin even though she she was asleep but her heart was awake and she heard the voice of the beloved she find that the beloved was no longer there the beloved actually was outside and say open to me my sister for my head is filled with you my luck with the drops of the night brothers and sisters that is a picture of the

garden of gethsemane you find that our lord jesus on that night how he went into the garden of gethsemane and there how he prayed and even his sweat came down as blood that is the picture here you'll find the beloved is calling her betrothed to join with him in the fellowship of his sufferings not only to know the power of his resurrection oh how great to know the power of his resurrection but brothers and sisters that is just a preparation for what is going to follow because here you'll find the beloved is calling her to have fellowship with his sufferings now of course we know the sufferings of the lord there is one aspect of his suffering that we can never share with him in other words when our lord jesus suffer on the cross and shed his blood for the remission of our sins he had to

tread the wine all by himself because he is the one who bore our sins in his body no one can share with that brothers and sisters there is one aspect of the sufferings of christ that we have absolutely no part in it because of his atoning suffering atoning death we receive the good of it we receive the remission of sin but you know the sufferings of christ have other aspect and in the other aspect he called us to share with his suffering the fellowship of his sufferings oh we find how our lord jesus suffer for righteousness sake how our lord jesus suffer because of his sympathy towards the world how our lord jesus suffer because of the church that the church may be born how he prevail until he find that seed to satisfy his heart and many other areas and here you'll find the lord jesus

calling us to share with his suffering you remember paul in caution said how he travail how he feel of that which is lacking in afflictions of christ for the body which is the church after the church is born the church needs to grow and for that how we need to share the sufferings of christ if anyone is weak paul said i'm weak oh how his heart is burdened with the people how he toil and prevail in prayer for the galatians brothers and sisters there is the fellowship of his suffering he is calling us to suffer together with him that the church may be built and you know at first the patrol fine she couldn't do it she said i have already put off my tunic how should i put it on i have washed my feet how could i should i pollute myself she didn't want to do it but then she saw the hand of the

beloved that pierced it nail pierced hand and that moved her to the very death so she got up she went out she couldn't find her him and she suffered and finally you'll find she found and he was in that stage you read you read these words in chapter six verse eight there are three score queens and four score concubines and virgins without number my dove my undefiled is but one he is she is the only one of a mother she is the choice one of her that bore her the daughter saw her and called her blessed the queens and the concubines and they praise her and then following verse 13 return return oh shulamite return return that we may look upon thee why should you look upon the shulamite as it was the dance of two camps here we find the marriage not only the engagement but the marriage here

you'll find this virgin had become shulamite you know shulamite is the feminine of solomon solomon is the masculine and shulamite is the feminine in other words you'll find that the virgin being called by the beloved and responded to the voice of the bridegroom and she moved on with the beloved until she came to a point that she was really one with him not only in life but in purpose and that union is a perfect marriage union shulamite one with solomon united with solomon in one dear brothers and sisters we know that our lord jesus is always calling us on do not think that because you have known him a little bit you have received something from him you have enjoyed him to a certain degree therefore you just are so contented and you just stay put do you not hear the voice of the beloved he

is always calling you on and on he is calling you to come out of yourself and enter into him until you're really joined with him in one purpose and that is the marriage of the lamb oh that we may hear the voice of the bridegroom of course one day we shall hear a voice behold the bridegroom you know brothers and sisters if we are hearing the voice of the beloved if we are really moving on with him no doubt there will be a cry in our heart oh that he may come oh that it will be consummated by his return you know even in the song of songs you'll find towards the end the last verse it is the cry of that loved one saying haste my beloved and be thou like a gazelle or a young heart upon the mountain of spices after she has experienced the lord in such a way there is left only one cry and that

is haste quickly come back quickly in other words that virgin has already the spirit of rapture her heart was already there but he is longing for the time when the bridegroom shall return and claim her as his bride haste my beloved in the book of revelation chapter 22 you'll find the same thing the spirit and the bride come oh brothers and sisters throughout the generations and the ages those who have heard the voice of the beloved have been and is are still now looking forward to the coming of the bridegroom that is the consummation in Matthew chapter 25 we find how the ten virgins went out to meet the bridegroom but because the bridegroom delayed therefore they fell asleep and suddenly at midnight a cry behold the bridegroom finally the bridegroom even in the first century the apostles

they were looking forward to the coming again of the lord you know sometimes people said they must be mistaken because the lord will not come in the first century how do you know even in a time of the first century you'll find that those who love the lord they were waiting for the lord to return in their lifetime and they were right because the lord could return but he didn't and you know during the second and the third century when the christians were being persecuted how did they greet one another they greet one another with the word maranatha the lord is coming that's their blessed hope that the lord had not come every generation every century you find those who have heard the voice of the beloved those who love the lord they are looking forward to the coming of the lord because that

is the consolation of loves if anyone is not looking forward to the coming of the lord he must be a wicked servant because the wicked servant fading his heart the master will not come yet if you really love the lord your heart will go out you will pray haste come lord jesus come dear brothers and sisters have we heard the voice of the bridegroom are we longing to hear that voice when the voice of the bridegroom was heard historically you know in a jewish marriage when the voice of the bridegroom was heard it means that the bridegroom had arrived finally the bridegroom had arrived and this is our blessed hope i would like to read to you a hymn written by our dear brother watchman he wrote this after china went red and the christians were under great pressure and difficulties and it was at

the time he wrote a hymn unfortunately the english translation is not ideal the chinese is much better but i cannot read to you the chinese because most of you won't understand you need the gift of interpretation so i like to read to you with the english translation and you can sense the feeling of god's people the longing for the bride bride things long ago at bethany we parted within my heart there is a ceaseless void how can i take my heart down from the willow how can my song without thee be enjoyed and when at night i'm keeping lonely vigil grow dumb a light to sorrow and to cheer then i recall the promise of thy coming but sigh oh lord why why thou does not yet appear thy manger makes wakes the thought i too am homeless thy cross strips earthly pleasures from my soul thy coming bids

me seek a better country for thou thyself art now my final goal things are gone my joy has lost its flavor my song the sweetness i will fame convey things are gone the sense of void overwhelms me oh how i long that thou will come and not delay though even now i know thy loving presence yet in my heart there's still a sense of lack enlightening and tenderest sustaining can no more satisfy i want thee back despite my thy peace within i still feel lonely despite thy joy there still remain a sigh when i feel most content the silent yearning to see thee face to face becomes an uttered cry what exile cannot but desire his homeland and long his people once again to greet what soul on alien soil forgets his kindred what parted lovers never yearn to meet oh lord how can these earthly loves and

pleasures with all the joy of thy return compare then if i cannot hear behold thy countenance what can i do but sigh till thou my lord couldest thou oh lord forget thy word or promise soon to return and take me unto thee yet day by day and year by year i waited and still i wait and no return i see remember lord the years i have been waiting while thy dear footsteps linger far away how long how long oh must i waste you longer till thou shalt come again in glorious array from generation unto generation thy saints have come and gone but have not seen thy glorious promise pass into fulfillment how long how very long the time has been why cannot we dear lord discern thy footsteps why are the heavens still so closely sealed oh must be our waiting be prolonged still further before thou in thy

massless splendor art revealed lord i recall the many years i've waited for thy return yet lord not i alone but i dear saint throughout many generations beseeching thee to come back for thine own to countless tears and countless fervent pleadings by thy appear in haste to make reply oh may thou come the echo of the ages come come and answer me now this mighty corporate brothers and sisters throughout the centuries throughout the generations oh the cry of the church is come lord jesus why why is it that the bridegroom delayed remember one thing the bridegroom is most anxious to come but he cannot come because the bride has not made herself ready he can come in the first century but he cannot he can come in the 19th century but he cannot he can come now tonight but if he should delay and

not come tonight is because he cannot not because he will not is there any bridegroom who is not anxious to claim his bride oh our lord jesus is most anxious to return but unfortunately the bride is not ready do you think we are waiting for him or is he waiting for us do you know that his coming in a sense depends on our conditions you know the timetable of god is flexible it is not mechanical at all he does not say now two thousand years just on the dot he will come his timetable is spiritual it is conditioned by the readiness of the bride and that's the reason why the spirit of god is moving through the 20th centuries and especially in our time because the day is drawing very very close and that's the reason why the spirit of god is calling is calling is calling us get ready get ready

for him are we ready in one sense we are never ready did anyone think that he's ready he's not ready but in another sense we have to be ready oh how we need to repent i believe repentance is as something that need to be continuous continuous repentance why not in the sense that we repent all over again as if we were not saved no you cannot do that once you have repented and believe in the lord jesus you cannot repent again but repentance in the sense as the more you hear the voice of the beloved the more you see the glory of the lord the more you discover more ground to repent we need to repent if we see the lord if we see him if we see him more there is more to repent that will keep us in a broken and contrite situation and that is the sacrifice that god likes so the question today is

this if we really long for the bridegroom to return then brothers and sisters we have a responsibility you know we can hasten his return we can delay his return if we cooperate with the holy spirit because that's what the holy spirit is doing today then we can hasten the return of the lord if we do not repent we can delay his return now tonight we will not go into this matter of how the bride has made herself ready god willing we'll go into that tomorrow but tonight we just want to put this before us the voice of the bridegroom he is calling us calling us that we may truly be one with him be like him and when this happened there will be the marriage feast we do pray that thou will stir our hearts that we may raise our voice unto thee and said haste my beloved come lord jesus come quickly

but lord we do know that god waiting for us oh that we may hear thy voice move on with thee that we may truly be one with thee that thou may see that we are ready for thee to come and claim us for thyself lord we want to lay ourselves at thy feet and invite thy holy spirit to perfect the work that thou has already begun in the name of our lord jesus amen