Reunited And It Feels So Good
In this sermon, Pastor Ortiz reflects on the Song of Solomon, particularly focusing on Chapter 6, to discuss the themes of love, relationships, and the role of adversity in our spiritual growth. He explains that the Song of Solomon is fundamentally about love, which he breaks down into three areas: relational love, marital love, and spiritual love. He emphasizes the importance of loving others as ourselves, as commanded by God, and discusses how true love in marriage is not about a fairy-tale romance but is instead a commitment that involves navigating the messiness of life together. He also stresses that our love for God is the foundation for all other forms of love, enabling us to love even those who are difficult to love.
Pastor Ortiz then dives deeper into the text, contrasting the speaker’s focus in Chapter 2 on what she possesses (“my beloved is mine”) with her shift in Chapter 6 to who possesses her (“I am my beloved’s”). This shift, he explains, underscores the importance of recognizing that we belong to God, which is more significant than merely claiming God as ours. He urges the congregation to focus on being possessed by God and by those who truly matter in their lives, rather than worrying about what or who they possess.
The sermon also explores the idea of forgiveness and reconciliation in relationships, drawing parallels between the couple in Song of Solomon and our relationship with God. Pastor Ortiz points out that the bridegroom in the passage does not focus on the bride’s faults or the separation they’ve experienced, but instead, on rekindling their love. This, he explains, mirrors God’s attitude toward us—despite our flaws and failures, God is always ready to welcome us back with open arms when we seek Him.
Finally, Pastor Ortiz ties the message back to the Gospel, describing it as the ultimate expression of God’s love and forgiveness. He encourages the congregation to live out the Gospel in their relationships, marriages, and daily lives, emphasizing that the Gospel is not just a one-time event but a way of life that leads to ongoing reconciliation and unity with God and others.
In summary, this sermon challenges listeners to embrace love in its true, sometimes messy form, to recognize the importance of being possessed by God, and to live out the Gospel daily, both in their relationships with others and in their personal walk with God.