December 4, 2023 • 24 mins
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐓𝐨𝐥𝐝 | 𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐦𝐚𝐬 𝐚𝐭 𝐃𝐂𝐍
Join us today as the kids and Pastor Terra lead us into the first week of advent, and be sure to visit our website https://defiancenazarene.org/
& did you know you could give online? https://defiancenazarene.org/online-giving/
Join us today as the kids and Pastor Terra lead us into the first week of advent, and be sure to visit our website https://defiancenazarene.org/
& did you know you could give online? https://defiancenazarene.org/online-giving/
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
I love Christmas.
Speaker 2 (00:01):
Those of you who have been hearing me preach, I've
been here twenty one years now. Yes, I know, right,
So wait, come up here again and say that she
said you I'm gonna repeat.
Speaker 1 (00:12):
Can am I allowed to repeat that? You repeat it? No?
Speaker 2 (00:17):
She said, you look like you're twenty one. You are
so sweet. I'm about to be a grandma. I know.
I love to have fun in church because we're here
a lot, and I believe God created us for fellowship.
But I love Christmas. I love the decor I love
buying gifts. I even love receiving a few gifts. I
love decorating. I do not love rapping, and I'm terrible
(00:38):
at it, so I apologize if you receive a gift
from me.
Speaker 1 (00:42):
But oh how I love the story. The story.
Speaker 2 (00:47):
It's the story, the life changing, transformational story about a
savior who came down from the heaven lace. And he
came not just that we know that he created us,
not just that we know that he is for us,
not that just we know that he hovers a bus
above us. But he is God with us. He is here.
(01:12):
It is personal. His name is Emmanuel. And every year
the advance season invites us to prepare our hearts once
again to receive the greatest.
Speaker 1 (01:27):
Gift of all.
Speaker 2 (01:30):
Today you all made the effort to come in, and
for some it was more of an effort than others.
But you're here today. You have a choice and an
opportunity to once again say yes to the greatest gift
of all, to prepare our hearts for this miracle, to
(01:52):
die in and be enveloped by the hope all those
kids talked about.
Speaker 1 (01:58):
Hope.
Speaker 2 (01:58):
The hope and assurance of the promises of God are
true even in the waiting. As you read through the story,
there was so much waiting.
Speaker 1 (02:09):
I hate to wait.
Speaker 2 (02:13):
I'm a very impatient person. But even in the waiting,
our hope is certain. When you are in Christ. And
as we read the story, it's filled with the unexpected.
Speaker 1 (02:26):
It's filled with.
Speaker 2 (02:27):
The messy, the things that make you go what, why?
Speaker 1 (02:31):
How? Who?
Speaker 2 (02:33):
A baron mother, a childless father, the young virgin, the miracles,
the angels, the baby leaping in wombs, the man who
had to make a tough decision, the long journey, no
room in the inn, the incredible birth, the barn, the
(02:56):
angelic host, the shepherds, and the wise man.
Speaker 1 (03:02):
Oh sing glory.
Speaker 2 (03:03):
And the highest He has come. But like the people
in the story, today we wait with blessed assurance. Advent
means looking, watching, waiting, preparing, But it also means anticipation,
knowing that today God is going to do something through
(03:24):
your advent. God longs to come and dwell in your advent,
even when, like we heard about this story, when the
money isn't enough and the evictions come, even when we
heard about this story where there was addictions and depression,
even when we saw the girl that was just so
(03:47):
alone and felt like nobody cared, even when we hold
that baby in our arms with uncertainty. Even then, the
season the advent CAUs us to come expecting, longing, and
ready to receive the joy and the hope and the
(04:11):
love and the peace that can only come.
Speaker 1 (04:15):
Through Jesus Christ.
Speaker 2 (04:17):
Because of the story. Today, there is always more grace.
Because of the story. Today, there is salvation. Because of
the story. Today, there is healing. Because of the story. Today,
there is resurrection, There is life, There is eternity, There
(04:40):
is flowing forever and ever and ever. Today during advent,
anticipate it, cling to it. Wrap yourself up in the story.
When Mary held that baby. Can I have that baby again?
I told her, I said, I'm gonna use his baby
(05:00):
several times during the service, and I said, his daddy
never made it through a whole service. He always ran
in and out. But we're going to see if this
one does.
Speaker 1 (05:12):
She did good, Ala.
Speaker 2 (05:14):
Did good because of the baby in a manger. Salvation
came for you and for me. From his tiny little
fingers down to the very tips of his toes, he
was so much God.
Speaker 1 (05:36):
And he was so much Man. I love that he
cried Riley.
Speaker 2 (05:41):
I actually wanted him to spit up on Griffin too,
because that's.
Speaker 1 (05:46):
What babies do.
Speaker 2 (05:49):
Hey, for this story to be real, you guys, Jesus
came as a baby, but.
Speaker 1 (05:56):
He was so much God.
Speaker 2 (06:00):
Wrapped in her arms that day in a barn. Now,
I don't know about you. I have had a couple
of children and a few years before I delivered my
first flower, hospital came out with birthing sweets there. Do
you probably remember what year they did that, don't you, Sue,
So some of you worked there for a long time
(06:20):
that era, but birthing sweets, I mean I got to
deliver in a sweet Now it still hurts, don't worry
it's still birth. But to think the mother of the
Savior of the world, that was willing to say yes
to his call upon her life, to think that there
was no room.
Speaker 1 (06:42):
Yet that baby came, and it.
Speaker 2 (06:45):
Was a miracle, and in her arms held the hope
and salvation for you and for me forever and ever.
Speaker 1 (06:55):
I wish I could keep it the whole time. Oh
thrill of hope.
Speaker 2 (07:15):
The weary world rejoices for yonder breaks, A new and
glorious morn fall on your knees. Oh hear the angel voices,
Oh night, divine. Well, this series is gonna be called
the greatest story ever told, if you've caught that. And
(07:35):
each week we're gonna be diving into a character of
the story and kind of bringing our story into it.
So this week we're going to talk about a man
named Simeon. I love this story. I don't know why
as I read through. There aren't a lot of scripture.
It's only found in one of the Gospels, but it
just captivates me. And he was a man named Simeon
(07:56):
and advent season as we talked about it, the season
to be looking. I don't think there was anyone more
looking watching and.
Speaker 1 (08:06):
Waiting for the Messiah than Simeon. I mean.
Speaker 2 (08:11):
Scripture says he was righteous and devout. He was waiting
for the consolation of Israel. Now what is consolation. That's
a big word in scripture. It means comfort. It means
alleviation or distress of mind. They were looking, and they
were watching, and they were waiting for alleviation. Do you
need some alleviation today?
Speaker 1 (08:33):
Do you need some comfort?
Speaker 2 (08:35):
Charles Spurgeon writes, the consolation in the Bible is like
the dropping of a gentle dew from heaven on desert
hearts beneath. One of the choicest gifts of divine mercy
can be found nowhere save in Christ. I loved that
picture of consolation. And scripture says the Holy Spirit was
(08:56):
on Simeon, and it had been revealed to Simeon by
the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he
had seen the Messiah. Now I want to take you
there to this scene. We're talking about stories today. I
want to take you into this story. Jesus had been born.
Now because of the Jewish law on the eighth Day.
You can read about this in Leviticus Chapter twelve, baby
(09:19):
boys were to be circumcised on the eighth day. This
circumcision would symbolize the Jews separation from gentiles and their
unique relationship with God. Now also Leviticus chapter twelve if
you want to dive into that a little bit. This week,
women were considered ceremonially unclean following the birth of the child.
(09:40):
So there was a purification time after delivering a male
child that lasted about thirty three days. So at this scene,
we're at about forty days. And Mary and Joseph entered
the temple because they couldn't go until then. Now, what
did the law tell them? It said that the firstborn
had to be given over to the Lord. And Mary
(10:02):
and Joseph here's what you need to know. They were
faithful to fulfill the law of God with baby Jesus.
They entered the temple to complete Mary's purification and to
consecrate or dedicate their first born. In obedience to the
law of Moses. There was to be two offerings. There
(10:23):
was to be a burnt offering and there was to
be a sin offering. One was to be a lamb
and the other was to be a pigeon or turtle doves.
Speaker 1 (10:33):
If a lamb was too expensive.
Speaker 2 (10:35):
The law gave an allotment for that the parents could
bring a dove or pigeon instead of the lamb. Why
is that important, Luke? Chapter two says Mary and Joseph
come into the temple with birds.
Speaker 1 (10:49):
They didn't have a lamb.
Speaker 2 (10:51):
The Savior came into their lives. They agreed to be
the earthly parents of Jesus Christ, and they don't have
enough money for the lamb. Now picture them walking into
the temple. There were lots of people going there to
be near God. It was the temple, and people saw
them coming with their newborn baby and the two birds.
(11:14):
People could visibly see that they didn't have enough. That
was one visualization. The world could have told them, you're poor,
you don't have enough. But the world does not define us.
Jesus Christ defines us. And they came to the temple
(11:35):
with their lamb. Now listen to this. They're walking to
the temple with their birds, holding the lamb of God
in her arms.
Speaker 1 (11:49):
The gift? Are you holding the gift today?
Speaker 2 (11:53):
Have you received it? So they enter the temple and
then there's this man, Simeon that sees them and he
just stops at nothing to get to them.
Speaker 1 (12:02):
Well, Pastor Terra. Scripture doesn't say that. Well. It says
he was very old.
Speaker 2 (12:07):
It says he had been waiting and waiting and waiting,
and then it says the Holy Spirit was upon him,
and then he says he sees with his own eyes.
Speaker 1 (12:17):
I don't think he just oh, the Messiah has come.
Speaker 2 (12:25):
The Messiah had come. It was his heart's longing, it
was his ache to end all the pain. Everyone everywhere
was in pain and distressed. And they were looking, and
they were waiting, and they were watching. And a young
peasant girl with a carpenter from Nazareth was on her
arm with a baby and their two birds. And the
(12:48):
Holy Spirit says to Simeon.
Speaker 1 (12:50):
There he is there.
Speaker 2 (12:52):
He is there, he is he is here. Was expecting,
say today, Lord, open our eyes. Today we want to
see Jesus.
Speaker 1 (13:08):
Open our eyes.
Speaker 2 (13:09):
Do you know people were there at the temple to
be close to God.
Speaker 1 (13:15):
And God himself.
Speaker 2 (13:16):
Alasta, can you stand and show that baby God himself
was wrapped up in a little baby. Good job, Aileen,
And they didn't even notice. And I wonder how Simeon knew.
I mean, by this time, think of it, the angelic
host had gone. There were not shepherds following worshiping. The
(13:38):
wise men had not even come yet to bring their gifts,
But the Holy Spirit was on Simeon. The Holy Spirit
is here today. Invite him into your life so you
can begin to see with eyes from above consolation. An
(14:07):
amazing thing about the story, I think is that once
Simeon saw the child, nothing about his circumstances changed in
that instant. I mean, it wasn't like that that all
the pain and suffering was gone, but everything about Simeon's
(14:28):
life changed. We're gonna read in scripture loop two twenty
eight through thirty one everything once he saw the child changed.
It says Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying,
Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss
your servant in peace.
Speaker 1 (14:46):
He took the baby in his arms.
Speaker 2 (14:48):
Who goes up and takes a baby from the mom
and who would.
Speaker 1 (14:55):
Just go up and take someone's baby?
Speaker 2 (14:57):
Lots of people, get ready, Brian Griff, lots of people, yep, yep.
Speaker 1 (15:02):
Do you know.
Speaker 2 (15:02):
We don't read in scripture very often, and this may
be the only place that we actually read that someone
took baby Jesus into their arms. You see, Simeon not
only wanted to see with his eyes the Messiah, he
wanted to receive him and embrace him in his life.
Speaker 1 (15:25):
And that's the difference. Church. Are we looking from a distance.
I believe in God. I believe maybe that baby came.
Speaker 2 (15:37):
Are we receiving him unto ourselves? The gift and unwrapping up?
And Simeon goes on to say, you can dismiss your
servant in peace. Peace, peace, wonderful peace had come in
the middle of awful circumstances because Simeon had beheld for
(15:58):
my eyes have seen your salvation which you have prepared
the sight of all nations. This is mind blowing all nations.
Simeon said, they were looking for the consolation of Israel
for God's people. It was to come to one nation,
(16:21):
to this people where Father Abraham there had been a
promise made. But Simeon stands there, the Holy Spirit's upont
and he takes the baby in his arms, and then
he says, can you imagine Mary.
Speaker 1 (16:31):
I mean, she's just recently delivered in a barn.
Speaker 2 (16:35):
This child has calm for all nations. It was no
longer secluded to one group of people. It was back
to the original plan, which I love. Luke was a physician,
and when we read the Book of Luke, there's lots
of detail in there. And he takes us even back
to Adam and he says, this is for all. This
(16:56):
is for everyone, because where God is concerned, there is
no prejudice and no favoritism. He came for all.
Speaker 1 (17:04):
He came for all.
Speaker 2 (17:08):
He was not willing that one should perish. This baby
came from the salvation of all people.
Speaker 1 (17:17):
He was the source of peace.
Speaker 2 (17:19):
Semi embraced it. He took it in his arms.
Speaker 1 (17:22):
That's close.
Speaker 2 (17:26):
That baby came in and I grabbed it right away,
and I held it close. We don't walk around with
babies out here, do we. Pastor don does true true story.
I've seen it. But we take the baby, we embrace it.
(17:48):
He goes on to speak of Jesus' death, that a
sword would pierce his side. He tells Mary that jesus
suffering will cause her much pain. Well, I thought he
could have left that part out. She's only forty days
into motherhood. But the Holy Spirit was on him and
Mary needed to know. Next week, Pastor Carroll's going to
(18:12):
preach on Mary. Did you know Mary needed glimpses so
her heart and so God could hold her and so
she could ponder so as she had to experience the
depth of pain that she had to walk through, that
she could hold onto the hope that the angel gave
her when he came and told her what was gonna
happen when you hold that baby for the first time?
Speaker 1 (18:36):
You don't know nothing.
Speaker 2 (18:39):
I was a pediatric nurse at the time. I called
my mom with questions. She goes, what do you tell
your patience to do? I said, I tell him to
call me when you're a mom. I often think of Mary,
and he says, a sword would pierce his heart. You see,
in order for that to be torn and give us
(19:01):
access to the Father and give us a personal close relationship.
Speaker 1 (19:06):
To the Father, death had to be defeated.
Speaker 2 (19:09):
Blood had to be shed once and for all so
that we can have restored fellowship with him and we
can live with ultimate hope. Hope, hope.
Speaker 1 (19:22):
That's why he came.
Speaker 2 (19:24):
Hope does not disappoint and it is still the greatest
story ever told. Luke was writing to a people who
were in a time of national decline and disarray. There
was chaos, there was destruction. He was writing to a
people who needed to experience the Savior face to face.
(19:49):
They needed to hold it and wrap it in their arms.
He was writing to a people surrounded by darkness and
lucas saying, Behold, the light of the world has come.
Oh don't you love it when you put all the
Christmas lights up? In that moment where you'll lower the
lights and then the lights come up. Behold, the light
(20:11):
of the world has come. I was reading a study
I believe it was out of Johns Hopkins this week,
and they actually have a word for the state that
we're living in today, coming out of post pandemic, dealing
with the world issues we're dealing with, dealing with financial struggles,
dealing with all the things that come from living in
this fallen world day by day by day. And experts
(20:32):
have now called this. They give this word collective dismay.
And I've just been using it with Brian all week.
I'm in collective dismay. But I thought it was a
good word. It's where we are a universal ache for
an end to our current distress, and we cry out,
(20:53):
how long, Oh Lord, if you are here today?
Speaker 1 (21:00):
And God is just.
Speaker 2 (21:03):
I don't know you're looking and you're searching. I want
to remind you what I spoke about a little while ago.
There were lots of people at the temple that day,
and there were lots of people that missed that Jesus
Christ was there and had come because he didn't match
their expectations. They were looking for a warrior to come
(21:28):
and to end it all. But if you're here today
and God just doesn't match your expectations because you're wanting
him to check off the boxes on your list, fix this,
do that, show up here, Let me do what I
want when check.
Speaker 1 (21:43):
Off, check off, check off.
Speaker 2 (21:47):
God does not meet your expectations because he came to
blow them away.
Speaker 1 (21:55):
He came to be unwrapped.
Speaker 2 (22:00):
Keep him in a box like this, we will never
experience the love of the Father. We will never experience
the grace that breaks into the place and meets us
just where we need it. We will never experience the
salvation he longs for us, and the joy in the
midst of collective dismay.
Speaker 1 (22:22):
But we have to open the box.
Speaker 2 (22:25):
The story is bigger, the story is greater, the salvation
is deeper. The grace will exceed anything your mind can
begin to fathom. That is the gift of Christ, and
it is the greatest story ever told. One reason I
think that Simeon recognized Jesus.
Speaker 1 (22:47):
We know the Holy Spirit.
Speaker 2 (22:49):
Was upon him, but the Savior was his full focus,
his full focus going about his day because God had
promised that he would say see the Messiah.
Speaker 1 (23:02):
His full focus was on Jesus.
Speaker 2 (23:05):
Our Advent season pulls us in all different directions. We're busy,
our schedules are tight. We've got things to do, people
to see, parties to go to this, this, this, and this.
I love preaching on Advent because I love inviting us,
the church once again in to receive, to say yes,
(23:27):
to make Jesus your full focus today. Can I have
him again?
Speaker 1 (23:34):
He's just sleeping through off of it. Isn't me.
Speaker 2 (23:38):
Snoring. They're talking bad about you.
Speaker 1 (23:49):
I have a slide to pull up.
Speaker 2 (23:50):
What can you do this Advent season to embrace Savior?
Do what Simeon did. Ask the Holy Spirit to lead you.
The Holy Spirit is near. All we have to do
is ask the Holy Spirit to lead us. Number two,
(24:12):
Pray for eyes to see him. In the middle of
the crowd where nobody saw him, Simeon had eyes to
see him and number three.
Speaker 1 (24:28):
Embrace the Savior to day.
Speaker 2 (24:33):
Open up the gift, allow God to begin to just
exceed all of your expectations. Feel His goodness flowing over
you today
I love Christmas.
Speaker 2 (00:01):
Those of you who have been hearing me preach, I've
been here twenty one years now. Yes, I know, right,
So wait, come up here again and say that she
said you I'm gonna repeat.
Speaker 1 (00:12):
Can am I allowed to repeat that? You repeat it? No?
Speaker 2 (00:17):
She said, you look like you're twenty one. You are
so sweet. I'm about to be a grandma. I know.
I love to have fun in church because we're here
a lot, and I believe God created us for fellowship.
But I love Christmas. I love the decor I love
buying gifts. I even love receiving a few gifts. I
love decorating. I do not love rapping, and I'm terrible
(00:38):
at it, so I apologize if you receive a gift
from me.
Speaker 1 (00:42):
But oh how I love the story. The story.
Speaker 2 (00:47):
It's the story, the life changing, transformational story about a
savior who came down from the heaven lace. And he
came not just that we know that he created us,
not just that we know that he is for us,
not that just we know that he hovers a bus
above us. But he is God with us. He is here.
(01:12):
It is personal. His name is Emmanuel. And every year
the advance season invites us to prepare our hearts once
again to receive the greatest.
Speaker 1 (01:27):
Gift of all.
Speaker 2 (01:30):
Today you all made the effort to come in, and
for some it was more of an effort than others.
But you're here today. You have a choice and an
opportunity to once again say yes to the greatest gift
of all, to prepare our hearts for this miracle, to
(01:52):
die in and be enveloped by the hope all those
kids talked about.
Speaker 1 (01:58):
Hope.
Speaker 2 (01:58):
The hope and assurance of the promises of God are
true even in the waiting. As you read through the story,
there was so much waiting.
Speaker 1 (02:09):
I hate to wait.
Speaker 2 (02:13):
I'm a very impatient person. But even in the waiting,
our hope is certain. When you are in Christ. And
as we read the story, it's filled with the unexpected.
Speaker 1 (02:26):
It's filled with.
Speaker 2 (02:27):
The messy, the things that make you go what, why?
Speaker 1 (02:31):
How? Who?
Speaker 2 (02:33):
A baron mother, a childless father, the young virgin, the miracles,
the angels, the baby leaping in wombs, the man who
had to make a tough decision, the long journey, no
room in the inn, the incredible birth, the barn, the
(02:56):
angelic host, the shepherds, and the wise man.
Speaker 1 (03:02):
Oh sing glory.
Speaker 2 (03:03):
And the highest He has come. But like the people
in the story, today we wait with blessed assurance. Advent
means looking, watching, waiting, preparing, But it also means anticipation,
knowing that today God is going to do something through
(03:24):
your advent. God longs to come and dwell in your advent,
even when, like we heard about this story, when the
money isn't enough and the evictions come, even when we
heard about this story where there was addictions and depression,
even when we saw the girl that was just so
(03:47):
alone and felt like nobody cared, even when we hold
that baby in our arms with uncertainty. Even then, the
season the advent CAUs us to come expecting, longing, and
ready to receive the joy and the hope and the
(04:11):
love and the peace that can only come.
Speaker 1 (04:15):
Through Jesus Christ.
Speaker 2 (04:17):
Because of the story. Today, there is always more grace.
Because of the story. Today, there is salvation. Because of
the story. Today, there is healing. Because of the story. Today,
there is resurrection, There is life, There is eternity, There
(04:40):
is flowing forever and ever and ever. Today during advent,
anticipate it, cling to it. Wrap yourself up in the story.
When Mary held that baby. Can I have that baby again?
I told her, I said, I'm gonna use his baby
(05:00):
several times during the service, and I said, his daddy
never made it through a whole service. He always ran
in and out. But we're going to see if this
one does.
Speaker 1 (05:12):
She did good, Ala.
Speaker 2 (05:14):
Did good because of the baby in a manger. Salvation
came for you and for me. From his tiny little
fingers down to the very tips of his toes, he
was so much God.
Speaker 1 (05:36):
And he was so much Man. I love that he
cried Riley.
Speaker 2 (05:41):
I actually wanted him to spit up on Griffin too,
because that's.
Speaker 1 (05:46):
What babies do.
Speaker 2 (05:49):
Hey, for this story to be real, you guys, Jesus
came as a baby, but.
Speaker 1 (05:56):
He was so much God.
Speaker 2 (06:00):
Wrapped in her arms that day in a barn. Now,
I don't know about you. I have had a couple
of children and a few years before I delivered my
first flower, hospital came out with birthing sweets there. Do
you probably remember what year they did that, don't you, Sue,
So some of you worked there for a long time
(06:20):
that era, but birthing sweets, I mean I got to
deliver in a sweet Now it still hurts, don't worry
it's still birth. But to think the mother of the
Savior of the world, that was willing to say yes
to his call upon her life, to think that there
was no room.
Speaker 1 (06:42):
Yet that baby came, and it.
Speaker 2 (06:45):
Was a miracle, and in her arms held the hope
and salvation for you and for me forever and ever.
Speaker 1 (06:55):
I wish I could keep it the whole time. Oh
thrill of hope.
Speaker 2 (07:15):
The weary world rejoices for yonder breaks, A new and
glorious morn fall on your knees. Oh hear the angel voices,
Oh night, divine. Well, this series is gonna be called
the greatest story ever told, if you've caught that. And
(07:35):
each week we're gonna be diving into a character of
the story and kind of bringing our story into it.
So this week we're going to talk about a man
named Simeon. I love this story. I don't know why
as I read through. There aren't a lot of scripture.
It's only found in one of the Gospels, but it
just captivates me. And he was a man named Simeon
(07:56):
and advent season as we talked about it, the season
to be looking. I don't think there was anyone more
looking watching and.
Speaker 1 (08:06):
Waiting for the Messiah than Simeon. I mean.
Speaker 2 (08:11):
Scripture says he was righteous and devout. He was waiting
for the consolation of Israel. Now what is consolation. That's
a big word in scripture. It means comfort. It means
alleviation or distress of mind. They were looking, and they
were watching, and they were waiting for alleviation. Do you
need some alleviation today?
Speaker 1 (08:33):
Do you need some comfort?
Speaker 2 (08:35):
Charles Spurgeon writes, the consolation in the Bible is like
the dropping of a gentle dew from heaven on desert
hearts beneath. One of the choicest gifts of divine mercy
can be found nowhere save in Christ. I loved that
picture of consolation. And scripture says the Holy Spirit was
(08:56):
on Simeon, and it had been revealed to Simeon by
the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he
had seen the Messiah. Now I want to take you
there to this scene. We're talking about stories today. I
want to take you into this story. Jesus had been born.
Now because of the Jewish law on the eighth Day.
You can read about this in Leviticus Chapter twelve, baby
(09:19):
boys were to be circumcised on the eighth day. This
circumcision would symbolize the Jews separation from gentiles and their
unique relationship with God. Now also Leviticus chapter twelve if
you want to dive into that a little bit. This week,
women were considered ceremonially unclean following the birth of the child.
(09:40):
So there was a purification time after delivering a male
child that lasted about thirty three days. So at this scene,
we're at about forty days. And Mary and Joseph entered
the temple because they couldn't go until then. Now, what
did the law tell them? It said that the firstborn
had to be given over to the Lord. And Mary
(10:02):
and Joseph here's what you need to know. They were
faithful to fulfill the law of God with baby Jesus.
They entered the temple to complete Mary's purification and to
consecrate or dedicate their first born. In obedience to the
law of Moses. There was to be two offerings. There
(10:23):
was to be a burnt offering and there was to
be a sin offering. One was to be a lamb
and the other was to be a pigeon or turtle doves.
Speaker 1 (10:33):
If a lamb was too expensive.
Speaker 2 (10:35):
The law gave an allotment for that the parents could
bring a dove or pigeon instead of the lamb. Why
is that important, Luke? Chapter two says Mary and Joseph
come into the temple with birds.
Speaker 1 (10:49):
They didn't have a lamb.
Speaker 2 (10:51):
The Savior came into their lives. They agreed to be
the earthly parents of Jesus Christ, and they don't have
enough money for the lamb. Now picture them walking into
the temple. There were lots of people going there to
be near God. It was the temple, and people saw
them coming with their newborn baby and the two birds.
(11:14):
People could visibly see that they didn't have enough. That
was one visualization. The world could have told them, you're poor,
you don't have enough. But the world does not define us.
Jesus Christ defines us. And they came to the temple
(11:35):
with their lamb. Now listen to this. They're walking to
the temple with their birds, holding the lamb of God
in her arms.
Speaker 1 (11:49):
The gift? Are you holding the gift today?
Speaker 2 (11:53):
Have you received it? So they enter the temple and
then there's this man, Simeon that sees them and he
just stops at nothing to get to them.
Speaker 1 (12:02):
Well, Pastor Terra. Scripture doesn't say that. Well. It says
he was very old.
Speaker 2 (12:07):
It says he had been waiting and waiting and waiting,
and then it says the Holy Spirit was upon him,
and then he says he sees with his own eyes.
Speaker 1 (12:17):
I don't think he just oh, the Messiah has come.
Speaker 2 (12:25):
The Messiah had come. It was his heart's longing, it
was his ache to end all the pain. Everyone everywhere
was in pain and distressed. And they were looking, and
they were waiting, and they were watching. And a young
peasant girl with a carpenter from Nazareth was on her
arm with a baby and their two birds. And the
(12:48):
Holy Spirit says to Simeon.
Speaker 1 (12:50):
There he is there.
Speaker 2 (12:52):
He is there, he is he is here. Was expecting,
say today, Lord, open our eyes. Today we want to
see Jesus.
Speaker 1 (13:08):
Open our eyes.
Speaker 2 (13:09):
Do you know people were there at the temple to
be close to God.
Speaker 1 (13:15):
And God himself.
Speaker 2 (13:16):
Alasta, can you stand and show that baby God himself
was wrapped up in a little baby. Good job, Aileen,
And they didn't even notice. And I wonder how Simeon knew.
I mean, by this time, think of it, the angelic
host had gone. There were not shepherds following worshiping. The
(13:38):
wise men had not even come yet to bring their gifts,
But the Holy Spirit was on Simeon. The Holy Spirit
is here today. Invite him into your life so you
can begin to see with eyes from above consolation. An
(14:07):
amazing thing about the story, I think is that once
Simeon saw the child, nothing about his circumstances changed in
that instant. I mean, it wasn't like that that all
the pain and suffering was gone, but everything about Simeon's
(14:28):
life changed. We're gonna read in scripture loop two twenty
eight through thirty one everything once he saw the child changed.
It says Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying,
Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss
your servant in peace.
Speaker 1 (14:46):
He took the baby in his arms.
Speaker 2 (14:48):
Who goes up and takes a baby from the mom
and who would.
Speaker 1 (14:55):
Just go up and take someone's baby?
Speaker 2 (14:57):
Lots of people, get ready, Brian Griff, lots of people, yep, yep.
Speaker 1 (15:02):
Do you know.
Speaker 2 (15:02):
We don't read in scripture very often, and this may
be the only place that we actually read that someone
took baby Jesus into their arms. You see, Simeon not
only wanted to see with his eyes the Messiah, he
wanted to receive him and embrace him in his life.
Speaker 1 (15:25):
And that's the difference. Church. Are we looking from a distance.
I believe in God. I believe maybe that baby came.
Speaker 2 (15:37):
Are we receiving him unto ourselves? The gift and unwrapping up?
And Simeon goes on to say, you can dismiss your
servant in peace. Peace, peace, wonderful peace had come in
the middle of awful circumstances because Simeon had beheld for
(15:58):
my eyes have seen your salvation which you have prepared
the sight of all nations. This is mind blowing all nations.
Simeon said, they were looking for the consolation of Israel
for God's people. It was to come to one nation,
(16:21):
to this people where Father Abraham there had been a
promise made. But Simeon stands there, the Holy Spirit's upont
and he takes the baby in his arms, and then
he says, can you imagine Mary.
Speaker 1 (16:31):
I mean, she's just recently delivered in a barn.
Speaker 2 (16:35):
This child has calm for all nations. It was no
longer secluded to one group of people. It was back
to the original plan, which I love. Luke was a physician,
and when we read the Book of Luke, there's lots
of detail in there. And he takes us even back
to Adam and he says, this is for all. This
(16:56):
is for everyone, because where God is concerned, there is
no prejudice and no favoritism. He came for all.
Speaker 1 (17:04):
He came for all.
Speaker 2 (17:08):
He was not willing that one should perish. This baby
came from the salvation of all people.
Speaker 1 (17:17):
He was the source of peace.
Speaker 2 (17:19):
Semi embraced it. He took it in his arms.
Speaker 1 (17:22):
That's close.
Speaker 2 (17:26):
That baby came in and I grabbed it right away,
and I held it close. We don't walk around with
babies out here, do we. Pastor don does true true story.
I've seen it. But we take the baby, we embrace it.
(17:48):
He goes on to speak of Jesus' death, that a
sword would pierce his side. He tells Mary that jesus
suffering will cause her much pain. Well, I thought he
could have left that part out. She's only forty days
into motherhood. But the Holy Spirit was on him and
Mary needed to know. Next week, Pastor Carroll's going to
(18:12):
preach on Mary. Did you know Mary needed glimpses so
her heart and so God could hold her and so
she could ponder so as she had to experience the
depth of pain that she had to walk through, that
she could hold onto the hope that the angel gave
her when he came and told her what was gonna
happen when you hold that baby for the first time?
Speaker 1 (18:36):
You don't know nothing.
Speaker 2 (18:39):
I was a pediatric nurse at the time. I called
my mom with questions. She goes, what do you tell
your patience to do? I said, I tell him to
call me when you're a mom. I often think of Mary,
and he says, a sword would pierce his heart. You see,
in order for that to be torn and give us
(19:01):
access to the Father and give us a personal close relationship.
Speaker 1 (19:06):
To the Father, death had to be defeated.
Speaker 2 (19:09):
Blood had to be shed once and for all so
that we can have restored fellowship with him and we
can live with ultimate hope. Hope, hope.
Speaker 1 (19:22):
That's why he came.
Speaker 2 (19:24):
Hope does not disappoint and it is still the greatest
story ever told. Luke was writing to a people who
were in a time of national decline and disarray. There
was chaos, there was destruction. He was writing to a
people who needed to experience the Savior face to face.
(19:49):
They needed to hold it and wrap it in their arms.
He was writing to a people surrounded by darkness and
lucas saying, Behold, the light of the world has come.
Oh don't you love it when you put all the
Christmas lights up? In that moment where you'll lower the
lights and then the lights come up. Behold, the light
(20:11):
of the world has come. I was reading a study
I believe it was out of Johns Hopkins this week,
and they actually have a word for the state that
we're living in today, coming out of post pandemic, dealing
with the world issues we're dealing with, dealing with financial struggles,
dealing with all the things that come from living in
this fallen world day by day by day. And experts
(20:32):
have now called this. They give this word collective dismay.
And I've just been using it with Brian all week.
I'm in collective dismay. But I thought it was a
good word. It's where we are a universal ache for
an end to our current distress, and we cry out,
(20:53):
how long, Oh Lord, if you are here today?
Speaker 1 (21:00):
And God is just.
Speaker 2 (21:03):
I don't know you're looking and you're searching. I want
to remind you what I spoke about a little while ago.
There were lots of people at the temple that day,
and there were lots of people that missed that Jesus
Christ was there and had come because he didn't match
their expectations. They were looking for a warrior to come
(21:28):
and to end it all. But if you're here today
and God just doesn't match your expectations because you're wanting
him to check off the boxes on your list, fix this,
do that, show up here, Let me do what I
want when check.
Speaker 1 (21:43):
Off, check off, check off.
Speaker 2 (21:47):
God does not meet your expectations because he came to
blow them away.
Speaker 1 (21:55):
He came to be unwrapped.
Speaker 2 (22:00):
Keep him in a box like this, we will never
experience the love of the Father. We will never experience
the grace that breaks into the place and meets us
just where we need it. We will never experience the
salvation he longs for us, and the joy in the
midst of collective dismay.
Speaker 1 (22:22):
But we have to open the box.
Speaker 2 (22:25):
The story is bigger, the story is greater, the salvation
is deeper. The grace will exceed anything your mind can
begin to fathom. That is the gift of Christ, and
it is the greatest story ever told. One reason I
think that Simeon recognized Jesus.
Speaker 1 (22:47):
We know the Holy Spirit.
Speaker 2 (22:49):
Was upon him, but the Savior was his full focus,
his full focus going about his day because God had
promised that he would say see the Messiah.
Speaker 1 (23:02):
His full focus was on Jesus.
Speaker 2 (23:05):
Our Advent season pulls us in all different directions. We're busy,
our schedules are tight. We've got things to do, people
to see, parties to go to this, this, this, and this.
I love preaching on Advent because I love inviting us,
the church once again in to receive, to say yes,
(23:27):
to make Jesus your full focus today. Can I have
him again?
Speaker 1 (23:34):
He's just sleeping through off of it. Isn't me.
Speaker 2 (23:38):
Snoring. They're talking bad about you.
Speaker 1 (23:49):
I have a slide to pull up.
Speaker 2 (23:50):
What can you do this Advent season to embrace Savior?
Do what Simeon did. Ask the Holy Spirit to lead you.
The Holy Spirit is near. All we have to do
is ask the Holy Spirit to lead us. Number two,
(24:12):
Pray for eyes to see him. In the middle of
the crowd where nobody saw him, Simeon had eyes to
see him and number three.
Speaker 1 (24:28):
Embrace the Savior to day.
Speaker 2 (24:33):
Open up the gift, allow God to begin to just
exceed all of your expectations. Feel His goodness flowing over
you today
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