Advent: Week 5

Good morning, Church family.

There is nothing like what happens in this room during

those ninety seconds.

It is so powerful.

Like I'm standing in the back and I'm like, I

really don't want to go out right now because I

feel like I am the cue to calm it down.

And so it just kind of is so beautiful to

hear all of the connection and the moments that's happening here. Well,

I just want you to know that I am glad

to be here with you this morning. It is exciting

to be together today. As we look at the close

of twenty twenty five. Wow, it seemed like it flew by.

It seemed like it came and it went. But we're

on the last Sunday of this year. Let us pray. Father,

we just thank you for this moment. Thank you for

the opportunity to gather in community as we reflect on Christmas,

as you reflect on this year, and Lord, as we

reflect on You, Holy Spirit, Speak to us today, help

us to align ourself with your purpose and your will. Today, God,

I ask you to speak through me. I sit down

that you might stand up. I become silent so you

may speak. Have your way in Jesus' snake. Amen, good morning.

I'm Pastor Mike, and if I have not met you before,

I am so glad that you're here with us today.

If you're tuning in online, I'm so glad that you

have decided to tune in to church at the Crossing

Welcome this morning.

As you know, this has.

Been the Advent season, and we have celebrated Christmas together

with our family and our friends, with those we love,

and even new people that we met for the first time.

And as we close this chapter, I want to make

one declaration. Christmas is not over. I'm going to say

that again. Christmas is not over.

Now.

Many of you probably got a little nervous when I

said that, because you thought of all the gifts you wrapped,

and all the shopping you did, and all the stuff

that you just got through, and you were hoping that

it actually was over that you can move on. But

I want to let you know that it's not over.

Even though the decorations may be coming down and the

music is starting to fade off, of the radio stations

and the gifts that you got that you really didn't

want you've already exchanged. Christmas is not over, but the

story of Christmas continues. Because for those of us who

see Christmas as a waiting moment, waiting is one of

the things that we must do as believers. Waiting is

a part of the Christian life. Today, I want to

talk to you from the topic waiting. Well, the Christmas

story continues. We live in a society that hates to wait.

We just don't like it. We want it now, we

want answers now, we want breakthrough now, we want healing now,

we want resolution now, and nobody wants to wait for it.

In fact, studies tell us that the average American waits

thirty seven hours a year waiting in lines. And guess

what that does not include wait waiting on the Lord.

Sometimes we feel like we're waiting in a line, waiting

for the Lord to answer our prayers. And yet scripture

shows us that some of God's greatest work happens in

the arrival of the promise, not in the arrival of

the promise, but in the waiting for it. It's not

when it shows up, but it's while we are waiting.

Consider this, Abraham and Sarah, they were waiting to start

a nation. Joseph was waiting on a dream to come

to pass. Moses waited for the promised land. Hannah waited

for her womb to be opened. Naomi waited for bitterness

to leave, Joe waited for restoration, and on and on

and on. If you are a believer, I want to

let you know that you will be in a time

of waiting. All believers are waiting for something, and some

of the things that we're waiting on we get confused

because they are.

Human conditions, human waiting.

Some of us are asking right now, well, pastor Mike,

where are you going with this? Well, Christmas is the

greatest weight story ever. This promise was spoken about in

Genesis and all the way through Malachi and a arrival

that we were expecting that took forty two generations to

manifest and to now be realized. Luke two introduces us

to two people who I like to call hidden figures

of Christmas. These people show up one day and we

never hear of them again, but they are significant because

of the impact they have on the Christmas story.

Luke takes the time.

To investigate and get information from we believe Mary in

order to be able to describe or write, because only

Mary could really understand the significance of what was happening

when she meant these two people, these people are Simeon

and Anna. These two teach us indeed how.

To wait well.

Well, Christians, if we are gonna be waiting, we need

to learn how to wait well. We meet them in

verse twenty five of Luke two. But let me set

the background for this story. The reason that Mary and

Joseph were in the temple in the first place was

because they had to present Jesus.

They had to present Jesus because he was the first born.

Any first born of any human or animal had to

be presented to the temple, and so Jesus would go

to the temple to be presented. But also Mary was

returning to the temple after forty days of being considered unclear.

Now she was going to the temple to say that

she was clean and to.

Offer up her offering of purity. That offering usually was

a lamb and.

A pigeon, and so either those two things were offered up,

but there also was an offering for the poor, which

could be turtle doves or two pigeons, and we read

in scripture that Mary offered up the latter. So this

let us know that they were not wealthy. But they

may have been in need, but they come into the

temple to complete what needed to be done. Notice that

the temple was not some small country church, but the

temple was busy. Many people were coming to the temple,

whether they were coming to offer sacrifice or whether they

were coming to worship.

The temple was active.

God was using this temple to meet all of the

people's need and the community. So get in your mind

how chaotic it could have been to walk into the

temple on this particular day with your new born who's

like forty days ye old years old.

Forty days old, not forty.

Years old, Lord, a mercy, that's a rough newborn anyway.

But your forty day you're day born baby.

You bring that baby into the temple and you are

going to present them to the Lord.

You're presenting God's.

Child to God. But let us turn to the scriptures, Luke.

The second chapter, verse twenty five through forty, the Bible

shows us a few things.

Here it says, now there was a man in.

Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout.

He was waiting.

For the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was

on him. Don't forget that. It had been revealed to

him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die

before he had seen the Lord's Messiah. Moved by the spirit,

he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought

in the child Jesus to do for him what the

custom of the law required, Simeon took him in his

arms and praised God, saying, Sovereign Lord, you have as

you have promised. You may now dismiss your servant in peace,

for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have

prepared in the sight of all nations, a light for

revelation to the gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.

The child's father and mother marveled at what was said

about him then, and blessed them, and said to marry

his mother. This child is destined to cause the falling

and rising of many in Israel, and to be a

sign that will be spoken against so that the thoughts

of many hearts may will be revealed. And I and

a sword will pierce your soul to listen to this part,

and a sword will pierce your soul to I believe

that this portion of scripture right here is speaking to

Jesus on the cross. And Mary sitting at the foot

of the cross, and could you imagine the traumatic experience

of this mother's first born being crucified and her watching.

Some way or another, Simeon had an impression from the

spirit to speak this truth. The Bible goes on to

say there was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of

Pinuel of the tribe of Asher.

She was very old.

She had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage,

and then was a widow until she was eighty four.

She never left the temple, but worshiped night and day,

fasting and praying. Coming up to them at that very

moment that Simeon is speaking to them, she gave thanks

to God and spoke about the child to all who

were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem. When Joseph

and Mary had done everything required by the law of

the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town

of Nazareth, and the child grew and became strong. He

was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was

upon him. This morning, I would like to leave you

with five quick points, some truths, and some takeaways.

The first point this morning is that waiting is.

Often where God is working most many of us in

this room. We are waiting on something, But I want

to push you a little bit deeper. It's not the

thing we're waiting on. It is who we are waiting on.

We are called to wait on the Lord. And so

Simeon had been waiting for some time. The scriptures tell

us now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon,

who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the

consolation of Israel, and the whole was upon him. He

was waiting, like all of Israel for the Messiah to come.

He was waiting for Messiah, and they had been.

Waiting for a very long time.

But he had the revelation that he would not die

until he saw Messiah.

And on this day he saw Messiah.

Simeon was not idle in his waiting. He was not bitter,

He was not checked out. I want to let you know,

as Christians, we cannot afford to check out. We cannot

afford to forget the reason we have come into faith,

the reason we are walking with the Lord, the reason

we are following Christ. We cannot check out, but we

need to stay connected. Simeon was righteous, he was devoted,

but he was also waiting. I want to let you

know that this morning that although you may do be

doing everything that God has called you to do, that

does not take you away from the opportunity to also wait.

Sometimes we believe if I'm.

Doing everything I'm supposed to do, if I'm following the Lord,

if I'm praying and I'm reading my word, and I'm

doing all those things, things should just happen for me.

It should come quickly, it should come now.

Well, I won't let you know.

The Lord may have you waiting for a reason, for

a purpose by design. Here's the truth that we must embrace.

Delay does not mean that God is absent. Often it

means that God is shaping us. A waiting season stretches us,

it refines us, it matures us. If God has you

waiting right now, hear me when I say this, don't

waste the season. Let Him form you you in it.

He is forming you in your waiting. If you're waiting

for healing, if you're waiting for deliverance, or you're waiting

for restoration in your family, in your life, whatever you're

waiting on in this.

Moment, allow God to form you. Seek him.

Because this is what Simeon did when God this quote

by doctor Miles Monroe. When God delays, it is not

because he is unprepared.

It is because he is preparing you. God is prepared.

He knows the beginning, and he knows the end, and

he knows the end between. And while we are in

the end between, he is preparing us for what we

are not prepared for. Right now, there's some things that

you are waiting for that if it happened today, you

would ruin it. Oh, you know you would, because you're

asking the Lord to bless you financially. But if God

gave you money right now, you would buy that thing.

You know, you ain't got no business buying. So the

Lord may cause you to wait so you can become disciplined.

If we wait in our own strength, frustration will always win.

That's why Simeon teaches us.

How to wait, and he also introduces someone we desperately need.

Point two, Waiting when requires the Holy Spirit, not human patience.

I'm gonna say that again, Waiting requires the Holy Spirit

and not human patience. Listen, some of us are very patient. Recently,

I had an encounter and I was working with a

young person and I'm telling you they were doing some

dastardly stuff, and I was super super patient. I'm telling

you I was patient. Other people were saying stuff, and

I was like, it's okay, it's all right. We can

handle it, buddy, we can do it. We can take

care of it. But I tell you, the God's on

this truth. I came to a point where my patience

ran out. And you know what's bad when you say

I'm the most patient person with you, patience will run out.

But the Holy Spirit will allow us to go the disc.

And loop two.

We pull away that it has been revealed to him

by the Holy Spirit. So remember, the Holy Spirit reveals

to him, and then the Holy Spirit moves him to

the temple courts.

He's being revealed and moved.

The Holy Spirit will give you everything that you need

to survive. If you don't have the Holy Spirit, I'm

telling you you are missing the key that you need

to survive as a believer. The Holy Spirit will guide you.

So Simeon wasn't walking around guessing. He wasn't forcing doors open.

You know about that, don't you making it work out?

We gotta make it work out. But he was led

by the spirit. He was led by the Holy Spirit.

He was waiting and being led by the Holy Spirit.

Here's the truth. Impatience grows when we relye on ourselves.

Peace grows when we relye on the Spirit. I don't

know about you, but I prefer to walk in peace.

When I'm walking in peace, the Spirit gives me peace

because I abide in the Spirit. When I stop abiding

within the Spirit, guess what happens. All the things start

falling apart.

When I start.

Doing my own thing and walking my own way and

coming up with my own thoughts and my own designs,

and I start strategizing and I have not included the Lord.

I want to let you know. It always falls apart

in my own life, and guess what I know about life, It.

Falls apart in your life too.

Some of your best strategies have fallen apart because you

did not include or invite the Holy Spirit. Because guess what,

most times when I am bite the Holy Spirit, the

Holy Spirit straps my whole plan. Well, I'm just gonna

call them and tell them about themselves. And the Holy

Spirit says, you can't even find a number on the phone.

You're like, I know, I put that number.

In the phone.

Just be quiet and wait. Now we know the secret.

When you're really angry. Don't send the text. Some of

y'all still don't listen to that, do you? You send

it anyway?

And you wait. You see the little doctor. You say, Well,

they bet not, they bet not, they bet not. But wait.

And seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit. God will

give you peace if you rely on the spirit. Some

of us here are exhaust You're tired waiting.

When is it going to happen?

Well, I want to let you know that you're not

tired because you've been waiting. But you've been waiting without prayer.

We must pray, wait and pray and prayer is this

prayer is staying connected with the Father. In other words,

I want to let you know my prayer life is

not a lot of words I start talking, But the

older I've gotten, I've learned that the Lord already knows.

I just need to shut up and sit and let

him speak. God, what do you want to say to

me today?

How do you want to guide me today? How do

I work through the situation?

Lord? God?

I feel like I need to have a response, and

he says, wait, don't move, just sit here, linger in

my presence. I want to let you know that My

prayer never ends when I say amen.

It's the after prayer. That's when the Lord is speaking.

It's when I shut up that he starts talking.

Simeon knew how to linger in the presence of the Lord.

He had time, he had practiced. The takeaway is stay

prayerful while you're waiting. The Spirit sustains what your strength cannot.

In your own strength, no, but in the strength of

the Spirit you will be able to endure. And see

this is the beauty of spirit led waiting. Eventually, God

does show up, not when we told him to or

requested him to the way we wanted him to, and

how we wanted to, when we wanted where all those

things that we put the constraints we put on God.

But he shows up when it is time to show up.

Oh you remember Lazarus. He heard that his friend was

sick and died. He said, Hey, let's hang out a

couple more days. We're good in this place.

Why because he is God. He knows how to do

the thing. He knows what we don't know.

He knows how to navigate, he knows how to put

the situation in order because He has already done it.

We're the ones who are waiting. See, we're waiting in faith,

and for some reason we have mixed up faith because

we think faith has to be movement. I want to

let you know, the greatest faith is the faith to wait.

Well that hits somebody over here, let me say it

over here. The greatest faith is the faith to wait.

Lord.

I trust you so much that I can wait here.

I don't have to move because right here is good.

I won't move without you, I won't step without you,

I won't go without you.

I am good. Waiting.

Waiting is not endless, it is purposeful, which brings me

to the moment. Simeon had been waiting for his whole life.

And point three.

God's promise is all ways worth the way.

It's worth the way.

Whatever the Lord has spoken, whatever the Lord said he

would do, it is worth the way. Hold on, keep waiting,

keep trusting. This summer, I had the wonderful privilege of

going to Europe, and I got to one of my

stops on my trip in Europe was Amsterdam, and I

got to go to the Rembrandt Home and Museum.

And in that museum, rem Brandt had.

All these pictures, these beautiful works of art, all around,

and there were a lot of them depicted these spiritual moments.

But one of the pictures I did not get to

see was this one right here.

This picture is named Simeon in the Temple.

Simeon is in the temple and he is holding the baby.

I'm thinking that shadow in the background might be Anna,

but at least I know this is Simeon in the

temple and he is holding the baby. Could you imagine

holding what you have been expecting, holding the miracle and

knowing that it is the miracle some of us.

I want to let you know that.

You are already holding your miracle, but you have not

been able to identify it. Your healing is already in

your hands, your deliverance is already in.

Your hands, but you're missing the fact because it looks

like a baby.

But Simeon knew that this was the Christ, that this

is the Messiah. This is the answer. I am holding

the answer in my hands. I've waited my whole life.

One encounter with Jesus made sense of years of waiting.

This truth is powerful. This is a simple one.

One encounter with God can make years of waiting.

Makes sense.

I understand it now. Older people always can rationalize their life.

Why it happened when it happened, why they married who

they married, because the crazy one they were dating, Why

they moved from that city to this city, because of

the friendships that they gained. We can look back and

we can see the hand of God. It's always easy

to look back in the rear view mirror and see

how God was moving in our lives. This is what

he was doing in this moment, thinking about every time

he went to the temple, every time he was praying,

every time he was spending time.

In the presence of the Lord, and the Spirit was

with him.

But now everything made sense while he was holding the baby.

Notice this, Simeon didn't complain about the wake. He didn't say,

why did you take so long, Jesus. His response was,

now I can rest, oh man, now I can rest.

The takeaway for that is trust God's timing. What he

brings is all will always be better than anything we

could rush. I don't know about you, but I don't

like rushed mills. Oh you've had a few of them

in your day. You were trying to get something on

the table and you just rush through it and it

turned out and you ate. But it wasn't good. You

didn't tell anybody, but it wasn't good. There's something about

waiting for the meal. Why is it so important to

wait for the meal is because while you're waiting for

the meal, your hunger increase. Believers this morning, I want

to tell you, stay hungry for the Lord, Stay hungry

for Jesus. Stay hungry, always longing, always waiting. But I

want to let you know that we are not waiting

for the next car, the next house, the next job,

the next degree, the next income rise, the next baby,

the next marriage. I want to let you know that

this morning, the Church of God should be waiting.

On the Lord's return.

So often we get caught up in this human experience

that we forget that we're not here permanently. We are

here temporarily waiting for the return of the Savior.

And guess what these two.

Individuals and one I'm about to bring into the story.

They had been waiting for so long, and here comes

the child Jesus. Now here's where the story widens. Simeon

teaches us how to wait with hope, but Anna teaches

us how to wait with worship. I want to let

you know that we were created to worship. We were

created for worship. Our whole existence are life is worship.

Worship is not what we did this morning. This was

a meeting. Oh, I just want to let you know.

This was a meeting. We did some singing, we did

some teaching, but this was a meeting. Worship happens even

after this. This was the reminder of why we come together.

This was the reminder of who God is, that he

created us for the purpose of worship. Worship is a lifestyle.

It's what I do all day every day. When I'm

at work, when I'm at school, when I'm in the car,

when I'm at the bank, when I'm at the grocery store,

when I'm by myself, when I'm with my family, I

am in worship.

I am in worship mode.

Because I realize and acknowledge that everything in my life

is connected.

To the Savior.

We are worshippers and we've been called to worship. The

Bible says this.

In Luke too. She never left the temple, but worship.

Night and day, night and day, fasting and praying. Now,

I don't want you to think that Anna actually lived

in the temple. I don't know if the temple had showers,

but Anna was there every time the church door's open. Oh,

my Lord, I have some friends here at Church of

the Cross, and that every time the church door opened,

I see them.

They're here.

They're serving, they're finding a place, they're finding a space.

They're always here. Why Because they are worshipers. She was committed,

she was connected to the Lord. And even though she

had some issues, she had reasons to quit, reason to withdraw.

She has some things happening in her life.

She was a widow, She had all the reasons to

not worship, but she kept on worshiping.

She kept on serving the Lord. She kept on showing up.

I want to let you know, though you may be waiting,

don't stop coming, don't stop showing up, don't stop worshiping.

Worshiping is the key. So she was waiting, she was worse.

Here's the truth. Faithful worship keeps our hearts aligned while

we wait. Because worship says, Lord, you're faithful. Lord, you're moving. Lord,

you're doing it. Lord, you're making it work together for

my good.

Lord, I know who you are.

Worship reminds us that God is still worthy even when

the answer has not yet arrived.

Remember this worship is not.

About what, it's about who. It's not what we do,

it's who we do it for.

Lord. Everything that I do, I want to do for you.

From the moment I rise up to the moment I

lay down, and even in my dreams, I want.

To worship you.

That is my desire, that should be our desire. The

takeaway for that is, please, please, please, don't pause your

worship just because a miracle hasn't arrived. Jesus hadn't shown

up to the temple yet, but she was still worshiping.

And guess what when you wait, well, God will work

in your life when we stay faithful, when we keep worshiping,

we will see how the Lord will show up for us.

But not only will he show up for us, he

will show up for others. That leads us two point

five wait will one day encourage others. In Luke two

we Gardner that she spoke about the child to all

who were looking forward to the rediction of Jerusalem.

She spoke to everyone who was in the temple.

She was there, she saw the baby, She experienced the moment,

and she took the moment and she carried it, and

she talked about it. I want to let you know

that somebody's waiting to hear the testimony of Jesus in

your life. Somebody's waiting to know how He showed up

in your life. Don't let the enemy steal your testimony.

Sometimes we get so cleaned up that we forget where

he found us. Some of us he found us in

a bar. Some of us he found us in the

wrong person's bed. Some of us he found us in

all sorts of places, in addiction, in sickness. Don't forgetting

your testimony. And so she testifies to what she experience.

Here's the truth. God uses waiting seasons.

To build powerful stories. Somebody's watching you. Wait.

See while you're testifying and saying, I'm believing God for this,

I'm believing God for that. Somebody's watching you. And because

they're watching you, they're watching the way that you wait.

They're watching the way that you keep pushing, the way

that you may cry, and you still worship. You may

be delayed, but you are not denying. You keep on waiting,

You don't give up. Keep on waiting and telling people

what you're waiting for, and then when it shows, tell

them what you're seeing. The takeaway is this the way

you wait today may give someone else hope tomorrow. Wait, well,

because somebody's watching. You catch this real quick. Simeon and

Anna are both old.

Now I know.

The scriptures are so raw. That's how it says. It

says they're old. Right, they're old with no chaser, right,

because you know, we say, oh, they were seasoned, they

were mature, they had seen many years. No the scriptures

that said she was old. But check this out. They

see the baby, but they don't get to see the

redemption on the cross. Chances are they had already died

by time Jesus went to the cross. When Jesus rose

from the grave, they had not seen the fulfillment of

what they were waiting for.

They only got a glimpse. Oh help me, Holy Spirit.

They only got to see a glimpse of it. I

want to let you know you may not get to

see the fulfillment of all that you have prayed for

and believed God for. You may not get to see

that sun fully restored into the kingdom. You may not

get to see that healing or experience those things.

But let me let you know something. Today, God will

give you a glimpse.

It would be thirty years before Jesus would even go

into ministry. They didn't get to see the multitude fed,

the healing lad is being raised from the dead, but

they got a glimpse because the Holy.

Spirit revealed that this is the Christ, This is Christ,

This is the Christ.

And why is Christmas not over? Because Christmas means more Christ.

I pray more Christ for you, more Christ in your life,

more Christ in your family, more Christ in your experience.

As you are walking.

Through that you will experience more of Christ each day

as we enter this new year, as we stand at

the doorway of a new year, I want to encourage.

You with this.

If you are tired, keep trusting. If you are restless,

slow down. If you are waiting, please, my brother, please,

my sister, wait well, Simeon and Anna show us how.

But the scriptures tell us best, for those who wait

upon the.

Lord shall renew their strength.

If I went further, they shall mount up on wings

as eagles.

They shall walk and not be weary. They shall run

and not think.

They shall not fall apart. They will not fall apart.

Because if you will wait on the Lord, stand on

your feet with me this morning. If you would, I'm

so glad They that we're here this morning together in

one service. But I know some of us in this

room you feel like you could faint, some of you

feel weary.

Keep waiting on the Lord. Don't stop waiting. It's not.

What he produces, but it's who he is. If you

don't get another job, wait on the Lord. If the

report comes back bad, wait on the Lord.

If the situation doesn't shift, Wait on the Lord.

If it's confusing and you don't know which way to turn,

wait on the Lord. Lord where he will renew your strength. Friends, family,

you are stronger.

Than you know you are because your strength is in

the Lord. He will give you strength to endure.

This morning, we're going to transition into anointing, and anointing

is a time where we come together and we anoint

with oil, and the oil is the symbolism of the

presence of the Holy Spirit. Some of us are waiting

in some things that we just need the presence of

the Holy Spirit in our lives. We got some situations,

we're dealing with, some circumstances.

And we need the Lord this morning.

If you are in a waiting period and this is

something you've been waiting on, just like Simeon maybe you'll

consider being anointed today. Those who will be assisting us

with anointing will be on these aisles. But if you

want to be anointed, you would come down the center aisle,

and our sister will direct you which way to go.

Let us pray.

Father, we don't mind waiting though you made harry. Lord,

we will wait though we have no answers today.

We will wait because we are waiting.

On you, waiting on your return, waiting on the moment

when we.

Get to see your face. Lord, give us the endurance

of Simeon, and give us the spirit of worship like Anna,

that while we wait we praise you both day and night.

Lord, encourage the waiting soul today that we won't look

lose sight of what you are doing in us. We

trust you, and we have the faith to wait in

Jesus' name. Amen, The anointing lines are open.

Thank you, Lord,