Luke The Orderly Account of Truth - Waiting Well - Luke 2:22-40

You guys have a good Thanksgiving? Yeah, good, good, good.

I had a good Thanksgiving too. My favorite part of Thanksgiving is when it's

over, right, because that means it's what It's Christmas season, That's what

it means. Yeah, there's there's also leftovers the next day too. That

is a bonus, that is that's a plus. But it's Christmas season,

and so for me, I know, I'm excited. I don't know who's

more excited, me or my children. We enjoy Thanksgiving or we enjoy Christmas.

We literally as soon as a Friday hit, my kids knew exactly what

they wanted to do. It was set up for Christmas and we were We

literally did that all day. It was a great, great time. Welcome

first of all to UH the Ruth Community Church, where it's all about Jesus.

We love God, we love people, we reach the lost, and

we make disciples. Am I the only one excited for Christmas? You guys

excited for Christmas? Too? Okay, all right, just yeah, I

just want to make sure that I'm not the only one here excited for Christmas.

Does anyone have any kind of similar sentiment Thanksgiving wise? Like, food's

really cool, right, but now now it's the real deal. Now we're

in the real holiday season, right, it's official. Yeah, yeah,

well thanks yeah, Thanksgiving it got its time. It's all right, it's

over now. But one of the things I actually really like about Christmas is

the anticipation and that we get a whole month of anticipation. Right, So,

how do you guys do it? Waiting? You guys doing okay job

of waiting. You guys are very patient people, Yeah, you try to

be. Yeah, well, historically I am a patient person. I also

found that I feel like in the recent years, since having kids, learning

how to have patience has like the challenge level has been upped a little bit,

you know, you know, you know what I'm saying a little bit

there that I find that there's an aspect where my kids test my patience.

I also find that there's an aspect where there's a lot of things that I

will do for my kids that require patients do so that makes sense. There's

a lot of things that like, yes, like I'm like, okay,

yes, you've won of my attention for the last ten minutes. You've continue

to say dad, dad, and I say what and you say I love

you? You act like it's emergency. That was an emergency. I super

appreciate it. But there's also other things that my kids desire, and there's

things that that will do for them that also require my patience. A couple

of years ago actually, and Jess will appreciate this, A couple of years

ago, actually, I uh, we went to the Puallt Fair with some

friends and we weren't there for any rides. Necessarily were there to see the

animals. And that's because our like our children at the time were much younger,

so doing any of the rides that make sense. Except for my daughter,

Aubrey loves the carousel. She like, that's if we go anywhere,

if it's if it's zoo, any place, she loves the carousel. And

I love my daughter. So I'm like, you know what, I'll stand

in line for you in this blazing hot day where there's no sh shade in

line to get you just enough tickets, which is like three tickets to go

on this carousel ride. So I get in line, and I wait,

and I wait and I wait and finally move up one and I wait and

the line on my right is just like it's flying. You know. I'm

kind of like tempted to jump, and I'm like, no, I've committed,

you know, I've I've picked my line. This is fine. I

literally waited over an hour in the blazing hot sun, and literally like our

friends and my family had left me. I was like, no, just

go you guys, you walk around, you do that, and they're like

periodically checking in on me because I'm still just standing in line. And then

the worst thing that could ever happen happened. I'm next up and their computers

malfunction and they shut down the booth and I was literally about I didn't I

did not want to ask Christian that day. I can tell you that that

was That's the truth, right, And here's the deal. Here's the worst

part is like that's been a trend now. Like we went to the Thurston

County Fair and literally I'm like the next person in line, and they're like,

all right, we'll be right with you. First, we need to

I as the person need to come out of the booth a person who sells

the tickets right, and they needed to individually make sure that they were the

ones who fastened the little wristbands. On a school trip of like forty plus

kids and I'm literally like, I'm the next one up, but it's like,

no, we're gonna take care of this. So I just had to

sit there and I had to wait. So now my trust and my patients

have slowly decided to wear down. And now I think, honestly, there's

an aspect of my own decision making that comes into question of like, like

I go to Costco, I go anywhere now, and when it comes to

choosing a line, I'm like, should I jump ship? Should I not?

But it's hard because I commit, it doesn't matter. All I know

is like I'm scared of lines now because I just can't seem to get the

right one. Or the Lord is trying to grow my patients, and I

think that's probably it. Okay. The reason I tell this story is because

because I had put my faith ultimately, I put my patience on the line

for something that could fail me and did fail me multiple times. Literally the

Thurston County I didn't even get tickets. I didn't even get tickets. I

just gave up. I was like, I'm not waiting for forty people,

forty children to be coralled and have their wristbands put on to to my huh,

I did give up at the Pull affair too. I'm here's the guy.

I guess I'm a quitter. I guess that's the moral of the story.

All right, I'm a quitter. I thought I had patience, but

it was tested at the pe of affair. No, we had friends who

lent us some tickets and so I forgot to go and that was great.

But the story we're going to look at today is also about people who were

waiting. The thing that's very nice for them is that they put their faith

The thing that they were waiting for and waiting on was sure to come to

pass and wasn't going to fail. Right, we have this nasty but as

human beings like well wait for things. We have anticipation for things, expectations

for things that ultimately, if we make them ultimate, we'll let us down.

Right. But the story we're gonna look at today is about those people

who faithfully waited and waited well, and then we're able to receive those things

that they'd put their faith in. So let's read our text for today.

Pray and jump in you guys ready, all right, So we're gonna be

opening up to Luke. We are in a series going through the Gospel of

Loke. Let me read and then we can jump into that series. Intro

Luke, chapter two, starting in verse twenty two, says, when the

time came for the purification rights required by the Law of Moses, Joseph and

Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord. As it is

written in the Law of the Lord, every firstborn male is to be concentrated

to the Lord and to offer a sacrifice, in keeping with what is said

in the Law of the Lord, a pair of doves or two young pigeons.

Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who is righteous and

devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit

was on him. 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, 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 Simeon blessed them and said to Mary 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

will be revealed, and a sword will pierce your own soul too. There

was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penuel 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, 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 on him. Let's pray, Father God, we give you

this time and we're so grateful that we get to be here together in your

name Riasa, as we've sung these songsungs, as we've carved out this time

in our evening to put you first, have you be the beginning of our

week. We asked that our hearts have been prepared for this moment, for

the word that you have for us today. We asked us we leave here

today, that we would not leave here the same lork God, because we

believe and know that your word does not return void. We're got let the

seeds planted today bear fruit in our lives, and we submit this time to

You to your glory in Jesus name. Everyone said amen. All right.

So we've been in the series going through the Gospel of Luke. We've called

this series the Orderly Account of Truth, and the reason for this title is

stated at the beginning of the Gospel of Luke. Right. We recap this

every single week, right, so that we don't forget what Luke is writing

to writing about in the first place, and what the purpose is. We

want to remember what the purpose of this gospel account is, so let's look

at it, says, many have undertaken to draw up an account of the

things that have been fulfilled among us, just as they were handed down to

us by those who were from the first eyewitnesses and servants of the Word.

With this in mine, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning,

I too decided to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilis,

so that you may know the certainty of the things that you have been

taught. So Luke has written down this orderly account so that Theophilis and us

by extension, would have certainty as it regards our faith, our beliefs,

things that we know about Jesus. One of the main ways that Luke has

been doing this is by showing us time and time again, just like he

said, he's carefully investigated the things that have been fulfilled among them, the

things have been fulfilled, that things had been prophesied and had come to fruition.

And that's what we've actually been looking at the last couple of weeks,

in just these two chapters alone, the time and time again God had promised

something in the past and then fulfilled it in real time, starting with John

the Baptist and all the stuff that came with that, and how he was

born to be prepare the way for Jesus, all the way to Jesus being

born last week, which is what we covered last week, and now this

week we are going to look at one last story concerning the time of Jesus

as a baby in the Gospel of Luke. All right, so today's message

is titled Waiting. Well, all right, let's jump into the first couple

of verses, starting in Luke two, verse twenty two through twenty four.

If you don't have a Bible, we also have a bibles in the back

so you can follow along. They'll also be here on the screen. When

the time came for the purification rights required by the Law of Moses, Joseph

and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord, him being

Jesus. As it is written in the Law of the Lord, every firstborn

male is to be consecrated to the Lord and to offer a sacrifice in keeping

with what is required or said in the Law of the Lord, a pair

of doves or two young pigeons. This is what we ended with last week.

This was the last bit of text that we had last week. We

had talked about how this pair of doves and two young pigeons actually was the

alternative offering option that they were given when Mary was going to do the purification

rights, which we're going to talk about in just a second. But this

actually showed that this was the alternative option, that what they were supposed to

bring was a lamb, but if they couldn't afford when they were to bring

this, and so we had seen that Jesus was born into this poor family.

But what's really cool is that what Luke quickly shows us is that after

Jesus has been born, his parents follow the law of God by doing the

various things required by the law as it regarded having a baby. Now,

if you're curious where those things can be found, it's in Leviticus chapter twelve.

You guys knew that, right, Yeah, that's where that's usually I

think we stop at Leviticus chapter four in our Bible reading, right, and

so we may have missed this one, but it is there. Literally,

the entire chapter twelve is like, if you have a baby, do all

of these things, and verse twenty one through twenty four, you actually see

them fulfill all those things, which is really awesome. What's interesting, Well,

here's the deal. We're not here to preach about Leviticus twelve or so

I'm not going to go through it. But what I do want us to

remind us of, or draw our attention to, is that what Leviticus,

the Book of Viticus, was four. Leviticus was the book for the priests

in the Old Testament on how to purify and keep the nation of Israel holy

before they're holy righteous God. That makes sense, literally a handbook for if

you sin in this way, offer this, and if they don't have that,

they can offer this. Now, if they've done this, make sure

they can wash in the It's literally just like bam, bam, bam.

And that's usually probably why we fall off reading it, because we're kind of

like, how is this relevant to me? The way I found that it's

relevant for me is that every chapter I go, thank God, we don't

have to do that because of Jesus. Thank God, we don't have to

do that because of Jesus. It's an encouraging way and you end up actually

getting through it. But the reason that they needed these different sacrifices and purifications

was because they and we as humans are not holy. And what does that

mean? I mean we sin, We're contaminated by sin, we're stained with

sin, and because of that we cannot stand in the presence of a holy,

righteous God like he is completely holy and righteous. And I don't know

why this is coming to my mind, but just bear with me. Radios

are the lost arc. Right, they open it and people's faces start melting

off. Right, there's kind of an aspect of truth about that that literally,

like to be as sinful beings to be in the presence of a holy

God. We don't want that, first of all, in our sin and

in our flesh, because it would melt us. We'd melt That's what would

happen. Basically, all right, God is so holy that we cannot actually

be in his presence without the removal or covering of our sin. And you

may ask, well, I thought Jesus was perfect and never sin, So

why do they need to do any of the stuff requiring the law or offering

sacrifices or any of that stuff. And you're right, he was perfect and

he did never sin. Here Mary is actually going up for her own purification

and sacrifice. Which you can read in Leveta kis twelve. All right,

go, and the consecration to the Lord meant that Jesus was going to be

set apart or basically dedicated to the Lord. Right that every first born who

opens the womb, first born male, is to be set apart and dedicated

to the Lord. But as it regards Jesus being born under the law,

which he did follow, we need to remember that this was an important part

of why Jesus came in the first place. Paul actually tells us in Galatians.

He says, but when the set time had fully come, God sent

his son, born of a woman, born under the law, to do

what redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption the sonship.

So while Jesus was born under the law, he was the only one to

ever follow it completely and perfectly, and this was for the purpose of him

being able to redeem those who had failed to complete the law. We track

him, all right. So this meant that Joseph and Mary were making the

trip to Jerusalem to fulfill the various tasks that were required after having had a

baby. They were good parents. Now the text is going to shift that

tells us why they're going to Jerusalem, and it's going to actually introduce us

into or to a new historical figure or just person into this historical account.

And the man's name is Simon. Let's look at verse twenty five and twenty

six, kind of setting the stage for who he is. 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.

It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die

before he had seen the Lord's Messiah, that it h all right. So

we're introduced to this guy. This is the same and everybody who is most

likely an older man specifically at this point. And it says that he was

righteous and devout. Now, just like we had looked at several weeks ago,

John the Baptist's parents, Zecharia and Elizabeth. It says that they were

righteous. But when we talked about it then, this wasn't a righteousness in

the sense of they were a perfect person or that they were good because of

their own works. What it meant is that they were righteous because they too

were believers, that they trusted God, also says that he was devout,

which meant he lived his life in accordance with his faith. Right, So

he doesn't just live devoutly like looking like he should, but he's righteous which

means he's in right standing before or God. And he's devout, which is

actually that that's something that probably a lot of us could put into practice ourselves.

We were like, yeah, I'm faithful, you know, I'm righteous

in God's sight, but our maybe our devoutness as a little lacking. But

the thing that's kind of interesting is that he wasn't righteous because of his works,

that really needs to be made clear, but because of his faith in

God. But it was that faith in God that would enable him to also

walk out this faith by living righteously and a devout life to God. What's

even more interesting, I promise you it is interesting, is that he isn't

anyone special as it regards us, right, maybe maybe special to God.

Probably seems like it he made he made the Bible, right, I feel

like that's a big deal. If you get your name in the book that's

and it's this book, right, we have there's another book we have my

names in, but this is the book that Yeah, all right, whatever,

it's interesting, like he he isn't a priest, he's not a city

official. He's just a dude. He's just a guy. That's literally all

we're given. He's a guy in Jerusalem. There was a man. It

wasn't a guy. It was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon. That's who

he was. He was just a man who trusted God and was waiting for

the consolation of Israel. And that consolation is the comfort or restoration of Israel.

And something even more amazing is that we're told that the Holy Spirit was

upon him and that the Holy Spirit had revealed to him specifically that before he

died he would get to see the Messiah, and the Messiah was the one

who was going to bring the consolation and redemption to Israel. So we're talking

with who Simon is, all right, So now Luca's kind of set the

scene. They're headed to Jerusalem to do these various tasks, and we're getting

met. We're meeting this man who kind of has this promise made to him.

And now what we're going to get to see is this very special interaction

between Simeon in Jesus' family. I don't they don't have a last name,

I realized, so they can't feel like the blah blah blaus. You know,

all right, let's look at it. Luke two twenty seven. 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,

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, I was said

about him. This is kind of the interesting interaction. I don't This kept

replaying over and over in my mind, like was he like, oh,

I see your baby and like or did he just like pick up the baby

and was like you're it. Yeah, I knew, you know, like,

because I mean that's kind of what it seems like is they were like,

all right, let's take him in and we're gonna go take him to

do whatever needs to be done. Leviticus twelve. And we're gonna go do

those things. And all of a sudden, this man takes the child into

his arms and starts to praise God, Sovereign Lord, as you have promised.

And Simeon sees his newborn Jesus and takes him in his arms, starts

to rejoice and praise God. He praises God because God has fulfilled his word

by letting him see the Messiah whom he's been waiting to see. Luke is

giving us another theme where God had promised something to someone, has said something

was going to happen, and it came to pass. So we see Samon

rejoicing at this fact, and he says, and now like now I can

die, Now I can go in peace. Finally you've you've said what was

gonna happen. And so that's what also leads us to believe that he was

probably an old man. I don't know. It doesn't tell us when he

got this word from the Holy Spirit. Maybe he was praying one day like,

hey, I'm kind of old, I'm ready to go. You can

take me in God's like, I got one more thing for you before you

go. I don't know how it played out. It doesn't tell us,

but we know that he rejoices. He then goes on to say some really

amazing things. He says, my eyes have seen your salvation. So he

understands that this child is to be the salvation of Israel. He says,

you have prepared in the sight of all nations. He also understood that the

greatness of God's plan of salvation, that God had a plan not just for

Israel, but for the world. And he actually lets on by what he

says next by saying, a light for revelation to the gentiles and the glory

of your people, Israel. That God's salvation would be a light to go

out, that would bring revelation, would bring understanding to the gentiles, which

is literally the rest of the world, and that it would be for the

glory or be glory for your people, Israel. That this Mary and Joseph

are blown away at what said kind of makes sense, right, like we

just kind of put ourselves in the shoes. It never happened to us,

right, There's this this historical narrative of what happened in scripture times. But

if we were to go to church and some guy picked up your baby and

was like, this is who they will be. We'd be like, all

right, wow, that's that's pretty crazy. And Simeon turns to from praising

God to the parents and it says that let's look at it thirty fourth or

thirty five, And Simeon 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 will be revealed, and a sword will pierce your own soul too.

So Simeon blesses Joseph and Mary and then says something very interesting to Mary.

He says that this child that is destined for the falling and rising of

many in Israel, think about that for a second. Put that in your

brain. That he would be a sign that is spoken against, kind of

giving us this clue into the rejection of Jesus, that the result of which

would be the revealing of what's in people's hearts as they rose or fell,

And that a sword would pierce her own soul too, foreshadowing the pain Mary

would go through as she looked on at Jesus, her own son dying on

a cross after being rejected by the people of Israel. This is a little

bit of a different flavor in Luke. This last several weeks, we've seen

prophecy after prophecy. Yes, the Savior's here, the Messiah's joined us.

He's coming, he's almost here. He's going to save us, he's going

to redeem us. And then we get this very interesting thing from Simeon,

the first part in the Gospel Luke where there's a clue into the opposition that

Jesus the Messiah would face, which, as we'll see later, is the

opposition that led to Jesus dying on the cross. By God's plan, of

course, but this would be for the payment of our sins, that his

death would be our covering, so that we could have access to come freely

into the presence of God. It's a couple chapters away from now, though.

It's also because of this opposition by the people of Israel that this good

news gets taken to the rest of the world as a light of revelation to

the gentiles. So God's plan for salvation is perfect and sure, and Simeon

knows this, and by what way of God's grace to him Simeon gets to

see the beginning of this salvation plan by seeing the baby Jesus. This is

kind of interesting because he Simon's an old guy. He's like, he's like,

all right, I saw the Savior, now I can die. I'm

good, which is kind of interesting. He's made right before God. He's

put his faith in God and what God's salvation plan was and is. But

he didn't have all the information yet he knew who this child would be,

and to me, it kind of reminded me of Moses. He leads the

people out of Egypt. They're going to the Promised Land, but Moses actually

never got to enter the Promised Land, but instead, before he died,

he got to go up on a hill and overlook the land that the rest

of the people were going to go enter and take as possession by God's promise.

But he did. He himself wasn't going to get to enter, but

he was going to get to go up on the hill and look over the

promised land that they were going to get to take and the fulfillment of God's

word happening. Though he doesn't get to enter, he gets to look over

kind of this horizon of what is to be and what is to come.

And in a similar fashion, even though Simeon wouldn't be there for the death,

burial and resurrection of Jesus, got to see the Lord Jesus as a

baby and knew that it meant the salvation for the world had finally come.

So he's rejoicing and then kind of introduces this other kind of person who comes

up immediately, this widow named Anna. There was also a prophet Anna,

the daughter of Panuel 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. So this is kind of going on. They're celebrating. Simeon's like,

wow, she comes up with that very moment, and it says that

she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking

forward to the redemption of Jerusalem. So we meet this faithful, elderly widow

prophetess. It's kind of who she is who spends all her time worshiping and

praying at the temple. She also gets this amazing part to be a part

of this interaction, and we don't actually really get to see what her interaction

is. We just know that she comes away glorifying and praising God and starting

to spread the good news about this Savior child being born, and she speaks

to it specifically to those who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem. And

just like we saw last week with the shepherds the arrival of the Messiah,

the Savior is being revealed not to the royalty, the rich, or the

religious, but to the humble, hopeful, trusting servants who were waiting for

God to fulfill his promises. The text goes on verse thirty nine and forty.

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 on him. So basically, they finish everything they're supposed to

do, they take Jesus home, and other than the story that we get

to see next week, this is basically the whole summation of Jesus's upbringing that

we get in scripture right here, verse forty, it tells us that he

grew, he became strong, was filled with wisdom, which we're gonna get

a glimpse of next week, and that the grace of God was on him.

And this grace that was on him is best understood as God's favor was

upon him, was with him. So summarize what we've seen in today's text,

and then look at your watches. I'm just kidding, we still got

time. We're gonna summarize what we saw in today's text. We saw Joseph

and Mary being faithful in the way that they're going to raise Jesus and carry

out the requirements of the law concerning this child. We've seen a faithful man

who was waiting and receive the things promised from the Lord that was to see

the Messiah, the one who would bring the consolation of Israel, and a

faithful widow who, when she too saw the child, started spreading the news

to all who were also waiting for the redemption of Israel. And here's the

deal. It was kind of interesting working through this text because it's really a

lot of the same things we've been seeing last several weeks. God said something

was gonna happen, and it did, and we go, Yes, thank

you God, You're amazing, You're good for your word. Praise God.

And here's the deal, we do need to hear that week in and week

out. That's true. I'm not gonna say the same thing I said last

week in the same exact way, but change it just a little bit.

But we do need to hear these things. We do need to be reminded

because we easily forget. I don't know about you, guys, this felt

like a longer week than normal, right, Yeah, So for all I

know is I needed honestly, probably last week sermon, then the week before

that. But we've been seeing a lot of the same kind of similar themes

that we've been seeing the last several weeks in these opening chapters to Luke,

fulfillment of prophecy, more prophecy about who Jesus would be, the proclamation of

salvation having arrived in the Messiah. So what do we do with this text?

A lot of very similar similar themes that honestly seem like the main point

the saviors arrived. More people notice and they're like, this is awesome.

Praise God, You're faithful God, I think there's something that's actually very special

and a blessing for us who were on the other side of this story,

because for us, yes, we know what's going to happen, but we

also have a fuller picture. We know that Jesus lived the perfect life,

how he died in our place, wiping away our sins, and was raised

to new life, showing he had power over the grave and ascended into heaven

until the day he returns to judge the living and the dead and redeem all

those who have put their faith in Him. And so as I was processing

through this text what's here, what's being talked about, I realized that we

ourselves are in a very similar spot to Simeon and Anna and those that we've

been looking at at the beginning of this gospel account, because we are also

waiting. We're waiting while God's plan of salvation is worked out through the whole

world until he returns to do what to finish what he started. He finished

salvation in regards of paying the price for our sin and being the first fruit

to be resurrected from the dead, meaning the first person to be raised.

He was the beginning of that and since then after he ascended into Heavan.

He's given his believers, his disciples, those who would call on his name,

a task, and that is to take the good news of what he

accomplished on the Cross to the rest of the world, so that all who

would hear and put their faith in Jesus would be saved as well, and

saved from what well we talked about it last week, not to save from

our sin, but save from the wrath do our sin. Another reason we

can't stand in the presence of a holy, righteous God is because in our

natural state were wicked, rebellious children of wrath. If God's grace was completely

taken away from our life, to be in God's presence, first of all,

we'd be on our faces. We wouldn't have a choice. We hate

God, we don't want to be in his presence, we want anything to

do with him, and so we needed someone to deal with that sin and

that old heart of stone that all we wanted to do is reject God and

his promises, that wanted to set up idols and worship them. Instead,

we have a better hope that God would give us a new heart and give

us new life that we would at one point have been blind, but now

we can see, and because of that we rejoice, we praise God,

we put our faith in him, and now we wait, we wait for

what. Well, when he comes back, that's judgment day. It's over.

There's no more second chances, there's no that's it. He comes back.

So the time that we have, and I'm seriously getting ahead of myself,

but the time that we have from when he ascended and when he completed

the work on the cross to when he comes back is to share this good

news. And the thing is is that when he returns, he's not just

returning to redeem or save a nation. He is returning to save a people,

but he's also coming. And this is why it's amazing that we're on

this side of the revelation and this side of the understanding of the good news

of what is to come. Those who are looking for the consolation and redemption

of Israel or Jerusalem or God's people, they weren't wrong. But the revelation

was not full yet, because we've been given God's revelation in a fuller sent

to the point where when we know that when he returns, he's not returning

to only redeem a nation from the grasps of another earthly empire, that He's

going to redeem all of creation. We see this in Romans eight eighteen,

says, I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory

that will be revealed in us. For the creation weights in eager expectation for

the children of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration,

not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who

subjected it. In hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage

to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.

We know that the whole creation has been growning as in the pains of childbirth,

right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves,

who have the first fruits of the spirit, grown inwardly, as we

wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship the redemption of our bodies. For in

this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at

all. Who hopes for what they already have? But if we hope,

but if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for

it patiently. It says that what we're waiting for, this redemption, this

fully realized redemption, is this adoption to sunship, this adoption as a child

of God and meaning in the sense of like when we put our faith in

Jesus, and we're going to see this in a second, that we were

adopted and brought into God's family. But there's an aspect where, and we've

talked about this over the last couple of months, even where even though we

put our faith in Jesus, Yeah, put our faith in Jesus, there's

an aspect of our own lives that we still go like, well, I

still see the inconsistencies in myself. I still see the ways that I don't

act like a child of God. But we have a hope that that will

be done away with one day, and that is what the redemption of our

bodies, that not only have we been renewed and are being renewed inwardly daily,

but one day we will be made perfect and complete, and not only

perfected inwardly without sin, but also our bodies that break down and decay because

of the bondage of sin will be done away with and we will live in

the redeemed bodies in a redeemed creation with God forever. I was supposed to

call the band up like a text to go so fan if I cant have

you guys, come out. But if actually, if we go back to

that Galatians text that we looked at earlier and look at a little bit further,

we're gonna see that that's exactly why he told us Jesus was born under

the law in the first place. Let's look at it. But when the

set time had fully come, God sent his son, born of a woman,

born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we

might receive adoption to sonship. Because you are His sons. God sent the

spirit of his Son into our hearts, the spirit who calls out Abbah,

Father. So you are no longer a slave but God's child. And since

you are his child, God has also or has made you also an air.

And what do errs wait for? What do airs wait for? An

inheritance? Right? Ephesians one thirteen or fourteen says, And you also were

included in Christ when you heard the message of the truth, the Gospel of

your salvation, when you believed you were marked in Him with a seal,

the promised Holy Spirit who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of

those who are God's possession to the praise of His glory. Through the plan

of salvation. God is redeeming his people through the work of his son and

has put his spirit in our hearts as a seal, as a guarantee of

the inheritance that we are to receive as heirs. How does this have any

relevance to what we've been talking about today, Well, Simeon and all those

who were waiting for the redemption of Israel could wait well because of the confidence

in Him of whom they were waiting on. They trusted God. They knew

he was good for his word. God's word time and time again proves true.

And now, in light of the revelation of Jesus Christ that has shown

on our hearts, that we now have this Holy Spirit seal placed on our

hearts, we wait with eager expectation for God to fulfill his word that we

know and trust that He is good for. And I believe that, just

like Simeon and Anna, we rejoice and praise God as we wait for the

redemption of His creation. Just like Peter says in verse Peter three through four.

Praise be to God, God and the God and Father of our Lord,

Jesus Christ. In his great mercy, he has given us new birth

into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and

into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or faid. This inheritance is

kept in heaven for you. Because we have confidence in our savior Jesus that

he is good for his word, we can wait well with eager expectation for

the glory to come. We find ourselves as God's people waiting in this creation.

We have a hard life. There are times in our lives that feel

easy and we forget about all the hard things. And there's other some of

our lives have just felt like they've never stopped being hard, and they've only

been hard. Israel was waiting for a savior to come and redeem their nation.

But God came and said, I'm going to save you from something so

much deeper, and he accomplished that work on the cross, saving us from

our sin. And we saw that when we looked at what it meant that

the Savior was born last week. But now we get to see that what

we are waiting for is his return to not only redeem us, He's already

begun his work in each and every one of us who put our faith in

Jesus. That inwardly he's already starting to renew us and sanctify us to look

more like him. But we have confidence, we have hope that one day

he's going to come and finish that work by eradicating sin and saving those who

have been waiting for him and put their trust and faith in him. And

in the meantime, while we wait for this redemption to be fully realized,

we can be like Anna and share this good news to those who are looking

for him and encourage each other as brothers and sisters by pointing to the hope

that is to come. Now we get asked the question, okay, we

why is he waiting in the first place. There's a little bit where I

got ahead of myself. Why do we have to wait at all? Well?

Two Peter nine through thirteen says the Lord is not slow in keeping his

promise. Praise God as some understand slowness. Instead, he is patient with

you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

But the Day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will

disappear with the war, the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the

earth and everything done in it will be laid bare. Since everything will be

destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You

ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the Day of

God and speed it's coming, Which is what we saw with Simeon, that

he was a righteous believer who lived a devout life. And I'm sure there's

an aspect of where he's like. Well, if the if the Savior's supposed

to show up before I die, I best be living my life. I

best be living out my faith how I should be. That day will bring

about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in

the heat. But in keeping with his promise, we are looking forward to

a new heaven and a new Earth where righteousness dwells, that sin is completely

removed, that we no longer have a need for constant sacrifices or coverings.

But the God has wiped away everything, giving us his righteousness by living the

perfect life, by following the law, by dying in our place for our

sin that should have been on our head, but he took it and gave

us his righteousness, so that when he returns to redeem all of creation,

that we would live with him, having been made righteous by Christ. And

as believers, we wait with patience, because the longer the Lord is patient,

the longer there is time for our loved ones, and maybe even the

people that we don't love and need to learn how to start loving, will

come to believe and be saved. And if you haven't put your faith and

trust in Jesus the Savior, I want you to hear this. It says

he's patient with you, he's kind towards you, and I pray that his

kindness would lead you to repentance. That you've heard his call, and we'll

respond. God's promises are sure, but we are not promised tomorrow. But

eternal life and adoption to this loving Father are promised to all who will call

on his name and believe on Jesus Christ the Lord. And God is good

for his promises. Would you guys please stand. We're gonna go into a

time of response. We're gonna have the elders on the side to pray with

you, we'd love to pray with you. If you don't want to come

and get prayer, we also have a connect card. You can just ride

your prayer on there and we'll be praying for you. If you wanted only

to go to the Elders and not to the community groups that we send out

so that everyone can be praying for you, I'm just mark private on there.

Only go to the Elders. If you can't prepared to give today,

I'll have the opportunity to do so. You can put both of these an

offering box that is out in the lobby. But we would love to pray

with you or hear what we can be praying for, because there is a

reality where all of us are kind of in this aspect of waiting, and

that makes our lives look very different from each other's. There's different things that

we're having to walk through and wade through together. And the thing that's amazing

about God is that He's given us his church to belong to. When it

says we're adopted as sons and daughters, we're not only children. We're adopted

into a family. God has given us his church to belong to, to

worship together, to be fed by. We're not supposed to walk this life

out alone, and so we have this opportunity to pray for each other.

But here's the thing, it's not just praying for each other. We actually

get to live our lives with one another together. We're gonna have hard days

where we have lost our vision, where our hope is not set in the

future, but we're looking to now for the things of this world to fulfill

our desires, or meet our needs, or give us purpose and meaning.

That's too shortsighted. So we need brothers and sisters in our lives to kind

of help maybe correct us in that they see us walking alone, see us

not a community, see us not even at church on this Sunday, to

check in with our brothers and sisters, to love and care for one another

because He's given us that great benefit of belonging to one another while we wait,

because he set us on mission, his mission, and we want to

do that together. If you haven't gotten plugged in here at the church in

any kind of capacity, whether that's in community groups or serving or really any

way to be a part of the body, I would really encourage you to

go to membership class where you're going to learn about who we are, how

to get involved, how to be connected, because we genuinely believe that you

need to not walk this life out alone. We will be devoured if we

walk this life out alone by ourselves. Waiting can be tiring. If we

do so by ourselves once again, we can be grateful and trusting God's promises

that there's blessings found in his community. We're gonna sing a song before we

do that, Let's pray and give glory to our Lord, Lord Jesus,

we thank you for your finished work on the cross securing our salvation. Or

God, as we call on your name and put our faith and trust in

you, we have confidence and assurance that the work that you begin in us

today you will bring to fruition, whether that be we go to you or

you return before then, Lord God. But I asked that we live in

such a way that as we've put our faith and trust in You, that

we live and walk that out, that we would learn how to share that,

or God, that we would live in such a way that we live

hopeful lives knowing that this life is not all that we have, or God,

that we look to a better new life and redeemed life or God that

you have started now in us, and so we thank you for that,

Lord God, and anyone who you are drawing to yourself, any person that

you were calling on, Lord God, I just asked that whatever would be

in the way as a stumbling block would be removed, that you would draw

them to yourself or God. Ask for encouragement this week, encouragement this season,

Lord God. Is there's people who don't have people to live life with,

that they don't have a hope, they don't even have a future hope,

Lord God. And I asked that as we see thosepportunities, we make

every opportunity to share the hope that we have in you and the hope of

the future that you were bringing. Lor God. We thank you for your

redemption. We give you this time and ask these songs that we sing,

these words that we lift up to you, would set our hearts and our

minds in alignment with your word to your glory in Jesus name. Everyone said

Amen, Let's worship