Christmas thru Simeon

Simeon.

Simeon was an older man.

Some believed that he was a priest.

Some believed that he was just a godly elderly man.

The Bible doesn't say.

But this I know.

He loved being at the house of God.

Because that's where he hung out.

He loved to be around the temple.

I think if he wasn't a priest, he probably was a worker in the temple.

He helped the priest.

He did whatever he could to make sure that the temple was ready for people to come and worship the king.

There's no doubt in my mind about that.

But he was in his fourth quarter.

He was in his twilight years.

But he was excited.

And the reason he was excited, he had been given a promise by Almighty God himself that he was not going to die until he saw the Messiah.

Wow.

Is that not exciting?

So let's pick up the story in Luke chapter 2, verse 25.

Luke 2:25

And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon.

And the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel.

And the Holy Ghost was upon him.

And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost that he should not see death before he had seen the Lord Christ.

And it came, and he came by the Spirit into the temple.

And when the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him after the custom of the law, remember, every first male was to be dedicated to the Lord in the house of God, the temple.

They took Ehem up in his arms, and he blessed God and said, Lord, now let us thou, thy servant, depart in peace according to thy word.

For my eyes have seen thy salvation, which thou hast prepared before the face of all the people, a light to lighten the Gentiles and the glory of the people of Israel.

In other words, a light of the gospel of Jesus Christ for the whole world, not just the Jews.

Let me help you with this race thing, by the way.

I was thinking about this.

We say there's a multiplicity of races.

I'm gonna narrow it down to two races.

The Jews, the Gentiles.

That's it.

That's it.

Has really nothing to do with color.

Can I get an amen?

You're either a Jew or you're a Gentile.

So I'm not a Jew, so I'm a what?

Gentile.

And he's saying that this baby had come to be the light to the whole world.

And does that not fit John 3.16?

For God's quote it with me.

For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

So Simeon was holding up the child, saying, This is the light of the world.

Oh, what a beautiful, beautiful, beautiful picture.

And then he goes on, and then we see verse 33, and Joseph and his mother marveled at those things which were spoken of him.

And Simeon blessed them and said unto Mary, his mother, Behold, this child is set forth for the fall and rising against many in Israel, and for a sign which shall be spoken against.

In other words, that one verse, I could preach a whole month on the prophecy in that one spoken verse that was about to be fulfilled and mostly had been fulfilled in the birth of Christ.

But what was going to be fulfilled, the other prophecies in his death and in his resurrection.

So we see, and I want us to look at three things this morning.

I want us to look at the man.

I want us to look at all that Simeon was.

First of all, number one, the man.

We see several things about his life that are noteworthy.

Look at number one.

First of all, he was known for his long jeopardy of life.

He had lived a long life.

Sometimes you'll hear older folks will say, I do not know why the Lord has left me here.

Most of my friends have died.

I'm 80, 90, or almost 100 years old, and I'm still here.

Have you ever heard that said?

I have.

Because again, after 40 years of ministry, when I'm with people, and especially people that are getting close to going on to be with the Lord, or they've been around a long time.

And, you know, I we used to have a saying, I say, we, not me, but uh some of my older mentors used to say, you're not supposed to outlive your kids, but you know, people of parents have outlived their kids, and sometimes their kids have gone on to be with the Lord before them, and and and then preachers that that, you know, they get older and they can't do quite as much as what they could have done in the earlier years.

They say, I don't know why the Lord's keeping me around.

I'm just ready to go on and be with the Lord.

But let me tell you why and what.

If God leaves you here and you are alive, let me tell you what you're not supposed to do.

You're not supposed to go all way into the woods or go away someplace and die.

That's not what you're supposed to do.

Let me give you a verse that tells you what you're supposed to do.

What a beautiful verse.

Psalms 92, verse 14.

Psalms 92:14

We are to steal.

Now, this is awesome for us that are in our twilight years, maybe, or our fourth quarter.

I don't feel like I'm there, but I'm starting it.

But now watch this.

He says that we are to steal, and I think I have that on the outline that can be thrown up on the screen, Psalms 92, 14, that we are to bear fruit in our old age.

Woo! I like that.

We're to bear fruit in our old age.

And then I really like what this the verse says next.

Hey, and we shall be fat and flourishing.

Woo! Amen for the fat.

See, you thought fat was bad.

Fat's biblical.

Hello, amen.

Can I get an amen?

Amen for the fat.

But now watch.

The really the Hebrew word there, you know what it means?

Vigorous.

It means vitality.

It means, it means energy.

Even at, hey, vigorous.

I like the synonym.

Vigorous.

It means vigorous.

We're not to be, hey, pushed off into the pastor to die.

We're a, hey, we're supposed to be knocking the gate down.

God doesn't leave you here to do nothing.

God leaves you here to exalt him.

Because he says, if I be lifted up, I will draw men into myself.

Amen.

So we see that he was a man of longevity.

Now, let me tell you, all right, hey, kids, by the way, I'm a big kid.

I'm a 60.

Tuesday I'll be a 67-year-old kid.

Listen to what the scripture says in Proverbs 10, 27.

There's another verse I think we can throw up.

I don't know if the verses are coming on them, but I'm seeing no verses here.

We have no verses.

Okay?

Well, watch this.

Watch this.

Proverbs 10.27.

I think it's on your outline.

The fear of the Lord, now watch, prolongs life.

But the years of the wicked are shortened.

Hello?

Hello?

That's pretty clear, church.

The years of the righteous are prolonged, but the years of the wicked are shortened.

Now, hey, watch this, teenagers.

Watch this.

You know what the Word of God says in Exodus 20, 12?

Honor your father, and by the way, for adults, honor your father and mother that your days may be prolonged.

Hello.

Man, that's powerful.

Proverbs 3.16, listen to what it says.

Long life is in her right hand, and her left hands are riches in honor.

In other words, when you and I live for God, we build our home on that solid foundation for you parents.

We bring, hey, we build a house for the Lord.

Kids, you love God, you hey, you live for God, you work for God, you stay faithful to God.

He says he's going to prolong your life.

And then the riches there doesn't mean money.

But now that can mean money.

Absolutely.

God will bless you if you use your monies, your time, your talents, your treasures.

For him, especially your treasures, your money.

He will bless you if you give to God, give back to God, for God to use your money to, hey, spread the gospel of Jesus Christ, to minister to a community that God places you to help.

He's going to open the windows of heaven and pour you out a blessing.

That's a promise.

Malachi 3.10.

Amen.

Jesus said, give and it shall be given unto you.

Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over.

Shall men give back unto you?

It works.

I wished I could, I wished I, you know, if I can't, I can't get you to understand it until you do it.

I started tithing when I couldn't afford to.

And now, actually, 15 years ago, Susan and I've been debt-free, living, hey, not in any kind of bondage, because we've always given God his part and much more.

To God be the glory.

This was Simeon.

And then, ready for this?

1 Peter 3 10.

One who desires life.

Now, watch.

To love and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and deceit.

Hello.

Man, I wish you hadn't read that one.

Is that not true?

In other words, a person that's joyful, a person that's honest, a person that is truthful, a person that helps people instead of criticize people.

Can I get an amen?

That's looking for the best, looking for the glass half full instead of half empty.

Bearing one another's burdens and fulfilling the law of Christ.

Galatians 6 2.

If you have the opportunity, do good to them of the household.

Galatians 6 10.

When you look for that, that prolongs your life.

This was Simeon.

That was the kind of man he was.

Wow.

Wow.

But notice something else.

Simeon had a desire to know what God had planned for him.

Look at verse 26.

God, why have you let me live to be an old man?

We all need to ask that question.

Lord, why do, hey, why am I here?

What do you want me to do?

This Christmas, one of the greatest gifts God could give to you is his direction for your life, for your home, for your job, for everything that you are.

And that you submit to the will of God, that you submit to his plan for your life, oh, then you can cry out, I have seen the salvation of God.

I have seen the direction of God.

Wow.

Wow.

Is that not exciting?

And then watch when he asked the question.

It was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost that he should not see death before he had seen the Lord Christ.

Wow.

Wow, wow, why?

Wow.

In other words, if you seek him, say it with me, you shall find him.

Next week, we're going to look at the wise men.

Wise men still seek him.

Seek me and you shall find me.

When you search for me with all your heart.

Jeremiah 29, 13.

Amen.

Amen.

So, but now notice not only was he known for longevity of life, but second, B, he was also known of being a righteous man.

Look at verse 25.

And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Ghost was upon him.

Now watch this.

God had promised to bless this godly man.

And we are told four things in this verse about Simeon.

Number one, he was a just man.

Look at the word just.

Dekaias.

Dekaias is the word there.

You know what it means?

Righteous.

It means well behaved.

It means obedient.

It means virtuous.

It means innocent.

It means guiltless.

Wow.

Well behaved, guiltless.

Isn't it?

Let me tell you something.

You know when somebody says, what does it really mean to have the peace of God?

You ever wonder about that?

I have come to the conclusion.

It's a lot of things.

But you know what I think the deep root of the peace of God really is?

And God has just revealed this to me.

This is not something I've been preaching a long time.

I mean, uh, the power of God means you have the peace.

I could give you a litmus list of what the Bible says the peace of God is.

But let me tell you what I really believe, just practically right now to me, when it when I tell you I have peace, the peace of God which passes, now watch, all understanding that will keep your hearts and minds in and through Christ Jesus.

Let me tell you what I what I what I believe that means right here.

What Simeon had ready to go to be with the Lord, ready to, his time was about up, but God had promised him, hey, you're gonna see the Lord Jesus before you die.

And what does the peace of God really mean?

Guiltless.

It means, are you really?

No regrets.

No regrets.

We were doing the Christmas special.

You gotta watch the Christmas special.

Christmas Eve.

And Christmas Day, it'll be on every hour.

We had a ball.

Susan and I interacting with the Christmas story, and then I told the Christmas tree story, and Benji and Adam were there recording it.

But I told Benji, I'll never forget, when I was in Houston, Texas with his dad on his deathbed.

And I leaned over to David while we were talking.

Just me and him were in there.

And I said, actually, it wasn't at the hospital.

We were at uh Heather's mother's house.

We lived there for about a month.

I said, David, I want to know something.

And I want to know this for me.

Is there anything?

Anything that you would have done differently.

In all parts of your life, your home life, your business life, your Christian life.

Is there anything that you regret?

I'll never forget.

He looked right at me.

He said, Doc, we called each other Doc.

He said, Doc.

No regrets.

Not what?

Yeah, folks.

That's the peace of God.

Amen.

That's the peace of God.

And that is exactly what Simeon had and what he meant by being a just man, a devout man.

And by the way, the word devout is eula base.

Eula base.

And it literally means to be cautious.

It means to be careful in one's relationship with God.

Woo! That's good.

It means to be careful with your relationship with God.

Let me tell you what that means.

1 Corinthians 10 31.

Whether you eat or drink or whatsoever you do, you do all to the glory of God.

That's what that means.

That's what it means.

And then we also see not only was he a just man, he was a devout man.

He was very cautious.

And let me say what that means.

Let me put a little note there.

When you are cautious, that means you got to be cautious with, hey, cautious with who your friends are.

Hello?

You got to be cautious with where you go.

What you, hey, what kind of movies you watch, what kind of music you listen to.

I could go down the line.

My granddaddy used to say bird birds of a feather, what?

Flock together.

You can be a buzzard or you can be an eagle.

Hello.

I want to be an eagle.

You know what a buzzard does, he just lives off dead stuff.

He likes stinking dead stuff.

But you know what an eagle does?

He soars above all the stinking stuff.

Amen.

So that's what we're talking about.

But now notice, not only was he a just man, a devout man, but hey, he was looking for the Savior.

Verse 25, and behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, waiting for the consolation of.

He had his eyes focused on the coming of Christ.

Ladies and gentlemen, let me tell you, you will live cautiously.

You will live carefully if you really believe Jesus Christ is coming.

What if you really knew?

Let me ask you, I asked this week to me.

If I knew at the end of this next week, today's Sunday, next Sunday, the rapture's taking place.

And here's the biggie.

And don't you lie to yourself.

Would you change some things in your life that you're doing right now?

If you knew, every knee's gonna bow, every tongue's gonna confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.

If you knew, let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter.

And that conclusion is fear God and keep his commandments, because verse 13 says, every work shall be brought into judgment, whether it be good or whether it be bad.

Ecclesiastes chapter 12 verse 13 and 14.

Ecclesiastes 12:13

Or would you make different commitments?

Knowing Ecclesiastes 5, it's better not to make a commitment than to make one and not fulfill it.

Simeon was guiltless.

Simeon had no regrets.

He had fulfilled what God wanted him to do.

He had a desire to fulfill what God wanted him to do.

Do you?

Do I?

Seek ye first that, hey, it brings a whole new dimension on Matthew 6, 33.

Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these other things shall be added unto you.

He was looking for the Savior.

Number four.

He was a man.

The Holy Ghost was upon.

Look at verse 25.

And the Holy Ghost was upon him.

That's what God's told us to do, to be filled with the Spirit.

Be not drunk with wine weared in his excess, but be filled with the Spirit of God.

And you know what happens when you're filled with the Spirit of God?

In fact, he says, you receive power after the Holy Ghost has come upon you, and you should be witnesses unto me in Jerusalem, Judea, and all hey, and all Judea, Samaria, and to the uttermost parts of the world.

God wants us to continuously walk in the Spirit of God.

And that brings me to the letter C.

He was known as being a man who was led by the Holy Ghost.

Now let me tell you what happens when you're led by the Holy Ghost.

Are you ready?

Watch this.

In fact, Galatians says, if we live in the spirit, let us walk in the spirit.

Why?

So that we will not fulfill the lust of the flesh.

That's what it says.

But he also says in Galatians 5.22, but the fruit of the Spirit, watch this: love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, meekness, temperance, against there is nothing to compare.

You know what that means?

Let me help you.

God's really given me this word this week.

That means a life lived with no regrets.

Wow.

Wow.

I didn't say a perfect life.

But I said a life with no regrets.

That means when you do a wrong, you write the wrong.

Hello, come on, come on with me.

When you do a wrong, you write the wrong.

That's the only way when it is your time.

You can say no regrets.

That's good, folks.

That's convicting to me deeply.

Deeply.

Well, I love Psalms 31, 23.

Oh, love the Lord, all ye saints, for the Lord preserves the faithful.

Now watch.

And plentifully rewardeth, hey, the proud doer.

You know what he says?

I'm going to take care of you that live for me, but those that reject me, they're in trouble.

They're in trouble.

See?

The two thieves on Calvary had a choice.

To receive him or reject him.

In the early morning, both were rejecting him and making fun of him.

Oh, if you are the Messiah, if you who are, you said you are, why don't you come down off the cross right now and save yourself and save us too?

But then the one came under conviction, realized that Jesus was the Messiah.

And he said, Lord, forgive me.

You've done no wrong.

We're the ones that's done the wrong.

You're here for me.

You're dying for me.

Lord, would you remember me?

When you come into your kingdom.

And you know what he did?

He turned and he said to the thief on the cross, no.

I'm not gonna remember you.

I'm gonna take you with me.

I'm gonna take you with me.

You can reject him, or you can receive him.

Is your choice.

Which brings me to the second point, the manifestation.

All right, parents, here's your dedication.

I want you to see what he says about it.

Oh, this is so good.

It was a custom for the Jews to bring every male child to the temple.

The children are recognized as a gift unto the Lord when they would bring them, and the parents are saying, here's what the parents are saying.

Get ready.

Letter 8.

We dedicate ourselves as parents.

We dedicate ourselves unto the Lord to raise this child in the fear and admonition of the Lord.

That is exactly what it is saying when you dedicate your children.

You're saying, A, I dedicate myself to the Lord.

And that I'm gonna be a living testimony unto my for us men, to our wives, to our children, to our grandchildren, to our great-grandchildren.

And ladies, you're gonna be a godly example to your husband, to your children, to your grandchildren, to your great-grandchildren.

You will be a living testimony in 2 Corinthians 3, 2.

Listen to what he says.

We are, hey, a letter written in the hearts of our people.

We're letters to be read, to be seen.

You're writing a gospel, a chapter each day, by the deeds that you do and the words that you say.

Men read what you write, distorted are true.

What is the gospel according to you?

That's what it means.

But notice what else it means.

Letter B.

It means, for my eyes have seen thy salvation.

In other words, it means that we live a life lifting up Jesus.

Everywhere we go.

That's why I love these.

I don't very seldom you won't ever see me with this band.

The only time you see me without a Jesus awesome band, I just gave it to somebody.

And I do that all the time, but I have a bunch in my car so I can go back and put it right back on.

I want people to know that Jesus is awesome.

I'm not ashamed of the gospel.

I'm not politic.

I'm sorry, I'm not politically correct.

I can't help it.

I got the can't help it! I can't help but speak the things that I've seen and heard.

Acts 4.20.

And then see, we're to be the light of the world.

Look at verse 32.

We're to be a light to lighten the Gentiles.

Woo! We're gonna make a difference.

When Simeon held that baby up, we read the words that he, the glory of the people Israel.

We embrace the Christ child.

We have seen the man here.

Now we've seen the manifestation.

He, when he saw Christ, he exalted Christ.

He was excited about Christ.

Ladies and gentlemen, when you get saved, you ought to be so excited about Christ.

But now listen to me, listen to me, listen to me.

But that excitement should grow, not decrease.

Well, my twins are born in May, April, May.

They're born as babes.

Jesus was born as a babe.

Let me ask you something.

Ten years later, do I still want them sucking on a bottle?

Hello?

When you get saved as newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word that you may grow thereby.

You have to get off the milk to the meat.

Can I get an amen?

And the more you grow in the word, the more you think like Christ, the more you talk like Christ, the more you walk like Christ, to people look and say, I don't know what you got, but I want it.

Amen.

They saw the difference in Simeon.

And that brings me to my last point.

The man?

Oh yes.

Number two, the manifestation.

And then number three, the marvel.

Look at verse 33.

And Joseph and his mother marveled at the things which were spoken to him.

Mary and Joseph could not help but marvel at all this.

The marveled.

They marveled that they had been entrusted with the care of God's son.

Can you imagine?

Think a minute.

Think a minute.

Think a minute.

Are you listening?

Think.

You have just birthed, ladies, God's son.

Men, Joseph, you just been entrusted to raise the Son of God.

Hello?

You want heaviness?

You want ultimate responsibility?

And now here they are dedicating the little baby, the little baby Jesus, depending on them for clothing, for food, for everything, housing and everything, but yet he's the same one that spoke the universe into being.

How do you understand that?

He's the one that created the stars.

Every one of them.

Even the snakes.

I hate them.

Just remember, symbol of Satan's snake.

Don't forget that.

But think about that.

I look at this and I say, whoo, whoo! Well, unbelievable.

The marvel.

Behold, this child is set forth.

Then he goes on and watch what he says.

It's amazing, though.

It really is.

This helpless babe relying on mortal man to care for him.

That just blows my mind.

But then I got to thinking about it.

We are entrusted with being co-laborers with God.

Now, watch this.

God's chosen you and me to be co-laborers to help us build his church here on this earth.

We are being, hey, chosen to bring God's kingdom to the earth as a living example of what that kingdom should be.

What a responsibility.

Now here's the question: how good a job are we doing?

Gets back to the question.

No regrets.

The guiltlessness.

Do you live every day as if it could be your last day?

I'm gonna tell you what this week's last week and a half's done for me.

Well, I tell you what.

You better be living for Jesus.

Because you don't know when your number's called.

Moreover, he goes and he says, Whereas you know not what shall be on tomorrow.

What is your life?

Even a vapor appears for a little time, then vanishes away.

Boast not thyself for tomorrow, for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.

Proverbs 27, what?

I meant with Steve and Miss Jewell and Judy's dad.

All in the last seven, well, last ten days.

Could you say no regrets?

If you knew Jesus was coming next Sunday, would you change things?

Would you make new commitments that you would keep for this Christmas?

That's heavy.

That's really heavy.

The message from Simeon was a message of hope.

It was a message of humility.

And it was also a message of hurt.

He literally told Mary that her son would have to suffer and die for our sins.

The Christian life's not a bed of roses.

But it is a joyful bed of roses.

Even through the hurt, even through the difficulties, even through the tragedies, even through death.

He says, I will encamp my angels round about them that fear him.

I will deliver them.

And I will take them by the hand.

Even in death.

So as I conclude this morning, I couldn't help but think about the innkeeper.

Did I fill in all the message blanks?

Okay.

I'll make sure I get my blanks filled.

I couldn't help but think about this.

And I went back and found it.

The first time Jesus came, he came veiled in the form of a child.

But the next time he comes, he will be recognized by all.

The first time he came, a star marked his arrival.

The brightness marked his arrival.

But next time he comes, oh church, all heaven will be lit with his glory.

The first time he came, wise men and shepherds brought him gifts.

But the next time he comes, he will bring gifts and rewards for us all.

Behold, I come quickly.

He says, and my reward is with me to give every man according to his work shall be.

Remember, no regrets.

The first time he came, there was no room for him in the end.

But the next time he comes, the whole world will not be able to contain him.

The first time he came, only a few attended his arrival.

Oh, but church, the next time he comes, oh, every eye shall see him and every knee shall bow to him.

Yes?

The first time he came, he came as a little baby.

But the next time he comes, he will come.

Revelations 19, 16.

As King of kings and Lord of Lords.

Do you know him?

Oh church, do you know him?

What is really Christmas about?

Knowing the baby Jesus.

But not knowing him as a baby, but knowing him as Lord, master, controller of my life.

It's Romans 12.

I beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that I present my body a living sacrifice, wholly acceptable unto God, which is our reasonable service.

Be not conformed to this world, but be ye metamorphosis, transformed by the renewing of our mind, that we may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

No regrets.

When I do breathe that last breath that some of our church family has experienced in the last ten days, I want to be able to say that I had no regrets.

No regrets.

I want to be able to say to my kids, don't do as I say do.

Do as I did.

Amen.

Can you say that this morning?

Can you say that?

Amen.

I love you.

Merry Christmas.

What sweet truth.

Every head bow, every eye close.