Introduction

Good morning, dear friends. It is indeed a wonderful day and I am thrilled to be standing before you, not because of the pulpit, but because of the privilege to share the Word of God with you. It's a blessing to be part of this family, a privilege to be part of this body, and an honor to be part of this fellowship.

We are gathered here today to open our hearts and minds to the wisdom of the Holy Scriptures. We are here to seek the face of God, to understand His will, and to hear His voice. We are here to learn, to listen, and to love.

There's a quote from the esteemed J.I. Packer that I find particularly relevant to our sermon today. He said, "Once you become aware that the main business that you are here for is to know God, most of life's problems fall into place of their own accord." Isn't that just the truth? When we center our hearts, our minds, and our lives around knowing God, we find that the complexities and complications of life begin to untangle themselves.

Simeon's Spiritual Sensitivity

As we immerse ourselves in the story of Simeon, we find a man who was deeply in tune with the Spirit of God. This wasn't a casual relationship. This was a man who walked with God, who listened to God, who was led by God. This was a man who was sensitive to the spiritual realities that so many of us often miss in the hustle and bustle of our daily lives.

Now, let's think about this. What does it mean to be sensitive to the Spirit? It means being open, receptive, and attentive. It means being responsive. It means being obedient. It's not about us doing the leading. It's about us doing the following. It's not about us doing the talking. It's about us doing the listening. It's not about us doing the deciding. It's about us doing the submitting.

A. Simeon was a man who was open to the Spirit. The Bible tells us that the Holy Spirit was upon him. This wasn't a sporadic visitation. This was a constant indwelling. The Spirit of God was upon him, not just beside him, not just around him, but upon him. He was under the influence of the Spirit. He was under the direction of the Spirit. He was under the control of the Spirit.

Being open to the Spirit means being open to the unexpected. It means being open to the unpredictable. It means being open to the unexplainable. It means being open to the unimaginable. It means being open to the uncontrollable. The Spirit of God is like the wind. We can't see where it comes from. We can't see where it goes. All we can do is open our sails and let it carry us where it wills.

B. Simeon was was receptive to the Spirit. The Bible tells us that it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ. This wasn't a general revelation. This was a specific revelation. This wasn't a vague revelation. This was a clear revelation. This wasn't a doubtful revelation. This was a certain revelation.

Being receptive to the Spirit means being receptive to the truth. It means being receptive to the light. It means being receptive to the word. It means being receptive to the voice. It means being receptive to the call. The Spirit of God is like the rain. We can't control when it falls. We can't control where it falls. All we can do is open our hearts and let it soak us through and through.

C. Simeon was also attentive to the Spirit. The Bible tells us that he came in the Spirit into the temple. This wasn't a random visit. This was a directed visit. This wasn't a casual visit. This was a purposeful visit. This wasn't a self-initiated visit. This was a Spirit-initiated visit.

Being attentive to the Spirit means being attentive to the signs. It means being attentive to the signals. It means being attentive to the nudges. It means being attentive to the prompts. It means being attentive to the checks. The Spirit of God is like the fire. We can't predict its path. We can't predict its power. All we can do is pay attention and follow its lead.

D. Simeon was responsive to the Spirit. The Bible tells us that he took Jesus in his arms and blessed God. This wasn't a reluctant response. This was a joyful response. This wasn't a delayed response. This was an immediate response. This wasn't a half-hearted response. This was a whole-hearted response.

Being responsive to the Spirit means being responsive to the opportunities. It means being responsive to the openings. It means being responsive to the invitations. It means being responsive to the challenges. It means being responsive to the commands. The Spirit of God is like the oil. We can't determine its flow. We can't determine its effect. All we can do is respond and let it do its work.

D. Simeon was a man who was obedient to the Spirit. The Bible tells us that he was waiting for the consolation of Israel. This wasn't a passive waiting. This was an active waiting. This wasn't a resigned waiting. This was a hopeful waiting. This wasn't a doubtful waiting. This was a confident waiting.

Being obedient to the Spirit means being obedient to the promises. It means being obedient to the purposes. It means being obedient to the plans. It means being obedient to the principles. It means being obedient to the precepts. The Spirit of God is like the seal. We can't break it. We can't remove it. All we can do is obey and let it secure us.

In Simeon, we see a model of spiritual sensitivity that we would do well to emulate. He was open to the Spirit. He was receptive to the Spirit. He was attentive to the Spirit. He was responsive to the Spirit. He was obedient to the Spirit. And because of his spiritual sensitivity, he was privileged to see the salvation of God before he saw the face of death.

May we, like Simeon, cultivate a sensitivity to the Spirit that allows us to see what others miss, to hear what others ignore, to feel what others numb, to know what others doubt, and to do what others delay. May we, like Simeon, live in the Spirit, walk in the Spirit, pray in the Spirit, worship in the Spirit, and serve in the Spirit. May we, like Simeon, be led by the Spirit, filled with the Spirit, sealed by the Spirit, gifted by the Spirit, and empowered by the Spirit.

Transition – And as we do, may we, like Simeon, experience the joy of seeing the salvation of God in the face of Christ, the consolation of Israel, and the light for revelation to the Gentiles.

Simeon's Scriptural Satisfaction

Simeon's satisfaction was not rooted in the temporal or the transient ... View this full PRO sermon free with PRO