What is the promise you are waiting to see?
This month in our Fresh Fire series we are considering the Holy Spirit in the Life and Ministry of Jesus.
A topic that could take years to really cover in detail.
So the ministry team are going to take the opportunity to give you a glimpse of some of the key Holy Spirit moments in Jesus Life and Ministry.
And I hope that this month you will be blessed and encouraged by what you hear, experience and learn.
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Looking at the life of Christ, is something that is essential for every believer.
To help us grow in our understanding of Him & our relationship with Him.
Over the days, weeks, months, years, centuries, that you have been in church, you have probably listened to many people preach and teach about Christ.
The fact that you are here this morning would suggest that you still want to learn about God,
you want to experience the blessing of knowing God more, you want to grow closer to Him.
To really follow Christ properly, we need to be in a daily relationship with Him.
Be honest, there are some days when you feel so close to God you can sense His presence and purpose for you easily.
And there are some days when life just gets in the way and we struggle to find time to focus on God.
Each day there are things that grab our attention.
Our relationships, our families, our work, our situations, our circumstances, our likes, our wants, our desires, even our hobbies can just get in the way.
When we should be waiting for God to speak, to act, to move, to bless.
When we should be waiting on God - we often make God wait for us don’t we?
Following Christ is not a stagnant process.
It is a journey. It is daily.
And it takes our commitment to participate.
And sometimes it takes our commitment to wait.
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This morning I want to take us to the very beginning of Jesus human incarnation and consider something that happened when Jesus was only 8 days old.
Something that involved someone who had been waiting a very long time for a promise that had been made to them by the Holy Spirit to be fulfilled.
We are going to look at Luke 2:25-32:
25At that time there was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon. He was righteous and devout and was eagerly waiting for the Messiah to come and rescue Israel. The Holy Spirit was upon him 26and had revealed to him that he would not die until he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. 27That day the Spirit led him to the Temple. So when Mary and Joseph came to present the baby Jesus to the Lord as the law required, 28Simeon was there. He took the child in his arms and praised God, saying,
29“Sovereign Lord, now let your servant die in peace, as you have promised.
30I have seen your salvation, 31which you have prepared for all people.
32He is a light to reveal God to the nations, and he is the glory of your people Israel!” 33Jesus’ parents were amazed at what was being said about him. 34Then Simeon blessed them, and he said to Mary, the baby’s mother, “This child is destined to cause many in Israel to fall, but he will be a joy to many others. He has been sent as a sign from God, but many will oppose him. 35As a result, the deepest thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your very soul.” (Luke 2:25-35 NLT)
This really is a beautiful account of an early event in the life of Jesus.
Like many prophets, we know little about Simeon. The thing we know most is that God had given him a specific promise.
He had been promised by the Holy Spirit to see the Messiah before he died.
And knowing that God keeps His promises.
Simeon waited.
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Has God given you a specific promise?
Have you already seen that promise or are you waiting for God to keep His promise?
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On Wednesday night at our Brainstorm session,
we were reminded of some of the specific promises and prophecies God has given us as a church.
Some we have seen God already deliver -
And the others - we believe, we know,
we need to wait and God will fulfil them -
in His time, in His way, in His Grace, in His love.
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Simeon was waiting...
Simeon had the incredible promise that he would see Israel’s Salvation before he died.
God fulfilled His promise.
Simeon was part of a long line of waiting people.
Centuries before, God had promised a saviour and His people had been waiting.
The first promise of Messiah came in the Garden of Eden when God said in Genesis 3:15 says “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” (Genesis 3:15 NIV)
Then God’s people waited.
They knew they had to patiently wait for God’s plan to unfold.
David wrote in Psalm 130:5-8:
I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits,
and in his word I put my hope.
6 I wait for the Lord
more than watchmen wait for the morning,
more than watchmen wait for the morning.
7 Israel, put your hope in the Lord,
for with the Lord is unfailing love
and with him is full redemption.
8 He himself will redeem Israel
from all their sins. (Psalm 130:5-8 NIV)
David waited.
Isaiah waited, Isaiah 26:8:
Yes, LORD, walking in the way of your laws,
we wait for you; your name and renown
are the desire of our hearts. (Isaiah 26:8 NIV)
For centuries the people waited...
Noah and his children waited as the flood waters subsided...
Abraham waited...
The Israelites waited through 400 years of slavery
They waited through 40 years in the wilderness...
They waited in times of victory and times of defeat.
In Babylon they waited during a 70 year exile
They waited as remnant
They lived in the light of a promise that was yet to be fulfilled.
No wonder the Psalmist felt it important to say
Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart
and wait for the LORD. (Psalm 27:14 NIV)
Is that a comfort for you this morning?
Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart
and wait for the LORD
Is that a promise for you this morning?
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Simeon waited for Messiah.
Simeon believed Messiah would come.
He demonstrated that belief by patiently waiting.
And Simeon could say I have seen Him.
My eyes have seen Him. I have seen salvation.
Simeon saw Jesus.
He saw Jesus for who He really is.
Do you know Jesus for yourself?
Have you come to the place where you are in relationship with Him?
Have you placed your trust in Him?
Have you placed your faith in Him?
Can you like Simeon can say, ’my eyes have seen salvation’ ?
Simeon was a believer.
Simeon had been waiting for Jesus.
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Maybe to some people, waiting may seem to be a useless way to spend life.
Waiting for the arrival of Jesus proved to be a great blessing to Simeon.
We don’t know how long Simeon had been waiting, but it appears to have been a long time.
As someone said, “Good things come to those who wait.”
But waiting can feel like the hardest thing we are ever called to do.
Do you ever feel like you have no time to wait?
Do you want everything to be instant?
Do you miss out on spending time with Jesus because you don’t make time to wait?
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Simeon waited.
As Simeon waited the Holy Spirit worked in Him.
the Holy Spirit was upon him... to empower him
the Holy Spirit revealed to him... to teach him
the Holy Spirit led him to the temple...to show him.
Here we see the empowerment by the Spirit.
The teaching ministry of the Spirit.
The discerning ministry of the Spirit.
Why was Simeon faithful to keep waiting and waiting?
Because The Holy Spirit was upon him.
The Holy Spirit worked in Him.
The Holy Spirit works in us in many different ways:
There is the convicting work of the Holy Spirit.
There is the revealing and convincing work of the Holy Spirit.
There is the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit.
Simeon saw the salvation of the Lord because of the ministry of the Holy Spirit.
Do you want the Holy Spirit to be active or passive in your life?
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Is your desire, your prayer, that you would experience more of the ministry of the Spirit in your life?
Is that your prayer this morning?
Do you pray Holy Spirit descend upon me?
Holy Spirit empower me?
Holy Spirit teach me?
Holy Spirit empower me?
Holy Spirit enable me to wait?
What is the promise you are waiting to see?
This morning are you willing to stand in faith?
Are you willing to wait for God to move?
Are you willing to let the Holy Spirit fill you afresh and anew?
Are you willing to pray the Holy Spirit would come upon you like Simeon?
That God would open the eyes of your heart to behold him for Who He is?
Simeon believed in Jesus.
He waited for Jesus.
He submitted to Jesus.
He also embraced Jesus.
Simeon did not have this experience with Christ at a distance.
He literally took Him in his arms.
A close encounter, a personal encounter.
That’s what real believers do.
They embrace Jesus.
They don’t come just learn facts about Him.
They come to embrace Him, to love Him,
to be in relationship with Him.
Christ is our greatest joy and delight.
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Simeon has waited - and then he speaks
He praises God for what he has seen & experienced
His speech is God-centered; Christ-centered and Gospel-centered.
We can talk about what others have seen and experienced, but your friends will listen when you give your own testimony.
What has the Lord done for you?
Simeon says, “my eyes have seen…” I can’t speak for others, but I can speak for myself.
Can you embrace Christ and not speak for Him?
If you have embraced your Saviour, if you have experienced the joy of knowing your sins are forgiven, if you have come to that point where you have said “Jesus I believe in you, I trust you, I know because of what you have done, I am forgiven, I am accepted, I am changed, I am redeemed, I am free”.
Don’t go through life and never tell anyone about Jesus! Tell people what He means to you!
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What is the promise you are waiting to see?
Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD
And while you wait for Him
Believe in Him
Be committed to Him
Submit to Him
Embrace Him
Speak for Him.
