RAPTURE SUSPENSE
Lk. 2:25-33
INTRODUCTION
A. HUMOR: SUSPENSE JOKE
1. A man came to the border of a country on his bike. He had three large sacks in the basket. The border guard asked him, "What's in the sacks?" "Sand." The guard searched through the sand and couldn't find anything.
2. A week later, the same thing happened. The border guard asks, "What do you have?" "Sand." The guard searched the sacks and couldn't find the contraband.
3. This sequence repeated for three years. Then one day, the guy stopped showing up. The border guard met him in a restaurant.
4. "Hey, buddy," the official said. "I know you were smuggling something. It's driving me crazy. I've never been able to figure it out. Just between you and me, what were you smuggling?"
5. "Bikes!" the guy said.
B. TEXT
25 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. 26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. 27 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, 28 Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying: 29 “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss your servant in peace. 30 For my eyes have seen your salvation, 31 which you have prepared in the sight of all nations: 32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.” 33 The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about him.
C. THESIS
1. I've heard that the Russian people spend 37 billion hours waiting in lines each year for their necessities! They must be a very patient people.
2. In today's text, we read about a man who’d been kept in suspense all his life -- waiting for the moment Jesus would come. Since we're waiting like he did, there's a lot of lessons we can learn from him.
3. The title of this message is, "Rapture Suspense."
I. SIMEON’S EXPECTATION
A. OTHER’S EXPECTATIONS OF THE MESSIAH
1. Eve looked for the Christ.
Gen. 3:15 "her (the woman's) seed shall bruise your (the serpent's) head."
Gen. 4:1 "I have gotten a man from the Lord." (Cain)
2. Abraham looked for Christ (Mt. Moriah)
Gen. 22:8 "My son, God will provide Himself a lamb."
3. Jacob looked for Christ.
Gen. 49:10 "The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet."
4. Moses looked for Christ.
Deut. 18:18 "I will raise them up a prophet... like unto thee."
5. Others of the prophets saw Christ’s glory and spoke of Him -- Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, etc. They looked for the Messiah, straining their eyes through the dim mists of the future.
6. They perceived ever more clearly the purposes and nearness of the Christ.
B. SIMEON’S ANTICIPATION
He believed the Messiah would come in his day.
1. Date of Messiah's Death given as 28 A.D.
Daniel 9:25-26a = 457 B.C.; 7 weeks = 49 years;
62 weeks = 434 years. Total = 483 years.
2. Messiah would be Born. Isaiah 7:14, 9:6.
3. Messiah would be the divine Son of God –Ps. 2:7
4. The Messiah would suffer for sins -- Isaiah 53.
5. The Lord would suddenly come to His Temple -- Malachi 3:1B.
C. DO WE HAVE ANY LESS REASON TO ANTICIPATE THE LORD’S SECOND COMING?
**Do we have any less reason to believe the Lord could come in our lifetimes?
1. Israel back in her own country and Jerusalem again in Jewish hands -- Luke 21:24.
2. Rise of Russia, China, and hostile Arab neighbors.
3. Rise of the European Union -- the Revived Roman Empire -- Daniel 2.
4. The Great Missions Movement of the last 150 years -- a fulfillment of Mt. 24:14, "This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all nations..."
a. The last few people-groups are being penetrated.
b. When that happens, I believe the Rapture will happen, because 2 Peter 3:9 will be fulfilled; “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”
5. Nearness of the Rebuilding of the Jewish Temple.
II. SIMEON: READY TO MEET JESUS
A. WHY WAS SIMEON CHOSEN?
1. Wouldn't it be wonderful if YOU knew that you wouldn't have to die, but would live until the Rapture? You'd see it!
2. That's what God told SIMEON -- you'll live to see the Messiah! Why?
B. SIMEON WAS READY TO MEET THE LORD!
1. HE WAS LOOKING!
a. Hebrews 9:28, "Unto them that look for Him shall He appear the second time without sin unto salvation."
b. John 14:3, "I will come again."
2. THREE THINGS ABOUND HIS CHARACTER
a. Just and Devout (God-fearing) Luke 2:25.
b. Waiting for the Consolation/Messiah. It was also said of Joseph of Arimathea that he "waited for the kingdom of God" Mark 15:43.
c. The Holy Ghost was upon him.
3. NOTICE WHO GOD REVEALED 1st COMING TO: SEEKERS
a. Shepherds -- who immediately searched out the baby.
b. Simeon and Anna -- both devout and waiting for the Messiah.
c. The Magi/Wise Man -- who sought Christ from faraway lands.
4. The ones you would have thought would have shown interest, didn't:
a. The Powerful (Herod) were only threatened by Jesus.
b. The merely Religious showed no concern if the Messiah was born, because they didn't believe the Word.
5. God didn’t alert them to Jesus. Others of them had ‘expected’ earlier, but grew tired of it and quit looking.
C. WHAT HAS GOD BEEN SPEAKING TO YOU?
Are you concerned? Are you looking? Are you ready for Jesus’ coming?
III. THE FULFILLMENT OF SIMEON’S EXPECTATIONS
A. THE DAY ARRIVED
1. Led by the Spirit -- into Temple. Simeon knew that the revelation was imminent; he was watching.
2. Two Unnoticed Worshipers entered. His eyes fixed on them. His heart began to beat faster.
3. The Holy Spirit must have said (as He did to Samuel when anointing David); "This is He -- that Child -- is the Lord's Christ!"
4. The Arabic "Gospel of the Infancy" speaks of Simeon seeing the Babe shining like a pillar of light in his mother's arms.
5. God gave him MORE than He’d promised. God promised that Simeon would SEE Christ, but he got to take him up in his arms –
6. Simeon experienced the Mountain-Height of prophetic vision and uttered a prophecy about the Child.
7. Vss. 29-30, He said, "I'm Ready to Depart!" With a…
a. Song on his lips;
b. Christ in his arms;
c. Heaven in his View! (That should be us too!)
B. WHAT IF TODAY WAS THE DAY OF THE RAPTURE:
1. WOULD YOU BE READY?
2. In the Left Behind book, many…
a. Good people were left behind;
b. Religious people were left behind;
c. Moral people were left behind.
3. Only those a. Washed in the blood, b. Right with God, c. Looking for Christ --- are going!
CONCLUSION
A. ILLUSTRATION
1. MOTIVATED BY FUTURE HOPE
a. Hope motivates us to keep going and not give up. Without hope we don’t want to do anything.
b. Peanut’s cartoon: Lucy and Linus were sitting in front of the television set when Lucy said to Linus, "Go get me a glass of water."
c. Linus looked surprised, "Why should I do anything for you? You never do anything for me." "On your 75th birthday," Lucy promised, "I’’ll bake you a cake."
d. Linus got up, headed to the kitchen and said, "Life is more pleasant when you have something to look forward to."
2. “BE YOU ALSO READY”
a. During a thunderstorm on the Hudson River, there was a young officer, Corporal McDonald, of the 22nd Regiment, who was sitting writing a letter in the Army tent.
b. There were several long tables in the tent, and 10 other soldiers sat at tables scattered around the tent. The young corporal was about to end his tour of duty and was then scheduled to be married.
c. Suddenly a bolt of lightning struck the tent, only hitting the young Corporal. The lightning burned the floor and furniture where he was writing to his fiancee.
d. His letter was complete, and its last words were: "Yours until death." As the young bridegroom wrote "State Camp--" the flash came and the pen stopped.
e. His tour of duty was over--taps had been sounded--the lights went out for his life.
3. Just that quick, our lives can be over. Life is a gift, but a limited one. Our solemn responsibility is to be ready to depart when Jesus calls our names.
B. THE CALL
1. ARE YOU READY? Would you be taken or would you be left?
2. Are you living your life in accountability, as if you might stand before God today?
3. Is the Holy Spirit upon you? Do you have extra oil in your lamp? Or are you empty?
4. If you feel inadequate to face any of these questions, come and find a place at the altars to set things straight.
