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Dec 18th Family Day

Intro:

Today we kick off our Christmas series.

And for all of us in the room today Christmas is full of expectations.

The gifts, the gatherings, the music, the decorations, the food, the rituals

Some good and fun expectations, perhaps even some not so good expectations

Many of us just know to expect there to be a family fight around Christmas

Some of us are just expecting pure chaos from now until into the new year

Some of us may even be expecting Christmas to be a little different this year

No matter what it may be we all have expectations for this Christmas season.

If you’re familiar with the movie “A Christmas story” then you know that Ralphie had one expectation for Christmas. A high expectation but one expectation for what Christmas would bring.

So watch this...

Bring out the 1938 model red ryder lever action bb gun

The gun that was going to make or break Ralphie’s Christmas expectations

That's part of why I love the movie "A Christmas Story". Ralphie's longing expectation for the perfect Christmas gift sets the stage for this holiday classic.

There is a story in the Bible of a man who had great expectations around the very first Christmas day.

The story is told to us in Luke 2 where we are introduced to a man named Simeon.

Before this moment where we pick up in verse 25 we see the birth of Jesus and it was custom for the mother to wait 40 days and then journey to Jerusalem to offer a purification sacrifice.

So this is what has happened. Mary, Joseph, and Jesus have traveled to Jerusalem to offer a sacrifice in the temple

And in the temple we see this encounter

Simeon Luke 2:25-35

Luke 2:25–35 NIV

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. 34 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, 35 so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”

pray

Simeon was a very common Jewish name so it’s unsure who this Simeon actually is.

We know that He was given some sort of divine promise that he would see the Messiah before his death

Now most tellings of this story depict Simeon as an old man but there’s no biblical evidence to suggest that to us

We know he is righteous and he was devout.

We also know that he is awaiting what Scripture calls the “consolation of Israel.”

This word means deliverance

Simeon was given a promise that he would see the messiah before he dies

And with great expectation Simeon is waiting for this deliverer to be revealed to him

One commentator said

Luke 2:29 (SLVI): Simeon represents himself under the image of a sentinel, whom his master has placed in an elevated position, and charged to look for the appearance of a star, and then to announce it to the world. He sees this long-desired star; he proclaims its rising, and asks to be relieved of the post on the watch-tower he has occupied so long.

Simeon had great expectations

And the moment finally arises. The HS prompts Simeon to go to the temple to meet the Messiah

He sees Jesus and he takes him up in his arms and then he breaks out in song

Now I’m not typically one that enjoys a bunch of Christmas songs but this is a song that I can get behind

Luke 2:29–32 NIV

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.”

Simeon’s Song

He began with an impromptu song of praise to God.

Simeon's song was a song of:

Fulfillment (‘as you have promised’)

God had kept His word to Simeon.

Simeon sang praise for a God who never fails

We sing songs here all the time about God’s faithfulness to us and how he never fails and never will.

Do we believe that?

Simeon sure did. Even as an infant He believed Jesus wouldn’t fail. That He would deliver.

And that same God still delivers today.

Maybe there’s something going on in your life right now that you need deliverance from

Something that’s been holding you captive

Scripture tells us that who the Son sets fire is free indeed

It tells us that there is power in our prayer

It tells us that we overcome by the power of the blood and the word of our testimony

We would love to pray and talk with you about that

Salvation

Simeon understood that the salvation of the Messiah was not political, as many were expecting, but spiritual.

Jesus doesn’t come as a ruler and king at least in the way that most expected

But as a meek and lowly baby in a manger

The word "dismiss" shows us that Simeon was not hanging on to see a worldly and temporal victory.  His hope was not in this life but in the life that was to come.

Simeon was not awaiting for the Messiah to come so that he could overthrow the Roman government and make his life easier

That was not Simeon’s expectations

Simeon long awaited to see the Messiah just for the sake of seeing and holding the Messiah

He didn’t need Jesus to do anything for him because He believed in who he was.

The rest of the story is this, Jesus lives a perfect life and becomes the perfect atoning sacrifice for mine and your sins.

He willingly goes to a cross on your behalf

To pay the debt that you owed so that you could be made right before the Creator of the universe our heavenly Father

And He did it all because He loves you

This is the salvation that Jesus offers to us

How should we respond?

By declaring that He is Lord of our life and following Him

It’s that simple, not easy but simple

Mission

Remember when this is and where this is

This is before the cross. Before the new covenant. The Israelites were God’s chosen people and that was that

The gentiles were enemies

Even more astounding, in the courts of the Jewish temple,

It’s here that Simeon proclaimed that this salvation would be for all people everywhere.

You can’t out sin Christ’s salvation for you

It doesn’t matter what you look like

It doens’t matter your past

It doesn’t matter your struggles

It doesn’t matter your sins

Christ’s salvation is for all people everywhere

The only caveat is, that salvation door is open now, but it won’t be open forever.

This baby was truly the light of the world!!

This is Simeon’s response of this long awaited promised fulfilled.

A song of fulfillment, salvation, and mission

So, Like Simeon, we today are waiting in eager expectation for the fulfillment of the Lord's promise. 

Not to come for the first time, meek and lowly as a child, but to come again, in glory and power, as a conquering King.

But even beyond that, shouldn’t we be waiting each day in eager expectation for Jesus to move and work in our lives now, fulfilling His promises to us.

promises like, The promise to keep us when we come to Him

John 6:37 NIV

37 All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away.

The promise to use us when we follow Him

Matthew 4:19 NIV

19 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.”

The promise to give us rest when we are weary

Matthew 11:28 NIV

28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

The promise to guide us when we need help

John 14:16 NIV

16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—

Where are you expecting God to work in your life this Christmas season?

If you aren't expecting anything, why not?

A fault in our faith isn’t always that we have false expectations but that we have no expectations.

We spent last month talking about what the church is and the bottom line is, you are the church

You are the temples in which God’s Spirit comes and dwells

When we embrace Christ’s salvation for us His HS comes and dwells in us to guide, help, correct, sharpen, console, and intercede on our behalf

And if that is true why wouldn’t we expect Him to move and work in our lives every day?

Why is it that we live our lives as if God takes days off?

He doesn’t tire, He doesn’t get worn down with your thoughts and actions

He doesn’t throw in the towel when you get it wrong

Jesus doesn’t take days off, you do!

The HS is always working, always moving, and always helping.

We just hardly see it

And I believe the primary reason we don’t see God work in our daily lives is because we aren’t expecting Him to

So, this Christmas season, and into new year and into next year and into the rest of your life

Let’s everyday expect God to do God things! He’s a big God!

Your expectations won’t ever exceed His possibilities.

If you know Jesus, you’ll trust Him

Just like Simeon in Luke 2. He knew Jesus, and before Jesus had physically done anything for Him, He trusted in Him completely!