Worth the Wait
Sermon • Submitted • Presented
0 ratings
· 7 viewsNotes
Transcript
ILLUST - Christmas Eve anticipation, excitement in kids
Exciting event, convert, vacation, restaurant…
Waiting is so hard - expectations build
Worth the wait?
We can anticipate other things that never come about
Favorite restaurant food, you go, and they’re out of the item
Feel let down, disappointment - not worth the wait
Spiritual discipline to wait on the Lord
Yet those who wait for the Lord Will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary.
Christmas is so much about waiting, anticipating
Malachi - last words, then waiting
Still live faithfully
Mary - anticipating birth, motherhood
Joseph - anticipating fatherhood
Christmas is so much about waiting, anticipating, and then seeing if those expectations live up to it. Is the waiting worth it?
SIMEON - example of living and waiting
Godly Anticipation
Godly Anticipation
The example of Simeon (Top 5 people to meet)
READ Luke 2:25-32 passage
Simeon lived in Jerusalem
His name means “hearing with cheer”
He listened, day by day, for the footsteps of Messiah (waited to hear Him come)
1) Promise and Trust
1) Promise and Trust
Waiting on the LORD - Trusting His promise
Simeon and God’s promise
Absolutely believed God, absolutely
He knew and trusted God’s promises
Absolutely believed, KNEW, that Jesus was coming
(rehearse him being told it was going to happen)
“Simeon, why do you keep coming to the temple?”
“Messiah will be here soon, that’s why”
Absolutely knew, believed Messiah, Jesus, could come at any moment
Head knowledge - yes
Heart for the Lord - oh yeah
Trust is just knowing the promise will occur
2) Patience
2) Patience
Characteristics of one who waits on the LORD
Simeon did not challenge God’s timing
Hard to be patient - especially when what you are waiting for is awesome
Someone who is patiently waiting on the LORD:
Just - Simeon was upright, honest, sincere, unwavering in his following of YHWH
Righteous, Devout - God-fearing, HOLY - truest sense of the word - His life was about God
This allowed him to be patient, with confidence
Spirit - controlled - vv 25-27
This gave him insight into God’s truth
“Light to Gentiles” - knew Israel would reject Jesus
Look at John 16:13-14
“But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. “He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you.
Simeon knows the HS leads to Jesus, glorifies the Lord Jesus
All this - Just, Righteous, Spirit -controlled - this is a patient follower
And he refers to self as bond-servant (v 29)
Willfully under the authority of the Master
3) Perseverance
3) Perseverance
The life of one who waits on the LORD
Simeon served, kept serving, came to the temple over and over
I mentioned how patience is difficult
We know Jesus returning is going to be awesome
Especially in light of the evil and darkness of this world
People quit, overcome by the daily expectation to live for the LORD
Surrendered believers feel isolated, out of place here
We are not perfect, our flesh gets in the way
Yet God decided to use us, showing our praise of Jesus to those we live with and around
It can be hard to be honest, dependable, maintain moral integrity
Seems like nobody else is, right?
Question - Is the hard work, the faithful walk, really worth it?
Simeon - no doubt
To persevere - to continue on faithfully, when all around you seems hopeless
Because you know better, you know the truth
Jesus came at just the right time - into a dark world, pagan, evil
Simeon waited for the “consolation of Israel” - their redemption
They needed the Savior
And he lived by faith while waiting
And Simeon was one of the only ones to welcome Him when He came
He literally welcomed the LORD with open arms
And took the Savior into those arms - and pours out praise to Him
Was meeting Jesus worth it to Simeon, worth the seemingly isolated life he had to be living?
GODLY ANTICIPATION AND US - What can we learn from Simeon
Promise - God has promised to us:
Salvation, if we ask forgiveness
Holy Spirit to guide us
Jesus is coming back to gather us together
He will never leave us or forsake us
Patience
We wait on the LORD to fulfill His promises
Life is about living for Him
Are our characteristics those of Simeons - just, devout, righteous, confident, Spirit-controlled?
Do we really believe all this? Patience ever wear thin?
Perseverance
Sometimes anticipation lets you down
Cannot stop living for Him, just because we have to wait for Him
We wait for the “consolation of believers” - we need consoling
We need the Savior
We must live by faith while we wait
POINTS TO CLOSE
Jesus is coming again to a dark world
Simeon never stopped watching for the LORD
Still lived his daily life, too
We can never stop watching for the LORD
“Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming.
“be on the alert” - “keep watch”
IT’S CHRISTMAS - Jesus came; Jesus is here
Have you welcomed Him with the open arms like Simeon?
Is there anything more important you live for?
Interesting that death did not concern Simeon
He met the LORD
Simeon was ready for Jesus when He came
He did not know the day or hour, but he knew, and believed
WE MUST BE READY FOR HIM WHEN HE COMES
“Be on the alert then, for you do not know the day nor the hour.
Simeon lived a courageous life for God
We can, too
Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.
Jesus came in the flesh - the beginning of His earthly ministry
Then Jesus died, after He said - “it is finished”
Jesus came in person to finish the plan to redeem you and me
He’s coming back - so we wait
I know it in my head
Does this truth rule my life?
If it does, then……While we wait, we love Him, we praise him, we thank Him, we love each other, we proclaim Jesus’ name……
The anticipation of His return should be incredible for us
His coming in person was miraculous, humble, in His timing
His return will be miraculous, triumphant, majestic
It will be worth the wait for believers
Will it be worth the wait for you?