Obedience

Luke 2:21–40 NLT

21 Eight days later, when the baby was circumcised, he was named Jesus, the name given him by the angel even before he was conceived. 22 Then it was time for their purification offering, as required by the law of Moses after the birth of a child; so his parents took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord. 23 The law of the Lord says, “If a woman’s first child is a boy, he must be dedicated to the Lord.” 24 So they offered the sacrifice required in the law of the Lord—“either a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.” 25 At 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 26 and had revealed to him that he would not die until he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. 27 That 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, 28 Simeon 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. 30 I have seen your salvation, 31 which you have prepared for all people. 32 He is a light to reveal God to the nations, and he is the glory of your people Israel!” 33 Jesus’ parents were amazed at what was being said about him. 34 Then Simeon blessed them, and he said to Mary, the baby’s mother, “This child is destined to cause many in Israel to fall, and many others to rise. He has been sent as a sign from God, but many will oppose him. 35 As a result, the deepest thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your very soul.” 36 Anna, a prophet, was also there in the Temple. She was the daughter of Phanuel from the tribe of Asher, and she was very old. Her husband died when they had been married only seven years. 37 Then she lived as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the Temple but stayed there day and night, worshiping God with fasting and prayer. 38 She came along just as Simeon was talking with Mary and Joseph, and she began praising God. She talked about the child to everyone who had been waiting expectantly for God to rescue Jerusalem. 39 When Jesus’ parents had fulfilled all the requirements of the law of the Lord, they returned home to Nazareth in Galilee. 40 There the child grew up healthy and strong. He was filled with wisdom, and God’s favor was on him.

The Thread of Obedience

Obedience is the CANVAS on which the story of God, the Gospel, is painted on!

3 Obedient groups

Joseph/Mary

Obedient to God's commands

Leviticus 12:1-8 (NLT) 1 The Lord said to Moses, “Give the following instructions to the people of Israel. 2 If a woman becomes pregnant and gives birth to a son, she will be ceremonially unclean for seven days, just as she is unclean during her menstrual period. 3 On the eighth day the boy’s foreskin must be circumcised. 4 After waiting thirty-three days, she will be purified from the bleeding of childbirth. During this time of purification, she must not touch anything that is set apart as holy. And she must not enter the sanctuary until her time of purification is over. 5 If a woman gives birth to a daughter, she will be ceremonially unclean for two weeks, just as she is unclean during her menstrual period. After waiting sixty-six days, she will be purified from the bleeding of childbirth. 6 “When the time of purification is completed for either a son or a daughter, the woman must bring a one-year-old lamb for a burnt offering and a young pigeon or turtledove for a purification offering. She must bring her offerings to the priest at the entrance of the Tabernacle. 7 The priest will then present them to the Lord to purify her. Then she will be ceremonially clean again after her bleeding at childbirth. These are the instructions for a woman after the birth of a son or a daughter. 8 “If a woman cannot afford to bring a lamb, she must bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons. One will be for the burnt offering and the other for the purification offering. The priest will sacrifice them to purify her, and she will be ceremonially clean.”

Consecrate the 1st born

Exodus 13:1-2 (NLT) 1 Then the Lord said to Moses, 2 “Dedicate to me every firstborn among the Israelites. The first offspring to be born, of both humans and animals, belongs to me.”

Exodus 13:14-15 (NLT) 14 “And in the future, your children will ask you, ‘What does all this mean?’ Then you will tell them, ‘With the power of his mighty hand, the Lord brought us out of Egypt, the place of our slavery. 15 Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, so the Lord killed all the firstborn males throughout the land of Egypt, both people and animals. That is why I now sacrifice all the firstborn males to the Lord—except that the firstborn sons are always bought back.’

This is what our family does (while in my house...)

Worship is 1st about being Obedient

Not always about feeling

Simeon

Obedient to listen to Holy Spirit

Promise fulfilled

And able to declare an important message about the child

HE WILL BE A GUIDE/LIGHT to ALL THE WORLD

Listening to Holy Spirit to change our daily plans and lead us to others

Anna

Her story is heartbreaking, yet it has great joy

Obedient to continue to draw close to God when life doesn't go as planned.

Married 7 years and then a widow until 84

If married at 14, husband dies at 21, she's a widow for 63 years

Yet, instead of distancing herself from God, she draws closer to God

It was through OBEDIENCE that people heard and EXPERIENCED salvation!

Simeon said...

Luke 2:29–35 NLT

29 “Sovereign Lord, now let your servant die in peace, as you have promised. 30 I have seen your salvation, 31 which you have prepared for all people. 32 He is a light to reveal God to the nations, and he is the glory of your people Israel!” 33 Jesus’ parents were amazed at what was being said about him. 34 Then Simeon blessed them, and he said to Mary, the baby’s mother, “This child is destined to cause many in Israel to fall, and many others to rise. He has been sent as a sign from God, but many will oppose him. 35 As a result, the deepest thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your very soul.”

He has SEEN salvation - NOT the one who would bring salvation. Jesus HIMSELF IS the salvation of God

Matthew 1:21 NLT

21 And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”

And this provides the COMFORT that he had been waiting for

Isaiah 40:1–2 NLT

1 “Comfort, comfort my people,” says your God. 2 “Speak tenderly to Jerusalem. Tell her that her sad days are gone and her sins are pardoned. Yes, the Lord has punished her twice over for all her sins.”

Anna...

Luke 2:38 NLT

38 She came along just as Simeon was talking with Mary and Joseph, and she began praising God. She talked about the child to everyone who had been waiting expectantly for God to rescue Jerusalem.

Anna declares that Jesus provides RESCUE (redemption, salvation) to all who had been waiting for God to act.

All these characters were obedient

Through their obedience the message of Salvation in/by/through Jesus Christ was proclaimed.

Obedience is necessary

If any one of these people were not Obedient the results would have been devastating.

Simeon would not have had his promise fulfilled

He would not have been introduced to Christ

Joseph and Mary would not have heard the message about their child, that he is a light to the WHOLE WORLD

Anna would not have received comfort and hope

Obedient Worship is necessary

God uses our Obedience to fulfill promises

God uses our Obedience to introduce others to Christ

God uses our Obedience to provide hope for a world that suffers from plans gone off script

How is YOUR Obedient worship?

We have to do something with this message!

The message of Jesus is NOT always accepted

BUT, obedience calls us to declare it anyway!

Our first role of Obedience is to ACCEPT the message and allow it to transform us.

It is a message that we are either judge righteously by, or condemned by - based upon our response to this message.

It is a message of Redemption For ALL the world

To those walking in darkness, including the Gentiles and ALL people But also, there is the idea that many will stumble because of Him - and sorrow for his mother (a reference to Jesus' rejection and suffering)

But Not ALL receive this message

1 Peter 2:7–8 “7 Yes, you who trust him recognize the honor God has given him. But for those who reject him, “The stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.” 8 And, “He is the stone that makes people stumble, the rock that makes them fall.” They stumble because they do not obey God’s word, and so they meet the fate that was planned for them.”

1 Corinthians 1:23 “23 So when we preach that Christ was crucified, the Jews are offended and the Gentiles say it’s all nonsense.”

No wonder a sword will pierce Mary’s heart - not JUST a reference to crucifixion, but a prophecy that Jesus and his message will be rejected by some and followed by others.

To put it in slightly different form, Christ is for all men either a stumbling-stone, over whom they will fall in judgment, or a stepping-stone into the presence of God (Ralph Earle, “The Gospel according to St. Luke,” in Matthew-Acts, vol. 4, The Wesleyan Bible Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1966), 224.)

What have YOU done with the message of Jesus? Is it a message that you stumble over, or have you accepted it as a message that lifts you up to God.

Is it a message that Condemns you as you ignore it and fail to accept it

Or, is it a message that saves you, rescues you, comforts you, redeems you as you accept it and live your life OBEDIENTLY to follow it?!

How is YOUR Obedience?

Obedience still has a role! And, there is no AGE CAP on obedience!

As we are obedient, we still have a role!

Show up, worship, follow, and proclaim..

We either reject Christ, stumble at his message

Or, we accept Christ, the salvation he brings to all people.

Then, it is our role, to proclaim this message as faithful followers...

IF obedience is the canvas onto which the Gospel is painted… THEN what picture of Jesus (the Gospel) does your obedience - or lack thereof- paint for our world?

How are you at remaining Obedient to God?

(Think fruit of the Spirit)

Galatians 5:22-23 (NLT) 22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!

How are you at listening to Holy Spirit to change your plans?

How are you at faithfully worshiping God when life goes off script?

How are you at being OBEDIENT?