Simeon and Anna
If you saw me earlier, I started out with a tie, but just couldn't handle it. So it's, it's gone for now.
Just a second.
My face in the mirror isn't Regal wrinkled or drawn. My house isn't dirty, the cobwebs are gone. My garden is lovely. And so is my lawn. I think that I'll never put my glasses back on.
Two elderly ladies, one of the more of Medallion and kind of a locket. And her friend said to her, when they says, what is what is it that you have in that? And she said, well, I have a lock of Larry's hair and she said, but Larry still alive and the lady said yes, but his hair is gone.
I have others of those but I'll go on, we don't need to do that. There are people who say that age is just a number. And then what's that other one? You're only as old as you feel. I'd like to share something with you. That's not true.
If you had if you have a car that's got about two hundred thousand miles or more on it you understand it that cars going to have some breakdowns and if you have a body that's in that 200,000 Mi range proportionally that's going to happen as well and so they're certainly reality to a G50 it has to take life away from us but it is something that we have to be Isaac realistic about it affects the way we live and fix the way we serve it affects the things that we can do for other people and then needs that we have certainly in our life in Leviticus 19:32 is his stand-up in the presence of the agent. Show respect for the elderly and Revere your God. I am the Lord. I've used that passage many times but this is the first time with it applied to me as the elderly one. Look at it from a just a little bit different perspective. I'd like for us to look this morning. It a couple of elderly folks who are found in the Book of Luke Chapter 2. I will start down in verse the 22 and two characters that you probably are familiar with it. They're not mainstream kind of characters it. So sometimes we forget about them and they have a really powerful lesson that we can learn together. Starting verse 22 of Lake to the time, came for the purification rites required by the law of Moses. Joseph, and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord Odysseus, of course, baby. Jesus born in Bethlehem, but the law are required them to go and do consecration at the temple in Jerusalem, and that's exactly what they're doing. Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord, and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said, in the law of the Lord, a pair of doves or two young pigeons. As you read, that kind of critically some people look at it and say, what is that what it says in Leviticus? And if you look over into the biggest chapter 12, it says that there to give a year-old male lamb and a bird. Why didn't Joseph and Mary do that? Well, because if you were poor, you were given a special dispensation and instead of the Lamb, you were able to substitute a second bird and this is that that passage that verifies for us indefinitely. Or definitely that this family is a poor family. They don't have the resources to provide the lamb and so their consecration gifts is these two birds and we understand, we know more about Jesus's living conditions just because of this one instance, first 25. Now there was a man in Jerusalem, call Simeon who was the who was righteous and about. He was raped waiting for the consolation of Israel and the Holy Spirit was on him. It has been revealed to him by the holy spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord's Messiah, 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, send me and took him in his arms and praised. God saying Simeon has been told. You won't leave this life until you see my anointed. Inez pool to the temple and he recognizes I think what their passenger saying here in a miraculous way that this family with this child is the baby Jesus.
He just pulls a child into his arms and says, Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now just missed your surban and peace for my eyes have seen your salvation which has been prepared on the side of all the nations of Life Revelation to the Gentiles and the glory to your People Israel. Critical critical prophecy right there. That's not just an older man. Making a reflection. It's not just an older, man. Talk to you about this baby. Don't even know their band talking about God's son, he says their inverse 32 of Revelation to the Gentiles The inclusive nature of what Jesus would bring and teach and give. And so we have again a confirmation that's really not as obvious the child's father and mother Marvel. That's what was said about him. Then Simeon blessed him and said to marry his mother. This child is destined to cause the rising and falling of many in Israel. And to be a sign that will be spoken against so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too. When does the bump look? We're going to look at Anna. Anna is a prophetess? Simeon is not refer to in any way as a profit and yet what he does is prophetic he's filling the role of a prophet and so without being described in that way, we know that that's a part of what he's doing here. He's talking about Jesus, he's talking about, Jesus has been a streak and then as he turns to the family and share some personal information with them, he warns Mary that you have a big hurt coming and we with the perspective of time, understanding know what that's going to be. Verse 36, there was also a prophet prophetess Anna. The daughter of the Duel of the tribe of Asher. She was very old. She did live with her husband, seven years after her marriage. And then it was a widow until she was 84, she never left the temple but worship day and night, fasting and praying, coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God, is folk about the child who all who were looking forward to the Redemption of Jerusalem. I would imagine that if you had been in the temple that day and had to witness what was going on, you probably would have come away with the idea that well, here is his poor family, that's encountered some eccentric. People, there's this eccentric old herb and there's this eccentric Widow lady. Maybe they're people that they have seen in the Widow, excuse me, the temple grounds before, certainly with Anna, that would have been a very likely kind of thing. It says, here, that she didn't ever leave the temple and some people go to that passage and safe. Well, you know, that's really not possible, you can't stay at church all the time, but if you really weren't Lube examine the temple grounds of Temple, courts to very expansive area. And that area is used for a number of different things and so it would have been possible for somebody to welfare and I don't know that, that's exactly what the verse is saying, but we don't have to defend it because it would have been possible. For her to do that. Both of these people are able to speak for God. That's what the prophet is. Wheeze have a tendency to Dave, if he can prophesy is predicting future events. And while that was a part of a Biblical Prophet, that was one of the things that biblical prophets use to prove that they were actually being spoken to by God. They were sure things like that. That was part of God's plan but they're true plan. The true purpose of a prophet was to speak for God and that's what these two people are doing, Simon prophesize it and it's called the prophecy account prophetess. Now last week, I talked about Elijah and Elijah's fiery Chariot trip back to heaven. And I tried to emphasize the fact that that event that happened to Elijah. There was a validation of his face. And today I'd like to make exactly the same Point again because what happens in the temple with these two elderly people and Jesus and his family is once again, a validation of their face. Simeon. Faithful service to God, his desire of his heart is to see the Messiah come. If he could have had one thing that was supplied being it would be to lay eyes to lay hands on God's anointed to know that got it actually fulfilled. His promise ring sun and Anna has been this dedicated person who's constantly they are and constantly serving and totally focusing on what doing what God wants her to do in a manifestation of her face. How would you validate that?
Well, they actually have contact with this child. They know if their face is real, they know that the things they taught, they know that the things they believe, they know that the things they've wanted, the things they've literally built their life pain, or actually real. It's a great manifestation of their face. Know they're older people in their lives who sometimes and and I tell you this is a really, really hard thing for me because I have known some elderly people who have left the face. Who gotten tired? Who gotten weary. I have a neighbor in her mid 80s, she walked away from God. Now, I would like to believe in my heart of hearts that she had lost her mental faculties to the point that she didn't really realize what she was doing on a, on a conscious level. But there are people who experience a long life and it's a frustrating life, it is just pointing life and they lose their spouse, and they lose their children. And they have these battles and they have these terrible things, that happened to the money to get to the point where I just don't think they could deal with anymore stress for any more tragedy. And the point comes with it is they understand having to do with spiritual things anymore if I can have anything to do with anymore cuz it's painful it is hurtful. And then there are other people who in their wisdom and their experience as they experience these Natural Things of Life. They come to the point where they like, no, I I feel God's teaching and I feel God's moving. I feel God's leading and even though these negative things are happening to me, that's the time what I need spiritual resources. the very most It becomes a time when we can. Truly pour some people experience the golden part of life, maybe there's more freedom. Maybe there's even more time, sometimes there's less responsibility. They're often is more experience and more wisdom to the point where older people can really be of value. Primary value to God. I'm having a total mental blank hear about what I want to say next. There used to be a group of retired people that traveled around and campers together and anybody know who, but they were called, but sojourners. Yeah, we lost so many. Good people, sojourners came, and they work through our church building a couple of times and, and they were very good at recruiting. And so they took our best people away, you know, and they like a and hit the road and spent time in churches and with people, they spend time with children's homes. They just it was a wonderful Ministry. They enjoyed being together, they grew spiritually in that process because it was a, it was a great work. It was a noble and they felt like they were doing very positive things. Because they were.
there was a lady that got three that Lost her husband. She was about in her early 70s, her husband had been a member of the Masonic temple and one of the things, one of the promises that that organization makes is that they will take care of your family for you now, what transpires, there is, whatever Earthly Goods you have you walk away from and you enter into care and so this lady had done that and she lived that are very nice place a facility that was not a nursing home but it was more of an assisted-living type place. All the loose back in the early 80s in a little bit different from what it is now. And she just really decided that her golden years were going to be about prayer and bible study and growth and blessing and helping other people. And when she passed away at about the age of 80, there was a lady in church and she asked me to go with her to clean out Frankie's room, we got up there. And she's got like, I mean 6280, spiral notebooks in a bookshelf, multiple shelves, and it's a Bible commentary. She's been going down to the library, a very nice library in this place where she lives and spending her days writing this commentary, and it's really well done. She just appointed herself. A Bible scholar and she created this really impressive work. Now I'm like 1 like to have this. Yeah, we would be nice to just share with other people and told the lady I'm with you, just watch how you want. Open the window and I'll pull around other side and you just throw them out to me, you know what, you know, if you asked for them and they're going to think there's something that want to keep and they're not going to give them to you. And that's exactly what happened. I asked for them and they were like, oh, well do we can't have those, we have to look at them first and we never got them back or we never saw them again. After that kiss, I would have loved to have had a not so much, although there was great stuff in them. But what a testimony they were to this woman who could have said, My life is over. Nobody cares about me. Nobody's watching over me. I really go and kind of been a really bad place in my life but instead she took the time that she had which was basically all of her time to do something, extreme positive in my prayer has been since that time that somebody some place has those and are blessed by what was taking place. There we look around us and we see these people who validate their face. And we're encouraged and were strengthened by that process. God, make some wonderful promises to his senior Saints least, three verses like to share with you. 2nd Corinthians 4, verse 16. Therefore, we do not despair, but even if our physical body is wearing away, our inner person is being renewed day by day and Frankie was a beautiful example that and I know other people who are examples of that, you feel like your physical body is letting you down. Is it that I couldn't find the remote for the television, but we have one of those deals where you push the button and the thing Make some noise, it's always pretty easy to find. So, I went over there and push the button and it was closed, it really was. And I looked around and making noise and it sounded like it was down the hall. So, I'm kind of walk down the hall and it sounded like, I'm like I'm getting closer to it, but I never was finding it until I found it in my pocket.
And I could have followed that noise all day out into the yard if it had gone that far and you think yourself slipping that much. So I can't even find the remote and, and it makes you feel
pretty weak. and yet God says, even though your physical body is wearing away, Our inner person is being renewed, day by day. We have the opportunity to be more, the person God wants us to be.
Psalm 73 verse 21. I read from the first part of Psalm 73 earlier, this is later in that chapter, My Flesh and my heart May grow weak, but God always protects my heart and gives me stability. You talk to people or older, they begin to understand, we begin to understand how critical stability is the critical thing. You take it for granted in the hearts of life, but God continues to provide thrust. Stability. And Isaiah 46:4 even when you're old. I will take care of you. Even when you have gray hair, I will carry you. I made you and I will support you. I will carry you and support you. As I read that passage, I thought. How many things have I had in my life? That if I lived in a different time might have ended my life and I think each of us could do that, it goes all the way back to childhood. The childhood diseases that are being managed, that weren't managed at other times. How many of us are wearing glasses? How different would the world be? If we existed a time where there wasn't any way to correct vision, there's just a multitude of things. It was probably for that reason, more rare in Isaiah's time for the gray-headed elderly people to be there and yet those folks around them could look at them and go that force is being supported by God. That person is being carried by the Lord.
The last thing I'd like to point out.
Validation of faith. A fiery Chariot was a validation for Elijah meeting. The Messiah child was this validation for Simeon and Anna? And that's. Elevations are wonderful. But if you think about it, We are at many times validations for other people's face. How many people look at you and look at what you've accomplished and look at what you've done and look at the choices you've made and they say that validates the face. I haven't got our parents, the people who taught us the people who try to lead us, the people who tried to correct us. The people who tried to help us, you can do the list. It's just literally endless of people who said I'm doing this because God has directed me to do so. And then when they look at the manifestation of that very encouraged and strengthened, because he really happened, kept his promise I seen in my child, I seen in my grandchild, I see it in the in the students that I have, I see in so many places of validation living after God's way has an influence, not just on me, but on the next Generation to generation lunar, literally beyond that. People who models and manifested the things that have come to life in US. Look and say, just as we look at those we've passed it on to and feel that same thing. One of the great pleasures of my life. And I mentioned this before is that when we went to Guthrie in 1986 there were about ten or twelve older men there, who were all in their late sixties, Who were or so who were veterans of World War II? And those guys made me more appreciative of his country than any other experience I've ever had. Listening to them. And listening to the theme States. It wasn't always the heroic battle things, although, some of them were engaged in some very heroic things, as I was thinking about this for the wig, that was an elder at Guthrie. The same as Roy Smith and Roy was a mechanic working on airplanes in England, during World War II, he worked on if I'm memory is correct. B-17, bombers. And he would talk about how they would send out 20 of these bombers. And most of them at that point in time, we're staffed with either 9 or 10, man, crew 20, bombers with leave and he said, when it came time for him to come back, That there were a lot of the guys who'd worked on those planes who went out there and counted them as they came back in. How do you say one night? There was 11 planes. It came back 910 man crews that's approaching 90. Men who didn't come back from that mission? Now later they did find out that two other Crews had landed someplace else but still, it was a massive loss of life.
And he said the guys that worked on the plane with talk of each other did we not do it right? They did we do something wrong then we got work hard enough for those planes to go out because them coming back safely was a validation. They pay this emotional price because it was important to them. Important to you. And I because we now enjoy the freedom that was purchased in those moments.
In Turkish. How much do we owe the previous generation? Oh, Lila Gilmore's memorial service, not yesterday, but a week before, and her stepson, and I were bringing the table in here for the service. At he said, I used to go to this church and I said, Miss building is all know who was the other building. And so, he explained that it was another building and it's actually got to back. He was Ed's son and talked about the things that he had experienced there. Church buildings. Where it where do we get Church? Buildings? Will some people some Churches by them? Where did this one come from? What's been here a long time? And various people have owned it back. There's been more than one Church of Christ in this building.
We didn't pay for this building outright, we didn't buy the original mortgage. Now there are things that have to be kept up and things it has to be changed. Can improve their people who worked very hard like real over the net to maintain this building and other deacons contribute to the changes that make that are made here. That's a wonderful gift. What is something that we didn't necessarily have to spend four? I told you this before, but I frequently have people call me inside. Would you give me an idea? How big your for your ears? It is always somebody building a church somewhere. And they've been in our four year. And they're like, you do every church needs a 4-year like that big long wide about how big is that and when you tell them they go we can't afford to do that. I can't do it anymore. It's here because other people made a sacrifice at a time when it could be done. And I only point that out to make the point that this future General, our past Generations, who have contributed so very much to where we sit and what we do and what we experience. And what they're saying to us is be a validation. Of my face. Be a validation of what I believe. And when I try to lead other people to know and believe. The reality is God will validate our face, and it various points in time. In life, we have different challenges in younger times. Will I make it will? I meet my ideals will accomplish my goals and at the end of life, we sit back and say, we'll maybe I didn't do everything. I wanted to do. Am I unsuccessful? And I believe God Whispers aren't your no no no no. You don't understand why you don't understand how long people are going to continue. They have interest or continue to be taught because of the things you initiated or the things that you do and we can be grateful and we can celebrate and we can challenge ourselves to be the validation of other people's face. Would you play with me?
You're gone. We thank you that you lead us in all stages of Our Lives. We thank you. For those who have been in this building, those who have worshipped in this building, those who have Acknowledge your name and lifted their voices, and praise. We thank you for the examples. If it says the things they taught the encouragement that they gave, we thank you for our exposure. Father, we pray that we step up to the validation that people see. Through us. The behavior of the sacrifice that it's made previously. Father, we pray that we can do positive things, and useful things. You pray that you will use this at any and all stages of life and help us to have a heart that yields its submission to you and we pray this to your precious son Indian.
You need to respond to Christ. Invites you to do that right now while we stay in this thing together.
