12-29-2024

I might need to think through the songs. I'll be gasping during preaching time there and turning. Right over the page 335 Standing on the Promises of God.

Standing on the Promises of Christ.

No promises.

Play Word of God.

Standing on the Promises of Christ, overcoming hell, he with the speed.

Standing on the Promises resting in my savior has my heart.

I read this morning, a story, one of my pastor friends, shared it of a pastor in Africa and then Rhodesian and they was purging of tribes. And until I got in the Army I had you know we have our battles between the North and the South in the east coast in the west coast for tribalism. We have no clue that hatred in the bitterness and the need for revenge and a lot of these tribes go across six and seven countries and some countries are the majority and some there the minority and during this period of time over two million people were killed. And this pastor shared the story. That his family had already been killed and they drug him out and he was clutching his Bible and they said we wants you to dig your grave. And he said I was clutching my Bible and in one of the, the men that had taken me took my Bible and and he was digging and he started asking me questions about the Bible, he said I was thinking, now you want to talk about Jesus? Now you got the gun comes to my head and and he said, I just, I'd lost everything my family and he said, I remember God's promises and he said, and I had preached on Meshach and Shadrach and, and, and all that the fighting the Lion's Den in the Lion's Den and he's sitting here I am, I said, I had to think that God can still do it. He said, the guy got so convicted with my Bible. He handed off to somebody else and he jumped in the whole to help digging. And he says, I'm thinking now I'm going to die sooner. They get the whole done and eventually the rest of the story was the group started arguing and discussing. And they let him sit with some of the man that wanted to hear. And he ended up being spared. And he said I was just reminded over again that my faith. He said the faith that I had preached on my whole life, that when it applied to me, I doubted and he said, I got to see God's hand work in that. So what's turn over now to him, number 52, he leadeth me.

He's, he hits me all blessed us with Heavenly, I do and I had Lee. And me, he has me. It's me by his own hand. He leadeth me. Hear me. Sometimes meet saying of deepest Gloom, sometimes by hours, Blue by Ward. Her steal his hand that had. We ask me, ask me, ask me. I hear Zone hand elitist, me a favor. I want would be for By His handy with me. Lord, I would clasp 900 in my nor hair nor repo content would have thought I see I had to leave. He asked me. He lead has me as me. News on hand. He leadeth me is. Faceful my task in the cold wave, I will not sleep. She hands going through, Jordan, leave. This me. He has me at me. Show me his face would be for By His and easy as me.

Through our study in the Book of Luke, welcome to go ahead and cheat and read ahead. If you like, it's just so much in there and We have the gospels and really, it's, it's Matthew and Luke that focus on the birth of Christ. And today, we're in chapter 2.

And if we start out that there's some confusion, when I'm not sure it's confusion, it's just things that we're not used to in the Jewish laws in the Jewish culture. Things laid out, and most of it was laid out in the Book of Leviticus. Genesis Exodus Leviticus where God gives the law to the people and he said, these are the expectations that I have of you. And, and they were very set on being clean or unclean. Before you, you coming to church?

I have discussions with my Catholic Brethren about how far the church has come. That back in the day before you receive communion and and took of the host, it had to be on an empty stomach. There was 24 hours, you weren't eating before, you took the body and blood of Christ into you. And then they gave one of them, was kidding with me. They said, now you can roll through the donut shop and wipe your mouth and receive the hose and everything's fine. And, and yet, the walls for things are our culture is very much free of it. Nobody's checking at the door. If you've done this or done this, or done this before you come. And so today, we're

Starting off.

I gave a little background here. Second starting with verse. 22. Now, when the days of purification according to the law of Moses were completed, they brought him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord.

There was there's two things going on here, one its present the child before God the other thing, as present, the parents tickly the mother in being clean and and I don't even know there's some things that I look in the commentaries and stuff. Leviticus 12, lays out the after you have a child when you were then considered queen that you can come back and worship and be in the presence of God. And And it hurt my head here. Because if you have a son, Your your clean in 40 days, if you have a daughter, you have to wait 80 Days. And I was looking at this and some of this had to do with with on the 8th day in the Jewish custom, the son was circumcised as a sign before God. And in most, the commentaries came back and said that the fact that the sun was being circumcised, is what cut it down from 40 days to 80 days for them being clean. Also coming. There was an offering to be offered and it was based on on what you could afford a Lamborghini coat. If you were well off, if not, you were into pigeons and turtle doves to serve it in the priest, Would make the atonement for your sins and determined that she was now clean and doing it. And so, They're coming up. To present Jesus, as well as present themselves between and they brought him to Jerusalem to present him before the Lord.

First 23.

as it is written in the wall of the Lord, every male who opens the womb Shall be Called, holy and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the law, a pair of turtle doves or young pigeons, and so, Mary and Joseph date that there. Show up Janice and I were talking about when we were first married and we lived in Washington. D.c. Sadie, couldn't believe we were poor. Do you want Papa? We work and and Janice talked about our kitchen at that we have to bike back out to people could not pass. It was a little and we're paying like $1,200 a month for 400 square feet. It was it was nuts. And and yet so when they were poor, this is what they had. This is what they brought, this is what was expected of them. And they brought it to the temple. it's sort of, like, And I mess up all the time when parents bring their children to church for the first time sometimes I miss it and don't make the big deal. I should out of it. When we were in Hawaii, you never saw a child until after the first year. They were very superstitious that if you brought your child around people before year old, it would contractible cheilosis or measles or something and end because the Hawaiians has such a high mortality rate in their children. It wasn't. It wasn't till the first birthday that you got to see the baby. And man, they they take like second ridges on their home for those first birthdays at and I had to talk with him. I said, what is the big deal with the first birthday? I could see 16th birthday or 18th birthday said, no, no, no. For us, it's the fact that the child has made it a year. That were rejoicing wet because most of them and they seem particularly the generation before us. They didn't make it through the first year on it.

we go on first 25 and then I preached on this before, there's two people data related to the Christmas story. That aren't the wise. Men aren't the Shepherds and Simon is the first one and behold. There was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simon and this man was just and devout waiting for the consolation of Israel. And the Holy Spirit was upon him. We would have talked about this that Prior to Christ. The Holy Spirit would descend on people for a purpose to give them a word to have them.

Interact in a conversation with god later on with with the indwelling of the holy spirit in us, it's changed a little bit and it said the Holy Spirit was and it's been revealed to him by the holy spirit that he would not see death before you'd seen the Lord Jesus Christ. Wow.

I don't know how patient we are.

I'll admit it. I am not a very patient person. You know, those testimonies on Facebook about the person that's got to drive 35 miles an hour on Highway 42. What is clearly posted 55 or so wrong, on my word, preach should get them, you know, and then you can pull up if you pass them in there. You know, elderly and squinting for the road, and then you feel bad about it, but he was waiting years. Ears and years and years and end in our patients man is not that long. We cared about when your wife asks you to do something. How much reaction time you have before. She does it herself. And and yet Simeon was there and and he's waiting in the temple and then you can just picture this guy. He's sitting up here like this everybody that comes in, he's doing the checking him over seeing what's his, is it him? Is it is maybe it's him. It's might be him when he's got to come up with the 10 questions but it said that the Holy Spirit had just so anointed him and and let him to know that man that you know, Standing on the Promises to promise was you will not die until you see the Christ to come and savior.

He wasn't. Living in the temple, and we'll talk a little more about that are second person. And so he came by the spirit into the temple. And when the parents brought in the Child Jesus to do for him according to the custom of law, he took him in his arms and he blessed God. I'm sad.

Lord, now, you are letting your servant depart in peace. According to your word, for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared before the face of all people, a white to bring Revelation to the Gentiles and the glory to your People Israel. This is this is a crazy blessing. He was given out now you, you know, the moms when somebody wants to take their baby and and some of them now or I know I'll just, can I hold the baby. You can't hold my child. It away, stay back. They walk in and this man walks up and says maybe here and he's holding it up before God, giving this blessing for my eyes have seen your salvation. From the scriptures that were promised and any goes, he goes off script. Script was the Messiah was coming for Israel. The Messiah was coming for the Jews and send me and comes out a white, to bring Revelation to the Gentiles. No, I'm sure they were some church folks, and some priests getting a little upset. That that he is now invited the Gentiles in to the blessing in the promises of a safe. I mean they're okay for the glory of the nation of Israel. They were not as receptive to Jesus is coming as a messiah cuz it didn't fit their narrative. They wanted a guy swinging a sword and

kicking roam out. A visual and setting up them as a nation and everything would be great and wonderful.

And Joseph and his mother marveled at those things which were spoken. Oven.

if you do, when, when a stranger Says something about your children. I used to get in trouble because I would pretty much do as little as possible in my house growing up. I know it's hard for you all to imagine that but I mean, I had three sisters. What did they have to do? You know, I was busy, I had things to do. Well, I would go to my friend's house and I take the garbage out and I help with the dishes, And and then they'd be like Misty hanky, your son is so wonderful. My mom's like my son. Oh yeah, I didn't even have to ask him and he took the garbage out my mom's like, grabbing her heart, you know, going what? Sometimes we're at, we're make a better impression on Strangers than we do our, our real family. And, and so Joseph, and Mary are hearing things about their son.

well, maybe Maybe he will be. I mean they they've been through the Angels talkin to him. They've been through the shepherd's. They've been through the Wiseman and and and now we're in the next phase of life. And they're they're hearing that he's going to be the savior We get to a sad part.

And Simeon, bless them and said to marry his mother behold. This child is destined for the fall and the rising of many in Israel and for sign which will be spoken against. Yes, the sword will pierce through your own soul also That the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.

Somebody says that, what is he talkin about?

Child is destined for the fall and rising of Israel and a sword will pierce through your own soul. It takes us back and I didn't.

I didn't give it to Bob to put in there. Psalm 42. If you are ever having a bad day week month a year, go to Psalm 42. The title of his yearning for God in the midst of distresses.

And it goes on here.

The reference in Luke to this.

As with breaking of my bones, my enemies reproach me while they say all day long. Where is your god

I say to my God, my rock, have you forgotten me?

And through all this, he keeps coming back to the yet. I will praise him.

and,

You know, for parents to watch their child suffer. And not being able to do anything about it. It's tough. and Simeon gives the first prophecy of all the good stuff and then he gets to the kind of the Gory details about

he's going to be pierced. And, and you're going to be seeing this. At and have to bear with it. What's going on?

We move on to the second person. Anna a prophetess. A daughter of Fanning out of the tribe of Asher. She was a great age. And leave with her husband, seven years from her virginity.

They say some interesting things about and the woman was a widow about 84 years. Who did not depart from the temple.

In Bill's mind, I was reading this. She did not depart from the temple. and I'm thinking,

Personal hygiene. Restrooms showers. I mean years. I mean, they're they're giving you like 60 years. She stayed in the temple. I mean, it's like driving by every time you can buy, You saw somebody's car sitting here day and night around the clock and they didn't leave.

But serve god with fasting and prayer night and day and coming in that instant she gave thanks to the Lord and spoke of him to all those who look for the Redemption of Israel. if you look at some of the characteristics of the temple, because the Jews were so Concerned about cleanliness before God and being clean. There was all sorts of Water Systems in the temple. In multiple places that the Temple Mount had its own water source. To take care of the temple. So her ability to stay in the temple was there and in the fact that she was praying and fasting and waiting and believing for the promise of God to come. Is incredible. God's word said she did it. And it said that the instant

She saw Christ, she gave Thang and spoke about him, to all to her.

And we have two people here that have been waiting and waiting and waiting.

Perfect filmont. and,

I'm home to me is, is is a great person of faith. That Waits five years for some. These are waiting 40 and 50 years. We even got the whole time that it was going to be true what he said. And then in their lives, they get to see it and, and Anna. And it doesn't talk that she. She had a lot of conversations with Mary and Joseph is it's not recording the scriptures. She gave thanks to the Lord and spoke of him. To all those who looked for the Redemption of used.

I've learned more and more. to appreciate the wisdom of the Older generation. You know, when we are younger and Grandpa tells us some okay whatever. You know, in in this we get older, it starts clicking and a lot of the things were told when they're younger is usually a story to go along with it. Why they know that that's the way things are. in this case, you know, they were going to people Simeon was excited. He was sharing the hope the completion Anna was there. And it said to all those who looked for the Redemption of Israel. I'm sure there were a lot of of Jewish people. They, they were born Jewish raised Jewish. I was in in New York, high Jewish population. And in, there are a lot of Jews that Messiah the holy days for Rosh Hashanah and they didn't get it. If they had to the family made him, come the grandparents made him. Come, they, they weren't. They weren't believing. The Messiah was going to come. They were just ethnic Jews, not religious Jews waiting for the Savior. But there were a very sincere group of people in the coming of Christ that they were believing. The God's word said a messiah would come. And in the promises that are fulfilled in his, you can go back and you can look chapter after chapter. After chapter in the Old Testament is references to this promise that God has made being fulfilled, and its chairman, even from the place of the birth, the type of the birth. And now we're shared about the type of death at the savior's, going to see. And for us, we need to consider how excited we get. About the message.

The man I was talking about the pastor's, you sticking his grave. He was they were amazed cuz he had written in his Bible and highlighted things. And in there like you really believe this, did you really think it's true? And he said I do because God's word says it. And for us, God's word is said it. You know, the person in the work of Christ. And a number one, we have to make sure that were in Christ. Not just watching, not just talkin about him, not just PCS for somebody else. I'm not that bad of a person and then he's the hope for the world, which is we watched in the Wadi, Moon, the Walsh next billions and billions, and billions of people. I've had people here, look at me out on their forget when I was at colyell doing the youth night, one night for Junior, High kids, I had three or four kids. Look at me and say what's the Bible?

I had no clue, and I know we're short of south, Louisiana, but we we had taken so much for granted. What a Bible was these kids, they said there's no Bible in our house. Our parents have never told us about a Bible. What, what is it? And, and that's the world wherein, you know, we would have always assumed back forty years ago, everybody knew with the Bible was but they didn't, they were, they were lots of folks that they were not raised in homes or God's word was preached to talk or shared. And for us, we need to take the Christmas story like Simeon, and Anna and share it at every opportunity we can and believe God to give us those opportunities. I told you the story and over and over. I had a driver one time. When I finally got high enough rank that I had a driver before that, it was either walk or drive yourself and we would do pt and then he'd go change and, and I wouldn't do the drive home. I go to the mess hall to eat. And and he would be there. I need always sit, someday sit over there and some days, he's sitting over there. and I was like, what are you doing? I should. You don't have any friends, nobody wants to sit with you, once you brush your teeth. I mean, what's going on? He said, no, he said, let me tell you, sir, something. He said, I commit every breakfast to God. he said and I sit there believing, he said I have my quiet time before I come Breakfast. That God is going to bring somebody that I can share God's word with while they're there. sad thing was, He wasn't Mainline Christian. He was part of a cult group. Anywhere. I was heartbroken cuz he was the greatest person greatest guy as sincere and his devout as can be. And I'm like, but you're not giving them the real Christ. But I'm thinking, man, if we is Baptist ever decided to commit our breakfast to God believing, that God would bring somebody there for us to share with and encourage what a difference would make in the world. And that's what we're called to do. We're called to be the light were called to be the salt unashamedly. Share the hope that's ours in Christ. There's a lot of people struggling out there some of its self inflicted. Some of its not, but we need to be willing to step up because of what happened with the Christmas story. Kind of go from there but Sprite father God, we thank you for your word father. We thank you for your promises. Help us to stand on them boldly believing.

That you will be faithful to what you have said in your name. Amen.

When we walk with a horn in her life, are we let her stew? His Good Will and trust and no, there's no one to trust and obey.

Thank you. Just Coupling.

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