Wait Upon the Lord
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Happy New Year!!!
2021 is finally finished… completed... kupput… We made it through it!
I don’t know about you, but I am so grateful to see this last year come to a close…
But now it’s time to start thinking about the next year… What’s going to be different? What are we going to change? What do we want to see change?
Now is the time of the year when we ALL begin making resolutions… Amen?
The world seems to “gear up” for it! Gyms put on extra staff, start special promotions, stock up on merchandise and supplements… stores and counselors prepare for what comes next… 30 days of devoted time spent making decisions to changes our lives… all so that we can give up and go right back to what we are doing now in 30 days!
(that’s the average time someone spends actually trying to accomplish their resolutions)
Can I make this suggestion for a “REAL” resolution this year — one that will truly bring change to our lives… One that we can easily accomplish?
— This year let’s resolve to “wait on the Lord”.
The prophet Isaiah tells us:
31 but those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.
And in Psalm 27:14, David tells us:
14 Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!
In fact, ( a quick search reveals) that we are told at least 21 times in scripture to “Wait upon the Lord.”
(That’s an interesting number, because it is also the number of days it takes to create a habit)
Look back at that verse:
14 Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!
That word - translated “wait” - in both verses has the same meaning, “To await, to Hope, to wait for...”
In other words, we are told to wait, to Hope for, to have the assurance that God is going to do what He says He is going to do!
Waiting upon the Lord means putting our complete trust in Him. It means TRUSTING Him… Trusting in His plan for our lives… Trusting in His provision for us… and Trusting in His Love!
The Psalmist tells us to “Be Still and KNOW...”
10 “Be still, and know that I am God! I am exalted among the nations, I am exalted in the earth.”
7 Be still before the Lord, and wait patiently for him; do not fret over those who prosper in their way, over those who carry out evil devices.
8 Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath. Do not fret—it leads only to evil.
9 For the wicked shall be cut off, but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land.
I want you to see something here… The word translated “Wait” in verse 7 is :
hit-lo-lel — “to be in labor, to writhe, to be troubled, to bring forth...”
David begins the passage with “hit-lo-lel”, but he ends it with “qaw-we” - “to await, to hope, to wait for.”
It means that we are to “patiently endure” whatever hardships we face, KNOWING that God WILL PROVIDE.
Look back at the beginning of this Psalm.
1 Do not fret because of the wicked; do not be envious of wrongdoers,
2 for they will soon fade like the grass, and wither like the green herb.
3 Trust in the Lord, and do good; so you will live in the land, and enjoy security.
4 Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.
5 Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act.
6 He will make your vindication shine like the light, and the justice of your cause like the noonday.
David tells us to “Trust in the Lord”… Why? Because He will provide! He “will give us the desires of our heart.” Why? Because when we “Wait” on Him, the desires of our heart become — HIM!
— I get asked this a lot: “Pastor… How do I trust in God? What does that look like?” Well, Let me tell you.... First, stop looking for Him in the World! The world cannot tell us how to trust God. We have to look to Him…
God has promised to provide for us, to direct our paths,… If we look to Him.
21 And when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left, your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.”
All we have to do is “Wait Upon the Lord.”
If there was ever a man who could exemplify what it means to “wait upon the Lord,” It was Simeon.
Look at Luke 2:25-33
25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; this man was righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit rested on him.
26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah.
27 Guided by the Spirit, Simeon came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him what was customary under the law,
28 Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying,
29 “Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace, according to your word;
30 for my eyes have seen your salvation,
31 which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.”
33 And the child’s father and mother were amazed at what was being said about him.
Simeon is a Temple priest, who is called “a devout man.” He has been waiting on the favor of the Lord… He has been waiting for the promise of God to be fulfilled, and it is apparent that he has been waiting for a long time.
Now, Simeon is an interesting character… You see, he was caught in the inter-testamental period. That is the period of time between the last writing in the OT and the NT — about 400 years.
During this time, the children of Israel had suffered as a “political volleyball,” first from the Syrians and now the Romans… Over the last 400 years, Simeon’s people had seen leadership shift from Mathias Maccabee to the Hasmonean Dynasty… to, in recent years, an Edomite family named Herod that married into the thrown..
Yet, in the midst of the political unrest and strife, Simeon and others like him were patiently waiting on the Lord to send His favor on His people…
Simeon lived his entire life “waiting on the Lord”… Why? Because he trusted God!
I don’t think we fully appreciate that… I don’t think we really understand all that Simeon had seen and endured…
— Through the gorilla fighting of the Maccabean Revolt… Simeon waited on God.
— Through the political maneuvering of Johnathon and Jude… Simeon waited on God.
— Through the topsy turvy economy of the Jewish history… Simeon waited on God.
— Through the cultural transition from Greek Hellenism to a world controlled and dominated by Roman Caesars… Simeon waited on God.
How? How could Simeon wait through all that turmoil… through all that struggle and uncertainty… How could he just wait?
— People today seem to use God’s seeming “lack of movement” as an excuse to “blame” Him, or to “blame” the church… “God just doesn’t care!”
The answer is simple… Simeon had FAITH!
You see… God had made him a promise… and he had faith that God would follow through on that promise!
7 Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches. To everyone who conquers, I will give permission to eat from the tree of life that is in the paradise of God.
11 Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches. Whoever conquers will not be harmed by the second death.
17 Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches. To everyone who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give a white stone, and on the white stone is written a new name that no one knows except the one who receives it.
26 To everyone who conquers and continues to do my works to the end, I will give authority over the nations;
27 to rule them with an iron rod, as when clay pots are shattered—
28 even as I also received authority from my Father. To the one who conquers I will also give the morning star.
29 Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches.
5 If you conquer, you will be clothed like them in white robes, and I will not blot your name out of the book of life; I will confess your name before my Father and before his angels.
6 Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches.
12 If you conquer, I will make you a pillar in the temple of my God; you will never go out of it. I will write on you the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem that comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own new name.
13 Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches.
14 “And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the origin of God’s creation:
21 To the one who conquers I will give a place with me on my throne, just as I myself conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne.
Conquer (nikonti) means “to conquer, to prevail, to be victorious.”
How do we do prevail? How are we victorious?
Faith. Faith is how we become a child of God...
4 for whatever is born of God conquers the world. And this is the victory that conquers the world, our faith.
What is Faith?
— Most would say: “believing in things unseen.”
(we’ve talked about this before) Faith is something more… (according to Stronge’s) Faith is “to believe to the point of complete trust in”… (We could say) Faith is “putting complete trust in something or someone unseen.”
(It is something deeper than simple “belief in”)
— We do that all the time… put our trust in governing bodies that we cannot see behind the scenes… put our faith in psychologists’ ideologies that come from sources we don’t know… put our faith in sciences that we cannot see, just because other people tell us to…
— Church… let me tell you, “Christian Faith is putting our complete trust… our total reliance… on God… Not holding back…Knowing that He has this!”
It is putting all of our eggs in one basket… holding nothing back… not having a “backup” plan… TRUSTING that… KNOWING that God CAN and WILL do what He promises to do for us!
Let me assure you: God is Faithful!
There are five things I want you to hear right now: (1) God is who He says He is… (2) God can do what He says He can do… (3) God will do what He says He will do… (4) God loves you more than you know… (5) God NEVER fails… He will NEVER leave you!
10 “Be still, and know that I am God! I am exalted among the nations, I am exalted in the earth.”
When God makes a promise to us, He WILL see it through! But…
Sometimes - Church - we have to wait on God through all that we are going through…
Look at Paul… Paul struggled with a “thorn in his side”… something that caused him trial… something that caused him anguish… but look at what God tells him:
9 but he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.” So, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.
In these waning moments of 2020, someone here is waiting for God to move… to do what He has promised to do… Can I tell you this: “He WILL!”
We just have to WAIT!
25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; this man was righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit rested on him.
26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah.
God shows Simeon favor… He calls him a “righteous and devout” man… He was just, observing the divine law, holding God in reverence, and trusting His Word… Simeon knew who God was, and who he was in Him.
Simeon lived in the NT age, but was still under the OT paradigm… The Bible says two things about him:
He was waiting on the consolation of Israel. That means, the Messiah… Simeon was waiting for the comfort, the solace, and the consolation that only God can bring.
Someone here needs to understand this: The world can bring you limited pleasure, but there are some things that only God can bring you.
The world can bring you advice — but only God can give you direction.
The world can give you a temporary high — but only God can give you Joy.
The world can give you a hug — but only God can wrap you completely in His unconditional Love.
The world can give you a few moments of happiness — but only God can give you pure, eternal Joy.
Simeon is waiting for God to send the consolation… he is waiting for God to send the Messiah — The One prophesied by the Prophets of old… He is waiting for God to send the One who Isaiah called Isa 9:6 “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
He is waiting for the OT prophecy to move from words to flesh. He’s waiting for the prophetical to become physical.
We need to learn to do that!
We need to learn to wait — for the prophetical to become physical.
Think about this: We have an advantage he did not have!
Simeon was waiting on the Consolation, but… he was not baptized by the Holy Spirit. Think about that…
Simeon did not have the strength that comes from being Baptized with the Holy Spirit… He is from the OT anointing of the Spirit, not the NT church age.
In the OT, the Spirit would “fall on” a man or woman, strengthening them for the task at hand, or giving them a prophetic voice, but… it was temporary.
David realized this fact, and it caused him to wish the Spirit had never left him… Ps 13:1-4 “1 How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? 2 How long must I bear pain in my soul, and have sorrow in my heart all day long? How long shall my enemy be exalted over me? 3 Consider and answer me, O Lord my God! Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep the sleep of death, 4 and my enemy will say, “I have prevailed”; my foes will rejoice because I am shaken.”
But even in that time, David worshiped and trusted in God: Ps 13:5-6 “5 But I trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation. 6 I will sing to the Lord, because he has dealt bountifully with me.”
In the NT, we are not waiting on the baptism of the Holy Spirit… We HAVE it… We are FILLED with the Spirit… Unlike Simeon, the Spirit does not land and light on us… we are FILLED with it! It’s permanent!
The Spirit guides us… Strengthens us… Helps us… Speaks to us… and speaks for us…
Simeon didn’t have that, yet still he waited…
26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah.
You see… God promised that he would not die before seeing the Messiah… and now… he has gotten old… he has waited a long time… and he’s wondering:
“When is this going to happen God?”
27 Guided by the Spirit, Simeon came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him what was customary under the law,
28 Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying,
Can I tell you this… when you meet Jesus:
— He is able to change death from a “dying experience” into an “enter into glory” experience.
— He is able to change the perception of death into a glimpse of glory.
— He is able to move you from worrying about this world to rejoicing about the world to come.
That is what Simeon experienced!!!
21 After eight days had passed, it was time to circumcise the child; and he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.
Eight days after His birth in that stable… His parents, Mary and Joseph, carried Him to the priest Simeon.
This is an interesting part of the story… Jesus is born in Bethlehem of Judea, then He is carried into Jerusalem… Think about the symbolism here:
Not only is this the place He will come to in His final moments on this earth, but… Jerusalem is a city, Bethlehem is as country as country can be!
It’s like the savior of the world was born in Ravenna and taken to Dallas to be celebrated!
All this says one thing: Jesus is not just for those in the country… He’s not just for shepherds and tourists, He is for the city folks as well!
He’s not just for the rich, he’s for the poor too.
He’s not just for the educated, He’s for the uneducated too.
He’s not just for the old, He’s for the young too.
He’s not just for the ones in the know, He’s for the disenfranchised too.
He’s not just for those in multi-million dollar homes, He’s for the ones who slept on the sidewalks last night too.
Jesus came for everyone!
16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.
17 “Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
He’s for everyone who would believe in Him… Everyone who would say “I trust Him for more”… But… Sometimes we still have to wait for him…
21 After eight days had passed, it was time to circumcise the child; and he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.
Mary and Joseph carried Him to Jerusalem in faithful obedience to the Law… He had to be circumcised… Why?
The separation of flesh would unite Him with those who came before Him… Circumcision was a painful and bloody rite… it was the seal of the covenant… it was one of the introductory Jewish ordinances… it was performed on all males, on the eighth day, even on the Sabbath, with flint knives, by either the head of the family, or by a priest in the presence of the family… and it was accompanied by officially naming the child.
Think about that… Jesus had to be brought to the priest, both to fulfill the Law, and the Prophecy.
31 And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus.
Jesus’s name had to be made official… He needed to be raised in the Jewish customs… He was a first born, and so, He was to be dedicated to God just as custom dictated… (not to mention the angel!) So… They carried Him to Simeon…
But this day was unusual… As they bring the child to the Temple, and place Him in the arms of Simeon… Simeon blesses God!
29 “Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace, according to your word;
30 for my eyes have seen your salvation,
31 which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.”
What? What just happened?! That was weird!!!!
The job of the priest at circumcision was to proclaim a blessing upon the child, but.... That’s not what Simeon does… instead, Simeon praises God!
How can the priest bless someone who is already blessed?
Simeon’s job… his task that day… was to consecrate the child with solemn prayers, but… How do you consecrate the Messiah?!
(John the Baptist comes to mind here)
His only option was to eulogeo — to give praises to God! Simeon couldn’t help himself…
He had seen the child… He had seen who He was… He knew the blessing that Jesus was, and what He would do… he understood that God had kept His promise!!!!
He hadn’t waited in vain!
So… He celebrated!
He couldn’t help himself… When confronted with the fulfilled promise of God, we cannot do anything else but celebrate!!!
Somebody here needs to understand… to remember… that the moment you came to Christ… the moment you gave your life to Him… the moment that you possessed Jesus and He possessed you… He KEPT you!
He KEPT you from dangers seen and unseen!
He has KEPT you and He won’t let you go!
5 No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.
That is something to celebrate! That is something to praise God for!
The only way we can lose our salvation… the only way we can lose our savior… the only way that He will not be there for us… is if we walk away from Him.
Church… He will never let you go!!!
Let me tell you: When you have been given a promise from God… When you are waiting on Him… when you see that promise fulfilled… you WILL praise God and CELEBRATE what He has done… You won’t be able to help yourself!
— When you’ve been praying for your child and you see his life turn around… you will praise God…
— When you’ve been praying for a job and the application turns into employment, you will praise God…
— When you’ve been praying for your health and your doctor’s prognosis turns to God’s healing, you’ll celebrate with praises...
— When you’ve been hooked on drugs and messed up and tore up from the floor up, and then Jesus sets you free, you will celebrate with praises…
Simeon realized that what he had been waiting for was now at hand… and he couldn’t help but celebrate and praise God!
Can I tell you: Favor means that you may have to wait for what you’ve been promised by God, but… when you receive it… you should PRAISE God!!!
I never will understand how some people can come to church after God gives them what He promised and they sit there and refuse to praise God.....
Church…understand… when you’ve been waiting and waiting and waiting and waiting and God finally comes through… That’s praising time!
Praising God isn’t a polite “hmmf”… or a little Queen Elizabeth wave… It’s an “I gotta make some noise in here”… It’s an “I want to hush my mouth, but just can’t do it”… It’s an “I can’t help myself” kind of moment!
It’s like King David returning the Ark of the Covenant…
14 David danced before the Lord with all his might; David was girded with a linen ephod.
15 So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord with shouting, and with the sound of the trumpet.
16 As the ark of the Lord came into the city of David, Michal daughter of Saul looked out of the window, and saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord; and she despised him in her heart.
We should be dancing in the streets because of ALL that the Lord has done for us!!!!
Look at Simeon’s words:
29 “Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace, according to your word;
30 for my eyes have seen your salvation,
Simeon says, “Lord, let me die in peace… the moment I saw Jesus, I knew… I knew that the clock started ticking… Mine eyes have seen Your salvation!”
Even before the cross, Simeon knew… He saw that Jesus was already the Savior!
Before Jesus even saw the Cross. He was already the savior… before He marched the streets of Jerusalem, He was already savior… Before He even stepped out of Heaven, Jesus was already savior....
God’s plan for your salvation began before you were even a thought in your parents minds!
But God knew you…
5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.”
If Simeon can bless God with foresight, shouldn’t we be able to praise God even more with hindsight?
When you think about what He has done for you… When you think about the Cross He carried… You shouldn’t be able to contain your praise!
We have received the greatest reason in this world to celebrate!
You should be able to shout… When you think about the journey up the hill to Calvary…
You should be able to jump for joy… When you think about him dying in the sixth hour
But praises… praises should come … when you think about that first Sunday morning… when He rose with all His power in His hand!
When you look back at the past year, you should be able to praise Him for all the things He has done for you!
Remember there was a funeral on the day before the New Year!
And what a time it was!!!!
(closing)