Waiting for the King

Sermon Text: Luke 2: 25, 37 25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him….. 37 and then was a widow until she was eighty-four.[b] She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying.

Sermon Title: Waiting For The King?
Are you wanting or longing for anything special for Christmas? If you’re not careful, you’ll wait for Christmas and not CHRIST. Simeon and Anna were alert to his appearance and ready to welcome him. How do you get what you’ve been waiting for?

Simeon -- Waiting For Comfort
We’re introduced to Simeon in Luke 2:25. “Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon Him.” Simeon was righteous before people, and he was devout in His relationship with God.

Anna -- Waiting for Redemption Take a look at verse 38: “Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.”
The word redemption is related to the idea of captivity.

Point 1: Become Marvelers
verse 33 says that they marveled at what was said about Jesus.
To marvel means to be filled with wonder, astonishment, and surprise. Have you been caught up in the Christmas “holiday” or are you concerned with making it a “holy day”? Has Christmas just become too predictable and just another day off work for you?

Point 2: Become a Mover
Take a look at verse 27: “Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts.” Now drop down to verse 38: “Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God...”
Mary was ready to move when she said to the angel, “May it be to me as you have said.” (Luke 2:38) Joseph demonstrated that he was a mover when he woke up from his dream and “...did what the angel of the Lord had commanded and took Mary home as his wife.” (Matthew 1:24) The Shepherds were movers as well when they said, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened...” (Luke 2:15)
When the Spirit prompted them to move, they did not sit still. You must be moved by the Spirit. When God prompts you to do something, you need to do it. God doesn’t do anything with people who don’t do anything. You can’t stay neutral when it comes down to Jesus.

Point 3: Become a Messenger
Interestingly, as we work at becoming marvelers, we can’t help but become movers. That leads us to the final action step from this passage -- become a messenger. Notice verse 38 again: “...she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.”
This is the time of year when you have everyone’s undivided attention and you can tell them about our Savior. Don’t become casual about God being born in the flesh. We must not forget about the foundations of our faith-Jesus’ birth and resurrection. God submitted himself to humanity so that we would be saved. As believers, it is our time! We are the messengers!