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All right, if you have a sword, pull that baby out of its sheath.

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Should strike fear in the hearts of the wicked one in his cohorts.

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It's kind of like my dad when he used to take his belt off.

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You know, that f-th sound as it went through all the belt loops.

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I was cruising for bruising.

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And I can't remember what title I gave Jen for the message, but I think it was something like, be redeemed,

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or are you redeemed, waiting for the Messiah?

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And it's fun to be able to go through God's word and just, you chronologically going through the book of Luke

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and just how things seemed to line out.

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I didn't really purposely end Genesis on purpose when I did,

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but it all seems to fit.

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And here we are at the after the birth of Jesus

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and what happens next is,

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it's really fascinating.

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It's really fascinating.

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God's word because it is so alive.

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I don't know. Did you see the picture that they got now for the hanging on?

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Uh, huh?

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It looks like me.

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Well, when I was about seven years, is that it?

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When I was about seven years old, they had this cult roping contest.

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And they gave us all a seven-year-olds, a little rope, and you run into this herd of colts and try to rope one.

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And in the herd, get this, this is Scotty Brown for you.

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In the herd was one. In the herd was one.

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A mule. Mules. Mules are an interesting creature. But I throwed my loop randomly into that herding.

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Guess what I caught. I caught them two ears. Went right down over his head. And away we went. And

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I wouldn't let go. And they had had a grand entry and several horses had peed. And there was these

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great big urine puddles in the arena. And I got drug through that stuff. But I would not let go.

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That's the kind of tenacity I need to have nowadays hanging on to the Word of God.

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So anyway, it's good stuff.

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It's cowboy stuff, right?

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It just is.

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And these two old ladies were so impressed, one gave me a quarter and the other gave me a candy bar.

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I was in the tall cotton.

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It ruined me forever.

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Right.

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But God's word is so powerful.

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and it's so alive, telling the future before it happens.

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And you can never lose sight of that because I think that sometimes as you read through God's

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word and you realize that God is telling you things that are going to happen before they happen,

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that's miraculous, right?

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Only God can do that.

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I think we talked last time about if you, you know, if you have that ability to tell the future

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before it happened, you know, you'd go buy a power ball ticket.

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And then that would ruin.

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you know, but so anyway, you hear this testimony of those people who have won one millions of dollars.

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It doesn't go well. But, uh, because the Bible says to store up treasures in heaven, right?

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We're moth and rust and the IRS and the bank can't take it from you. Um, and so that's, that's, uh,

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the power of God's word. And we're, we're looking this morning, uh, Mary, she's pondered these things in her heart at the

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birth of her son and some powerful things are happening with the shepherds and their proclamation.

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And it was very, very out of character for them.

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They weren't going around talking about peace and the glory of God and goodwill towards

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men.

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That wasn't their characteristic.

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And yet, yet they were.

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And they were proclaiming this news about this savior,

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who is Christ the Lord.

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Is he your Lord this morning?

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I hope so. So, um, she was pondering these things in her heart.

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No doubt, right?

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No doubt.

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That would have been something that was quite fascinating for her and Joseph, seeing the

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response. No doubt they had their own response to the birth of this child,

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but to the world around them's response and even heaven itself.

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the response to the birth of the of the Christ's child.

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And so there he was born in a barn.

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Mary pondered these things in her heart that were said by the angel

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who had visited her before she had conceived.

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Now after the birth, the shepherd's coming and going around,

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telling all the people of this incredible message of praise and peace and goodwill.

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And so for the next seven days, I wonder how long they had to stay in the end.

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We don't know.

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Obviously, because Joseph was from the lineage of David, he probably had family there in

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Bethlehem.

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So they probably went ahead and hooked up with a family member and had had food and sheltered

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for the next several days.

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Because we pick it up, pick the story up in verse 21.

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And it says, and when eight days were completed,

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for the circumcision of the child, his name was called Jesus, the name given by the angel,

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before he was conceived in the womb. So two things here in verse 21. Right. First, he was, he was circumcised.

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The cutting of the flesh. Jesus's flesh was cut. And it was the covenant mark of God.

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Circumcision was way before the law, right? It was God's covenant with Abraham.

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It was a covenant to show that this person believed in Almighty God.

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That's what it was for, this circumcision.

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And Donald Gray Barnhouse, the old preacher.

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I don't know if you're who remembers Barnhouse.

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I remember listening to him on a radio program when I first got saved back in the 80s.

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Man, that was a long time ago.

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And, and, but he said this about it.

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He said, his, Jesus's circumcision was his first suffering for us.

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Right?

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He didn't have to do any of this.

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Jesus didn't.

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He didn't have to come down off his throne.

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Right?

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He didn't have to become like you and me.

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And be all stinky and poopy and, you know, no doubt he burped.

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He didn't have to do that.

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But he did.

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Because of his great love for us. Incredible. He was subjected to the law and filled it perfectly.

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And this was also mentioned in the law of Moses because it was the covenant mark of God.

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In fact, God was going to kill Moses. You remember? Maybe some of you don't remember.

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That's a fascinating read, by the way. There in Exodus, you remember when he sees the burning bush, right?

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He sees the burning bush. And he sees the burning bush.

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has a conversation with God.

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God tells him, he says, you go, you tell Pharaoh to let my people go.

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And so here Moses was, and he didn't know if he could do this.

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I can't talk.

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And pretty soon he sins Aaron.

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And so he's convinced he starts to go.

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And it says, God grabs Moses and is going to kill him on his way to tell Pharaoh to let

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the people go.

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And you're like going, is God psychotic?

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Has he lost his mind?

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No, but Moses, because he was a Hebrew, he knew that he should have circumcised his boys and put the covenant mark of God on his boys, and he didn't do it.

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And God goes, I'm going to kill you. Right? I'll get somebody else. Because you know God can use a donkey, right? We're all in good company. So if the Lord calls, just go. Don't give the donkey the glory. Right?

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And so you remember Zapora takes a sharp rock and cuts the foreskin off her son and throws it at Moses.

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And says you're a bloody husband because of the circumcision.

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And no, just put the covenant mark of God upon your children.

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That would translate today.

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You don't have to be circumcised.

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I'm thankful for circumcision.

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It's kind of the Western way, but you don't have to be because the Bible says it's symbolic, right?

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One who is, it's a circumcision of the heart.

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It's that you no longer live in the flesh, but you're going to live in the spirit.

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You're going to have a sensitivity to the spirit of the Lord.

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That's really the symbol of circumcision.

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And, you know, Colossus chapter 2, verse 10 says,

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And you are complete in him, who is the head of all Prince of Apostion.

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and power in him.

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You were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands by putting off the body of the sins

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of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ.

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That when Jesus comes into your life, right, the fleshy stuff just kind of drops off.

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It should go away.

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And it's disgusting.

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And my life was that way as well.

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It still is at times.

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It's disgusting when we've claimed to, to, you know, it's disgusting.

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be walking in the spirit and we catch ourselves walking in the flesh.

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It's just nasty.

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It's disgusting.

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I had me a moment the other night.

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Road rage.

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What is it?

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Like that little kid said,

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why do all the idiot drivers come out when I'm on the road?

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Yeah, I must confess I'm the biggest idiot driver.

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No, but I'm getting ready to turn.

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This guy flashes me.

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I can tell he's in a hurry.

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He's wanting to turn left, but I'm turning right.

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So I have the right way.

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Right so he flashes me, and I dim my lights, and I turn.

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And then he just come in right on my fender with this big truck.

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And I'm so, you pot liquor.

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Maybe I didn't say that.

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I'm not sure.

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But I hit the brakes, you know, and he, man, come right up to me.

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And he lays on this horn and he's got a horn that sounds like a train horn.

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I mean, it was deafening.

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And then my eye really got up and my blood pressure.

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And I'm thinking, I'm going to knock this guy out.

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I have had it.

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We're going to the pavement.

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And then I got to thinking, oh, you got a separated pelvis, dude.

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You can't even walk.

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I'm thinking, man, maybe I can find a rock on the side of the road to throw at him or something.

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And it's in those moments the Lord has to like, Scotty, come on back here.

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Come on back here. Come on now. Get on back here, boy. That ain't you no more. That's behind you.

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That you got to get rid of that. And I was, I was actually shun.

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I thought I was so much better than that. Right? And that pride just creeps in. It's just,

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it's nasty, it's ugly, it needs to be cut off. And so Jesus went through this, this thing for us.

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It's, it's, you know, it's a spirit thing. This, this circumcision that we no longer walk in the

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flesh, you know, I just want to break into song, you know, newsboys, right? It's just a spirit thing. It's a

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it's like a circuit judge in the brain.

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Do you guys know that song?

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Right?

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You just, yeah, you just kind of want to be bop.

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Yeah, it's a spirit thing.

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You know, get charismatic.

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We're going to get crazy this morning.

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But it is a spirit thing, right?

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It's the, it's the Holy Spirit.

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And, um,

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His name, the name of God is really connected to circumcision.

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And so this mark is on on the Lord Jesus.

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And it tells his name.

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Right.

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Both Mary and Joseph was told the name that the baby was going to be named.

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Both of them were told.

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told that. Now, the angel goes a little bit further with Joseph. He didn't go quite as far with Mary when he

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says, you should call his name Jesus. And that's all it says. But when Joseph is thinking about

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divorcing Mary because she's pregnant and he goes, it wasn't me. Right? And he's thinking about it.

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The Lord spoke to his heart and said, no, no, no, no, no. No, you take her as your wife.

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For that which is conceived in hers of the Holy Spirit. And you shall show. And you shall,

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call his name Jesus because he will do what. He will save his people from their sins.

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And that's you and me. That's why you're going to call him that. You're going to call him Jesus.

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It's the equivalent of the Old Testament, Joshua or Yahshua is how the Hebrews pronounce it.

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Yahshua. Right? It means Jehovah is salvation. What a name. What a name. The name,

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Jesus. And so here at eight days, he circumcised. They, they, they, they,

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record what his name is going to be. And then they have a 33-day wait.

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33 days. They wait and they come back to the temple. Now think about if Jesus would have been born

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in Nazareth. That's an 80-mile track. Now, a girl, just after having a baby, is not going to travel 80 miles.

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But God saw to it. That get them to Bethlehem, which is only about 5 to 7 miles from Jerusalem.

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and that way they could go to the temple.

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And they go and they do a dedication and a purification.

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After Mary was purified, that goes along with Leviticus chapter 12 when it talks,

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a woman after her baby boy was born that she had a time where she was unclean for 40 days.

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And then they would bring a sacrifice to the temple.

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Verse 22, it says, now when the days of her purification, according to the law of Moses, were

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completed, they brought him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord.

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And so every son that opened the womb, the Bible says, the first one is mine.

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He's mine.

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You dedicated your kids to the Lord?

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I remember dedicating my kids to the Lord.

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Not really knowing what that meant.

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Right?

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not really knowing what that meant.

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And then we had a pastor and he put together a little instruction sheet for those who dedicated their kids to the Lord.

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And that when you dedicate your children to the Lord, they are given to you by the Lord.

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Yeah?

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They are given to you by the Lord.

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And they are the Lord's to take any time he wants to.

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Oh, wow.

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That adds a lot more weight to it.

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Do we really want to do this?

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Whose hands you're going to put your kids in that's any better than that?

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Right?

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Now, I'm telling me.

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All my kids have scared me.

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Now you're a grandkids scaring me.

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Right?

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I'm just scared for them.

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Because I know where you're going.

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I know what you're doing.

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I know what you do.

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My grandsons are getting older now and they're kind of on their own.

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I know what you're doing. Right. I'm just like that jewel brown with that preaching finger.

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You keep doing this boy and it's going to be a curse to you. Right? I do. I want to scare him.

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I want to scare him. I do want to beat him sometimes. But we haven't come to that yet. Right?

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But they've been dedicated to the Lord. They know who Jesus is. Right? And they're stepping over his

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His crucified, resurrected body to do some of the stuff they're doing.

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And maybe you're doing that today.

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Right?

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You know better.

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You know it's not right.

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And so, dedicate him to the Lord,

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pray for him, and let the chips fall where they may.

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Because eventually,

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God in his faithfulness is going to give them a day of reckoning.

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And so this purification happens at 40 days.

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They were to bring a lamb for a sacrifice.

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If they couldn't afford a lamb, then they would bring two turtle doves.

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And it's written in the law of the Lord verse 23,

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every male who opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord.

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and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the law of the Lord,

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a pair of turtle doves or two young pigeons.

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And that's what they did.

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They were dirt poor, these two.

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And so, Warren Weirsby puts it this way.

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When the child was 40 days old,

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Mary and Joseph had to come to the temple for the purification rights

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described in Leviticus 12.

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They also had to redeem the boy,

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since he was Mary's firstborn.

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They had to pay five shackles to redeem the redeemer

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who would one day redeem us with his precious blood.

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Jesus was redeemed.

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Right?

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According to the law.

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That's why he completely and totally fulfilled the law.

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So when you read the Old Testament law,

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that which is written the letter of the law,

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Jesus fulfilled it to a time.

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T. Why? For you and me. Because you and I don't have the moxie. We don't have the guts. We don't have the

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wherewithal. We don't have the ability to fulfill the law. But Jesus did. And he does. And the

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redeemer was was redeemed. Job tells us something interesting. He says, can anything

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clean come out of that which is unclean? Can anything clean come out of that which is unclean?

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And speaking of the birth of a child, right? That everyone is born in sin. That we've all sin and

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fallen short of the globe. We're actually born into it. It's our nature. And Jesus was born in this nature of

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sinful man, and yet he never committed his sin, but kept the law. That's why he's our hero.

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Right? That's why Jesus is our hero. He was, he was qualified to be the one who could redeem us.

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No one else could. Not, not the richest man in the world could redeem a lost sinner.

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And that's God's grace. That's incredible grace.

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And so 2 Corinthians chapter 8 says, for you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,

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that though he was rich, yet for your sakes, he became poor, that you through his poverty

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might be rich. He was the lamb. There was to be a lamb offered for him, but they didn't have it.

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but ultimately he was the lamb. John the Baptist pointed to him there in John chapter one and spoke

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and said, behold, the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world. Now, we get to one of the songs

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that we've looked at through the Christmas season here. And we're going to read verse 25 through

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35. And it says, and behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. And this man was

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was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel.

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And the Holy Spirit was upon him.

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And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death

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before he had seen the Lord's Christ.

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And so he came by the spirit into the temple.

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And when the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him, according to the custom of

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the law, he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said,

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Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace according to your word.

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For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared before the face of all

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peoples, a light to bring revelation to the Gentiles and the glory of your people, Israel.

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And Joseph and his mother marveled at those things which were spoken of him,

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and then Simeon blessed them and said to marry his mother,

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behold, this child is destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel.

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For a sign which will be spoken against.

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Yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul also that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.

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Simeon's song.

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Simeon steps up and he sees God's salvation.

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He's been spoken to by the Lord.

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And we don't know much about this guy, right?

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We know he's just and he's devout, but was he a priest?

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Did he have some clout there in the temple?

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Could you imagine doing a baby dedication?

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I could imagine doing a baby dedication up here.

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And some old man steps up on the stage and says, can I hold the baby?

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What would you go?

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I don't know.

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And so, Simeon,

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holds the baby. And he starts talking about him. First of all, he says, I can die now. I can die now.

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I've seen the salvation of mankind. God's done it. Just like he said he would. Clear back in Genesis

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all the way through the law and all the way through the prophets and the Psalms. God's told us about

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this salvation that would come for you and me. Born of a virgin, Emmanuel, God with us.

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Simeon's going, ah!

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I can die now.

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Do you ever feel like that?

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You're just like, do you have those moments?

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It's just gloration.

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I can go now.

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I can get out of here now.

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I think there used to be an old TV.

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This is your life, right?

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Hey, this is your life.

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And it's all good.

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He says you're letting.

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Now, people say, well, Simon was old.

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We don't know that from scripture.

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You don't know.

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how old he is. We just know that he's ready to die. That's a good place to be, folks. Just be ready.

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Just be ready because you don't know. You just don't know. I started Pastor Gordon's book this week.

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And can I just tell you, you just don't know? Right? Fascinating. Fascinating read. I'm only a few

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00:24:51,180 --> 00:24:56,860
pages in, but it's pretty gripping the things that Pastor Gordon experienced.

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But one thing he learned at a fairly young age is, you just don't know.

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You're here today and you're gone tomorrow.

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And so that being ready is so cool.

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But Simeon just thinks, man, I've seen it.

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Right?

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He was a just man.

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He was a devout man.

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He was a devout man.

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He was waiting for the consolation of Israel.

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Consolation.

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Now, when I was growing up, consolation always meant in second place.

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or third. Maybe it's third. Third place. Consolation. But it actually can literally mean comfort.

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The God has come to comfort us. Jesus has come to comfort us where he said, come unto me.

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All you who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest, rest for your souls.

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God has given us comfort for our souls in sending this, this Christ child, this baby to us.

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to give us that hope. Now, he's devout. He loves God, no doubt, and he listens, right?

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His name means listening. Simeon was waiting and listening what the Holy Spirit was saying to him,

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and that God had promised him, right, had revealed to him by the Holy Spirit, by the Holy Spirit.

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that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ.

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Wouldn't that be cool?

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If the Lord just showed you and I, hey, you're not going to die.

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You're going to, you're going in the rapture.

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Just like, Kaching, you know, you'd be so excited.

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Really? I don't have to die.

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But then, but then you think.

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Now, wait a minute, how long is this?

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Right?

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I don't know how long I want to hang around.

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I've seen people hang around too.

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into their 90s and stuff.

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And I'm wondering, I'm just one old gal.

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Her name was Dorothe. I loved Dorothe.

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We used to go see her. I used to take the kids into the rest homes and we would talk to the people.

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And these first and second graders would lead old people to Jesus.

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It was a wildest thing you ever saw.

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It was so cool.

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And I just wanted to be like them.

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But there was this one gal named Dorothe.

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And every time I saw Dorothe, she goes, I don't know why I'm still here.

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She was 97.

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And she said,

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I had a dream last night.

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And Peter came to me. I said, St. Peter? She goes, yeah, St. Peter.

385
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And I asked St. Peter, I said, St. Peter, how come? I'm still here.

386
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And he said, Peter said to her, Northa, your seed isn't dusted off yet.

387
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So, Dorothe said, would you please pray that my seat gets dusted off soon?

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Right? She was ready. She wanted out of here.

389
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And she was going to see the Lord.

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And she did.

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Doroth, it's amazing.

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How many, as you get older, right?

393
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As you get older, you go to more and more funerals.

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Why is that?

395
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I know that's elementary, right?

396
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Duh.

397
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Stupid.

398
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Right?

399
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People live and people die.

400
00:28:18,480 --> 00:28:20,800
Right, but as you get older, why is it?

401
00:28:22,600 --> 00:28:23,600
There's just more people die.

402
00:28:23,940 --> 00:28:24,340
As you get older.

403
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And then pretty soon it's you.

404
00:28:27,640 --> 00:28:29,040
Showing up at all these funerals.

405
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But Simeon, he was excited about what the Holy Spirit was meant.

406
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This gives me hope that as I get older, you know, Lord, can you still use me?

407
00:28:41,920 --> 00:28:42,940
You know, I am slipping a little.

408
00:28:44,320 --> 00:28:44,540
You know.

409
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And the Lord can use us.

410
00:28:49,660 --> 00:28:52,520
He uses. He speaks to Simeon.

411
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and about this, this consolation of Israel.

412
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It was a Jewish, it was a traditional Jewish prayer.

413
00:29:02,920 --> 00:29:05,840
May I see the consolation of Israel.

414
00:29:06,100 --> 00:29:08,280
That was a prayer that people would pray.

415
00:29:09,240 --> 00:29:10,080
Maybe we should be praying.

416
00:29:10,360 --> 00:29:11,640
Lord, we hope to see the rapture.

417
00:29:17,280 --> 00:29:20,020
But the Holy Spirit was all over this guy.

418
00:29:20,960 --> 00:29:25,340
And he knew when he came into the temple, maybe he had heard.

419
00:29:25,900 --> 00:29:28,960
Maybe it had heard some stories about Zechariah and Elizabeth

420
00:29:29,200 --> 00:29:32,960
and this miraculous conception that she has.

421
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And this baby's born.

422
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And the things that Zachari might have even been there at the dedication

423
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where Zachariah spoke those prophecies over his boy,

424
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John the Baptist. And then hearing of Mary and Joseph. And that she's claiming this, she's still a virgin.

425
00:29:48,500 --> 00:29:54,740
And she hasn't had this baby yet. And maybe he was very tuned in to Isaiah chapter 7.

426
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And he comes in and he sees this baby and he goes, bingo, that's it. That's God's salvation.

427
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God's salvation. I can go now in peace because I have seen your salvation.

428
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This is the one you told us about in your word.

429
00:30:18,520 --> 00:30:20,320
Everyone throughout history

430
00:30:24,220 --> 00:30:27,200
has been affected by this baby coming.

431
00:30:28,660 --> 00:30:28,780
Right?

432
00:30:29,740 --> 00:30:31,420
Everyone throughout history.

433
00:30:32,620 --> 00:30:33,780
In verse 31, it says,

434
00:30:36,640 --> 00:30:38,880
I think I have it in my Bible.

435
00:30:41,160 --> 00:30:44,840
which you have prepared before the face of all peoples.

436
00:30:45,840 --> 00:30:46,520
All peoples.

437
00:30:47,720 --> 00:30:52,320
A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles and the glory of your people, Israel.

438
00:30:52,720 --> 00:30:53,980
Both groups of people are there.

439
00:30:54,280 --> 00:30:55,140
All of humanity.

440
00:30:55,620 --> 00:30:58,780
And that's what the blessing to Abraham was when Jesus came.

441
00:30:59,020 --> 00:31:01,500
It was to all of humanity, not just to Israel.

442
00:31:01,980 --> 00:31:03,460
Jesus did say, right?

443
00:31:04,120 --> 00:31:06,440
Or Paul said that Jesus came for the Jew first.

444
00:31:07,660 --> 00:31:08,820
Yeah, because he was Jewish.

445
00:31:09,860 --> 00:31:10,080
Duh.

446
00:31:12,460 --> 00:31:14,340
It's the same as our own families, right?

447
00:31:14,720 --> 00:31:15,980
Who gets the attention first?

448
00:31:16,360 --> 00:31:17,000
Our families.

449
00:31:17,640 --> 00:31:19,220
Those who are close to us.

450
00:31:20,120 --> 00:31:23,140
But then he offered this salvation to the whole world.

451
00:31:24,000 --> 00:31:27,720
First John says it wasn't just for our sins as Jews,

452
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but the sins of the whole world that Christ came and died for yours and mine.

453
00:31:35,800 --> 00:31:39,640
The glory of Israel.

454
00:31:40,360 --> 00:31:40,980
Verse 33.

455
00:31:43,720 --> 00:31:47,020
Says, and Joseph and his mother marveled at these things,

456
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those things which were spoken of him.

457
00:31:49,300 --> 00:31:52,300
Then Simeon blessed them and said to marry his mother,

458
00:31:52,680 --> 00:31:58,020
behold, this child is destined for the fallen rising of many in Israel.

459
00:31:58,560 --> 00:32:01,240
And for a sign which will have be spoken against.

460
00:32:01,780 --> 00:32:07,840
yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul also that the thoughts of many hearts might be revealed.

461
00:32:08,220 --> 00:32:16,980
He says, this child, this person, this God man, this Christ, is going to be for the rise and fall of many.

462
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Because every person that is faced with the person of Jesus Christ does one of two things.

463
00:32:24,280 --> 00:32:30,960
Right? He is lifted up. He is lifted up and he walks in peace with God.

464
00:32:31,480 --> 00:32:35,480
or he's abased, he's opposed by God.

465
00:32:35,740 --> 00:32:39,300
He's crushed down under the wrath of God,

466
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which we're all under until we come to Christ.

467
00:32:43,480 --> 00:32:46,220
For the rise and the fall of many in Israel.

468
00:32:47,160 --> 00:32:49,480
Think about how the Jews struggle with Jesus.

469
00:32:50,660 --> 00:32:52,000
I love those guys.

470
00:32:52,140 --> 00:32:53,220
I can't even remember their names,

471
00:32:53,320 --> 00:32:58,000
but they have a ministry where they go and they speak Hebrew and they're Jewish

472
00:32:58,520 --> 00:33:00,840
and they're born again and they go talk to people.

473
00:33:00,860 --> 00:33:08,980
on the street. And they read them, Isaiah. Chapter 52, chapter 53, chapter 54. They read that to these

474
00:33:09,180 --> 00:33:15,080
people and they go, Old Testament, New Testament. And the Hebrews always go, oh, it has to be New Testament.

475
00:33:15,620 --> 00:33:21,200
That sounds like Jesus. Oh, no, it's Old Testament. You guys don't read this. You should.

476
00:33:22,360 --> 00:33:28,460
The rise and fall. Many Jewish people been faced with who Jesus is and have rejected him.

477
00:33:29,840 --> 00:33:33,460
But the early church was all Jewish. All the apostles were Jewish.

478
00:33:34,760 --> 00:33:39,320
It was very Jewish to be Christian back in the day.

479
00:33:44,960 --> 00:33:46,860
Joseph and his mother marveled.

480
00:33:48,280 --> 00:33:55,240
We can imagine their combination of joy surprise to see how God has touched the hearts of others with an understanding of their son.

481
00:33:55,900 --> 00:33:59,520
No matter how well you know Jesus, there is something special.

482
00:33:59,540 --> 00:34:07,440
about seeing someone else come to know him. Keep praying for those family members that have yet to

483
00:34:07,660 --> 00:34:15,040
receive Christ. Keep praying for him. I'm telling you, I'm living proof. Yet grandmas don't

484
00:34:15,220 --> 00:34:24,060
shut up, so just give up and give your heart to Jesus. My grandma was, she vehemently prayed for me.

485
00:34:28,500 --> 00:34:31,399
Jesus asked the Pharisees, what do you think about the Christ?

486
00:34:32,960 --> 00:34:35,960
Who son is he? Really, who is Jesus to you?

487
00:34:36,100 --> 00:34:36,820
Is really what he's saying?

488
00:34:39,240 --> 00:34:44,879
And he's either your everything or nothing.

489
00:34:45,520 --> 00:34:48,560
See, Jesus doesn't allow you to have just a little bit of him.

490
00:34:49,399 --> 00:34:52,139
I just want a little bit. I just want some fire insurance.

491
00:34:53,060 --> 00:34:54,100
Just so I don't go to hail.

492
00:34:55,419 --> 00:34:56,860
No, no, that's not how it works.

493
00:34:57,500 --> 00:35:01,320
He's your everything or he is nothing to you.

494
00:35:03,840 --> 00:35:04,000
Right?

495
00:35:04,480 --> 00:35:07,640
He is your everything or he is nothing to you.

496
00:35:11,400 --> 00:35:14,600
Because he doesn't settle for second best.

497
00:35:15,120 --> 00:35:17,160
He does not share his glory with another.

498
00:35:17,560 --> 00:35:18,920
He refuses to do that.

499
00:35:19,820 --> 00:35:21,860
And when you look at what he did,

500
00:35:22,520 --> 00:35:26,640
and you think about who he is, and he still did what he did?

501
00:35:28,920 --> 00:35:29,840
You have no argument.

502
00:35:31,580 --> 00:35:32,000
You and I.

503
00:35:32,660 --> 00:35:34,420
You have no argument.

504
00:35:37,660 --> 00:35:42,140
And for a sign, it says, spoken against.

505
00:35:42,960 --> 00:35:43,080
Right?

506
00:35:43,460 --> 00:35:46,180
And for a sign which will be spoken against,

507
00:35:46,780 --> 00:35:49,340
that literally means a target to shoot at.

508
00:35:50,160 --> 00:35:51,880
And the skeptics that you talk to.

509
00:35:51,900 --> 00:35:59,320
around the world and they try to destroy who Christ is. Shame on them. Right? They'll, they'll, they'll,

510
00:36:00,140 --> 00:36:05,500
they'll shoot it the virgin birth. They'll shoot at the miracles. They'll shoot at his death, his resurrection,

511
00:36:06,060 --> 00:36:19,060
his deity. They'll just keep shooting. And he is who he said he is or he's nobody. Just like he's

512
00:36:19,120 --> 00:36:21,420
everything or he's nothing to you.

513
00:36:25,760 --> 00:36:27,540
And then he mentions the sword.

514
00:36:29,800 --> 00:36:35,820
It was important for Mary to know that mothering the Messiah would not be all sweetness and light.

515
00:36:36,520 --> 00:36:40,360
It was both a great privilege and a great burden.

516
00:36:45,040 --> 00:36:49,580
And we know so often as parents, right, our kids do burden us.

517
00:36:50,820 --> 00:36:55,980
Especially when they get out of the house and start making the stupidest decisions you can ever imagine.

518
00:36:56,240 --> 00:36:57,260
Why are you doing that?

519
00:36:57,920 --> 00:36:58,680
Because I've done that.

520
00:36:58,740 --> 00:36:59,500
I know it don't work.

521
00:37:00,480 --> 00:37:00,580
Right?

522
00:37:01,700 --> 00:37:09,900
And a sword would pierce through her soul.

523
00:37:14,240 --> 00:37:19,740
Possibly no other human agonized as much over Jesus' rejection and suffering as his mother did.

524
00:37:20,300 --> 00:37:23,600
This is not only because of the natural love of a mother,

525
00:37:23,820 --> 00:37:27,120
but also because his rejection was her rejection.

526
00:37:28,720 --> 00:37:34,240
But praise God, his vindication was hers also, as well as yours and mine.

527
00:37:36,200 --> 00:37:38,440
God's not going to let you go through this life, folks,

528
00:37:38,620 --> 00:37:40,720
following him and surrendering to him.

529
00:37:41,460 --> 00:37:41,600
Right.

530
00:37:43,000 --> 00:37:44,660
And not give you an out of boy on the end of it.

531
00:37:44,880 --> 00:37:46,320
He's not going to do that.

532
00:37:46,380 --> 00:37:47,840
That's not the way he works.

533
00:37:48,640 --> 00:37:48,780
right.

534
00:37:51,680 --> 00:37:54,700
But we just can't get discouraged when those tough things come.

535
00:37:58,660 --> 00:38:02,960
And then verse 40, and the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.

536
00:38:04,520 --> 00:38:06,060
This is what the Holy Spirit does.

537
00:38:06,740 --> 00:38:10,420
And because of whose Jesus is, this is what happens at church.

538
00:38:10,880 --> 00:38:12,380
When you proclaim the word of God.

539
00:38:13,180 --> 00:38:15,860
The thoughts of many people's hearts are going to be revealed.

540
00:38:16,140 --> 00:38:16,940
How does that happen?

541
00:38:17,620 --> 00:38:19,000
by the Holy Spirit.

542
00:38:19,920 --> 00:38:22,020
You've been to a church service, you're right?

543
00:38:22,400 --> 00:38:23,620
I've had people come up to me.

544
00:38:23,980 --> 00:38:25,300
I had a girl come up to me once in.

545
00:38:25,780 --> 00:38:26,280
Who told you?

546
00:38:27,040 --> 00:38:27,460
Told me what?

547
00:38:27,980 --> 00:38:28,420
Who told me?

548
00:38:28,680 --> 00:38:29,820
Who told you what I was doing?

549
00:38:29,960 --> 00:38:31,780
I said, nobody's told me what you were doing.

550
00:38:31,940 --> 00:38:32,700
I don't even know you.

551
00:38:35,420 --> 00:38:37,140
No, God was putting a finger.

552
00:38:37,520 --> 00:38:41,180
Through his word, was putting a finger on the thing she was doing.

553
00:38:41,320 --> 00:38:41,860
That was wrong.

554
00:38:42,400 --> 00:38:43,020
It wasn't me.

555
00:38:43,520 --> 00:38:44,780
I didn't know what the girl was up to.

556
00:38:46,340 --> 00:38:46,920
You know, people get mad.

557
00:38:46,960 --> 00:38:54,060
Why'd you tell your pastor on me? I didn't tell my pastor anything. Right? That's, that's the Holy Spirit.

558
00:38:54,240 --> 00:39:01,620
That's what, that's what he does. He reveals your heart to you. Kind of like he did with me in my car the other night.

559
00:39:02,360 --> 00:39:09,480
Right. So that's nasty. That's scotty. That's so wicked. You're so evil. You got murder in your heart right now. You're a murderer.

560
00:39:10,900 --> 00:39:16,920
And I was. Thanks be to God for his indescribate. That's so wicked. You're so evil. Get murdering your heart right now. You're a murderer. And I was. Thanks. Thanks be to God for his indescribes.

561
00:39:16,920 --> 00:39:24,920
gift in his forgiveness, amen. Right? First Corinthians chapter 14 says this. And thus, the secrets of his heart are

562
00:39:25,200 --> 00:39:30,880
revealed. And so falling down on his face, he will worship God and report that God is truly among you.

563
00:39:31,980 --> 00:39:36,780
When you hear the word of God and it just, it resonates with your heart. It's like a, it's like a

564
00:39:37,020 --> 00:39:40,800
quickening. You're just making, makes you alive. You might, your heart might even skip a beat.

565
00:39:41,060 --> 00:39:45,800
And you're going, wow, this is incredible. How is God doing this?

566
00:39:48,660 --> 00:39:49,880
He's doing it by his Holy Spirit.

567
00:39:50,420 --> 00:39:51,600
He's doing it because he loves you.

568
00:39:55,360 --> 00:39:57,540
And the thoughts of many hearts would be revealed.

569
00:39:58,260 --> 00:39:59,580
Has God revealed yourself to you?

570
00:40:01,400 --> 00:40:09,020
So often people are so blinded by their own quote unquote goodness that they can't see a need.

571
00:40:09,740 --> 00:40:11,060
They don't see their need for God.

572
00:40:12,740 --> 00:40:14,660
And those are blinders.

573
00:40:15,200 --> 00:40:17,560
Those are scales that need to come off.

574
00:40:18,680 --> 00:40:20,100
Well, it wasn't just Simeon.

575
00:40:20,240 --> 00:40:21,160
I'm going to wrap it up here.

576
00:40:21,320 --> 00:40:21,460
Sorry.

577
00:40:25,500 --> 00:40:30,100
Verse 36.

578
00:40:30,440 --> 00:40:37,480
It says, now there was one Anna, a prophetess and daughter of Fanuel of the tribe of Asher.

579
00:40:37,580 --> 00:40:43,300
And she was of great age and had lived with a husband seven years from her virginity.

580
00:40:43,780 --> 00:40:45,160
And this woman was a woman.

581
00:40:45,180 --> 00:40:51,900
widow of about 84 years who did not depart from the temple but served God with fasting and

582
00:40:52,260 --> 00:40:58,680
prayers night and day and coming in that instant she gave thanks to the Lord and spoke of him

583
00:40:59,080 --> 00:41:05,860
to all those who looked for looked for redemption in Jerusalem. Right? God's perfect timing.

584
00:41:07,780 --> 00:41:15,140
Some has rightly said, right? God is seldom early but he's never late. Right? God has seldom early, but he's

585
00:41:15,160 --> 00:41:16,060
but he's never late.

586
00:41:16,860 --> 00:41:24,800
This meant that she had a special gift of declaring and interpreting God's messages.

587
00:41:25,940 --> 00:41:34,160
Other prophecies prophetes, sissis in scripture, were Miriam, Deborah, Holda, like that one.

588
00:41:34,280 --> 00:41:39,220
If you've got pregnant with a little girl, Holda, Holda, Holda.

589
00:41:39,960 --> 00:41:43,080
Noah Daya, and also the wife of Isaiah.

590
00:41:43,320 --> 00:41:45,080
And then we see Philip, the evangelist, had.

591
00:41:45,160 --> 00:41:53,700
four daughters that were prophetesses. That they, they were women who drew near to God and God had given

592
00:41:53,920 --> 00:41:58,480
this gift. And that's what I read about there when I read First Corinthians chapter 14. It's

593
00:41:58,760 --> 00:42:04,580
talking about the gift of prophecy. That actually not prophecy, not that I can, and I pray that I

594
00:42:04,900 --> 00:42:09,580
prophesy when I stand up here. Not that I'm foretelling anything, right, but that I proclaim

595
00:42:09,820 --> 00:42:15,080
the word of the Lord in truth and in the power of the Holy Spirit. Right. That that word,

596
00:42:15,100 --> 00:42:22,060
would go out and that thoughts would be revealed and that hearts would be comforted from the

597
00:42:22,820 --> 00:42:27,600
preaching of the Word of God. She was, she was from the tribe of Asher. That's interesting.

598
00:42:28,180 --> 00:42:35,920
A daughter of Fanuel. Her name Anna means grace, but her dad's name means the face of God.

599
00:42:37,680 --> 00:42:45,060
Probably a good guy to be raised by. Now it does say that she's of great age and so commentators,

600
00:42:45,100 --> 00:42:51,700
go back and forth. How old is Anna? Right? She's been a widow for 84 years. And she was with a husband for seven years.

601
00:42:52,320 --> 00:42:57,100
And so, you know, conservatively speaking, she might have been 14 when she got married.

602
00:42:57,960 --> 00:43:04,220
What would that make her? Well, over a hundred years old. She was of great age. Right?

603
00:43:04,780 --> 00:43:13,280
But what she do. Even in her old age, she served God day and night. And she heard these things.

604
00:43:14,700 --> 00:43:16,700
And she too was blessed.

605
00:43:17,040 --> 00:43:17,180
Why?

606
00:43:17,840 --> 00:43:19,640
Because, right?

607
00:43:20,360 --> 00:43:24,580
She spoke of him to all those who looked for redemption in Israel.

608
00:43:25,100 --> 00:43:27,040
Anna pointed to Jesus and said,

609
00:43:28,160 --> 00:43:28,740
there's our Savior.

610
00:43:29,700 --> 00:43:30,920
That's the one who's going to save us.

611
00:43:31,520 --> 00:43:32,500
He's our consolation.

612
00:43:37,120 --> 00:43:39,160
The takeaways this morning.

613
00:43:42,520 --> 00:43:44,240
It's be faithful in looking for redemption.

614
00:43:45,360 --> 00:43:50,100
The Bible equates redemption to the coming of Jesus to take us out of here.

615
00:43:50,640 --> 00:43:52,760
That our bodies actually will be redeemed.

616
00:43:54,060 --> 00:43:58,180
Now, it's funny, somebody that stood up here and looked out, said,

617
00:43:58,260 --> 00:44:00,540
there's a lot of old people at out west.

618
00:44:05,060 --> 00:44:08,340
I said, well, there's just them people that really want their body redeemed, right?

619
00:44:09,300 --> 00:44:09,440
Right?

620
00:44:09,540 --> 00:44:13,500
That this thing is going to, it's going to, we're going to get a new one.

621
00:44:14,280 --> 00:44:15,880
And it's going to be incredible.

622
00:44:18,060 --> 00:44:20,460
It gives a whole new meaning to a total makeover.

623
00:44:25,060 --> 00:44:28,660
And it will be eternal, but we're looking forward to that, right?

624
00:44:29,100 --> 00:44:36,380
Just as Simeon and Anna were looking forward to the coming of the Savior, the first time,

625
00:44:37,540 --> 00:44:43,240
you and I need to be looking forward to the second coming of the king of kings and the Lord of Lord's.

626
00:44:43,860 --> 00:44:54,520
right, where he calls us up. And, uh, you know, it's, it's sometimes it provokes jealousy. It provokes

627
00:44:54,800 --> 00:45:01,600
heartache when people get to go be with him before that time. I do a lot of funerals and I, and I see that.

628
00:45:01,680 --> 00:45:09,160
I see that, that heartache, but also the joy. Right. There's, there's both. This life is just full of it.

629
00:45:09,200 --> 00:45:13,240
It's full of tragedy, but it's also full of joy. And it's full of the people. And it's full of the

630
00:45:13,260 --> 00:45:20,860
of God and the grace of God. We just have to stay focused on the right thing. I'm going to close by

631
00:45:21,000 --> 00:45:31,020
reading 1 Corinthians chapter 1 to you and just reminding you that that Jesus, for all the reason,

632
00:45:31,140 --> 00:45:38,320
he came, and who he came for. Verse 27 in 1st Corinthians chapter 1, it says,

633
00:45:38,700 --> 00:45:43,220
but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise. That'd be you.

634
00:45:43,240 --> 00:45:48,280
you and I. And God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty.

635
00:45:49,240 --> 00:45:56,340
And the base things of the world. And the things which are despised, God has chosen.

636
00:45:57,360 --> 00:46:05,020
And the things which are not to bring to nothing the things that are. That no flesh should glory in his

637
00:46:05,300 --> 00:46:10,780
presence. None of our, none of us would glory in the presence of the Lord in this body.

638
00:46:10,860 --> 00:46:12,720
That's why we need a new one. Right?

639
00:46:13,140 --> 00:46:15,500
that no flesh should glory in his presence.

640
00:46:16,220 --> 00:46:19,120
But of him, you are in Christ Jesus,

641
00:46:19,840 --> 00:46:25,340
who became for us wisdom from God and righteousness and sanctification and

642
00:46:25,580 --> 00:46:25,820
redemption.

643
00:46:26,260 --> 00:46:27,940
We have all of that in him.

644
00:46:28,580 --> 00:46:29,080
Not cool.

645
00:46:29,620 --> 00:46:37,820
That's just such a good deal for us who are base and despised by the world, right?

646
00:46:38,320 --> 00:46:40,280
And we're not mighty.

647
00:46:40,660 --> 00:46:41,640
We're those weak things.

648
00:46:45,340 --> 00:46:50,560
that as it is written, he who glories, let him glory in the Lord.

649
00:46:51,560 --> 00:46:58,620
I pray that you find yourself in 2025, glorying in the Lord, looking for his coming,

650
00:46:58,820 --> 00:47:03,500
his appearing, as Jude tells us, right, the glorious appearing of our great God and

651
00:47:03,780 --> 00:47:04,900
Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.

652
00:47:06,040 --> 00:47:08,300
Oh, he's coming, and he's coming soon.

653
00:47:09,160 --> 00:47:11,580
May we find ourselves bringing glory to the name.

654
00:47:11,640 --> 00:47:16,020
that is above every name. Let's pray, shall we? Father, thank you for your word that's, uh,

655
00:47:16,260 --> 00:47:22,640
Lord, it's light. It's truly light to our path. And, um, it's a, it's a lamp to our feet.

656
00:47:24,260 --> 00:47:31,700
Lord, you have, uh, we have so much to look forward to. We have a new year. We have the, the growth of our

657
00:47:32,060 --> 00:47:37,900
children and grandchildren to look forward to. We have a new place. Lord, you went to prepare a place for us.

658
00:47:37,960 --> 00:47:41,620
We have that to look forward to. We have a new body in your glory.

659
00:47:43,020 --> 00:47:48,820
God, Holy Spirit, would you lead us as your people? Lord, just as you seem to be leading these elderly

660
00:47:49,060 --> 00:47:56,240
folks with with Simeon and Anna. Lord, you led them and they were committed and they were devoted to you.

661
00:47:56,620 --> 00:48:01,360
May we find ourselves in that same place. Lord, if there's any here today that question their

662
00:48:01,540 --> 00:48:05,900
devotion to you, I just pray that they would come and hook up with a prayer team and be prayed for.

663
00:48:06,680 --> 00:48:11,600
And just, Lord, that you would change lives and continue to change us. Lord, we need to.

664
00:48:11,880 --> 00:48:13,420
We can't get stagnant.

665
00:48:13,580 --> 00:48:15,940
We've got to keep moving towards that glorious day.

666
00:48:16,280 --> 00:48:18,560
You have prepared for those who love your appearing.

667
00:48:19,080 --> 00:48:22,260
So help us to love that with all of our hearts in Jesus' name.

668
00:48:22,640 --> 00:48:23,820
And everybody said, amen.

669
00:48:24,740 --> 00:48:25,720
God bless you guys.

670
00:48:26,120 --> 00:48:26,940
Happy New Year!

671
00:48:27,180 --> 00:48:27,620
It's coming.

672
00:48:28,200 --> 00:48:29,320
20-24 is over.

673
00:48:30,080 --> 00:48:31,860
If you need prayer, the prayer team will be up here.

674
00:48:32,240 --> 00:48:32,700
God bless you.

675
00:48:32,800 --> 00:48:33,320
Have a great day.