Luke chapter two, verse 25. And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Ghost was upon him. There is no man that ever lived that was without sin except for the Lord Jesus Christ. and he being the son of God is incapable of sin, he's impeccable. That means that he did not sin, he could not sin, and while tempted in every point, there was never a possibility that he could sin. According to his divine nature, even to entertain the idea of sin is not possible. Being God, Jesus Christ hated sin, and also he became a man for the redemption of his people. He is the only man that ever lived that was without sin. That being the case, today we're gonna look at a character study of Simeon. He was a man, okay? So we're not gonna worship Simeon at all. He was a man, and that he's a sinful man. If he's not the Lord Jesus Christ and he's a man, that means he's a sinful man. and we would be in no wise correct to worship Simeon. In fact, if we could talk to Simeon today, he would tell us, read with me Revelation chapter 22, he would tell us something similar to what this man told unto John. Revelation chapter 22, verses eight and nine. So let's be careful at the outset to put our minds and our hearts in the right place here. We're to worship God and not Simeon. Revelation chapter 22 and verse eight. And I, John, saw these things and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel or the messenger, which showed me these things." So no, this is not as Gabriel or Michael as an angel. This angel is a messenger. That's what angels are, messengers. In chapters two and three of the book of Revelation, he says, and to the angel of the church of Sardis or Thyatira, that angel is the pastor or the messenger of that congregation. That was verse six. Excuse me, that was verse eight. Verse nine, and then saith he unto me, see thou do it not, for am thy fellow servant, meaning I was a man flesh and blood, and of thy brethren the prophets. and of them which keep the sayings of this book, worship God." So if we were to talk to Simeon today, he would say, hey, look, if you're gonna look at me, worship God, don't be worshiping me. So keep that in your mind. And I believe this is exactly what Simeon would tell us today. This is exactly what we would like to do today. We would like to use Simeon as our example of how to observe the things of God, okay? And we're gonna approach this subject with the title, Simeon, a Godly Waiter. Simeon, a Godly Waiter. He says that he, his name was Simeon, that he waited for the consolation of Israel. So Simeon, a Godly Waiter. So we're just gonna look at these words that are used about Simeon, and we're going to desire to see our Lord high and lifted up. The verse begins in verse 25 with the word behold. So under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Luke, the physician, and if you read the book of Luke, you can see that Luke is, in his humanity, the Lord used him and his ability. He has a different writing style than anyone else in the Bible. He says, behold. And that word behold means lo or see. It's an imperative. In our modern language, it would have an exclamation point in it. And if somebody wrote it in a text, they'd probably put it in all caps. And if they had a way to underline it, behold. And that is exactly how we're to see this verse today. Through the lens of the Holy Spirit, may we see an example of how we ought to live our lives toward the God of our salvation. It says that he was a man, okay? Behold, there was a man. Well, we know what a man is. It's a certain human being, a male, but this was not some allegorical person. This is not some kind of, you know, grim fairy tale. This is a man, this is a real person. So because he's a real person like Job was a real person and Noah was a real person and Abraham was a real person, this is a person that we could examine and look at and say, wow, are there qualities that perhaps we could emulate in my life or emulate in your life? that would cause us to draw closer unto the Lord. Well, to emulate means to copy with intention to improve upon, okay? So let's emulate. Let's emulate Simeon, that we would desire to elevate our service toward the God of our salvation. Him being a man, he was under sin and therefore susceptible to death. Not as Christ, Christ was without sin, but Simeon being a man, we could read in Romans chapter five and see the depravity of Simeon. Before we get to some of his noteworthy characteristics, let's first see that he is a man like us, with like passions, and would suffer the same things such as all men do. Romans chapter five and verse 12. Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin, so that death passed upon all men." Well, this man that we're to behold is a man and death passed upon him for that all have sinned. He's a sinner. This man's a sinner. So if we're to admire anyone in this passage in Luke chapter two, verse 25, we're to admire the Lord Jesus Christ who saved Simeon from his sinfulness and gave him hope in the work of Christ. Now at this time, Christ was not yet crucified, but he had hope in Messiah, excuse me, that he would do those things that were set before him according to the Holy Scripture. Simeon, we're beholding this man, Simeon, he was in Jerusalem. His name, it says whose name was Simeon. What does that name mean? It means hearkening, okay? He was a man, he was a sinner. But hearkening, to hearken, Webster 1828 says to listen, to lend ear to, to attend to what is uttered with eagerness or curiosity. In my words, listening with intent to obey, right? Listening with intent to obey. How wonderful would it be? I mean, we gather on a regular basis and it's been less regular because of sickness and all. How wonderful would it be if all we had, if all we looked at today was just his name? How wonderful would it be for us to consider ourselves when we come to hear the word of God? And as I preach the word of God, what is my simian? What is my, what is my hearkening? Do I hearken? Do I simian? Do I, do I preach and listen with intention that I'm going to obey these words? You know, parents, we can identify with this. Sometimes our kids hear us, but you can see it in their eyes. They're not hearkening. They're not hearing with an intention that they're gonna do what we have to say. And parents, we were once kids too, right? And we are children of God. Do we really hear the word of God? Do we come to be fed by the word of God? Why do we eat? So that that nourishment can be turned into fuel that we can go do what we're supposed to do. That's what food is. As we're fed by the Word of God, do we have intention to hearken, to hear, to obey, and put to use those things that are told us with eagerness and curiosity? Lord, you told me this, and I believe you, and I'm excited to see how it's gonna work out. Oh, that we would be a hearkening people. Oh, that I would be a hearkening person, a hearkening child of God, that I would desire with eagerness to attend unto those things that I have heard. In his hearkening, in his name, it says he is Simeon, it says the same, and the same man, and that's important, right? The same man, not somebody else. The same man was just. You see it there? It says he's just. That means upright or virtuous. He kept the commands of God, but not checking boxes. He wasn't a legalistic person. What this really is getting to is that he desired in his hearkening to be conformed to the will of God. You see? He was just. He desired, though not sinless, He desired to walk in the light of the gospel of Messiah. He desired to be one that was pure and to remove those things out of his life that would cause any type of impureness or uncleanness in his life. He desired those things and sought them out. Again, he wasn't perfect. but he was just and he desired that. He desired that for himself. Anybody that was around Simeon knew that he was a man, that he desired to keep the commands of God and desired to be conformed to the will of God. He did not search out scripture for excuses or loopholes how to be just, but no, he desired in the word of God to be conformed to the will of God. That's exactly how Jesus instructed us to pray, isn't it? That's how Jesus prayed himself in the garden, not my will, but thy will be done. No, seeking the will of God and all things. And being just, he wasn't looking for for excuses to live a corrupt life. He wasn't looking for gray zones that he could live and nestle up to and sin. He desired to walk in the light of the Lord with all humility and diligence. That's what being just is. Was he perfect in it? No, but that did not thwart his desire to walk in such a way. If you were to consider that man Enoch, He walked with God. You could say that he was just, that he was a man that desired to be conformed to the will of God, and that he desired to be living within the bounds of God's commands and in the light of his Redeemer. Enoch wasn't sinless, but Enoch walked with God. I believe that just as Simeon was just, that he walked with God, so are so many other examples in the word of God of men and women that were just in their desire to walk with their Lord, being conformed to the will of God. It says also that he was a devout man. He was just and devout. Well, that's not the same word. That means that he took care. He walked carefully. You see? Cautiously, surely, and even reverently, or fearfully. Well, that's not fear that God was gonna play whack-a-mole with him, but that was a reverence of God. He walked reverently toward God. That word could also be looked at as circumspect. He was circumspect. What does that mean? Ephesians chapter five, if you would please. What does circumspect mean? Children of God, we would do well if we would desire to be devout or circumspect. Ephesians chapter five and verse 15. That's Galatians. That won't get us where we need to be. It's a good verse too, but it's not where we need to be. Ephesians chapter five and verse 15. See then walk circumspect, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time because the days are evil. Circumspect means exactly, or accurately, diligently, perfectly, or devoutly. We see here in the verse, there's a contrast. Walking circumspectly, you would be walking as a wise person. If you're not walking circumspectly, you're walking as a fool. A fool is an unwise person, even an unsaved person and a worldly person. A wise person therefore then is a skillful or expert or learned person, cultivated. and learned of God by the Spirit of God. Not that God learns, but is taught of God, in other words. Devout. So the more that we, and some people call this progressive sanctification, the more we know of God and His holiness, we see ourself in our sinfulness and desire to circumspectly move away from our sinfulness and move diligently toward perfection, toward God. You see, the more we grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ, the more we desire to be devout in following him and being accurate and diligent in following him. Again, not checking boxes according to the law, but as a point of preference, we would desire to be more like him and less like ourselves. circumspect, taking care, watching, being careful. Brother Adam and I, we suffer the same affliction. Neither one of us care very much for heights, do we, brother? So you want to see somebody being devout or circumspect, you put brother Adam or I on a roof. You see two guys being very careful, being very diligent on how we step, where we move, where everything is. We're very cautious and we want to make sure every step is sure when we move on that roof. Well that is, a picture of how we ought to live our Christian lives, taking such care and devoutness and reverence toward God that we would desire to skillfully as wise men and women, that we would walk circumspectly, diligently in the ways of the Lord. May God help us in that. But what was he doing, this man? Simeon. Yes, he was hearkening. Yes, he was just. Yes, he was devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel. That word wait, it means to admit one or receive one. To expect or to look for or to put to hospitality or service. Let's think about it this way, okay? When you go to a restaurant, what do you have? You get a waiter, don't you? You get a waiter or a waitress. They receive us. They expect us, or they expect someone. They have tables, and they say, okay, here's your waiter. They're waiting for people to come in and dine. They're expecting us. They apply themselves to receiving customers such as ourselves, and they give their diligence and hospitality. That is, they wait on us. They're waiting on us. They give themselves over, okay? now that we have that in our minds. Has anybody ever been in a restaurant and they had a bad waiter? Logan, you ever been in a place and they had a bad waiter? Your cup's dry, you want more breadsticks, whatever, more bread, whatever. You got a bad waiter. A bad waiter is one that hangs back. And they only do something when you ask them to, and even then, sometimes they don't even get around to it. Hey, can I have some more Diet Coke, please? Yeah, I'll go get you one. And that other Diet Coke never comes up. Hey, can I get some more chips? Yeah, I'll be right back. It never comes. Sister Jill, she likes ketchup with a lot of her meals, and often enough, she'll say, hey, can I have some ketchup? And it never comes. They're bad waiters. They're not giving over to the service of their hospitality. But I believe as a godly waiter, and that's the subject at hand, being a godly waiter, I believe Simeon was a godly waiter. A good waiter is one that knows their role and their expectations. They know when you sit down and you drink something that you're going to keep wanting something. If they don't ask, do you want another drink? They come over with the pitcher and they fill it up for you. They anticipate and they know their role and the expectations for them. They perform their abilities and their duties. A good waiter feels the desires of those they wait on. Well, If my waiter's waiting on me, then they're gonna be bringing me certain things, right? Well, he's not waiting on himself. Sometimes we as Christians, we think, yeah, we're waiters, but we wait on ourselves. We try to meet our own needs, right? We try to fill the desires and our own expectations. We use our abilities and we try to do duties for ourselves. rather than having our minds on who we are to be waiting on. Who are we waiting on? Who was Simeon waiting on? He was waiting for the consolation of Israel. He was waiting on Christ himself. And that with joyful diligence, Mariah. Children of God, we would do very well if we lived our lives seeing ourselves as waiters and that we would wait, literally wait, that we would apply ourselves and our role and expectation and all our abilities and our duties and everything we have, that we would apply ourselves as godly waiters until our comfort or consolation come. And then in perfection throughout all eternity, we will constantly be waiting on him or serving him or be formed around his throne, crying to the loudest of our ability, glory, hallelujah, thank God for the redemption of my sinful case. He waited, he was a godly waiter. Well, this consolation that he waited for, that was waiting on, that word consolation means comfort. He is actively waiting on the coming of the Lord's Christ, okay? Actively waiting on it. He had been doing this evidently for some time, okay? I don't know how much time, but evidently he had been doing this for some time. Because it says that word waiting is in the continual mode, you see? I mean, it's not like he waited, he's waiting. I could say I jumped or I could say I'm jumping. That I-N-G means he was doing it. He had been doing it and would continue to do it, you see? It wasn't like he waited yesterday and today he's not waiting. No, he's a waiter, he's a godly waiter. And he'd been doing it for some time and would continue to do it. And Luke 2, verse 17, if you look back just a little ways, it says, and when they had seen it, they may known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. This is those shepherds that had seen these angels in the heavens. And then whenever they saw this thing, man, they told everybody. Word got out. Verse 18, and all that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. Verse 20, and the shepherds returned glorifying and praising God for all the things which they had heard and seen as it was told unto them. I believe people that had experienced this and were waiting on Messiah to come, Boy, word spread fast. He's here, he's here, he's here, the consolation, the comfort of Israel, the Savior in the city of David. Micah chapter five and verse two. Micah chapter five and verse two. If you remember where Jonah was and Nahum, Micah's right in between them. So if you still have your place there from when we started Jonah way back, Micah chapter five, verse two, it says, but thou Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of these shall come forth unto me, that is to be ruler in Israel, whose goings forth have been from old, from everlasting, the Messiah, he'd come. No doubt this news had made it throughout all the land with great joy. No doubt this man who had been waiting on the consolation of Israel, no doubt he had great comfort to know the Messiah is here, the Messiah. I want you to think about this just for a second. I do not wait for the consolation of Israel in the same sense that Simeon did. I mean, I'm not a Jew, right? And I'm not waiting for Messiah to be born in Bethlehem. That already happened. They were under Roman oppression. He was looking for a liberator. The consolation of Israel, the Lord's Christ came and he will come again. But today I do wait for the consolation or comfort of the coming of the Lord. I do wait for that. How are we to do that? How am I to wait for the consolation of all the redeemed? How am I to wait for that as Simeon did, being just and devout? I'm gonna be a good waiter. One that knows my role and expectations. One that performs my abilities that God has given me in the duties he has declared me unto. One that desires to fulfill the needs of that one that has called me to be a waiter. Not that he has any need, not that I add anything to him, but that I would fulfill his desire, that I would desire to walk in the light as he is light. and do that with all joyful diligence. How are we to wait on the Lord, to wait for our comfort and consolation? Well, Paul told Titus, if you turn to the book of Titus, he uses similar language, Titus chapter two, in verse 11. For the grace of God that bringeth salvation or deliverance hath appeared to all men, teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, being just, We should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world, be devout, just and devout, looking for that blessed hope and glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior, Jesus Christ, our comfort and consolation. This pattern is not new. In fact, it ought to be a very straightforward lesson for us today. that we would live in such a way, that we would desire to be godly waiters under the comfort and to the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. Look at what he says. Look at what it says in Luke. He says, waiting for the consolation of Israel. We could just read that. Oh yeah, I know who Israel is. I know what Israel is. Move next. No, Israel in the Hebrew, it means God prevails. Waiting for the comfort that God prevails, He overcomes all. Man, that ought to put some juice in our step to be godly waiters. In every way. You know, if a waiter had knowledge that the person they were waiting on at the conclusion of the meal was gonna drop them a $100 bill if they were a good waiter, You couldn't get rid of that waiter. Man, they'd bring in all the extra things, and they'd bring extra calling books for the kids, and then make sure that that person that they waited on was so pleased, they would do everything they could to please that person. Well, think about it, the vastness of the riches that God has given us in himself, and we wait on such a gracious God. In every way, God has prevailed. In every way. He never lost a battle, nor has he seen a foe that is too strong. He prevails in every arena, in sin, in circumstance, in sinful opponents, in Satan himself. Even in death, it has no hold on the God of comfort and consolation. How that he prevails as the waitstaff children of God. Our anthem ought to be just to cry out, praise God, what a Savior, as we diligently desire to serve this God who has prevailed. May we give such, may we have such comfort, may we have such diligence, may we desire to be just and devout, and may we desire to be that good waiter that we perform our abilities and duties to the best of our ability with all joyful diligence in every way. Is there a circumstance? You know, you go to a restaurant and you're not getting good service. Well, the manager might come by and say, well, we're low on staff. You know, there's not many of us. Well, what does that do? Does that improve your waiter's ability? Or does that improve your experience by the manager saying, we're low on staff? Sometimes children of God feel like they don't have to be good waiters because there's not many of us and we're in this lost and dying world. That's God's business. That's God's business how many people he has on staff. It's my business to be a good waiter. You see that? And I tell you this, being a good waiter, the benefits are out of this world if you're looking at it that way. No, children of God, it ought to be our utmost desire to be a godly waiter. Look at this godly waiter, what else about him? It says, and the Holy Ghost was upon him. Now, the Holy Ghost, holy means most holy, and ghost, that's the Holy Spirit, you see, Holy Spirit, third person of the Trinity. He is God, the Holy Spirit is God. Okay? There's no doubt about that. The Holy Spirit is God. Some people, they don't study the Holy Spirit and what he does and the fruit of the Spirit. And true, the Holy Spirit is sent from God the Father and he does point to Jesus Christ. He doesn't point to himself. We're not to worship the Holy Spirit. Some people get this all out of tune and they worship the Holy Spirit rather than looking at Christ. but the Holy Spirit is God, okay? So when we see that the Holy Ghost or Holy Spirit was upon him, we should read that that God was upon him, okay? God was upon him. What does that mean? What does that really mean? Now you would think, oh, upon him, oh, I'm saved, I've got God. Is that what that means? Not at all. Okay, not at all. This word upon him, It's a word that means superimposed, okay? You know what superimposed means? Superimposed. If you take a picture of something and then put a picture of something else on top of it, that second picture is superimposed upon the first, okay? Simeon, imagine taking a picture of me smiling, and then taking a picture of me frowning, and putting the frown on top of it. There's two separate images, okay? In this superimposing, you see two separate images. The first image does not lose itself, neither does the second image, okay? One image is laid upon another, and both are still evident and distinguishable, okay? the Holy Spirit was superimposed upon Simeon. Simeon was still Simeon. You can still see Simeon, that sinful man, that man that deserved to die and burn in hell. You still saw him. You still see me. If you're around me very long, you see that I am the carnal man, Joey Newell. But having been superimposed upon, the Holy Spirit superimposing on Simeon, Now there's an obvious and evident other image that is upon him, laid upon him. And that image was separate and distorts the old image, okay? You don't see that old image clearly anymore because that new image is laid upon him. That old sinful image is now conformed to what? to the image of the Son of God. We read Romans 8.28 earlier. Read Romans 8.29 with me if you would. Romans 8.29. So think about the idea of being superimposed upon, okay? Keep that in your mind. Romans 8 and verse 29. And whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed, changed, into the image of His Son. How so? Why my old sinful image and the Holy Spirit upon me or superimposed upon me conforms me to the image of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. The Holy Spirit does not come upon, he did not come upon Simeon or superimpose upon Simeon to conform him to sin. Notice that. Nor does the Holy Spirit superimpose a new image upon the old image and leave the old image exactly how it was before. You know what that is? If somebody says they're saved but they're not changed, that means that you have their old image and you put a new image upon them, but the new image is identical to the old image. Well, that means that there's no change there, okay? You see it? If you can't identifiably see the old and new images, then nothing has been superimposed upon, right? If you look at Simeon, you would have seen that he was a sinner. He's a sinner. But being superimposed upon, you would see evidence of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit does not come upon someone and leave them unchanged. If you see a picture and there's no evidence of something being superimposed upon, then you have two identical images. The Holy Spirit does not come upon someone with the image they already had, right? If the Holy Spirit comes upon someone and they're the same person, they're the same image, there's no evidence of being superimposed upon, there's only one possibility for this. You lay the same image upon itself. And to say that, if one is not changed, if somebody says the Holy Spirit has come upon them and they're not changed, to say that, one would have to say that they were without sin before. and already in compliance with the identity of God, self-wordly holy, and that's blasphemy. If someone says they're a child of God and there is no change or no evidence of being superimposed upon, that means that they had no need to change, that they're already how they ought to be, and there's no need for the evidence of the Holy Spirit to be superimposed upon them. And that's exactly what the religiously unsafe hold to. They say, oh yes, I've made a decision for Christ, but there's no change. There's no change. No, Simeon, he was changed. He was superimposed upon. That's what the scripture says. It says that the Holy Ghost was upon him. He was changed for whatever image he was before. When he was saved, the Lord changed him in the image of who he was. If you were to look at Simeon and his life, you would see how that the Holy Ghost superimposed himself upon him. Verses 26 and 27. It was revealed unto him. Look at this. Verse 26 and 27. It was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, or Holy Spirit, that he should not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ. And he came by the Spirit into the temple, and the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him after the custom of the law. We'll stop there just for a minute. The Holy Spirit revealed to him that he would not see death until he saw Jesus Christ in the flesh. I have no such promise and I can't give you that promise at all. I can't promise you that you will live until the rapture. I can't promise you that. But I do have a promise that I will see, that child of God, you will see him. I can't give you that promise. In 1 John, 1 John chapter two, I can give you the promise that you shall see God. 1 John chapter 2. 1 John chapter, excuse me, chapter 3. Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God. Therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now we are the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be. But we know that when he shall appear, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. You will see God. Whether it's through rapture or through death, I cannot tell. But I can promise you, you will see God. Do you see the instructions again on being a godly waiter? If we are waiting till that time, if we are to wait on the Lord until that time we see him, We didn't read verse three. We intended, I intended to. First John chapter three and verse three. And every man that hath this hope, what? That he will see God. Every man that hath this hope in him purified himself even as he is pure. He desires to be just and devout and be a godly waiter until that time that he sees God. It'll be a desire, it'll be a joyful desire. Do we not see that instruction again on how to be a godly waiter? He came by the Holy Spirit under the temple, why? Because the Holy Spirit leads in holiness. You know, let's not think too hard about this. The Holy Spirit leads in holiness, that's why it's part of his name. He doesn't leave, he's not the sinful spirit or the deceitful spirit or the worldly spirit, he's the Holy Spirit. the most Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit leads in holiness. The Holy Spirit, under direction, or through the law here, he indicates to Simeon where to find the Lord Jesus Christ. In Leviticus chapter 12, there are certain things that had to happen for the firstborn son. And if you go back up a few verses in Luke chapter two, you see Mary and Joseph bringing Jesus into the temple, according to as Leviticus chapter 12 would have told them. Because Simeon was a devout man and just, and he loved the things of the Lord, he knew that the Christ must be holy and sinless, and therefore, under the law, must be coming to the temple soon, if what the shepherd said was true. If Jesus was really born, he must come to the temple. He must come to the temple. They're not gonna take him to fulfill these things out in the barn somewhere. No, he must come to the temple. So if he was gonna see, if he was gonna see the Lord's Christ, he would be in the temple. He leads in worship, the Holy Spirit does. He led to the temple. If you contrast this to what happens in Luke chapter two, verses 41 through 49, this is the occasion that Jesus' parents, Mary and Joseph, they had taken Jesus to the temple, it was Passover, and they're on their way home, and they leave Jesus behind. They say, okay, they think he's with the family in the caravan there, and they go out of day's journey, and then they say, oh man, where's Jesus? And they ask the family. And in Luke 2, verse 46, And it came to pass, after three days, they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them and asking them questions. Verse 49, And he said to them, How is it that you sought me? They looked for three days. Jesus asked him, how is it that you saw me? In other words, mom, dad, where else would I be? I must be about my father's business. If I go missing, me personally, me, if Joey Newell were to go missing, where would you look? Would you go look in the bars? How about down to the strip clubs? Would you look there? Among the rabble? Would you call up my drug dealer and say, hey, have you seen Joey? Where would you expect to see me? Where would I expect to find you? You know, hopefully you wouldn't be calling the local jails looking for me. Hopefully the only place you would think of is, well, he's not at the house. He's not at the church. He must be at the hospital or broke down on the side of the road somewhere. Where would I expect to find you? You know, if I can't, if we can't find you, where would they expect to find you? That's a direct question. Jesus was about his father's business. It would have been perfectly right for the parents to immediately check the temple first. It should have not taken them three days to understand that. If Simeon, who was just in the vow and waiting on the consolation of Israel, when he heard that Jesus had been born, he was led by the Spirit to go where? Straight to the temple. And if he was there waiting for eight days for Jesus to show up, he was there for eight days waiting for Jesus to show up. But that's the case. You want to see Jesus? Be led of the Spirit. and find him according to the Lord's prescribed manner of worship. In those days, they went to the temple. The Lord set up his New Testament church. You wanna see Jesus? You wanna live justly and devoutly and properly wait on the consolation of Israel? Well, find yourself in the pillar and the ground of the truth, the Lord's local assembly. Well, you don't have much waitstaff over there. We can drive by and not even see a car over there. Again, that's the Lord's business. You'll find him in his assembly. You'll find the truth of the word of God in his assembly. The church doesn't save. Baptism doesn't save, just like the temple didn't save. Jesus himself is the truth, and we are to uphold the truth. Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the life. And if his assembly is the pillar and ground of the truth, we're to hold up those truths that are Christ himself. You wanna see Jesus? Simeon wanted to see Jesus. He was told by the Spirit of God, you will not see death until you see the Lord's Christ. He wanted to see Jesus. What did he do? Being led of the Spirit, he went to where the worship was to be conducted. He's the Lord's Christ. The Lord is the owner and possessor of all things. The Christ is the Messiah, the anointed one, that one who fulfilled all scripture, that one that would be the substitutionary sacrifice for sinners. That one who is the Christ. That must have been exciting for Simeon. When it was told him, the Spirit said, You shall not see death before you have seen the Lord's Christ. That must have been exciting. Imagine that, knowing he's coming and you're about to see him. Well, if you continue reading the account, when he sees the boy, he picks him up, and with adoration, it must have been the happiest time to hold his redeemer. It must have been the happiest thing. Well, guess what? He's coming. in rapture and death. You're about the same, child of God. You're about the same. I say you're about the same. It might be a long time. You know, Sister Candice, for a long time, she was told, you're about the same, you're about the same. Last week, she saw him. She's looking at him right now. What wonder. In our hearts, in our minds and the things that we can think about, just we can't imagine what she's looking at right now. The beauty of the Christ. Child of God, you're about to seem in just a little while that Christ of sacrifice, substitution and salvation, you're about to seem. With joy, may we be counted as those that are just and devout and waiting for that consolation. That thought ought to dominate every aspect of my life. I'm about the same. In just a minute. In just a little while. I don't know. Is it days? Is it weeks? Is it years? Is it this afternoon? It ought to affect my relationships, my attitudes, my conversations, my comings and goings, my leisure time activities, my responsibilities, my circumstance, everything I can't measure. It ought to impact every part of my life. Then in just a little while, I'm going to see the Lord's Christ. I'm about to sing. That ought to cause me to be such a joyful waiter, such a godly waiter. Continue reading with me. In verse 27, it came by, and he came by the spirit into the temple and the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him after the custom of the law. He took him up in his arms and blessed God and said, look what he says. Lord, now let us thy servant depart in peace according to thy word. A peaceful departure. You know, someone who has a firsthand knowledge of Jesus Christ ought to always be at hand for a peaceful departure. I can tell you Sister Candice had a peaceful departure. She passed away so peacefully. That word peace, It means to be at a state of tranquility or harmony. That harmony is between God and man, and that because of Christ's sake, with assurance of salvation in Christ, and that without fear. He's saying, Lord, because of your Christ that I'm looking at in the eyeballs, Simeon says, I have by the Spirit of God confidence to depart, to die. But that word depart means so much more than just to die. In a boxing scenario, you've got a one and a two, a straight jab and a cross. Well, the hook is one that comes from kind of a blind side. That word depart is gonna be the left hook here, okay? That word depart means to be set free or to let go or dismissed. Lord, I'm now ready to be in tranquility and harmony because of the work of Christ. I'm ready to be released with this present form. That word sometimes, as in Matthew chapter 19, look at Matthew chapter 19. Matthew chapter 19. And verse seven, sometimes that word depart is used in the context of divorce. Simeon says, I'm ready for a peaceful departure. Matthew chapter 19, verse seven. They say unto him, why did Moses then command to give writing of a divorcement and to put her away? That word put. is the same word for depart. Depart her away. Consider what Job said. We're putting a couple ideas together. Simeon is perfectly at peace with departing or divorcing his body. In Matthew chapter 19, they're talking about the divorcing between a man and a woman. And in Job chapter 19, Job chapter 19. He says in verse 25, For I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth. And though my skin worms destroy this body, though I be departed or divorced from this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God. You see, when Simeon departed while Simeon knows that he will depart or divorce from his body as Job. He also knows that in that departure or divorcement from his body, that it is still his body. It's still his body. And while changed, he will eternally be unified with his flesh and see God. Look what Job says. Whom I shall see for myself, mine eyes shall behold, and not another, though my reins be consumed within me. Though I was divorced from my body, yet that body is still my flesh, and in that one flesh I shall still see God. That was Simeon's hope. That was Job's hope, and that is my hope. Sister Candace, she departed from her body. She is divorced from her body, but in the resurrection, she's gonna be reunited with her body, which we made a glorified body, you see? Even in departure, or in divorcement from this body, death does not release us from our flesh. If I die, this is still my body, you see? That being the case, Simeon is at peace and anticipates his departure, but he's not released to another flesh. He's not gonna be released from his body and then in the resurrection given somebody else's body. No, even though divorced, it's still his body. He's still one flesh. You see that? You see that, how that word applies there? That's what it means, which is why which is the piece is easily discerned from Luke 2, verses 30 and through 32. He knows that he will be divorced from this body, but it's still his body and he will see God. And that's what we read in 1 John 3 early. We'll see God with men like how he is, but in our body. Our flesh will be reunited, not another flesh, but our flesh, that one flesh that we have with our body, this temple that we call a body. Why is he at such peace at his departure? Why did he say in verse 29 that he had, Lord, now let thy servant depart in peace according to thy word? Why? It says in verse 30. For mine eyes have seen thy salvation. Luke chapter two and verse 11, it says, for unto you is born this day in the city of David a savior, a deliverer, which is Christ the Lord. That's sacrifice for sins. A preserver, prepared before the face of all his people. And that openly. If we continue reading and Verse 30, 31 rather. Which thou hast prepared before the face of all thy people? Yes, Jesus the Christ. In verse 10 of Luke chapter two. And the angel said unto them, fear not, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people, all manner of people, Jew and Gentile, prepared before them all. Yes, we can have great assurance and peace and tranquility in life and in death knowing that the Lord's salvation is made known unto Jew and Gentile. I'm glad it's made known unto the Gentiles. Which thou hast prepared for the face of all the people, a light to lighten the Gentiles and the glory of thy people Israel. That word glory means a brightness or a grace, which is a thing belonging only to God and a kingly majesty, which he possesses as supreme ruler and absolute perfection of deity. He is the glory of Israel. He that glory, let him glory in the Lord. He is the glory of all his people. Knowing such things about the Lord will cause a child of God to happily serve the Lord until such time as our departure. and actually looked forward to it, you know? I don't think Simeon was sad-sacking around when he saw Jesus and thinking, oh man, I'm gonna die now. No, I think he was pretty pumped up about it, actually. And he probably thought that it was gonna happen right then, and that would have been an exciting thing for him. I don't know how long he lived after this occasion, but I know he anticipated, and I know he took great pleasure in knowing the promise of God was sure. Consider what the meaning of the Lord's Christ means and put that all in perspective. You know, there were probably lots of babies that came on that day, and as Simeon was beholding all these babies in eight days or whatever it was, however long he was there, how did he identify the Lord Jesus Christ? Well, the Spirit of God made it plain. There's no doubt in my mind. The Spirit of God made plain the Lord's Christ unto this man. who was just and devout, who was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and who was superimposed upon by the Holy Spirit Himself. So yes, Simeon was a man, a sinner, no doubt. He hearkened, he listened with intent to obey. He desired to be just and devout, and in that he lived circumspectly as a godly waiter, Simeon, a godly waiter, applying himself to the service of the Lord, anticipating the coming of the Lord God of Israel, that one that would comfort and prevail for his people, Jesus Christ. What an example for us to be encouraged by. Again, as we read earlier in Revelation, we're not to bow down to Simeon. He's our fellow servant. But this ought to tell us that it's perfectly within the realm of possibility for us to live like this. He ought to be an encouragement that we would desire, not to worship our fellow laborer, but for us to fall at the feet of the Lord Jesus Christ, to live justly, devoutly, waiting upon him, and that we would be superimposed upon and conform to the image of God himself by the Spirit of God. Child of God, you Simeon as an example of how to be a godly waiter. May God help us to be just and devout, wait on the Lord, be led of the Spirit, given over to a spirit of worship and led by the Holy Spirit and trust the Lord that in through this life, even until our departure or our divorcement from this body, that we would have peace in this life and tranquility in the world to come in the finished work of Jesus Christ. May God give us such enthusiasm that we would be godly waiters in this life. Sinner, in just a little while, you're gonna come face to face with the Lord's Christ, and it's not gonna be an occasion like this. You are an ungodly waiter. I mentioned what a bad waiter was before. They don't do what they're supposed to. They don't apply themselves. You only serve the lust of your flesh, the lust of your eyes, and the pride of life. You're an ungodly waiter. You're not led by the Holy Spirit unto holiness. No, you only serve yourself. You're an ungodly waiter. You do not hearken unto God through his word. No, you're an ungodly waiter. You're only just in your mind Otherwise, you would have repented, right? Either someone thinks that they're good how they are and they have no need to be superimposed upon, and they think their image is good and they're just and they're right in their own eyes, or they repent and desire to be conformed to the image of the Son of God. If you have not repented, I could only understand that you are just in your own mind. You are devout only in taking care of your own sinful will. You're a circumspect and you're very careful to protect the lust of your heart. You're a sinful waiter. You only comfort yourself in your own condition. Perhaps you pat yourself on the back as a religiously unsaved person. You superimpose your own image upon yourself and consider yourself a proper image. You're an ungodly waiter. In reality, sinner, you have no hope of a peaceful departure. You have no hope of tranquility in yourself. No hope at all. What does it say in Isaiah chapter 48? Let's read together. Isaiah chapter 48, verse 22. Hear this ungodly waiter, hear this sinner. Isaiah 48, verse 22. There is no peace. There is no tranquility, saith the Lord unto the wicked. No, we're not, none. Again in Isaiah 57 and verse 21. There is no peace, saith my God to the wicked. There is only peace or tranquility. Every one of us is gonna die, because all of us are sinners. We read that at the outset. There is only peace and tranquility in the Lord's Christ. He is the only savior. He is the only deliverer. Sin and repent of yourself. See yourself as that guilty one before the God, before the God of heaven. You know, everybody else might be guilty, too, but see yourself as the guilty one. If nobody else deserves to die and go to hell, see yourself as that one that deserves to die by your sinfulness, according to your sinfulness and be judged. There is only peace and tranquility in the Lord's Christ. In Him alone, as we read earlier in Luke chapter two, in verse 11, for unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. He is the only one. Repent of your sins, repent of yourself, believe and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ and He alone, and be saved. Flee that wrath that is to come. May the Lord bless the preaching of His word. We'll be dismissed in a word of prayer at this time.