Introduction

Good morning, beloved family of God. As we gather together in this sacred space, we are reminded of the profound grace and love that unites us, that makes us one in the Spirit and one in the Lord. We are here not as individuals, but as a community of believers, bound together by a shared faith and a shared purpose. We are here to lift up our hearts and voices to the One who loved us first, the One who gave His life so that we might have life in abundance.

I want to share this quote with you. It’s a bit long but it’s worth it! The great preacher Charles Spurgeon once said, "The Gospel is preached in the ears of all men; it only comes with power to some. The power that is in the Gospel does not lie in the eloquence of the preacher otherwise men would be converters of souls. Nor does it lie in the preacher’s learning; otherwise it could consists of the wisdom of men. We might preach till our tongues rotted, till we should exhaust our lungs and die, but never a soul would be converted unless there were mysterious power going with it – the Holy Ghost changing the will of man. O Sirs! We might as well preach to stone walls as preach to humanity unless the Holy Ghost be with the word, to give it power to convert the soul."

Seeking Salvation

We find ourselves in a story that is both ancient and ever-new. A story that begins with a baby, a baby named Jesus. And in this story, we see two people, Simeon and Anna, who have been waiting for this baby, waiting for this moment, for a very long time. They have been seeking something, something that only this baby can give. And that something is salvation.

Salvation is a word that we hear a lot in church. It's a word that we might think we understand, but do we really? What does it mean to seek salvation? What does it mean to find it? And what does it mean to live in the light of it? These are the questions that we will be considering today.

Simeon is described as a man who was "righteous and devout." He was a man who loved God and lived according to God's ways. But he was also a man who was waiting, waiting for the "consolation of Israel." This phrase, "the consolation of Israel," is a way of talking about salvation. Simeon was waiting for God to save His people. He was waiting for God to fulfill His promises. He was waiting for God to make things right.

And then there's Anna. Anna is described as a prophet, a woman who spoke God's words. She was also a woman who was waiting, waiting for the "redemption of Jerusalem." This phrase, "the redemption of Jerusalem," is another way of talking about salvation. Anna was waiting for God to redeem His people. She was waiting for God to set them free. She was waiting for God to bring them home.

Simeon and Anna were both seeking salvation. They were both waiting for God to act, waiting for God to fulfill His promises, waiting for God to save His people. And in their waiting, they were not passive. They were active, seeking, and searching. They were living in the light of God's promises, even as they waited for those promises to be fulfilled.

And then, one day, their waiting came to an end. One day, they saw the baby Jesus, and they knew that their salvation had come. They knew that God had acted, that God had fulfilled His promises, that God had saved His people. And their response was one of joy and praise. Simeon took the baby in his arms and praised God, saying, "Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation." And Anna gave thanks to God and spoke about the baby to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.

Simeon and Anna show us what it means to seek salvation. They show us what it means to wait for God to act, to wait for God to fulfill His promises, to wait for God to save His people. And they show us what it means to live in the light of God's promises, even as we wait for those promises to be fulfilled.

Salvation through Reconciliation

In the heart of the narrative, we find a poignant moment where Simeon, a devout man, holds the baby Jesus in his arms ... View this full PRO sermon free with PRO