(Face to Face is a sermon series that invites all to
come face to face with the Lord.) Over
2000 years ago the Creator decided it was time to come to earth and to meet
face to face with His creation. To
make it possible to be known by the creation He chose to become one of them.
He grew a people who believed in Him through the faith of a man named
Abraham. Abraham and his
descendents would be the family through which God would come to earth.
The difference between the God man and earthly man was that He would be
perfect, as He had created them to be in the beginning.
This meeting of God and man would begin in a tiny place in the world
called Bethlehem. In this
forgotten place God would come into the world through a virgin woman named
Mary. He would live in a
carpenter’s home and be visited by shepherds, wise men, and others.
This sermon series declares that through the eyes of these humble
people we can see today the Lord face to face.
Through the experiences of Simeon and Anna we can witness the
culmination of years of patient service.
The Lord hears and answers those who serve Him.
Witness the reward of the righteous in the lives of these two servants.
What are the common
characteristics of those who see God face to face?
In the book of Luke there is a story of two people of God who saw God
in the temple. What were they
like and what brought God into their lives that day?
This sermon assumes that you are a person who believes in God and has a
desire to see Him face to face. If
you don’t believe in God it is certain that God cannot reveal Himself to you
as He could. You must see Him
through the eyes of faith. The
faith of Simeon and Anna becomes sight one day in the temple.
Will you see Him face to face?
Scripture Text:
Luke 2:25 (KJS) 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. 26 And it was
revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he
had seen the Lord's Christ. 27 And he came by the Spirit into the temple:
and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the
custom of the law, 28 Then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God, and
said, 29 Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to
thy word: 30 For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, 31 Which thou hast
prepared before the face of all people; 32 A light to lighten the Gentiles,
and the glory of thy people Israel. 33 And Joseph and his mother marvelled
at those things which were spoken of him. 34 And Simeon blessed them, and
said unto Mary his mother, Behold, this [child] is set for the fall and
rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken
against; 35 (Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also,) that the
thoughts of many hearts may be revealed. 36 And there was one Anna, a
prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser: she was of a
great age, and had lived with an husband seven years from her virginity; 37
And she [was] a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not
from the temple, but served [God] with fastings and prayers night and day.
38 And she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and
spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem.
{Jerusalem: or, Israel}
Will you meet God face to face?
1.
Would Simeon meet God face to face?
Yes, Simeon would meet God face to face.
Why? Before you
will see God you must be a seeker of God.
a.
Simeon sought God. He
devoted his life to God. He had
yielded his life to God. He
eagerly expected the messiah to come. The
Holy Spirit had revealed to him the secrets of God.
When Jesus came Simeon was already there. Simeon was in the right place at the right time.
He was in the Lord’s house serving the Lord.
To see God face-to-face you must be looking for Him by serving Him and
obeying Him. Don’t get the cart before the horse. First comes grace from God then comes faith that causes the
individual to seek Him. Then
the seeker serves the Lord and experiences God face to face.
The icing on the cake is the gifts of blessing from God that brings an
individual into the face-to-face experience.
God wants to reveal himself to you, but you must ready to see the Lord.
Are you ready? Are you in
the right place? Are you seeking
the Lord?
25 (NLT) Now there
was a man named Simeon who lived in Jerusalem. He was a righteous man and
very devout. He was filled with the Holy Spirit, and he eagerly expected the
Messiah to come and rescue Israel. 26 The Holy Spirit
had revealed to him that he would not die until he had seen the Lord’s
Messiah. 27That day the Spirit led him to the Temple. So when
Mary and Joseph came to present the baby Jesus to the Lord as the law
required, 28 Simeon was there. He took the child in
his arms and praised God, saying, 29“Lord,
now I can die in peace! As you
promised me, 30I have seen the Savior
31you have given to all people.
32 He is a light to reveal God to the nations,
and he is the glory of your people Israel!”
2.
Would Anna meet God face to face? Yes, because both
of these folks who saw the Lord face to face were in the temple doing the work
of the Lord. They were seeking
the Lord. This is one of the keys
in seeing the Lord. We have to be
seeking Him to be able to see Him. She
had sought the Lord night and day in prayer and fasting.
God came to her in the middle of her serving the Lord.
She came along just at the right 36 (NLT), a prophet, was also there in the Temple. She was
the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher, and was very old. She was a
widow, for her husband had died when they had been married only seven years. 37She
was now eighty-four years old. She never left the Temple but stayed there day
and night, worshiping God with fasting and prayer.
3.
What did
they see? Why? Simeon and
Anna saw salvation. Why did they
see salvation. That’s who God
is. His name is Jesus, Savior.
He is salvation. This is the nature of the Lord.
He is salvation to all people of all time and of everywhere.
To those who will see Him they will see the need to take Him to all
people everywhere. They saw the
glory of the Lord. The glory of
God’s people is Jesus. The
glory of the church is the Lord. He
is the light. We are to let Him
shine through us. We are to yield
ourselves to Him so that He may glorify Himself through us.
The glory of the Lord is love and forgiveness that He gives to all.
If we love as He loved, and forgive as he forgave and serve as He
served we are then on the way to shining the light for others to see who He
really is.
(NLT) As
you promised me, 30I have seen the Savior
31you have given to all people.
32 He is a light to reveal God to the nations,
and he is the glory of your people Israel!”
33 Joseph
and Mary were amazed at what was being said about Jesus. 34 Then
Simeon blessed them, and he said to Mary, “This child will be rejected by
many in Israel, and it will be their undoing. But he will be the greatest joy
to many others. 35Thus, the deepest thoughts of many hearts will be
revealed. And a sword will pierce your very soul.”
4.
What will others see?
Will they see Jesus? 38 She came along just as Simeon was talking with Mary and
Joseph, and she began praising God. She talked about Jesus to everyone who had
been waiting for the promised King to come and deliver Jerusalem.
Anna began to praise the Lord when she saw Him face to face.
She talked about Jesus to everyone who had been waiting for the
promised King.