Thorburn-Sutherland's River Pastoral Charge

Holy God, your Word makes all things new. Send your Holy Spirit to refresh our minds and hearts, and embrace your truth revealed in Christ, your Word made flesh. Amen

As we come to this last day of this year, I want to share with you some thoughts on what we have experienced over the last year and what we can hope for in the future. This year has been challenging for many of us, as we faced social unrest, economic hardship, and personal struggles. And within our church family we’ve seen the passing of some of our long term members who have been pillars of our church, people who can’t easily be replaced.

As the years go by things don’t always seem to get any easier, or any better. It’s in times like these when our faith gets tested, and we can start to wonder if the universe is unfolding as it should. Times when it’s easy to forget these words which Jesus spoke to his disciples, “‘And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’” (Matthew 28:20)

We have seen pain and suffering, but at the same time we’ve also seen courage and compassion. We have witnessed the power of faith, love, and community in overcoming adversity. We have learned to appreciate the simple joys of life, and to cherish the people who matter most to us.

And in our Gospel reading this morning we have the example of two people who had spent much of their lives watching and waiting, people who, despite being strong in their faith, must have gone through much pain and suffering, and yet were determined to follow through to the end. This is a beautiful tale of how God fulfills his promises and reveals his salvation to those who are waiting for him. Let’s have a look at their stories and see how they can help us look to the new year with hope despite all the turmoil of the past year. It’s also important to remember although it was ancient times and God’s timeline is different from ours, God was with them through it all just like he is with us, each and every day.

The first of these is a man by the name of Simeon, here’s how we’re introduced to him, “Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; this man was righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit rested on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah.” Simeon was just an ordinary man, but he had a great heart for the Lord. He is described as righteous and devout, someone who was intent on seeking God constantly.

And the first thing we can see about Simeon is that he is Spirit-led. In fact, because of his trust in the leading of the Holy Spirit, he has been granted the promise that he will see the Messiah before he dies. So, he had been waiting patiently all his life for that day to arrive.

And that day did arrive when Mary and Joseph brought Jesus to the Temple to present him to the Lord. The Apostle Luke tells us, “Guided by the Spirit, Simeon came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him what was customary under the law.” It was the Holy Spirit who had revealed to Simeon that he would not die until he had seen God’s Anointed One, Israel’s Messiah. It was also the Holy Spirit that directed Simeon to the temple on the day that Jesus’ parents brought him to be presented to the Lord. Finally, it was the Spirit of God who revealed to Simeon that this child was indeed the Messiah.

That’s three times which the great physician, Luke, tells us about Simeon being filled with the Holy Spirit, Luke says, “the Holy Spirit rested on him.”  “It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit” and “Guided by the Spirit, Simeon came into the temple” Truly Simeon had a heart for God.

Now there are some people in the world who feel they might be too old or too worn out to be of much use to God. But Simeon is proof positive that God uses anyone who opens their hearts to the work of the Holy Spirit. This offers great hope, confidence, and assurance that God continues to use the most surprising of people to accomplish his will. We see this throughout the Bible. As the Apostle Paul wrote, “God chose what is weak in the world to shame the things which are strong,” (1 Corinthians 1:27)

When you live in the power of the Holy Spirit, your life is marked by hope in God. Paul wrote “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Rom. 15:13) Joy, peace and hope are the opposite of depression, anxiety and despair. As you learn to live in the fullness of God’s Spirit, the God of hope will fill you with his joy, peace, and abounding hope! To hope in Christ means to live righteously and expectantly in the power of the Holy Spirit. It’s not always easy but we must remember when times are difficult, that God is there with us.

Filled with the Holy Spirit, we’re told that Simeon took Jesus in his arms and said, “‘Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.’” After waiting all these years, God’s promise to Simeon has been fulfilled, he is now looking into the face of the Messiah, the Saviour of the World. There in his arms is the fulfillment of God’s promises to his people.

And then we have the story of Anna, who was a prophet. Here’s what we’re told about her, “There was also a prophet, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, having lived with her husband for seven years after her marriage, then as a widow to the age of eighty-four.” She had lived a hard life: she had only been married seven years when her husband died. In society at that time women were second class citizens and were dependent on their husbands to support them. So, here she was at the age of 84, having spent roughly the last 64 years having to fend for herself.

But despite this we’re told “She never left the temple but worshipped there with fasting and prayer night and day.” So here she is, she’s been a widow for over 60 years, struggling to support herself, dealing with the loneliness and financial difficulties of being alone. You could certainly understand if she had been praying to the Lord, “Father, I’m ready to come home. I’m ready to leave this world.”

But the Lord had something else for her and that something was nothing less than to see the Messiah. The Apostle Mark tells us, “At that moment she came, and began to praise God and to speak about the child to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.” So, Anna got to see Jesus and she gave thanks to the Lord and spoke about this baby all over Jerusalem. Anna brought God’s love to many others.

Here is the simple but profound truth that we can learn from Anna: God’s best is still in front of us. Anna may have thought she was just biding time, but God’s best was still in front of her and that’s true in our lives as well. God’s best for my life is still in front of me! God’s best for your life is still in front of you!

Now, you may be thinking, “That might be true of Anna, but I don’t think it’s true of me.”, but the fact that God’s best is still in front of you is just as true of you as it was of Anna.

The Bible is very clear about the continuing work of God in our lives, this is from Paul’s letter to the Philippians, “. . . being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. “Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress.”   (Philippians 1:6) For all of us, wherever we are in our lives, God’s best is still in front of us and our future with him awaits us.

God has not abandoned any of us. God has not given up on any of us. He wants to take us farther. He wants to teach us more. He wants to make us more like Jesus. God’s best is still in front of us.

Look at two of the biggest names in the New Testament:

The disciple Peter: after three years of being a disciple of Jesus, he should have been ready to make an impact, but instead, on the night before the crucifixion, he denied Jesus three times in Jesus’ moment of need. He could have easily thought, “This is not where I intended to be after these years I’ve spent with Jesus. I’m done for.” But Jesus restored him, and it is a huge understatement to say that God’s best was still in front of Peter as you think of the long lasting impact he had for the Kingdom of God.

The Apostle Paul: after working night and day to oppress Christianity, when Jesus appeared to Paul on that Damascus Road, it would have been easy for him to think, “I can’t change now after all these years I’ve spent working against Jesus. It’s too late.” But, again, it is a huge understatement to say that God’s best was still in front of Paul as you think of all the churches he started and that over half of the books of the New Testament were written by him.

For those who think they are “too far gone whether it be in sin, or in age, or in faith,” need to realize they’re not finished either. Think of the story of the woman at the well in the Gospel of John who had been married and divorced 5 times and was living with another man. Because of that, she was considered an outcast in her town, but Jesus didn’t in the least think that she was too far gone. Instead, he ended up forgiving her and using her to tell everyone in her town the Good News about himself.

Stop for a second this morning and ask some “what if’s” for your spiritual life: What if you really believed that God wasn’t finished with you yet? What if it really was true that you could have a deep prayer life? What if God really did want to make you more like Jesus in practical, everyday ways that would profoundly change your life?

What if through God’s power and mercy you really were able to overcome that sin that has especially haunted you for so long? What if? What if? What if you aren’t “too far along?” What if you aren’t “too far gone?” What if God’s best is still in front of you?

What we can learn from our readings today is that God uses ordinary people of faith as channels of his blessing, his word, and his work. We have the shepherds in the field tending their flocks, next, Simeon, an old man who had been told by the Holy Spirit that he would live until he saw Israel’s Messiah, and finally, we have Anna, a widow for over 60 years, who spent her days in the Temple fasting and praying.

Secondly, we can learn from Simeon and Anna's faithfulness to God's promise. They had been waiting for a long time for the Messiah to come. They did not give up hope or lose sight of God's plan. They were attentive to the voice of the Spirit and ready to receive God's gift. How about us? Are we faithful to God's promise? Do we wait for him with expectation and patience? Are we attentive to his voice and ready to receive his gift?

Thirdly, we can learn from Simeon and Anna's witness to God's salvation. They did not keep silent or hide their joy. They praised God and spoke about Jesus to others. They declared his glory and his grace. How about us? Are we witnesses to God's salvation? Do we praise him and speak about Jesus to others? Do we declare his glory and his grace?

Anna knew that a life devoted to God is a life well spent. She is just a humble soul, an ordinary person, and yet because of her faith and her desire to hear God’s voice, God allowed her, as he does other ordinary people of faith, to be his messengers here on earth. Both she, and Simeon, had roles to play in God’s plan for salvation. God doesn't always need the famous or people with education, money or even the religious leaders. God needs people of faith.

The declarations of Simeon and Anna also force us to decide what we are going to do with Jesus. Will we trust and obey Jesus? Or will we ignore him, or deny him? Through him and him alone God has acted decisively to rescue us from our sins and offer us his wonderful forgiveness. He calls us to be his followers, to honour him and to proclaim his glory. Will we make sure that love for Jesus Christ is at the heart of why we are living? If we do, then like Simeon and Anna, we can have the assurance that we have spent our lives living well.

As we look back on this year, let us not forget the lessons we have learned, the blessings we have received, and the grace we have been shown. Let us also look forward to the new year with optimism and gratitude, trusting that God has a plan for us and that he will guide us through whatever challenges we may face. Let us remember that we are not alone, but that we are part of a family of God that supports and cares for each other. Let us renew our commitment to follow Jesus, to love God and our neighbor, and to serve the world with our gifts and talents.

As we prepare to start another year, let us follow the example of Simeon, Anna and the apostles, who showed us how to respond to God's gift of his Son. Let us obey his word, trust his promise, and share his salvation. Let us look forward to the future awaiting us with hope, gratitude and joy, knowing that we have seen his salvation in Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour.

Let us Pray:

Heavenly Father, like those who went before us, help us be heralds of the Gospel.  Help us to know the Word, to love the Word, and to live the Word.  As we head into a new year, help us put those words into faith and action. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen