This is the final sermon of the "bit players" sermon series. We finish with Simeon and Anna, who have been waiting to find the Messiah. Their words confirm that Jesus, the baby being presented by his parents, is the long-awaited Messiah.
Simeon is apparently waiting to see the Messiah before he dies. The Holy Spirit guides him to the temple on the day when Jesus' parents bring Jesus to the temple.
I am reminded of all the older folks that watch, support, and encourage the younger folks in the congregation. Sometimes we think of older folks as being the ones who do not want to change, etc., but my experience has been that some of the older folks are the foundation of the local congregation. They are the ones who are there year after year, and they are the ones who support the next generations. Can you think of some folks like that in a congregation where you have been a member?
Not sure if it will make the sermon, but I ran across this story from Marj Carpenter (1/5/15, Presbyterian Outlook, 9) "In a Sunday school class for seniors, one grandmother laughingly reported: My grandson asked me if I knew how much alike God and I were. I was so please and tried to think what I had done that he would think was so good. And I asked him, "How?" And he promptly answered, "You're both old."
Note that Simeon and Anna are not important just because they are old; they also are able to recognize who Jesus us and announce it to the world. If they were old fuddy-duddies who resisted anything new, they would not have recognized him. The older folks who can still envision the future and see God at work are the ones that can pave the way for future generations!
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