WEBVTT 00:00:00.080 --> 00:00:02.640 This podcast is the Ministry of Grand Parkway Baptist Church. 00:00:02.799 --> 00:00:05.759 For more information in our church, please visit Grandparkway.org. 00:00:06.000 --> 00:00:06.480 Well, good morning. 00:00:06.559 --> 00:00:07.599 My name is Wade Collier. 00:00:07.679 --> 00:00:09.519 I'm one of the pastors here at Grand Parkway. 00:00:09.679 --> 00:00:12.720 Uh it's it's my joy to be in front of you this morning. 00:00:12.800 --> 00:00:33.679 Uh, this Sunday, uh the last Sunday of the month, a week removed from our last Sunday of Advent, um, a few days removed from the craziness of Christmas as as the world feeds it to us, but hopefully um you found some of the bliss of remembering and uh and being rewarded with the waiting of Christmas Sunday morning. 00:00:33.840 --> 00:00:38.960 And then on the forefront of many of our minds, uh the dawn of a new year coming. 00:00:39.280 --> 00:00:45.359 Um we we had four Christmases this year at our house. 00:00:45.439 --> 00:00:47.359 We were our own Blockbuster Hollywood movie. 00:00:47.439 --> 00:00:49.600 We had four Christmases spread out over a couple weeks. 00:00:49.759 --> 00:00:55.920 My daughter uh turned four the other day, so this is the first year that she really understands some things of Christmas. 00:00:56.079 --> 00:01:00.000 Mostly she understands gifts, but after four Christmases, you would understand gifts as well. 00:01:00.240 --> 00:01:12.799 Um But she um after a time, I have to continue to remember that she's four, but after a time of getting a bike and uncountable toys and all those things, she she kind of had the posture of what's next, you know? 00:01:12.959 --> 00:01:14.319 What else do I get? 00:01:14.480 --> 00:01:19.120 Um kind of asking the question that's on the front of your worship folder this morning, now what? 00:01:19.760 --> 00:01:29.120 Um however this morning finds you, um, at some point this week, um, maybe this morning, maybe right now, you're asking the question, now what? 00:01:29.359 --> 00:01:30.719 Um we've done a lot of waiting. 00:01:30.799 --> 00:01:33.120 We've been talking about waiting here in the season of Advent. 00:01:33.200 --> 00:01:37.920 Uh many of you, your life is built up three months before Christmas. 00:01:38.000 --> 00:01:39.280 Um, this is your holiday. 00:01:39.359 --> 00:01:40.079 This is your thing. 00:01:40.159 --> 00:01:43.040 You do Christmas, um, and now it's over. 00:01:43.280 --> 00:01:44.319 So now what? 00:01:44.560 --> 00:01:46.480 It's 2013, and that snuck up on you. 00:01:46.560 --> 00:01:48.560 You were just in high school, and now it's 2013. 00:01:49.040 --> 00:01:51.280 And your back hurts, and it takes you an hour to get dressed. 00:01:51.359 --> 00:01:52.319 What next? 00:01:53.680 --> 00:02:12.560 Um we we have the opportunity this morning as we as we look at God's word to peer into the life of a man that uh a very short caption written about him, um, but was sure, and and and and and and I'm sure you'll you'll you'll draw this conclusion as well, and in the series of his life, ask the question, now what? 00:02:12.879 --> 00:02:15.280 Um so we're gonna be in Luke 2 this morning. 00:02:15.520 --> 00:02:18.240 Luke 2, um, beginning in verse 22. 00:02:18.319 --> 00:02:19.919 We're gonna read through verse 35. 00:02:20.000 --> 00:02:24.960 Uh I was at Starbucks yesterday trying to escape the madness our last Christmas ended yesterday. 00:02:25.120 --> 00:02:30.800 Um and so I kind of got out and had to recalibrate and kind of set the trajectory for this morning. 00:02:30.960 --> 00:02:36.479 Was at Starbucks, got up, grabbed something, came back, and um, while I was up, another pastor had come and sat down. 00:02:36.560 --> 00:02:41.120 I didn't know him, but it was clear that he was preparing a sermon and um he was kind of in his own world. 00:02:41.199 --> 00:02:44.000 And if you've heard me talk about before, I really like awkward. 00:02:44.159 --> 00:02:46.800 I think awkward is a gift of the spirit, and I embrace it. 00:02:46.879 --> 00:02:51.280 Um and so I could tell he didn't really want to talk, so I thought, well, that's my job to talk to him then. 00:02:51.360 --> 00:02:56.639 And so I said, Hey, I see you're preparing a sermon, and he kind of shrugged me off and I said, I'll tell you what, let's just switch it up. 00:02:56.719 --> 00:03:02.159 How about you write mine and I'll write yours, and then just don't look at it till Sunday morning, and it'll be great for our people. 00:03:02.479 --> 00:03:05.039 He didn't find that near as funny, neither do you, Colonel. 00:03:05.280 --> 00:03:08.159 Uh but he said, uh he said, Well, what are you working on over there? 00:03:08.319 --> 00:03:11.439 And I said, Well, I got Luke 2, and he said, You know Christmas is over. 00:03:12.479 --> 00:03:14.080 No, I didn't, thank you. 00:03:14.319 --> 00:03:15.199 I gotta start all over. 00:03:15.280 --> 00:03:16.719 What did Rick Warren peach on last week? 00:03:16.800 --> 00:03:19.199 I'll just download that and uh my people will never know. 00:03:19.280 --> 00:03:20.240 They never get on the internet. 00:03:20.479 --> 00:03:27.360 Uh so, but this morning, even though Christmas is over, um, but because Christmas is past, we're asking the question now what? 00:03:27.520 --> 00:03:31.039 And so let's look at a man in Luke 2, verse 22. 00:03:31.199 --> 00:03:33.599 If you don't have your Bible, it'll be on the screen behind you. 00:03:33.680 --> 00:03:36.960 If you'd like to hold a Bible, if you're like there should be one on the pew next to you. 00:03:37.199 --> 00:03:39.039 Luke 2, beginning in verse 22. 00:03:39.280 --> 00:03:51.599 And when the time came for the purification according to the law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord, as it is written in the law of the Lord, every male who first opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord. 00:03:51.919 --> 00:03:57.680 And to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the law of the Lord, a pair of turtle doves or two young pigeons. 00:03:58.000 --> 00:04:13.439 Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him, and had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ. 00:04:13.680 --> 00:04:15.919 And he came in the Spirit to the temple. 00:04:16.079 --> 00:04:31.839 And when the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him according to the custom of the law, he took him up in his arms, and he blessed God, and he said, Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace according to your word, for my eyes have seen your salvation. 00:04:32.079 --> 00:04:39.920 They've seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel. 00:04:40.639 --> 00:05:01.120 And his father and mother marvelled at what was said about him, and Simeon blessed him, and he said to his mother, Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed, and a sword will pierce through your own soul also, so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed. 00:05:03.120 --> 00:05:15.360 What's going on here is according to Levitical law, uh when when the when the child is about forty days old, um you you get into all the law, we won't get bogged down in the details here this morning. 00:05:15.519 --> 00:05:22.800 Um but you you have the woman is unclean, not because of sin, just because of Levitical law, she has to wait a certain amount of days, that puts them at the 40th day. 00:05:22.879 --> 00:05:26.000 So we find Jesus here at about four weeks old. 00:05:26.160 --> 00:05:27.040 Well, longer than that. 00:05:27.120 --> 00:05:27.920 I can't do math. 00:05:28.000 --> 00:05:28.560 I'm sorry. 00:05:28.720 --> 00:05:30.720 Um but about a month and a week old. 00:05:30.879 --> 00:05:41.439 Um and and they come, and it's interesting, they're they're actually going um the wording here, and this is just the nerd and me, and I won't go too they're actually going downward in trajectory, but it says they're going to the up to the temple. 00:05:41.600 --> 00:05:42.480 So it's an interesting. 00:05:42.639 --> 00:05:52.240 So they're they go down to the temple because it says in the law that at this fortieth day they bring the baby to the temple, and then uh they will they will commit him to the Lord. 00:05:52.399 --> 00:05:58.560 Uh in inside the temple there was uh uh an area for the females, and it had these things that are that are called the horns. 00:05:58.720 --> 00:06:04.160 And so what the women would do is that when they bring their son, um and they would make an offering. 00:06:04.319 --> 00:06:17.920 And the the author Luke gives us this great insight, and it's just kind of confirmation of what Lance said a couple weeks ago of their financial standing, that they were in poverty, because the optimal sacrifice would be a lamb, um a sheep that they would sacrifice. 00:06:18.079 --> 00:06:24.959 But um for those who did not have the money or the ability to do that, they would bring two pigeons, two turtled doves, and it says that they do just that. 00:06:25.120 --> 00:06:33.279 And they would make that sacrifice, and then they would offer their son to the Lord, and then they would quote unquote buy him back. 00:06:33.439 --> 00:06:35.600 They would, they would, it was kind of like a loan agreement, right? 00:06:35.680 --> 00:06:37.360 They would buy him back for five shekels. 00:06:37.680 --> 00:06:39.040 And so that's what's happening here. 00:06:39.199 --> 00:06:42.560 And Simeon happens to be there when this takes place. 00:06:42.639 --> 00:06:44.079 And so this is what we're coming on. 00:06:44.160 --> 00:06:54.240 And we're gonna learn a lot of things about Simeon that um I think find us at at a at a at a timely at a timely day of asking now what. 00:06:54.399 --> 00:07:03.519 Now, maybe you were um, as we saw in the video and we prayed about earlier, your house looks like a demo site right now, and so you're trying to put Humpty Dumpty back together again. 00:07:03.759 --> 00:07:08.160 Um but maybe um your now what looks a little bit different. 00:07:08.399 --> 00:07:18.079 Maybe your now what is I look back on my life, um I'm coming on a, I think, I think the coming of a new year causes us to do a lot of looking back in retrospect. 00:07:18.240 --> 00:07:24.560 Um you may look back and you say, you know what, I've I've I've lived uh a life that demonstrates a lot of moral fortitude. 00:07:25.279 --> 00:07:29.279 Um but I find myself lately of that just not being enough. 00:07:29.439 --> 00:07:32.720 And that's not really a driving force for me anymore. 00:07:32.879 --> 00:07:38.399 And so when I think about faith, I think about the Lord, I think about moving forward, um, I'm asking now what? 00:07:38.560 --> 00:07:41.279 Because I'm running on fumes at this point. 00:07:41.839 --> 00:07:46.240 And maybe this new year brings about a transition in your life. 00:07:46.560 --> 00:07:52.800 Um maybe uh you're asking the question of now what for this new season of life. 00:07:52.879 --> 00:08:05.920 And maybe it's it is that that Christmas season, there is a lot of buildup, um, there is a lot of energy and emotion, some good, some fabricated by um culture that tells us we have to feel a certain way and do a certain thing. 00:08:06.000 --> 00:08:11.120 And then when it's over, you go into the grocery store and now they're selling Valentine's stuff and you felt cheated. 00:08:11.279 --> 00:08:13.279 You're like, wait a minute, what just happened? 00:08:13.360 --> 00:08:14.160 Where's my tinsel? 00:08:14.399 --> 00:08:17.120 Now it's hearts and another Hallmark holiday, right? 00:08:17.279 --> 00:08:20.079 And so now you're asking, what's what's what's the next step? 00:08:20.240 --> 00:08:23.279 What's the next thing that's gonna make me feel fulfilled, right? 00:08:23.759 --> 00:08:27.600 And so you have this this man Simeon who's been waiting his whole life. 00:08:27.839 --> 00:08:33.919 His commitment of his life is to see the consolation of Israel, which means he is waiting for God to send his son. 00:08:34.879 --> 00:08:40.720 And it says that God told him that he wouldn't die until he saw the Messiah, until he saw the Christ. 00:08:42.000 --> 00:08:49.120 But to bring this into focus here before we look at these answers of now what, is we we've talked about this. 00:08:49.200 --> 00:08:58.240 This Simeon is living in a generation that has waited century upon century upon century upon century from a word from God. 00:08:58.720 --> 00:08:59.360 Silence. 00:09:00.559 --> 00:09:12.879 And man, if you want to talk about a culture that could be, you could easily um make make God subject to your feelings and your emotions, imagine the silence of God, that holy silence of God. 00:09:13.679 --> 00:09:20.080 And Simeon has to, at some point, being human, being mortal, being sinful, ask the questions of now what? 00:09:20.159 --> 00:09:22.240 God, you you've made this promise, but now what? 00:09:23.519 --> 00:09:25.519 And then he gets the answer to now what. 00:09:25.600 --> 00:09:33.039 And so if you find yourself asking the question of now what this morning, um let's let's look at Simeon's life and see some pointers. 00:09:33.440 --> 00:09:36.159 The first one would be to be righteous. 00:09:36.480 --> 00:09:37.200 To be righteous. 00:09:37.360 --> 00:09:37.759 What do I mean? 00:09:37.840 --> 00:09:38.399 Verse 25. 00:09:38.720 --> 00:09:48.159 Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 00:09:48.320 --> 00:09:55.759 That word righteous in the Greek, there's this great, um, just kind of non-technical definition that we're going to reference several times this morning that just struck me. 00:09:55.840 --> 00:10:04.159 I completely, um, the poor uh the poor folks that work back there in the thankless job of the media booth back there that get emails from us at six in the morning, wanting to change things. 00:10:04.240 --> 00:10:08.879 This was one of those for me of where I completely was struck by this last night of just rereading. 00:10:09.200 --> 00:10:14.799 Righteous, in the broad sense, the state of him who is such as he ought to be. 00:10:15.039 --> 00:10:23.120 I'm gonna read that again because that's good, and I want you to think it's as good as I do, because we can't move forward until you agree with me, so because I have the microphone and I'm in charge. 00:10:23.200 --> 00:10:28.159 In the broad sense, the state of him who is such as he ought to be. 00:10:29.200 --> 00:10:32.159 Micah 6.8 gives uh uh uh just a little bit more traction to this. 00:10:32.240 --> 00:10:33.120 You don't have to turn there. 00:10:33.200 --> 00:10:34.399 It'll be on the screen behind me. 00:10:34.559 --> 00:10:35.600 Micah 6.8. 00:10:36.159 --> 00:10:38.240 He has told you, O man, what is good. 00:10:38.399 --> 00:10:39.360 Here's righteousness. 00:10:39.519 --> 00:10:47.279 And what does the Lord require of you, but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God. 00:10:47.440 --> 00:10:59.039 Um we don't use the message here a whole lot, but the message, um, if you've never looked at the message translation, um, it just there's there's certain captures of the Bible where Eugene Peterson has done uh this just this great biblical translation. 00:10:59.200 --> 00:11:01.519 I think Micah 6.8 is a good picture of that. 00:11:01.679 --> 00:11:03.600 He says this, it's gonna be on the screen as well. 00:11:03.759 --> 00:11:07.200 But he's already made it plain how to live, what to do. 00:11:07.440 --> 00:11:10.799 What God is looking for in men and women, it's quite simple. 00:11:11.039 --> 00:11:14.480 Do what is fair and just to your neighbor. 00:11:14.639 --> 00:11:17.279 Be compassionate and loyal in your love. 00:11:17.440 --> 00:11:22.159 And don't take seriously, don't take yourself too seriously, take God seriously. 00:11:23.679 --> 00:11:25.519 And so we have this definition of righteousness. 00:11:25.600 --> 00:11:29.600 We have this man described as righteous who asked the question, now what? 00:11:29.759 --> 00:11:31.120 We're asking the question now what? 00:11:31.200 --> 00:11:33.600 And the first answer is to be righteous. 00:11:34.559 --> 00:11:39.039 We have this great big titan of the faith, Simeon, to be righteous. 00:11:39.200 --> 00:11:44.559 So if if we're thinking and we're tracking, then we're asking, what does that look like for me to be righteous? 00:11:44.799 --> 00:11:47.279 Um it's funny how God works things out. 00:11:47.440 --> 00:11:50.240 Um we've had a lot of lot of circumstances at our house. 00:11:50.320 --> 00:11:50.960 So it was great. 00:11:51.039 --> 00:11:53.759 We had our last Christmas was this past Friday. 00:11:53.840 --> 00:11:54.960 Um it was my family. 00:11:55.039 --> 00:12:02.399 Uh my family's pretty laid back, and so we just kind of my I think I've shared with y'all before my wife's family um celebrate every holiday, groundhog day. 00:12:02.480 --> 00:12:03.679 They have a barbecue, I'm not sure. 00:12:03.759 --> 00:12:05.039 Uh they just like to be around each other. 00:12:05.120 --> 00:12:22.000 Uh my family's pretty laid back, so we just uh we we made ours last and um had some stuff go wrong with my wife's car, and um finances just fell into place, and my dad, who is just man, just a man of very few words, just grabs me by the elbow and says, You don't think that happened by accident, do you? 00:12:22.399 --> 00:12:26.080 Um and it's just interesting how the the Lord works out these circumstances. 00:12:26.159 --> 00:12:30.559 So on Friday, um I was leaving work, and Sally said, Hey, can you pick up a few things at the store? 00:12:30.639 --> 00:12:31.759 I need, I totally forgot something. 00:12:31.919 --> 00:12:32.399 I said, Sure. 00:12:32.559 --> 00:12:41.039 And if you were out and about on Friday, that's when the next front came in and the hundred thousand mile-an-hour winds were blowing through the pasture land of uh of Sugarland. 00:12:41.279 --> 00:12:50.799 And I went into the Kroger and I ran back out and wasn't thinking, was loading things in the car, and uh the wind caught my door and crash into the door next to me. 00:12:50.960 --> 00:12:54.399 It wasn't really in retrospect, I know what happened, obviously, but I didn't I wasn't really sure what happened. 00:12:54.480 --> 00:12:54.960 I heard a thump. 00:12:55.039 --> 00:12:55.600 There's a lot of cars. 00:12:55.759 --> 00:12:58.240 I wasn't really so I just finished loading the groceries. 00:12:58.320 --> 00:13:05.759 Um I closed the door, and there is this paper, still had the paper tags on it, uh, brand new Nissan Maxima um sitting next to me. 00:13:05.919 --> 00:13:13.039 And uh and I I I didn't actually hit the car, I hit the the chrome handle for the door, for the passenger side uh door. 00:13:13.360 --> 00:13:21.120 And uh it I know you guys have never done this, actually ding someone's door before, and then uh and then you do the lick the thumb and see if the paint comes off. 00:13:21.200 --> 00:13:24.480 Uh I know you've never done that, but I've that's what you can do if you want. 00:13:24.559 --> 00:13:26.480 Uh and so I I did that. 00:13:26.720 --> 00:13:28.960 And uh it was funny this whole time. 00:13:29.039 --> 00:13:36.559 I didn't notice him until the the the situation carried on a little bit, but there was this older gentleman who was uh creeping around just watching me. 00:13:37.039 --> 00:13:43.840 Uh he had his Magnum PI persona on, he was ready to go, and uh he was checking out to see what I was gonna do. 00:13:43.919 --> 00:13:46.720 And so um I got a scrap, I look around, there's nobody. 00:13:46.799 --> 00:13:52.879 I kind of stand there for a minute, I got frozen stuff, and uh um you guys ever had Sister Schubert's roles, by the way? 00:13:53.120 --> 00:13:54.960 Oh, yes, the Lord is good. 00:13:55.120 --> 00:13:58.960 Or my mom calls them Sister Sledge for you 70s fans. 00:13:59.039 --> 00:13:59.600 Okay, anyway. 00:13:59.759 --> 00:14:04.480 Uh so uh so I had those, so I was like, well, I'm just gonna leave a note. 00:14:04.639 --> 00:14:11.360 And so I reach in my truck and I find uh I find a piece of paper, and uh I know many of you experienced I have 15 pins in there, none of them work. 00:14:11.679 --> 00:14:16.559 Uh I think there's something, there's some kind of scientific thing that happens when you put your pins in your glove compartment, they stop working. 00:14:16.720 --> 00:14:21.840 So um I took the note and I put it underneath the windshield, and I didn't want to- So I went, I ran inside to go get a pen. 00:14:22.080 --> 00:14:23.519 And I I look back and I see the guy. 00:14:23.600 --> 00:14:24.240 He's creeping over there. 00:14:24.320 --> 00:14:25.840 See what I did on the on the on the note. 00:14:26.080 --> 00:14:35.679 Because some people, I'm not gonna mention any names in this church, in this room right now, uh, would maybe take that piece of paper and write, I am not I hit your car, but I'm not gonna write any personal information on there. 00:14:35.759 --> 00:14:39.039 People are watching, so I look like a good citizen, and just put that under the windshield. 00:14:39.120 --> 00:14:39.919 I wasn't gonna do that. 00:14:40.080 --> 00:14:41.840 I thought about it, but I wasn't gonna do it. 00:14:42.000 --> 00:14:53.840 Um and so I uh I ran in, got a pen, wrote a note, left it, and it was interesting because I was coming back out with the pen that worked, um, and just you ever find yourself at those crossroads, and this seems like a small thing. 00:14:54.000 --> 00:14:54.799 This seems like a small thing. 00:14:54.879 --> 00:15:05.440 If you're thinking this is we talked about Simeon, we talked about waiting on God, and I used to always find it funny growing up in church where every illustration my pastor ever used was about like being in traffic and being frustrated at the line at the grocery store. 00:15:05.519 --> 00:15:09.039 I'm like, we don't have anything bigger than that, you aren't living more life than that, and here I am telling you about dinging a car. 00:15:09.120 --> 00:15:16.320 But anyway, and so I found myself at this crossroads of righteousness and integrity and character. 00:15:16.559 --> 00:15:25.039 And just in neon, honky tonk, bright, obnoxious lights, I saw Philippians 4 just blinking in my head. 00:15:25.200 --> 00:15:32.080 And I just want to share this with you, and this is this is what the Lord used to ground me and remind me of righteousness. 00:15:32.159 --> 00:15:34.320 Uh Philippians 4, 8 through 9, it'll be on the screen. 00:15:34.399 --> 00:15:50.960 It says this Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. 00:15:51.600 --> 00:15:57.759 What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you. 00:15:58.320 --> 00:16:04.799 So I'm looking down the scratch on the door, and I got the pen that works, and I'm looking at my note, and I started to run down this list that'll be on the screen behind me. 00:16:04.879 --> 00:16:19.440 And I started thinking about this decision, and maybe it's small, and I don't I don't know who all was watching, and it's not my responsibility to measure that, but maybe somebody was watching, and but in reality, my responsibility isn't to them, it's to the Lord. 00:16:19.679 --> 00:16:21.519 And it's to answer the call of righteousness. 00:16:21.600 --> 00:16:24.240 And so this list kind of ran through my head with this decision. 00:16:24.320 --> 00:16:25.120 Is it true? 00:16:26.080 --> 00:16:27.279 Is it honorable? 00:16:28.000 --> 00:16:28.960 Is it just? 00:16:30.159 --> 00:16:31.840 Is it pure or holy? 00:16:32.799 --> 00:16:33.600 Is it lovely? 00:16:33.840 --> 00:16:35.360 When's the last time you said something was lovely? 00:16:35.440 --> 00:16:36.399 It was a lovely decision. 00:16:36.720 --> 00:16:37.919 I should be drinking tea. 00:16:38.080 --> 00:16:43.440 Um commendable, worthy of praise. 00:16:44.000 --> 00:16:50.799 You know, I did youth ministry and um up until this summer and in a lot of different formats for about 15, 17 years of the channel track. 00:16:50.960 --> 00:17:00.320 Um the Lord lay it on my heart early to impart on every student I came in contact with was every thing you do is an act of worship. 00:17:00.879 --> 00:17:02.639 Everything you do can be an act of worship. 00:17:04.240 --> 00:17:05.359 I ding the door. 00:17:05.519 --> 00:17:06.160 What do I do with that? 00:17:06.480 --> 00:17:07.680 It's an act of worship. 00:17:09.279 --> 00:17:13.279 The way that I relate to people around me is an act of worship. 00:17:14.559 --> 00:17:19.680 Basically, it goes back to what I told you we were gonna be referencing throughout the sermon a definition of righteousness before. 00:17:20.319 --> 00:17:21.839 Is this as it ought to be? 00:17:22.480 --> 00:17:23.759 What do I do in this situation? 00:17:24.640 --> 00:17:25.759 Is this as it ought to be? 00:17:26.720 --> 00:17:30.000 So here's the question for us as we think about righteousness in our life. 00:17:30.799 --> 00:17:32.559 Is your life as it ought to be? 00:17:33.759 --> 00:17:34.480 Is it true? 00:17:34.960 --> 00:17:35.839 Is it honorable? 00:17:36.319 --> 00:17:37.039 Is it just? 00:17:37.519 --> 00:17:38.240 Is it pure? 00:17:38.720 --> 00:17:39.519 Is it lovely? 00:17:40.000 --> 00:17:41.039 Is it commendable? 00:17:41.599 --> 00:17:42.559 Worthy of praise. 00:17:45.920 --> 00:17:50.000 As we continue to look at Simeon, um, the second answer, and we're asking, what now? 00:17:50.079 --> 00:17:50.720 What do I do now? 00:17:50.960 --> 00:17:56.000 Well, we be righteous, we're righteous, but we also finish well. 00:17:56.720 --> 00:17:57.519 We also finish well. 00:17:57.599 --> 00:17:58.640 Where do we where does that come from? 00:17:58.720 --> 00:18:00.799 Look back at verse 25 and 26 again. 00:18:01.039 --> 00:18:14.960 Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him, and it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ. 00:18:15.200 --> 00:18:25.519 We read this passage and kind of lead you to some conclusions, at least for me, and maybe maybe uh growing up in Sunday school and seeing the pictures of Simeon, when you hear the story of Simon, he was always an old man. 00:18:25.680 --> 00:18:28.480 Um he had a beard, he could like tuck into his belt loop. 00:18:28.559 --> 00:18:29.359 I'm going for that as well. 00:18:29.519 --> 00:18:31.759 Pray for me as I walk that road. 00:18:32.000 --> 00:18:35.759 Um but he was always we don't know that. 00:18:35.839 --> 00:18:36.880 I mean, he could have been a young man. 00:18:37.279 --> 00:18:38.559 God, God, God uses youth. 00:18:38.720 --> 00:18:39.920 We see that all throughout the Bible. 00:18:40.000 --> 00:18:49.039 But all we do know is that he was he was a priest, and God had told him, You're not gonna die until you see my consolation for my people, until I send my son. 00:18:49.839 --> 00:18:53.119 And it says that he was righteous, so we just listed out what righteous look like. 00:18:53.279 --> 00:18:54.640 It also said he was devout. 00:18:55.440 --> 00:18:58.480 He was committed to this every day. 00:18:59.119 --> 00:18:59.680 Every day. 00:18:59.839 --> 00:19:01.680 Is this gonna be the day that I see Jesus? 00:19:02.640 --> 00:19:04.799 Is this gonna be the day that I see the Messiah? 00:19:05.359 --> 00:19:09.039 Is this gonna be the day that I get to see the consolation of God's people? 00:19:11.680 --> 00:19:19.039 I was um part part of the Christmas tradition for me the last few years is um been getting together with my high school friends. 00:19:19.200 --> 00:19:20.799 This is a labor of love for me. 00:19:20.960 --> 00:19:26.000 Uh if you've if you heard me teach before, uh uh I think I've I think I mentioned this the last time I was up. 00:19:26.079 --> 00:19:32.160 I didn't I grew up in church, but I didn't become a believer um until the summer before I graduated high school. 00:19:32.319 --> 00:19:35.200 And so I grew up with these guys and we played sports second grade on. 00:19:35.279 --> 00:19:36.559 We all lived in the same neighborhood. 00:19:36.640 --> 00:19:44.720 It was one of those kind of things we grew up, all in the same neighborhood, all played sports together, all carpooled together, did everything together, um, all the things you do before you know Jesus together. 00:19:44.880 --> 00:19:46.000 Are we all on the same page? 00:19:46.160 --> 00:19:56.079 Um and so um they they started to get together and started inviting me to go, and we we started to split ways that that summer before, um the summer before my senior year. 00:19:56.319 --> 00:19:59.519 And only the last few years has has that kind of come full circle. 00:19:59.680 --> 00:20:02.000 And it was it's just been a long few weeks for us. 00:20:02.079 --> 00:20:03.519 I was sharing with somebody at the door. 00:20:03.680 --> 00:20:13.279 We try to guard the holiday Christmas um and and New Year's and that time, and we just did I didn't do a good job of that as a dad, as a husband this year, as a pastor. 00:20:13.440 --> 00:20:15.119 I didn't do a good job of guarding the holidays. 00:20:15.200 --> 00:20:16.480 So it's just been busy, it's been crazy. 00:20:16.640 --> 00:20:17.920 Did anybody else relate to that this year? 00:20:18.000 --> 00:20:18.720 I'm not sure what happened. 00:20:18.960 --> 00:20:24.880 Kind of snuck in the back door on us, and so um driving to the heights was the absolute last thing I wanted to do. 00:20:24.960 --> 00:20:26.480 Uh I said it's a labor of love. 00:20:26.559 --> 00:20:28.880 It's just it's one of those things, some of you might be able to relate to this. 00:20:28.960 --> 00:20:30.880 I'm I'm a novelty to those guys. 00:20:31.039 --> 00:20:33.519 Um, it's funny to them for a lot of them. 00:20:33.680 --> 00:20:42.319 Um because it's it's always, hey, you remember that time you you took the Ronald McDonald out of the Ronald McDonald, the life size one, and we welded it to the top of the school? 00:20:42.559 --> 00:20:44.240 And now you're a pastor, you know? 00:20:44.319 --> 00:20:45.359 It's just okay, great. 00:20:45.440 --> 00:20:46.079 You know what? 00:20:46.559 --> 00:20:50.240 And so I just had that, I had that feeling in the back of that never happened. 00:20:50.319 --> 00:20:50.799 Okay, it did. 00:20:51.039 --> 00:21:02.160 Uh and so uh I I had that feeling just in the back of my mind, and and my wife just said, Wait, they are literally because she's she's nosy and she reads my emails. 00:21:02.240 --> 00:21:03.680 Uh they pray for her. 00:21:03.920 --> 00:21:08.799 They are um they're literally inviting the gospel. 00:21:10.400 --> 00:21:13.279 Because I mean it was they were persistent in wanting me to come. 00:21:13.359 --> 00:21:16.720 And like, wait, they're inviting the gospel into their lives. 00:21:16.960 --> 00:21:20.480 And so after I got done being mad at her for being right, I went. 00:21:20.640 --> 00:21:27.440 Um and I was talking to one of my oldest friends um sitting across the table, and I was just his parents were kind of like my second parents growing up. 00:21:27.599 --> 00:21:28.880 I don't know if you have experience with that. 00:21:28.960 --> 00:21:33.279 I knew that that was different, I knew that relationship was different because my parents had given them permission to spank me. 00:21:33.680 --> 00:21:35.599 Um and they did. 00:21:35.759 --> 00:21:41.839 Uh and so I I love his folks and hadn't seen him in a couple years, and I just said, Hey man, how are your how are your parents doing? 00:21:42.000 --> 00:21:42.880 Just a lot of sadness in them. 00:21:42.960 --> 00:21:50.960 He said, You know, my dad has um gotten to the point of where his posture of life is that he might not see tomorrow. 00:21:51.920 --> 00:21:53.200 And not in a good way. 00:21:53.440 --> 00:22:01.359 Um, it's basically just a conscious, blatant acknowledgement of I've made a lot of bad choices and I'm continue to make them. 00:22:01.599 --> 00:22:03.039 And so this might be my last day. 00:22:03.119 --> 00:22:11.039 And so his whole life is oriented around finishing this beach house and now he wants that to be his legacy for his kids and his son who's not a believer is going, what in the world are you doing? 00:22:11.200 --> 00:22:11.680 You know? 00:22:12.160 --> 00:22:18.079 You got grandkids and I just thought, man, what a what a what a like I was saying like God orchestrates things. 00:22:18.319 --> 00:22:22.160 What a what a I hated to hear it, but what a beautiful picture of not finishing well. 00:22:22.880 --> 00:22:24.000 And so is human nature. 00:22:24.079 --> 00:22:32.559 I started thinking about Simeon and seeing a man who finished well and started thinking about finishing well and I thought I thought about a guy named John Blaze. 00:22:33.759 --> 00:22:42.160 John Blaze, how many of you are familiar with Iron Man, the triathlon happens uh in Kona, they'll show it on NBC. 00:22:42.480 --> 00:22:44.000 John Blaze was not an Iron Man. 00:22:44.079 --> 00:22:48.319 He was not he was uh not a professional athlete he was he was an elementary school teacher. 00:22:48.480 --> 00:22:50.880 It was always his dream to compete in the Iron Man. 00:22:51.839 --> 00:22:56.480 But in 2003 he was diagnosed with ALS Lugaric syndrome. 00:22:57.680 --> 00:23:04.880 And so he was aware what effect that would have on his body and so he decided that he was going to commit himself to run the Iron Man. 00:23:05.200 --> 00:23:06.000 And so he did. 00:23:06.079 --> 00:23:10.240 And he trained and he qualified for the 2005 Kona Iron Man. 00:23:10.559 --> 00:23:16.079 As far as anybody knows he's the only ALS positive patient ever to do an Iron Man. 00:23:16.240 --> 00:23:24.000 And so he started feeling some symptoms in his body if you've ever been around anybody with ALS it can be pretty gradual or it can also be a thousand miles an hour. 00:23:24.160 --> 00:23:28.240 And he was having some of those symptoms come on and the reporters were saying John what are you going to do? 00:23:28.319 --> 00:23:29.759 How are you going to finish this thing? 00:23:30.000 --> 00:23:33.839 And he said, even if I have to roll across the finish line I'm going to finish this thing. 00:23:34.000 --> 00:23:37.119 And so you have 17 hours to finish the Iron Man to be in the record books. 00:23:37.200 --> 00:23:43.599 I mean you can take I mean some people take you know 26 hours whatever but to be in the record books to be an official Iron Man you've got to finish it under 17 hours. 00:23:43.759 --> 00:24:03.599 So at 16 hours and 28 minutes he comes up to the finish line and he stops at the finish line he lays down he rolls across the finish line John died in 2007 from complications from ALS but I was sharing this with the first service do yourself a favor when you're laying around the house today and go to teamblazeman.com B-L-A-Z-E-M-A-N. 00:24:04.400 --> 00:24:09.440 That's not how you spell his name he was B-L-A-I-S-E, but uh Blazeman, just like it sounds. 00:24:09.759 --> 00:24:12.720 And now you can race for Team Blazeman, raise money for ALS. 00:24:12.799 --> 00:24:15.359 I have uh one of my closest friends is a pastor out here in Katy. 00:24:15.440 --> 00:24:20.319 His dad uh passed away from ALS a year and a half ago and he races for Team Blazeman. 00:24:20.400 --> 00:24:25.119 And so whenever he finishes he says his dad's name and he log rolls across the finish line. 00:24:25.440 --> 00:24:29.920 And I just thought man what what a beautiful picture of finishing well. 00:24:30.079 --> 00:24:36.559 And you have these guys and ladies who race all over the world this is worldwide as representatives Team Blazem. 00:24:37.279 --> 00:24:39.759 But to bring us back what what about Team Simeon? 00:24:39.920 --> 00:24:40.400 Alright? 00:24:40.640 --> 00:24:41.759 What about Team Simeon? 00:24:41.839 --> 00:24:47.359 Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon and this man was righteous and devout. 00:24:47.759 --> 00:24:55.279 This man was righteous and he was finishing well waiting for the consolation of Israel and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 00:24:56.799 --> 00:25:01.279 So we're left with this we're found rather in a posture of what now? 00:25:01.440 --> 00:25:09.839 We have the answer of being righteous we have the answer of finishing well but also in verse 26 and 27 the third answer would be being spirit led. 00:25:10.319 --> 00:25:20.240 Being spirit led this is supposed to be a four-point sermon but I'll I'll just let you in on a secret it's really only it's like a three point sermon and then some action at the end so we're nearing the end. 00:25:20.319 --> 00:25:21.200 Are you still with me? 00:25:22.960 --> 00:25:25.440 Neil texted me yesterday and said don't drown them. 00:25:25.920 --> 00:25:31.759 It's the end of the it's into the crit it's into Christmas they're sleepy so I'll give you a three point and a little action at the end. 00:25:34.160 --> 00:25:36.079 Verse 26 and 27. 00:25:37.279 --> 00:25:43.599 And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord Christ. 00:25:44.160 --> 00:25:47.680 And he came in the spirit to the temple. 00:25:47.920 --> 00:25:56.079 He came in the spirit to the temple the the same phrasing that it's used there coming in the spirit to the temple is the same phrasing it talks about John the Revelator in Revelation. 00:25:56.319 --> 00:26:10.400 When he has the visions that we've all read about and tried to understand right in Revelation as he was in the Spirit it's the same wording here that it's talked about John the Revelator in the spirit he was led uh he was led to the temple. 00:26:10.559 --> 00:27:36.000 I wasn't here the first Sunday of Advent um but I know that Neil talked about Anna and Anna had found herself as a widow basically living living at the temple praying for the Messiah praying for for for Israel devoted to that Simeon we're not led to believe that he did that there's nothing that says that he did that and so his life was of a priest and he probably lived righteously and finished well in different places but it says on this day he was led by the Spirit think about just take a minute and think about the implications of that he was led by the Spirit this this is the man who we've just read his entire life was committed to seeing the Lord's Christ to seeing the Messiah to seeing Jesus and on this day on this 40th day for Mary and Joseph when they brought Jesus to offer him to the Lord on that day the Spirit led him right there if he had not been spirit led if he did not trust the moving of the Spirit he would have missed Christ he would have missed taking Jesus in his arms literally and holding him says in verse 30 for my eyes have seen your salvation because he was spirit led. 00:27:37.039 --> 00:27:58.960 You start talking about the Holy Spirit you talk about being spirit led leads us down several roads of doctrine and theology and many sermons but for the sake of what we're talking about for the sake of this character Simeon for the sake of what God did through him and what he desires to do through us and answering his promises I want to see I want us to see what I think Simeon holds on to and what God is holding us to hold on to and we find that in John 16. 00:27:59.039 --> 00:28:01.279 You don't have to turn there it'll be on the screen behind you. 00:28:02.960 --> 00:28:33.119 Because Simeon was holding on to promises of old through centuries of silence he's holding on to God says I will send my Savior I will send my son I will send the Messiah and so he holds on to that and he listens to the Spirit He stands on truth listens to the Spirit John 16 verse 13 through 15 When the Spirit of truth comes he will guide you into all truth for he will not speak on his own authority but whatever he hears he will speak and he will declare to you the things that are to come. 00:28:33.359 --> 00:28:39.519 He will glorify me for he will take what is mine and declare it to you all that the Father has is mine. 00:28:39.759 --> 00:28:56.559 Therefore I said he will take what is mine and declare it to you now here's a great bromer because I think that just like righteousness, I think that's a word we talked about that here we talked about these things before we need to reclaim words righteous is one of those words that can become nebulous and subject to our feelings and all those things. 00:28:56.799 --> 00:29:08.559 Righteous we have a clear definition of that being led by the spirit can be one of those things that kind of floats off in the atmosphere and it's used for good but also for excuses if we're going to be honest, right? 00:29:08.799 --> 00:29:12.000 I feel like I'm supposed to do this but maybe we're not standing on truth. 00:29:12.160 --> 00:29:25.680 Here's a good barometer to know if you're being led by the Spirit when you find yourself in situations when you find yourself in the midst of circumstances and are are you ruled by the circumstance or do you stand on truth? 00:29:28.720 --> 00:30:10.400 When you and your your spouse aren't seeing eye to eye do you just return to them what they've given to you if in harsh words or do you stand on the truth and act as the Lord has has called you to when you find yourself in situations you're you're standing on something is it is it opinion is it preference maybe maybe you've you've this past year you've committed in your heart to say you know what I I hear the guy that pre I hear I hear the guy that preaches Neil I hear him say a lot about sharing the gospel in everyday circumstances and in line at Starbucks at the grocery store with his neighbors I'm not going to just listen to those stories anymore. 00:30:10.480 --> 00:30:12.000 I'm going to begin to do that. 00:30:12.319 --> 00:30:30.079 When you do that are you doing it based on your opinion and the circumstances and the situation or are you doing it based on holy timing of the Lord and the leading of the Holy Spirit it's a great barometer as we are just seeking that out and trying to figure out what does it look like to be spirit led, to stand on the truth. 00:30:30.240 --> 00:30:36.960 When the Spirit of truth comes he will guide you into all the truth all of it. 00:30:40.400 --> 00:30:47.119 And I don't want to move to this last action point without um acknowledging Simeon's song here. 00:30:47.359 --> 00:31:08.160 Simeon's song we talked about Mary's song when um when when Lance was uh preaching about Mary during Advent um but we also have Simeon's song the spirit led righteous finishing well man grabs hold of Jesus in his arms and uh and he speaks this song the song is called the Nunc Demidas that's Latin? 00:31:09.759 --> 00:31:14.799 Four years of high school Latin I got that and I can tell you the dog is in the garden drinking wine. 00:31:14.880 --> 00:31:24.640 That's all after four years of Latin that was a great where's the guidance counselor on that one yeah take Latin it'll be good and get to college and fail Spanish one three times. 00:31:26.240 --> 00:31:38.400 But I can pronounce nucdemidis come on verse 29 and 30 Lord now you are letting your servant depart in peace that nucdemidis it means Lord you're now releasing. 00:31:38.559 --> 00:31:43.759 Lord you're now allowing me to depart it's it's the first four words of this is what I've been waiting for. 00:31:43.839 --> 00:32:45.119 You told me that I'd see the Messiah and that'd be the fulfillment of my life and and now take me you you've given me what you promised you mean what you say and take me for my eyes have seen your salvation that you've prepared in the presence of all peoples a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel a man who's a whole lot smarter than me named William Hendrickson translated those first that first line is this Now sovereign master thou art releasing my servant Simeon had to believe in God's sovereignty in the midst of silence to have such righteousness exemplified in his life to be such a man of finishing well he had to understand the sovereignty of God Michael Milton says this and this is this isn't too long but I didn't want to try to act like this was my idea. 00:32:46.079 --> 00:32:52.079 The passage is speaking about preparation for death Simeon's hope is in the coming of Christ and his appearance. 00:32:52.240 --> 00:32:54.400 Only then could Simeon die. 00:32:54.799 --> 00:32:58.880 You are not ready to die until you've embraced Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. 00:32:59.119 --> 00:33:04.880 You may be ready to graduate you may be ready to buy your first home you may be ready to retire. 00:33:05.119 --> 00:33:09.920 You may be ready to do many things but friend without Jesus you are not ready to die. 00:33:10.319 --> 00:33:14.240 Jesus came to pay the penalty of Simeon's sins and yours. 00:33:14.720 --> 00:33:24.480 Turn to him to him in confession of your sins and repentance and from them in surrender to Jesus Christ as the resurrected and living Lord of life. 00:33:24.720 --> 00:33:59.279 Jesus said Whoever believes in me will not perish but have eternal life I mean talk about talk about righteousness talk about finishing strong being led by the Spirit if you've been around here any any amount of time um you've heard the phrase be the sermon we use that a lot when we talk about worship abroad projects those of you don't know worship abroad projects are when you the congregation come to us as a staff or leadership of the church and tell us about a need in the community and then we go and do that. 00:33:59.440 --> 00:34:07.759 Usually it's it's a hands-on project whether that's home repair a few weeks ago um redoing the the landscaping outside of Oyster Creek Elementary. 00:34:08.159 --> 00:34:32.320 Whatever that is the the the folks that are going to do that anywhere from you know five to thirty five people come worship with us we commission them they send out and they they're they're released to go and be the hands and feet of the sermon the hands and feet of Christ talk about that with mission experiences that is not that is not regulated to a project that's our lives is to be the sermon. 00:34:33.599 --> 00:34:35.119 And so why do I talk about that? 00:34:35.280 --> 00:34:40.079 Because the last answer is to be a blessing is to be a blessing. 00:34:41.760 --> 00:35:00.480 It says in verse 34 Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel and for a sign that is opposed and a sword will pierce through your own soul also so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed. 00:35:00.800 --> 00:35:09.679 Simeon speaks these words of life to Mary and Joseph who come in here with their just over a month old baby and say this is good. 00:35:09.840 --> 00:35:22.559 This is the Son of God and through his life and through his ministry God is going to reveal himself to the people of Israel and the people of the world and he's going to do amazing things. 00:35:22.960 --> 00:35:32.159 But he's also going to be punished and for parents in here to think about the foreknowledge of the suffering of your kid. 00:35:32.480 --> 00:36:16.719 I've been a parent for about five minutes and that makes me nauseous but Simeon says this is going to be good and God has a plan in this and he and he speaks this as a blessing to them to hey you know what God means what he says he just showed me he just brought you to me I'm holding salvation in my arms and and and God's will is good and God's purpose is good and he means what he says and so he speaks life into a couple with a pretty pretty pretty hefty responsibility on their shoulders right but as you sit in this room there's people with a lot of life on them right now. 00:36:17.039 --> 00:37:14.559 And here's what I mean by a lot of life a lot of things going on under the surface a lot of things that we got a lot of thoughts and feelings but maybe not words for yet my wife and I she uh my wife likes to talk and I do not this is about as many words this is about I'm gonna use up all my words today I won't talk again until Wednesday um uh but the Lord is really beginning to work in me and I've learned that that I need I need to process more an external I'm not I'm not an external processor by nature I process things inwardly but I need I need to learn how to process things externally and there's people in this room who have things that are dying to come out and and and God might give you a word for them to speak words of life to them or your neighbor or your kids or somebody at work but I want to give you practical application here. 00:37:14.960 --> 00:38:10.000 Because you look around this room there's complete strangers you can look around it's okay make eye contact with each other make it awkward come on there's complete strangers and then there's what I what I call church strangers it's the folks that you know their face you smile at them you don't even know their name hey brother how are you I'm good but God's better but you have no idea what's going on in their life I grew up in the kind of Baptist church where um there wasn't a signed seating but there was a signed seating let's be honest right my parents uh go to a the a church very similar to that and my parents retired um out to East Texas and my if someone is sitting in the third row from the back on the left side in my mom's seat she is fit to be tied right but mom sits in that same seat and everybody else sits in the same seat and so I'll go to church with them occasionally if I have a Sunday off and I say mom who who is that and she's been going to church for 17 years. 00:38:10.079 --> 00:38:18.000 Those people have been going to church since Jesus was in Sunday school and she has no idea who it is right she knows her name but nothing maybe and that's not just my mom that's that's that's us. 00:38:18.239 --> 00:38:19.039 That's me. 00:38:19.280 --> 00:38:34.320 I'm one of the pastors here and I don't know some of your names can I say that out loud I didn't mean that um I did so here here's what we're gonna do in just a minute is um I'm gonna give you an opportunity to be a blessing. 00:38:35.440 --> 00:38:36.320 You can't leave. 00:38:36.400 --> 00:38:58.880 We're gonna pray in a minute we're gonna close our eyes and they're gonna bar the doors all right here's what we're gonna do right now Clyde's gonna come up if you if you haven't been to Grand Park way in a while you've never been here before um we believe uh the best way to have an invitation is to give you space and time and an environment to do business with the Lord. 00:38:59.440 --> 00:41:04.960 And so um Clyde's gonna play and maybe sing a little bit and we just want to give you some space we're finishing early on purpose but we want to give you just a little bit of time to say God what what's what's got my name on it this morning God there's a lot of words today and a lot of implications so Father we ask your Holy Spirit to come and sort and apply God we want to respond we want to be people of the response being people of response looks righteous and it looks like finishing well it looks like trusting you it looks like being a blessing speaking words of life unspoken blessings just an act where no one knows and no credits given maybe in reality the first three add up to the fourth because our chief end is to love you to serve you to worship you make us people of the chief end we love you we pray in your name amen to ask you to stand and I'm gonna say a blessing over you put your hands out like this you are sons and daughters of God the God who means what he says who has imparted upon you righteousness his Holy Spirit the ability to finish well and the charge to be a blessing let's live like it in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit Amen