In the scripture we read today, there are two very elderly figures, a grandfather named Simeon and a grandmother named Anna. However, their lives are completely different. Both are faithful believers, but Simeon is a man who lives very well. He is powerful, a man, and thus, from a worldly perspective, he has nothing to be envious of.
On the other hand, Anna is a widow. She became a widow at a very young age and lived as a widow for 84 years. She was from a humble background that was not recognized by society, which means her life must have been quite difficult. If we calculate her age, she is over 100 years old. She lived that long. But the commonality between these two people is that they were waiting for the Messiah. They were waiting for the Messiah.
You might think, "Isn't it natural to wait for the Messiah?" But waiting for the Messiah was not easy in their situation. This is because Malachi is the last prophet, and after Malachi, the people waited for 400 years for the Messiah. The Messiah did not come for 400 years. So, it is easy to think, "Why would the Messiah come to us?" It is understandable. After waiting for 400 years, would it really happen if I wait? Yes. This thought, that it would not happen to them because they waited for 400 years, was something that occupied their minds. Waiting was not easy.
Moreover, they were getting older. As they aged, it seemed even more impossible. Could I meet the Messiah? Right? Additionally, there were societal and cultural thoughts among the people of Israel. If someone said, "I am waiting for the Messiah," others would think, "Isn't that person strange?" Especially in Simeon's case, everyone around him was living well. But when the Messiah comes, they do not know how their lives will change. So, when the Messiah actually came, they rejected Jesus. This is because they did not want a Messiah who would disturb their comfortable lives.
In such an atmosphere, when I say I am waiting for the Messiah, I am not recognized by others. In Anna's case, it was even more difficult. She could have gone out to work and take care of her living, but instead, she stayed in the temple waiting for the Messiah. People might have thought, "Isn't that woman a fanatic?" It is easy to see it that way, isn't it? Even nowadays, it can be like that. So, waiting for the Messiah is not easy. It seems impossible for such people. Yes. Waiting is truly not easy.
Especially in Anna's case, if she is indeed over 100 years old, the mathematical calculation of how many years she has been a widow and at what age she got married could yield various ages. But still, she waits for the Messiah in the temple.
You know, after getting sick, I didn't realize how big our church is. I didn't know our church building was this large. After the first service, I go to my room to rest, and to get here, I need to rest four times. So, wherever I go, there are chairs. Today, I am out of breath, so I need to rest four times. Just thinking about how elderly people come to church to worship, especially after the service when they go to the distant cafeteria, yes, they need consideration. Truly. You really need to consider them. I can't go there. It's too hard for me to get there. Yes. I may not be that old, but yes. And waiting, waiting. Yes. How will God work in my life? Will it actually happen? That kind of waiting. When I think about it, the pinnacle of faith seems to be waiting. Living a life of faith is about waiting. You have to wait well. You have to wait well.
But our lives are the same. No matter how busy we are, a baby must be carried for 10 months to be born healthy, right? All of this, not just in faith, but also in childbirth and farming, is the same. In farming, if you harvest too early just because you are busy, you won't be able to eat. You have to wait. You have to wait. Construction is the same. No matter how busy you are, if you don't wait for the cement to set and the construction date, it will lead to poor construction. It will collapse later.
Are you waiting well? What do you need to wait for? Is there something urgent for you? Or what are you currently waiting for? Think about it. Is there a young person who is in a hurry to get married? You need to wait well for that too. Yes. Is someone in a hurry to lose weight? You need to lose weight quickly to meet someone well. There are steps to everything. Steps are the same in faith. Are you in a hurry for prayer answers? Some may be in a hurry for church revival, while others may be in a hurry to buy a house. But for us believers, what is important is that we need to wait well. We need to wait well. If you don't wait for rice to cook, it will be undercooked. Yes. Faith is the same.
But it seems that the world is hindering our waiting. In the past, it was called high speed, but now it is ultra-high speed, and it feels like we are falling behind the times while trying to keep up with faith. But do you know this? Our faith is determined by whether we can wait well or not. Do you know why we feel disappointed before God? Why do you feel disappointed in your faith? It's because God doesn't do things quickly, and we feel disappointed. We are impatient, and it feels like God is not in a hurry.
But if you look closely, it seems like I am the only one waiting, right? Not at all. God waits even longer. God waits even longer. Look at the Israelites. They thought they were ready. They kept asking why God didn't let them enter the Promised Land quickly. But God waited for 40 years. Who was He waiting for? He was waiting for the Israelites to change. Because if He let them into the Promised Land too quickly, they would be destroyed in war. God was waiting for those 40 years. Yes. In the case of Abraham, he waited 25 years until he was willing to sacrifice his son. Why? Because Abraham was not ready. He thought he was ready, but he wasn't. Jacob waited 21 years, and Moses waited 80 years. So, while I think I have waited well, in God's timetable, maybe I am still not ready. Yes. Therefore, we must wait well for our faith to grow and for us to be transformed.
Honestly, people do not change with a stick or nagging. Especially mothers and wives do not change people with nagging. Yes. It is only through time and God's work that we are transformed, and God’s waiting time is longer.
So, how should we wait when God waits for us like that? What is the answer to how we should wait? Through today’s scripture, we can see that the sermon title is 'This is How We Should Wait.' You must wait like this. First, you must wait for the comfort that God gives. To put it more strongly, you must pray with the faith that God will surely give you the answer of comfort. Yes. I hope our congregation has this faith. Yes. In the waiting that God has given us, if we wait, He will comfort us. He will surely comfort us. We must wait with that faith.
There is a wealthy man named Dale Carnegie from Carnegie Mellon. He has a very old and faded painting behind him. What is that painting? It is a picture of a boat on a dry river. It is a very sad picture, right? However, when you look at what is written below the painting, you understand. What is written below? It says, "The time of wheat will surely come." This man had confidence that it would happen every time he faced difficulties in business. It will happen. Thinking of that painting, we wait a lot. To wait means that we are currently not satisfied. Right?
Why do you wait? You wait because something is lacking. And you hope that it will come to pass. But if you look closely, it is closer to a hopeful situation than a true hope. Many people wait without any thought. There are many such people. A psychologist named Franklin once had a patient who came to him and said, "Doctor, I can't live like this. I want to die." The doctor asked, "Then why did you come here? Go die." When he said that, the patient replied, "What about my children? What about my business?" So, even though he said he wanted to die without any thought, something was holding him back from dying. He was held back, which is why he didn't die. Isn't that right?
But because he had no thought, he just blurted out that he wanted to die. Right? So, it seems like everyone is thoughtless, but they are all holding onto something. The problem is that for those people, it is a hopeful situation. A hopeful situation. What is different for us believers is that we live with hope. We hold onto hope. They desire something, but it is vague. There is nothing behind it. But living with hope means that we have God. And if God has given us a word, it becomes a certain hope. It is something that must come to pass in my life. Yes. Therefore, it becomes a hope that God will surely comfort me. That is what Simeon and Anna had. They did not have vague hopes. They did not have vague hopes. They had the Word. Because they had the Word of God, they were able to endure with the belief that they would receive comfort.
As they endure, they eventually realize something in their waiting. Do you know what they realize? They come to understand why God made them wait. In the case of Job, he makes a confession. What does Job confess? In Job 23:10, he says, "But he knows the way that I take; when he has tried me, I shall come out as gold." Those who wait with a certain hope realize over time that God is making them like pure gold. So, they are able to shed all their sins and be cleansed to be used by the Lord. This is what God is doing.
In the case of Job, at first, he thought he was truly innocent. He thought there was nothing to repent of. But in the time of waiting, God was shaping him into a masterpiece, making him like pure gold. Yes. Although I am lacking, I feel this as I go through pain. I find things to repent of, things I need to work on, and I want to understand what the Lord's will is. Gradually, I come to realize that becoming like pure gold is like this.
Then, at the end of the book of Job, he makes this confession in Job 42:5: "I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you." This is just like Simeon and Anna. They only heard with their ears. They lived holding onto the promise that the Messiah would come. But eventually, how did they see the Messiah? They saw Him with their eyes. They saw Him with their eyes. Yes. They received comfort.
Luke 2:25 says, "And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon. This man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel." And he received comfort. I want our Yeongrak congregation to have this testimony. "I waited, and through God's response, I experienced comfort." While waiting, I experienced being made like pure gold, and now I want to say, "I see the Lord with my own eyes."
But I feel like I haven't reached that point yet. I feel like I haven't reached that point yet. For several weeks now, I have been continuously preaching about Emmanuel. You have been hearing it repeatedly. "Experience the Lord's presence. Living in the Lord's presence is so good." I have been preaching this for several weeks. Yes. But to say, "I see the Lord with my physical eyes" seems to be another experience. It seems to be another experience.
Yes. But the important thing is that Simeon and Anna saw Him and had to see Him because they had the Word, and in Luke 2:26, it says, "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." Right, everyone?
But we need to think about the comfort that Simeon received. We need to think about what we are waiting for. What are we waiting for? Simeon was a very successful person and politically high-ranking. What do politicians usually expect? It is easy to expect that our country will be liberated and that we will live well. This is called the Messianic Age. The Israelites wanted a Messianic Age. The Messianic Age means that our country will be liberated, and we will live well, and I will also live well on this land. It is easy to dream of that Messianic Age, but Simeon did not want that. What he wanted was the Messiah. He wanted the Messiah, which means he was looking for someone to serve as a king. He was looking for someone to serve as a king, to live according to His words, and to be a loyal servant to Him. He wanted to follow that person, whatever His will might be. That is what Simeon wanted. Yes. He achieved that.
It is the same for us. Regardless of what you want or hope for, you need to think about whether you want the Messianic Age or the Messiah. You need to distinguish this. It is good to have what I want according to my desires, to eat well, to live well, and for my children to be healthy. Is that the ultimate goal? Or do I want to serve God, who is the King, and desire God's kingdom? You need to think about this.
But Simeon was able to see through that and conveyed the right message to his parents. His parents might have thought, "Wow, our son might become a king soon." Yes. They could have hoped for the Messianic Age. But Simeon accurately pointed out who that person was. In Luke 2:34, Simeon blessed them. I don't know if Simeon's blessing was truly a blessing. He told Mary, his mother, "Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign which will be spoken against." In other words, Jesus would live a life full of reproach. He would be spoken against and would ultimately bear the cross.
But he calls this a blessing. Anyway, he says, "And a sword will pierce through your own soul also, so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed." He prophesies that Jesus will reveal the sinful nature of many people's hearts, causing them to suffer and leading them to decide to crucify Him.
The reason Simeon could make such a prophecy is that he wanted the Messiah, and because he wanted the Messiah, he could see the path that God wanted. That path is that there is no comfort without the cross. If there is no path of suffering for Jesus Christ, there can be no true comfort.
So, we need to think. Now we wait. The Word of God has come to me. And in that waiting, because of the Word, we endure. But you need to think about why you are waiting. Yes. You need to consider whether your waiting is for the sake of living well or whether you are waiting to serve the King, who is the Messiah. Of course, God will comfort our shortcomings. However, we need to wait more in line with God's will. So that we can come out like pure gold and ultimately see the Lord with our own eyes, I hope you all receive that comfort.
But this is not easy. It is not easy. Our hearts keep leaning toward the world. What I desire tends to lean toward worldly things. Therefore, what we need is, second, to receive the guidance of the Holy Spirit. We need to receive the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Yes. As I mentioned earlier, Simeon was an extraordinary person. Now, he has become the president of the Sanhedrin. Being the president of the Sanhedrin is like being the president of the country. When someone reaches such a position, they often have ambitions. They think they can do whatever they want with the country. They think they can do whatever they want religiously as well. Simeon could have thought that the nagging of the Holy Spirit was bothersome. He might have thought he could do things his way.
However, in Luke 2:25, it says, "And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon. This man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel." The important thing is that the Holy Spirit was upon him. The Holy Spirit was with him. While the Holy Spirit was with him, he lived by the guidance of the Holy Spirit, saying in Luke 2:26 that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ. This is what we should hope for. We must live by the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Otherwise, everything becomes confusing. Even when meditating on the Word, it can be confusing. We must always be alert and receive the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
But do you know why we cannot receive the guidance of the Holy Spirit? We need to receive the guidance of the Holy Spirit, but the reason we cannot is in the verse we read earlier. The reason this man could receive the guidance of the Holy Spirit is that he lived righteously and devoutly. The Holy Spirit is still with us and guides us. But we do not know because of our sins and our ungodly lives. We cannot distinguish it. We cannot distinguish it. Therefore, we must live a godly life.
But what does it mean to live a godly life? When we were young, we used to sing a gospel song with lyrics that say, "Be careful what your eyes see. Be careful what your eyes see. God above watches lovingly." If you know this gospel song, you are really old. Yes. But the lyrics say to be careful what your eyes see, what your ears hear, what your mouth says, what your hands do, and what your feet do. Living a godly life means how we use our bodies. In short, that is what it means to live a godly life.
This godly life means that the Holy Spirit is already in us. In other words, when we live a godly life, we receive the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and ultimately, we receive comfort. Why? Because when we receive the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we can see. We can see. Right? Honestly, for an ordinary person, it would be hard to recognize Jesus. Why? Because when Jesus was a baby, He did not look like much. Yes. He had just been born, and He was in a state of fleeing. Even though His parents brought Him to the temple to worship and offer sacrifices, they were poor. When they offered a pair of doves, it indicated their poverty. Seeing that poor baby, Simeon recognized Him. He saw that this was the Messiah. This was the Messiah. This ability to recognize Him was only possible through the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
You know, understanding the will of the Holy Spirit is never easy. Especially in my case, I still might not have let go of my stubbornness, but I still ask God questions. "God, should I live or die?" When I hear bad news, I ask that question again. The bad news is that fluid has started to accumulate in my abdomen. I used to think that when I visited someone whose abdomen was swollen, it meant they were nearing the end. But now, fluid is accumulating in my abdomen. Yes. I don't look like someone with fluid accumulation. Yes. Honestly, I am receiving hospice care, and I have never seen a hospice patient who walks around preaching. Yes. It is amazing. So, when I hear such news, I ask God again, "God, will I live or die?" In the morning, when I wake up, I meditate on the Bible. I opened the Bible, and the first verse was from Matthew 20. These days, we have been studying the book of Matthew in our life group. When I opened it, the beginning was about the kingdom of heaven. So, I closed it. "Ah, I am going to die." [Laughter] It talks about going to heaven, so I thought God was telling me to prepare for death. So, I spent the whole day thinking about what it means to prepare for death.
As I was meditating on it, God was telling me, "You have been talking about the kingdom of God lately." Yes, I have been talking about the kingdom of God. Right? We need to embrace many people for the kingdom of God, and I explain the concept of the kingdom of God. Right? We need to expand the kingdom of God, and I preach about that.
Ah, the kingdom of heaven is the kingdom of God. The kingdom of heaven that is being talked about here is not about working after death. The kingdom of God is about expanding the kingdom of God on this earth. I realized that this is not just about going to heaven. So, is God telling me I will live or die? I ask that question again. Right? I don't know whether I will live or die, but it is hard to deal with. Even as a pastor, I ask God, "What is Your will?" He makes me pray and meditate, and I find it amusing how God works. Yes. How is it that there are always two answers? Yes. I feel a mix of emotions, and I live like that.
But what does a pastor's house need? It needs the guidance of the Holy Spirit. But I am still in that stage. Scientifically, I know I am gradually moving toward the other side. I know that. But still, receiving the guidance of the Holy Spirit is not easy. We need to live a life that is consistently alert to receive guidance. But the important thing is that we must remember to be future-oriented while waiting and receiving the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
However, it is easy to think that this verse is not future-oriented. Because look at verse 29: "Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace, according to Your word." He says he can die now because he has met the Messiah. It seems like he really wanted to die because he was so old. So, he says, "God, I can die now." I also want to die like that. Yes. He says, "Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace." It doesn't seem future-oriented; it seems like death is the end.
But why do I say it is future-oriented? Because in verse 30, he says, "For my eyes have seen Your salvation." But if it ends with just him seeing it, it is not future-oriented. But he proclaims that this is the salvation prepared before all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of Your people Israel. He shares this with people. From there, it becomes future-oriented. He conveyed this to the parents. Honestly, the parents had some doubts. They thought, "He might become a king." Yes. They might have thought he would become a king, but they did not fully understand. You know. Yes. Even the siblings later did not acknowledge that He was the Messiah.
But when the shepherds came and proclaimed it, they were confused. He is a king, but what kind of king will he be? How will he live? They were confused. But when Simeon came and said, "This is the light for the Gentiles. He will shine the light for the Gentiles. He is the glory of Israel. He is the Messiah," he gave them a clearer understanding. For Joseph and Mary, and for everyone who heard it, they began to read a new future. Because of that word, they began to see that the one who would serve as the Messiah had come, and now the future of serving the Messiah began.
Therefore, this man's death is not the end but the beginning of the future, and the reason I say it is future-oriented is right there. It is right there. Yes. But the important thing is that Anna is the same. For Anna, it was also the end. It ended with her meeting Jesus. But Anna's meeting was not just her own end. There were many people there, and she met the Messiah and said, "This is Him. We must serve Him as the Messiah," enabling others to live a future-oriented life. So, it is not the end; it is the beginning of a future-oriented life. When we share the gospel, it is not the end. It is not the end.
So, it is the same for me. The gospel I am preaching now is living a future-oriented life. It is not the end. By conveying what I cannot do to you, it becomes future-oriented. And there is something that the parents did not think about. By conveying the suffering and the cross of Jesus Christ, they delivered new news to them. "Ah, my son will walk the path of suffering." So, it is not just about doing well; there is also a path of suffering, which allows them to prepare for the future.
But here is something important. When they are confused, God sends someone to them. When Joseph and Mary are confused, God sends someone to them to give them certainty. We become more certain. "Ah, God has prepared the future for me to be used for this work." So, He sends people.
So, what confuses me is that I think I need to prepare for death. But as I continue to meditate on the Word, I realize it is not that simple. At that moment, some church members send me messages saying, "Pastor, I was meditating on the Word, and it says you will not die." Yes. And they share the same verse I was meditating on. Yes. When they say, "You will live," I am surprised. "How can you say the same thing with the same verse?" But if I go around talking about wanting to die, I might look like someone who is desperate to avoid death. Yes. But when that person received the Word, it was not just one person; it was two people. "No, you will live." So, what should I do? I think, "If God allows me to live, I will prepare for the future."
Of course, people might think, "That won't happen." I might not be able to live. But what is my job? I am waiting for a future-oriented life. If God allows me to live, it is certainly related to missions. I don't need to share that with you, but there is a plan. Or I can say that just by conveying what I have, I have lived a future-oriented life.
But the important thing is that to live a future-oriented life, it is essential that the present is fulfilled. The present must be resolved. Look. In the case of Simeon and Anna, because the present was fulfilled, they could talk about the future. What was fulfilled in the present? They met the Christ. Because they met the Christ in the present, the future-oriented life was connected. If they had not met Him, there would be no need to convey it, no need to challenge others, and no one could live a future-oriented life.
But for Simeon and Anna, the present was that they saw the Messiah. That present was fulfilled. When God fulfills the present, we must be prepared. Ah, we must be ready for what we will do in the future. Therefore, I say that our congregation must wait like this. It is not just about saying, "God, please fulfill it quickly," but rather being prepared when He fulfills it. If God fulfills it, there must be a reason for me to come out like pure gold. Right? It may not just be to go to heaven and live well. There must be a reason for making me come out like pure gold.
So, when the present is fulfilled, we can confess like Job. "I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you." And when others see that the present has been fulfilled, they will decide, "Yes, that person truly sees the Lord."
As I conclude, I want to say that living a life of faith is waiting. You cannot avoid waiting. You must wait for everything. But you must wait properly. When you wait, do not wait vaguely. Wait for God's comfort, and when you wait with the Word that God has given, it becomes hope. I hope you all become saints whose hope is fulfilled. Therefore, indeed, our God is the God who comforts me by fulfilling that hope. I hope that this testimony is with you, regardless of what you are waiting for.
To do this, we must receive the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Of course, it can be confusing. But we must live a life that receives the guidance of the Holy Spirit. To do that, we must live a godly life. We must walk the path guided by the Holy Spirit while waiting. It may be uncertain, but I hope it will be future-oriented. I hope you believe it will be fulfilled and prepare for it. So, while looking at what God has fulfilled in the present, as the future becomes complete, you will realize, "Ah, this is why God is making me come out like pure gold." Now, I have made a confession before God, saying, "I used to hear with my ears, but now I see with my eyes." I hope that your lives will be lives that fulfill such waiting in the name of the Lord.
Amen.
Let us pray. Father God, truly waiting. I see that living a life of faith cannot be done without waiting. Help us to wait well. Do not let us wait in vain. Do not let us dream empty dreams. Help us to wait in Your Word, not wanting the Messianic Age, but wanting the Messiah whom I can serve faithfully. So that our God may respond to that waiting, allowing us to testify that we have received comfort. In that waiting, help us to live a life filled with the Holy Spirit's guidance. So that we may converse with the Holy Spirit within us and deepen our relationship, receiving proper guidance, and preparing our future. May we have a waiting that is future-oriented. Not just vague, but believing that there is a reason for us to come out like pure gold, preparing for the future. Therefore, through experiencing the God who fulfills in our present, may we live a life of faith where we can confess before God, "I used to hear with my ears, but now I see with my eyes." We thank You for today's message and pray in Jesus' name.
Amen.
Amen.