If Your Heart Feels Empty This Christmas, Watch This | Jonathan Evans Sermon

He's in the temple in the spirit. Most people come to church in the flesh, which is why they leave with what they came in with themselves. >> They leave with no comfort, no encouragement, no edification, no silence, will go back to the exact same drama without the glasses on because they came in the flesh.

Therefore, they leave with the flesh. They didn't come in the temple in the SPIRIT BECAUSE THE GIFT OF GOD IS HERE. THE PRESENCE OF GOD IS HERE, BUT EVERYONE doesn't get to hold it because they didn't come into the temple. They didn't come into the sanctuary expecting, submitted, and ready in the spirit to receive.

People come to church or watch it online for their senses to be tickled. They come to church TO SEE WHAT SONGS ARE GOING TO BE SUNG, TO SEE WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN ON THE STAGE, TO SEE WHAT IS GOING TO be the illustration this week. They're not coming.

They're coming for a certain parking spot and a certain seat for a certain song, a certain preacher, and a certain message. So then that's what they leave with. YOU LEAVE JUST WITH a song. YOU LEAVE JUST WITH TALKING. YOU LEAVE JUST WITH A PERSON AND YOU DON'T LEAVE WITH JESUS CHRIST.

BOXES ARE FULL UNDER your tree. You're empty because IT'S THE PRESENCE OF GOD THAT WE'RE HERE FOR. WE'RE NOT HERE FOR ANY OTHER noun other than the presence of God. It is about your presence. We pray Lord that the cloud will just fill the temple. >> That we would be consumed >> with who you are. >> This is not emotionalism.

This is us thinking about what he's done. It's called gratitude. Heavenly Father, teach us today as we worship you. As we're grateful for what you have done, >> remind us that you are the gift. Help us not to open a bunch of boxes and still be empty. >> Because it is all about your presence. >> We give you the glory for today.

And the people of God said, >> in Jesus name, amen, >> keep on standing. Keep on standing. The reading of God's word. God bless you for the reading of God's word found in Luke chapter 2. Luke 2 25-30. Once you scroll there, turn there, push there, say amen. >> Amen.

This is what the word of the Lord says. It says, "And there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. And this man was righteous and devout, looking 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 Christ.

And he came in the spirit into the temple. And when the parents brought in the child Jesus to carry out for him the customs of the law, then he took him into his arms and blessed God and said, "Now Lord, you are releasing your bondervant to depart in peace according to your word.

For my eyes have seen your salvation." >> Today I want to talk to you from the title Simeon's gift. >> Simeon's gift. You may be seated. Lord, may the meditations of my heart and the words of my mouth be acceptable to you in Jesus' name. Amen. >> In our family around Christmas, we have a sibling draw where my me and my three siblings, we put all of our names in a hat and we shake up the hat a little bit and then we pull names out of the hat because whatever name you pull, that is the person that's responsible to get you your gift.

And out of all the siblings, there's one particular name everybody want to pull >> because we got one of us who is has the reputation of a supreme giftgiver. He goes by the name of Anthony Evans Jr. When Anthony Evans Jr. gets you a gift, he changed your whole life.

That is his reputation. That's what he does. I mean, he is very thoughtful. HE KNOWS WHAT you need and it shows up at your door. When I pull Priscilla's name out of the hat, I'm like, "Yeah, yeah." WHEN I PULL CRYSTAL'S NAME OUT OF THE HAT, I'm like, "Okay, thank you, sis."

But really, what I want is I want to pull that name out of the hat and see Anthony Evans Jr. on it because I KNOW MY WHOLE WORLD GOING TO BE DIFFERENT. Throughout life when my dad would come over and you know my dad is simple. He would come over and sometimes he would just randomly have on some fuzzy Gucci slippers.

We know Anthony got them. IF CRYSTAL GOT OUT OF THE CAR AND SHE JUST HAD this large bag that was just, you know, a life-changing bag, Louis Vuitton or something. Crystal said she don't want all that. Anthony got that. My kids know, they call him by the name of Uncle Nini and they say, "Uncle Nene, my dad keeps saying no to me.

They want a PlayStation or they want something, you know, that I'm like, "No, we not doing that. They asking for extra." And I'm like, "No, we're not doing that." They they slip past me and call Uncle Nin. And Uncle Nino will say, "What's the problem? My dad keeps saying no."

He said, "Don't worry about your daddy. I'm his big brother." And all the sudden all manner of boxes will just start showing up at the door because Uncle Nini has a reputation that from him will come impressive gifts. In this story today, Luke pulls Simeon's name out of the hat because Simeon has a reputation THAT WHEN IT'S ABOUT Simeon and Simeon is in the story, there's going to come a great gift from this dude.

This dude has a reputation and his reputation is made evident in verse 25 when it says this in verse 25. It says, "And there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon." Watch this. And the man was righteous and devout. In other words, it's letting you know that the person's name that we pulled from the hat and that Luke pulls from the hat has a certain reputation.

This dude you can trust. This dude, WHEN HE BRINGS something to the table, you know it's going to be well thought through because he is righteous and he is devout. Righteous has to do with your right standing with God. Devout in the classical Greek actually means that he's cautious.

Cautiously reverent or careful to do the WILL OF GOD. THIS DUDE HAS an exemplary life. He is not wishy-washy. He is not fickle. He is not lukewarm. HE IS NOT DOUBLE-MINDED. HE IS NOT A 67 type of guy. If you don't know what that means, don't worry about it.

We multigenerational. I got to talk to everybody. He is not back and forth on his relationship. He is a steadfast dude. The reason why that is important is because Luke pulls his name out of the hat so that through him he can let you know what the gift is.

LUKE'S POINT IS TO TRY TO LET YOU KNOW WHO THIS baby is. And he uses Simeon's character so that you can trust what Simeon's holding. In other words, he's trying to let you know that this baby is the son of God, GOD HIMSELF. HE'S TRYING to communicate that this baby is the anointed one, the Christ, the Messiah, the deliverer, the savior, THE ONE THAT SCRIPTURE SPEAKS OF THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE OLD TESTAMENT. this baby is the one.

But I cannot prove that unless I'm doing it THROUGH THE CONDUIT OF GOOD CHARACTER. In other words, it would be hard for Luke to pull someone's name out of the HAT THAT DOESN'T POSSESS the right character to promote the Christ. >> I wonder why our community still at Christmas is ill is still empty of Christ.

Maybe it's because the people in the temple aren't worthy of having their name pulled out of the hat because they don't possess the right character in order to promote the Christ. We've got to be a kingdom church that IS FULL OF KINGDOM DISCIPLES WHO are about the kingdom to the degree where people run into the greatest gift, Jesus Christ.

We shouldn't repel people from it. Our lives should be in such a way that we bring people to it. Our names should be the type OF NAMES THAT GOD HIMSELF WANTS TO PULL OUT OF THE HAT for his purposes. One of the greatest testimonies in my life is one that I wasn't even expecting.

I had a friend in college named Justin Krooks. Justin Krooks. We played ball together at Baylor University. And after we graduated in 2004, we did not speak for 10 years. We were just friends. You know how it is when college is over. You move on. He went to his city, I went to my city. as many of our friends did and we did not keep in touch.

But in 2014, 10 years later, he randomly send me sent me an email in December. And the email said, Jonathan, I just wanted to let you know that I just accepted Christ for the first time. And so I I got that email and I was impressed. I was like, whoa, Crooks, that's what I'm talking about.

That's great. And I continued to read the email. He said, "I I wanted to send you this email specifically because I remember in the locker room watching you and thinking it must be possible. >> The only reason I accepted Christ is because I saw the transformation in your life that made me believe that this is worthy for my life."

Some of us are planting seeds that don't grow. We've said it before. How do we have all these churches and all these corners with all these people and all these congregants with all these youth groups and all these conferences and all these preachers with all these songs and we still have all of this mess?

Maybe there is a character issue with those who are in the temple and their names are not worthy to be pulled from the hat to promote Jesus Christ. Our lives matter. Some people don't read the word, but they should when they watch you live >> because you're a disciple of Jesus Christ.

Simeon is is righteous and devout. He is worthy of the calling in this passage for which he has been called. Many of us are asking God for a calling that our character can't carry. >> We want a kingdom raise, but our Christian character doesn't qualify us for it.

Ephesians 4:1 tells us, "Walk in a manner that is worthy of the calling in which you have been called." It matter. Your influence matters. Your life matters. And as I think about my mom, one day I want to hear what she heard. >> Well done, >> my good and faithful servant. >> Well done. because seeds that are planted, the influence on Two Daddy's life when he first got saved by men who were consistent and then him passing that to his children.

The only reason I'm here today, the only reason we can have last week is because there were two men that I never met who got to Twatty. Two Daddy got to my father. My father got to me. It became generational. And those two men who lived an exemplary life and their names were pulled from the hat and God chose to use them to be an impact to my grandfather.

They don't even know who I am. They don't even know I exist because they were in a different generation. But when they saw God, God knew that that seed that was planted would proliferate for generations. And God could trust to pull their names from the hats >> because they live a life that promotes his kingdom.

And so Simeon, we can trust. Luke said you can trust Simeon cuz that dude is about to show up with a gift that's going to change your whole life. It says that this is the reputation that Simeon has. He is a righteous man who is devout. And because he is righteous and devout, it says to us that he went shopping. >> Yeah.

In this season of Christmas for Simeon, it was Christmas for him. Why? Because Jesus was born and he was about to be holding Jesus. He went shopping. He went to North Park and he was looking for a store called the consolation. >> Well, not North Park. He went to Redbird.

How about that? Just give us about two more years. He was looking for the consolation of Israel. In other words, he he pulled out the catalog for Christmas and started looking for what was necessary for what the people needed to be the gift. Since he is the trusted one in the passage that Luke has trusted in order to give the gift, he's the one who went shopping and looking.

He had been looking for what? The consolation of Israel. The consolation there means the pariclesis. He was looking for the pariclesis. The pariclesus says, "I'm looking for the one that will bring comfort. I'm looking for the one that will bring encouragement. I'm looking for the one that will edify the people.

I'm looking for the one that will bring solace. I'm looking for the one who is a change maker, a miracle worker, a transformer." He went looking for the pariclesis. That's who he was looking for. Why was he looking for a comforter? Why was he looking for someone who can encourage and edify and bring solace to the people?

Because the people needed a certain gift. And Simeon is a great giftgiver. His name was pulled from the hat. And a great giftgiver knows what you need. Even if you don't know you need it, they show up with stuff and you like, I didn't I this is exactly what I need.

So when Simeon went looking, he was looking for the pariclesis because he knew what the people needed. How did he know what they were what they needed? Well, because he's living amongst the people who were in the promised land living under Roman oppression. >> Yeah. >> See, these people were living in the promised land, but they were living as oppressed people. >> They were living under Roman governance.

This is why in the New Testament, you'll see places like Galilee and Capernaum and Jerusalem and Bethlehem. These are all places that are in the promise. But in the same New Testament scriptures that you'll be reading, you'll see names like Herod Antipus and Herod the Great and Pontis Pilate.

These are Roman governor leaders who are ruling in the promised land based on Roman law. So the people were an oppressed people. There would be Roman soldiers that were walking around letting them know that they had been conquered. There were high taxes, which means they were brought into poverty because of the taxation, which is why in the New Testament, they didn't like tax collectors.

See, all of this is starting to make sense. When Jesus says, "Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, but give to God what belongs to God." It's because the people were in Roman oppression. And so in Roman oppression, Simeon, who is a great giftgiver, is looking for the pariclesis.

He's looking for the only one who can bring comfort in an oppressed state. He's looking for the only one who is really the change maker when you're experiencing hard times. Even if your circumstances don't change, if we can just get the paraclesis, we can be changed within our circumstances.

I'm trying to let you know this Christmas the gift that you really need. I DON'T WANT YOU TO OPEN a bunch of empty uh full boxes and you still be empty >> because you don't have the pariclesis, but you got a bunch of stuff. >> Simeon is saying what you need in this season is the pariclesis who is the Messiah, Jesus Christ, >> who has come to give you victory and has come to save your soul. >> They were expecting this and we should be too.

We just prayed for those who need the pariclesis because of grief. They need the pariclesis this season because of discomfort, because of depression and anxiety. There are those that celebrate Christmas with families. Then there are those that celebrate Christmas totally alone. >> And they need the same thing that Simeon is bringing to the table, which is the pariclesis, Jesus the Christ, the son of the living God. >> That's what he went looking for. >> So what should you be looking for?

Well, let me tell you why Simeon's gift was something that he could bring to the table. Because it lets you know what was upon him. Just look what was upon Simeon. Looking for the consolation of Israel and the Holy Spirit was upon him. Okay. Many people are not looking for the right thing >> because the Holy Spirit is not upon them. >> They're looking, but they're looking in the flesh and not the spirit. >> The Holy Spirit's job is to reveal what you can't see. >> The Holy Spirit's job was was to give Simeon eyes that he did not have.

The Holy Spirit's job was to bring him into contact with that which he did not know. The Bible says the Holy Spirit's job is to search all things of God and give it to you. >> THAT IS THE JOB OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. And the Holy Spirit was upon Simeon, which is why he was looking for the pariclesis and that he is a righteous and devout man.

If you say the verse backwards, you'll understand how he was this type of dude. cuz the Holy Spirit people um who claim they have the spirit but their life is the opposite >> of righteous and devout. In other words, they have the spirit in claim but they have no fruit. >> 85% of America makes the claim that they're Christian.

Meanwhile, they're living any old kind of way. >> No conscience. The Lord is not chasening them. The Bible says God chasens those whom he loves. >> They just out there in church making claims. I am not the judge in the jury. All I'm saying is that your card is questionable because by the spirit, he was looking by the spirit.

He was righteous and devout because he had the spirit. So if you are claiming salvation, claiming you have the spirit, but there is no righteousness found in you, I'm not saying I'm the judge. I'm just saying you need to check. This individual says the spirit was upon him.

And watch because the spirit was upon him, verse 26 says what was revealed. Verse 26 says, "And it became revealed to him by the >> Oh my goodness. >> He shops totally different." Watch lives totally different than most people live >> because he's getting revelation by the spirit. >> By the spirit of God, he's lives.

By the spirit of God, he looks. So by the spirit of God, he finds. He's getting revelation by the spirit. This Christmas, I probably am going to go see Avatar if I have time. That movie is 3 hours and 30 minutes. Take up your whole day. And I'm going to go see it in IMAX 3D.

That means there's going to be the surround sound, the the good picture, big screen, plush couches. I'm going to make sure I have the full experience. 3D means though, if you go in there for the full experience, but you don't have the glasses, You'll be in the room.

You'll hear the sound, but the picture will not be revealed to you because you don't have the proper things that you need in order to receive the picture. MANY PEOPLE COME TO CHURCH, they get IMAX, but they miss the 3D. They live a 2D life because they get the sound, they got the screens, they get the stage, they sit in THE SEATS, BUT IT'S NOT REVEALED TO them because they're not in the spirit.

And until you get in the spirit, you will be have to be satisfied with A 2D LIFE WHEN YOU'RE SUPPOSED to have a 3D abundant experience in Christ. Simeon was a different TYPE OF SHOPPER, A DIFFERENT TYPE OF dude in Christmas because he came in the spirit. >> Let me show you that many of us are coming into IMAX 3D >> and we leave the glasses somewhere else. >> Things change in our life >> and we're not asking for revelation from the spirit. >> Yeah.

When we have to move from this place to this place, this job to this job, this state to this state, and things get uncomfortable in the flesh, we just have all of these questions and we're hyper annoyed that all of these circumstances are changing in my life. But we never say, "Lord, what are you teaching me? >> What are you trying to show me?

Why are you moving me in this direction?" We'll be in arguments in our marriage and in the flesh. We just talking about how bad things are and we're thinking about it this way and that way, but we never put on our glasses to say, you know what, Ephesians 6 says, OUR FIGHT IS REALLY NOT AGAINST YOU.

It's actually against the the spiritual forces of wickedness, the spiritual forces of heaven in heavenly PLACES. THIS IS A WHOLE DIFFERENT BALLGAME. WE TYPICALLY DON'T LIVE LIFE letting the spirit reveal. >> We have a lot of questions, but we come into IMAX 3D without the glasses. It tells you this Simeon shopped totally different in the season because it was revealed to him by the spirit.

The spirit was upon him >> and watch how he came into the temple. Verse 27. Somebody read that. Don't even go past the semicolon. >> And he came in the >> That is the third time. >> Yeah. in Simeon's gift Christmas story that you run again into the spirit, >> which is why he would be the one in the temple that holds the Christ. >> Oh, you don't. >> People come to church, he's in the temple in the spirit. >> Most people come to church in the flesh. >> Which is why they leave with what they came in with themselves.

They leave with no comfort, no encouragement, no edification, no silence. Will go back to the exact same drama without the glasses on because they came in the flesh. Therefore, they leave with the flesh. They didn't come in the temple in the spirit. BECAUSE THE GIFT OF GOD IS HERE.

THE PRESENCE OF GOD IS HERE, BUT EVERYONE DOESN'T GET TO hold it >> because they didn't come into the temple. They didn't come into the sanctuary expecting, submitted, and ready in the spirit to receive. People come to church or watch it online >> for their senses to be tickled. >> THEY COME TO CHURCH TO SEE WHAT SONGS ARE GOING TO BE SUNG, TO SEE WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN ON THE STAGE, TO SEE WHAT IS GOING TO BE THE ILLUSTRATION this week. >> THEY'RE NOT COMING.

THEY'RE COMING for a certain parking spot and a certain seat for a certain song, a certain preacher and a certain message. So then that's what they leave with. YOU LEAVE JUST WITH A SONG. YOU LEAVE JUST WITH TALKING. YOU LEAVE JUST WITH A PERSON. AND YOU DON'T LEAVE WITH JESUS CHRIST.

BOXES ARE FULL UNDER your tree. You're empty >> because it's THE PRESENCE OF GOD THAT WE'RE HERE FOR. WE'RE NOT HERE FOR ANY OTHER noun other than the presence of God. Well, many are looking for the wrong gift because they're living in the flesh and not in the spirit.

So, let me give you practical thing you can do to live life in the spirit. >> You simply ask the question, Lord, what is it you need and want? >> Lord, why do you have me here? Lord, what do you want to reveal to me this Sunday? Lord, how do you want to use me?

Lord, how do you want me to use my business to impact the kingdom versus just make money? You're not going to get a well done, my good and faithful servant just cuz you got bread. God don't care about that. He created trees. If you're not asking questions, Lord, why do you have me here?

Why am I coming? Why did I just get in this accident? Why did my life just become very inconvenienced? Why Lord, what are you what what kind of pers consider it joy when you face various trials knowing that the Lord is producing some? What are you Lord are you trying to produce in me?

What are you trying TO SHOW? SEE, WE DON'T ASK THOSE QUESTIONS. WE JUST GET annoyed in the flesh. >> So because WE'RE ANNOYED IN THE FLESH, WE ARE NOT PUTTING on the revelation of the spirit. So, we're living life grounded with full empty boxes. >> Full boxes, empty hearts, >> because all you can see is what's happening in the natural. >> We're looking for money that's going to run out.

We're looking for relationships that are just going to get hard. >> We're looking for significance that fades away. >> In the culture, we're looking for all types of other gifts. We looking for presidents, new city council members. We looking for new policies, new Supreme Court rulings. We looking for all of that.

And while all of that has its place, Simeon says this Christmas, you can get all that, but if you don't get the pariclesis, you will not find your comfort in what the government does. You will not find your comfort in what these people do, what those places do, hoping your boss does this.

You are living in the flesh. You better get a revelation by the spirit. Which means God, WHAT ARE YOU SHOWING me so that I can receive the true comfort, encouragement, and edification and solace that I need to keep going? >> I need more than this flesh stuff. It has its place.

But I need the revelation in the spirit. >> Simon came into the temple in the spirit because his name was pulled from the hat. He's righteous and devout. He's looking for the consolation. It's the spirit is upon him in the same way because by the spirit this Christmas he's looking for the right thing. >> He's thinking the right way. >> Okay.

He's looking for the right thing. He's thinking the right way >> because it's by the spirit. Yeah, >> he has a yearning watch that people who have the spirit should have. >> He's looking for one thing. >> In oppression, >> everyone hurting by the spirit. It is revealed to him.

I know what I need. I need the presence of God >> in my life, family, and my children. >> What he got was the consolation of Israel. >> Watch the first coming as a baby for Christmas. What they were hoping for was not Jesus just to come and change hearts, new covenant.

They were hoping that Jesus would change everything. >> Their hope was that Jesus would get these Roman soldiers out of here. >> They had a hope that when he comes, he would come and set all things right. What they got is what we all needed, salvation. That's why there is a second coming >> because in the first coming there was not a full completion of what the Bible says the Messiah would do. >> In the first coming souls were saved because they could not obey the law on the outside.

So Jeremiah 31 says he will write the law on your heart on the inside and remember your sins no more. Thank you, Lord, for the first coming of Christmas where we can be saved and have victory and have hope. But those who have received the spirit are still yearning for the coming. >> Just like Simeon was yearning for the coming and got the first coming, if you have the spirit, you are not thinking, I hope Jesus waits so I can do more of what I want to do.

Oh, >> well, he can come, but I need to start my business first. I've been waiting. I >> Oh, you're still down here. >> You don't understand the pariclesis. >> Because if you understand the pariclesis, every Christian who has the spirit is looking for the consolation. They're looking for the one who comes and will set all things straight. >> We don't know what's coming. >> That's why we love this world. >> You see, some people have been abused so long that they will beg for the abuse because they become comfortable with it.

We've been abused so long that we will hold off Jesus Christ because we've been comfortable with the abuse. So, we'll hold off the total righteousness of God. Do we not understand as those who have the spirit that when he comes and he sets up on Mount Zion in the city of David, a government will rest on his shoulders?

Righteousness will reign. He will rule with a rod of iron. All kings in Russia, all kings in China, all kings in America, ALL KINGS ALL OVER THE EARTH WILL HAVE TO SUBMIT and bow down EVERYTHING. HE GOING TO SHUT DOWN EVERYTHING. You need to know that when he comes, he's going to wipe every tear from your eye.

SICKNESS GOES AWAY. DARKNESS IS ERADICATED. THE LION WILL LAY NEXT TO THE LAMB. THINGS ARE GOING TO BE SO SAFE THAT THE BIBLE SAYS YOUR CHILDREN WILL BE ABLE TO PLAY IN THE VIPER'S DEN. And you trying to hold off his coming? >> He's taking us back to Eden to his original intent with an upgrade cuz he gets rid of the enemy. >> SIMEON IS SHOWING US HOW YOU LOOK.

YOU LOOK BY THE SPIRIT. AND IF YOU HAVE THE SPIRIT OF GOD, YOU DON'T WANT IT TO HOLD OFF. YOU SAY, "COME ON, JESUS. We are ready for you to set everything straight. WE GIVE YOU GLORY FOR YOUR FIRST COMING, BUT COME ON, SARAH, AND SET EVERYTHING right in your second coming." and Simeon.

You see, all of those who have the revelation of the spirit >> and who understand that the full completion of all things comes through Jesus the Christ, we are not grounded trying to hold Jesus off so we can accomplish few a few more things in this world that abuses us.

In this world that has us oppressed in sin and oppressed in addiction and oppressed in marital struggle and depressed in divorce and depressed in uh wayward children and depressed in all of these things, we put on our glasses and we say, "Come now, Lord." And until you do, reveal to me where to go and where to be and how to think and how to talk and how to be married and how to raise my children and how to go to work and how to start the business and how to come into the temple of the Lord. >> Don't waste your time shopping for the wrong thing.

You don't get a well done, my good and faithful servant, because you did a good job in your abuse. >> You do by living by the spirit. Walk by the spirit so that you don't carry out the desires of the flesh. Well, Simeon had the spirit. >> And um some of my Bible thumpers are thinking, why are you doing a sermon on Christmas that has a lot to do with the spirit when the spirit really didn't show up till Acts >> two? >> The spirit pastor, cuz I am a game day analyst of your sermons. shows up in Acts two. >> No, >> the spirit been on the scene since there's a scene to be on.

That's why the Bible says in Genesis 1:2, the spirit of God hovered over the face of the deep. That's why the Bible says in Exodus 14 that the spirit split the Red Sea. That's why the Bible says in Numbers 11 that the spirit that was upon Moses fell on the 70 elders.

That's why the Bible says in Judges 6 that the spirit fell upon Gideon. That's why the Bible says in 1st Samuel 16:13 that when David was anointed, THE SPIRIT OF GOD FELL ON DAVID. HE'S BEEN SHOWING UP SINCE THE BEGINNING because he IS FROM THE BEGINNING BEFORE THE BEGINNING.

AND BY THE SPIRIT YOU RECEIVE Jesus the Christ. IT IS BY THE SPIRIT OF GOD THAT CHRISTMAS was received. IT IS BY THE SPIRIT OF GOD THAT WE LIVE AND EXPERIENCE the pariclesis, the comfort of God, if it will be revealed because we walk in him. >> It is the spirit of God. >> And he's been on the scene. >> And anytime the spirit is on the scene, salvation shows up. >> This is why Simeon is the one in the temple holding Jesus. because it's the spirit.

And then in verse 28, it says that he's holding Jesus Christ. >> It is the spirit of God. The spirit of God reveals Jesus Christ not just for your salvation, but for the pariclesis of your life. It continues to reveal in the scriptures because the Bible says the spirit leads you and guides you in truth.

The Bible says the spirit is your comforter. The Bible says the spirit illuminates the word of God. He brings up things because he searches all things. So by the spirit you receive Jesus Christ not just for your salvation but for you to walk through the grief of your Christmas. >> So Simeon is holding the baby Jesus and he wasn't alone in the temple.

The temple didn't belong to Simeon. >> He was holding Jesus. >> He was in the spirit. >> Because he was in the spirit, he was holding Jesus. >> And it says that he blessed God. Oh, okay. >> I know y'all installed me last week, but it's too much in here, man.

This it's >> in the spirit. >> He got Jesus. >> When he's in the spirit and got Jesus, then he blessed God. This is this is the greatest Christmas I have read. This dude is in the spirit and now he's holding Jesus. >> He has THE PRESENCE OF GOD BECAUSE HE'S in the spirit.

So, he's holding Jesus. And then HE TURNED AND BLESSED GOD. >> Which tells you how IT WORKS >> BECAUSE JOHN 15:26 LETS YOU KNOW THAT THE SPIRIT'S JOB IS TO BRING GLORY TO THE SON, >> TO BEAR WITNESS TO THE SON. THE SON'S JOB IS to glorify the father.

So you have him in the spirit. He holds the son. The son gets HIM TO GLORIFY THE FATHER. SO THIS CHRISTMAS HE HAD A FULL EXPERIENCE OF GOD. >> What do you need this Christmas? >> Well, you need Simeon's gift. >> You need by the spirit to hold the pariclesis the presence of God.

So that the spirit is the comforter, Jesus is the consoler, and you get the creator. And that's all of them all the time. >> Don't open a bunch of boxes >> and leave with an empty heart. >> You need one thing and one thing alone. It is Jesus the Christ, >> the son of the living God >> that gives us salvation, comfort, consolation, >> and all things will be made new when he comes again.

And until then, we live by the spirit so that Christmas is not a season, it's a life. May God bless the church of Jesus Christ, >> Oakliff Bible Fellowship, this kingdom community >> to have a Christmas that actually has us full >> even >> when we are oppressed. >> That comes through Jesus Christ.

Let's stand to our feet. God bless you.