Luke 2:22-52 // The Beginning of the Good News // Part 4 (12:30 pm)

What do you do in the space between when God speaks to you and when he fulfills what he speaks? I call it the messy middle. It's between this prophetic word that you got in this private private space that that turned your heart. It's between that and and when life starts happening, but you haven't seen the manifestation of that prophecy yet. It's between when you prayed about it and when the actual breakthrough happens. What do you do in that messy middle? The reason it's important to answer this question of why Luke is talking to us is because in that space is where your faith is actually tested. [00:51:16] (45 seconds)  #MessyMiddle

It's not when you first get the word and everybody is full of faith when they get the word and it's in front of them, But when you can't see the end and you're too far from the beginning, what do we do? This is often where either we grow as believers or we drift away. A lot of people are lost in this messy middle. So Luke chapter two, we're starting at verse 22 and we're gonna wake work our way all the way to verse 52. In these verses, Luke is gonna show us people who are in that middle and it's gonna provide us with answers, keys, patterns, a process to get through that messy middle. You with me? Alright. [00:52:01] (55 seconds)  #GrowInTheMiddle

But the revelation is they brought turtle doves, they brought pigeons, but they also brought the lamb and didn't even realize it. So if you're looking closely though, Luke shows us in verse 22, verse 23, and 24 what they were there doing, why they were there. Verse 22, as required by the law of Moses. Verse 23, as it is written in the law of the Lord. Verse 24, they offered the sacrifice required in the law of the Lord. Luke is emphasizing something. Mary and Joseph were doing what was written and what God already said. [00:55:49] (44 seconds)  #ObedientToTheLaw

But what we don't see and what I want us to get is the principle is obedience is one of those things that we do in between the prophecy and the promise. We go back to what God has already said. We don't make anything up. We don't try to figure it out. We just say, well, God, you told me to obey you in this way and I'm a do it. God is calling us to obey what is clear. Here's an example. [00:57:55] (32 seconds)  #ObedienceInWaiting

The word of God says very clearly to forgive. The word of God says very clearly that we are to love even our enemies. The word of God says very clear that if we have an ought or a problem with one of our brothers, someone we know, and we had a big old check for $25,000 that we were gonna bring in the church. Jason says bring the check. Okay. Bring the check. But the law the word says, put your gift down. Go get it straight with your brother. Yes. Have an offering. [00:58:27] (40 seconds)  #PrioritizeReconciliation

But what God says, I want your heart not to be filled with bitterness. The position of your heart is more important than you writing a check or giving an offering. The position of your heart, the character is more important than anything you could give because we can't beat God giving anyway. Amen. Everything is his already, so we're not doing him any favors. He's saying, I wanna change you, so obey me in what I've already told you. We obey what is written. We obey what is clear. [00:59:07] (33 seconds)  #HeartOverOffering

But here's the difference between Simeon and everybody else that was also waiting on this comfort. The scripture says, the holy spirit was upon him. The difference that that makes is the holy spirit gives you discernment to be able to tell the real from the fake. Here's why that's important. In that context, historically, know this. There were several people around that same time who claimed to be the Messiah. It was several groups of people that claimed to have revelation and they had come to to bring this revolution to take Rome out of power. [01:02:46] (45 seconds)  #SpiritGivesDiscernment

Several false messiahs, but the holy spirit was upon Simeon. So he was able to wait it out because the holy spirit said, not yet. The holy spirit was able to tell him, don't get excited. That is not the comfort you're looking for. So let's keep looking. Not only was the holy spirit upon him, but in verse 26, the holy spirit revealed something to him that he would not die until he had seen the lord's messiah. The holy spirit not only was upon him, but the Holy Spirit was guiding him, was promising him, was speaking to him. [01:03:32] (46 seconds)  #SpiritRevealedPromise