WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:08.220 Good morning, everyone. Merry Christmas. Wow, that's good. That's good. For those of you who 00:00:08.220 --> 00:00:12.780 don't know me, I'm one of the pastors here. My name's Chris. It's just exciting to just have 00:00:12.780 --> 00:00:17.900 all of you here. If you've got kids with you and they're a little bit rowdy, again, we have the 00:00:17.900 --> 00:00:22.740 room through there. If you are an adult and you're a little bit rowdy, you can also go through there 00:00:22.740 --> 00:00:29.160 afterwards as well. It's Christmas time. I found the one red thing in my wardrobe, 00:00:29.160 --> 00:00:34.619 which is a tie. I hope you like it. I don't normally wear a tie, but today is, yes, thank you. 00:00:35.579 --> 00:00:46.820 Thank you. I have a friend called Dorothy. She's 94 years old. She lived through the Second World War. 00:00:48.100 --> 00:00:56.760 She, just before the World War started, she got engaged to her fiancé, but he then just got called 00:00:56.759 --> 00:01:07.400 up to fly bombers over France and Germany. One day, my friend's fiancé didn't return from one of his 00:01:07.400 --> 00:01:19.519 flights. He got shot down over France. Dorothy waited. She waited. There was no sign, no sound of anything. 00:01:19.519 --> 00:01:26.780 One week, two weeks, three weeks, four weeks, five weeks, six weeks, seven weeks, nothing. And you know 00:01:26.780 --> 00:01:32.359 when you're waiting for something, you have no idea what's happening. Isn't that just like the worst thing? 00:01:33.640 --> 00:01:43.379 Just the worst thing. All she had was to hold on to was some hope and a faith in God. 00:01:43.379 --> 00:01:53.979 At the eighth week, she received a telegram. They had telegrams in those days. It had one word on it, 00:01:55.119 --> 00:02:05.280 safe, safe. That one word, that one telegram changed her whole world, changed the way she was thinking 00:02:05.280 --> 00:02:10.379 about life. Because what she didn't know during that time while she was waiting, that he'd actually 00:02:10.379 --> 00:02:16.259 parachuted out of the plane. He'd been hidden by French resistance fighters, and they'd smuggled him 00:02:16.259 --> 00:02:21.400 all the way back into the UK, and it had taken two months for that to happen. But she didn't know that 00:02:21.400 --> 00:02:32.019 until she received that word, safe. As we think about the Christmas story today, we've been looking at a 00:02:32.019 --> 00:02:35.840 few different characters. We've looked at Mary. We've looked at Elizabeth. And now we're going to look at 00:02:35.840 --> 00:02:41.379 this guy called Simeon today. Because the Christmas story is actually all about waiting. 00:02:42.340 --> 00:02:46.980 It's all about waiting. And this guy, Simeon, you know, he's got a long beard because he's been 00:02:46.980 --> 00:02:54.699 waiting a long time. Okay? Eric has also been waiting a long time, if you see the size of his beard. 00:02:54.699 --> 00:03:04.759 But he's a good Jew. And he's been coming year after year to the temple. And he's been waiting, 00:03:05.219 --> 00:03:10.319 not maybe waiting for what you're waiting for, but waiting for the consolation of Israel. 00:03:11.179 --> 00:03:16.919 And when you hear the word consolation, it means that you've been going, if you need consolation, 00:03:17.139 --> 00:03:22.679 it means you've been going through difficulty, trial, struggle, challenge. You need someone to comfort 00:03:22.680 --> 00:03:32.719 you. And this people, Israel, had been living in a state of survival, not thriving. They had constant 00:03:32.719 --> 00:03:38.480 pressure from foreign bosses, foreign leaders who'd imposed their will on the people, and he didn't 00:03:38.480 --> 00:03:48.180 care about them. Israel was surviving, not thriving. And I heard this poem by a guy called Merwin, 00:03:48.180 --> 00:03:55.960 W.S. Merwin, that goes like this. It says, on the door, it says what to do to survive. But we were not 00:03:55.960 --> 00:04:06.700 born to survive, only to live. We were not born to survive, only to live. And Simeon was looking 00:04:06.700 --> 00:04:12.719 forward to the time when his people would be able to live. They'd be able to thrive. He was looking for 00:04:12.719 --> 00:04:20.100 what the Bible word is, salvation. And Simeon actually has many similarities to us, because 00:04:20.100 --> 00:04:23.699 though this is a couple of thousand years ago, we're still the same, because many of us are 00:04:23.699 --> 00:04:31.180 waiting for things. Who here is waiting for anything in your life? Okay, a few of you. Okay, 00:04:31.339 --> 00:04:36.740 some of you, those of you who didn't put your hand up are probably in denial. Okay. But you know, 00:04:36.800 --> 00:04:40.819 we're waiting, we're waiting for change. We're waiting for Christmas, waiting for Christmas to be over. 00:04:41.339 --> 00:04:45.879 We're waiting, some of, if you've got kids, you know, you're waiting, you're waiting for a break. 00:04:46.159 --> 00:04:49.719 Maybe you're waiting for your kids to start sleeping. Maybe you're waiting for your kids to 00:04:49.719 --> 00:04:54.339 leave home. Maybe you're waiting for your spouse to forgive you. Maybe you're waiting for a break. 00:04:54.500 --> 00:04:58.819 Maybe you're waiting, I don't know what you're waiting for, but you're waiting for something. 00:05:00.959 --> 00:05:07.839 And waiting can get difficult for us. Because I don't know about you, but we can get stressed 00:05:07.860 --> 00:05:10.740 while we're waiting. Anyone get stressed while you're waiting for stuff? 00:05:10.819 --> 00:05:12.699 Okay, someone's hand shot right out there. 00:05:13.040 --> 00:05:13.300 Okay? 00:05:15.019 --> 00:05:17.500 Because, you know, you get sick and you don't know what it is. 00:05:17.540 --> 00:05:19.879 And you go to the doctor and they say, oh, we're not sure what it is. 00:05:20.279 --> 00:05:25.680 And if you knew what was wrong with you, even if they said you're going to die tomorrow, 00:05:25.759 --> 00:05:28.500 that would be better than just not knowing. 00:05:29.339 --> 00:05:32.519 Because we struggle with waiting, with uncertainty. 00:05:32.879 --> 00:05:37.560 Because ultimately, when we're waiting for stuff, it shows we're not in control of life. 00:05:38.500 --> 00:05:40.100 We're not in control of life. 00:05:40.819 --> 00:05:47.420 And the salvation that we are looking for is ultimately found outside of ourselves. 00:05:48.560 --> 00:05:51.339 It's found out not from inside. 00:05:51.680 --> 00:05:57.240 Because we stress and we feel restless when our life is out of control, is out of our hands. 00:05:58.860 --> 00:06:01.539 And I talk to many people here in Hong Kong. 00:06:01.860 --> 00:06:06.259 And we're all trying to stay in control of our lives, just trying to get stuff done. 00:06:06.680 --> 00:06:09.039 And we just say, I'm just surviving. 00:06:09.040 --> 00:06:10.800 There's so much pressure. 00:06:10.939 --> 00:06:11.980 There's so much expectations. 00:06:12.379 --> 00:06:17.020 We're trying to cram all this stuff into our lives every day in case we miss out on stuff. 00:06:17.080 --> 00:06:25.340 And we're often waiting anxiously for the thing that's going to happen that's going to really help our lives to start working, for us to live. 00:06:25.339 --> 00:06:30.939 But the Bible says, and this story says, you weren't made to survive. 00:06:31.739 --> 00:06:33.060 You were made to live. 00:06:33.060 --> 00:06:40.160 And Simeon, he's been waiting restlessly for all this time. 00:06:40.220 --> 00:06:42.639 And then one day, he goes into the temple. 00:06:43.480 --> 00:06:49.620 Like every other day, he'd seen hundreds of people coming through with their babies, going to dedicate them in the temple. 00:06:49.620 --> 00:06:52.920 He'd seen all these different things happening. 00:06:53.040 --> 00:06:55.800 But then this day, he sees something different. 00:06:57.040 --> 00:07:03.939 He sees one poor couple from an outlying area which no one cared about. 00:07:04.180 --> 00:07:06.680 It was like the Shem Shopo of Israel. 00:07:07.180 --> 00:07:07.800 It was Galilee. 00:07:07.800 --> 00:07:09.240 They came from there. 00:07:10.400 --> 00:07:15.020 And the Holy Spirit says to him, that couple's, you need to go to them. 00:07:16.460 --> 00:07:18.480 And so Simeon walks up to this couple. 00:07:18.620 --> 00:07:24.040 And somehow, he manages to persuade Mary to give his baby to this guy. 00:07:24.160 --> 00:07:28.780 I mean, it must have been a nice grandfather kind of figure for him to actually allow him to hold Jesus. 00:07:30.540 --> 00:07:34.600 And in one moment, his world changes. 00:07:34.600 --> 00:07:43.260 His one moment, because he says then, from a time of waiting, he says, now I can die in peace. 00:07:44.660 --> 00:07:46.340 I have peace now. 00:07:46.480 --> 00:07:53.280 You can dismiss your servant in peace, he says, because my eyes have seen your salvation. 00:07:53.439 --> 00:07:54.879 If you could just put it on the slide. 00:07:57.260 --> 00:08:00.220 My eyes have seen your salvation. 00:08:02.160 --> 00:08:02.360 Okay? 00:08:02.360 --> 00:08:04.639 Simeon, he hasn't seen the end of the story. 00:08:04.759 --> 00:08:06.860 He hasn't seen everything work out for him. 00:08:07.020 --> 00:08:10.240 He hasn't seen the whole of all that he's been waiting for come to pass. 00:08:10.439 --> 00:08:13.040 But he can right now say, I have peace. 00:08:13.180 --> 00:08:14.040 I can be content. 00:08:14.240 --> 00:08:15.180 Even if I die. 00:08:15.319 --> 00:08:17.420 Even if I achieve nothing else in this life. 00:08:17.540 --> 00:08:18.480 I have peace. 00:08:19.660 --> 00:08:21.280 That's a pretty strong statement. 00:08:23.220 --> 00:08:24.720 I don't know in your waiting. 00:08:24.720 --> 00:08:30.520 Can you say, I can have contentment right now, even while I'm waiting? 00:08:33.240 --> 00:08:39.160 Because do you notice, he says, my eyes have seen your salvation. 00:08:39.159 --> 00:08:43.000 He doesn't say, my eyes have seen my salvation. 00:08:44.219 --> 00:08:50.819 Because we all have our own ideas of what salvation, what things we need to make our lives thrive are. 00:08:51.399 --> 00:08:52.559 We all have our own ideas. 00:08:53.279 --> 00:08:58.939 You know, we just say, if I just get blank, then I'll be happy. 00:08:59.500 --> 00:08:59.740 Okay? 00:08:59.980 --> 00:09:01.179 Fill in the blank for yourself. 00:09:01.179 --> 00:09:04.479 If I just get that bonus, then I'll be happy. 00:09:04.719 --> 00:09:07.939 If I just get that relationship, then I'll be happy. 00:09:08.120 --> 00:09:11.759 If I just get some peace and quiet, then I'll be happy. 00:09:12.899 --> 00:09:18.099 That's what our salvation, that we think will make our life thrive, is. 00:09:20.479 --> 00:09:27.339 But the problem is, if you're waiting for that thing, and you get it, let's say you want a new bonus. 00:09:28.159 --> 00:09:30.219 So you get your new bonus, and then what happens? 00:09:30.960 --> 00:09:35.600 The next year, you're like, if I get a bigger bonus, then I'll be happy. 00:09:36.060 --> 00:09:36.360 Right? 00:09:36.840 --> 00:09:39.420 Or whatever it is you're waiting for, you just want the next thing. 00:09:39.480 --> 00:09:41.379 And then once you get it, you want the next thing. 00:09:41.420 --> 00:09:45.100 And then you're waiting for something else, and waiting for something else, and then waiting for something else. 00:09:47.740 --> 00:09:49.639 And again, you're surviving, not thriving. 00:09:51.500 --> 00:09:53.899 And if you don't get what you're waiting for, then you're just miserable. 00:09:54.740 --> 00:09:55.100 Right? 00:09:55.399 --> 00:09:55.720 Complaining. 00:09:55.720 --> 00:10:04.360 But this passage says, in this stressful world where there's so much uncertainty in life, Simeon says, 00:10:04.460 --> 00:10:07.720 my eyes have seen your salvation. 00:10:07.720 --> 00:10:10.660 That's God's salvation. 00:10:12.100 --> 00:10:19.240 He's saying, God has given salvation, not necessarily what I think I need, but actually what God knows that I need. 00:10:19.700 --> 00:10:20.680 Right now. 00:10:21.460 --> 00:10:22.779 Right in my life. 00:10:22.779 --> 00:10:33.679 And if he's God, and if there is a God, don't you think he knows what you need to thrive more than you do? 00:10:35.860 --> 00:10:38.419 Don't you think he knows you better than you do? 00:10:38.419 --> 00:10:39.419 Don't you think he knows you better than you do? 00:10:39.419 --> 00:10:40.419 Don't you think he knows you better than you do? 00:10:40.419 --> 00:10:44.759 And so when Simeon says, my eyes have seen your salvation, what does he see? 00:10:45.959 --> 00:10:46.759 What does he see? 00:10:49.000 --> 00:10:50.360 He sees Jesus. 00:10:51.259 --> 00:10:54.099 As a baby, but he sees Jesus in front of him. 00:10:55.659 --> 00:11:04.099 And Jesus is that telegram from God which says, safe to us today. 00:11:04.100 --> 00:11:09.519 Regardless of whether you get everything you're waiting for or not, it says you're safe. 00:11:11.019 --> 00:11:12.480 Now just think about that. 00:11:12.700 --> 00:11:21.460 If Jesus is God's salvation for us today, if the story of Jesus is just a fairy tale, 00:11:22.960 --> 00:11:28.540 then I could just be talking about Santa up here and it would make actually no relevance at all to your life. 00:11:28.539 --> 00:11:34.379 I might as well talk about the fairies and whatever because it's no relevance. 00:11:34.620 --> 00:11:43.319 But if Jesus is truly God's salvation to us, that means the God who created the whole universe, 00:11:43.799 --> 00:11:47.679 who is the source of everything that you really desire right now, 00:11:47.799 --> 00:11:53.179 who is in control of your past, your present, your future, everything that you're waiting for right now, 00:11:53.179 --> 00:12:00.620 He loves you and He has come down to you and me. 00:12:02.939 --> 00:12:11.699 And He's come to give Himself to us in this crazy city so that we might thrive in life today. 00:12:11.700 --> 00:12:20.420 You see, He offers Himself to you and me in relationship with us. 00:12:20.879 --> 00:12:23.879 Because if He's actually in control and He actually loves you, 00:12:24.660 --> 00:12:28.560 and you're in relationship with Him, then you can have peace in your waiting 00:12:28.560 --> 00:12:32.500 because your life is not out of control because He's in control. 00:12:35.440 --> 00:12:38.080 Augustine, the great Christian thinker, he said once this, he said, 00:12:38.080 --> 00:12:46.900 You have made us for Yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it finds rest in You. 00:12:47.960 --> 00:12:52.060 Our heart is restless until it finds rest in You. 00:12:53.240 --> 00:12:57.680 I wonder if you have rest, peace, you're thriving today. 00:12:57.679 --> 00:13:04.819 Because Christmas is ultimately about this gift of Jesus who will grow up to die on a cross 00:13:04.819 --> 00:13:08.579 to bring us peace with God and peace with each other 00:13:08.579 --> 00:13:13.299 and peace even while you're waiting for whatever you're waiting for right now. 00:13:15.959 --> 00:13:16.959 He's got you. 00:13:18.759 --> 00:13:19.739 He's got you. 00:13:19.919 --> 00:13:22.179 So do you see the offer of what He's giving? 00:13:22.179 --> 00:13:25.539 You see, it was Christmas. 00:13:26.939 --> 00:13:28.679 A number of years ago, I was in the UK. 00:13:29.239 --> 00:13:31.739 My family were all around giving presents to each other. 00:13:32.879 --> 00:13:36.199 My aunt takes out a beautifully wrapped present, 00:13:36.799 --> 00:13:38.519 hands it to one of my relatives. 00:13:39.799 --> 00:13:42.219 My relative opens it and then says, 00:13:43.659 --> 00:13:45.339 Oh, I don't really want it. 00:13:45.399 --> 00:13:46.199 You can have it back. 00:13:47.599 --> 00:13:48.240 She's going, 00:13:49.039 --> 00:13:51.799 You're not supposed to say that, right? 00:13:52.179 --> 00:13:53.279 That's just offensive. 00:13:54.259 --> 00:13:55.419 I don't know if you do that. 00:13:55.799 --> 00:13:57.479 But I was shocked. 00:13:58.779 --> 00:14:04.959 And the reason I was shocked because I know my aunt has spent time and love and effort 00:14:04.959 --> 00:14:08.120 thinking about that present and then it was just kind of thrown back in the face. 00:14:09.799 --> 00:14:13.919 And you know, normally we're not kind of quite that direct as my relative. 00:14:14.959 --> 00:14:17.479 But we think the same things, right? 00:14:17.799 --> 00:14:20.339 Sometimes someone gives you, you know, that pair of socks 00:14:20.340 --> 00:14:25.040 and you're looking at everybody else who's getting those beautiful, you know, the new iPhone over there and everything. 00:14:25.360 --> 00:14:25.940 And you're going, 00:14:26.220 --> 00:14:28.660 Thank you so much for this, but I really wish I had that. 00:14:29.519 --> 00:14:29.720 Right? 00:14:29.840 --> 00:14:31.060 But you don't tell them that. 00:14:33.360 --> 00:14:36.259 That's actually exactly the way we treat God most of the time. 00:14:36.259 --> 00:14:42.620 Except God actually knows your heart and what we're thinking. 00:14:43.899 --> 00:14:49.179 You see, when God gives this gift of Jesus to us and says, 00:14:49.379 --> 00:14:54.340 This is what you need to thrive, a relationship with me, a relationship with Jesus. 00:14:54.740 --> 00:14:56.659 And sometimes we say, Hey, thanks. 00:14:56.700 --> 00:14:57.600 I don't really want it. 00:14:57.600 --> 00:15:03.460 But often what we're saying is, Oh, thanks for Jesus at Christmas. 00:15:03.659 --> 00:15:07.960 But actually what I really want is I wish I had their life over there, not my life. 00:15:08.500 --> 00:15:10.860 I'm staying in Hong Kong and they're going skiing in Japan. 00:15:11.040 --> 00:15:11.639 It's not fair. 00:15:11.779 --> 00:15:12.700 But thank you, Jesus. 00:15:15.200 --> 00:15:18.800 We say things like, I want those kids, not my kids. 00:15:19.379 --> 00:15:21.440 I want that job, not my job. 00:15:22.379 --> 00:15:23.040 Don't we? 00:15:23.039 --> 00:15:29.500 And we look at everything else that's around and we miss what God says your salvation is today. 00:15:30.000 --> 00:15:31.819 That to really make you thrive. 00:15:32.480 --> 00:15:34.439 Which is that relationship with Jesus. 00:15:37.319 --> 00:15:42.399 And that's often why we're actually in restless survival mode in most of our Hong Kong lives. 00:15:43.219 --> 00:15:48.500 Because we're continually chasing after things which are never going to truly find you peace. 00:15:48.659 --> 00:15:50.639 When we were made to rest in Jesus. 00:15:50.639 --> 00:15:53.480 That's the gift of Christmas. 00:15:55.299 --> 00:16:01.100 And Jesus says, I am your salvation right today, 24th of December, 2017. 00:16:02.199 --> 00:16:02.919 Treasure me. 00:16:04.000 --> 00:16:06.460 Do you treasure a relationship with me? 00:16:07.699 --> 00:16:12.220 Pursue me with everything you have and what you will find is you will find life. 00:16:12.220 --> 00:16:20.960 You know, you only treasure a gift if you really know that you need it or you want it. 00:16:21.360 --> 00:16:21.660 Right? 00:16:22.860 --> 00:16:26.259 I used to get socks every single Christmas. 00:16:28.100 --> 00:16:30.100 I hated getting socks. 00:16:30.100 --> 00:16:36.940 I never understood why anybody would ever consider giving anybody socks. 00:16:39.720 --> 00:16:41.560 Because my mum bought those for me. 00:16:41.659 --> 00:16:42.899 Why did I need any more? 00:16:42.899 --> 00:16:53.319 And yet, when I got older, and I had holes in all of my socks, and I don't like shopping. 00:16:54.759 --> 00:17:01.559 When somebody gave me a pair of socks, I was like, I have never been so happy to find a pair of socks. 00:17:01.559 --> 00:17:16.720 If you know your needs for Jesus, that you are restless, that you are in survival mode, you are just getting through, just getting by in life, surviving. 00:17:16.720 --> 00:17:25.240 Whether you are a Christian or not, this Christmas, God says to you, I want you to pursue me. 00:17:27.019 --> 00:17:29.160 Surrender the control of your life to me. 00:17:29.460 --> 00:17:35.360 Ask me for forgiveness for when you have actually been looking at everywhere else rather than me. 00:17:36.720 --> 00:17:43.480 You've grieved me by the way that you're just running after everything else, and you don't see, I want to give you myself this Christmas. 00:17:44.339 --> 00:17:45.400 Do you want me? 00:17:45.400 --> 00:17:47.300 Do you want me? 00:17:48.780 --> 00:17:53.320 He says, if you pray this Christmas, take my life. 00:17:53.700 --> 00:17:55.700 2018, I want to live for you. 00:17:55.800 --> 00:17:56.640 I want you. 00:17:57.440 --> 00:17:59.100 I want to know you. 00:17:59.720 --> 00:18:01.759 More than I've ever known you before. 00:18:03.560 --> 00:18:11.400 Whether you give me everything that I'm waiting for, or whether you don't, you are what I need to thrive this year. 00:18:11.400 --> 00:18:20.320 Because if God, Jesus himself is not enough for you, nothing else will ever be enough for you. 00:18:20.319 --> 00:18:27.639 If Jesus himself is not enough for you, then nothing else will ever be enough for you either. 00:18:27.640 --> 00:18:35.120 So if you turn to him this Christmas, what you'll discover is this. 00:18:35.119 --> 00:18:42.399 If you're fresh again and again, whether you're a Christian or not, on the door it says what you need to do to survive. 00:18:43.039 --> 00:18:47.279 But you weren't born to survive, only to live. 00:18:47.279 --> 00:18:51.099 That's the offer of Jesus this Christmas to you. 00:18:52.180 --> 00:18:53.000 Let's pray. 00:18:53.000 --> 00:19:01.920 Father, I don't know where we're all up to in our lives. 00:19:01.920 --> 00:19:08.000 Some of us are Christians who, we kind of know the Christmas story. 00:19:09.160 --> 00:19:10.200 We know Jesus. 00:19:11.440 --> 00:19:18.560 We do the, we see you as just a kind of good moral figure that we want to kind of get some good morals about. 00:19:19.279 --> 00:19:20.840 But we don't treasure you. 00:19:20.839 --> 00:19:34.379 I pray this Christmas we would see that it has cost you so much to give this gift of Jesus that we would not grieve you by treating that lightly. 00:19:35.659 --> 00:19:44.099 I pray that you'd help us to see how beautiful you are, how much you love us, how much you desire a deepened relationship with us. 00:19:44.720 --> 00:19:46.359 Let us pursue you this year. 00:19:46.359 --> 00:19:59.059 Lord, for those of us who don't know you, Lord, I pray that we would see all the things that we're chasing after, waiting for, longing for, that actually, in the light of you, those are never going to satisfy. 00:19:59.240 --> 00:20:02.479 They're never going to bring rest and peace as you offer. 00:20:03.519 --> 00:20:05.419 Help us to turn to you today. 00:20:06.439 --> 00:20:07.419 In Jesus' name. 00:20:08.259 --> 00:20:08.559 Amen.