~ December 28, 2014 ~
Have You Seen Jesus
Luke 2: 30-32
30 For mine eyes have seen thy salvation,
31 Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people;
32 A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.
INTRO:
**This text is taken from where Simeon declared what he saw when he looked into the face of Jesus for the first time!
**He then said that this salvation baby was “prepared before the face of all people; 32 A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.”
**Wow! What a statement! Everybody can get see the face of Jesus and get lit up!
**What happens when a baby is born and comes into the room?
1. You will see people Hoping!
(They hope to see the baby and hold the baby.)
2. You will see people Holding!
(They will hold and hug on that baby!)
3. You will see people Helping!
(They want to help the baby and help with the baby.)
**Today we are going to examine three accounts of people seeing Jesus for the first time through The Seekers, The Servant, and The Saint)
**Through this message my hope is that the Holy Ghost will allow you to see Jesus!
**Have You Seen Jesus? I’m going to do my best with the Lord’s help to help you see Jesus today!
BODY – HAVE YOU SEEN JESUS?
I. NOTICE THE SEEKERS
**Let’s look how these Seekers (the wise men) got to see Jesus and what they did when they saw Him.
A. Noticed They Asked
Matthew 2:1-2 behold, there came wise men from the east . . . 2 Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews?
**A good way to get to see Jesus, is to ask to see Jesus!
1. To See Jesus, They Kept Following
a. They followed the Light (the Star)
b. They followed the Lord (the Sovereign)
2. To See Jesus, They Kept Faithful
a. They kept their hearts faithful to the One God
b. They kept their hearts faithful to the One Goal
**If you are going to see Jesus, you must first ask, and then keep following and keep faithful!
B. Notice Their Acts
ACTS – Adoration, Confession, Thanks, and Supplication
1. They Gave Him Presents
a. Gold
- Represented Him as Pure and Precious
b. Frankensense
– Gum of a Tree used in Holy Oil to
Represent Him as the Holy One!
c. Myrrh
- Represented His Sweet Fragrance and His
Sensational Finish
2. They Gave Him Praise
Matthew 2:11 “They saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him:”
**You cannot praise Him until you see Him!
**Have you seen Jesus? What have you given Him?
II. NOTICE THE SERVANT
**In Luke 2:29, Simeon (a just and devout man of God) called himself a servant. He was a servant of God!
A. Simeon saw God’s Spirit
25 And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, . . . and the Holy Ghost was upon him. 26 And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord's Christ.
**After this experience, Simeon had no doubt . . .
1. The Holy Spirit was Real!
2. The Heavenly Son was Revealed!
**You will never see Jesus without encountering the Spirit!
B. Simeon saw God’s Son
27 And he came by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, . . . 28 Then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God
**As soon as Simeon laid eyes on that baby, he knew that . .
1. He had seen the Face of God’s Son
2. He had seen the Favor of God’s Son
**Anybody could have claimed their baby was God’s son.
**Oh but Simeon knew he had laid eyes on God’s son because the Holy Ghost confirmed it!
**Anybody can claim they have seen Jesus, but you can know for sure when the Holy Ghost confirms it!!!
C. Simeon saw God’s Salvation
Luke 2:30 30 For mine eyes have seen thy salvation,
**The salvation Simeon saw that day is the same sweet, simple, saving, and sincere salvation we saw when we saw Jesus come – not in our hands – but into our hearts!
**If you ever really see Jesus, you will see salvation!
III. NOTICE THE SAINT
36 And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser: she was of a great age, and had lived with an husband seven years from her virginity;
37 And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day.
38 And she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem.
**Anna was a dear old widow woman saint of God that Dr. Luke called a prophetess (a woman who proclaims – testifies – and revels what has been hidden – that’s Jesus).
**She walked in when Simeon was holding this baby Jesus, and the Holy Ghost that was on him, got on her!
**We can learn from Anna’s story what it takes in order to get to see Jesus! If you want to see Jesus . . .
A. Live On God’s Pews
Luke 2:37 which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day.
**She got to see Jesus because . . .
1. She kept Waiting on a Pew!
(She was dependable, devoted, dutiful to every service, and God honored that and let her see Jesus!)
**If you’re going to see Jesus, you have got to stay waiting on a pew!
2. She kept Worshipping on a Pew!
**V-37 says she “served God”
**Keep worshipping and serving God, and He will let you see Jesus!
3. She kept Witnessing on a Pew!
**She was a prophetess – one who proclaims and testifies!
**Her Godly Communication and Godly Consistency were a witness every time she sat on a pew!
**Do you want to see Jesus? Live on God’s Pews!
B. Live on God’s Power
**V-37 tells us that she “served God with fastings and prayers night and day.”
1. She Lived by Sacrificing Power
**She served God with fastings and had power with God. In other words, she sacrificed her food in order to serve God and have power with God! What have you sacrificed?
2. She Lived by Supplication Power
**She prayed!
**There’s a reason she and some of your grandmamas and granddaddies had power with God and saw Jesus, and saw God work in their lives!
**It did not come hap-hazardly! It came because they sacrificed and supplicated and stayed on their knees before God!! That’s how you get to see Jesus and God’s power!!
C. Live on God’s Praises
1. She Gave Thanks
38 And she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord **Give the Lord thanks before and after you see Jesus!
2. She Gave Tribute
v-38b and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem.
**The greatest tribute you can give the Lord is to speak of Him to others and testify about seeing Him!
**If you get to see Jesus, you will have to Live on God’s Pews, Live on God’s Power, and Live on God’s Praises!!
CLOSE
1. Everybody who saw Baby Jesus knew they had seen something very special and very spiritual!
2. The Seekers, the Servant, the Saint, and even the Shepherds knew this was Heaven’s Child.
3. So, have you seen Jesus? Have you seen Him and do you know Him as the Son of God and the Salvation of God?
4. Do you want to see Jesus? Then here is how you do it.
A. Like the Seekers – Start Faithfully Asking and Start Faithful Acts – Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, and Supplication
B. Like the Servant – Trust the Holy Ghost and Trust the Holy God and He will reveal Jesus to you!
C. Like the Saint – Live on God’s Pews, Live on God’s Power, and Live on God’s Praises!
5. God will honor your faithfulness and not only let you see Jesus, but God will let you go home with Jesus when He appears again?
**I want to see Jesus in this Century, in this Church, and in the Clouds!
**Will you come and ask God to let you see Jesus?
