Wednesday Night Bible Study
by Billy McCool
October 20, 2021 · First Apostolic Church of Knoxville (Knoxville, TN)
Kind: Bible study
Scripture: Luke 2:25-38, 2 Kings 23:16-18

Source: https://acts238.life/repository/sermons/billy-mccool--wednesday-night-bible-study-111
Published by Acts 2:38 Life from the sermon transcript on that page.
Free to copy and share with attribution.

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praise the lord everyone we greet you tonight in that wonderful name of the lord jesus christ what a joy it is to be back in the house of the lord tonight we greet each one of you in that precious precious name and may i say welcome to everyone uh pastors already welcomed you but i want to add my word to to that to each one of you what a great crowd we've got here for wednesday night bible class and we've changed our format rather than teaching this on sunday morning we're teaching it on wednesday night and tonight's lesson is entitled it will come to pass and i think that's a great lesson a great title as a matter of fact just to think that um for sure and for certain it will come to pass our focus thought i will faithfully wait for god's word to come to pass i will faithfully wait for god's word to come to pass they that wait upon the lord shall renew their strength they shall mound up with wings as eagles they shall run and not be weary they'll walk and not faint god told daniel the thing was true though the time appointed was long sometimes we get in too big a hurry for god we think god hasn't done anything or isn't going to do anything but he's doing something all around us one of the choir songs or praise singer songs indicates that very thing when we don't know you're working you are still working how many of us have prayed for something to happen and it seemed like it was never going to happen and then later on down the road in life you look back and you see where god was working in your behalf and that's important to understand the focused verses uh is part of the entire lesson so we're going to start with the luke chapter 2. starting at verse 25 and we'll we'll end up with verse 40 if we if we make it that far and there's some important things i think we need to give attention to in this lesson and you will understand as we go further verse 25 says and behold there was a man say that with me one time behold there was a man there was a man that jumped out at me when i read that behold there was a man the term the man of god is mentioned 60 times in the bible sometimes it had a family name sometimes it didn't but the important thing was somebody was living a life that was so separated and so important that just to say there was a man you you know he was important because it said there was a man in jerusalem whose name was simeon what do we know about simeon the same man was just devout waiting for the consolation of israel and the holy ghost was upon him now we're learning a whole lot about simeon right here there was a man in jerusalem his name was simeon and the same man was just and devout and he was waiting on the consolation of israel and the holy ghost was upon him if anybody if if anybody could earn a title what a name that would be a man of god on whom was the holy ghost the holy ghost was dwelling on him i want to tell you something it's important today for us to have men of god among us that the holy ghost is welcome in their life the holy ghost is upon them and he was waiting we're going to learn more about him he wasn't in any big hurry because we're going to find out he was an aged man but he was waiting for something and the bible called it the consolation of israel that meant he was waiting on the coming of the messiah all the jews their whole life was built around their belief and their expectation looking forward to the coming of the messiah a deliverer a savior and here was an ancient man that lived all these years waiting for and expecting the consolation of israel and the holy ghost was upon him and it was revealed unto him by the holy ghost we still need men of god that the holy ghost can reveal things to we don't have to read it in the newspaper we don't have to guess it but we have men of god among us who are so dedicated to god that the holy ghost actually reveals things to him and it was revealed unto him by the holy ghost that he should not see death before he had seen the lord's christ what a promise what a promise the holy ghost revealed to him that he was not going to die now the jews had been looking for this for centuries for for hundreds and thousands of years it was prophesied way back by isaiah and other great prophets about the virgin birth the coming of jesus and we dealt with that last wednesday night and and all this was was prophesied and they believed it for you but now then the holy ghost said simeon you're not going to die till you say it you're oh hallelujah we need to be expecting some things that we believe is going to happen in our lifetime you probably heard me tell this um there was a time i didn't go out and get it by a cemetery plot they'd try to sell me a cemetery plot no thank you i'm going up in the rapture and i'm expecting the rapture but you know as years went on by and by i decided i might better buy me a grave plot and i did and i had on the the grave marker out there greenwood cemetery it says be thou faithful unto death and that to me is a promise but also an obligation on my part it's a reminder to me that my life is not over until death comes and i want to be faithful not just for a while but until the death angel comes god reveals things to god's man god reveals things to the man of god let me deal with that for just a moment there was a man in second kings chapter 16 starting verse 16 and as josiah turned himself he spied a sepulchre they were there that was there in the mount and sent and took the bones out of the sepulchres and burned them upon the altar and polluted it according to the word of the lord which the man of god proclaimed would would proclaim and he would proclaim these words now this this man josiah he was a zealot he he was he had great zeal and when he came on the scene he started uh doing away with idolatry and here he was on a trip to the graveyard he promised him he was going to dig up the bones of the false prophets and the idolaters and and burn their bones on their own idol altars and as he was riding in the town with this great uh mission on his mind and he started digging up bones and having them burnt on the their own altars and directly he looked and he saw an unusual grave plot then he said what title is that that i see and the men of that city told him it's the sepulcher of the man of god it didn't tell his name it told nothing about him other than it's the sepulcher of the man of god which came from judah and proclaimed these things that thou hast done against the altar of bethel 300 years prior to this god had sent the word by the man of god that this was going to take place now the people in that city when josiah rode into town and started digging up bones and burning them on the idolaters altars they began they remembered the word that had come down through the years that this was going to happen and god even told the man's name would be josiah and when josiah saw that unusual it's a grave marker it didn't say rest in peace this great honorable politician it didn't say rest in peace this great orator but it just simply said the man of god from jerusalem oh hallelujah don't don't put a bunch of fancy words on the tomb just say the man of god that's good enough for me who is it he's good oh hello give the lord a handclap bobby and i started preaching when we were 11 years old and and many many preachers got the idea of grandeur and that was such a spectacular thing to them uh they gave us names uh we'd get into town and and i'd look and there'd be hand builds on uh the the glass walls of the the the windows of restaurants and also in the newspapers it it would say cyclone bill and tornado bob and one time one preacher said the preaching phenomenons i didn't even know what the word meant i was a phenomenon i didn't even know it oh but let me tell you something twin boy i was called the the miracle boy preachers oh let me tell you something forget the miracle boy business forget cyclone and tornado if you can say here is a man of god that's what we need we don't need a cyclone or a tornado we don't need a spectacular phenomenon we need a man of god that can preach to us the word of the lord his name was simeon but he was a man of god and when they said that sir you don't know it but what you just did this man prophesied was going to take place it on the sepulchre says the man of god which came from judah and proclaimed these things that thou has done against the altars of bethel and he said let him alone and he said let him alone let no man move his bones so they let his bones alone with the bones of the prophet ladies and gentlemen saints of god what we need today is men of god that are so renowned for the fact that they preach the word not because they're spectacular in their community not because they're spectacular politicians but we want to be known for one thing that the holy ghost is on him i want to know is the holy ghost on him i want to know does he know god is able to get in touch with god that's what we're needing a simian to be a man of god on whom the holy ghost dwell well let's go back and he came by the spirit into the temple we're back talking about simeon now and he came by the spirit into the temple and when the parents brought in the child jesus to do for him after the custom of the law then took he him up in his arms and blessed god and said lord now let us thy servant depart in peace according to thy word for mine eyes have seen thy salvation god i've waited i'm an old man others before me looked for the coming of the messiah others looked for the consolation and they believed it but it never happened to them some died having not received that promise but now that you told me that i would not die before us but now that as i hold this little baby in my i'm i'm holding god who is manifest in flesh i'm holding the very god of heaven that's dwelling in this little infant body in my arms what an honor now god just let me die that's all i i'm ready to go i have seen it give the lord another handclap you'll have to excuse my enthusiasm he took him up in his arms and blessed god and said lord now let us thy servant depart in peace according to thy word for mine eyes have seen thy salvation which thou has prepared before the face of all people the lightning now he begins to tell what he's going to do a light to lighten the gentiles and the glory of thy people israel and joseph and his mother marveled at those things which were spoken of him god had already sent his angel gabriel to tell mary that she was going to conceive and bring forth a baby even though she had never known a man and yet she said how can how is this going to happen and so the holy ghost is going to overshadow and now then she is getting they are getting to witness that little baby that god had given them as he was held in the arms of this ancient man of god and began to speak and say bless and simeon bless them and set him to marry his mother behold this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in israel and for a sign which shall be spoken against yea now it's not all going to be fun and games mary there's some things that you're going to have to face you said that you were the holy ghost uh uh the angel gabriel said that you was highly favored of god and you're going to be the the blessed of all women but let me tell you what's going to happen yea a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed what what what is going to be produced from your womb it's going to be very costly for you it's going to be very hurtful for you yes you're highly favored you're blessed of god but mary what's going to happen to you it's going to break your heart it's going to be like a sword piercing through you let me tell you something folks there sometimes god does wonderful great and marvelous things for us but we don't realize that it's going to be a very hurtful thing sometimes sometimes we pay a high price for the moving of god in our lives do you hear what i'm saying so and and sometimes we are not willing we are not willing to pay that price we want the effects and we want the glory we want the we want the crown without the cross we want the pardon but we don't want the price tag we want the the saving grace but we don't want the sword that goes piercing through our soul are we willing to meet god on his terms and take what he says this is what you're going to go through and there was one anna a prophetess the daughter of the newell of the tribe ambassador she was of great age and had lived with a husband seven years from her virginity and she was a widow of about four score and four years which departed not from the temple but served god with fastings and prayers night and day now i'd like for you to notice god chose two old timers to do a great work in their life now simeon was was a was an aged man that had lived long enough to see jesus on the scene and then he said i'm ready to go i can die now because i've seen it anna was a prophetess and she had been a widow for for uh over 40 years she was a widow of about four score 44 years which departed not from the temple now this lady had been married seven years when her husband died but she had lived a widow's life for 44 years and the bible said she did not depart from the temple she stayed at the temple giving herself to fasting and prayer let me say something and maybe i am saying this taking a little bit of liberty being a a little of the aged uh bracket god has a way of using older folks if they will allow him to and all the rest i i just found out i asked hey siri a while ago i wanted to know and siri knows everything and i asked siri what was the average lifespan of the american she said it is slightly over 79 for both men and women over uh almost almost 80. how many in this audience tonight has reached the age of 40 and you're 40 or more raise your hand you're at least 40 at least 40. you may you're at least 40. now would you now you talk about middle age yeah your middle age if you're 40 because half of your life is already gone what have you done with the 40 years you've that means that we need to prove ourselves and live for god every day i've been past that for 45 years already and yet i want you to know i am looking now now simeon saw the first coming of jesus i'm looking for the second coming of jesus and i might not see it with my natural eye but i want you to know i if i don't see it with my natural light i'll see it when gabriel blows his trumpet and the trumpet of god sounds and the dead and christ rise first and then we which are alive and remain shall be quoted together with them in the clouds i want you to see something here first of all you this is not just a funeral message but those that are alive and remain are going to be caught up together with them now the dead will rise first and then they're going up so what kind of body the bible said you're you're foolish to ask such a question because the body that you plant is not the body that's not that's going to come up it's like a seed that you plant i'm paraphrasing now but paul explained this in corinthians it's the seed that you plant is not the seed that comes up if you plant a bean or you plant a grain of corn and in a few weeks from the rain and the the elements are right a little green plant comes up a stalk of corn it's not that green because that grain opens up and out of the heart of that grain a plant comes that that grain stays there and then but god gives it a body and it's got a it's got a new body now this whole body that the plant it's not going to be old it's not going to be stricken with with arthritis and heart trouble and and the weaknesses but god is going to give it a body that pleases him like into his glorious body no praise god so we older folks have got a great responsibility uh but we also have a great privilege of knowing god and experiencing the great things of god okay she was a widow of about four score in four years which departed not from the temple but served god with fastings and prayers night and days and she was coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the lord and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption of in jerusalem uh let me back up now and deal with this the age has a great responsibility and the sad thing is many folks and later in life make a great blunder of their life if you will remember david in his later life committed a great sin with bathsheba but later on when david went out to war he was pinned down by one of of goliath's brothers and was about to be killed and had to be rescued by his nephew obishi david's israel's liberator had become israel's liability david had already spent a great deal of his life defending israel defending the poor and the down and out and he had 600 men traveling with him the bible said everyone that was in debt and discontented and it's read more like rogue's gallery than it did a a band of great warriors but yet they were chosen by david but when david was pinned down and had to be had to be delivered himself he was told by his warriors by his men david you're not going out with us to war anymore and the reason you're not if they if they slay 10 000 of us they'll think nothing of it but they would rather you are worth 10 000 of the rest of us and let me say to you whiteheaded folks out there i want to say something to you elderly folks you and i we may be weak when it comes to our physical strength but we better be strong up here we better have had enough experiences that we can share with the younger folks that is a valuable instrument for them david was more valuable to them as what he had a learned and his knowledge and his wisdom that he was as a warrior and i'll show you an example when david was on his death bed his his blood pressure had fallen they couldn't get him warm he was about to die and they began to pile cover on him and to try to get him warm and they they even stoop to the uh disgraceful attempt to take a young virgin and put him in his bosom thinking that his uh youthful sexuality and his sexual desires would be aroused and he would get some life in him but he got no heat the bible said and during this time his son was about to worship the authority as king and he put himself up as the king and and there was having a a great coronation party and when nathan the prophet came in and and bathsheba they said if you you you better do something you better you better do something because the kingdom is not going to your son solomon like you said but it's it's going to your other son that's ersifing the authority david in his age in firm condition he was unable to get out there and rally the people but remember he was more valuable with what he knew and his wisdom than he was as a slingshot shooting youngster he said go out back get my own mule i called him why it might have been probably it was a white mule because it was a king's mule said go out there and get get my mule that little white mule he said said put the king's bridle on him you know probably had a bridle that had gold trims on had uh k.d king david on it and put all the fixtures on that white mule and set solomon straddling my mule and probably his voice was weak and trembling he couldn't make he couldn't rally he couldn't lead a a a great at a great course of cheerleading but he said put solomon and said lead him down through the town and nathan the prophet said you get out the planet and you lead that that white mule with solomon and says god save the king god's long-lived the king god saved the king and and now then david is in a dying condition the kingdom was just about to go to the wrong person but when they put solomon on that white mule and started leading him down through town you talk about rallying the crowd the crowd began to come out and they began to fall in behind and they began to follow that white mule and they began to fall and the crowd got larger and larger and they begin to rally and they began to cheer god saved the king why whoever's riding the king's mule he's going to be the king well what do you know it's not at a niger it is so god said let me tell you something saint of god you may be hold and infirm you may not can get around like you once did but you've got influence and you've got wisdom if you've allowed god to give you wisdom if you have acquired that if you have applied that i've got an old article i've been carrying around i wrote this article 52 years ago and the voice of pentecost there it is and uh it was published april the 3rd 1969 an article called pastor and profile and i entitled that article spring training let me share it with you spring training is the time of year when the young sportsman goes out to see if he's in shape but it's a time of life when old sportsman goes out to see if he's had it this season when he compares himself with the young talent is he going to admit that he's finished once a superstar but now a has been now i was 52 years younger when i wrote this than i am tonight if he's been wise with his morals and financial investments he can step aside gracefully with respect and admiration but if he's been reckless with his money and morals chances are he will drag on a few more seasons until he becomes a joke and then faces then fades painfully into oblivion so it is with life every person reaches that age when suddenly he realizes that life is half gone and the last half is going much faster than the first some are so foolish as to make a last-ditch effort to regain some pleasure they feel they lost earlier in life some men sulk in the darkened corners of their conscience and convince themselves that they married too young or that the world has failed to see them for the genius they really are those whose faith is shallow become shaken and may frantically make fools of themselves the reckless age of youth is called fools hill but in later life it should be called fools mountain for when a person loses his grip on god he eventually finds himself at the summit of mount folly looking back on green valleys far below and now out of reach solomon looked back on a life of luxury and extravagance and sadly declared i hated life all is vanity and vexation a wise young man became an old fool a man so wealthy yet so morally impoverished solomon had many regrets he wished to be able to erase or alter the ledger but in the words of pilate that which is written is written mr a loving wife may forgive and a permissive neighborhood may overlook but can you forgive yourself or overlook the fact that you blundered the grand finale of your life what a shame to end life symphony on a sour note life long is the list of bible greats who should have ended up in the hall of fame but instead ended up in rogue's gallery david saul sampson and solomon could all easily qualify for stupidity awards saul and samson were perfect specimen of heroic masculinity but both died a suicide when david was stricken in years they brought to him a young and beautiful virgin to lie in his bosom a disgraceful attempt to rekindle a fire that had gone out the record says but the king knew her not i once proud and valiant man now only an empty shell a shadow of his former self solomon's start was like the cloudless dawn of a summer's morning and could have finished in a picturesque golden sunset but instead ended in dismal disappointment thus a life beginning magnificently ended miserably the man who penned and preached a thousand wise things failed to practice the wisdom he taught now let's look at the young intellectual saul of tarsus who gave up a brilliant career in law and politics to pursue heaven's light which beamed across his path on the damascus road from that day on nothing else mattered to paul the apostle born out of due season after spending his years searching for souls while others sought his life paul carries the scars of public scourgings his face is pale from the element of the almost constant imprisonment of his last years would you stand to your feet with us please listen as this old man broken in body but not in spirit performs his swan song his theater is a dingy grey prison he has no supporting actors still standing in the beam of heaven's spotlight he occupies the stage alone saul is about to hang up his uniform about to pass the torch to a younger man look over his beaten back and welk shoulders as a chained hand pens his last letter to young timothy watch paul bring the audience to their feet with the grand performance of his life quote preach the word be instant in season out of season reprove rebuke exhort with all long-suffering and doctrine but watch thou in all things endure afflictions do the work of an evangelist make full proof of thy ministry for i am now ready to be offered at the time of my departure is at hand i have fought a good fight i have finished my course i've kept the faith henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness which the lord the righteous judge shall give me at that day and not to me only but unto all them also that love his appearing father we thank you tonight for the blessed word of god i pray lord that we will be touched to understand that each one of us regardless of our age how young we are we can be a young samuel we can be a young david or for age we can be like the apostle paul and say i have fought a good fight i've finished my course henceforth there's later for me a crown of righteousness and may we here in this audience tonight realize that no matter our age you alone knows how many days we have left and may we use every day with great fervor and great determination and great zeal winning souls for the kingdom of god all this we ask in jesus name amen you're dismissed in the name of the lord