Anna: Serving God in Old Age Part 2

Guest (Female): This is Connect with Skip Heitzig. Thanks for joining us today. Here at Connect with Skip, we're passionate about helping you understand God's word and apply it to your everyday life through clear, practical Bible teaching. That's why we want to invite you to sign up for Pastor Skip's free weekly devotional. You'll receive biblical encouragement, ministry updates, and information about upcoming resources, all delivered right to your inbox. Sign up today at connectwithskip.com. That's connectwithskip.com. Now, here's today's message from Pastor Skip Heitzig.
Skip Heitzig: In verse 37, this woman was a widow of about 84 years who did not depart from the temple but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. Now, that means one of two things. Number one, it means she was 84 years old, or number two, it means she has been a widow since her husband's death for 84 years. Now, if that's the case, if you lean to number two, that means she's a lot older than 84. If the marriageable age for most girls of that time was age 13 or 14 and she was married seven years and then she's a widow for 84, she's 104 or 105 at least. So most modern translations will just give her the age of 84 years old. Either way you want to slice it, she was of a great age. How old are you? A great age. Well, how old is that? It's a great age. It's just a very nice thing. It's a venerable age. And I appreciate this. I appreciate those kind of generalities about age the older I get. Somebody said the great thing about being this old is there's not much peer pressure because you don't have many peers. There are perks. I asked you to raise your hand a minute ago. There are perks to age. I found this, maybe some of you will appreciate the perks of being over 50. You ready? Number one, kidnappers are not very interested in you. Number two, in a hostage situation, you are likely to be released first. Number three, people call at 9:00 PM and ask, "Did I wake you?" Number four, there's nothing left to learn the hard way. Number five, you eat dinner at 4:00 PM. Number six, you enjoy hearing about other people's operations. Number seven, you have a party and the neighbors don't even realize it. Number eight, you quit trying to hold your stomach in no matter who walks into the room. Number nine, you sing along with elevator music. And number 10, your secrets are safe with your friends because they can't remember them either. All the funny business aside, the great point I want to make is that age should never be a barrier to service. You are never too old to be used by God in a very strategic and profitable way. No matter how old you are, you can begin a new walk with God. You can begin a fresh adventure with him. And there are so many examples of people God used at a great age. Abraham and Sarah were told to start a new life when he was 75. He was 100 and she was 90 when they had Isaac. Moses was 80 years old when he was called to be Israel's deliverer. Caleb was 85 years old when he wanted a whole new adventure. "Give me this mountain." Simeon was old as well in this chapter. The apostle John wrote the book of Revelation at the ripe young age of about 99. Then there are other examples, like the playwright George Bernard Shaw, the Irish playwright, 94 years old when one of his plays was first produced. Benjamin Franklin, framer of the Constitution, when he was 81 years of age. I just want to say as a pastor that we need older saints, active and involved. This church needs you for a few reasons why we need you. Number one, your experience. You've got mileage. You've lived out so many experiences that we can glean from. Job chapter 12 says wisdom is with the aged men and with length of days comes understanding. So you have experience. The second thing you have is you have stability. Because you have lived so many experiences, not much rocks your boat. You're stable. The psalmist wrote in Psalm 37, "I was young and now I am old, and I've never seen the righteous forsaken or God's people begging bread." That's stability. You have experience, you have stability, and then the third thing you have probably is you have time. You have time. The responsibilities of raising kids are largely over. And the Bible says concerning those who are aged in Psalm 92, "They shall still bear fruit even in old age." So Anna, she was spiritual and she was venerable. Third, she was single. Luke points that out. She had been a widow after seven years of marriage and she never got remarried. Seven years of a relationship with her husband, I'm guessing he died for whatever reason, in a battle or disease, leaving her bereft, and she never got remarried. Now, it's funny at my age and friends my age, we discuss this. If your spouse died, would you remarry? And the answers are sometimes hilarious. One of my friend's wives, we were talking and she said, "If I died, he'd be remarried in six months." And he was listening. He said, "No, I wouldn't take that long." And I had to say, listen, it took us so long to work on our marriage to get it this good, I just don't have that kind of energy to put in or the effort. I don't have that kind of fight left in me. Let me just say something about singleness. Singleness can be a gift. I want you to think of singleness a little bit differently. Now, I know some of you are single and you're going, "I don't feel that." In Matthew chapter 19, I'll just jog your memory. Remember Jesus talks about marriage and divorce and if you ever divorce your wife for any other reason than the biblical reason, you're going to commit adultery. And the disciples hear what Jesus says in His teaching about marriage and divorce and they say, "If that's the case, it's better to never get married." And Jesus said this: "All cannot accept this saying, but only those to whom it has been given." And that's a very, very important word. "Given" is a word that means to bestow a gift to one's advantage. In other words, being single can be a gift and a calling from God. And I know some of you are hearing that and you're going, "Oh God, please don't give me that calling. Send me to the deepest, darkest jungles of Borneo, but don't give me that calling." If that's how you feel, you probably aren't called. Because I think being single like Anna, it takes a gift from God, and you know if you have that gift. Now, why is it called a gift? Why would Jesus use that terminology? Well, Paul uses it as well, and I'm not going to get into the weeds with this, but there are some advantages to being single. You can be more flexible. You can be more mobile. You have freer schedules. You have fewer—I hate to use the word—distractions. And the only reason I use the word is because that's sort of what is in Paul's mind. He writes in 1 Corinthians chapter 7, "An unmarried man can spend his time doing the Lord's work and thinking how to please Him. But a married man can't do that so well. He has to think about his earthly responsibilities and how to please his wife." Now, marriage is wonderful and God did say it is not good that man should be alone. But as wonderful as it is, it's an adjustment. There are different temperaments and habits and there's baggage, different backgrounds, conflict that comes. I just, if you're married, I want you to start looking at single people differently than you have been. If you're single, I want you to look at your position as different as well. You see, married people see single people and they think, "I've got to be the Holy Spirit's helper and find a mate for that person." Not really. You don't need to do that. God's pretty capable without you. And number two, if you're single, why not see it as, even if it's for a time, advantageous? God could use you in incredible ways. Here are some examples. Daniel was the third ruler of the Babylonian Empire at that time ruling the world. He was a counselor to King Nebuchadnezzar and others after him, did all of that while he was single. Elijah the prophet stood before kings and for God against the idolatry of Israel, and it is believed he was single. John the Baptist, forerunner of Jesus Christ, about whom Jesus said he's the greatest man who ever lived, ever born, he was single. Paul the apostle, the great missionary of the early church, church planter, Bible teacher, single. And finally, Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior of the world, about whom all of history points, single. H.L. Mencken wrote this: "It is impossible to believe that the same God who permitted His own Son to die a bachelor regards celibacy as wrong." So Anna, she's spiritual, she's venerable, she was single. Let me give you a fourth character trait. She was faithful. She was faithful. Notice what it says: "There was one, Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, the tribe of Asher. She was of great age and lived with a husband seven years from her virginity. This woman was a widow of about 84 years, who did not depart from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day."
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Skip Heitzig: Apparently, she lived in the temple courtyard somewhere. That's how most Bible commentators and scholars read this. That she probably had an apartment in the temple complex. There were priests and there were musicians who would come and they would serve in the temple complex. In fact, you may know that the priesthood had 24 different groups or courses of priests who served for two weeks straight at a time, and it would rotate through. And there were apartments around the temple area that they would stay in during that time. And it would seem that Anna occupied one of these apartments. In fact, I found in 1 Chronicles chapter 9, there were musicians in David's time who did this. It says, "These musicians stayed in the rooms of the temple and were exempt from other duties because they were responsible for the work day and night." So it would seem, though I can't prove it, that she lived somewhere in the temple. She'd get up, go out in the courtyard, greet people, do her thing, pray, fast, etc. Another way to look at this is simply that she was constantly at worship. Or let's put it this way: she never missed a service. She was a regular at church. She never missed a service. She is a 24/7 workaholic for the Lord. Let me rephrase that. She's a 24/7 worshipaholic for the Lord. Always available to God, always available to God's people. Throughout the week, I'll meet people in the community and they'll go, "Hey, Pastor Skip, you're from, you know, Calvary. Right, right. I listen to you all the time. I watch you on whatever." I love meeting people around the community. So I naturally ask them, you know what I'm going to ask them: "So where do you go to church?" "Oh, well, my wife, we tried, it didn't work," and they've given up. You have no right to give up on the church that Jesus said He came to build. Jesus didn't give up on the church. He didn't give up on it. It's the only thing He said He would build. It's the only thing He said He came to inaugurate, institute, make right, make happen to represent Him. I love this about Anna. She just was faithful. She's a regular. She's always there. You can count on her. I've found that many Christians have convictions about a lot of things, but not church. Not good ones about church. Usually, their only conviction is it doesn't matter, it doesn't matter. They have convictions about the Bible: "It's God's word." They have convictions about Jesus Christ: "That's God's son." They have convictions about the second coming: "He's coming back, sooner the better." But they have no good, healthy conviction about coming to church. That needs to change. The psalmist said, "One thing I have desired, one thing I have desired of the Lord, that will I seek after. That I may dwell in the house of the Lord, dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life. Behold the beauty of the Lord, inquire in His temple." That's church, y'all. "I'm committed," that's what he is saying. "I'm committed." She was faithful. She's spiritual, venerable, single, faithful. Finally, last character trait: she's vocal. She's vocal. Verse 38: "And coming in at that instant, she gave thanks to the Lord, and she spoke of Him to all who looked for redemption in Jerusalem." Now, something is happening that when she comes in, it's like perfect timing, perfect timing. So go back with me to verse 22 just so you get the picture, verse 22 of this same chapter. It says, "When the days of her purification, that is Mary's purification, when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were completed, they brought Him, Jesus, to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord." After a male child was born, the mother of that male child was ceremonially unclean for 40 days. After 40 days, they were to appear in the tabernacle or the temple. They were to bring an offering of a lamb and a dove, or if they were poor, two doves or two pigeons. You don't make much money, you can't afford the lamb and a dove—two doves or two pigeons. So days of purification according to the law of Moses are completed, they brought Him to Jerusalem to present Him or dedicate Him to the Lord. As it is written in the law of the Lord, every male child who opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord, and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the law of the Lord, a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons. So evidently, that indicates Joseph and Mary were on the poorer side of the scale, and so they're bringing what they could. They have walked five, six miles from Bethlehem. They're in the temple. Simeon, the old guy that we didn't read about, but you know about him, spots Joseph and Mary, holds baby Jesus up to give a prayer of dedication, and says, "Lord, you are letting your servant depart in peace according to your word. For my eyes have seen your salvation which you have prepared before the face of all peoples. A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles and the glory of your people Israel." Then holding the baby, Simeon turns to Joseph and Mary, who are like blown away that he just said that, and says, "This child will be a sign for the fall and the rising of many in Israel, and a sign which will be spoken against." And then he said, "And a sword will pierce your own soul also, that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed." That just happened. That encounter just happened with Simeon. And coming in at that instant, right then, she goes over to this couple where Simeon is, she's heard that prophecy, heard the commotion, it says she gave thanks to the Lord. So Simeon said what he said, then she shows up. Why Simeon and her? Why two? Because by the mouth of how many witnesses? Two witnesses every word will be established. So she witnesses it and she gets very vocal. She's vocal in two directions: toward God and to people. First of all to God, she starts thanking God. Can you just picture it? Can you hear it? She's heard what Simeon said, she looks down and sees that baby and says, "Thank you, God. Thank you, God. Thank you, God." She's so, so excited. She has waited for so many years like Simeon in hopeful that she would see the Messiah. Let me just throw something in here. Do you love the Lord? You praise Him? You're thankful to Him? Vocalize that. Vocalize that. Turn up the volume. Use your voice. Give voice to your thanksgiving. Listen, don't be a pew potato. Pew potato is the church equivalent of a couch potato. Vocalize. Be thankful. Let it be known that you're thankful. I remember when I first said, "Praise God." It felt so weird. It felt so alien. I didn't want to say that. I heard other people say it and thought, "I'm not that kind of person." First time I ever said it and I meant it, it felt so good to be vocally, verbally thankful. And I found this, you should know about a 2024 Harvard study: thankful people, particularly older adults, tend to live longer. I like that. Thankful people, particularly older adults, tend to live longer. High gratitude levels are associated with a 9% lower risk of all-cause mortality over four years. Gratitude acts as a protective factor against cardiovascular disease, reducing stress, and improving sleep. Thank you, thank you, thank you. That's probably what she's going after at this point. But notice that she's not just vocal toward God, but she's telling people stuff. It says, "And she spoke of Him to all who looked for redemption in Jerusalem." She didn't just pray. She didn't just praise. She proclaimed. Herbert Lockyer, I mentioned him at the beginning of our study, says Anna was the first missionary in the New Testament. Everybody who came into the temple, "You wouldn't believe what I just saw the other day." And she testified, spoke, witnessed, shared about what she had seen. Anna shows how to get old the right way. If you and I are getting to a great age, you want to be like this. This is a model of aging well. This is a person who is aging without the bitterness that so often comes with age. Here's a woman full of hope. She moves throughout the temple. She's available to God. She is well-adjusted. She's engaged in Israel's worship life. All of that to say this: growing old is inevitable, growing up is optional. She was growing old, but she had grown up in the Lord, and she had reached a beautiful, beautiful stature, maturity, maturing with grace.
Guest (Female): Thanks for joining us today on Connect with Skip Heitzig. Before we go, remember your generosity helps share God's word with people around the world, bringing biblical truth, encouragement, and hope to those who need it most. And this month, we'd love to thank you for your gift of $30 or more by sending you Biblical Wisdom for Everyday Living, a collection of four lifestyle booklets from Pastor Skip Heitzig: Pray This Way, Technicolor Joy, Unforgiveness: Forgiveness vs. Sweet Revenge, and Standing Firm in Unsettling Times. These practical resources will help you apply God's truth to everyday challenges and grow deeper in your walk with Christ. Give today at connectwithskip.com/offer or call 800-922-1888. See you next time on Connect with Skip. [Music]