Majority view is not always the right view 

Have we ever sit down and considered the implications of being a remnant 

• If you are remnant, you will experience utmost joy becwuse you see god fulfilling his promise. Where you are, where god's abundance grace is
• But the other side of the coin is - the standard of the world rejects you

“When the time came for the purification rites required by the Law of Moses, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord” ), and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: “a pair of doves or two young pigeons.”” (These are requirements for poor people) 
‭‭Luke‬ ‭2:22-24‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying: “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all nations: a light(there are darkness ness in their life that requires this light to shine on them) for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.””
‭‭Luke‬ ‭2:25-32‬ ‭NIV‬‬
http://bible.com/111/luk.2.25-32.niv

“The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about him. Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.” (The opposition that Jesus went through, will be witnessed by Mary --> pain and agony she will feel when it happened”
‭‭Luke‬ ‭2:33-35‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.”
‭‭Luke‬ ‭2:36-38‬ ‭NIV‬‬

1. Remnants for the era
   • Simeon and Anna (they are remnants of their times)- when people lose faith in the promise of god, start to rely on their own wisdom, god prepares remnants for the era 
   • If you are convicted that god chose you to be remnant, then we need to know what it means? 
2. 1. 1. God-centred - not just 1-2 religious activity, but committing the whole life's attention on messiah, the one who can save and redeems us daily, in all moments of our life 
         • Temple/church (drawn to worship god, be in the presence of God)
         • Prayer - centered (telling all you likes and dislikes to god)
         • Word -centered (they firmly believe What God said - God will not leave his people, and confirm how this promise is related to their life)
         • God's sovereign power / faithfulness instead of human factors 
   2. Fear / anticipate God
      • Take god's words seriously 
      • Because you take God's promise seriously, you will anticipate
      • Do we anticipate after each prayer? (Or we just "done our duty"?) -> keep looking out for signs of His leading / anticipate the new mercy every morning 
   3. See the need for consolation/ comfort / redemption
      • Because we are not perfect, we will go into doubt, weakness, failures 
      • Seek consolation in what? (Drugs, technology.. Human, $, ...)
      • Do we genuinely see Jesus as our comforter as we sin, we fail, we become unglam, unworthy...
      • Why need consolation? We are bothered by the fact that no amount of effort can make me break free from sin (pride, confidence..)
   4. 1. No way we can stop sinning, rebelling against god, stop loving the world --> therefore! we see the need to be comforted  --> Christ blood is always effectual 
      2. Devil is overpowering, temptation too strong -->Gospel empowers (we cannot.. But we can do all through him who gives us strength php 4:13)..our life may not be rosy, sometimes our problems remain despite prayers; it is still comforting to know that I will not live forever in this world; when we cannot undo certain things, it is comforting to know that it doesn't change your eternal destiny in heaven 
   5. Ordinary folks 
      • God always chooses the common people - but it is God who does the work, through the conditions of men
      • Nobody 
      • Of course, some are very renown people - eg Abraham, david
      • Meaning : we do not need to feel paiseh, unqualified(because so many people outshine you)
      • But if you are chosen one by god, your simple prayers move the hands of god; and you can surely anticipate in god 
        • When we hold onto the truth and pray, what matters most to god is not our merits but how much we care about His glory, how much we care about His glory 
   6. Holy Spirit comes upon the remnants
      • Indeed, there are many boundaries that we cannot cross 
      • HS reveals mysteries to us, God's will (pray for your family etc); sometimes god reveals the FODs that cripple you so that you can fight the right battle 
      • Prompts us to action -> by giving you the earnestness
      • HS works are also very timely (‌the timing of Simeon entering the temple and saw Jesus and the parents)
      • Blessings of meetings (Anna / Simeon didn't know Joseph and Mary)- no coincidental meeting, HS works in his timely manner to convict
      • Only when HS works on a person can he develop longing for Christ (so you don't need to feel substandard, because HS will help us, and HS will convict God's very own people) 
   7. Can face suffering 
      • eg Anna
      • Waiting, illness, when can we get what we want
        • While waiting, keep on doing the right thing 
      • But god gives her transcending grace that is beyond human logic (poor thing in human eyes, but she experiences grace in god)
      • Transcending = anticipation for the coming of comforter in hardship
      • Network of brethren (like-mind) -- confirming 
      • What keeps her going
        • Faith in promise, thus anticipate
        • Brethren living 
   8. Evangelise (in whatever situations)
      • Profess the goodness of god to all 

1. Jesus will reveal true conditions of human heart (v35) - for god, against god? (Indifference = against) (humble towards God, or do not need god)
   • “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?”
     ‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭17:9‬ ‭NIV‬‬
     
     
   • There will always be a hidden rebellion in us (inherently, we want to resist god and gratify ourselves, after the fall of man)
   • The truth of god is open provocation --> making the hidden rebellion to open hostility 
   • If you are a remnant, even when god exposed you --> repentance, humility and desperate need for god will appear 
     • You realize you are so deceitful (when you look so okay to others on the outside)
2. Jesus - divide 
   1.  salvation
      • Rock of salvation
      •  stumbling stone/ rock offence (isa 8:14-15) --spoilt market people 
3. •  Because Jesus always display the perfect example, live for eternity -> so it offends the rich, the people who can do their standards -- expose the falsehood in men, makes us discern who is the one who is willing to take the narrow path
   • When Jesus expose our secret thoughts, we will be thankful to god. Only when these are revealed that you realize you need God more than you imagine.