Not Just A Traditional Christmas But A Transformational Christmas | Dr Jill Ling

You're listening to a message to go from ex Church.

We hope this message will light up your day. So

the title that God of God's message for us today

is not just a traditional Christmas, but a transformational Christmas

that all may know. So we are still on the

theme that all may know, and we will continue on

this theme until we celebrate our twenty fifth anniversary of

birthday and ex Church, and then we will start off

the new theme for next year, which is discipleship. Yeah,

so we're still on the theme of that all may know.

And which better month in the year for all to

know than Christmas? Right? People can be very close to

Jesus for the first eleven months of the year, but

there's something, there's always something special favorable about Christmas that

where people's hearts are a little bit more open to

hearing about Jesus. So let's seize the moment, let's seize

the day, let's seize the month, and really right on

this wave of opportunity to help people around us know Jesus. Okay,

all right, so let's learn today how can we not

just have a traditional Christmas but also have a transformational Christmas? Yeah? Okay,

so today I have three points for us, and they're

all in the letter see because Christmas starts to see yeah,

and christ also starts to see. You're right now. Before

I go into that, I want to ask you a question.

When I say the word Christmas, what comes to your

mind at first? Think? I give you ten seconds when

I say Christmas? What do you think about? Very naturally? Okay?

So our j said gifts? Yeah, so I want Okay,

I'm gonna go around to different parts. Okay, so decide

what your mind when I say Christmas, Christmas, tree, celebration, yeah, okay,

how about the side christ okay? Food okay, Reunion, reunion

urgent Ninia going back soon to the Philippines. They are

going to be reunited with their family for Christmas after

seven years. They have write something like that six years.

They have not been back for Christmas for six years,

so very very special for their family. We cheer them on.

How about the side, what do you think about when

I say the word Christmas? Sorry, new clothes, new clothes? Okay, yes, Philippines, Yes,

I says Philippines. She's missing Philippines. Carols, Carols, that's right, carols. Okay.

How about the side, sorry, the bait, the bait, the

birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. Sorry, please forgive me, idea,

got some years in my ear. The birth of our

Lord Jesus Christ. Okay, one more, one more holidays, holidays, okay, food. Right,

So when I say the word Christmas, a lot of

things come to your mind, right, yeah, and uh to

me as well. Right, And that's very natural. Now, from

all the different responses that we heard, what do you

think is the common denominator From all the different responses

that we hear, what do you think is the common

denominator happiness and joy? Okay, we're getting there. Okay, we're

getting there. We're getting there. Okay, now before we answer

this question, even for me, I have you know, growing

up I look forward to Christmas as a young child.

Growing up, two things that I would look forward to Christmas.

One would be going to my uncle's house. So I

used to stay in jb in my growing up years.

And my uncle his family stayed in Singapore. So every Christmas,

this is my mom's brother, but he has passed on,

but he was a great uncle. So every Christmas he

would open his house in Singapore and invite all his

relatives and friends for his legendary Christmas party, and to

me as a kid, right, it was legendary. He would

always have a big turkey in the middle of his

dinner table, surrounded by all kinds of dishes, and his

house was nicely decorated, very Christmas tree double my height,

with presents under the tree, music and you know, there's

lots of people, lots of fun. It was like your

ideal Christmas party that you see in you know, movies

and you read about and uh and and he was

a believer, so that was the best part. He didn't

do it paganistically, but he did it really out of

celebrating Christ And we were so fortunate and blessed to

be invited to his house. So that was the one

thing I really look forward to every Christmas, going to

my uncle's house. Yeah, and eating the nice wood and

playing my cousins and just really really uh, you know,

great times, great memories. And but the uncle has actually

passed on, and I believe he's with our Lot Jesus.

My aunt actually had a dream about him being in

heaven with our Lot Jesus, and that's such a comfort

for us. So I do miss the uncle, Uncle Eliott

and and but just how he has hosted those Christmas

parties really inspires me to do something similar. I can't

replicate the scale of his party, okay, he's there there,

but I can try to replicate the spirit, the spirit of,

you know, one thing, to bless others, bring them joy

during this season from what my uncle has done. So

that's one of the legacies that he's left with me.

So there's something I look forward to. The Other thing

that I look forward to was actually being involved in

my churches Christmas outreaches. So back then in my previous church,

we would actually do carolling. We would do Christmas productions

every year. So as a student growing up, I have

like six seven weeks of year end holidays. It's never

a dull moment. I would spend most of my year

end holidays being in church almost every day practicing for

caroling for Christmas production. It doesn't matter if I'm not

on stage, I'm off stage. I'm helping with props and

costumes and things like that. If I'm on stage, I'm

on stagel. So but I'm just involved some way somehow,

And it was really fun, you know, every day just

hanging out in church together with your friends practicing. Really,

I look forward to my end holidays. So these are

the two things that I really look forward to during Christmas.

Growing up and when I came to ask Church as

a campus student. Back then, we also did Christmas productions

quite regularly. In fact, PASSI Jack played the lead character

in quite a number of our Christmas productions. I was

also involved on stage off stage, and those also fun times.

We'll see if the lot leaders to continue to do

those productions in time to come. That Then, as I

grew on in life, I got married, I started to

have kids, become a mom, I started to feel stressed

during Christmas. How many of you parents can identify with me?

So growing up as a kid, if I'm on the

receiving end, I think Christmas it's super fun and I

look forward to it. It's all positive feelings. But when

I had to mature and started to be the one

giving during Christmas, right, it caused me honest stress. Yeah.

So yeah, in the honestly, in the last few years

as a parent, right, yes, I still am happy about Christmas.

I still look forward, but I cannot deny that it

counts with a certain amount of stress as well. Why

because for me, I have to think, Okay, I have

to decorate my house. If I don't decorate it, who

will decorated? My uncle is not here to decorate my house, right,

so I have to be the one, you know, decorating

my house. And before you can decorate, you have to

clean your house. In fact, my son was just asking

me in Judah, saying, Mommy, when can we put out

the Christmas tree in our house because we have not

put out our Christmas decorations. And I said, you know,

before we put out our Christmas tree, we've got to

clear the area of our bags. If not, there's no

space to put the Christmas tree. So before putting up

Christmas decho, I've got to clean the house thoroughly first.

Then only I have space to put the Christmas deco.

If not, you look like clutter, right. And then so

that's this one stress, you know, having to decorate the house.

Uh.

The other stress is having to buy presents, right, and

presents are not cheap these days, quality presence. You know,

I'm a person that is against buying a present for

a present's sake, in the sense that, okay, I'm not

the kind of person that will just buy you a

cheap present for the sake of giving you a gift.

I want to if I buy you a present, I

make sure I actually pray about it. So everyone who

has received a gift from me, I prayed over your

gift and I ask God, God, what does this person need?

So that's number one. Then I will actually I'm a

physical shopper. Usually I will actually go to the store

and buy the gift if I can. If I cannot

find it physically, only I buy online. I'm not an

online shopper. Yeah, and quality gives will cost money these days,

at least fifty ring gates and a birth for a

quality gifts. In fact, kids gives are more expensive my goodness. Yeah,

so you know, not easy And then you know, so like, yeah,

so I feel stressed because I have to, you know,

hunt for gives or my family members and my family

is expending, you know, we're very fruitful and multiply, not

just passe ject and myself, but my siblings, my siblings

in laws, so you know, and being a leader of

the church, right you are expected to give a lot

of people gives also, I mean that's not expectations, but

you know, of course it'd be nice right, it'd be

nice to be able to give our partners gives and all. Yeah,

so but stress not honestly, stress thinking what to buy,

stress the money you know, expert to spend extra money

this season. And then just next month is Chinese New Year,

also money coming out, so for those of us are

Chinese celebrating Christmas and Chinese Year is two months of wow,

money flowing out not easy. And then hosting celebrations. So

in my family and passer Jack's family, normally, among all

the siblings, usually our home will become the hosting home

for both sides of the family somehow, and so the

privilege but sometimes also the burden of being the home

falls on us. Yeah. And then you know, we also

have different things going on in church right during Christmas,

because this is when we want to outreach. So in

all honesty is mixed feelings. For me during Christmas, I'm

really happy, you know, to celebrate christ you know, and

celebrate this time with loved ones. But there's also the

stress and pressure in all honesty, like I mentioned, I realized,

right like for some people they also can feel stressed

about Christmas. Because some people who are especially introverts, they

can feel very over having to socialize with a lot

of people during Christmas. And if that's you, don't raise

your hands. Okay, yeah, but it's real, it's real. I'm

a I'm more of an extrovert, not actually meant and

beavert and vivit. So I can be extroverted. I can

also be introverted. But yeah, so I but I I Yeah.

I've heard from some of my introverted friends that they

can actually feel stressed during festive seasons Christmas, Chinese New

Year because they feel very overwhelmed having to socialize with

so many people. Yeah, and you get the well meaning

un peace that will keep asking you, so got someone,

and I got someone already? When are you getting married? Married? Really?

When are you having children? You have one child? When's

your next child? Ah? They never stop asking you about

your future, like we will know what will happen night

with our future? Only God knows. So yeah, and then

there are some people who feel left out and lonely

during the festive season. Yeah maybe when they have, you know,

they see other people who are having people to celebrate

with and they don't have. They can also feel left

out and only you know that's real as well, And

especially if like you're away, right, a lot of you

are actually away from home, away from family. Festive seasons

is when you somehow miss your family even more right

because they when you grow up there who you celebrate

your festive season with. So different people can have very

very mixed, you know, thoughts and feelings about Christmas. But

I want to come back to this question. What is

the common denominator in a lot of what we've talked

about so far, whether it's the good you know, positive

feelings and experiences with Christmas or not so good? What

do you think is the common denominator among all of

these feelings and experiences. I give you a clue. It's

only a two the word. Anyone want to try and

guess it's a two letter wit? Someone said that's right.

I heard a little bird here say me so. Actually,

in a lot of what we talked about, whether the

good or the not so good about Christmas, many times,

the common denominator is.

Me merry Christmas, just kidding good, Mary is a good word, okay,

But in all honesty, as I reflected, actually right, whether

it's the good experiences or the not so good experiences

to do with Christmas.

Many times it's about us. It's about me, what I want,

what I don't want during this Christmas season. Yes, but

I really believe that God wants to remind us that

Christmas is really about Christ. Christmas is about Christ. Two

thirds of the word Christmas contains the word Christ Christmas,

not me, miss ah Christmas. So it's important friends, while we,

you know, continue to look forward to and celebrate Christmas,

that we remember that Christmas is really about Christ and

not us. First Christ first. Then after that, Okayla, there's

a place for me as well. Yeah, God also wants

us to enjoy during the Christmas season. Do you know?

God is a god of laughter. He's a god of celebration.

You know, why do you think? You know? There are

so many celebrations that he instituted in the Bible. You know,

he's a god of feasting. He's a god of mut music,

of dancing. Our God knows how to enjoy life. When

you get to heaven, it's not gonna be a dull,

serious place. It's gonna be a place full of joy

and life. So our God loves joy, he loves celebrations,

he loves life. We are made in his image, but

we've got to remember Christmas is not just all about

you know, the celebrations and the fun. But Christmas is

about Christ. Okay, and that's what we're going to duel,

you know, upon today. Okay, so let's move on. So

the first see on having not just a traditional Christmas

but a transformational Christmas is to remember it's all about Christ.

He is the number one. He is the center of Christmas.

Remember is Christ must, not me must? Okay? Yeah, all right,

now let's go on. So the next slide, I want

to just read to us from Luke chapter two, verse

two to verse twenty. If you can take out your bibles,

it's always best to read from your physical Bible. And

if you do not have one, then okay, look at

the screen. So I'm gonna give us a while to

take out physical bibles. I'm also turning to my physical

Bible in front of me. So if you want to

know where the Christmas story is in the Bible, it's

found in Luke, the Book of Luke chapter two. Sorry

it should be Luke chapter one. Sorry, Luke chapter two,

verse one to twenty, not verse two to twenty. Pardon

the typo. Okay, So Luke chapter two. Are we there. Yeah, okay,

So I'm gonna read through this portion bit by bit

and I'm gonna unpack it bit bit for us. Okay,

So here we go, Luke, Chapter two, verse one. In

those days, a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that

all the world should be registered. Okay, I'm gonna stop here.

So who is this Caesar Augustus. He is supposed to

look like that statue in that picture there, okay, supposed

to alright, just a rough image for us. I didn't

realize that Caesar Augustus was actually a very powerful man

until I did further research. So Caesar Augustus is actually

the grand nephew of Julius Caesar. So Julius Caesar is

somewhat a bit more famous than Caesar Augustus. Right, you

hear of Julius Caesar, a bit more than Caesar Augustus.

So Caesar Augustus is actually his grand nephew. Okay, that's now.

Caesar Augustus was actually the first emperor of the Roman Empire,

the first emperor. So before him, Rome was a republic,

meaning that it was governed by laws and not a

single man that had all the power. A republic is

a country where the law is above men in short, Okay,

But Caesar Augustus turning into an empire, and in an

empire there is the ultimate supreme leader where you can say,

in short, there will be a man that will be

above the law. And that man in that time was

Caesar Augustus. He actually defeated all his other rivals in

politics to become the one supreme leader and he actually

brought peace to the Roman Empire. He actually was a

very brilliant administrator. That's why he asked people to be

registered and registered so that he can collect text from them. Okay, yeah,

And he apparently rebuilt the economy of Rome. So before

his time, Rome had a lot of inviting Yeah, because

everyone was hungry for power. So there was a lot

of infighting, a lot of bloodshed, and the economy was

in ruins. But he actually stabilized the country. He rebuilt

the economy. Apparently he brought in a lot of money

from Egypt to rebuild the economy of Rome. So he

was considered a political savior in his time. Wow, so

much we can learn from just one verse. Right. I

love God's word. Continue to dig into God's word, study

his word, even in one verse, we can learn so much,

but you know, I love how God does it. Jesus

came at a time where even a great political savior

like Caesar Augustus was not even enough for the world.

God wanted to show you think. You think right now

the world is in peace. You think, right now the

world is well managed and administrated. You think, right now

the economy is having a positive outlook. I tell you,

Caesar Augustus is not enough for the world. Jesus is

the answer. Jesus is the ultimate savior, above even a

political savior like Caesar Augustus. God wanted to send that message.

And that's why here a lot Jesus to be born

at the time where perhaps one of the greatest human

beings ever lived. He wanted to show that Jesus is

greater than any great human beings that has ever lived. Okay, right,

so that now, let's go on to the next verse.

In verse two, it says this was the first registration

when Quirinus was governor of Syria, and all went to

be registered, each to his own town verse four. And

Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of

Nazareth to Judea, to the city of David, which is

called Bethlehem or House of Britnyeah, because he was of

the house and lineage of David to be registered with Mary,

his betrothed, who was with child. Okay, so I'm going

to show you a map of where Nazareth, Nazareth is

or was, and where Bethlehem.

Was.

So I normally always stand that side. Today I'll be fair.

I'll stand this side. Ah. Okay, yeah, yeah, I love

you guys. All all right, So this is where Joseph

and Mary were staying, where they got engaged, where she

got pregnant, right, and this is the Okay, there are

many postulated pathways that they could have come to Bethlehem,

but this is just one of the proposed pathways. Okay.

And Bethlehem is all the way down south here, very

near to Jerusalem. Yeah. Anyone wants to guess what is

the distance that they could have taken from Nazareth to

Bethlehem in kilometers? Anyone wants to take a Ralph guess

one hundred? Okay, little warm I asked this in the

Tens Party. Okay, things you cannot answer thieves and teen

leaders who are the Teens Party? You cannot answer this

question because I asked you and you know the answer

unless you forgot the answerer. Anyways, Yeah, asked this at

the Christmas party last week. One hundred km is little warm.

Anyone wants to try? How far? Two hundred? Okay, three

hundred ly warm? Again? Someone say two hundred, two hundred

is very hot. Two hundred and fifty nur a bit

colder already. So the estimated distance between Nazareth and badly

Ham is about two hundred and twenty kilometers about their

two hundred and twenty kilometers? Okay? So who said two hundred?

Price is it? Okay? Well done, cheke go. That's why,

ah spot on. You want to know what is that

comparable too in this day and age? The distance taking

it from let's say CYBERJAYR. Which town do you think

it's about two hundred and twenty kilometers away from here? No?

Google linger, no ways, huh typinger, No typing is for

the typing is about three hundred km clothes huh epo? Okay,

So yeah, from CYBERJAYR, you could take either Ipo or

Malecca to be the nearest town comparable to Galilee Nazareth

to badly Hem. So from cyber Giant to Epo or

cyber Gyre to Malecquer. That is about the distance of

where Nazareth was too Badly Hem So by car in

this day and age without jam it would take maybe

one and a half hours one hour forty five minutes

to get to these places. But if we were to

walk by food too Epo or Malecqua, it would take

about one whole day for us to walk non stop,

non stop, ma non stop, non stop, no toilet break,

no water and meal break, okay, no phone break. Just

what this walk is? One whole day, twenty four hours.

So can you imagine how long it would have taken

Mary and Joseph to travel, because you know, she was

pregnant and she probably said on a donkey, donkey, I

don't think it's that fast, La, not like Horsler. Right. Yeah,

so maybe it might have taken them one week to

walk by foot by donkey from Nazareth to badly Ham. Yeah.

So this is just to help us understand what it

could have been like in those day and age. Yeah, okay,

now next verse okay, verse six. And while they were there,

they reached bedley Ham a raady the time came for

her to give birth verse seven. And she gave birth

to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths

and laid him in a manger because there was no

place for them in the inn. Okay, So, how many

of you know what a manger looks like? Raise your hands?

You think you know what a manger looks like? Okay,

those who are the things party, Yeah, you're exempted because

I show you the answer, ready, Okay, So honestly right,

I didn't have too much of an idea what a

manger also looked like before this. But so last week

we had our ex teens Christmas party and the theme

of the Christmas party was called Hope in a Box,

and every teen had to bring a box containing one shampoo,

one body soap, one toothbrush, one toothpaste, rapid nicely, bring

it to the Christmas party, put it at the Christmas tree.

And that's gonna be Hope in a Box for the

orang Usti children in Carry Island, which is one of

the community outreaches that our church is you know, fostering. Yeah,

And I told the teens that, you know what, Jesus

was the first hope in the box, you know, why

he was actually born in a box, in a feeding

box for animals. A manger is actually a feeding box

for animals. You want to know how it could have

looked like. This is a picture from one BC. This

is a manger. It's a box like structure made of

clay and or mud with some straw, some stones, sun

baked under the sun, and it's a firm structure. And

farmers will put food inside the manger and animals will

come and feed out of it. And Jesus was born

and placed in a manger. It looks like a little

crippler or cord I think, yeah, so Jesus was the

first hope in the box. I was telling the teens.

He came in such a humble manner. And I think

it's also very significant that you know, when he says

I am the braid of life, he was placed in

a feeding box. Right, He's the one that gives us

our food of life. Right, Okay? Now moving on in

verse eight, and in the same region, there were shepherds

out in the field keeping watch over their flock by night,

and an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and

the glory of the Lord shown around them, and they

were filled with great fear. So do you think that

shepherds always look after their sheep out in the field

at night. Do you think that's common practice? No? I

see some Hiszia Steven and priests were saying, no, you're right.

So even as a shepherd, it is not common day

to day practice for them to stay awake at night

and look out for their sheep. They only do this

when it is lamming season. Lamming season means is the

time where the mother sheep the eels, give birth to

baby sheep, the lamb, and it's a very delicate process.

The baby sheep can actually die while being given birth too.

They can get strangled by their own umbilical cord, you know,

they can fall and hit the ground and die. It's

a very delicate process. So that's why the shepherds have

to be awake and looking out for any of the

sheep that's gonna give birth. The moment they know that

a mummy sheep is gonna give birth, they will run

to the mummy sheep and help with the delivery so

that the lamb doesn't die in the delivery process. Yeah,

and that's why they were keeping watch over their flock

by night. This is what it means. And this is

also significant because Jesus, the Lamb of God, was born

in the same season as the natural lambs were born.

This reinforces that he is our Lamb, the Lamb of God,

the perfect Lamb. Right Okay? Now this old so then

causes scholars to question whether Christmas was really in December.

While we celebrate Christmas on twenty fifth December, Christ may

not have actually been born on the twenty fifth of December.

There are different schools of thoughts. Majority lean towards September,

late September. There are even some who say in March.

But I'm not going to debate about that today, Okay,

But twenty fifth December is the date that the Church

has chosen to remember the birth of Christ. Okay, Whether

Jesus was really born on the twenty fifth of December,

we ask God in heaven. Okay, No need to waste

time debating it here on earth. Doesn't change our salvation, right, Yeah,

some things in life are We really don't have to

have all the answers one, we just need to go

by faith. Then we ask Jesus in heaven. Okay, Church, Yeah,

all right, we move on next verse. Yeah, verse ten,

and the Angel of the say to them, fear not,

for behold, I bring you good news of great joy

that will be for all the people verse eleven. For

unto you is born this day in the city of David,

a savior who is Christ, the Lord. Amen. If you

didn't know the meaning of the name Jesus, Jesus means

the one who saves. Jesus means savior, and Christ means

the anointed one, the one who is chosen, the one

who is sent to us. So you put together Jesus Christ.

It literally means the one who was chosen and sent

to save us. And this is why I taught the

teens at the Christmas party, because we can be a

Christian for many years and say Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ,

but we don't even know what Jesus Christ means. So

it's very important to know what Jesus Christ stands for,

the one who was appointed and sent by God to

save us, and he is the perfect savior. Amen. Pass

cannot say before if the world needed a doctor, God

would have sent a doctor. If the world needed a teacher,

you know, he would have sent a teacher. If the

word needed a lawyer, he would send a lawyer. If

the world needed a parent, he would have sent a parent.

But the world needed a savior. And that's why he

sent Jesus. He meant he is our ultimate, perfect savior. Okay,

now we move on verse twelve, and this will be

a sign for you. You will find a baby wrapped

in swarden cloths and lying in a manger. Verse thirteen,

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of

heavenly hosts. It means many, many, many more angels praising

God and saying glory to God in the highest and

on earth, peace among those with whom He is pleased.

And this tells us really the mission of Christ. He

came to earth earth to bring you and I peace.

Man's greatest need is not money. Man's greatest need is

not even oxygen. Man's greatest need is peace. Look into

your own life and your heart. Amidst all the challenges

that you're going through right now, the situations that you're

going through right now, what do you really crave for

at the end of the day is to have peace.

Peace on the inside to begin with, and if you

could peace on the outside as well, right peace in

your health, peace in your finances, peace in your family,

your work, your studies, peace with people around you. We

will all desire that, but above all that inner peace,

right to know that whatever happens, Lord, it's gonna be Okay.

I haven't got this, but you've got this. You've got

me right. And so Christ came to bring peace. How

because it's only true Jesus that we can have a

relationship with Father God. Without Jesus, no relationship with Father God.

And so once we have relationship with Father God, we

have access to every resource in heaven and on earth

that will ever need to live life, true or not.

And that's how he brings peace. Knowing that we have

access to our Father in Heaven, who holds every resource

in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and

he disposes us, dispose us these resources to us as

he wills, according to his word, according to our time

and need. So Jesus, restoring us to our Father in

Heaven in an ongoing relationship gives us peace in our lives.

We don't have to worry about our sin, we don't

have to worry about what's gonna come next, because we

know that it's taken care of by our Father in heaven,

and that's how he brings peace to us. Okay, all

right now verse fifteen. When the angels went away from

them into heaven, the shepherd said to one another, let

us go over to Bedlelyhamn and see this thing that

has happened, which the Lord had made known to us.

And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph

and the baby lying in a manger. And when they

saw it, they made known the saying that had been

told them concerning this child. And all who heard it

wondered at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured

up all these things, pondering them in a heart. And

the shepherd's return glorifying and praising God for all they

had heard and seen as it had been told them.

So the shepherds, who were considered the low cast people

in their society, they are maybe considered like the B

forty group. For those of you who are Malaysians, you

know the term B forty. Yeah, So our government has

a social economic ranking. We've got the T twenty, the

top twenty earners in the country. We've got the middle forty,

the M forty, the middle class, and then we've got

the lower class. They call it the B forty, the

bottom forty earners in the country. So the shepherds are

like in the B forty group, the bottom for the earnest,

the poor, the outcasts, the despise in our society. And

yet God would choose to appear to them first and

not the learned or the aristocrats, the rulers. Right. And

when they heard the news from the Angel that hey,

a savior is born today, go and check it out.

This is how it looked like. I'm so glad that

they didn't just hear and don't do anything. They hurt

and they did something. They wan The Bible said they

went with haste. That means they probably ran to find

this savior that was born, as the signs had been

told to them. And I pray today that when we

hear God's word, we won't just see here and then

bye bye, that's it. But let us be like the shepherds.

When they heard the word of the Lord, they actually

did something about it. So I pray, as you hear

God's word today, you will be like the shepherd. You

will do something about the word of God that you've

heard today. Amen. Okay, now let's move on. So we

are still on the first point, and I'm spending a

longer time on this first point. Don't worry, the rest

of the points will be shorter. Remember that Christmas is

not about me, It's about Christ. If it helps you

to remember, it's Christmas, not me, misst okay amen. So

I just want to reinforce this first point. That's the

first see on having a transformational Christmas. If the focus

of this Christmas is going to be about ourselves, our family,

or even our church, then it's not going to be

transformational in all honesty. But if the focus is on Christ,

whom it rightfully should be on, then this Christmas is

going to be transformational. It's so easy to get caught

in the cultures and traditions of celebrating Christmas. This is

how we've always done it in our family, this is

how we've always done it in our community, this is

how we've always done it in church. Let's keep doing

the same thing and very much sometimes the focus can

be very much on earth. But friends, I want to

encourage and I also want to lovingly challenge you that

Christmas is really not about Earth. It's about Christ. And

I love you guys enough to tell you this because

I don't want you just to have a same old,

same old Christmas this year. I want you to have

a transformational Christmas this year. Amen. Okay. That brings me

to my next point. So the word traditional comes from

the word tradition. Word is tradition. It is a statement,

a belief, or a practice handed down from generation to generation. Okay,

and it is good, Okay. There is a place for tradition.

There is a place for tradition. Okay. Now, the essence

of the word tradition means same. Everybody say same, same. Okay.

Now let's look at the word transformation. So transformational comes

from transformation, which means there is a change of form, nature,

or appearance. There is a change outside and inside form

and appearance is outside, nature is on the inside, so

it's all rounded change. The essence of the word transformation

is change. Everybody say change. Okay. Now, like I said

earlier on, there is a place for tradition. There are

traditions which are right before God, and we should keep them.

You know. Having our quiet time with the Lord is

a tradition. Coming to church and worshiping him is a tradition.

Giving unto the Lord is a tradition. There are traditions

that are right before the Lord there are to be

kept the same throughout time and generation. So I'm not

talking about this kind of traditions. But what I'm trying

to zoom in at is just think of the word

same and change. Do we want the people around us

who do not know Jesus to remain the same this Christmas?

Or do we want these people to experience a change?

That is the angle that I want to approach this

with today. Do you want to remain the same this

Christmas or do you want to actually experience a change

this Christmas? So it applies to the people who don't

do not know Christ as well as the people who

know Christ. Personally, I refuse to see that I remain

the same or the people around me remain the same

this Christmas, then I'm wasting time. If I'm going to

put in time and money and effort into this Christmas,

I want to see results. I want to experience change

in my life. I want people around me to experience change.

If not, I feel I'm wasting time, money and effort.

Why put in so much when no change is going

to come about? So I want to encourage us and

challenge us think of, you know, a change mindset this Christmas.

And that's why the title is not just a traditional Christmas,

but a transformational Christmas. We can have a traditional Christmas,

go in and come out being the same person, no

change as believers or pre believers, or we can have

a transformational Christmas as believers and pre believers. We go

in and come out a different person through Christmas. So

how can we help ourselves? How can we help people

around us to experience the change of God this Christmas?

That is my loving challenge to all of us here

in ex Church. Okay, now next, so the second sea

is change, change. Okay, Now we are going to move

on to that third point. Already I told you'll be quicker,

right yeah, okay, Okay. Before that the third point, I

just want to show you a scripture to tell from

Hebrews chapter eight, verse ten to twelve. And I recently

read this on my quiet time, and I love this

particular scripture because it tells me, at the end of

the day what God really wants for us. It's a

summary of what God really wants for us. And there

are three things that he mentions in this scripture. Okay,

let's let me turn to it he Bruis, Chapter eight,

verse ten to twelve. And you can turn to it too,

he Bruce, Chapter eight, verse ten to twelve. So here

God talks about the neo Covenant. So God had an

old covenant with mankind, and that was the covenant that

was made during the time of Moses. The Ten Commandments

and many other commandments, and the Jews countered, right. I

think there's six hundred and thirteen commandments in the Torah.

So that's the old covenant where God says, if you

will YadA, YadA, YadA, then I will fulfill my part

to you. That's the old Covenant. But after Jesus came,

God has given us a new covenant. And the difference

with this new covenant is not if you do, then

only I will do. That's the old covenant. The new

covenant is I will. It starts with God, I will

even though you don't or you can't. That is the

power of the new Covenant. And I want us to

understand his friends. The old covenant was conditional. The new

Covenant is unconditional. And we read here this is actually

the new Covenant. You want to know what the new

Covenant talks about it's found here Hebrews chapter eight, verse

ten to twelve. I love, I really love this tree

versus Okay, So what is this new Covenant all about? Okay?

Verse ten. For this is the covenant that I will

make with the House of Israel after those days, the

days of the old Covenant, declares the Lord. I will

put my laws into their minds and write them on

their hearts. And I will be their God, and they

shall be my people. And they shall not teach each

one his neighbor and each one his brother, saying know

the Lord, for they shall all know me, from the

least of them to the greatest. For I will be

merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins

no more. Wow, how many I will? Is there? And

how many you need to do? Tell me how many

I wills? Mention there? So many times? Right, almost every line,

I will, I will, I will. But how many times

God say you must do this, A, you must do this, A,

you must do this A hardly mentioned there? Can you

see how different the New Covenant is with the Old Covenant.

The old covenant is you must do this, you shall

do this. When you do this, then I will do

this for you. So different. That is the beauty the

power of the new covenant that we have in Christ.

It is a better covenant. It's not even version two point. Oh,

it's not in the same playing field. It's a totally

different planet altogether. We live under the new Covenant because

Jesus has come. Amen. And in this new Covenant, I've

learned that there are three things that are important to God.

His law is important to him. So don't you say,

just because Jesus came to save us, we do not

need to live out God's law anymore, it's just all

about grace. No. In this God tells, let's go back

to verse ten. Verse ten says that the first thing

that is important to God is his law. Even after

Jesus has come, his law, his word, his commandments are

still as important to him as it was in those days. Okay,

so we don't only live by grace, but we live

by the word of God. Amen. This is important for

us because there are teachings out there that say we

live by grace, but that's not fully the truth. Okay,

we live by grace and also still God's word. God's

law still stands okay, and then the other thing. The

next thing that's important to God is relationship. He wants

a relationship with us. So firstly he wants us to

continue to walk in his law. But secondly he wants

us to have a relationship with him because he has

so many times he says, I will be there, God,

and they shall be my people, they shall know me.

All this means that actually God wants us to have

a relationship with him Under the New Covenant, our God

is a relational God, and this makes him different from

every other God. Many other gods have laws and they

stop at law, but our God goes onto relationship. Tell

me which other God in heaven and on earth and

under the earth desires to have a relationship with its people.

I cannot think of any other God but our God.

He is the only one who is relational. He is

the only one who loves. He's the only one who

gives to the point of death for love. This is

what sets our God apart from any other God. You

know what we say holy, Holy, It's not just no

sin and perfect holy. The word holy means there is

none like you. You are above the rest. So when

we sing holy, are you Lord we're saying, not only

are you pure and you are perfect no sin, We're saying, God,

there is none like you. You stand above the rest.

That is what it means when we're saying holy are

you God? There is no other God like ours? And

I tell you one more step that God takes that

no other God takes is mercy showing mercy. And God

ends this scripture with it showing mercy. Which other God

shows mercy to its people unlike our God. Only our

God shows true forgiveness and mercy to his people, and

even the people that do not know him, that refuse

to know him, who are against him. God still forgives

because Christ died for all. Christ didn't die for some,

and that's our God. And so if you can go

back and meditate on this scripture a bit more you want.

This scripture tells you in who our God is and

what he stands for, what is important to him? And

people ask you also what is important to your God.

You can tell them his word, his law is important,

but more than just that, he wants a relationship with us,

and he's merciful to us. This in essence is God's name.

Card Amen, Amen, I can't go on and on. But

this is not the focus of today scripture, Okay, but

I just wanted to. I was just so blessed I

got to share it with you guys. Okay, okay, all

right now. So but the point that I want to

draw is that God wants a relationship with all of us, Okay,

and so we got a desire for a Christmas where

people will be changed in their relationship with God. So

this Christmas ask the Lord to change you in your

relationship with him, to grow you in your relationship with him.

This Christmas asks the Lord to move through your life

to bring about a change in those who do not

know Him, that they will draw closer to Him in

their relationship with him. Let's seek after let's pursue change

in our relationships. We've got this Christmas? Amen, amen? Okay,

final cy Okay, the next one Okay, sorry this on grammatically,

I know it's really wrong and off. But the third

sea is what can you do? Okay? What can you do? Yeah?

The words should be in a bracket is really swelling

her or the lawyers? Okay, Belario, So yeah, what can

you do? Okay? Yeah? I just wanted it to be

all in ciesla easy to remember Christmas? All right, what

can you do? So I say, all listen and no action,

so cannot right, yeah, I must put action to what

we hear. So practically, how can you you know, be

used by God to bring about a change in your

own life and the life of others? This Christmas? Remember,

not a traditional Christmas, but a transformational Christmas. If not,

we're just wasting our time, friends, Honestly, Yeah, let's not

waste our time. Okay. So I'm just saying a few examples,

but there could be many more, as the Lord leads you. Okay,

So one example is true our homes Christmas chair. This

is one way we can bring about a transformational Christmas.

I know. Ce why six they're gonna do some baking

project right just now, even came out for prayer. Yeah,

and you know what, God loves, God loves your humble spirit.

You know, she's apparently in charge of leading the team

to bake, yeah, for the community. And you know that

she's a wonderful you know, she's an excellent chef and baker.

One day she made Nasilla mark for espresso. She woke

up at three am to cook the cooker nut rise

to make the sambal, to fry the peanuts and anchovies,

to cut the cucumber, and you've tasted the goods of

her hand is it's definitely trees five star Machelin Nah

five star Micheline. Micheline makes him it's tree stars, right,

you five stars? Like give you five stars? Okay? So,

but I you know, I love her spirit and I'm

sure God even more even though she's leading the team.

She's naturally good at what she does, but she came

forward for prayer, say, I really we really need God

in this project. And I know God is going to

honor se y six even as you step out in

humility and faith. Amen. And also see why one, Yeah,

I know c y one is also going to reach out.

Yeah see y two as well, see why three, see

why four? Right, see y six, se y seven, c

y eight. I'm not gonna mention all your projects here,

but the Lord bless you and move through you to

make it a transformational Christmas through your homes cheer Christmas

homes homes Christmas cheer. Okay. Another way that we can

bring about a transformational Christmas is through our Christmas Service

on twenty fifth of December. So, friends, if you're around

in town, I really encourage you to come and join

us on that day. Come and join us, be a

part of this service. Support where you can invite people,

because this is how we can also help others to

experience a transformational Christmas. Okay, not just being home, not

just being partying out there, but being in the House

of God, parting with Jesus. That's where transformation will happen. Okay,

next Christmas gathering, you might want to think of how

you can actually have simple, yet meaningful and powerful Christmas

gatherings in your circle of influence. I know, okay, so well,

on Friday, I had the privilege to have lunche doctor Sheila.

It's a good time just catching up. Yeah, we are

in a huddle relationship or discipleship relationship, and so we

spend time just catching up. And she was sharing with

me that. So doctor Sheila works in the government sector

in the Ministry of Health under the administration, and for

the first time ever in her department, she's organizing a

Christmas luncheon out of her own personal capacity for the

rest of the stuff. So it's an open invitation, like, Okay,

we're going to have this Christmas luncheon. You want to

join us, come and join us. It's not an official thing,

it's an informal celebration, but we just want to celebrate

Christmas for all who want to be a part of it.

And she started it with fear and trembling and not

thinking many people will come. But when she told me,

the response was overwhelming, Praise the Lord, and yeah, I

think she thought maybe just like a handful will come.

But the last I heard is twenty over have RSV

beat and more more might be coming. And even in

that group who RSV beat, she doesn't know who are

believers and who are not. But she's just doing it

because God told her to do this for her marketplace.

Just organized a simple Christmas gathering. She's going to hunt

for a restaurant in PJ, you know, and then yeah,

she's going to plan the program. But it's going to

be also respecting others as well, but yet being bold

to declare the love of God as she's led to,

you know. So we pray that God will really blessed

and just you know, use doctor Sheila to bring about

a transformational Christmas in her marketplace. This is one example

not difficult. I Busster Jack and I are thinking how

we can do a simple Christmas gathering in our neighborhood

among our pre believing neighbors. So since the mc old time,

God has really opened doors for us to become good

friends with some of our pre believing neighbors. In fact,

one just when true cancer, she had to go through

removal of that cancerous growth. And one day that as

she was walking outside my house and I was somehow

watching the garden, not cleaning my porch, I saw her

and then she updated me, oh, I'm going for surgery

to remove this cancerous growth. And I just felt the

bonus to say, Antie, can I just pray for you

right here? So we were literally standing at the gate

of my house. I opened the front gate, I was

standing there, she was standing in front of me, and

in broad daylight, I just laid hands upon her and

I just prayed for her to have a successful surgery,

a safe surgery, you know, a good report, a good recovery.

And then later after the surgery, she and then my

family also we continued to pray for her during our

bedtime prayers with the children because they know her. And

then after her surgery, she said thank you so much

for your prayers. You know, the surgery went well, the

growth was removed, and the doctors actually downgraded my staging

after the surgery. It wasn't as bad as they taught

it to be. That can only be God right to

downgrade cancer staging. And she she's recovering well. And then

yesterday she told me she's back already. I say, okay,

I'm going to see you soon. So we're thinking, how

can we do a simple Christmas gathering in our neighborhood

selected again, yeah, selected, not all neighbors, but just those

that we have a meaningful relationship with and those that

God wants us to, you know, build connections with. So friends,

just think of your circle of influence, your friends, your family,

your community at work or where you stay. What can

you do this Christmas to help them experience a transformational Christmas.

It doesn't have to be fancy, it doesn't have to

be expensive, just simple. But people appreciate you know that

that gesture the meaningfulness of it, and God can use

our little and multiply to be march. You just bring

your five loaves of bread and two fishes and let

the lot multiply that. Amen. Amen. Another idea would be

maybe you know, send a text to someone that you

have not been in touch for a while, or even

send a card. You know. Recently, for my birthday, I

was very touched because some people actually gave me physical cards.

And this day in Asia, it's very hard to actually

have physical cards. So it's I feel it's extra special.

Yeah when people take the effort to write physical cards

and so yeah, maybe you can do that for someone,

even give them a gift. Pray over the give. I

find it really works. Okay. When when people say, wow,

how do you know I needed this? I say, I

prayed and ask God. God told me you needed this. Yeah,

so pray, pray over the gifts, okay, and who you

should give it to? That could be away right to

build that bridge. Another thing could be to offer to pray.

So what I mean by this is so last Christmas,

last Christmas or I'm not going there now we all

know that song. Right now, I'm going to tell you

a better song. So last Christmas, I had a few

pre believing people in my life that actually wish me

merry Christmas. Yeah, these are pre believers. They were my

patients or my staff previously, my neighbors, my friends who

are not believers, and on Christmas Day they wished me,

you know, Merry Christmas. And to me, their messages really

stood out because when we are Christians, it's so normal

to wish one another, right when we're family and friends,

it's like expected to wish one another. But they are

not very close to me in my circle, and they

are not even Christians. But they made the effort to

actually wish me, and I of course was very touch.

I was very grateful. I believe that God has used

me to impact their lives in a positive way that

they would actually take this effort to wish. But so

in the human sense, I would say, oh, thank you

so much. You know, I'm really really touched and blessed

by your wish, your message. But the Holy Spirit led

me to take one more extra step. The Holy Spirit

challenged me to ask them in return, is there something

I can pray for you? So each of this pray

believing people that messaged me, I thank them with all

my heart and I say, hey, is there something I

could pray for you even as you are about to

start the new year. And all of them actually shared

with me something personal that they really needed prayer for.

And so I really took time to pray for them

after that, and one of it was this neighbor that underwent, yeah,

the cancer remover surgery. I remember she asked me to

pray for good health for her in the coming year,

and this year she was diagnosed to have that can

So yeah, but God came true for her. And so

never underestimate the power of offering your prayers to someone

this Christmas. Okay, So these are some suggestions caroling as well.

We are going to organize Christmas caroling in Cyberjaya. Okay.

I think the date is eighteenth of December. It's a Wednesday.

It's a Wednesday. We are looking for maybe at least

three houses to host us. So if you want to

host us in your house for caroling, you invite your neighborhood,

you know, neighbors and all your friends. Let us know. Okay,

let passaject know, let myself, don't let your homes leaders know.

We're looking for tree hosts okay around the area of

cyber Jaya, you know, put your jaya put chong. And

we're looking for carellers. Okay. How can we have caroling

without carellers? So if you're around, you want to be

a part of this initiative. Come speak to your homes leaders,

speak to passaject myself. We would love to have you

on board. Yeah, I know last year the young people

really powered it. Yeah. Maa was there, right, yeah, different

ones so yeah. Keith also was there last year. Yeah,

playing the guitar until he's not the strings on the break,

his head on the break already. Yeah. After that okay, oh, okay.

On twenty second of December, it's a Sunday, we've been

invited by Prima Prima Avenue, okay, to actually do caroling

to their biza in the afternoon, to do something after church. Yeah,

the same caroler. So carol on eighteen of December evening

in a few homes, house to house, and then on

that Sunday after church like this, after McCanne, we quickly

go to the bazaar and we do caroling one more round. Okay,

it's gonna be fine, all right, so come come sign up,

sign up? All right. I tell you don't believe the

power of caroling. Pastor Jack's mom got safe during one

Christmas caroling. It was in I remember your neighbor was

a Christian and had carollers come and then your mom

was just peeping over and she saw angels amidst the caroling,

and that's when she gave a heart to Jesus. So

Pastor Jack's mom got saved during Christmas from a simple caroling.

All things are possible, friends, Okay, from the big to

the small. Never belittle every seat that the Lord puts

in your hands. So come on, ax Sabajaya. We don't

just want a traditional Christmas. We want a transformational Christmas.

And can I hear he a loud amen. We hope

you've been blessed by this message. For more information on

our church, please visit as Church RG. We are also

active on Facebook and Instagram. We're believing that this week

is going to be a good week ahead for you.

God bless