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[0:00] Welcome. Thank you for choosing to listen to the Spirit-filled Word by David Entry. A time to hear God's Word is a time to be visited.

[0:11] May you receive a visitation as you listen to this message. Be blessed. Alright. Can we get into the work? We don't really have time.

[0:23] It's just going to be a short session. It's not supposed to be any heavy preaching. So, when the guys were doing the talking Word, I was thinking, but they have already finished preaching. The preaching has been done.

[0:41] Then I asked Pastor Hu. I told Pastor Hu, that's very strong in theology. Pastor Hu said yes. I said, but where did they get this from? He said everything they said was from your preaching. It is a travesty of destiny to be encouraged and lack understanding of the Word or don't know what the Bible has got to say.

[1:07] You might not know footballers' names and other things, but one thing that we will not fail you on is you cannot not know a lot of the basics of Scripture.

[1:18] So, when it comes to Christmas, you must know what this whole stuff is about. Easter is about. When it comes to church service, you must know what it is about.

[1:36] Amen. So, I want to read from Hebrews chapter 10. Hebrews chapter 10. Reading all the way from verse 1 through verse 9.

[1:54] For the Lord having a shadow of good things to come and not the very image of the things can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comest thereunto perfect.

[2:11] For then would they not have ceased to be offered. But that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sin.

[2:25] But in those sacrifices, there is a remembrance again made of sins every year. For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.

[2:40] Wherefore, when he cometh into the world, he saith, sacrifices and offerings thou would not, but a body that has prepared for me.

[2:54] In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast no pleasure. Then said I, lo, I come. In the volume of the book is written of me to do thy will, O God.

[3:06] Above, above when he said, sacrifices and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hast pleasure therein which are offered by the Lord.

[3:26] Then said he, lo, I come to do your will, O God. He takeeth away the first that he may establish the second. Let's pray.

[3:38] Father, thank you. Thank you that we have a Bible to look into. Thank you that we have a Bible so we can hear from you through. Thank you that we have the blueprint that can help us explain the story of Christmas.

[3:55] Thank you. Reveal Jesus to us as your word is taught in Jesus' name. Amen. Hallelujah. There is a reason why God created heaven and the earth.

[4:09] The reason why God created the heavens and the earth is because of man. So, heavens and the earth. When you say heavens, in the beginning God created heavens and the earth.

[4:21] It includes the galaxies. It includes everything in the universe. Universe. Unity in diversity. Everything is working towards the earth.

[4:34] So, don't think there are human beings on some other planets. They are not there. If you like, go and check. They are not there. You can spend billions of dollars and go.

[4:45] And it will be wasted because you find out that they are not. They are not human beings anyway. God created the heavens and the earth. The heavens means galaxies. Everything in between and everything that is part of the heavens and the earth.

[5:01] Why did he create the heavens and the earth? Because he wanted to create man. If there are any other human beings or creatures somewhere, then that begs to mean that Jesus has to also go there.

[5:17] I know. You don't know because you have never been there. The Bible hasn't talked about them. It said God created the heavens and the earth. And God came here. He didn't go there. So, there is no other place. Oh, but you never know.

[5:29] You two, you never know. There is nothing you never know. We all don't know but what he has said. So, why don't we go to the one who made it?

[5:41] He knows how he made it, why he made it. Well, he created for man. But he created so man can be on earth to be his counterpart, his expression, his reflection, and his habitation.

[5:58] Then, there was a problem. Sin entered through disobedience. Sin entered through disobedience. The serpent showed up in Genesis. And he also showed up in Revelation.

[6:09] The Bible calls him the old serpent. Yeah, he's been around for a long time. He showed up in Genesis chapter 3. And so, when you talk about Christmas, sometimes it's just important to have a few things in proper perspective.

[6:27] Number one, I don't know if you've been to a child's birthday party before. You know, two-year-old child's birthday party. And a lot of children come.

[6:38] Sometimes they all play so much. You actually don't know. Whose birthday is it? You know. It's like, whose birthday is it? Is it this one? Which of them?

[6:48] Because everybody, a child doesn't really care. Sometimes he doesn't even know it's his birthday. Oh, yeah. There's a parent who says, your first birthday. It's you.

[6:58] It's you. He doesn't even know it's his birthday. So, when you look at it, it looks like Christmas is becoming like that. That we haven't Christmas, but we don't know. So, whose birthday is it at all?

[7:10] In a lot of churches and in a lot of places and shopping centers, you go and it's Christmas. You're wondering, well. So, what is this thing about? Because it looks like it's everybody's birthday. And then you hear people have preachers and stuff like which is good preached from different perspectives of Christmas.

[7:30] From the perspective of Joseph. From the perspective of the shepherds. From the perspective of Mary. From the perspective of Herod the King. Some even go as far as crazily going from the perspective of the sheep.

[7:46] As soon as a pastor gets there, you should have stopped listening to him a long time ago. But it's good to know from the perspective of Jesus.

[8:02] This Christmas thing. From his perspective. What has he got to say? You know, there's something very interesting about the book of Mark. Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. They all have their slight differences.

[8:15] When I say differences, not contradictions. But Mark will emphasize on something that all the three didn't. Even though we have what theologians call the synoptic gospel.

[8:26] Syn. To synchronize your phone with your computer. Syn. So, synoptic optics. They are all synchronicity. From the same angle. So, Matthew, Mark and Luke.

[8:38] They are called the synoptic gospel. They primarily cover the same stories. But yet, there's some difference between there are things that Luke touches that Mark doesn't touch.

[8:51] Or Matthew doesn't touch in the same way. For instance, when it comes to the birth of Jesus. Matthew starts with the birth of Jesus. And then Luke also starts with the birth of Jesus.

[9:03] But John said, I don't have time for the birth. Let's go to where he came from. The beginning. So, he said, I'm taking it to the beginning. Then, Mark comes and said, listen.

[9:14] Let's cut to the chase. We don't have time for any other thing. But when you look at the book of Luke. The first comment statement of Jesus in the Bible is important.

[9:26] The first statement of Jesus recorded in Scripture. He said, I have, don't you know I have to be about my. So, he came here for a business trip. Yeah.

[9:38] Even though he didn't come with a business class. He came for a business trip. Because the first thing he said, Luke chapter 2.

[9:49] He says, I have to be about my father's business. So, that is very significant. That is, he said, for this purpose have I come into the world. You can't appreciate a Christmas until you understand his assignment and his agenda.

[10:06] Because he came. He didn't just show up. He didn't begin in the manger. In Isaiah chapter 9, he says, Unto us, a child is born. But unto us, a son is given.

[10:21] He's not just a child. He's a son. For God so loved the world. That child is the son of God who has already existed before he was born.

[10:34] He was born a human being, but he existed as God. Some people make Jesus look like he's not fully a human being.

[10:45] He's less than a human being. Listen, he's totally, truly and fully a human being in every sense of the word. And others also make him less than God.

[10:56] Listen, he's fully and truly God in every sense of the word. God and man fuse together in one person. So, then when you look at the book of Mark, Mark doesn't have time to really talk about he was born and menja and he said, we don't have time.

[11:19] Let's start from his ministry. He got baptized. So, John the Baptist came and baptized him and he started ministry. Not even his temptation in the wilderness. He didn't have time. So, Mark chapter 1 starts from a grown man, Jesus.

[11:34] A grown man who was baptized. He didn't have time for a baby. But then it's interesting to find out what the first thing that Jesus said in the book of Mark. Then Mark takes him to Mark chapter 1, then chapter 2.

[11:51] And chapter 2, Mark brings a very important story. What's the story? Mark, someone who was paralyzed, who couldn't walk. And he heard about Jesus who does miracles.

[12:04] Listen, if God becomes a human being, it would be strange if he doesn't do miracles. If he's God amongst us, then he must do some miracles.

[12:16] If he doesn't do miracles, that means he's really not God. And so, he heard about this miracle working guy. And he said, he called his friends.

[12:29] Guys, can you take me there? Maybe I'll be healed. And then when they got there, the place was packed. There was no room. No room for him. But he said, don't worry.

[12:40] I understand when there's no room for you in the inn. So, they went to the roof and brought him in. Then when they brought the paralytic man before Jesus, Jesus looks at him.

[12:56] Isn't it interesting that Mark chose that to be one of his first stories? Jesus looks at him and he said, son, your sins are forgiven. What is Mark up to?

[13:10] That he brings this as the core message from the beginning of the story. He even goes to the nativity. A human being is walking on earth, looks at another human being, said, your sins are forgiven. But everybody knows that no human being has what it takes to forgive sins.

[13:25] So, for him to say your sins are forgiven, are you supposing that he's God? That's what he's been trying to suggest, but he didn't get it. So, the Pharisees who sat there, the scribe said, who is this guy?

[13:41] He's creating problems. How can any human being say, it's only God who can forgive sins? Yes. He says, tell him, yes, it's only God who can forgive sins.

[13:54] Oh, really? Hmm. He said, but you are not God. He said, really? Which one is easier? When you tell somebody your sins are forgiven, can you validate it? You can't validate it now.

[14:05] But when you tell someone who has never walked or who cannot walk, rise up and walk. If he doesn't rise up and walk, you're a liar. So, he said, okay, then let me say what is harder. After telling him your sins, then I like the verse now.

[14:18] He says, so that you know the Son of Man has power on earth. Ah. Ah. To have power on earth to forgive sins means you are God. So, Mark starts by a story trying to let us know, I don't need the nativity.

[14:34] Let's cut to the chase. God became flesh. God walking amongst us. But he was fully man. He was fully God.

[14:45] Then, so when you look at this whole business of Jesus, God becoming man, you won't appreciate it until you really... How many of you have watched a movie and you started watching it from the middle?

[15:00] You started watching it from the middle. So, you don't get a lot of things. You don't know why. Why is this... Why does this woman hate this other lady like that? It's because she...

[15:10] That lady took her husband. Ah. But you never know that that's what is in the... You see what I'm saying? Yeah. Yeah. So, when you watch a movie and you start from the middle, you might see some nice things, but you might not really appreciate the proper picture.

[15:27] How about watching a movie from the beginning, but you don't finish it? You watch it halfway. The Bible is like a movie. Don't start from the middle. You have to get the whole picture.

[15:40] If you start from the middle to the end, you'll see how the story ended, but you can't get it. In the same way, if you start from the beginning, the Old Testament is not enough to tell you the whole picture.

[15:53] You need that. So, it says in the volume of the... Oh, I'm going somewhere, you see. I'm going somewhere. So, it is important to have the whole story.

[16:05] And the whole story, you can't understand, appreciate Christmas until you understand it from Christ's perspective. So, in Genesis, man sinned against God.

[16:17] God created heaven and the earth. Man sinned against God. And God said, right. The devil thought he has thwarted God's plans. God doesn't want to have anything to do with man again.

[16:29] And God decided. God had a meeting with himself. And they decided. God, they decided. They decided that the second person of the Trinity will come as God by becoming man.

[16:48] I heard someone say this, which was quite nice. Somebody did a Christmas card. And he said, this is what is written, printed in a Christmas card.

[17:00] God, this might not mean anything to you. But it means everything to me. And sign, God. Yeah.

[17:14] It cost me a lot to get you this Christmas. Even though it might not mean anything to you. For God to be a human being.

[17:27] Because of you and I. God told, they said it in the drama. Not drama, sorry. Spoken word. Genesis chapter 3, verse 15.

[17:37] God said, the seed of the woman. What? So, God said, I will put enmity between you and the woman. And between your seed and her seed.

[17:50] And her seed. And he said, he. The seed is a he. Not they. The seed of the woman is a he.

[18:03] A particular one. Not us. We are not the seed of the woman. There's a particular seed that is coming by saying that God is saying that me and myself, I'm going to come in the picture.

[18:17] But before he comes, he said, I need to do something. I need to prepare a body. But I need to have a relationship with some people before I come.

[18:29] So through them, I can prepare a body. But this relationship I'm going to have with these people, they have to come back to me and have a relationship. But the whole thing is that I will give them systems that will not work.

[18:42] So he gave them system of sacrifices. It wasn't working. I preached a message. David died with a question on his mind.

[18:54] But my sins have not been dealt with. What happened? About Bathsheba, God. So are you not going to do it? Are you not going to do it? Solomon died realizing all this I did with the women.

[19:06] God, are you not going to do anything about it? Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.

[19:16] Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.

[19:26] Amen. Amen.

[19:37] Amen. Amen. gave it to you just for it to shadow, be a foreshadow of something coming. These sacrifices, they don't work. So Moses and all of them were saved and were justified by looking at something they never saw.

[19:56] Jewell will also justify by believing in something we have never seen. And oh, we look back, they look forward to what they never saw. We look back to what we have never seen to be saved.

[20:08] He said, oh, as Moses lifted as the serpent, so the son of man must be lifted that whoever believes in him should not perish. Hallelujah. Is someone getting something?

[20:21] So, he said, the sacrifices will no work. But you know, the whole Bible, watch this, the reason I told the story about you can't watch a movie halfway, it takes the whole Bible to make a proper Christian.

[20:34] You don't need just parts of the Bible. The whole Bible, the Genesis stories is important. The Exodus stories, the Leviticus stories, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, First Samuel, Second Samuel, First King, Second Samuel, they are all important.

[20:47] They are important to make you a holistic Christian. But you know, every book of the Bible is talking about this person of Christmas. The reason why we have Easter is because of Christmas.

[21:04] Christmas is never divorced from Easter. Why did I talk about Genesis? Because it says that the seed of the woman will crush your head. It will crush your head.

[21:15] Now, that person who is going to crush the head of the serpent is supposed to be a seed of the woman. So when he arrived, Easter was now getting ready to occur.

[21:26] Christmas was necessary because Easter is coming. Anytime we celebrate Easter, we have to remember Christmas. Because Christmas made Easter possible.

[21:38] But when you look at the text, there are several books that will touch on so much about Christ. But Hebrews is a very interesting book because Hebrews is the oldest or the most old testament in the New Testament.

[21:52] When you read Hebrews, you are actually looking at Old Testament. It's the most old testament in the New Testament. And it captures important things.

[22:04] Now watch this. Hebrews. Look at how Hebrews starts. It says that God who in time past, God has shudder. In the past, he was in silence.

[22:17] He has been finding a way to communicate to people. in these times have spoken to us through his son.

[22:28] In the past, it was through prophets and systems. But now, the son is the revelation. The clearest revelation in the verse 3. He said, for he is the express image of his person.

[22:42] Hallelujah. I feel like preaching. Yeah. Sit down, please. He is the express image of his person. So, you see, the revelation of God is in the sun.

[22:56] But it wasn't only the revelation of God, but the redemption of man. Yeah. Christmas is about God being manifested in the flesh.

[23:07] And yet, it was also about man being redeemed. So, Matthew chapter 1, verse 21, he shall save his people from their sins. John chapter 1, verse 14, and the word became flesh and we dwelt amongst us and we beheld, wow, and we beheld, we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

[23:32] So, Christ came to reveal God to us and to redeem man to God. That's Christmas from Christ's perspective.

[23:43] What he said matters. So, when you look at Hebrews, right from, look at verse, verse 3, Hebrews 1, it says that he didn't just reveal God to us, but he also purged us from our sins.

[23:58] Wow. When he had by himself purged our sins, he didn't just reveal, he's the express image of God's person, but he's also the one who purges us.

[24:10] Oh, Christmas is so important. The day when this whole thing, when heaven and earth met together. I don't know why you're a Christian and you have problem with Christmas.

[24:24] No, wait, wait, wait, wait. Wait. I can, it's pagan. My daughter asked me, so, when was Christ born? Why? I said Christ was born around Easter or April.

[24:35] It's not Christmas. it wasn't, because while shepherds watch their flock by night, we shepherds go and sit in the winter with their flock at the, what do you call it?

[24:46] On the fields. Shepherds watching their fields, their sheep in their fields. No, they don't do that in Easter. In their bleak mean winter. No, no, he wasn't born in winter.

[24:57] No, he wasn't born in winter. So, it's really, he wasn't born in Christmas, around Christmas. But, do I care? Do I care? So, where did he come from?

[25:08] We don't have time to get into all that. St. Augustine, Pope Gregory said, if you can, if you have converted them now, they believe, and they are so attached to their festivals and their religion or their festival, so, just christianize their festival.

[25:27] Make it Christian so that they can still flow in Christianity with this, their winter solstice and all this, what do you call it? mistletoe, what's all this mistletoe and Christmas trees and all that?

[25:40] Where did they come from? They came from somewhere, but they, now they have hijacked it to tell the story of Christ. Ah, that's the one I like. So, anything you can use to tell the story, bring it on.

[25:51] Bring it on. Go on, bring it on. Anything we can use to tell the story, bring it on. I don't care. It doesn't matter. It doesn't matter. It matters not. God. So, so, Jesus Christ, watch this.

[26:05] He himself said, verse 5, Hebrews chapter 10, verse 5, he said, sacrifices and offering you did not desire, but a body you have prepared for me.

[26:19] That's what he said. These are his own words. Christmas from the mouth of Jesus. A body has been prepared for me. Unto us a child is born. Unto us a son is given.

[26:30] Then he says that his governor shall be punished. Oh, my shadow. His name is mighty God. Everlasting father. Counselor. Prince of peace.

[26:40] Oh, my shadow. Sounds like a conundrum. Prince of peace. How can he be a mighty warrior and a prince of peace at the same time? Hallelujah.

[26:54] So, it says that a body that has prepared for me. This is very important. That's why Christmas, Christmas is God preparing across the years, preparing a body.

[27:08] That's why Abraham had to be a man who can have a child. He had to be. Christ couldn't have come through Ishmael because that is Abraham's seed.

[27:21] That's Abraham's product. That's from the human nature. But Isaac is a son of promise. God waited. When Abraham couldn't have a child, all his spermatozoom had dried up and Sarah couldn't have eggs and the womb is dead.

[27:38] Then God's word into the body of Abraham, passed through and went into Sarah's womb and found a human being. So, it was like God went back into creation again.

[27:49] He created life from death. God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, has shone in our hearts. Hallelujah. He went back against two back and then used Abraham's body inside.

[28:04] How did he do it? By speaking his word to Abraham. Abraham received the word. God said, that's I got it. And the word went into his system and brought the word became a see-through Abraham.

[28:15] He entered Sarah and the dead moved back to life. He believed in God who gives life to the dead and called the things that be not as though they were.

[28:28] Romans chapter 4 verse 70. So, Abraham having Isaac, Isaac was not an ordinary man. He was a man as a result of God's way.

[28:42] Genesis chapter 21 and it came to pass that God did unto Sarah as he has spoken. He said, what? That became flesh. Isaac was the word becoming flesh.

[28:56] So, then a body through Isaac he got the Jews or they call it Israel. And through Israel he prepared over the generations.

[29:10] Over the generations he prepared to give them the law for God's law to sink into human systems. And then he had to prepare different means and show them how to relate with him.

[29:23] And then kinship because God the one who is coming he said is going to be a king. Unto you in the city of David is born a savior who is Christ the king. And Bible says that the wise man went they said where is he who is born the king?

[29:37] And then he says the savior is Christ the king. So he's a savior. He's a king. He's a savior. The Christ is a savior. But what kind of king is he going to be?

[29:49] He's going to be a king. Parallel excellent. Higher than David. So the highest level of kingship that Jews knew was the kingship of David because David was a unique king.

[30:01] God picked him himself and God said I'm going to bring a seed from you. So he did that David because he's coming as a king. He needed Abraham so that the body can be prepared.

[30:12] He said this is Jesus' words. He said you are sacrificing for all sins and that's not what you're looking for. So why did you give it to us? To keep us busy. Just to keep us busy.

[30:24] We have to get something to do. He said a body you are prepared for me. A body has that been. So look at the next verse. In bent offering sacrifice for sin you had no pleasure.

[30:39] You didn't have any pleasure in that but you gave it to us. He has to keep you busy so you can have something to look forward to. The next verse. Jesus said it again and he said behold I come I have come.

[30:52] Then he said in the volume of the books. Romans chapter 1 he says that separated unto the gospel of God. which he has promised by the prophets.

[31:05] Romans chapter 1 says Paul separated unto the gospel of God. Look at verse 2 which he had promised before through the prophets in the holy scriptures. In the volume of the books he has already spoken about me.

[31:16] Mount Shaddai in the volume of the books. So I'm not just showing up. There have been documents concerning my coming. written.

[31:27] Where did it start? From Genesis. God spoke about me to the devil. Them coming. After God spoke about the coming of the Messiah to the devil.

[31:40] Adam was the first person to attempt faith. because the Bible says that the very day you eat this and you will die. So they were dead beings.

[31:50] But Adam after they had the encounter of God he looked at his wife called her Eve you shall be the mother of the not the dead the mother of the living. The mother of the living.

[32:01] The mother of the because man shall live again. Why? The story started. The Christmas story started in the garden. I told man you have eaten disobeyed me and eaten from this thing I said don't eat.

[32:14] Now you are going to be part of the garden. It went back to the garden. So a body needs to be prepared. In the volume of the book he didn't just show up.

[32:27] So much documents concerning Christ. So when you look at Easter at Christmas Jesus said listen read the Bible. It's not someone wanting to have a party.

[32:41] It's good news of man. Great joy. Good tidings of great joy. Verse 14 of Luke chapter 2.

[32:53] It says joy to all men. Verse 14 of Luke chapter 2. It says glory to God in the earth and good will to all men. That's why anyone can celebrate Christmas.

[33:07] But whilst they are celebrating we Christians need to tell them whose birthday it is. It's not about jumpers. The jumpers should be telling us it's somebody's birthday.

[33:20] Wow. Let me say the third thing in Hebrew chapter. Two things. First of all he said a body that has prepared for me. Second statement he made in the volume of the book is written of me.

[33:33] The third statement verse nine. Then he said behold I have come to do your will God. Don't you know how to be about my business man.

[33:50] He came to do business. He didn't come to just have fun or work miracles. He came for serious business. And what was the business? God has finally arrived among men.

[34:05] God has become man. Why? So he can bring man back to God. And that means that what happened in the garden has been resolved. what happened in the garden has been resolved.

[34:18] How do you know? See how revelation ends. God and man have become one. The problem in the garden was resolved. Why? Because God became man.

[34:30] So that man can be taken into God. That is Christmas from Jesus' perspective. He came to do business.

[34:41] Not just to eat and drink. Did you receive something? Give Jesus a big big big shout.

[34:55] Thank you for listening to this message by David Entry. The best thing that can happen to you is being exposed to the word of God. To hear more from David Entry, follow him on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter.

[35:11] LinkedIn and subscribe to Karis Church on YouTube. You can also find more information about Karis Church and our upcoming services by visiting karis.org.

[35:23]  Be blessed.