Preaching Christmas Sermon

After a short afternoon nap, I woke up with extreme fatigue due to my preaching this morning. It was an intense message. I did not once look at my watch but probably it went for 45 minutes. I started by explaining that chapter one of Luke's Gospel focuses on two women, one old and one young. Elizabeth would be probably in his 60s or early 70s because she was well-advanced in age. Mary was a young girl, a teenager of 14 or 15 years old. But God worked miracles for both. God answered the prayer of Zechariah, Elizabeth's husband and Mary conceived by the Holy Spirit. I then proceeded to preach from Luke 1:13-17, a total of five verses on the angelic announcement to Zechariah of John's birth who later became the Baptist.

First I spoke about answered prayers. With God nothing is impossible. Then, I spoke about rejoicing over our children and that it is the children's responsibility to respond to their parents' love with gratitude so that they give joy and happiness to their parents as they grow up, even so when they have careers of their own. I quoted Matthew 15 that even if an offering or sacrifice (Korban) has been committed to God, Jesus said it is better for children to use the money to bless their aged parents because God's commandment of honouring one's parents. 

Third, I spoke about John being filled with the Holy Spirit from the womb how his mother and how the Holy Spirit is said to be the spirit and power of Elijah. The parallel verse on "turning many back to God" corresponds to "the hearts of the fathers to their children" and "the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous". I told the church that they need to be wise and grow in wisdom. I told them that it is Scripture that gives wisdom (Paul's exhortation to Timothy) which is salvific in that this wisdom leads us unto salvation in Christ Jesus. 

I spoke about the need to be filled with the Holy Spirit as only the Spirit would give us courage to speak God's Word and preach the Gospel. At the end of my sermon I sat down and spoke with the church pastor for a few minutes. I have known him for 6 or 7 years since my time in Ranau at Muhibbah church. He told me that he was leaving the church and maybe take a year off to attend to his family. I did not ask the reasons for his departure. 

It seems even with the salary of a degree holder (BTheol), it is not easy to survive in Kota Kinabalu. He told me that his eldest son would be going to Primary one next year and everything costs money including hiring the School Bus to school and other expenses. I thought in my heart that if he is paid to scale and holds a Bachelor and still could not survive with two young children, it must be tough for other pastors. I thought about my own situation, but not every one has the same level of faith. "With God nothing is impossible" and I have survived for a whole year without a pastor's salary, by the grace of God.