Amelia Church of Christ - Christian Church in Amelia, OH near Cincinnati in Clermont County

Welcome to the second week of our Christmas series called Ghosts. Ebenezer Scrooge was haunted by three ghosts. We all remember that from the Charles Dickens’ classic A Christmas Carol. He was visited by the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Christmas Present, and Christmas Yet To Come (or Christmas Future).Many of us are haunted by these same ghosts. Ghosts from our past, our present, and our future haunt us. We can’t seem to get rid of them. And these ghosts won’t let us live the life that we are meant to live. They hold us hostage.Last week we talked about the ghosts of our past. We saw how God called the Magi to come to Jesus in spite of all the sins and shortcomings of their past. And He does the same with us. God doesn’t trip over our past. He isn’t frightened by our past. He calls us to come to Him in spite of our past.Today in the second week of our series, we’re talking about a different ghost that haunts many of us. The ghost of our present.This series is based in Matthew 2. Let’s pray and we’ll go back to the story.

In this series, we are exploring a lot of the main characters in Matthew 2. It’s a very familiar part of the Christmas story, but there is so much that we usually miss.Last week we exposed the truth of the Magi. It’s not at all like our normal Christmas traditions. But when you see the truth about who they were and what they had done, it gives you a deeper, more complete understanding of how deep God’s grace really is.This week, we’re going to talk about another one of the major players in this story. But it’s not who you might think. This character isn’t a person. It’s a town. The town of Bethlehem. Let’s read our story again from Matthew 2. “After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.”When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born. “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:“‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.’ ” (Matthew 2:1-6, NIV)

Jesus was born in Bethlehem. We know this story so well that we usually gloss right over that fact. We sing about it in O Little Town of Bethlehem. It’s actually one of the things that our Christmas traditions actually get right. We know it so well that it just doesn’t feel like an earth-shaking fact that Jesus was born in Bethlehem.

But it should.

If you were to go to Bethlehem today, you would find a city that is home to approximately 80,000 people. Modern-day Bethlehem is in the disputed territory called the "West Bank" and is under the nominal jurisdiction of the Palestinian Authority.

It is a city that is valued by multiple faiths. It is famous as the birthplace of David, making it a holy site for Judaism. Muslims believe that Mohammed was escorted to Bethlehem by the angel Gabriel, making it a holy site for Islam. And we know that Bethlehem was the birthplace of Jesus, making it a special place for Christianity.

That’s how we see Bethlehem today. But to understand the context of Matthew 2, we’ve got to turn back the clock a couple of millennia.

This bustling city of tens of thousands of people…this city that is considered sacred by multiple faiths…that wasn’t even close to reality in first century Bethlehem.

When you think of first century Bethlehem, think of a town with dozens of people living there. At most, a couple of hundred people. For comparison, we’ll have more people in this building today than lived in the entire town of Bethlehem.

It wasn’t a bustling metropolis. It was a small hick town. In many ways, it was looked down upon in that culture. If you were from Bethlehem, you were from nowhere and you were going to go nowhere.

And this is the town that God chose as the birthplace of His Son. Not Athens. Not Rome. Not Alexandria. Not any of the major powerhouse cities of the day. Bethlehem. Small little nowhere Bethlehem.

And that really explains what Matthew wrote in verse 6. He quotes from the Old Testament prophet, Micah, who wrote these words about 400 years before Jesus was born.

“‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.’ ” (Matthew 2:6, NIV)

God chose Bethlehem. He could have chosen any city anywhere, but He chose the small, insignificant town of Bethlehem.

And He encouraged the people of the town by saying, “I know you think that you are the smallest, most insignificant town on the map…but I have big plans for you. You will be the birthplace of my Son. The One who will redeem mankind will come from you.”

God didn’t concern Himself with the present state of Bethlehem. He knew the powerful work that He was going to do in the very ordinary little town of Bethlehem.

What does that have to do with us? Much more than we realize. There is a life-changing truth about God that comes into focus through this very familiar part of the Christmas story.

God doesn’t just look at your present situation. He sees potential that extends far beyond your present.

We talked last week about how the ghosts of our past haunt us. For some of us, it’s not so much the past that is the problem. It is the present.

When we look at our lives in the present, a lot of us see a life that is going nowhere and doing nothing. A lot of us feel stuck. I’m stuck in this job. I’m stuck in my singleness. I’m stuck in these health problems. I’m stuck in…

A lot of us feel insignificant because of our age. I’m just too young. Or I’m just too old to do anything significant.

Or we play the comparison game. We compare what we don’t have to what other people do have. He has a lot of money. I don’t. She has a great education. I don’t. They have a lot of opportunities. We don’t seem to have any.

These kind of comparisons leave us feeling very insignificant…even useless.

Many of us, if we are honest, just don’t see any way that God can work powerfully in our lives because we just don’t see our lives at present as being very significant.

That’s when we need to remember Bethlehem. God didn’t choose a city that was an economic juggernaut. He didn’t choose a city with military might. He didn’t choose a hub of art and culture.

He chose a poor little burg that was home to a few country bumpkins…and He used that little town to change the world forever. The people of Bethlehem never believed that something like this could happen in their town. They never thought a move of God would happen in their town.

And a lot of us don’t believe a move of God can happen in our lives. We have the “just Bethlehem” syndrome. Bethlehem was just a dot on the map.

A lot of us believe, “I’m just a student. Or I’m just a stay-at-home mom. Or I’m just a worker on the line. Or I’m just a retiree. Or I’m just a…”

You’re not “just” an anything. Your circumstances may seem humble, but your God is powerful. And a powerful God trumps humble circumstances every single time.

Your present situation does not determine your future effectiveness. God doesn’t waste time worrying about your present because He’s already seen your future.

God can move in a powerful way in anyone He chooses. He can make your life significant.

But for a lot of us, the problem is that we have a wrong idea of what significant means. We need to correct our definition of significance. Our culture’s view of significance is not God’s view of significance.

Significance doesn’t mean fame. It doesn’t mean wealth. It doesn’t mean power. To be significant, you’ve got to become a Bethlehem.

What did Bethlehem do? Bethlehem gave people Jesus. And if you want to be significant, you’ve got to be a Bethlehem. A significant life is a life that gives people Jesus.

One person that I kept thinking about as I studied for this message is my grandma. You’ve probably never met her or even heard of her. She’s not famous in any way. But her significance is beyond question.

She grew up dirt poor. Got married at 15, then watched her husband, my grandfather, head off to fight in World War II.

She waited tables. Worked the farm. And just did everything that needed to be done to keep the family going.

She and my grandpa had three kids, but then they watched as one of them, my aunt who I never met, died as a young teenager from cystic fibrosis.

Obviously this was long before I was born. But ever since I was old enough to understand, I saw the servant that my grandma really is. I watched her care for my grandpa who suffered terribly from emphysema. She never left his side right up to the time that he died in 1988.

After his death, my grandma recommitted her life to Christ and that’s when I saw her take things to a whole new level.

I saw her care for an elderly couple who didn’t have a family that cared enough to do anything for them. I saw her volunteer at the senior citizens center, giving countless hours of service and ministry to people who didn’t have a lot of other options. I saw her minister to the poor through the kitchen and food pantry ministries at her church.

You’ve never heard of my grandma, but she has lived a life of enormous significance. Her humble circumstances didn’t stop her from living a Bethlehem life…a life that gave people Jesus.

Stop telling yourself what you can’t do. Stop focusing on the limitations of your situation. If all you see are the obstacles, you will declare yourself to be insignificant and you will absolutely achieve that goal. If you believe that you are insignificant, that’s exactly what you will be.

But if you believe that God’s power trumps your humble circumstances…if you commit to be a Bethlehem…if you look for the opportunities that you do have to give people Jesus, God will do a powerful work in your life and through your life.

One other interesting thing about Bethlehem is the name of the town. The name Bethlehem literally means “House of Bread.”

That doesn’t seem to matter until you read what Jesus said in John 6. “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty. (John 6:35, NIV)

The Bread of Life was born in a city called The House of Bread.

Jesus doesn’t promise fame or wealth or anything else that our culture says is required to be significant.

Jesus promises that He is enough for us. That’s what the title, The Bread of Life, means. Bread was the staple of the first century diet. It was the food that sustained even the poorest people. If you had bread, you had enough.

If you have Jesus, you have enough. He can satisfy our deepest longings. He can make us significant because He is our significance.

For a lot of us, the ghost of our present haunts us. Our present day life doesn’t look anything like we thought it would.

I never thought I would lose my job. I never thought I would be divorced. I never thought that I would experience the tragedy that has happened in my life. I just never thought my life would turn out this way.

The ghosts of our present have a way of digging into the depth of our heart and soul and convincing us that there is no way we can overcome our present circumstances. And if we were alone, those ghosts would be right.

But we are not alone. Bethlehem, the House of Bread, gave us Jesus, the Bread of Life. Jesus gives us significance. Not our circumstances. Jesus. Jesus gives us significance and hope and purpose.

Because of His death and resurrection, Jesus forgives our past like we talked about last week. But He also trumps our present. He is bigger than anything you are facing down in your life. He is more powerful than the hopeless situation that you are facing.

That’s what Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians. “Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: “Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.” (1 Corinthians 1:26-31, NIV)

We are not of noble birth. We are not influential and powerful. We are not wise, but this passage says that Jesus has become our wisdom. Because of Jesus, we are righteous. We are holy. We are redeemed. The death and resurrection of Jesus is the game changer. It not only forgives our past, but it also gives great significance to our present.

I’m not saying that your present situation is easy. Not at all. For some of you, this Christmas season is tough because you just are not at all where you planned to be at this point in your life.

But that doesn’t mean that you are alone. And it doesn’t mean that you don’t matter.

Say this out loud with me. I matter, to God. That’s all, that matters, to me. Say it again. I matter, to God. That’s all, that matters, to me.

If you are in Christ, then that is what defines you. Your circumstances do not define you. You are not defined by what you have, or what you don’t have. You are not defined by your employment status or your marital status or your educational status or your health status. You matter to God. You are chosen by God. You are loved by God. That is the status that defines your life.

Listen to what the Bible says in Romans 8. If you are haunted by the ghosts of your present situation, then let these words set you free.

“For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? [Our hope is not based on our present situation.] But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. [We are not alone.] We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will.

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. [God can use anything in your present, even the worst of circumstances, for your good and for His glory.]

What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?

Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. [God is your justifier. God answers all people and circumstances that condemn you. God is your significance.]

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. [God’s love trumps your present circumstances.]

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:24-28, 31-35, 37-39, NIV)

Do you feel the hope in these verses? This truth is a ghostbuster. (You didn’t actually think I would get through this series without going there, did you?) These verses are your proton pack. This truth is enough to bust all the ghosts of your present, however big and scary they may be.

You are a child of God. You are chosen by God. You are loved by God. And that truth trumps anything that your present life situation throws at you.

And when you combine that truth with this one, things really get good. Have you ever heard the old cliché, “Be patient. God isn’t finished with me yet.”? It’s true.

In Philippians 1, the Bible says that “he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 1:6b, NIV)

This verse tells us that God began a good work in each of us. And it also tells us that that work is still unfinished. In other words, God isn’t finished with you yet.

Your present situation is not the end of the line for you. What you see now is not all you’ll become.

My friend, Scott Hodge, recently wrote about this on his blog. In the art world, there is a sculpting technique called Non Finito. Literally, the phrase means unfinished.

The technique was pioneered by the early Italian Renaissance artist, Donatello. It was later used by many other artists, including Michelangelo, who used it to create this beautiful piece known as The Pietà.

The technique is one where the sculpted piece appears almost unfinished because the artist only uses part of the block, which leaves the sculpture looking almost stuck or part of the stone or block of material itself. It appears unfinished. Non finito.

This is us, isn’t it? Non finito. Unfinished. Incomplete. We are not who we were created to be. But thankfully, God reminds us that one day, we will be.

That is the tension we feel, isn’t it? It’s the tension that we live in. The tension of the “now vs. the not yet“. But there is hope in the midst of this tension. Hope that reminds us that no matter how good, or how painful, or how broken, or how scarred, or how failed our lives may be…..our stories are not over. They are non finito. Unfinished. To be continued.

Christmas reminds us that God came into our world to change the story of our lives. And it reminds us that there is no such thing as an insignificant life. In fact, God does His best work through those that our world deems as insignificant.

He chose an insignificant, hick town called Bethlehem to bring His Son into the world. He chose two dirt poor, nobody teenagers named Joseph and Mary to raise His own Son. He called a bunch of shepherds, who were on the very lowest rung of the social ladder, to be the first to come and worship His Son.

God always works through weak, broken vessels. Always. And in a very real way, the more broken you are, the more primed you are to do big things for God. God loves to work through broken people.

In fact, He did His greatest work through the broken. Through the broken body of Jesus, He offers salvation to all of us. You are not too small, too insignificant, too sinful, or to broken to be saved. Jesus’ broken body on the cross is enough to save you from your brokenness. His sinless sacrifice is the price that was paid for your sin.

Your significance is found in the cross. Your hope and meaning and purpose is found in Jesus. You are non finito. Your completion is in the cross and the empty tomb. If you’ve never claimed Jesus as the Savior and Lord of your life, we invite you to come today.

Mike Edmisten

Tags: Bethlehem, Christmas, Ghosts, hope, Matthew 2, present