A Place of Beginning
Micah 5:2 -- “But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.”
Matthew 2:1 -- “Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,”
l. INTRODUCTION -- THE GEOGRAPHY OF THE SOUL
-Geography and navigation are perhaps two of the oldest, yet important aspects of the discoveries of man. It was through the ability to know geography and navigation that Columbus could come from Spain to the Americas in the 1400’s. It was the same understanding of navigation that Lewis and Clark discovered the western slopes of the Rockies in the early formation of our nation.
-Men have always determined their course of travel by the lay of the land and by the watch of the stars. Long before the days of maps and computer tracking systems, man understood by the conditions of the weather, by the feel of the sea, and by the activities of animals that travel was to be a careful thing.
-The same case is true with the navigational devices of the soul. It is there, deep within the soul, that an understanding of geography is imperative. One might deny that there is a tendency to sin. Often in the sunlight of the soul, the cliffs with their lazy growth of ivy, the smattering of the flowers, and the humming of nature, that the delinquency of the heart goes undetected.
-Yet, should one attempt to take the Lamp of the Word of God into the caves within the unregenerate heart, one would immediately began to sense the dank, damp, slippery surfaces. There would be the faint growling of the hidden beasts that slumber within the spirits of men. There would be heard the slithering and hissing of the serpent, fleeing from the light within the heart of man.
-That is why there must be a spiritual transformation within every life. That transformation must extend into our lives until devotion no longer has to compete with lesser activities.
-The highs and lows of life all mark the progress of the soul. There is always a spectrum of victory and of defeat. Such is illustrated best with the prophet Elijah. One day calling fire from heaven on Carmel and a short time later, despondent under the juniper tree.
ll. BETHLEHEM -- A PLACE OF BEGINNING
-Every great man is forced into a beginning if his life is to ever amount to anything. There are too many who are waiting on someday.
• Someday I will pray.
• Someday I will discipline myself.
• Someday I will began saving and wisely investing both time and talent.
• Someday I will forgive.
• Someday I will let past failures die.
• Someday. . . . Someday. . . . . Someday. . . .
-While they wait on someday, the most productive days of life are slowly slipping away from them.
Proverbs 10:4-5 -- “He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand: but the hand of the diligent maketh rich.” “He that gathereth in summer is a wise son: but he that sleepeth in harvest is a son that causeth shame.”
-Those who are willing to spend some investment in a beginning will ultimately find that the Cross becomes a Crown. It is not uncommon at all for the beginning of an endeavor to began with pain.
• Every day begins in the darkness of midnight.
• Each year finds its birth in the wintry cold and gloom.
• The life of every plant opens with the fracture of the seed.
A. The Geography of Bethlehem
-That Bethlehem was located in the middle of the wilderness was no mystery. The surrounding landscape, the sea-level, and the weather patterns designated it to be a place of little production.
-The mystery was that in the middle of the dry arid desert that there would be wheat fields that flourished and lush green vineyards that boasted of the finest figs, delicate olives, and succulent grapes.
-The area around Bethlehem was not conducive to growth. It was near the Dead Sea but out of this desert land arose the “house of bread.”
B. The “Place” of Bethlehem
-Bethlehem found itself not only to be a fruitful place in the middle of the desert, it was at it=s juncture that some significant things happened.
1. Bethlehem, A Place of Kings
-Long before the time of Jesus Christ, David had tended the flocks in the outlying areas of Bethlehem. Bethlehem, small and humble was the hiding place that kings have their birth.
-The man after the heart of God, found his residence here. The Man who was God found His birthplace here.
-One of Herod’s palaces was in Bethlehem, yet it is not the thrones that seem to awe us about Bethlehem, it is the beginnings of the soul that seem to captivate us. The most impressive thing about the Bethlehems’ in our lives is not the thrones and the royalty but rather the stables and the mangers.
-God does His best work on kings when they are in stables and mangers. A Bethlehem is present in the scope of every man. It is a place where God enters life, whether or not we have a spot reserved for him or not.
-Too many times, in my own life, Bethlehem has been crowded with lesser guests. There was a heart full of lesser guests than the One who should have gained the most attention. When I leave with an unchanged heart, I utter those fateful words: “No room for Jesus here.”
-Yet, it is Bethlehem that is the place that kings reside. No, you’ll never recognize them now, but in time just you wait and see if the hand of God does not place them at the apex of royalty. Not in the grip of power but in the pattern of Christ-likeness.
2. Bethlehem, A Place of Mistakes
-Just as Bethlehem is the residence of kings, it also is a place that is bothered by mistakes. Although Israel’s greatest king came out of this small little community, his greatest mistake filled with lust, greed, and subterfuge would cause one to doubt Bethlehem’s power.
-Bethlehem is an old place. It is like our favorite pair of shoes. It is like our favorite easy chair. We are accustomed and aware of the torn threads, the ripped liners, and the general disrepair of usage.
-Bethlehem is like the back of our hands. We know how the veins run. We know where the scars are. We know which hand is stronger. Bethlehem is a place where:
• We ponder decisions.
• We brood over failures.
• We set priorities.
• We evaluate dreams.
• It is there that we plan meals, study for exams, or prepare for work.
• It is where we live day in and day out. . . .
-Bethlehem is bothered by mistakes. Consider some of the mistakes of God’s greatest men:
• Noah’s Drunkenness.
• Abraham’s Doubt.
• Isaac’s Untruthfulness.
• Jacob’s Dishonesty.
• Joseph’s Pride.
• Moses’ Disobedience.
• Peter’s Denial.
-But God’s hands are never tied nor bound by failure. God took conspiracy, deceit, and frank immorality and from the same birthplace, He brought a Savior. Not a single portion of my life is beyond the work of redemption. God never gives up on us. There is that constant divine attempt to bring us to His level.
-There is something about the past and the future in the place of Bethlehem. The citizens of our heart, those who live within us work in two ways. There are the citizens of the past who are constantly looking back to the “glory days” of King David. They continually utter, “there will never be another day like the good old days.” This is the talk of the past in our heart.
-The other citizen of our heart is the future. The future says otherwise. The future is a meticulous prophet looking for the sign of Micah, . . . “though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me. . . “
2 Corinthians 5:17-20 -- “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” “And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;” “To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.” “Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.”
-The heart says to you, “My best years lie ahead. My past mistakes nor failures do not rule me.”
3. Bethlehem, A Place of the Unexpected
-One of the last places that would have been expected to have been filled with holiness was Bethlehem. The holy city was Jerusalem, which was only five or six miles down the road in the physical aspect of miles. Jerusalem, in the geography of the soul is much further. In the personal experience of holiness, Bethlehem and Jerusalem are light years apart.
-Most people associated Bethlehem with government and politics. It was the home of Herod but God sometimes uses the things that create personal discomfort for the promotion of spiritual promise.
-God has a knack for using unexpected people and tools. It is the unnamed servant girls He uses who notify the Namaan’s of the prophets of God who can minister healing. It is the Gideon’s that He finds in time of oppression. It is the donkeys that He finds to speak to the Balaam’s. It is the roosters that He uses to condemn men in their denials. It is the limp of Jacob. It is the stuttering tongue of Moses. These are the things that God finds talent in using.
4. Bethlehem, A Place of Anointing
-Along with Bethlehem being a place of kings, a place of mistakes, a place of the unexpected it also is a place of anointing. It was here that David was anointed by Samuel.
-Called in from tending the sheep, David was confronted by the old prophet Samuel with a horn of oil. In the most humble of surroundings, the oil of anointing began to flow.
-From the beginning to the end of Scripture, anointing is the symbol of communication with the Spirit.
2 Corinthians 1:21-22 -- “Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God;” “Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.”
-From the beginning to end of Scripture, anointing is the symbol of communication of the Spirit. It is the oil that smooths the surface of the soul. It gives strength and stamina to the weary muscles of the heart.
-Later in the life of David, when Saul’s men were stalking him, he desired a drink from the wells of Bethlehem. He knew the cool refreshing water that came from the wells. Periodically, men need to seek solace from the fight. How often I have longed for the anointing of Bethlehem to capture me and bring to me the sealing of the Spirit that I needed.
-Bethlehem awaits a new beginning for men. A spiritual renewal.
lll. CONCLUSION -- THE FIRSTS OF THE CHRIST
-Some perhaps would wonder how to reach that place of spiritual beginning.
• Are you looking for the God of Bethlehem to crown your life with peace?
• Are you longing for the God of Bethlehem to hide your mistakes?
• Are you longing for God to take what meager things that you have to offer to Him and use them for His Kingdom?
• Are you looking for a new beginning?
• Are you longing for the anointing to cover and soothe the rough edges of your soul?
-Then there is a way. It has been said that how one starts determines how that he will finish. Consider the things that Jesus said to do first:
Mark 12:29-30 -- “And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:” “And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.”
Matthew 5:24 -- “Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.”
Matthew 6:33 -- “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”
Matthew 12:29 -- “Or else how can one enter into a strong man’s house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house.”
Matthew 23:26_28 -- “Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.” “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness.” “Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.”
Mark 13:10 -- “And the gospel must first be published among all nations.”
Luke 6:41-42 -- “And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but perceivest not the beam that is in thine own eye?” “Either how canst thou say to thy brother, Brother, let me pull out the mote that is in thine eye, when thou thyself beholdest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of thine own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to pull out the mote that is in thy brother’s eye.”
Luke 12:1-3 -- “In the mean time, when there were gathered together an innumerable multitude of people, insomuch that they trode one upon another, he began to say unto his disciples first of all, Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.” “For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known.” “Therefore whatsoever ye have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light; and that which ye have spoken in the ear in closets shall be proclaimed upon the housetops.”
-Let’s go to Bethlehem.
Philip Harrelson
barnabas14@yahoo.com
