1 00:00:10,440 --> 00:00:13,960 Hey, man, thank you, Andrea. Thank you John and praise team 2 00:00:13,960 --> 00:00:17,440 for leading us to lift our voices and praise today. 3 00:00:17,440 --> 00:00:20,600 If you have your copy of God's Word, and I hope you do, make 4 00:00:20,600 --> 00:00:25,200 your way to Ruth, Chapter 4, final chapter in this Old 5 00:00:25,200 --> 00:00:28,840 Testament book that we've been walking through together now for 6 00:00:28,840 --> 00:00:32,400 the last several weeks. And we land today on chapter 4 7 00:00:32,400 --> 00:00:35,600 with much ground to cover. And think they got nervous in 8 00:00:35,600 --> 00:00:37,680 the first service. I didn't get to all those blanks 9 00:00:38,000 --> 00:00:39,560 as quickly as they thought I would. 10 00:00:39,560 --> 00:00:42,400 So just hang on. We're going to really give you a 11 00:00:42,400 --> 00:00:44,040 heads up here. We're going to walk our way 12 00:00:44,040 --> 00:00:48,600 through the story for the first portion of our time together. 13 00:00:48,600 --> 00:00:51,120 And we're going to really land on lots of the practical 14 00:00:51,120 --> 00:00:54,600 application of the story and the truth we learned from this story 15 00:00:54,600 --> 00:00:57,080 towards the end. All right, so we're going to 16 00:00:57,080 --> 00:00:59,800 walk through this one verse at a time, and we'll get there, I 17 00:00:59,800 --> 00:01:02,040 promise. So if you're here this morning, 18 00:01:02,040 --> 00:01:04,519 let me just say this first. If you're here this morning and 19 00:01:04,519 --> 00:01:06,880 you would admit somehow, some way deep down, you're 20 00:01:06,880 --> 00:01:10,720 struggling. Maybe you're wondering where 21 00:01:10,720 --> 00:01:15,120 your life is headed. You're wondering what God is up 22 00:01:15,120 --> 00:01:18,000 to, can't really see the destination. 23 00:01:18,520 --> 00:01:20,400 You don't really know what God's writing. 24 00:01:21,000 --> 00:01:23,000 You know, how no, all this is going to come together. 25 00:01:23,760 --> 00:01:26,600 Maybe if you're being honest, you'd say, Kyle, I don't even 26 00:01:26,600 --> 00:01:28,480 know if God's paying attention to me right now. 27 00:01:29,480 --> 00:01:32,800 I'm not even sure that God understands or sees my 28 00:01:32,800 --> 00:01:35,360 circumstances right now. At least that's the way I feel. 29 00:01:35,560 --> 00:01:38,960 I'm not so sure God's writing anything when it comes to me, my 30 00:01:38,960 --> 00:01:43,480 story and my name and direction. If that's you and any former 31 00:01:43,480 --> 00:01:46,680 fashion. I do believe Ruth chapter 4 is 32 00:01:46,680 --> 00:01:49,800 something that you'll be encouraged to hear as we walk 33 00:01:49,800 --> 00:01:51,880 through God's word together today. 34 00:01:52,080 --> 00:01:55,200 You do need to remember in Ruth chapter 4, we're still in the 35 00:01:55,200 --> 00:01:57,280 days of the judges. Now some of you got my little 36 00:01:57,280 --> 00:01:59,920 review here memorized. All right, I've said this 37 00:01:59,920 --> 00:02:02,640 several times, but if you're new to Ruth or haven't caught all 38 00:02:02,640 --> 00:02:04,480 the messages, this is helpful to know, right? 39 00:02:04,480 --> 00:02:07,400 Because during these days, it's the days of the judges in 40 00:02:07,400 --> 00:02:09,360 Israel. This mean it's pre kings, right? 41 00:02:09,360 --> 00:02:12,160 There are no, there's no king in Israel. 42 00:02:12,440 --> 00:02:16,120 And the Bible says, unfortunately everyone is doing 43 00:02:16,120 --> 00:02:20,800 what is right in their own, in their own eyes, how chaotic life 44 00:02:20,800 --> 00:02:22,400 is. And everybody's just doing what 45 00:02:22,400 --> 00:02:26,800 seems right to them. And it is not going well. 46 00:02:26,800 --> 00:02:29,960 In fact, it's absolute chaos and it's sinful. 47 00:02:29,960 --> 00:02:31,680 They're walking unfaithfully with God. 48 00:02:31,960 --> 00:02:35,640 And God said he would do what they, if they were unfaithful, 49 00:02:35,640 --> 00:02:38,360 God said he would do what he's doing. 50 00:02:38,360 --> 00:02:40,960 And I see as he's not bringing blessing, he's bringing cursing. 51 00:02:41,120 --> 00:02:43,400 One of the things is this famines going on in the land. 52 00:02:43,400 --> 00:02:44,840 They're starving and they're hungry. 53 00:02:45,160 --> 00:02:48,440 And one Israelite man by the name of Elimelech and his two 54 00:02:48,440 --> 00:02:51,360 sons and his wife Naomi moved to Moab. 55 00:02:51,360 --> 00:02:54,560 They leave the promised place where God said to dwell and 56 00:02:54,560 --> 00:02:56,720 where God said he would be with them and bless them. 57 00:02:56,960 --> 00:02:59,280 And in their own initiative, they go off to another land, a 58 00:02:59,280 --> 00:03:02,760 place they worship foreign gods, where they don't know Yahweh. 59 00:03:02,760 --> 00:03:07,080 And they're there 10 years and over 10 years, both boys marry 60 00:03:07,080 --> 00:03:10,120 Moabite women. But after 10 years, all the men 61 00:03:10,120 --> 00:03:13,200 are dead. Elimelech passes and his two 62 00:03:13,200 --> 00:03:16,040 sons. Ruth is now destitute. 63 00:03:16,320 --> 00:03:18,080 She has two Moabite daughters in law. 64 00:03:18,080 --> 00:03:19,800 What's she going to do? She does here. 65 00:03:19,800 --> 00:03:22,840 There's food in Bethlehem. So she decides to move back. 66 00:03:22,840 --> 00:03:25,320 She tries to convince her two daughters in law to stay. 67 00:03:25,400 --> 00:03:28,080 One does. But one comes to this point 68 00:03:28,160 --> 00:03:31,320 where she's learned of Yahweh. She's heard now of the one true 69 00:03:31,320 --> 00:03:32,800 God. And guess what she does? 70 00:03:34,160 --> 00:03:38,160 She says I'm all in. I'm not going back, Naomi, don't 71 00:03:38,160 --> 00:03:39,600 even talk to me about it anymore. 72 00:03:39,800 --> 00:03:42,480 I'm following y'all with all my heart, with all my soul, with 73 00:03:42,480 --> 00:03:44,800 all my strength and all my mind. I'm going to be with you and 74 00:03:44,800 --> 00:03:47,240 where you go, I'm going to go. And where God leads we're going 75 00:03:47,240 --> 00:03:48,360 to be. And where you die, I'm going to 76 00:03:48,360 --> 00:03:49,800 die. And don't try to convince me 77 00:03:49,800 --> 00:03:52,960 otherwise. She vows herself to God. 78 00:03:54,640 --> 00:03:59,560 Does God reward such commitment? Does God reward such faith? 79 00:04:00,640 --> 00:04:04,040 Does God honor when we're walking one way and repent and 80 00:04:04,040 --> 00:04:06,120 turn and start walking the other way by faith in him? 81 00:04:06,920 --> 00:04:10,480 You better believe it and you're going to watch that unfold as we 82 00:04:10,480 --> 00:04:13,000 walk through this story with Ruth and remember right. 83 00:04:13,000 --> 00:04:17,120 So Naomi and Ruth, they get back to the promised lamb and Ruth as 84 00:04:17,120 --> 00:04:24,480 a has a destitute poor widow is having to pick up the scraps of 85 00:04:24,480 --> 00:04:29,840 barley on the edges of a field. But she just so happens under 86 00:04:29,840 --> 00:04:32,760 God's Providence to end up in a field by the name owned by a man 87 00:04:32,760 --> 00:04:36,280 named Boaz. Boaz takes notice of her. 88 00:04:36,280 --> 00:04:40,240 And Naomi takes notice of Boaz and sees a little match 89 00:04:40,640 --> 00:04:43,600 potential going on. And she she comes up with the 90 00:04:43,600 --> 00:04:47,440 plan and tells Ruth the plan. And Ruth proposes to Boaz, like 91 00:04:47,440 --> 00:04:50,160 we talked about last week, says, hey, would you take me under 92 00:04:50,160 --> 00:04:51,800 your wing? You're a kinsman Redeemer. 93 00:04:51,880 --> 00:04:54,680 Would you care for me? Redeem me and take me under as a 94 00:04:54,680 --> 00:04:58,160 Redeemer. And so Boaz says, yes, I will. 95 00:04:58,160 --> 00:05:03,720 But so we found out, even after all that has transpired, after 96 00:05:03,720 --> 00:05:06,200 all that has come to pass, after all that seemed like was 97 00:05:06,200 --> 00:05:08,800 hopeless, and now finally, things starting to go the right 98 00:05:08,800 --> 00:05:11,040 way. There's a closer kinsman 99 00:05:11,120 --> 00:05:14,000 Redeemer. There's a family member that 100 00:05:14,000 --> 00:05:16,840 ought to have the right to redeem first before Boaz. 101 00:05:16,840 --> 00:05:20,160 So what is Boaz going to do? We listen to chapter 3, verse 102 00:05:20,160 --> 00:05:21,760 18. This is to pick up where we left 103 00:05:21,760 --> 00:05:25,040 off, she replied. Naomi replied Wait my daughter 104 00:05:25,040 --> 00:05:28,240 until you learn how the matter turns out for the man that's 105 00:05:28,240 --> 00:05:32,440 Boaz will not rest but will settle the matter today. 106 00:05:33,120 --> 00:05:34,400 All right, so here's what happens. 107 00:05:34,440 --> 00:05:38,760 Chapter 4 verse one and two. Now Boaz had gone up to the gate 108 00:05:38,760 --> 00:05:42,680 and sat down there, and behold, the Redeemer of whom Boaz had 109 00:05:42,680 --> 00:05:45,680 spoken came by. So Boaz said, turn aside, 110 00:05:45,680 --> 00:05:48,080 friend, sit down here. And he turned aside and sat 111 00:05:48,080 --> 00:05:52,440 down, and he took ten men of the elders of the city and said, Sit 112 00:05:52,440 --> 00:05:55,520 down here. So they sat down. 113 00:05:55,640 --> 00:05:58,520 Boaz isn't going. Boaz is gone. 114 00:05:59,320 --> 00:06:02,600 Boaz set his alarm early. He's at the gate before 115 00:06:02,600 --> 00:06:06,760 daylight. Boaz is a man on a mission. 116 00:06:06,760 --> 00:06:08,680 She said he would take care of it today. 117 00:06:08,680 --> 00:06:10,280 That's absolutely what he's doing. 118 00:06:10,480 --> 00:06:12,080 And he goes to the gates of the city. 119 00:06:12,080 --> 00:06:15,160 That sounds odd, unless you understand that the place where 120 00:06:15,360 --> 00:06:19,000 business went down, where civic and social decisions were made 121 00:06:19,000 --> 00:06:22,160 in ancient times, where it's not the city courthouse or the 122 00:06:22,160 --> 00:06:25,760 County Courthouse, but the city gates, this was the place of 123 00:06:25,760 --> 00:06:28,440 decision, of business and transaction. 124 00:06:28,640 --> 00:06:32,640 This is where as goes and sure enough, behold, here comes the 125 00:06:32,640 --> 00:06:35,960 Redeemer again. Sounds like a coincidence, but 126 00:06:35,960 --> 00:06:40,040 are they actually any coincidence in life or is God in 127 00:06:40,040 --> 00:06:43,440 his hand overseeing all things under his Providence and 128 00:06:43,440 --> 00:06:46,000 goodness, it seems just like that. 129 00:06:46,000 --> 00:06:48,280 But no doubt under the Providence of God, here comes 130 00:06:48,280 --> 00:06:51,160 that closer Redeemer. He says, hey friend, hey, so and 131 00:06:51,160 --> 00:06:53,960 so, hey you. Interesting enough to me, his 132 00:06:53,960 --> 00:06:56,720 name is not even mentioned. Boaz knows the guy's name. 133 00:06:56,720 --> 00:07:01,040 He's family, but it's interesting how in the record of 134 00:07:01,040 --> 00:07:04,720 God's inspired record of Book of Ruth, the closest kinsman 135 00:07:04,720 --> 00:07:07,560 Redeemer is not even named. I think that's on purpose. 136 00:07:08,640 --> 00:07:11,120 And he says, hey, come here, I've got business with you. 137 00:07:11,360 --> 00:07:15,600 Boaz takes his man, but he needs 10 men in these times to make a 138 00:07:15,600 --> 00:07:17,680 decision official. And here's what happens. 139 00:07:17,680 --> 00:07:19,880 Verse 3. Then he said to the Redeemer, 140 00:07:19,880 --> 00:07:23,240 Naomi, who has come back from the country of Moab, is selling 141 00:07:23,240 --> 00:07:27,760 the parcel of land that belonged to our relative Elimelech. 142 00:07:28,040 --> 00:07:31,560 So I thought I would tell you of it and say buy it in the 143 00:07:31,560 --> 00:07:34,080 presence of those sitting here and in the presence of the 144 00:07:34,080 --> 00:07:37,880 elders of my people. If you will redeem it, redeem 145 00:07:37,880 --> 00:07:40,040 it. But if you will not tell me 146 00:07:40,040 --> 00:07:43,240 that, I may know, for there is no one besides you to redeem it. 147 00:07:43,240 --> 00:07:49,240 And I come after you. And he said I will redeem it. 148 00:07:49,240 --> 00:07:52,360 Now, I don't know about you, but in my mind I'm sitting here 149 00:07:52,360 --> 00:07:56,720 thinking, Boaz, time out, dude. What are what are you doing 150 00:07:57,000 --> 00:07:58,840 right? You letting the girl get away, 151 00:07:58,840 --> 00:08:02,160 you giving the land away like you don't have a play call that 152 00:08:02,160 --> 00:08:05,040 you're going to do that maybe somehow get this to work out 153 00:08:05,040 --> 00:08:07,400 after all that y'all been through, after all that Ruth 154 00:08:07,400 --> 00:08:10,160 went through, after the promises you made to her, you're just 155 00:08:10,160 --> 00:08:12,560 going to you're just going to, you know, put this in front of 156 00:08:12,560 --> 00:08:14,680 the guys. A grand financial game. 157 00:08:15,160 --> 00:08:19,600 I mean, think about it, right? Naomi had this land now in her 158 00:08:19,600 --> 00:08:20,960 name that belonged to her husband. 159 00:08:20,960 --> 00:08:23,200 It would have passed to her sons, but their past. 160 00:08:23,640 --> 00:08:25,880 So now Naomi owns it. But guess what? 161 00:08:25,880 --> 00:08:27,920 Naomi's too old to drive a tractor. 162 00:08:29,280 --> 00:08:31,440 She's not bailing barley anymore. 163 00:08:31,840 --> 00:08:36,880 This land is doing her no good. She needs a Redeemer, one who 164 00:08:36,880 --> 00:08:40,679 has the right resolve and the resources to redeem this 165 00:08:40,679 --> 00:08:44,200 property, buy it if you will, to keep it in the family and work 166 00:08:44,200 --> 00:08:46,920 it to provide for her and her family. 167 00:08:47,000 --> 00:08:50,000 All right. And Boaz is serving this up is a 168 00:08:50,000 --> 00:08:52,040 good deed. That's also grand financial 169 00:08:52,040 --> 00:08:53,120 gain. I mean, just think about it, 170 00:08:53,120 --> 00:08:54,880 right? So the guy knows, hey, I'm going 171 00:08:54,880 --> 00:08:56,560 to have to provide for Naomi. But guess what? 172 00:08:56,560 --> 00:08:58,640 The produce of the land is going to take care of that. 173 00:08:58,880 --> 00:09:01,600 And then guess what? Naomi doesn't have any, any 174 00:09:01,600 --> 00:09:04,280 offspring for the land to go to. It's going to remain in my 175 00:09:04,280 --> 00:09:06,200 family. This is more going to pay for 176 00:09:06,200 --> 00:09:09,280 itself. Hey, Boaz, where do I sign? 177 00:09:10,760 --> 00:09:14,360 Boaz, what are you doing? Well, he's smarter than you 178 00:09:14,360 --> 00:09:18,720 think he is, all right? He's got a plan that he just 179 00:09:18,720 --> 00:09:20,960 hadn't revealed yet. Here it is. 180 00:09:21,360 --> 00:09:26,800 Saves it for last, then. Boaz said the day you buy the 181 00:09:26,800 --> 00:09:32,200 field from the hand of Naomi, you also acquire Ruth the 182 00:09:32,200 --> 00:09:37,040 Moabite, the widow of the dead, in order to perpetuate the name 183 00:09:37,040 --> 00:09:42,640 of the dead in his inheritance. By the way, the land comes with 184 00:09:42,640 --> 00:09:43,600 a wife. That's what he said. 185 00:09:44,280 --> 00:09:47,440 Then the Redeemer said I can't redeem it for myself. 186 00:09:48,280 --> 00:09:50,640 Story change. Let's I impair my own 187 00:09:50,640 --> 00:09:53,520 inheritance. Take my right of redemption 188 00:09:53,520 --> 00:09:56,000 yourself, for I cannot redeem it. 189 00:09:56,000 --> 00:09:57,520 That's what I'm talking about, Boaz. 190 00:09:57,520 --> 00:10:00,040 I mean, you just got to, I mean, I jump up, give him a high 5 191 00:10:00,040 --> 00:10:02,320 right there if I could, right? I didn't see that coming. 192 00:10:02,320 --> 00:10:03,400 You probably didn't see that coming. 193 00:10:03,400 --> 00:10:06,400 But Boaz had a plan. He wasn't just walking into it. 194 00:10:07,720 --> 00:10:11,440 As ill informed as it sounds right now, we don't know exactly 195 00:10:11,440 --> 00:10:15,640 why this closest kinsman Redeemer didn't realize taking 196 00:10:15,640 --> 00:10:18,920 care of Ruth, marrying Ruth, and caring for was part of the deal. 197 00:10:18,920 --> 00:10:21,360 But here's our best guess. She was a what? 198 00:10:22,240 --> 00:10:25,520 She was a Moabite. Now, you don't have to know much 199 00:10:25,520 --> 00:10:29,760 about your Bible to realize why he probably didn't think 200 00:10:29,760 --> 00:10:31,560 marrying her was part of the deal. 201 00:10:32,360 --> 00:10:34,560 All right, I'm not going to get into the details because it's 202 00:10:34,560 --> 00:10:35,960 not all age appropriate, all right? 203 00:10:36,240 --> 00:10:38,040 But you can go back in Genesis 19. 204 00:10:38,040 --> 00:10:44,600 You remember Abraham's nephew Lot, All right, Well, Lot ends 205 00:10:44,600 --> 00:10:49,320 up in an incestuous relationship with two daughters of his that 206 00:10:49,320 --> 00:10:53,440 involved alcohol that produced the origins of the Moabite and 207 00:10:53,440 --> 00:10:59,320 the Ammonite peoples. All right, so it gets worse then 208 00:10:59,320 --> 00:11:02,280 the Moabite peoples once there are people and God's leading the 209 00:11:02,280 --> 00:11:05,360 Israelites out of Egypt to the promised land towards freedom. 210 00:11:06,480 --> 00:11:09,960 You got the Moabites no wanting to curse the Israelites. 211 00:11:10,120 --> 00:11:16,000 So their king hires this, you know, black market prophet to 212 00:11:16,000 --> 00:11:18,640 come out and try to curse them, but God won't let him curse 213 00:11:18,640 --> 00:11:20,880 them. And so then furthermore, he 214 00:11:20,880 --> 00:11:23,480 says, well, if God can't get God to curse them, I'm going to send 215 00:11:23,480 --> 00:11:26,360 all our women in there and get them to seduce them and then God 216 00:11:26,360 --> 00:11:28,720 will curse them then. And sure enough that actually 217 00:11:28,720 --> 00:11:30,680 worked. The Moabite women came among the 218 00:11:30,680 --> 00:11:34,640 Israelite men and they they were involved in relations with him. 219 00:11:34,640 --> 00:11:37,400 And you know how many men, Israelite men, God struck dead 220 00:11:37,400 --> 00:11:39,160 on the spot for their unfaithfulness? 221 00:11:40,240 --> 00:11:47,120 24,000 I don't know how it's to say it, but if you were a 222 00:11:47,120 --> 00:11:50,280 teenager in Israel, you didn't bring home a Moabite to meet 223 00:11:50,280 --> 00:11:53,000 Mama. You just didn't. 224 00:11:54,360 --> 00:11:58,080 No doubt this guy thinks marrying her couldn't be, must 225 00:11:58,080 --> 00:12:00,800 not be part of the deal. But here's the deal. 226 00:12:00,880 --> 00:12:04,720 Ruth has walked away from everything Moabite about her. 227 00:12:06,800 --> 00:12:10,280 Will God honor her desire to follow Him? 228 00:12:11,040 --> 00:12:14,040 Will God honor her repentance to turn from worshiping the way she 229 00:12:14,040 --> 00:12:16,360 used to worship to now worshiping the one true God? 230 00:12:16,600 --> 00:12:21,160 Will God give her His blessing and honor and provision because 231 00:12:21,160 --> 00:12:23,800 she has looked at Him for all of that, for life and more? 232 00:12:24,320 --> 00:12:27,800 You better believe it. So here we go. 233 00:12:29,160 --> 00:12:33,520 Listen to verses 7 and 8 now. This was the custom in former 234 00:12:33,520 --> 00:12:37,640 times in Israel concerning redeeming and exchanging to 235 00:12:37,640 --> 00:12:41,280 confirm a transaction. The one drew off his sandal and 236 00:12:41,280 --> 00:12:44,000 gave it to the other. And this was the manner of the 237 00:12:44,000 --> 00:12:46,720 testing in Israel. So when the Redeemer said to 238 00:12:46,720 --> 00:12:50,080 Boaz, buy it for yourself, he drew off his sandal. 239 00:12:50,080 --> 00:12:52,120 This is fascinating. Right When you went to buy land, 240 00:12:52,240 --> 00:12:54,400 you didn't get together your real estate agents and maybe 241 00:12:54,400 --> 00:12:57,800 your real estate lawyer to sign the deeds and the deal. 242 00:12:57,840 --> 00:13:02,200 You took off 1 dirty sandal and said here you go like you could 243 00:13:02,200 --> 00:13:03,560 keep that. I just want the land. 244 00:13:03,760 --> 00:13:06,920 But this was symbolic of the fact that the seller is saying 245 00:13:06,920 --> 00:13:10,640 I'm I'm removing my right to tread on this dirt. 246 00:13:10,640 --> 00:13:14,040 Now it's yours and your right. So it's a removal of a sandal 247 00:13:14,200 --> 00:13:18,280 and a giving to the buyer transitioning the ownership of 248 00:13:18,280 --> 00:13:20,520 the property. So Boaz gets his land. 249 00:13:20,520 --> 00:13:23,280 Listen to verse 9 and Tim. Then Boaz said to the elders and 250 00:13:23,280 --> 00:13:26,080 all the people your witnesses this day that I've bought from 251 00:13:26,080 --> 00:13:29,720 the hand of Naomi all that belonged to Limelec, and all 252 00:13:29,720 --> 00:13:32,920 that belonged to Killian and Malon, and also Ruth the 253 00:13:32,920 --> 00:13:36,120 Moabite, the widow of Malon, I've bought to be my wife, to 254 00:13:36,120 --> 00:13:39,760 perpetuate the name of the dead in his inheritance, that the 255 00:13:39,760 --> 00:13:42,640 name of the dead may not be cut off from among his brothers and 256 00:13:42,640 --> 00:13:44,080 from the gate of his native place. 257 00:13:44,080 --> 00:13:50,520 You are witnesses to this today. Will Yahweh reward faithfulness? 258 00:13:50,520 --> 00:13:53,360 You better believe it, right? And God has done so and allowed 259 00:13:53,360 --> 00:13:56,680 these things to come to success and answer to the people's 260 00:13:56,680 --> 00:13:58,640 prayer. If you remember right, Boaz's 261 00:13:58,640 --> 00:14:02,800 prayer for Ruth back in chapter 2, verse 12 was that she would 262 00:14:02,800 --> 00:14:07,560 find rest and reward under the one whose wings she had come to 263 00:14:07,560 --> 00:14:09,760 take. What refuge. 264 00:14:10,240 --> 00:14:11,760 May God reward her for doing that. 265 00:14:11,760 --> 00:14:13,360 It's God's answering that prayer. 266 00:14:14,440 --> 00:14:17,800 Does God bless those who take refuge under his wings? 267 00:14:17,800 --> 00:14:20,560 Yes or no? Yes, God's answering that 268 00:14:20,560 --> 00:14:23,400 prayer, right? God's answering Naomi's prayer 269 00:14:23,760 --> 00:14:25,640 for Boaz that he would be blessed. 270 00:14:25,840 --> 00:14:29,400 He had gone out of his way to show kindness and provision to 271 00:14:29,400 --> 00:14:32,640 Ruth, and now Naomi's prayed for him that he would be blessed as 272 00:14:32,640 --> 00:14:36,360 a result of blessing others. God y'all is rewarding the 273 00:14:36,360 --> 00:14:39,880 faithfulness of Ruth and Boaz, and he's answering the prayers 274 00:14:39,880 --> 00:14:42,760 of his people. Don't you realize? 275 00:14:43,160 --> 00:14:45,640 Don't you believe God answers prayer? 276 00:14:45,640 --> 00:14:49,080 You better believe it. Now listen and Speaking of 277 00:14:49,080 --> 00:14:51,440 answered prayer, listen to verses 11 through 12. 278 00:14:51,680 --> 00:14:53,920 Three prayers of blessing that are prayed right here. 279 00:14:54,400 --> 00:14:59,560 Then all the people who were at the gate and the elder said we 280 00:14:59,560 --> 00:15:01,720 are witnesses. May the Lord make the woman 281 00:15:02,000 --> 00:15:06,040 who's coming into your house like Rachel and Leah, who 282 00:15:06,040 --> 00:15:09,040 together built up the House of Israel. 283 00:15:09,400 --> 00:15:13,760 And may you act worthily in Ephrathah and be renowned in 284 00:15:13,760 --> 00:15:17,080 Bethlehem. And thirdly, may your house be 285 00:15:17,080 --> 00:15:20,920 like the House of Perez, whom Tamar brought to Judah, because 286 00:15:20,920 --> 00:15:24,280 of the offspring that the Lord will give you by this young 287 00:15:24,280 --> 00:15:25,480 woman. Three prayers. 288 00:15:25,480 --> 00:15:29,000 Here we see one for Ruth, one for Boaz, and one for their 289 00:15:29,120 --> 00:15:32,600 offspring, right? The one for Ruth is that she 290 00:15:32,600 --> 00:15:36,520 would be fruitful like Rachel and Leah, who were the wives of 291 00:15:36,520 --> 00:15:40,920 Jacob that birthed the patriarchs, the heads of the 12 292 00:15:40,920 --> 00:15:43,920 tribes of Israel. What a prayer for fruitfulness, 293 00:15:43,920 --> 00:15:45,600 right? There's a prayer for Boaz and he 294 00:15:45,600 --> 00:15:49,200 would flourish and become famous and be remembered. 295 00:15:49,200 --> 00:15:51,560 And to just keep that in your mind because his name is going 296 00:15:51,560 --> 00:15:54,720 to be included in a list of names that will never, ever be 297 00:15:54,840 --> 00:15:56,720 forgotten. God answers that prayer. 298 00:15:57,000 --> 00:15:59,360 And then there's a prayer for Boaz, his offspring, that he 299 00:15:59,360 --> 00:16:00,880 would be like Perez. Who was that? 300 00:16:00,880 --> 00:16:04,440 That was the the clan that was the most prominent clan in 301 00:16:04,440 --> 00:16:06,520 Judah. And again, who was Perez? 302 00:16:06,520 --> 00:16:07,960 Though again, this is a head scratcher. 303 00:16:07,960 --> 00:16:10,440 It's like, wow, look at what God's doing in his mercy. 304 00:16:11,280 --> 00:16:14,000 Perez was one of the twins born to Tamar. 305 00:16:14,000 --> 00:16:17,160 You know who Tamar was? She was another Canaanite woman, 306 00:16:17,160 --> 00:16:21,840 non Israelite woman who was married to 1 of Judah's sons. 307 00:16:22,800 --> 00:16:26,680 But after another son, after one died, she married another and he 308 00:16:26,680 --> 00:16:28,320 died. Judah would not give her a third 309 00:16:28,320 --> 00:16:32,120 son, and in spite she actually can. 310 00:16:34,280 --> 00:16:39,920 She she concealed her identity, tricked her father-in-law into 311 00:16:39,920 --> 00:16:43,680 having relations with her, and that was the offspring of the 312 00:16:43,680 --> 00:16:46,520 twins, including Perez. And you thought your family was 313 00:16:46,520 --> 00:16:47,920 messed up somewhere down the line. 314 00:16:49,320 --> 00:16:52,600 Think again. Unbelievable, right? 315 00:16:52,960 --> 00:16:55,840 Look at God's mercy in the middle of all the mess. 316 00:16:57,320 --> 00:17:00,720 The picture of the prayer here is just as God carried on the 317 00:17:00,720 --> 00:17:04,560 line of Judah through Tamar, A Canaanite woman, May God do the 318 00:17:04,560 --> 00:17:06,560 same through Ruth, a Moabite woman. 319 00:17:07,160 --> 00:17:09,880 Do the same thing. God bring blessing where there 320 00:17:09,880 --> 00:17:12,359 once was not. The first thing I want you to 321 00:17:12,359 --> 00:17:15,880 see that you can't miss from these pages is that finally now 322 00:17:15,880 --> 00:17:19,040 in chapter 4, out of all we've seen, I want you to see this in 323 00:17:19,040 --> 00:17:21,160 yours. God redeems Ruth. 324 00:17:21,160 --> 00:17:24,400 Does God honor one who takes refuge under his wings? 325 00:17:24,599 --> 00:17:27,960 Does God honor one who repents from walking their way and turns 326 00:17:27,960 --> 00:17:31,240 to walk his way? Does God honor one who vows 327 00:17:31,240 --> 00:17:34,480 themself to him without turning back and saying, God, I'm all 328 00:17:34,480 --> 00:17:36,280 in. I'm trusting you even if my life 329 00:17:36,280 --> 00:17:38,480 hasn't turned around. If I don't have all I want, if 330 00:17:38,480 --> 00:17:41,160 all's not good right now, God, I'm trusting you anyway. 331 00:17:41,360 --> 00:17:44,080 God redeems, God redeems, and God redeems Ruth. 332 00:17:45,240 --> 00:17:47,560 He's provided her a husband, a home, and a rest. 333 00:17:47,760 --> 00:17:49,640 It gets even better though. Look at verse 13. 334 00:17:49,840 --> 00:17:52,600 So Boaz took Ruth, she became his wife. 335 00:17:52,840 --> 00:17:55,280 He went into her and the Lord gave her. 336 00:17:55,280 --> 00:17:59,960 The Lord gave her conception and she bore a son. 337 00:18:00,120 --> 00:18:04,040 You read this book. There's only two times in the 338 00:18:04,040 --> 00:18:08,520 whole book that explicitly state God's direct intervention. 339 00:18:08,640 --> 00:18:11,360 This is one of them. But don't be mistaken. 340 00:18:11,360 --> 00:18:15,720 God has been the one at work behind the scenes, in every 341 00:18:15,720 --> 00:18:19,040 single detail of these people's lives. 342 00:18:19,160 --> 00:18:23,040 He's the one that allowed Naomi and Ruth to return just at the 343 00:18:23,040 --> 00:18:25,320 perfect timing of the beginning of the barley harvest. 344 00:18:25,400 --> 00:18:28,600 He's the one that opened up Boaz's eyes so he noticed 345 00:18:28,600 --> 00:18:30,320 someone immediately he didn't recognize. 346 00:18:30,400 --> 00:18:34,400 He's the one that allowed Ruth to the kindness of Boaz and for 347 00:18:34,400 --> 00:18:38,160 Boaz to be blessed and for his proposal, Ruth's proposal to 348 00:18:38,160 --> 00:18:41,280 Boaz and Boaz's plan with the first Redeemer to all be 349 00:18:41,280 --> 00:18:42,840 successful. Look at God. 350 00:18:43,160 --> 00:18:46,600 He's the one at work in the details of the lives of these 351 00:18:46,600 --> 00:18:50,000 ordinary people, by the way, in the midst of a lot of mess. 352 00:18:50,120 --> 00:18:53,520 And God in his mercy is not giving up but providing for 353 00:18:53,520 --> 00:18:54,960 them. God redeems Ruth y'all, but what 354 00:18:54,960 --> 00:18:57,720 about Naomi and Boaz? Listen to verse 14 through 17. 355 00:18:59,240 --> 00:19:03,080 Then the women said to Naomi, Blessed be the Lord, who's not 356 00:19:03,080 --> 00:19:04,800 left you this day without a Redeemer. 357 00:19:05,200 --> 00:19:08,200 May his name be renowned in Israel. 358 00:19:08,560 --> 00:19:12,440 He shall be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old 359 00:19:12,440 --> 00:19:14,640 age. For your daughter-in-law, who 360 00:19:14,640 --> 00:19:18,800 loves you, who is more to you than seven sons, has given birth 361 00:19:18,800 --> 00:19:21,000 to him. And then Naomi took the the 362 00:19:21,000 --> 00:19:24,160 child and laid him on her lap and became his nurse. 363 00:19:24,520 --> 00:19:26,600 And the women of the neighborhood gave him a name 364 00:19:26,600 --> 00:19:29,000 saying a son has been born to Naomi. 365 00:19:29,200 --> 00:19:32,080 They named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse and 366 00:19:32,080 --> 00:19:36,880 the father of David. I want you to notice 3 phrases 367 00:19:36,880 --> 00:19:40,280 we see here in this part. The first one is what Naomi's 368 00:19:40,280 --> 00:19:43,720 friends say. Blessed be the Lord. 369 00:19:44,720 --> 00:19:47,520 They're setting the record straight about God. 370 00:19:47,520 --> 00:19:50,760 Did you know that often times we can get things wrong about God 371 00:19:51,760 --> 00:19:53,480 just like Naomi? Did you know when Naomi was 372 00:19:53,480 --> 00:19:55,720 wrong about God? Do you remember what she was 373 00:19:55,720 --> 00:19:58,560 saying about God when she came back to Bethlehem? 374 00:19:59,200 --> 00:20:05,800 Who was she blaming? Who was she saying was at fault? 375 00:20:07,760 --> 00:20:11,080 Who was she griping about publicly for others to hear? 376 00:20:11,840 --> 00:20:14,600 Who did she say when she went away full? 377 00:20:14,680 --> 00:20:19,080 But who has made me empty? God. 378 00:20:20,880 --> 00:20:23,040 But she was wrong about God, wasn't she? 379 00:20:24,320 --> 00:20:28,360 She was blaming God and griping to God, and now all her friends 380 00:20:28,360 --> 00:20:30,840 are publicly setting the record straight about God. 381 00:20:30,840 --> 00:20:33,800 Blessed be God who's not left you without a Redeemer. 382 00:20:34,280 --> 00:20:37,160 Naomi, even when you were blaming God, God never abandoned 383 00:20:37,160 --> 00:20:40,160 you. His mercy was never far from 384 00:20:40,160 --> 00:20:41,320 you. How so? 385 00:20:41,400 --> 00:20:43,040 He never left you without a Redeemer. 386 00:20:43,200 --> 00:20:46,720 Now Boaz is redeeming Ruth, but now the son born to them will 387 00:20:46,720 --> 00:20:49,840 redeem Naomi And Naomi, in case you missed it, even when you 388 00:20:49,840 --> 00:20:52,840 were blaming and griping and calling God guilty, God had 389 00:20:52,840 --> 00:20:56,560 given you a daughter-in-law worth more than seven sons who 390 00:20:56,560 --> 00:20:59,320 never left your side. 7 is the number of completion or 391 00:20:59,320 --> 00:21:04,880 perfection, the ideal number. And, and they're saying, listen, 392 00:21:04,880 --> 00:21:08,440 even when you didn't see what God was doing in your life, God 393 00:21:08,440 --> 00:21:10,120 was providing and blessing you anyway. 394 00:21:10,960 --> 00:21:13,160 Even when you were blaming Him for what you didn't have that 395 00:21:13,160 --> 00:21:15,960 you wished you did. You ever found yourself blaming, 396 00:21:15,960 --> 00:21:19,800 griping and complaining to God about what you don't have, while 397 00:21:19,800 --> 00:21:22,320 what God has given you is right in front of your face and you 398 00:21:22,320 --> 00:21:26,200 can't see it? That's where Naomi was. 399 00:21:26,720 --> 00:21:28,440 Now they're setting the record straight. 400 00:21:28,440 --> 00:21:30,520 Blessed be God, He's not left you without a Redeemer. 401 00:21:31,800 --> 00:21:33,320 So Naomi becomes the boy's nanny. 402 00:21:33,320 --> 00:21:34,440 And by the way, they named him Obed. 403 00:21:34,440 --> 00:21:36,680 And you remember all the meaning of the names in Ruth. 404 00:21:38,200 --> 00:21:42,320 The name of Obed means provider or guardian. 405 00:21:43,440 --> 00:21:46,680 So not only has God redeemed Ruth, but now we see that God 406 00:21:46,880 --> 00:21:52,120 redeems Naomi. Y'all, when you read the book of 407 00:21:52,120 --> 00:21:54,440 Ruth, you start at the beginning. 408 00:21:55,520 --> 00:21:59,480 At some point, you think to yourself, there's no way this 409 00:21:59,480 --> 00:22:04,120 story could end anywhere close to good, right? 410 00:22:05,280 --> 00:22:08,600 I mean, who would have thought who, who would have conceived 411 00:22:08,600 --> 00:22:12,720 that Naomi, 10 years in Moab, losing her family and now 412 00:22:12,720 --> 00:22:15,440 returning with one Moabite widow along with her? 413 00:22:15,440 --> 00:22:18,600 Who, Who would have ever thought that God could take this story 414 00:22:18,920 --> 00:22:22,120 and write anything good? Who would have thought that God 415 00:22:22,120 --> 00:22:25,560 could take the details of these people and their broken lives 416 00:22:25,680 --> 00:22:29,720 and bring anything beautiful out of it, do anything for His glory 417 00:22:29,720 --> 00:22:30,600 out of it, right? No one. 418 00:22:30,600 --> 00:22:32,560 No one would have rightly thought that in their right 419 00:22:32,560 --> 00:22:36,720 mind. And yet, could you imagine God 420 00:22:36,720 --> 00:22:39,120 doing what He's done? No, of course not. 421 00:22:39,920 --> 00:22:42,680 But it gets even better. Did you see the prayer of the 422 00:22:42,680 --> 00:22:44,880 women prayed for Obed in verse 14? 423 00:22:44,880 --> 00:22:50,280 Let me read it again. May his name be renowned in 424 00:22:50,520 --> 00:22:53,480 Israel. Does God answer that prayer? 425 00:22:55,960 --> 00:22:59,520 Well, listen to this verse 17 Speaking of Obed. 426 00:22:59,920 --> 00:23:07,360 He was the father of Jesse. Jesse was the father of David. 427 00:23:09,120 --> 00:23:11,960 You're talking about David. That's the man after God's own 428 00:23:11,960 --> 00:23:16,920 heart, David, Israel's greatest king, David. 429 00:23:17,560 --> 00:23:21,160 David, the one to whom God would covenant and say he would 430 00:23:21,160 --> 00:23:26,000 establish his throne forever. The greatest king, the man after 431 00:23:26,000 --> 00:23:29,200 God's own heart, the one to whom God would bring about the 432 00:23:29,200 --> 00:23:31,920 Messiah. That David, yes, God heard that 433 00:23:31,920 --> 00:23:34,720 prayer, and yes, God answered that prayer in a way that nobody 434 00:23:34,840 --> 00:23:36,800 would have ever imagined or guessed right. 435 00:23:37,040 --> 00:23:39,080 Look at God. Look at the one who's behind the 436 00:23:39,080 --> 00:23:42,200 details, behind the scenes, orchestrating all these things, 437 00:23:42,360 --> 00:23:45,480 taking the pen when they trusted him, and writing something not 438 00:23:45,480 --> 00:23:48,360 just for them, but even bigger than they could never, ever 439 00:23:48,520 --> 00:23:50,680 imagine. Now listen to verse 18 through 440 00:23:50,680 --> 00:23:53,520 22. The Bible says this. 441 00:23:54,520 --> 00:23:57,560 Now these are the generations of Perez. 442 00:23:58,480 --> 00:24:02,200 Perez fathered Hezron, Hezron fathered Ram. 443 00:24:02,560 --> 00:24:05,160 Ram fathered A minidab and a minidab fathered nation, and a 444 00:24:05,160 --> 00:24:08,560 nation fathered Salman. Salman fathered Boaz, Boaz 445 00:24:08,560 --> 00:24:12,320 fathered Obed, Obed Father Jesse and Jesse fathered David. 446 00:24:12,600 --> 00:24:15,600 You say, Kyle, what in the world could there be in a genealogy, 447 00:24:15,600 --> 00:24:17,040 right? We just typically like, hey, I'm 448 00:24:17,040 --> 00:24:18,360 not sure why that's at the end right there. 449 00:24:18,360 --> 00:24:20,160 We just will skip right over that, right? 450 00:24:21,800 --> 00:24:26,560 But if you know your Bible, that phrase, these are the 451 00:24:26,560 --> 00:24:31,960 generations followed by 10 names ought to sound like an echo to 452 00:24:31,960 --> 00:24:35,160 you in your Bible. Because if you go all the way 453 00:24:35,160 --> 00:24:39,040 back to the beginning when the story started going wrong, when 454 00:24:39,040 --> 00:24:42,400 mankind messed up and it looked like there's no way God could do 455 00:24:42,400 --> 00:24:44,840 anything good with this. There's no way God could redeem. 456 00:24:44,920 --> 00:24:47,680 There's no way God could take these pieces and unravel all 457 00:24:47,680 --> 00:24:50,040 these knots and write something, put something together of 458 00:24:50,080 --> 00:24:52,760 anything good. And yet God began to unfold his 459 00:24:52,760 --> 00:24:56,520 plan of salvation for mankind. And Genesis 5, he starts with 460 00:24:56,520 --> 00:25:00,880 Noah, and then we have Noah's name followed by genealogy of 10 461 00:25:00,880 --> 00:25:02,880 names. And then you get to Genesis 11, 462 00:25:02,880 --> 00:25:06,240 he gets to Abraham and we have Abraham's name and genealogy of 463 00:25:06,240 --> 00:25:08,400 10 names. And then we see in Abraham 464 00:25:08,400 --> 00:25:12,120 chapter 12, God says to him, Hey, Abraham, it's through you 465 00:25:12,120 --> 00:25:15,600 and your family that all the families one's going to be born 466 00:25:15,680 --> 00:25:18,680 and offspring's going to come that's going to bless all the 467 00:25:18,680 --> 00:25:23,520 families of the earth. Does God answer that prayer? 468 00:25:24,000 --> 00:25:25,960 Does God answer? Does he fulfill that promise? 469 00:25:28,920 --> 00:25:32,080 You can't make this up, but if you would turn to the first page 470 00:25:32,080 --> 00:25:34,800 of your New Testament, if you have your Bible, why don't you 471 00:25:34,800 --> 00:25:38,880 look at Matthew chapter 1? And you wondered why the New 472 00:25:38,880 --> 00:25:40,600 Testament starts with a genealogy? 473 00:25:42,200 --> 00:25:46,400 Because God could not say in a greater way, Hey everybody, I'm 474 00:25:46,400 --> 00:25:50,360 keeping my promises. I'm doing what I promised I 475 00:25:50,360 --> 00:25:52,320 would do. Thousands and thousands and 476 00:25:52,320 --> 00:25:54,360 thousands. Despite all the myths, despite 477 00:25:54,360 --> 00:25:57,280 all the sin, despite all the shortcomings, guess what? 478 00:25:57,440 --> 00:26:01,600 I, God says, am still faithful. Listen to this, the book of the 479 00:26:01,600 --> 00:26:05,080 genealogy of Jesus Christ. The son of who? 480 00:26:05,320 --> 00:26:07,040 David. Does that sound familiar? 481 00:26:07,120 --> 00:26:10,200 The son of Abraham. Abraham was the father of Isaac, 482 00:26:10,200 --> 00:26:12,880 and Isaac the father of Jacob. Jacob, the father of Judah and 483 00:26:12,880 --> 00:26:15,080 his brothers, and Judah the father of Perez. 484 00:26:15,080 --> 00:26:16,400 Does any of this sounding familiar? 485 00:26:16,640 --> 00:26:18,640 And Zerah by Tamar, there she is. 486 00:26:18,880 --> 00:26:21,920 And Perez, the father of Hezron. Hezron the father of Ram. 487 00:26:21,920 --> 00:26:24,280 Ram the father of Minidab. And Aminidab the father of 488 00:26:24,280 --> 00:26:26,800 Nation, Nation, the father of Salman. 489 00:26:26,800 --> 00:26:29,240 Salman the father of Boaz. On my goodness, we get even more 490 00:26:29,240 --> 00:26:34,720 familiar by Rahab Boaz, the father of Obed, by Ruth and Obed 491 00:26:34,720 --> 00:26:38,360 the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of David the king. 492 00:26:38,360 --> 00:26:42,000 Does God keep his promises? You better believe it. 493 00:26:42,000 --> 00:26:45,440 Can God take a story that you thought could have never ever 494 00:26:45,440 --> 00:26:48,040 ended in any way good? By the way, that's the question 495 00:26:48,040 --> 00:26:49,640 when you're reading the beginning of the Bible. 496 00:26:49,720 --> 00:26:51,680 It's the question when you're reading the beginning of Ruth. 497 00:26:51,680 --> 00:26:56,120 Could God author anything good out of these people's lives? 498 00:26:57,640 --> 00:27:01,600 And look at God doing what only he could do, redeeming Ruth, 499 00:27:02,280 --> 00:27:04,320 redeeming Naomi. But the third thing I want you 500 00:27:04,320 --> 00:27:07,960 to do is all this writing of God has not just been for Ruth. 501 00:27:08,120 --> 00:27:11,280 It's not just been for Naomi. God wants to redeem you. 502 00:27:13,320 --> 00:27:15,240 The story wasn't over when Ruth ended. 503 00:27:16,520 --> 00:27:20,000 The story just continued as God promised Abraham that one would 504 00:27:20,000 --> 00:27:22,800 come through that family line that would not just bless them, 505 00:27:22,800 --> 00:27:26,320 but bless you and me and get to the ends of the earth. 506 00:27:26,320 --> 00:27:30,840 God the Father, his sent his Son Jesus the Christ as the ultimate 507 00:27:30,840 --> 00:27:34,160 Redeemer. Jesus gained the right to redeem 508 00:27:34,160 --> 00:27:38,240 you and me when he took on human flesh and walked in our shoes. 509 00:27:38,880 --> 00:27:42,280 And Jesus gained the resources to redeem me and you when he 510 00:27:42,280 --> 00:27:45,480 lived a sinless life, a life we haven't lived and died in our 511 00:27:45,480 --> 00:27:48,720 place on the cross as a substitute for us. 512 00:27:48,840 --> 00:27:52,320 He had the resources. He had the resolve for God so 513 00:27:52,320 --> 00:27:56,080 loved the world. Now love expressed as Jesus hung 514 00:27:56,080 --> 00:27:57,520 there and said, father, forgive them. 515 00:27:57,680 --> 00:28:01,680 They know not what they do. Jesus Christ was the ultimate 516 00:28:01,680 --> 00:28:05,040 end of the family line that would come as a promised 517 00:28:05,040 --> 00:28:08,240 blessing, not just for these people and Ruth, but for me and 518 00:28:08,240 --> 00:28:10,880 you and every family on the planet as promised through 519 00:28:10,880 --> 00:28:16,040 Abraham in Genesis 12. God has redeemed Ruth, God has 520 00:28:16,040 --> 00:28:17,760 redeemed Naomi. The question I want to ask you 521 00:28:17,760 --> 00:28:23,920 this morning as God redeemed you, the story, the story is 522 00:28:23,920 --> 00:28:29,480 supposed to include you. The point of the book of Ruth is 523 00:28:29,480 --> 00:28:32,160 God wants to write your story into his. 524 00:28:33,680 --> 00:28:37,760 It's never about just them. It's always been about the whole 525 00:28:37,760 --> 00:28:39,560 world redeemed you. Is there come a point in your 526 00:28:39,560 --> 00:28:42,320 life and you trusted Christ as your Lord and Savior? 527 00:28:42,320 --> 00:28:44,920 You've come alive in Him, received hope in Him, given Him 528 00:28:44,920 --> 00:28:47,480 the pen of your life to write your life as only He could write 529 00:28:47,480 --> 00:28:49,640 it, to do with you. What you can never do for 530 00:28:49,640 --> 00:28:57,800 yourself Is God redeemed you. God wants to write your story. 531 00:28:57,800 --> 00:29:01,200 Into his see Pastor Kyle. If that's true, then what do I 532 00:29:01,200 --> 00:29:03,280 need to do? Can I give you? 533 00:29:03,280 --> 00:29:05,960 Six things. You have to write fast because 534 00:29:05,960 --> 00:29:10,480 I'm going to try to move fast. Here's the first one these. 535 00:29:10,480 --> 00:29:12,480 Are all truths we learn. Out of the book of Ruth that I 536 00:29:12,480 --> 00:29:19,160 want to close with #1 God is merciful no matter how messed up 537 00:29:19,160 --> 00:29:25,120 you are. Run to him, run to him, y'all? 538 00:29:25,120 --> 00:29:28,280 It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out God is 539 00:29:28,280 --> 00:29:32,160 using messed up people to accomplish his plan. 540 00:29:32,200 --> 00:29:35,080 Did you see that? Like I didn't even get in the 541 00:29:35,080 --> 00:29:38,480 details y'all. I kept it kind of 40,000 feet. 542 00:29:38,880 --> 00:29:43,840 God is using messed up people sinners in. 543 00:29:43,840 --> 00:29:46,880 His mercy to accomplish. His will run to Him, and yet 544 00:29:46,880 --> 00:29:49,560 there's still some in the room or under the sound of my voice 545 00:29:49,720 --> 00:29:51,600 that are convinced they're too far away. 546 00:29:51,600 --> 00:29:54,120 They've done too much, they've sinned too much for God to 547 00:29:54,120 --> 00:29:57,440 redeem them, for God to love them, for God to save them, for 548 00:29:57,440 --> 00:29:59,040 God to use them. And you just couldn't be more 549 00:29:59,040 --> 00:30:02,520 wrong. You're just dead wrong, God, His 550 00:30:02,520 --> 00:30:05,520 mercy is bigger than your mess, no matter what it is. 551 00:30:05,520 --> 00:30:09,800 If you will run to him, cast yourself on him just as Ruth did 552 00:30:10,240 --> 00:30:12,880 #2 God is king and He's in control. 553 00:30:12,880 --> 00:30:16,320 Would you trust him in? These days when you open. 554 00:30:16,320 --> 00:30:17,960 Up the book of Ruth, there's no king in Israel. 555 00:30:17,960 --> 00:30:19,720 Everyone's doing what's right in their own eyes. 556 00:30:19,840 --> 00:30:22,440 There's death and destruction and chaos all around. 557 00:30:22,600 --> 00:30:26,280 If God is king and if he's in control, it doesn't look like 558 00:30:26,280 --> 00:30:28,600 it, and it certainly doesn't feel like it to anybody in 559 00:30:28,600 --> 00:30:31,680 Bethlehem. You might say Pastor Kyle. 560 00:30:31,680 --> 00:30:34,960 That's the way I feel right now. If God is king and he's in 561 00:30:34,960 --> 00:30:37,200 control, I don't feel like it. I don't think I'll see it and 562 00:30:37,200 --> 00:30:41,360 I'm not sure I believe it. But did you see what? 563 00:30:41,360 --> 00:30:44,640 Happened when two people decided to trust God is king. 564 00:30:46,760 --> 00:30:49,960 Naomi. When she returned back to the 565 00:30:49,960 --> 00:30:52,200 place God said she was supposed to be. 566 00:30:55,280 --> 00:30:58,920 When Ruth said. I'm going to follow the one true 567 00:30:58,920 --> 00:31:02,320 God is my king. What did God do? 568 00:31:03,600 --> 00:31:06,800 God took them out of a place outside of His will that was a 569 00:31:06,800 --> 00:31:09,160 place of the absence of His blessing. 570 00:31:09,280 --> 00:31:12,400 And when they decided to live like God was King, God began to 571 00:31:12,400 --> 00:31:16,080 bless and provide and write their story because they trusted 572 00:31:16,200 --> 00:31:18,480 that He was truly in charge in King. 573 00:31:18,560 --> 00:31:20,920 But they had to make up their mind before they ever had their 574 00:31:20,920 --> 00:31:22,520 first taste of barley in Bethlehem. 575 00:31:24,000 --> 00:31:24,840 Ruth had. To make up her. 576 00:31:24,840 --> 00:31:28,560 Mind before she knew she'd get a husband and get a child after 10 577 00:31:28,560 --> 00:31:32,200 years of barrenness, she was 10 years barren in Moab. 578 00:31:34,480 --> 00:31:35,760 God is King and in. Control. 579 00:31:35,760 --> 00:31:38,440 You can trust Him. Maybe you trusted him #3 God is 580 00:31:38,440 --> 00:31:41,800 kind and He knows your needs. Pray for His provision. 581 00:31:41,960 --> 00:31:43,720 Pray for his provision. God's kind. 582 00:31:43,720 --> 00:31:45,640 He wants to meet your needs again. 583 00:31:45,640 --> 00:31:48,240 And you don't have to look very far to realize that kindness is 584 00:31:48,240 --> 00:31:51,240 driving this story. And it's in the kindness of the 585 00:31:51,240 --> 00:31:53,720 people to one another. But ultimately, it's the 586 00:31:53,720 --> 00:31:57,400 kindness, the supreme kindness of God through the lives of 587 00:31:57,400 --> 00:32:00,440 these people to them that is driving this story. 588 00:32:01,680 --> 00:32:03,800 He's answering the prayers of his people. 589 00:32:03,800 --> 00:32:06,560 There's not a prayer that goes unanswered in the Book of Ruth. 590 00:32:08,240 --> 00:32:09,640 Do you believe and know that God? 591 00:32:09,640 --> 00:32:11,520 Is kind and wants to meet your needs. 592 00:32:11,520 --> 00:32:14,520 Are you praying and depending on God for provision? 593 00:32:14,520 --> 00:32:19,720 God is kind #4 God is faithful and he rewards faithfulness, so 594 00:32:19,720 --> 00:32:23,040 obey him you all. Despite all the. 595 00:32:23,040 --> 00:32:26,560 Setbacks And despite all the pain in the book of Ruth, you 596 00:32:26,560 --> 00:32:30,240 cannot miss that God is faithful and He's rewarding the 597 00:32:30,240 --> 00:32:35,440 faithfulness of Boaz and Ruth because they made-up their minds 598 00:32:35,440 --> 00:32:37,640 to do what was right and be faithful no matter what. 599 00:32:37,640 --> 00:32:40,480 By the way, this was during a day and time when everyone's not 600 00:32:40,480 --> 00:32:42,840 doing what's right and faithful in the eyes of God, but two 601 00:32:42,840 --> 00:32:45,800 people decide that God is faithful and we're going to be 602 00:32:45,800 --> 00:32:46,880 faithful. And guess what? 603 00:32:47,080 --> 00:32:51,080 God rewards that faithfulness. Say Pastor Kyle. 604 00:32:51,080 --> 00:32:52,120 It's. Not easy to be faithful. 605 00:32:52,120 --> 00:32:53,800 No it's not. It wasn't for them either, but 606 00:32:53,800 --> 00:32:56,240 being faithful is always worth it. 607 00:32:58,840 --> 00:33:02,040 There's a text. And the prophet Hosea, chapter 608 00:33:02,040 --> 00:33:05,320 10 that I've been reading, thinking on over and over again 609 00:33:05,720 --> 00:33:08,840 that goes like this. It says sow righteousness like 610 00:33:08,840 --> 00:33:12,600 seed, sow righteousness for yourself, and reap faithful 611 00:33:12,600 --> 00:33:14,880 love. I've just been. 612 00:33:14,880 --> 00:33:17,880 Thinking about that over and. Over again, what the word? 613 00:33:17,880 --> 00:33:20,240 Of God is saying there. Is say, choose to walk in 614 00:33:20,240 --> 00:33:23,840 righteousness, Choose to do what's right, even when it's 615 00:33:23,840 --> 00:33:25,720 hard, when you feel like it may not be worth it. 616 00:33:25,880 --> 00:33:27,080 And guess what? You're going to reap. 617 00:33:27,280 --> 00:33:29,160 Not that everything will be perfect, not that you always be 618 00:33:29,160 --> 00:33:31,080 healthy, wealthy, and prosperous, but guess what? 619 00:33:31,080 --> 00:33:32,640 You're going to reap Faithful love. 620 00:33:32,640 --> 00:33:34,280 Whose love is that? God's faithful love. 621 00:33:34,440 --> 00:33:36,720 You sow righteousness in your life, you're going to reap 622 00:33:36,720 --> 00:33:39,040 faithful love. This is the principle we're 623 00:33:39,040 --> 00:33:41,080 seeing. God's faithful, He rewards 624 00:33:41,080 --> 00:33:42,720 faithfulness. It's always worth it. 625 00:33:42,720 --> 00:33:49,080 So obey him #5 God is writing you into His story, find your 626 00:33:49,080 --> 00:33:52,520 purpose and identity in Him. God is writing you into his 627 00:33:52,520 --> 00:33:55,200 story, find your purpose and identity in Him. 628 00:33:55,360 --> 00:33:57,760 One of the things that kind of shocking to me in some ways to 629 00:33:57,760 --> 00:34:02,000 to think about it like this. Is that Ruth and Boaz? 630 00:34:02,000 --> 00:34:04,840 Never got to see during their lifetime the biggest and best 631 00:34:04,840 --> 00:34:06,920 part of what their story was leading towards. 632 00:34:07,640 --> 00:34:10,800 Do you realize that they didn't get to see the birth of David. 633 00:34:11,840 --> 00:34:15,639 They didn't live to see the birth of Jesus Christ and yet 634 00:34:15,639 --> 00:34:19,080 God was up to something in their lives the whole time they never 635 00:34:19,080 --> 00:34:23,159 fully knew about God was doing something bigger than just them. 636 00:34:23,480 --> 00:34:25,600 Did you realize God wants to take your life and do something 637 00:34:25,600 --> 00:34:28,080 bigger than you? Could we say? 638 00:34:28,080 --> 00:34:31,239 It better than me. Better than you, God is doing 639 00:34:31,239 --> 00:34:34,360 something for the name and glory of his Son, Jesus Christ, for 640 00:34:34,360 --> 00:34:37,840 the sake of the salvation of the nations around the world for 641 00:34:37,840 --> 00:34:40,040 eternity. God wants to write you into it, 642 00:34:40,199 --> 00:34:41,360 but it's bigger and better than you. 643 00:34:41,360 --> 00:34:43,880 And oftentimes, if you're like me, we can be so internalized 644 00:34:43,880 --> 00:34:47,280 and stuck on our own story, our own success, my own pleasant, 645 00:34:47,400 --> 00:34:49,679 you know what's pleasant and pain free and comfortable and 646 00:34:49,679 --> 00:34:51,760 good for me. And I'm so stuck on me. 647 00:34:51,760 --> 00:34:53,800 God's stuck on a much bigger, better plan. 648 00:34:53,920 --> 00:34:55,480 He says, Kyle, will you just will you? 649 00:34:55,520 --> 00:34:56,920 Will you just be a part of what I'm doing? 650 00:34:56,920 --> 00:34:59,640 You may not see it all, but would you trust me? 651 00:35:00,280 --> 00:35:04,040 Find your identity in me, find your purpose in me, and guess 652 00:35:04,040 --> 00:35:05,560 what? One day, no one. 653 00:35:05,560 --> 00:35:10,000 I can't imagine when Ruth and Boaz got to heaven and got to 654 00:35:10,000 --> 00:35:13,800 see the rest of the story. Can you imagine? 655 00:35:14,480 --> 00:35:17,480 Can you imagine one day how God wants you to get to heaven and 656 00:35:17,480 --> 00:35:20,640 realize the rest of the story of how God used you in ways you 657 00:35:20,640 --> 00:35:23,000 never realized? Did things you never would have 658 00:35:23,000 --> 00:35:26,520 conceived off Put your life in a grand story of salvation and 659 00:35:26,520 --> 00:35:30,040 blessing to the ends of the earth, but you never knew what 660 00:35:30,040 --> 00:35:33,760 God was fully up to, would you? Find your purpose and identity. 661 00:35:33,760 --> 00:35:37,920 In him and I got one more #6. God is fulfilling his. 662 00:35:37,920 --> 00:35:40,080 Promise to bring salvation to the nations. 663 00:35:40,080 --> 00:35:42,520 Would you join him? Would you? 664 00:35:42,520 --> 00:35:43,320 Join him. Here's what I. 665 00:35:43,320 --> 00:35:51,360 Mean this book of Ruth is like a a small little stream that flows 666 00:35:51,600 --> 00:35:55,360 into the mighty Mississippi River of God's story and plan of 667 00:35:55,360 --> 00:35:58,480 salvation. This is one part of. 668 00:35:58,480 --> 00:36:01,840 God's plan to fulfill the promise to Abraham and get the 669 00:36:01,840 --> 00:36:04,080 good news of the How is God going to bless all the families 670 00:36:04,080 --> 00:36:05,000 of the earth? How so? 671 00:36:05,240 --> 00:36:08,040 Through his son Jesus Christ and the good news of the gospel that 672 00:36:08,040 --> 00:36:10,840 God so loved the world that whosoever, whosoever is every 673 00:36:10,840 --> 00:36:13,080 family, every tribe, every tongue, every language, every 674 00:36:13,080 --> 00:36:16,280 nation, whosoever would believe in him should not perish, but 675 00:36:16,280 --> 00:36:18,600 have everlasting life. Talk about blessing, everlasting 676 00:36:18,600 --> 00:36:21,440 life, forgiveness of. Sin and hope for. 677 00:36:21,440 --> 00:36:24,760 Forever, this is. What God is doing and. 678 00:36:24,760 --> 00:36:27,280 He invited Ruth in. She was the one who would never 679 00:36:27,280 --> 00:36:30,400 been expected to be participate, a participant in God's plan, and 680 00:36:30,400 --> 00:36:33,720 yet God invited her in. God has invited you in to get 681 00:36:33,720 --> 00:36:36,640 the gospel, to be a part of this plan, to fulfill the promise to 682 00:36:36,640 --> 00:36:39,080 Abraham, to get the gospel and the good news of Jesus to your 683 00:36:39,080 --> 00:36:42,320 neighbor and to the nations. Have you joined him? 684 00:36:43,360 --> 00:36:48,520 Will you join him? God wants to write. 685 00:36:49,040 --> 00:36:54,080 Your story into his. If you're at a spot. 686 00:36:54,080 --> 00:36:56,120 Where you feel like God can't write anything good. 687 00:36:56,120 --> 00:36:58,560 Think again. Think. 688 00:36:58,560 --> 00:37:00,320 Again, the book of Ruth. Proves otherwise. 689 00:37:00,320 --> 00:37:02,640 I'm going. To ask you to bow. 690 00:37:02,640 --> 00:37:04,120 Your head and close your eyes where you are. 691 00:37:04,120 --> 00:37:06,760 John and praise team are going to come out and here's what I 692 00:37:06,760 --> 00:37:10,960 want to do. As they come, would you? 693 00:37:10,960 --> 00:37:14,880 Just quiet your own mind and heart before the Lord and I want 694 00:37:14,880 --> 00:37:16,480 to ask you to consider some things. 695 00:37:18,760 --> 00:37:22,280 Maybe. Life is a little bitter for you 696 00:37:22,280 --> 00:37:27,080 right now. Maybe you feel like. 697 00:37:27,080 --> 00:37:32,320 You're surrounded by disappointment, maybe even 698 00:37:32,320 --> 00:37:39,280 death, loss or destruction. Maybe you feel like. 699 00:37:39,280 --> 00:37:43,880 You're on the edge of a barley field picking up scraps, trying 700 00:37:43,880 --> 00:37:50,560 to eke out an existence that has you. 701 00:37:50,560 --> 00:37:52,080 Hopeless and in. Despair. 702 00:37:57,360 --> 00:38:01,800 In the middle of. Wherever you are, life's pain, 703 00:38:01,800 --> 00:38:05,200 life's setbacks and despair, I want to remind you of these 704 00:38:05,200 --> 00:38:08,360 truths that Ruth teaches US1 More time, and maybe one or more 705 00:38:08,360 --> 00:38:11,360 of them is exactly what God wants you to hear and respond 706 00:38:11,360 --> 00:38:13,440 to. Maybe you want to hear one of 707 00:38:13,440 --> 00:38:16,040 these and come pray about one of these specific things, or ask 708 00:38:16,040 --> 00:38:19,480 God for one of these specific things, or make a decision in 709 00:38:19,480 --> 00:38:20,840 regard to these things in your life. 710 00:38:20,840 --> 00:38:22,760 And here they are again. Are you ready? 711 00:38:22,760 --> 00:38:24,800 God is merciful. Will you run to Him? 712 00:38:24,800 --> 00:38:28,520 Do you need to run to God today? Come talk. 713 00:38:28,520 --> 00:38:30,440 To me and come kneel. At this altar, do you need to 714 00:38:30,440 --> 00:38:33,800 run to Him in His mercy? God is King and He's in control. 715 00:38:33,920 --> 00:38:38,280 Do you need to trust Him today, even if it doesn't feel like 716 00:38:38,280 --> 00:38:42,640 He's in control? God is kind and He knows your 717 00:38:42,640 --> 00:38:44,920 needs. Do you need to pray for His 718 00:38:44,920 --> 00:38:50,440 provision in your life today? God is faithful. 719 00:38:51,800 --> 00:38:53,280 He rewards faithfulness. Do you? 720 00:38:53,280 --> 00:38:56,000 Need to pray and ask God to help you obey Him today. 721 00:38:59,120 --> 00:39:01,720 God wants you to write. Allow him to write your story 722 00:39:01,720 --> 00:39:03,320 into his. Do you need to say God? 723 00:39:03,640 --> 00:39:08,640 It's time for me to find my purpose, my identity in you, not 724 00:39:08,640 --> 00:39:14,400 in this, not in that. And finally, God is saving. 725 00:39:15,000 --> 00:39:17,440 Would you join him? Maybe it's. 726 00:39:17,440 --> 00:39:19,680 Time to say God I've. Realized and now more than ever, 727 00:39:19,680 --> 00:39:23,800 that purpose of my life is not just me, but it's the other 728 00:39:23,800 --> 00:39:27,600 people you want to bless so they can hear the name and good news 729 00:39:27,600 --> 00:39:30,480 of Jesus, so they can see your love and kindness. 730 00:39:30,480 --> 00:39:33,560 God, I want to join you on your mission in ways I've never 731 00:39:33,560 --> 00:39:36,320 joined before. I'm going to pray and then I'm 732 00:39:36,320 --> 00:39:38,280 going to ask you to stand. I'm going to ask you to respond 733 00:39:38,280 --> 00:39:40,400 to what God is speaking to you about. 734 00:39:40,400 --> 00:39:42,240 If you need prayer, you come. If you want to pray at this 735 00:39:42,240 --> 00:39:44,520 altar by yourself, you come. If you want to talk to an 736 00:39:44,520 --> 00:39:46,160 encourager, you come. We're going to wait for you, 737 00:39:46,160 --> 00:39:49,280 Heavenly Father God I. Want to pray right now? 738 00:39:49,280 --> 00:39:52,400 That your truth would penetrate our heart, that your way would 739 00:39:52,400 --> 00:39:55,120 be had in our lives. And Lord, we would be courageous 740 00:39:55,360 --> 00:39:57,560 in giving you the pen and letting you write our story. 741 00:39:58,360 --> 00:40:01,520 God, I prayed that we'd move, we'd respond, we'd believe, we'd 742 00:40:01,520 --> 00:40:04,640 obey. Today, because of Jesus, in his 743 00:40:04,640 --> 00:40:06,000 name I pray. Amen. 744 00:40:06,000 --> 00:40:08,160 Church, would you stand? Let's worship together. 745 00:40:08,160 --> 00:40:11,000 You respond to God's truth as God leads you to do this 746 00:40:11,000 --> 00:40:11,280 morning.