1 00:00:03,480 --> 00:00:06,160 Why don't you grab your Bible and open up to the book of Ruth? 2 00:00:06,160 --> 00:00:08,080 We're in chapter 4. We're going to be closing off 3 00:00:08,400 --> 00:00:10,120 our series through Ruth this morning. 4 00:00:10,440 --> 00:00:12,480 There's a real privilege for me to do that this morning. 5 00:00:13,280 --> 00:00:15,360 But I was looking at, I was looking at Ruth thinking like, 6 00:00:15,560 --> 00:00:18,560 OK, where do we land this? You know, how do we resolve the 7 00:00:18,560 --> 00:00:21,280 meta narrative of of everything that's happened all these 8 00:00:21,280 --> 00:00:24,440 hundreds of years ago? And so our page to the very last 9 00:00:24,440 --> 00:00:26,800 word that says David. And I thought, well, that's a 10 00:00:26,960 --> 00:00:29,160 that would be a good idea. You know, essentially this 11 00:00:29,360 --> 00:00:32,040 builds up to King David coming from their lineage. 12 00:00:32,600 --> 00:00:34,760 And then I read a little bit more and I thought, well, maybe 13 00:00:34,760 --> 00:00:36,840 I should look at the the kinsman Redeemer. 14 00:00:36,840 --> 00:00:40,200 It's so rich and so pertinent for you and I, But then there's 15 00:00:40,200 --> 00:00:43,600 also Boaz and there's Naomi and then there's the namesake Ruth. 16 00:00:43,600 --> 00:00:44,920 You know, maybe we preached on Ruth. 17 00:00:45,680 --> 00:00:50,240 And so I was poring over Chapter 4 and I actually looked at the 18 00:00:50,240 --> 00:00:52,880 first 3 words and I couldn't go any further. 19 00:00:52,880 --> 00:00:56,560 So we're going to look at these very first 3 words of Chapter 4, 20 00:00:56,560 --> 00:00:59,400 where I genuinely believe that this is Ground Zero for the 21 00:00:59,400 --> 00:01:02,880 entire redemptive story. It's buried in these three 22 00:01:03,120 --> 00:01:08,520 beautiful words. Meanwhile, Boaz went, So we're 23 00:01:08,520 --> 00:01:09,600 going to look at it this morning. 24 00:01:09,680 --> 00:01:14,640 So we'll be home shortly. Meanwhile, Boaz went. 25 00:01:14,920 --> 00:01:18,880 Now, if you don't know the story of Ruth, just a very quick 26 00:01:18,880 --> 00:01:20,880 overview. Essentially, there was a famine 27 00:01:20,880 --> 00:01:23,880 in Bethlehem and one family, led by a guy by the name of 28 00:01:23,880 --> 00:01:27,880 Elimelech, took his wife Naomi and his two kids into Moab, 29 00:01:27,880 --> 00:01:31,200 which is like the darkest, most debauched place kind of where 30 00:01:31,200 --> 00:01:34,160 Ferdie came from, if you want to extrapolate that. 31 00:01:34,680 --> 00:01:37,440 And one thing led to another, and both the sons passed away 32 00:01:37,520 --> 00:01:40,720 after having gotten married to MOA, but ladies as well as the 33 00:01:40,720 --> 00:01:44,360 father. And so Naomi, the mom, and one 34 00:01:44,360 --> 00:01:47,320 of the daughters in law, Ruth, come back to Bethlehem. 35 00:01:47,600 --> 00:01:51,320 And we see God weave this met narrative of redemption through 36 00:01:51,560 --> 00:01:55,800 Boaz, through Naomi, through the people in Bethlehem, the 37 00:01:55,800 --> 00:01:57,600 community that they were a part of. 38 00:01:58,120 --> 00:02:01,640 And now we get to the point where it's about to transpire. 39 00:02:01,640 --> 00:02:03,680 This redemption is about to take place. 40 00:02:03,840 --> 00:02:08,919 And we come to these 3 words and minds ground 0 for redemption. 41 00:02:09,440 --> 00:02:13,640 Meanwhile Boaz went So I just want to look at these 3 words. 42 00:02:13,640 --> 00:02:18,000 Meanwhile Boaz went So starting with meanwhile. 43 00:02:19,240 --> 00:02:21,640 I don't know if you know this, but the Bible wasn't written in 44 00:02:21,640 --> 00:02:24,200 English. I know some of you think it was 45 00:02:24,200 --> 00:02:25,960 written in Afrikaans, but that's not true either. 46 00:02:27,160 --> 00:02:30,560 The Old Testament Hebrew New Testament Creek Johan still 47 00:02:30,560 --> 00:02:34,040 thinks that it was, but the the Old Testament is written in 48 00:02:34,040 --> 00:02:37,080 largely Hebrew, a little bit of Aramaic, but they say of the the 49 00:02:37,080 --> 00:02:39,440 biblical Hebrew language. This is ancient Hebrew. 50 00:02:39,640 --> 00:02:43,320 They're referred to it as a word poor language. 51 00:02:43,800 --> 00:02:46,680 Hebrew is a word poor language. What they mean by that is I 52 00:02:46,840 --> 00:02:48,840 don't know if you know this, but if you have to take your, your 53 00:02:48,840 --> 00:02:53,880 Old Testament, This essentially took them 8000 unique Hebrew 54 00:02:53,880 --> 00:02:57,360 words to write the Old Testament, but they had to use 55 00:02:57,360 --> 00:03:01,480 400,000 English words because essentially as much as it's a 56 00:03:01,480 --> 00:03:04,000 word, poor language, very few words. 57 00:03:04,000 --> 00:03:07,840 Each one they refer to as being like a, a suitcase stuffed full 58 00:03:07,840 --> 00:03:09,720 with clothing. You know when, when you go on 59 00:03:09,720 --> 00:03:13,320 holiday and your wife does the packing, it's, it's a suitcase 60 00:03:13,320 --> 00:03:16,400 like that. You know where there's socks and 61 00:03:16,600 --> 00:03:20,800 blouse is still pouring out. Each word is rich in meaning and 62 00:03:20,800 --> 00:03:23,200 texture. And so with that in mind, I went 63 00:03:23,200 --> 00:03:27,040 to look at these 3 words and and I opened up my Hebrew lexicon 64 00:03:27,040 --> 00:03:30,200 because we didn't do Hebrew at Bible college and I went through 65 00:03:30,200 --> 00:03:34,560 and I was caught of God because here's what I discovered about 66 00:03:34,560 --> 00:03:37,400 the word. Meanwhile, it's not in the 67 00:03:37,400 --> 00:03:41,000 Bible. Now that really messed with me. 68 00:03:41,000 --> 00:03:42,760 I'm like Samuel, what were you thinking? 69 00:03:42,760 --> 00:03:45,680 You know, now my 3 point sermon has only got 2 points because 70 00:03:45,680 --> 00:03:47,360 one of these words are not actually there. 71 00:03:48,360 --> 00:03:50,440 But a rabbit hole has never put me off before. 72 00:03:50,960 --> 00:03:56,120 So I went digging and what I found literally turned my week 73 00:03:56,120 --> 00:04:01,120 upside down because I started by asking OK, what is it NRV? 74 00:04:01,120 --> 00:04:04,280 Do you just sort of add words? You know, whenever you feel it's 75 00:04:04,280 --> 00:04:06,560 convenience? You know, are we, are we allowed 76 00:04:06,560 --> 00:04:08,840 to add words to scripture? What's going on here? 77 00:04:09,000 --> 00:04:13,160 How dare you put in meanwhile when it just says in the Hebrew 78 00:04:13,360 --> 00:04:17,560 Boaz went why meanwhile? And this is what I discovered. 79 00:04:17,680 --> 00:04:21,600 Essentially what the the the translators say. 80 00:04:22,040 --> 00:04:26,040 The reason why they put meanwhile in there in the NRV is 81 00:04:26,040 --> 00:04:29,400 because this transition in the story between chapter 3 and 82 00:04:29,400 --> 00:04:36,080 chapter 4 is so significant. It is so Ground Zero for the big 83 00:04:36,080 --> 00:04:40,040 story of Ruth. It is so breathtaking in its 84 00:04:40,040 --> 00:04:45,000 significance and mind blowing in this wonder, the sheer weight 85 00:04:45,000 --> 00:04:48,200 and wonder of this essentially in this little space here where 86 00:04:48,200 --> 00:04:51,200 they slipped in. Meanwhile, what's happening is 87 00:04:51,200 --> 00:04:56,680 when Boaz goes, he is reshaping the entire future of his family. 88 00:04:58,400 --> 00:05:03,120 He is reshaping the entire future of his tribe and the 89 00:05:03,120 --> 00:05:09,440 nation of Israel, as well as the salvation story woven into 90 00:05:09,440 --> 00:05:12,920 Scripture. It is so weighty, the space here 91 00:05:13,240 --> 00:05:16,000 that they couldn't leave it there because they know you and 92 00:05:16,000 --> 00:05:17,760 I, we're just going to read, OK? Boaz went. 93 00:05:17,760 --> 00:05:20,560 It's almost like they wanted to plant a flag and say something 94 00:05:20,560 --> 00:05:23,560 is happening here. And so they chose a word that 95 00:05:23,560 --> 00:05:27,520 comes from the category that you and I have covered a few times 96 00:05:27,520 --> 00:05:31,080 in the book of Ruth. The category of It just so 97 00:05:31,360 --> 00:05:34,280 happened. That's the category of 98 00:05:34,280 --> 00:05:38,920 meanwhile. So you read in in for this one. 99 00:05:38,920 --> 00:05:43,320 Meanwhile, Boaz went up to the town gates and sat down there 100 00:05:43,480 --> 00:05:47,280 just as the guardian Redeemer. There's another It just so 101 00:05:47,280 --> 00:05:50,040 happened he was at the gate and this other Redeemer arrived. 102 00:05:50,240 --> 00:05:52,560 And so they take from this and they put it right up front and 103 00:05:52,560 --> 00:05:55,320 center to double barrel. What is going on here? 104 00:05:56,120 --> 00:05:57,960 It's like 1 little shot is not good enough. 105 00:05:57,960 --> 00:06:01,800 They want you to see that God is moving. 106 00:06:01,800 --> 00:06:04,520 Something is happening. God is up to something in this 107 00:06:04,520 --> 00:06:10,120 tiny little space between Ruth, who doesn't have a future, and 108 00:06:10,120 --> 00:06:14,000 Boaz, who went in the meanwhile, God is on the move, they 109 00:06:14,000 --> 00:06:17,040 actually say. Meanwhile suggests multiple 110 00:06:17,040 --> 00:06:21,720 threads of action moving forward simultaneously, simultaneously, 111 00:06:21,880 --> 00:06:24,880 like a tapestry in the hands of a mighty God. 112 00:06:25,600 --> 00:06:29,120 So they put my the meanwhile in there because meanwhile suggests 113 00:06:29,120 --> 00:06:33,080 multiple threads of action moving forward simultaneously, 114 00:06:33,080 --> 00:06:35,080 like a tapestry in the hands of a mighty God. 115 00:06:35,280 --> 00:06:39,640 And you and I are so infatuated with the myth that we fail to 116 00:06:39,640 --> 00:06:44,440 see the meanwhile. We're so intimidated by the 117 00:06:44,440 --> 00:06:48,680 mountain that we don't even notice the meanwhile God is on 118 00:06:48,680 --> 00:06:52,000 the move. And so they plant this flag 119 00:06:52,000 --> 00:06:53,320 there. They make this statement 120 00:06:53,320 --> 00:06:55,800 meanwhile. Do you know the God of meanwhile 121 00:06:56,160 --> 00:07:00,120 in your meanwhile? Not only is it from the category 122 00:07:00,120 --> 00:07:03,040 of it just so happened, but this word meanwhile also comes from 123 00:07:03,040 --> 00:07:09,000 the category of Pele, that which requires God as its explanation. 124 00:07:09,840 --> 00:07:13,680 See the, the the translators are looking at this and they sing 125 00:07:13,680 --> 00:07:17,200 what happens next, and they say it requires God as its 126 00:07:17,200 --> 00:07:20,880 explanation. It is such a weighty moment that 127 00:07:20,880 --> 00:07:24,720 you can't see for the trees because we're captivated by the 128 00:07:24,720 --> 00:07:28,840 mess that we're in, the issues we're facing, this business 129 00:07:28,840 --> 00:07:31,920 that's imploding, the wife who wants to leave. 130 00:07:32,200 --> 00:07:35,040 And so instead they put this meanwhile in there, which is a 131 00:07:35,040 --> 00:07:38,000 word of promise, purpose, potential, power. 132 00:07:38,160 --> 00:07:45,880 Meanwhile, Boaz Wentz, see, we are so earthy, we we're consumed 133 00:07:45,880 --> 00:07:49,240 by our mess and our moment that we completely miss the meanwhile 134 00:07:49,240 --> 00:07:51,640 of God. You know, meanwhile, he's 135 00:07:51,640 --> 00:07:57,200 bringing beauty from ashes. Meanwhile, he's turning bones 136 00:07:57,200 --> 00:07:59,880 into an army. Meanwhile, he's taking your 137 00:07:59,880 --> 00:08:04,520 trials and forging testimonies. Meanwhile he's taking your 138 00:08:04,520 --> 00:08:06,720 prayers and he's actually preparing the answer. 139 00:08:07,720 --> 00:08:10,040 One of you know this. Meanwhile, that's God who 140 00:08:10,040 --> 00:08:12,560 interjects himself into the midst of what you're going 141 00:08:12,560 --> 00:08:18,120 through or if all you can see is the meltdown that you're facing. 142 00:08:19,360 --> 00:08:24,240 And so it says. Meanwhile, Boas went, we serve a 143 00:08:24,240 --> 00:08:30,760 meanwhile God. But one translation says, and 144 00:08:32,679 --> 00:08:37,760 now this is above my pay grade. I've got AB for English in my 145 00:08:37,760 --> 00:08:45,440 trick, but I'm like and you go with and I'd understand if it 146 00:08:45,440 --> 00:08:51,600 said and he cut his toenails, but and I mean and is like 2 147 00:08:51,600 --> 00:08:56,240 tone cocky. Sorry guys, it just has to be 148 00:08:56,240 --> 00:08:58,920 said. You know, it's like and there's 149 00:08:58,920 --> 00:09:01,840 no personality, there's no colour. 150 00:09:01,840 --> 00:09:05,840 It's a it's a drab word and you want to say and the God who 151 00:09:05,840 --> 00:09:12,760 created heaven and earth and see the reason why some translate 152 00:09:12,760 --> 00:09:15,600 and is because it's a word that joins. 153 00:09:16,480 --> 00:09:20,000 It joins chapter 3 with chapter 4 and Boaz went. 154 00:09:20,320 --> 00:09:23,320 But the problem is when you choose the word and to explain 155 00:09:23,320 --> 00:09:26,840 what's going on and joins, but it doesn't transform. 156 00:09:27,400 --> 00:09:31,280 See, when God walks into your meanwhile, he transforms from 157 00:09:31,280 --> 00:09:34,480 top to bottom. It doesn't matter how dusty and 158 00:09:34,480 --> 00:09:40,520 dreary and drab your situation. Meanwhile God steps in. 159 00:09:40,520 --> 00:09:44,200 I know you're thinking like, gosh, he's been labouring one 160 00:09:44,440 --> 00:09:47,000 word that's not even in the Bible for like 10 minutes. 161 00:09:47,400 --> 00:09:51,600 What is wrong with this guy? How much coffee has he had now? 162 00:09:51,600 --> 00:09:53,520 I'm not labouring a word that's not there. 163 00:09:53,520 --> 00:09:59,800 I'm labouring a God who is there, A God who's there even 164 00:09:59,800 --> 00:10:08,760 though you don't see him. Meanwhile, meanwhile, there's a 165 00:10:08,760 --> 00:10:11,240 word owned by our Heavenly Father. 166 00:10:12,840 --> 00:10:19,440 Meanwhile, 2 years ago we had Noel for the very first time and 167 00:10:19,440 --> 00:10:24,040 there was a dad who set up on those race seatings over there 168 00:10:24,040 --> 00:10:29,440 that Ferdie designed. But 10-15 minutes into our first 169 00:10:29,440 --> 00:10:32,680 Noel, this was two years ago, 10-15 minutes in, he had to 170 00:10:32,680 --> 00:10:35,280 leave because he got a message from his wife. 171 00:10:35,960 --> 00:10:38,200 Our daughter has been diagnosed with kidney failure. 172 00:10:38,480 --> 00:10:41,240 It's urgent. Police come, she's been admitted 173 00:10:41,240 --> 00:10:46,280 to ICU, and so he left. Now you've got to know in that 174 00:10:46,280 --> 00:10:48,960 moment, you know, just like in the movies where everything is 175 00:10:50,840 --> 00:10:54,680 and you're just staring blankly because you cannot even begin to 176 00:10:54,680 --> 00:10:57,800 comprehend the potential loss of a child. 177 00:10:59,760 --> 00:11:05,560 Meanwhile, someone we don't yet know who is arranging a parking 178 00:11:05,560 --> 00:11:09,440 lot prayer meeting at the hospital where over 100 people 179 00:11:09,440 --> 00:11:12,600 join, including people who came for visiting hours, saw these 180 00:11:12,600 --> 00:11:14,720 people praying and said, look, what's going on, You know, we're 181 00:11:14,720 --> 00:11:16,280 praying for someone. The kidney failure, that's 182 00:11:16,280 --> 00:11:18,000 serious. And they joined in. 183 00:11:18,320 --> 00:11:23,080 Meanwhile, a group of ladies in Canada, I mean, that's the other 184 00:11:23,080 --> 00:11:26,040 side of the planet, gathered together week after week, day 185 00:11:26,040 --> 00:11:29,760 after day to pray. Strangers down in Durban did the 186 00:11:29,760 --> 00:11:35,400 same here, and Pretoria friends old and new, pouring prayers 187 00:11:35,480 --> 00:11:40,400 into those heavenly bowls. And this Thursday night, two 188 00:11:40,400 --> 00:11:45,200 years later, another Noel and the same father sat in the same 189 00:11:45,200 --> 00:11:49,440 spot at this time with his daughter, completely and utterly 190 00:11:49,440 --> 00:11:52,560 healed. Because we serve a God who moves 191 00:11:52,560 --> 00:11:55,920 in your meanwhile he moves in your. 192 00:11:55,920 --> 00:12:01,640 Meanwhile he multiplies and mends and takes a hold of your 193 00:12:01,640 --> 00:12:03,280 situation even though you don't see her. 194 00:12:04,720 --> 00:12:09,040 Had the privilege. A few years ago a friend of mine 195 00:12:09,160 --> 00:12:15,240 lost his wife to to cancer. It was very sudden and he was so 196 00:12:15,240 --> 00:12:18,000 gutted by it. They're they're still relatively 197 00:12:18,000 --> 00:12:23,280 newlyweds as much as they'd had children, but he faced his world 198 00:12:23,280 --> 00:12:26,520 falling apart. Business was haemorrhaging. 199 00:12:26,640 --> 00:12:29,160 He didn't know how to look after young kids. 200 00:12:30,320 --> 00:12:36,120 Meanwhile, this young lady, abandoned, destitute, she'd 201 00:12:36,120 --> 00:12:38,120 given herself up to prostitution. 202 00:12:38,400 --> 00:12:41,440 But the church that he was in heard about her and that she was 203 00:12:41,680 --> 00:12:43,960 would do anything to get out of this situation. 204 00:12:44,120 --> 00:12:46,120 And so they rescued and redeemed her. 205 00:12:46,280 --> 00:12:49,600 And I had the privilege of watching through the curtain and 206 00:12:49,600 --> 00:12:53,600 seeing him get down on his knees all those many months later as 207 00:12:53,600 --> 00:12:56,960 God was redeeming both of them and making both of them whole 208 00:12:57,200 --> 00:13:01,040 because you must see a moment or a mountain and a mess. 209 00:13:02,400 --> 00:13:07,520 But God moves in the meanwhile, beautiful Joseph. 210 00:13:07,840 --> 00:13:13,840 Joseph was asleep, maybe dreaming, lying on a cold prison 211 00:13:13,840 --> 00:13:16,320 floor. Pharaoh has also asleep. 212 00:13:17,280 --> 00:13:20,200 The interpreter of dreams. There's just a few chambers away 213 00:13:20,400 --> 00:13:24,720 and here's Pharaoh dreaming in his probably silky pajamas. 214 00:13:26,520 --> 00:13:30,080 Meanwhile, God is on the move and redeems both of them. 215 00:13:30,720 --> 00:13:34,560 Abraham is walking up the side of Mount Moriah, dragging the 216 00:13:34,560 --> 00:13:37,680 Son of Promise that he has been asked to sacrifice. 217 00:13:37,800 --> 00:13:40,520 He doesn't know where to categorize this Heavenly Father 218 00:13:40,640 --> 00:13:45,720 that would ask that of him. Meanwhile, God has made sure a 219 00:13:45,720 --> 00:13:49,160 silly little sheepy is wandering his way up there so this ram can 220 00:13:49,160 --> 00:13:54,840 get caught in the thicket. Ruth has lost everything. 221 00:13:54,840 --> 00:13:56,760 You know, I was thinking about it. 222 00:13:57,560 --> 00:14:00,400 She's moved away from family, moved away from home. 223 00:14:00,520 --> 00:14:03,920 Her husband has died. She's among the poorest of the 224 00:14:03,920 --> 00:14:08,640 poor, gleaning in the fields. But the harvesting is over. 225 00:14:09,960 --> 00:14:11,960 She's got nothing to plant because she's had to eat 226 00:14:11,960 --> 00:14:14,720 everything. And she's got a mother-in-law 227 00:14:14,720 --> 00:14:19,080 who's getting on in years. She has no claim to anything. 228 00:14:20,120 --> 00:14:25,600 Meanwhile, Boaz went no World War Two. 229 00:14:25,600 --> 00:14:29,440 There was these concentration camps in one of the forests in 230 00:14:29,440 --> 00:14:31,880 Germany. They were kind of close but not 231 00:14:31,880 --> 00:14:34,640 up against each other. But two Scottish men, they were 232 00:14:34,640 --> 00:14:37,480 both medics in the war and they were taken hostage and they're 233 00:14:37,480 --> 00:14:39,400 put into these separate concentration camps. 234 00:14:39,400 --> 00:14:43,000 And, and it just happened that these guards and the people in 235 00:14:43,000 --> 00:14:45,160 charge of these concentration camps heard that they were 236 00:14:45,160 --> 00:14:47,400 previously medics. So they thought this is a great 237 00:14:47,400 --> 00:14:48,920 idea. We don't even have to go among 238 00:14:48,920 --> 00:14:50,680 the riffraff. You can look after your own. 239 00:14:51,560 --> 00:14:53,720 And so these two hatched a bit of a plan. 240 00:14:53,720 --> 00:14:56,240 They said, listen, you know, we need to sort of compare notes 241 00:14:56,240 --> 00:14:58,840 because I see a disease here. I'm not quite sure how to treat 242 00:14:58,840 --> 00:15:02,000 it or, you know, we just need some cloth and bandage for this. 243 00:15:02,280 --> 00:15:05,200 And so they gave them permission every day just to stand at there 244 00:15:05,200 --> 00:15:08,000 was a, an adjoining fence. They were allowed to stand there 245 00:15:08,000 --> 00:15:09,840 and talk, but they were Scottish. 246 00:15:10,160 --> 00:15:11,720 And so they were able to speak Gaelic. 247 00:15:11,720 --> 00:15:13,240 And the guards didn't understand. 248 00:15:13,760 --> 00:15:17,160 And meanwhile they were busy communicating what's going on in 249 00:15:17,160 --> 00:15:19,040 the barracks, what's going on in the barracks and what's 250 00:15:19,040 --> 00:15:21,040 happening in the wall because one of the guys hadn't actually 251 00:15:21,240 --> 00:15:27,040 fabricated A makeshift radio. And then one day they get to the 252 00:15:27,040 --> 00:15:30,640 fence and one guy says in Gaelic, and I don't know Gaelic, 253 00:15:30,640 --> 00:15:32,320 otherwise I'd say what it what he said. 254 00:15:33,040 --> 00:15:36,600 But they tell me, he said, listen, the Germans have 255 00:15:36,600 --> 00:15:38,640 surrendered. The war is over. 256 00:15:40,600 --> 00:15:43,080 And this is what he said. He said going back to the 257 00:15:43,080 --> 00:15:47,280 barracks, telling these the rest of the prisoners, he said we 258 00:15:47,280 --> 00:15:52,800 were still in prison, but we were already free because while 259 00:15:52,800 --> 00:15:54,720 we were here in this concentration camp. 260 00:15:54,720 --> 00:15:56,600 Meanwhile the Germans had surrendered. 261 00:15:58,040 --> 00:16:00,160 Took him four days before the gods found out. 262 00:16:01,080 --> 00:16:03,760 And he said meanwhile the prison became a party. 263 00:16:05,000 --> 00:16:06,720 We didn't complain about the flu food. 264 00:16:07,160 --> 00:16:09,480 We all seem to suddenly be having good night's sleep. 265 00:16:09,680 --> 00:16:12,080 We didn't hate the gods. We actually felt sorry for them 266 00:16:13,200 --> 00:16:17,560 because of meanwhile. See, when you understand that 267 00:16:17,560 --> 00:16:21,080 God is a God of your meanwhile, it shows. 268 00:16:23,360 --> 00:16:29,000 So if you are still rattled and spinning out and borderline 269 00:16:29,000 --> 00:16:32,920 depression, and if you are chewing everyone's heads off and 270 00:16:32,920 --> 00:16:36,640 you sucker analyzing everything and you're just spewing anger 271 00:16:36,640 --> 00:16:39,560 and bitterness and vitriol, it means you do not understand. 272 00:16:39,960 --> 00:16:43,000 Meanwhile God is working on your behalf. 273 00:16:43,000 --> 00:16:47,640 So good to see you. Do you know this God? 274 00:16:48,800 --> 00:16:51,800 Does it show that you know this God? 275 00:16:52,360 --> 00:16:58,160 Because it will if you do. Meanwhile Boaz wins. 276 00:16:59,720 --> 00:17:04,200 I'm glad it didn't say meanwhile the universe smiled on her or 277 00:17:04,240 --> 00:17:07,000 meanwhile her stars aligned. So grateful. 278 00:17:07,000 --> 00:17:10,760 I'm Sagittarius and it says meanwhile Boaz. 279 00:17:10,800 --> 00:17:13,760 The Bible puts flesh to the meanwhile. 280 00:17:14,599 --> 00:17:19,200 Meanwhile, Boaz now I don't know if you've ever had a high 281 00:17:19,319 --> 00:17:22,319 commendation from your mother-in-law, but Boaz got one 282 00:17:22,319 --> 00:17:24,040 of the best from his future mother-in-law. 283 00:17:24,040 --> 00:17:26,079 Take a look. If you if you page back to the 284 00:17:26,079 --> 00:17:31,480 last verse in Ruth chapter 318 says then Naomi, this is his 285 00:17:31,480 --> 00:17:35,600 future mother-in-law said to Ruth, wait my daughter until you 286 00:17:35,600 --> 00:17:39,040 find out what happens for the man will not rest until the 287 00:17:39,040 --> 00:17:43,560 matter is settled. Today I want to show you what a 288 00:17:43,560 --> 00:17:46,800 commendation it's it's AI think there's something prophetic a 289 00:17:46,800 --> 00:17:50,600 discernment in Naomi that is godly. 290 00:17:50,840 --> 00:17:57,320 So she says wait my daughter wait see what Ruth needed to 291 00:17:57,320 --> 00:18:00,440 know what you needed to know when there's a meanwhile 292 00:18:00,440 --> 00:18:04,360 transpiring what falls to us the part we play the part she plays 293 00:18:04,560 --> 00:18:08,840 is simply to wait. One of my favorite verses that 294 00:18:08,840 --> 00:18:11,400 have come out of our wrestle this year is Isaiah 64. 295 00:18:11,400 --> 00:18:13,600 Four. This is since the foundation of 296 00:18:13,600 --> 00:18:16,080 the world. No eye has seen, no ear has 297 00:18:16,080 --> 00:18:20,480 heard of a God like you who works for those who wait. 298 00:18:22,240 --> 00:18:26,640 I mean, take a look there. It says, wait, my daughter, wait 299 00:18:27,840 --> 00:18:31,960 because we're looking at. Meanwhile, Boaz went, didn't 300 00:18:31,960 --> 00:18:34,520 say. Meanwhile Ruth went, you know, 301 00:18:35,280 --> 00:18:38,160 it wasn't like she scooched that skirt up a little higher. 302 00:18:38,480 --> 00:18:41,480 So OK, meanwhile Ruth went. I'm going to make a plan, boys, 303 00:18:44,720 --> 00:18:48,320 it says. Meanwhile, Boaz wins her 304 00:18:48,320 --> 00:18:50,240 responsibility. Your responsibility, my 305 00:18:50,240 --> 00:18:54,840 responsibility in the midst of the mess is to wait on the God 306 00:18:54,840 --> 00:18:59,440 who works for those who rest me is to wait my daughter until you 307 00:18:59,440 --> 00:19:00,680 find out what happens. Take a look at this. 308 00:19:00,680 --> 00:19:06,120 For the man will not rest. The man will not rest. 309 00:19:06,400 --> 00:19:11,200 You know, for me, rest is, is like a comfort term, but this is 310 00:19:11,200 --> 00:19:14,000 actually a biblical term. It comes from in two Chronicles 311 00:19:14,000 --> 00:19:16,800 20. We see God being referred to as 312 00:19:16,800 --> 00:19:19,600 giving a king rest on every side. 313 00:19:19,600 --> 00:19:22,440 It didn't mean that the king rested on his right side and 314 00:19:22,440 --> 00:19:25,240 then rested on his left. It means that God went to war 315 00:19:25,240 --> 00:19:28,240 for that king and gave him rest on every side. 316 00:19:28,240 --> 00:19:29,840 And that's the word that she uses. 317 00:19:29,840 --> 00:19:34,720 He will not rest. God will go to war for you if 318 00:19:34,720 --> 00:19:40,120 you let him in your Meanwhile, your Heavenly Father is better 319 00:19:40,120 --> 00:19:43,800 than Boaz. If Naomi can say Ruth, you can 320 00:19:43,800 --> 00:19:46,400 trust this man, this fallen earthy man. 321 00:19:46,400 --> 00:19:50,280 How much more your Heavenly Father that you can trust him to 322 00:19:50,280 --> 00:19:55,120 go to war over your heart that's lost its desire for your spouse 323 00:19:55,120 --> 00:19:59,240 that he will go to war for you against your your boss who's 324 00:19:59,280 --> 00:20:02,440 tearing you to shreds and cynical and filled with 325 00:20:02,440 --> 00:20:04,720 contempt. He will go to war for you on 326 00:20:04,720 --> 00:20:07,560 your behalf for your children who are being bullied at school. 327 00:20:07,560 --> 00:20:10,360 You'll go to war for you on your behalf if you're overwhelmed at 328 00:20:10,360 --> 00:20:17,960 the end of 2025, if you'll wait for the God who goes to war and 329 00:20:17,960 --> 00:20:22,240 then the last one and this this struck me for the man will not 330 00:20:22,240 --> 00:20:24,240 rest until the matter is settled. 331 00:20:24,680 --> 00:20:27,720 Today I was talking Hebrew Greek. 332 00:20:28,560 --> 00:20:34,840 In the Hebrew, settled is kala. In the Greek, it's a word you 333 00:20:34,840 --> 00:20:36,960 might be familiar with, Tetalesta. 334 00:20:38,040 --> 00:20:42,440 Have you heard tetalesta before? You'll hear it next Easter. 335 00:20:42,920 --> 00:20:46,880 It's the word Jesus used on the cross, having paid for your 336 00:20:46,880 --> 00:20:52,160 sins, having been beaten for your past, taking all that, 337 00:20:52,160 --> 00:20:55,360 being nailed to a cross, being bludgeoned to death on your 338 00:20:55,360 --> 00:20:57,160 behalf. The last thing he said is 339 00:20:57,320 --> 00:21:02,760 tetalist. I it is finished, I believe. 340 00:21:03,480 --> 00:21:06,680 Probably what? Maybe even that word alone. 341 00:21:06,680 --> 00:21:09,520 The book of Ruth is in the Bible because it is such a picture of 342 00:21:09,520 --> 00:21:15,040 the heart of God for you, God who is better than Boaz, He'll 343 00:21:15,040 --> 00:21:19,680 work your redemption through until he can say over you it is 344 00:21:19,800 --> 00:21:21,360 finished. You know in the Hebrew there 345 00:21:21,360 --> 00:21:24,240 isn't a word in the ancient Hebrew, there isn't a word for 346 00:21:24,400 --> 00:21:29,240 for tragedy or tragic because to the Hebrew mind, when you serve 347 00:21:29,240 --> 00:21:32,840 that God, if there's still tragedy around, if, if there's 348 00:21:32,840 --> 00:21:35,640 still a mountain, if it's still a mess just means he's not 349 00:21:35,640 --> 00:21:37,040 finished. He's still busy in your 350 00:21:37,040 --> 00:21:40,200 meanwhile, he's still multiplying, he's still 351 00:21:40,200 --> 00:21:42,320 mobilizing help. He's still making away, he's 352 00:21:42,320 --> 00:21:45,640 still molding your future. He's still manifesting his 353 00:21:45,640 --> 00:21:47,200 goodness. He's still moving mountains, 354 00:21:47,200 --> 00:21:50,280 he's still ministering, he's still mastering the impossible 355 00:21:50,560 --> 00:21:54,880 until he can say over you and over your situation, it is 356 00:21:55,400 --> 00:22:02,000 finished. Meanwhile, Boaz went, and he is 357 00:22:02,000 --> 00:22:06,520 better than Boaz. Now we're going to turn a little 358 00:22:06,520 --> 00:22:09,520 corner here. Sharp left with went. 359 00:22:10,560 --> 00:22:12,920 Meanwhile, Bowers went. I want to turn things here from 360 00:22:13,280 --> 00:22:19,160 from God's role in our redemption to your role in one 361 00:22:19,160 --> 00:22:22,720 another's redemption. So we, we, we. 362 00:22:22,720 --> 00:22:26,640 You won't like this part, but the Bible says, you know, I love 363 00:22:26,640 --> 00:22:28,800 the Lord your God with all your heart and soul and love your 364 00:22:28,800 --> 00:22:32,720 neighbor as yourself. This is the fullness of God's 365 00:22:32,720 --> 00:22:35,360 desire for you and I as his sons and daughters. 366 00:22:36,200 --> 00:22:42,440 We love the first bit, that's why we have 7 1/2 thousand 367 00:22:42,440 --> 00:22:44,480 people watching online each week. 368 00:22:45,120 --> 00:22:47,400 We love to love the Lord our God with all our heart, mind and 369 00:22:47,400 --> 00:22:51,360 soul. Our neighbor is Dennis is my 370 00:22:51,360 --> 00:22:54,000 neighbor. He's OK with Hilton. 371 00:22:54,800 --> 00:22:59,200 I didn't know but here's a question. 372 00:22:59,200 --> 00:23:05,880 What if you are the Boers God wants to use in someone else's? 373 00:23:05,880 --> 00:23:11,080 Meanwhile? So I heard a pastor get up, 374 00:23:11,200 --> 00:23:13,080 announce about a building project. 375 00:23:13,080 --> 00:23:16,080 You know, we heard about Ferdie. This pastor got up and, you 376 00:23:16,160 --> 00:23:18,880 know, they showed the plans and how much it's going to cost and 377 00:23:18,880 --> 00:23:20,120 where they're going to start and all of this. 378 00:23:20,120 --> 00:23:21,680 And he says we've got good news and bad news. 379 00:23:21,840 --> 00:23:24,560 The good news is we have all the money for the projects. 380 00:23:24,560 --> 00:23:27,040 And the church just erupted. Look, oh, this is amazing. 381 00:23:27,080 --> 00:23:28,400 Let's get going. He said. 382 00:23:28,400 --> 00:23:30,840 The bad news is it's still in your wallet. 383 00:23:35,560 --> 00:23:40,320 Essentially what he is saying is what if God wants to use you to 384 00:23:40,320 --> 00:23:42,600 be the Boaz in someone else's meanwhile? 385 00:23:45,200 --> 00:23:49,160 So I was chatting with my wife this week and she was telling me 386 00:23:49,160 --> 00:23:53,280 about someone who's struggling and being the man of compassion 387 00:23:53,280 --> 00:23:59,960 that I am and a true blue gold standard pastor, I just 388 00:23:59,960 --> 00:24:02,280 explained to her, why is this not my, my problem here? 389 00:24:03,600 --> 00:24:06,960 Don't make yourself my stuff. You know, I don't know. 390 00:24:07,200 --> 00:24:11,040 I don't know if you're like me at all, but I can still remember 391 00:24:11,640 --> 00:24:14,720 when I was studying at school and at varsity. 392 00:24:14,720 --> 00:24:17,840 Yeah, I could remember where certain things were in my book, 393 00:24:18,440 --> 00:24:20,360 you know, like I can still remember to this day. 394 00:24:20,800 --> 00:24:23,760 Geography, you know, the the map of the world is top left in the 395 00:24:23,760 --> 00:24:25,360 book. And then I'd color the oceans in 396 00:24:25,360 --> 00:24:26,720 blue and that's where we had the ocean names. 397 00:24:26,720 --> 00:24:29,480 And and then the agricultural section was sort of down and to 398 00:24:29,480 --> 00:24:30,520 the right. I don't know if you like that, 399 00:24:30,720 --> 00:24:32,480 but I'm like that. Yeah, I know. 400 00:24:32,480 --> 00:24:36,160 It's, I know it was somewhere on that side of the Bible in the 401 00:24:36,160 --> 00:24:39,280 book of Ruth, You know? So my wife is busy telling me 402 00:24:39,280 --> 00:24:41,760 about the situation. I'm busy waxing eloquent about 403 00:24:41,760 --> 00:24:44,280 how I have washed my hands clean of this and it's not my 404 00:24:44,280 --> 00:24:47,520 responsibility. And then I see this picture and 405 00:24:48,040 --> 00:24:50,840 it was not that I'd worked through the week before. 406 00:24:51,160 --> 00:24:56,720 And it says the following. It says we can wash our hands 407 00:24:57,240 --> 00:25:03,040 like pilots or we can wash their feet like Jesus. 408 00:25:03,840 --> 00:25:05,640 Brilliant. Yeah. 409 00:25:05,640 --> 00:25:07,920 That's that's unfair, you know, thanks for that. 410 00:25:08,240 --> 00:25:12,240 So I just wanted to share my opinion because what if God 411 00:25:12,240 --> 00:25:14,760 wants to use you to be a Boaz in someone else's? 412 00:25:14,760 --> 00:25:18,520 Meanwhile, do you know that every single meanwhile 413 00:25:18,520 --> 00:25:20,840 redemption has happened through a Boaz? 414 00:25:22,720 --> 00:25:24,400 It's the way God has chosen to work. 415 00:25:24,840 --> 00:25:31,000 I don't know why he wants to invite us in, but of course, you 416 00:25:31,000 --> 00:25:34,120 know, part of the conversation was like, yeah, but you, I mean, 417 00:25:34,600 --> 00:25:36,520 it's the consequences of their decisions. 418 00:25:36,520 --> 00:25:40,960 You know, actually, if they were better Christians and if they 419 00:25:40,960 --> 00:25:44,360 just bothered to come to church, I think we could really solve 420 00:25:44,680 --> 00:25:47,960 this problem just by getting into the presence of God, which 421 00:25:47,960 --> 00:25:52,600 is essentially saying, you know, they're a little bit too Moabite 422 00:25:52,840 --> 00:25:56,480 for my taste. And then God did it again. 423 00:25:57,800 --> 00:26:02,240 This time, he said being a Boaz is not just loving Jesus, but 424 00:26:02,240 --> 00:26:07,080 loving Judas. Yeah, sorry. 425 00:26:07,440 --> 00:26:13,600 Anyway, therapy three times this week, you see, because I think 426 00:26:13,600 --> 00:26:16,200 I'm. I'm millennial and Gen. 427 00:26:16,200 --> 00:26:22,360 Z at heart, you know that they say of us, we take more selfies 428 00:26:22,360 --> 00:26:26,040 in one day than there are portraits of Napoleon. 429 00:26:28,520 --> 00:26:40,840 And he actually did something. Because we are so I am so self 430 00:26:40,880 --> 00:26:47,600 obsessed. I will dance, I will walk 500 431 00:26:47,600 --> 00:26:54,360 miles to come face to face with the God who works in my 432 00:26:54,360 --> 00:26:59,520 meanwhile, in my meanwhile. But in Roberts, No, sorry, he's 433 00:26:59,520 --> 00:27:06,000 got issues. Meanwhile Boaz went. 434 00:27:06,160 --> 00:27:10,200 If Boaz did not went, there would be no redemption for 435 00:27:10,200 --> 00:27:15,400 Naomi, there'd be no redemption for Ruth, there would be no 436 00:27:15,800 --> 00:27:22,520 Obed, Jesse, David. Meanwhile, Boaz went. 437 00:27:24,680 --> 00:27:27,920 And it's so simple. It's just you noticing that 438 00:27:27,920 --> 00:27:31,640 single mom as she wrestles her kids into the car after church 439 00:27:31,640 --> 00:27:35,040 today and he's spotting those very worn tires and thinking, 440 00:27:35,040 --> 00:27:38,880 sure, that's not wise driving home with children and those 441 00:27:38,880 --> 00:27:41,320 worn tires. That's not Boaz. 442 00:27:41,680 --> 00:27:46,200 Boaz changes those tires and pays for them anonymously. 443 00:27:48,440 --> 00:27:50,880 It's when you hear a night and this is true story. 444 00:27:50,880 --> 00:27:54,200 I was in a life group and we heard a lady who'd been without 445 00:27:54,200 --> 00:27:56,320 work for so long, she'd run out of money. 446 00:27:56,720 --> 00:28:01,360 And so she was eating one meal every second day, but she was 447 00:28:01,360 --> 00:28:03,200 sharing her testimony how God had given her work. 448 00:28:03,200 --> 00:28:06,480 And so we were like, that's wonderful, Hallelujah, God is so 449 00:28:06,480 --> 00:28:09,720 good. And we didn't factor in the fact 450 00:28:09,720 --> 00:28:11,640 that she's only going to be paid in a month's time. 451 00:28:12,400 --> 00:28:14,960 And the end result was that she ate one meal every second day 452 00:28:14,960 --> 00:28:17,240 until she finally got paid up because the life group did 453 00:28:17,400 --> 00:28:21,720 nothing. We washed our hands like Pilot 454 00:28:21,720 --> 00:28:23,560 rather than washing her feet like Jesus. 455 00:28:25,440 --> 00:28:29,920 You know what it means. Meanwhile, Boaz went means being 456 00:28:29,920 --> 00:28:36,360 the first to apologize, means agreeing to marriage counseling, 457 00:28:38,640 --> 00:28:41,160 means picking up the phone and forgiving. 458 00:28:42,480 --> 00:28:50,200 Writing off someone's debt had challenged me to the core. 459 00:28:50,200 --> 00:28:53,440 I had coffee with a friend this week and just in passing, he 460 00:28:53,440 --> 00:28:54,920 said, You know what? Yeah. 461 00:28:55,000 --> 00:28:57,960 They were talking about one of the domestics and they're, 462 00:28:58,120 --> 00:29:02,080 they're worried that something that had transpired in their 463 00:29:02,080 --> 00:29:05,200 move recently. And he just said, and he wasn't 464 00:29:05,200 --> 00:29:06,800 trying to make a point. He just said, you know, normally 465 00:29:06,800 --> 00:29:09,560 what I do on a Saturday morning is when the gardener arrives, I 466 00:29:09,560 --> 00:29:11,960 make 2 cups of tea and I take some rusks and we just sit on 467 00:29:11,960 --> 00:29:14,640 the deck and I have tea with him and Rusk and I catch up. 468 00:29:14,640 --> 00:29:18,920 I'm going to look. And then he mentions, yeah, 469 00:29:18,920 --> 00:29:21,200 that's why we know that he doesn't have these documents and 470 00:29:21,200 --> 00:29:23,920 has dad passed away and how he needed to pay medical bills. 471 00:29:23,920 --> 00:29:27,680 I'm thinking like, I don't even know if my garden is married 472 00:29:29,440 --> 00:29:35,400 because I'm so selfish. Don't ask me to be Boaz, but oh 473 00:29:35,400 --> 00:29:37,800 Lord Jesus, be better than Boaz to me. 474 00:29:40,600 --> 00:29:44,720 I'm going to land with two stories. 475 00:29:46,240 --> 00:29:49,320 I mentioned a while back a friend of mine was having an end 476 00:29:49,320 --> 00:29:53,520 of year function and he had one of the stuff. 477 00:29:53,920 --> 00:29:56,520 He noticed his stuff in the in the corner there that she was 478 00:29:56,520 --> 00:30:00,040 having a really bad evening. And so he went across and asked 479 00:30:00,040 --> 00:30:03,400 like what's going on? And she said I came with my 480 00:30:03,400 --> 00:30:06,640 boyfriend, my boyfriend boyfriend went home with someone 481 00:30:06,640 --> 00:30:10,520 else. He's like, Oh my God, gosh, just 482 00:30:10,600 --> 00:30:23,040 dump his, dump his Boaz. And she said, I can't, we live 483 00:30:23,040 --> 00:30:26,160 together, we share the the bills, rent. 484 00:30:26,760 --> 00:30:29,320 I can't afford the extra 4000 Rand to move out. 485 00:30:29,480 --> 00:30:31,800 So she said, I've got a Christmas present for you. 486 00:30:31,800 --> 00:30:33,520 You've just gotten a 4000 Rand race. 487 00:30:34,320 --> 00:30:36,760 And he sent one of the managers home to help her pack up and 488 00:30:36,760 --> 00:30:40,720 move out and start again. And, you know, next weekend 489 00:30:40,960 --> 00:30:44,640 she's getting married now to a man who pursued her to love, 490 00:30:44,840 --> 00:30:48,320 love her and made a life together with her. 491 00:30:48,880 --> 00:30:51,680 And I'm saying to my mate, because he's been invited as a 492 00:30:51,680 --> 00:30:53,840 guest of on, I'm like, I think you should go. 493 00:30:54,760 --> 00:30:57,360 I think you should go. He goes Boas. 494 00:30:58,600 --> 00:31:03,720 Meanwhile, Boas went, I'm going to end with David, but not King 495 00:31:03,720 --> 00:31:07,480 David, David NASA. I don't know if you know David 496 00:31:07,480 --> 00:31:09,400 NASA. David NASA is considered one of 497 00:31:09,400 --> 00:31:13,000 the most influential men in the the student space at the moment. 498 00:31:13,360 --> 00:31:17,520 They say of Charlie Cook that the reason why he had such 499 00:31:17,520 --> 00:31:21,840 traction across the US in that student space was because of the 500 00:31:21,840 --> 00:31:25,600 ground that David NASA prepared, the groundwork that he's been 501 00:31:25,600 --> 00:31:29,160 doing over the last few years. The crazy thing about David is 502 00:31:29,160 --> 00:31:32,760 that he's from Iran and as a young boy there was an Iranian 503 00:31:32,760 --> 00:31:35,480 revolution and apparently there were mass murders. 504 00:31:35,480 --> 00:31:40,080 And he gives the accounts of how this religious regime took over. 505 00:31:40,560 --> 00:31:44,200 And they were, yeah, they were murderous. 506 00:31:44,200 --> 00:31:46,640 And he gives an account. He says he was actually a 507 00:31:46,640 --> 00:31:49,200 school. And these people barge into the 508 00:31:49,200 --> 00:31:51,000 assembly and they've got a list of names. 509 00:31:51,000 --> 00:31:52,160 And they're calling out these names. 510 00:31:52,160 --> 00:31:54,480 And they, the boys come forward and they put guns to their heads 511 00:31:54,480 --> 00:31:58,200 and threatened to kill them just as a statement because he was, 512 00:31:58,200 --> 00:31:59,720 these were leaders in the community. 513 00:32:00,080 --> 00:32:03,440 And so one thing lead led to another and they managed to fake 514 00:32:03,720 --> 00:32:07,640 hot issues with his mom and they said to the doctor, they said, 515 00:32:07,640 --> 00:32:09,840 listen, we will give you a cause a home. 516 00:32:09,840 --> 00:32:14,280 All the money in our bank. He has a cards and the the pin 517 00:32:14,280 --> 00:32:18,200 to get into our bank accounts. If you can tell the authorities 518 00:32:18,280 --> 00:32:20,880 that she needs to be treated outside of the country so that 519 00:32:20,880 --> 00:32:24,080 she was airlifted and the family with him left homework and 520 00:32:24,080 --> 00:32:26,280 everything at home looking as if they were coming back and they 521 00:32:26,280 --> 00:32:28,760 got out of there. Long story short, they end up in 522 00:32:28,760 --> 00:32:32,760 the US. Now you can imagine as a Muslim 523 00:32:32,880 --> 00:32:37,080 Iranian awkward guy, he just didn't fit and he was bullied 524 00:32:37,080 --> 00:32:41,400 every single day at school until the very last day they're going 525 00:32:41,400 --> 00:32:44,080 to varsity. Everyone's moving away and he's 526 00:32:44,080 --> 00:32:47,400 sort of stuck there smoking zol with like the only other guy 527 00:32:47,400 --> 00:32:51,040 around because everyone is leaving their small little town. 528 00:32:51,560 --> 00:32:55,600 And this guy, while they're enjoying some Durban poison, 529 00:32:55,600 --> 00:32:57,960 invites him to church. He says still to this day, he 530 00:32:57,960 --> 00:32:59,680 doesn't know what that guy was thinking. 531 00:33:00,520 --> 00:33:05,520 Invite him to church. But now David hates any kind of 532 00:33:05,520 --> 00:33:08,760 religion because it was religious zealots, that one, 533 00:33:08,800 --> 00:33:12,440 that put a gun to his head that caused him to lose their 534 00:33:12,440 --> 00:33:15,240 everything. And so he does, you know, 535 00:33:15,240 --> 00:33:16,840 doesn't want to sort of spoil the party. 536 00:33:16,840 --> 00:33:18,720 He just says, no, my dad won't let me go. 537 00:33:18,720 --> 00:33:20,880 You know, he's Muslim at church. And it's a thing. 538 00:33:21,640 --> 00:33:25,520 The guy's like, go ask your dad. So like, OK, fine. 539 00:33:25,520 --> 00:33:27,440 So they go upstairs. The dad's already in bed. 540 00:33:27,440 --> 00:33:29,760 And now he needs to make sure that this guy hears the dad 541 00:33:29,760 --> 00:33:32,080 won't allow it. And just, you know, we can close 542 00:33:32,080 --> 00:33:36,280 this amicably. So he says in English, Dad, I've 543 00:33:36,280 --> 00:33:38,680 been invited to church tomorrow, can I go? 544 00:33:38,680 --> 00:33:41,280 And his dad's sort of half asleep. 545 00:33:41,280 --> 00:33:42,600 I think it was like 1:00 AM in the morning. 546 00:33:42,600 --> 00:33:47,600 He's like this church. And so he says the name some 547 00:33:47,600 --> 00:33:50,760 Baptist Church. He says yes, you go, you go, but 548 00:33:50,800 --> 00:33:55,600 only that church. It's like, Dad, you're blind, 549 00:33:55,600 --> 00:33:57,320 this for me, I don't want to go to church. 550 00:33:57,760 --> 00:34:01,920 So you go, you go. He doesn't understand what is 551 00:34:01,920 --> 00:34:04,120 going on. Goes to church, gets radically 552 00:34:04,120 --> 00:34:05,640 saved. His sister gets saved, his mom 553 00:34:05,640 --> 00:34:07,200 gets saved. And two years later his father 554 00:34:07,200 --> 00:34:10,719 gets completely saved. And when his dad gets saved, 555 00:34:11,199 --> 00:34:13,400 he's finally allowed to move back into the house because he 556 00:34:13,400 --> 00:34:15,280 was kicked out because the family is Muslim and it will be 557 00:34:15,280 --> 00:34:17,120 shame on them. So he moves back into the house. 558 00:34:17,120 --> 00:34:20,320 His dad. Why did you tell me I must go to 559 00:34:20,320 --> 00:34:22,520 church? When you hate Christians and you 560 00:34:22,520 --> 00:34:27,239 refuse to, you know, not be a Muslim, like, how did that 561 00:34:27,239 --> 00:34:30,040 transfer? He says there's a Bohus. 562 00:34:32,280 --> 00:34:34,199 His dad was running a restaurant, and it was 563 00:34:34,199 --> 00:34:36,120 hemorrhaging that couldn't make ends meet. 564 00:34:36,120 --> 00:34:37,679 They couldn't afford to pay waiters. 565 00:34:38,120 --> 00:34:42,480 And there was a group they were having a Noel like we had that 566 00:34:42,480 --> 00:34:45,920 came to church, came to the restaurants after their choir 567 00:34:45,920 --> 00:34:49,159 practice. And they noticed that this 568 00:34:49,159 --> 00:34:50,560 restaurant was really struggling. 569 00:34:50,560 --> 00:34:54,679 And so the guy leading the production rolled up his sleeves 570 00:34:55,159 --> 00:34:58,200 and waited for the rest of the night, helped wash dishes, 571 00:34:58,240 --> 00:34:59,640 stayed there until they're locked up. 572 00:35:00,200 --> 00:35:02,200 Then the following night, he went to practice and said, hey, 573 00:35:02,200 --> 00:35:04,960 guys, listen, can you can you just take this and fill out when 574 00:35:04,960 --> 00:35:08,560 you were going to do a shift at this restaurant? 575 00:35:08,560 --> 00:35:10,800 So we're just so you know, we're not taking any tips and we're 576 00:35:10,800 --> 00:35:13,960 not being paid for it until these guys are on their feet. 577 00:35:15,160 --> 00:35:16,400 And they came from the same church. 578 00:35:16,400 --> 00:35:18,640 So David, NASA was asking, can I go? 579 00:35:20,640 --> 00:35:25,800 Because Boaz went. You know, it sometimes can be as 580 00:35:25,800 --> 00:35:29,880 little as rolling up your sleeves and waitering or not 581 00:35:29,880 --> 00:35:33,840 chewing the waitress's head off on a Sunday after you've just 582 00:35:33,840 --> 00:35:36,080 come from church and she knows you've just come from church and 583 00:35:36,080 --> 00:35:40,320 now you're ripping her to shreds but instead encouraging her, 584 00:35:40,320 --> 00:35:42,360 loving on her, looking after her, and then giving her a huge 585 00:35:42,360 --> 00:35:47,400 tip, Boaz went. And because of that one man, 586 00:35:47,480 --> 00:35:52,920 unnamed David, NASA has seen hundreds of thousands of 587 00:35:52,920 --> 00:35:56,920 students come to know Jesus, hundreds of thousands. 588 00:35:56,920 --> 00:36:00,240 See, Boaz didn't know David was in the mix. 589 00:36:01,520 --> 00:36:07,080 He just went and my charge to you and I really think Ruth's 590 00:36:07,320 --> 00:36:13,080 charge to you and I is to get to know the God who ministers in 591 00:36:13,080 --> 00:36:16,920 our meanwhile, who mobilizes help and makes a way in our 592 00:36:16,920 --> 00:36:19,560 meanwhile. But they're not to keep it for 593 00:36:19,560 --> 00:36:24,640 ourselves to be Boaz, for someone else in there meanwhile, 594 00:36:25,320 --> 00:36:29,280 to live with eyes and hands and hearts wide open for this 595 00:36:29,280 --> 00:36:32,640 community and for this city. So I want to close the book of 596 00:36:32,640 --> 00:36:35,720 Ruth just by praying for us and praying for those two things. 597 00:36:36,480 --> 00:36:42,120 And we trust that God would just ignite our hearts. 598 00:36:43,200 --> 00:36:44,520 Father, we just want to thank you. 599 00:36:46,760 --> 00:36:48,360 Thank you for what you do in our meanwhile. 600 00:36:48,440 --> 00:36:51,520 I know it's highly likely there are many here that actually 601 00:36:51,520 --> 00:36:57,440 haven't even begun to recognize your fingerprints because the 602 00:36:57,440 --> 00:37:00,840 mountain is so big, the valley is so dark. 603 00:37:00,840 --> 00:37:04,360 And I pray, Lord God, that you would resurrect ours in this 604 00:37:04,360 --> 00:37:09,400 community to come face to face with the God who moves in our 605 00:37:09,400 --> 00:37:12,560 meanwhile. Now we'd be like Ruth, that we'd 606 00:37:12,560 --> 00:37:16,320 be like Isaiah says that we would wait on you, the God who 607 00:37:16,320 --> 00:37:20,600 works for those who wait. But I pray Heavenly Father too, 608 00:37:20,600 --> 00:37:25,000 that we won't be those who run wholeheartedly of the most 609 00:37:25,080 --> 00:37:29,240 amazing, loving, compassionate and kind God and keep you to 610 00:37:29,240 --> 00:37:34,200 ourselves, but Lord, that we would begin to recognize the 611 00:37:34,240 --> 00:37:36,600 need in the city, the need in our home, the need in our 612 00:37:36,600 --> 00:37:40,440 department, the need in this community, Lord Jesus, where we 613 00:37:40,440 --> 00:37:42,040 can be the Boers in someone else's. 614 00:37:42,040 --> 00:37:46,640 Meanwhile, I'll ask Holy Spirit that you take this word as one 615 00:37:46,640 --> 00:37:49,920 Thessalonian says that you'd you'd minister to us in power 616 00:37:49,920 --> 00:37:54,800 and deep conviction so we can be the hands and feet of the one 617 00:37:54,800 --> 00:37:57,720 that we serve in Jesus name, Amen.