1 00:00:00,600 --> 00:00:03,100 Well, thank you again. I'd like to reiterate what Wade 2 00:00:03,100 --> 00:00:06,300 said to those who were responsible for inviting such a 3 00:00:06,300 --> 00:00:10,200 wonderful lunch and I will try to do my part in keeping that 4 00:00:10,200 --> 00:00:17,900 sugar as energy and not coma. We're going to take our study 5 00:00:17,900 --> 00:00:21,400 this afternoon, the topic that simply called a virtuous woman. 6 00:00:22,400 --> 00:00:24,800 I intentionally didn't put the passage up here. 7 00:00:24,900 --> 00:00:29,500 I've only given this one other time and so it's a new lesson, 8 00:00:29,500 --> 00:00:32,900 you're part of the guinea pigs, that have to help me work out 9 00:00:32,900 --> 00:00:36,800 the Kinks. But when I gave it at home, I 10 00:00:36,808 --> 00:00:38,700 think there were five or six people before. 11 00:00:38,700 --> 00:00:41,500 Service says, oh proverbs 31. Proverbs 31. 12 00:00:42,300 --> 00:00:44,400 And I said, no, that's why I didn't put the verse. 13 00:00:45,200 --> 00:00:49,800 In fact, I have a Sermon on The Virtuous Woman for proverbs 31, 14 00:00:49,800 --> 00:00:52,900 but I'll tell you. One of the most common negative 15 00:00:52,900 --> 00:00:56,000 responses I've had to that is women that say that just 16 00:00:56,000 --> 00:00:59,200 exhausts me. I love it. 17 00:00:59,200 --> 00:01:01,300 I know it's true but it's just overwhelming. 18 00:01:01,300 --> 00:01:05,800 I how can anybody be that? Well, we won't get into that. 19 00:01:05,800 --> 00:01:09,800 You know, proverbs 31 is an acrostic, it's basically Alpha 20 00:01:09,800 --> 00:01:13,700 to Omega which is the Hebrew version or that's the Greek 21 00:01:13,700 --> 00:01:16,200 version I guess. But it's a doozy. 22 00:01:16,800 --> 00:01:19,900 Of of a, basically a description. 23 00:01:19,900 --> 00:01:22,600 So it's takes all the letters of the alphabet and start sheets 24 00:01:22,800 --> 00:01:25,700 statement with that. And so, it's intended to be like 25 00:01:25,700 --> 00:01:31,500 this over in some ways, just overwhelming representation, but 26 00:01:31,500 --> 00:01:35,300 the idea or the concept of being a virtuous woman should not be 27 00:01:35,300 --> 00:01:38,200 overwhelming. Now, in fact, I'll say this 28 00:01:38,200 --> 00:01:40,100 about the sermon. If you're sitting here today and 29 00:01:40,100 --> 00:01:41,600 you're like, I'm not a woman so good. 30 00:01:41,600 --> 00:01:44,200 I get to sit here and think what I need to expect out of the 31 00:01:44,200 --> 00:01:46,800 women in my life. That's not where this Essence 32 00:01:46,800 --> 00:01:50,900 actually going. In fact this word virtuous in 33 00:01:50,900 --> 00:01:54,300 the Hebrew comes from a word that literally means a force. 34 00:01:55,400 --> 00:01:58,200 And in the scripture that I have reference it says I will do for 35 00:01:58,200 --> 00:02:02,900 you all that you request for all the people of my town know that 36 00:02:02,900 --> 00:02:07,500 you are a virtuous woman. They know that you're a force of 37 00:02:07,500 --> 00:02:09,900 a woman. Now, this word Force, as I 38 00:02:09,900 --> 00:02:12,500 understand it, I told you this morning, these Hebrew words are 39 00:02:12,500 --> 00:02:15,300 defined because they don't just take Bible manuscripts, they 40 00:02:15,300 --> 00:02:18,000 take any manuscript. They can get and try to 41 00:02:18,000 --> 00:02:21,600 understand how these words. The definition based on how they 42 00:02:21,600 --> 00:02:25,800 were used in context and an old manuscripts that are found other 43 00:02:25,800 --> 00:02:28,500 than biblical. This word is used to describe 44 00:02:28,500 --> 00:02:30,600 strength. That is used to describe power. 45 00:02:30,600 --> 00:02:34,300 It's used to describe melt might and even wealth. 46 00:02:35,600 --> 00:02:39,200 Now, in biblical usage. We know this is a force of good 47 00:02:39,200 --> 00:02:43,300 character. And this is indeed, I think the 48 00:02:43,300 --> 00:02:46,300 context of this, but I want us to broaden as we go into this 49 00:02:46,300 --> 00:02:49,200 study this afternoon. I don't want us as men to sit 50 00:02:49,200 --> 00:02:51,100 there and think, well, this is what the women should do. 51 00:02:51,500 --> 00:02:53,900 I don't want the young people to say this is what the adults 52 00:02:53,900 --> 00:02:56,200 should do. I want us in turn to look at 53 00:02:56,200 --> 00:02:59,400 this and say, how can we be a force of a Christian? 54 00:03:00,600 --> 00:03:04,000 In Bakersfield in the congregation here in the 55 00:03:04,008 --> 00:03:07,100 community, wherever you live, when I go back to Oakdale, how 56 00:03:07,100 --> 00:03:10,100 can I be a force in Oakdale for good for God? 57 00:03:11,300 --> 00:03:14,000 How can Rachel do that? How can we all take on 58 00:03:14,000 --> 00:03:16,600 characteristics? There was something about this 59 00:03:16,600 --> 00:03:18,700 woman that caused this person to say. 60 00:03:19,600 --> 00:03:22,600 I'm going to do for you what you've asked because everybody, 61 00:03:22,600 --> 00:03:26,500 I know this in the everybody, in town knows what a force of a 62 00:03:26,508 --> 00:03:30,200 woman you are. And I want to do this now. 63 00:03:30,200 --> 00:03:32,900 Who was this? I don't know. 64 00:03:32,900 --> 00:03:35,800 I found before Services people start saying, well, where is it 65 00:03:35,800 --> 00:03:36,500 then? Where is it? 66 00:03:36,600 --> 00:03:38,300 One person said, I see what you're doing. 67 00:03:38,700 --> 00:03:41,400 They knew where this came from mediately, once they Realized, 68 00:03:41,400 --> 00:03:45,300 it wasn't proverbs. Comes from The Book of Ruth. 69 00:03:46,400 --> 00:03:50,400 And Ruth chapter 3, Boaz is now talking and he says and now my 70 00:03:50,400 --> 00:03:54,800 daughter do not fear, I will do for you all that you request for 71 00:03:54,800 --> 00:03:58,700 all the people of my town know that you are a virtuous woman. 72 00:03:58,700 --> 00:04:01,200 You're a force of a woman. And I'm going to do what, what 73 00:04:01,200 --> 00:04:04,200 did Beau as know about Ruth would cause him to say, I've 74 00:04:04,200 --> 00:04:07,500 heard about you? Everybody in town knows about 75 00:04:07,500 --> 00:04:10,700 you and knows your virtuous. I'm going to suggest that one of 76 00:04:10,700 --> 00:04:13,900 the first two things that, but one of the first few things that 77 00:04:13,900 --> 00:04:17,300 Boaz knew about Ruth is that she had married into the people of 78 00:04:17,300 --> 00:04:24,600 God and she had been converted. She refused to go back to where 79 00:04:24,600 --> 00:04:29,100 she came from or even blame God when tragedy struck their lives. 80 00:04:30,600 --> 00:04:33,300 Now, if you're not familiar with the story of Ruth, I'm not going 81 00:04:33,300 --> 00:04:35,100 to go and read through the whole book. 82 00:04:35,200 --> 00:04:36,700 You can do that on your own time. 83 00:04:36,700 --> 00:04:39,800 I hope you don't do it during the sermon, but I'll just say, 84 00:04:39,800 --> 00:04:42,400 if you get bored, if you get lost, pull out your Old 85 00:04:42,400 --> 00:04:45,400 Testament, go to the Book of Ruth, it's a short read, you'll 86 00:04:45,400 --> 00:04:49,200 be done. Before I am And in fact I'm only 87 00:04:49,200 --> 00:04:51,900 going to cover. What's found up to Ruth chapter 88 00:04:51,900 --> 00:04:55,200 3 and verse 11 because I'm trying to figure out what did 89 00:04:55,200 --> 00:04:58,200 Beau as what did the tell know about her by this time. 90 00:04:58,900 --> 00:05:01,600 If you back up to chapter 12, beginning of the story, you're 91 00:05:01,600 --> 00:05:04,500 going to find out that she had a husband named elimelech or she 92 00:05:04,500 --> 00:05:06,600 had a father-in-law named elimelech. 93 00:05:07,400 --> 00:05:10,000 Her mother-in-law's name was Naomi. 94 00:05:10,700 --> 00:05:15,600 They had two boys mail on and chili on They had left Judah 95 00:05:15,600 --> 00:05:18,200 because there was famine in the land of Judah and they heard 96 00:05:18,200 --> 00:05:22,000 that there was food in Moab. So they went, there just is a 97 00:05:22,000 --> 00:05:27,400 survival choice, they made. It seems they went to that place 98 00:05:27,400 --> 00:05:31,100 and while they're there. Elimelech dies. 99 00:05:31,300 --> 00:05:34,100 I don't know if he dies before, they took wives. 100 00:05:34,500 --> 00:05:36,600 The scripture says, they took wise and I don't know if the 101 00:05:36,600 --> 00:05:41,300 labor, they refused refers to a haemolytic and Naomi or if it 102 00:05:41,300 --> 00:05:44,700 were refers to Milan and chili on. 103 00:05:45,100 --> 00:05:49,800 I can't figure out when they elimelech died but they while 104 00:05:49,800 --> 00:05:52,300 they were there male on and Chilean. 105 00:05:53,300 --> 00:05:58,000 Married to Moab women girls, orpah and Ruth. 106 00:05:59,300 --> 00:06:04,900 And then those boys die. It's at least a decade after 107 00:06:04,900 --> 00:06:09,800 they have moved into Moab. And Naomi says, I hear there's 108 00:06:09,800 --> 00:06:13,600 food again and in Judah and I just need to return. 109 00:06:14,600 --> 00:06:18,700 And from the reading, I'm convinced that orpah and Ruth or 110 00:06:18,900 --> 00:06:22,900 are going along with them because the way I read it, she 111 00:06:22,900 --> 00:06:26,200 ultimately says, look girls, you don't need to go with me. 112 00:06:27,200 --> 00:06:29,100 I'm not going to have any more Sons. 113 00:06:29,100 --> 00:06:32,000 I'm not going to get married again, even if I did get married 114 00:06:32,000 --> 00:06:36,800 again, I even if I had a child tonight, are you really going to 115 00:06:36,800 --> 00:06:38,600 wait? They're men. 116 00:06:39,700 --> 00:06:43,800 No, you girls, go back, you go back to your people, go back to 117 00:06:43,800 --> 00:06:47,100 your gods. Time out. 118 00:06:48,700 --> 00:06:53,600 What Naomi is encouraging? Someone to go back to a false, 119 00:06:53,600 --> 00:06:55,400 god in the Hebrew. It's a little G. 120 00:06:55,400 --> 00:06:59,900 It's l I think is it's a generic word for God, it's not Yahweh. 121 00:07:03,900 --> 00:07:05,400 They have a little bit of a cry Fest. 122 00:07:05,400 --> 00:07:06,200 No, we're not going. Yes. 123 00:07:06,200 --> 00:07:08,100 We're going orpah. Ultimately goes back. 124 00:07:09,100 --> 00:07:13,900 And Ruth says, I'm not going. In fact, the next verses 125 00:07:13,900 --> 00:07:16,500 beginning in verse 16 Ruth, here's what she says to her 126 00:07:16,700 --> 00:07:20,800 entreat me not to leave you or to turn back from following 127 00:07:20,800 --> 00:07:24,600 after you, for wherever you go, I will go and wherever you 128 00:07:24,600 --> 00:07:28,500 Lodge, I will Lodge your people shall be my people and your God, 129 00:07:28,500 --> 00:07:33,000 my God. This is not that Hebrew word, l. 130 00:07:34,700 --> 00:07:36,500 She's like I'm not going back to those. 131 00:07:36,500 --> 00:07:38,800 That's not the same. She has, I'm converted. 132 00:07:38,800 --> 00:07:42,500 I'm not going back there and stop begging me to leave you. 133 00:07:42,500 --> 00:07:46,200 I'm not going to I won't turn for following. 134 00:07:46,300 --> 00:07:49,400 I'm going where you go, you know, I'm ashamed to tell you. 135 00:07:49,400 --> 00:07:51,800 I'm not sure how old I was, but I was a lot older. 136 00:07:51,800 --> 00:07:53,800 I was married with kids before it. 137 00:07:53,800 --> 00:07:57,200 Like there's, this aha moment that's not talking about two 138 00:07:57,200 --> 00:07:58,900 people in love. That are committing themselves 139 00:07:58,900 --> 00:08:01,700 in marriage. This is the daughter-in-law to 140 00:08:01,700 --> 00:08:06,700 the mother-in-law. That's awesome. 141 00:08:08,700 --> 00:08:12,400 Now, not that I want Taylor to leave her family, but I want her 142 00:08:12,400 --> 00:08:14,900 to have that kind of relationship with Rachel. 143 00:08:15,100 --> 00:08:17,100 I want our daughter lost to love one another. 144 00:08:17,100 --> 00:08:20,900 I want them to be kind and and had this kind of affection this 145 00:08:20,900 --> 00:08:23,700 kind of commitment to a family. She's not going where you go. 146 00:08:23,800 --> 00:08:26,200 I want to live where you live, your people are now my people, 147 00:08:26,200 --> 00:08:30,500 your God is my God. Where you die, I will die and 148 00:08:30,500 --> 00:08:33,799 there will I be buried? This was not just about Ruth 149 00:08:33,799 --> 00:08:36,100 saying I'm going to take care of you till you die. 150 00:08:36,100 --> 00:08:39,100 That I'll go back to my people culturally That might have been 151 00:08:39,100 --> 00:08:41,100 something. That's not what she's saying. 152 00:08:41,200 --> 00:08:43,799 She says, I'm going to be buried where you're buried. 153 00:08:44,000 --> 00:08:47,700 That's a big deal. You remember, how many of the 154 00:08:47,700 --> 00:08:50,200 Patriarchs, how many of those under the old Covenant? 155 00:08:50,300 --> 00:08:52,700 If they died in a land? That wasn't Thursday. 156 00:08:52,700 --> 00:08:55,600 Wouldn't have their their kids promise to take and put their 157 00:08:55,600 --> 00:08:59,100 bones back in the cave where the other families buried Joseph in 158 00:08:59,100 --> 00:09:01,900 the land of Egypt. He said before he died, I know 159 00:09:01,900 --> 00:09:03,400 this is going to be a long time before. 160 00:09:03,400 --> 00:09:06,500 Everybody is delivered out of Egypt and the great Exodus and 161 00:09:06,500 --> 00:09:10,100 that deliverance from slavery. But promise me when you go, 162 00:09:10,100 --> 00:09:11,700 you'll carry my bones with youth. 163 00:09:12,800 --> 00:09:14,600 Because he knew that was not his place. 164 00:09:15,500 --> 00:09:18,300 Is he really going to know that one of those bones win or not? 165 00:09:19,000 --> 00:09:21,300 No. But while he was living, he 166 00:09:21,300 --> 00:09:23,500 wanted his bones to be amongst his people. 167 00:09:23,800 --> 00:09:27,000 When they, when Bruce says her, she's going to be buried where 168 00:09:27,200 --> 00:09:31,900 she is saying, I am, totally converted, I am committed and I 169 00:09:31,908 --> 00:09:36,400 will tell you, that's the first. Massive lesson, if we get 170 00:09:36,400 --> 00:09:40,700 nothing else out of this this afternoon about what it takes to 171 00:09:40,700 --> 00:09:44,800 be a force of a person in our community and in our church it's 172 00:09:44,800 --> 00:09:48,600 that when we are converted were converted and we're not going to 173 00:09:48,608 --> 00:09:52,700 go back when things turn South and when tragedy strikes our 174 00:09:52,700 --> 00:09:56,300 life, even if the people that are closest to are ready to give 175 00:09:56,300 --> 00:09:59,500 up. We're not, we're never going to 176 00:09:59,500 --> 00:10:01,400 give up what else? Did Boaz know about her? 177 00:10:01,400 --> 00:10:04,300 I think second of all, he knew she didn't lose faith. 178 00:10:04,400 --> 00:10:09,700 Faith, when her family, when her Mentor became bitter. 179 00:10:10,900 --> 00:10:14,600 In fact, now, the two of them went until they came to 180 00:10:14,600 --> 00:10:17,500 Bethlehem and it happen. Now, we got to stop myself for 181 00:10:17,500 --> 00:10:21,300 just a second. In the verses in between, after 182 00:10:21,300 --> 00:10:25,200 Ruth, has told Naomi, don't plead with these stop. 183 00:10:25,200 --> 00:10:26,500 Stop trying to get me to do this. 184 00:10:26,800 --> 00:10:28,300 It says she spoke to her no more. 185 00:10:29,700 --> 00:10:32,200 Now, that's an interesting statement and I'm not sure if it 186 00:10:32,200 --> 00:10:35,300 means they wouldn't talk. If they were mad, if she was 187 00:10:35,300 --> 00:10:38,500 angry, or if it just means, They Mourn are no more talked about 188 00:10:38,500 --> 00:10:43,100 this matter. and it occurred to me, there's also a another 189 00:10:43,100 --> 00:10:47,600 option You know, sometimes when people are overwhelmed with 190 00:10:47,600 --> 00:10:52,900 grief, they just stop talking. At all. 191 00:10:56,900 --> 00:11:01,200 And I learned a lesson from Ruth in this fine, we'll just walk 192 00:11:01,200 --> 00:11:06,400 together. And it may be that the best way 193 00:11:06,400 --> 00:11:09,900 you can help somebody that needs you, when they grieve is just to 194 00:11:09,900 --> 00:11:13,600 walk with them. Don't try to tell them how 195 00:11:13,600 --> 00:11:16,200 everything's going to be. Okay, don't tell them our own 196 00:11:16,200 --> 00:11:19,300 world just be there. They'll talk when they're ready. 197 00:11:21,600 --> 00:11:24,000 I don't know if that's exactly what went on here, but I know 198 00:11:24,000 --> 00:11:29,400 that as a coping strategy and sometimes if we open our mouths 199 00:11:29,400 --> 00:11:31,500 we just stick our foot in it anyway. 200 00:11:32,800 --> 00:11:34,400 If they don't want to talk that's okay. 201 00:11:35,200 --> 00:11:36,700 Be with them. Walk with them. 202 00:11:37,000 --> 00:11:38,900 They walk along until they came to Bethlehem. 203 00:11:38,900 --> 00:11:41,700 It happened when they come to Bethlehem that all the city was 204 00:11:41,700 --> 00:11:46,000 excited because of them and the women says, is this Naomi that's 205 00:11:46,000 --> 00:11:48,100 fascinating to me because people don't change that much. 206 00:11:48,100 --> 00:11:51,900 Do they it's only been 10 years, maybe a little more and they're 207 00:11:51,900 --> 00:11:54,900 trying to figure out. If this is Naomi in my mind, I 208 00:11:54,900 --> 00:11:59,100 picture not only as this grief affected her inside, it's 209 00:11:59,100 --> 00:12:03,100 affected her outside. Maybe she used to care for 210 00:12:03,100 --> 00:12:07,400 herself baber, maybe she's grain wrinkles and she's forlorn knows 211 00:12:07,400 --> 00:12:09,300 what she is, but they have to ask us. 212 00:12:09,300 --> 00:12:12,500 This is her and she said to them, do not call me Naomi. 213 00:12:13,200 --> 00:12:17,700 Call me Mara for the almighty, has dealt with very bitterly 214 00:12:17,700 --> 00:12:21,100 with me, I went out full and the Lord has brought me home again. 215 00:12:21,100 --> 00:12:26,600 Empty imagine how truthful. Why do you call me Naomi? 216 00:12:26,600 --> 00:12:29,200 Since the Lord has testified against me and the almighty has 217 00:12:29,200 --> 00:12:33,500 Afflicted me Naomi literally He means Pleasant in the Hebrew, 218 00:12:34,200 --> 00:12:38,700 Mara you read the book of Exodus, the Waters of marah. 219 00:12:38,800 --> 00:12:42,100 What were they were bitter? They were poison. 220 00:12:43,600 --> 00:12:46,800 And it seems to me that Naomi thinks she's just poison. 221 00:12:48,000 --> 00:12:50,600 Everything's gone bad for her. She went out full of, she went 222 00:12:50,600 --> 00:12:52,400 out with hope. They had, they were trying to 223 00:12:52,400 --> 00:12:54,000 take care of things in the way they felt. 224 00:12:54,000 --> 00:12:56,400 Like they should take care of them and now she comes back and 225 00:12:56,400 --> 00:12:58,900 she feels like she's poisoned people around her a dying. 226 00:12:59,500 --> 00:13:01,400 She's a don't even call me by that anymore. 227 00:13:02,200 --> 00:13:06,300 Ruth is determined to stay and support. 228 00:13:07,300 --> 00:13:11,200 Her mother-in-law despite the fact her mother-in-law will just 229 00:13:11,200 --> 00:13:12,900 since she went back to her other gods. 230 00:13:14,400 --> 00:13:17,400 But by this point Ruth knows she has something far greater 231 00:13:17,700 --> 00:13:19,100 somewhere. She's going to stay. 232 00:13:19,200 --> 00:13:22,100 I want to tell you sometimes, the people that have influenced 233 00:13:22,100 --> 00:13:26,500 us the most that have perhaps brought us right to the steps of 234 00:13:26,500 --> 00:13:29,800 conversion and helped us understand the gospel and we put 235 00:13:29,800 --> 00:13:33,400 so much faith and confidence in them and then they disappoint. 236 00:13:35,400 --> 00:13:37,200 Maybe they fall away. I don't know. 237 00:13:37,200 --> 00:13:42,800 We all have our own story. The key to being a force of a 238 00:13:42,800 --> 00:13:45,500 Christian of a virtuous woman, a force of a woman. 239 00:13:45,500 --> 00:13:48,000 Like Ruth is that's not going to make us. 240 00:13:48,000 --> 00:13:50,500 Stop that will not cause us to leave. 241 00:13:50,600 --> 00:13:53,600 What else did Boaz know about Ruth that would cause her 242 00:13:53,600 --> 00:13:56,800 virtuous. He knew Ruth was an idol. 243 00:13:58,400 --> 00:14:01,200 He knew she just did what she could. 244 00:14:02,100 --> 00:14:05,100 In fact, in chapter 2 verse 2. It says, so Ruth, the moabite is 245 00:14:05,100 --> 00:14:07,600 said to Naomi. Please let me go to the field 246 00:14:07,800 --> 00:14:10,800 and glean heads of grain after him and whose side, I may find 247 00:14:10,800 --> 00:14:15,400 favor and she said to her, go my daughter, then she left and went 248 00:14:15,400 --> 00:14:18,100 and gleaned in the field after the Reapers. 249 00:14:19,800 --> 00:14:23,800 You know what The Gleaners were. They picked up scraps. 250 00:14:25,500 --> 00:14:28,300 In fact, according to the Old Law they were, if you had a 251 00:14:28,300 --> 00:14:31,400 field in a harvest, you weren't supposed to go back and harvest 252 00:14:31,400 --> 00:14:34,000 back through a second time. It was supposed to be left for 253 00:14:34,000 --> 00:14:36,400 the foreigners. It was supposed to be left for 254 00:14:36,400 --> 00:14:39,700 those that were poor. In fact, they weren't even 255 00:14:39,700 --> 00:14:42,200 supposed to harvest the corners of the fields, right? 256 00:14:43,100 --> 00:14:46,700 Fascinating point we could get off onto my idea of the, the 257 00:14:46,700 --> 00:14:50,800 social gospel. God never did tell those people 258 00:14:50,800 --> 00:14:53,600 you set up a Fruit Stand On The Edge and make it easy and bag 259 00:14:53,600 --> 00:14:55,300 everything up. So that the people that didn't 260 00:14:55,300 --> 00:14:57,100 have anything, we'll have something to eat. 261 00:14:58,300 --> 00:15:00,000 It wasn't a soup kitchen, they just handed out. 262 00:15:00,000 --> 00:15:04,600 He says, you provide that they can come in and work to God did 263 00:15:04,600 --> 00:15:09,000 not intend for us to just be takers all the time from what 264 00:15:09,000 --> 00:15:13,200 the other people had worked and Naomi was the kind of person she 265 00:15:13,200 --> 00:15:15,300 wasn't Idol. She says I can't just sit around 266 00:15:15,300 --> 00:15:16,500 here. I know you're grieving. 267 00:15:17,100 --> 00:15:19,500 I know that you need to do what you need to do but I To get out 268 00:15:19,500 --> 00:15:22,600 and do something please. Can I at least just go glean in 269 00:15:22,600 --> 00:15:25,300 the fields. She said, I want to take on the 270 00:15:25,300 --> 00:15:28,300 role of the Foreigner, the homeless. 271 00:15:28,300 --> 00:15:33,200 Like we just prayed for I want to take on the rule role of the 272 00:15:33,200 --> 00:15:35,800 lowest and society and that's okay with me. 273 00:15:35,800 --> 00:15:38,300 I'll do anything time out real quick. 274 00:15:39,000 --> 00:15:41,300 Got some young boys here. Maybe some young girls. 275 00:15:43,400 --> 00:15:47,400 When it's time for you to grow up, don't think you got to get a 276 00:15:47,408 --> 00:15:50,800 job like Frankie God or way got you know, at the top or whatever 277 00:15:50,800 --> 00:15:52,200 you got to immediately start doing this. 278 00:15:52,400 --> 00:15:56,300 You take, whatever you can get. I can't speak for everybody but 279 00:15:56,300 --> 00:15:58,700 I know a lot of people that got to where they are and they're 280 00:15:58,700 --> 00:16:03,600 successful now and they started out laboring sweeping the floors 281 00:16:04,300 --> 00:16:08,700 dewatering the site, taking a wire brush and brush in that mud 282 00:16:08,700 --> 00:16:11,700 off the rebar because the footings all got flooded, nobody 283 00:16:11,700 --> 00:16:14,400 wanted to do it. Lot of guys that I'm not doing 284 00:16:14,400 --> 00:16:17,100 that, I'll go home and sit at home before I'll do that. 285 00:16:17,600 --> 00:16:20,600 I know highly successful people that would do anything. 286 00:16:22,200 --> 00:16:23,500 They would have gleaned the fields. 287 00:16:23,500 --> 00:16:26,700 That's the that's part of what made Ruth, a virtuous force of a 288 00:16:26,708 --> 00:16:29,100 woman. She didn't have to say, look, I 289 00:16:29,100 --> 00:16:31,100 don't go see if I can get somebody, let me harvest in 290 00:16:31,100 --> 00:16:33,900 their field. When we go to the, get the 291 00:16:33,908 --> 00:16:36,100 corners before the hoarders, get them. 292 00:16:37,500 --> 00:16:41,400 She gleaned behind them, she left and she went and gleaned in 293 00:16:41,408 --> 00:16:43,000 the field. What did she do? 294 00:16:43,000 --> 00:16:47,000 She did what she could and in this congregation you may look 295 00:16:47,000 --> 00:16:48,900 and say I'd love to be able to do such and such but I don't 296 00:16:48,900 --> 00:16:50,900 know how to do that. I'd love to be able to do this, 297 00:16:50,900 --> 00:16:54,700 but I don't have the financial combat capability to do that, 298 00:16:55,000 --> 00:16:59,300 but what I saw this afternoon was pretty exciting. 299 00:16:59,300 --> 00:17:02,600 I saw people washing dishes wipe and tables. 300 00:17:03,700 --> 00:17:08,300 Doing what you can. When we will do what we can and 301 00:17:08,300 --> 00:17:11,099 not think everybody else is always going to do it for us. 302 00:17:12,300 --> 00:17:16,099 Then we become a Force in the Church of Bakersfield or 303 00:17:16,099 --> 00:17:19,099 wherever we're from what else did Boaz see? 304 00:17:19,099 --> 00:17:21,200 That would cause him to call Ruth virtuous. 305 00:17:21,500 --> 00:17:27,500 She thought of others and she shared her blessings in verse 306 00:17:27,500 --> 00:17:29,400 14. It says now Boaz said to her at 307 00:17:29,400 --> 00:17:32,200 mealtime. Come here he eat of the bread. 308 00:17:32,800 --> 00:17:36,100 Dip, your piece of bread in the vinegar now. 309 00:17:36,300 --> 00:17:40,100 That used to sound gross to me. Honestly, I did not like vinegar 310 00:17:40,500 --> 00:17:41,800 least. I didn't think I did turns out 311 00:17:41,800 --> 00:17:48,000 pickles that vinegar in them. But dipping your bread and 312 00:17:48,000 --> 00:17:51,500 vinegar. And then I started the, these 313 00:17:51,500 --> 00:17:53,400 Greek Mediterranean restaurant started. 314 00:17:53,400 --> 00:17:55,300 Come around you. Put that will and vinegar and 315 00:17:55,300 --> 00:17:57,300 they take that kind of looks like communion bread. 316 00:17:57,300 --> 00:18:00,100 The pitas dip that. Wow, that's good. 317 00:18:00,200 --> 00:18:03,800 That's what I picture when I read this He's like, come on 318 00:18:03,800 --> 00:18:07,200 here, you eat with us here, have some of the vinegar, dip your 319 00:18:07,200 --> 00:18:09,600 bread. So she set beside the Reapers 320 00:18:09,600 --> 00:18:12,000 and past Parts Grant. And they and he passed Parts 321 00:18:12,000 --> 00:18:14,800 grain to her. And she ate and was satisfied 322 00:18:15,700 --> 00:18:19,300 and kept some back. Now, if you make the mistake, we 323 00:18:19,300 --> 00:18:21,800 sometimes making you stop reading there year, they stop 324 00:18:21,800 --> 00:18:24,200 and dwell on that you ever do that reading and you just stop 325 00:18:24,200 --> 00:18:25,700 and think about let some soaked in. 326 00:18:26,100 --> 00:18:29,100 You think that poor thing? She's so afraid, she's not going 327 00:18:29,100 --> 00:18:31,000 to get any more. She don't put some in her pocket 328 00:18:31,000 --> 00:18:33,700 because she knows you get hungry later and this spreads really 329 00:18:33,700 --> 00:18:37,100 good. Was that what she was doing? 330 00:18:37,800 --> 00:18:39,500 Good thing is, you don't have to read very far. 331 00:18:39,500 --> 00:18:41,800 It says, she took it up and went to the city and her 332 00:18:41,800 --> 00:18:43,800 mother-in-law saw what she had gleaned. 333 00:18:44,000 --> 00:18:47,200 So, she brought out and gave to her what she had kept back 334 00:18:47,200 --> 00:18:50,300 after. She had been satisfied, you know 335 00:18:50,300 --> 00:18:53,800 what she did with that food? She kept back, she thought nail 336 00:18:53,800 --> 00:18:57,000 me with like this. It makes me wonder did their 337 00:18:57,000 --> 00:18:59,600 bread tastes different, you know, did you talk about people? 338 00:18:59,600 --> 00:19:02,300 Say, well, I love her bread. It just like, I can't, it's 339 00:19:02,300 --> 00:19:04,500 breads bread, right? No, it's true. 340 00:19:04,700 --> 00:19:05,400 Turns out. It's not. 341 00:19:07,500 --> 00:19:09,600 I wonder, she wanted Naomi because this was special bread, 342 00:19:09,600 --> 00:19:12,200 or she just knew she'd been a hard day and know him Naomi 343 00:19:12,200 --> 00:19:15,200 wasn't eaten. Two things. 344 00:19:15,200 --> 00:19:18,500 I notice in this passage that help make Ruth be a force of a 345 00:19:18,500 --> 00:19:20,100 woman. First of all, she took care of 346 00:19:20,100 --> 00:19:23,400 her own needs. Scripture says she was satisfied 347 00:19:23,400 --> 00:19:26,600 first and some of you don't know how to take care of your own 348 00:19:26,600 --> 00:19:28,000 needs. You're so worried about making 349 00:19:28,000 --> 00:19:33,700 sure Naomi get some She took care of her own needs and that's 350 00:19:33,700 --> 00:19:36,700 okay. She still a force of a woman and 351 00:19:36,700 --> 00:19:39,400 she took, what was she could to set aside? 352 00:19:39,400 --> 00:19:41,500 And then go take care of other people, too. 353 00:19:42,700 --> 00:19:47,300 Don't neglect yourself as you try to be help to other people. 354 00:19:48,600 --> 00:19:50,500 You'll still be a virtuous woman. 355 00:19:50,600 --> 00:19:53,900 And in my mind, that's part of what helps you be? 356 00:19:53,900 --> 00:19:58,200 A force of a woman. Lest we forget guys, timeout. 357 00:19:58,400 --> 00:20:00,200 This is how anybody can be a force. 358 00:20:01,700 --> 00:20:04,700 A virtuous force in the church and she took it back. 359 00:20:04,700 --> 00:20:06,400 What else did Boaz know about her? 360 00:20:06,400 --> 00:20:09,700 That would call him cause him to call her virtuous. 361 00:20:10,500 --> 00:20:15,500 She knew she followed wise advice in issues of faith and 362 00:20:15,500 --> 00:20:19,500 issues of Liberty. If you go to chapter 2 and verse 363 00:20:19,500 --> 00:20:22,200 22, now Naomi said to Ruth her daughter-in-law. 364 00:20:22,300 --> 00:20:24,400 It is good. My daughter that you go out with 365 00:20:24,400 --> 00:20:27,500 his young women and that people do not meet you in any other 366 00:20:27,500 --> 00:20:29,500 field. She found out who she was with, 367 00:20:29,500 --> 00:20:32,400 he says, you need to stick close to him and to his people. 368 00:20:32,700 --> 00:20:36,300 So she stayed close by the young women of Boaz to glean until the 369 00:20:36,300 --> 00:20:40,400 end of The Barley Harvest and wheat Harvest she stays through 370 00:20:40,400 --> 00:20:44,400 both artists and she dwelt with her mother-in-law. 371 00:20:45,900 --> 00:20:48,200 This, I infer from this. She had choice. 372 00:20:49,700 --> 00:20:51,400 She could have gone any field she wanted to nobody. 373 00:20:51,400 --> 00:20:55,400 Her Naomi wasn't following her out there and stopping her Boaz. 374 00:20:55,400 --> 00:20:58,700 Encouraged her to stay with his people and he charged his men. 375 00:20:58,700 --> 00:21:02,400 You don't lay a hand on her. And he may be like well why 376 00:21:02,400 --> 00:21:05,800 would he have to say that? Very first verse of the Book of 377 00:21:05,800 --> 00:21:08,600 Ruth says this happens during the time of the judges. 378 00:21:10,000 --> 00:21:13,400 If you're not familiar with the Book of Judges, go back and read 379 00:21:13,400 --> 00:21:16,100 it, it's a longer read and I'm going to do that in 10 minutes. 380 00:21:17,800 --> 00:21:22,500 But now, look, you think the evening news is depressing, read 381 00:21:22,500 --> 00:21:24,600 the Book of Judges, and some of the things that happen, 382 00:21:24,600 --> 00:21:26,800 especially to young women that were beautiful. 383 00:21:28,400 --> 00:21:33,800 Poor ethic. Back to this story, you stay 384 00:21:33,800 --> 00:21:38,100 with my men, you don't leave their protection and young men 385 00:21:38,100 --> 00:21:43,000 don't lay a hand on her. Her mother-in-law says, is a 386 00:21:43,008 --> 00:21:46,000 good advice stick there. She had a choice. 387 00:21:46,200 --> 00:21:49,200 She took wise advice, it was her Liberty, go where she wanted to 388 00:21:49,200 --> 00:21:50,800 go? Which field she wanted to go? 389 00:21:50,800 --> 00:21:54,600 Whether it was with Boaz or not, she took good advice and she and 390 00:21:54,600 --> 00:21:56,200 she stayed Little with her mother-in-law. 391 00:21:56,800 --> 00:22:01,700 She kept taking care of her. She followed wise advice in 392 00:22:01,700 --> 00:22:02,800 faith. In Liberty. 393 00:22:03,300 --> 00:22:05,900 Think there's one last thing that she learned about Ruth or 394 00:22:05,900 --> 00:22:09,900 he knew about Ruth he knew, she chose virtuous priorities. 395 00:22:10,700 --> 00:22:13,000 Not wealth, not youth, not Beauty. 396 00:22:13,300 --> 00:22:15,900 When she made life's most important decisions. 397 00:22:16,900 --> 00:22:19,600 If you go into chapter 3 and, you know, we're getting a verse 398 00:22:19,600 --> 00:22:21,000 11. So I'm about to run out of 399 00:22:21,000 --> 00:22:22,200 things. He knows about her. 400 00:22:23,300 --> 00:22:25,100 Then Naomi her mother-in-law said to her. 401 00:22:25,100 --> 00:22:28,500 My daughter, shall I? Not seek security for you? 402 00:22:28,500 --> 00:22:30,900 That it may be well with you. What's that mean? 403 00:22:31,800 --> 00:22:34,900 Here's what I believe it means Naomi is like I'm not going to 404 00:22:34,908 --> 00:22:38,500 be here forever. I'm going to give you some 405 00:22:38,500 --> 00:22:41,700 advice that will help you be taken care of and it can you can 406 00:22:41,700 --> 00:22:43,500 have a good life, it will be well with you. 407 00:22:44,000 --> 00:22:47,700 Now, Boaz whose young women you were with is he not our 408 00:22:47,700 --> 00:22:50,400 relative? In fact he's winnowing barley 409 00:22:50,400 --> 00:22:53,600 tonight at the threshing floor. Why does this matter? 410 00:22:53,600 --> 00:22:58,600 He's a relative one things that seem to be very important about 411 00:22:58,600 --> 00:23:00,700 all of these cultures and probably even the culture. 412 00:23:00,700 --> 00:23:04,800 And Moab is that family names were everything. 413 00:23:06,600 --> 00:23:10,800 Still is you should have seen the text that Wade sent to me 414 00:23:10,800 --> 00:23:13,500 and his brothers when Charlie was a boy. 415 00:23:15,500 --> 00:23:18,800 That Branch name they haven't done that yet. 416 00:23:19,500 --> 00:23:23,400 He's doing his part. Under the Old Law. 417 00:23:24,700 --> 00:23:28,900 If a situation like happened in omi's family, where the men are 418 00:23:28,900 --> 00:23:32,700 all gone, how's the family name? What's going to carry that? 419 00:23:32,700 --> 00:23:35,100 And if you know the Old Law, you know, that's how their property. 420 00:23:35,100 --> 00:23:39,500 That's how they had land. That was, it was territories, 421 00:23:39,500 --> 00:23:43,700 were based on this name. She says, he's part of the 422 00:23:43,700 --> 00:23:47,700 family. In fact, he's wondering barley 423 00:23:47,700 --> 00:23:51,600 therefore, wash yourself and anoint yourself put on your best 424 00:23:51,600 --> 00:23:53,600 garment and go down to the threshing. 425 00:23:53,600 --> 00:24:02,200 Floor Ruth, you need to clean up You need to know yourself. 426 00:24:05,300 --> 00:24:10,100 It's like a perfume. And one to make yourself known 427 00:24:10,100 --> 00:24:11,500 to that. I do not want you to make 428 00:24:11,500 --> 00:24:14,100 yourself known to the man till he's finished eating and 429 00:24:14,100 --> 00:24:16,500 drinking you just go down there and you wait. 430 00:24:17,900 --> 00:24:19,800 Wonder what time. She went down there. 431 00:24:21,400 --> 00:24:24,200 She says, then it shall be when he lies down that you shall 432 00:24:24,200 --> 00:24:28,900 notice the place where he lies, you shall go in uncover, his 433 00:24:28,900 --> 00:24:33,300 feet and lie down and he will tell you what you should do. 434 00:24:39,500 --> 00:24:42,200 Now I got a film that's what the way they courted in Moab. 435 00:24:44,600 --> 00:24:48,100 I know if anybody said that to any of us and this Society, we 436 00:24:48,100 --> 00:24:53,000 think, what are you crazy? And she said to her, all that 437 00:24:53,000 --> 00:24:58,200 you say to me, I will do. She's Takin advice in faith and 438 00:24:58,200 --> 00:25:00,400 in Liberty. So she went down to the 439 00:25:00,400 --> 00:25:02,600 threshing floor did, according to all that her mother-in-law 440 00:25:02,600 --> 00:25:04,900 instructed her. And after Boaz had eaten and 441 00:25:04,900 --> 00:25:06,800 drunk and heart. His heart was cheerful. 442 00:25:06,900 --> 00:25:11,200 He went to lie down at the end of the Heap of grain, stop, 443 00:25:11,200 --> 00:25:14,400 right there. Just second I like this verse, 444 00:25:14,400 --> 00:25:17,600 because Bull. A seems like a good guy. 445 00:25:19,200 --> 00:25:22,300 Seems like a honorable guy who does a lot of things for good. 446 00:25:23,900 --> 00:25:26,100 Guys you ever feel like I don't know if I'm was working too 447 00:25:26,100 --> 00:25:27,900 much. I filmed, I've had some nights 448 00:25:27,900 --> 00:25:29,700 that I got so tired. I just laid down there on the 449 00:25:29,700 --> 00:25:32,100 floor in the office and then I ask myself, are my priorities, 450 00:25:32,100 --> 00:25:33,800 right. I'm sleeping in my office at 451 00:25:33,800 --> 00:25:39,200 night, and I read this about Boaz, I'm like, well, there's 452 00:25:39,200 --> 00:25:41,300 Godly men that did that in the passed some time Harvest 453 00:25:41,300 --> 00:25:42,500 happens. And you just sleep. 454 00:25:42,500 --> 00:25:44,500 When you're tired and you get back up and work. 455 00:25:45,500 --> 00:25:49,300 It's okay, can't be year round. We got to keep everything in the 456 00:25:49,300 --> 00:25:51,700 right priority. She came softly, uncovered his 457 00:25:51,700 --> 00:25:54,600 feet and she laid down. Now, it happened at midnight. 458 00:25:54,600 --> 00:25:59,200 What time did she go lay down, I guess I'm not the only dead 459 00:25:59,200 --> 00:26:02,500 sleeper. It's been a while. 460 00:26:03,700 --> 00:26:05,200 She uncovered his feet, she laid down there. 461 00:26:05,200 --> 00:26:09,100 How long is she? Wait, it's after midnight that 462 00:26:09,100 --> 00:26:12,800 he was startled and he turned himself and there a woman was 463 00:26:12,800 --> 00:26:16,000 lying at his feet. She's not the one that woke him 464 00:26:16,000 --> 00:26:17,600 up. Now, some of you might have 465 00:26:17,600 --> 00:26:21,500 woken up soon as somebody pulled the covers off your feet, He's 466 00:26:21,500 --> 00:26:25,400 tired. He realizes when he goes to roll 467 00:26:25,400 --> 00:26:27,500 over after being startled, that she's there. 468 00:26:28,000 --> 00:26:30,300 He said, who are you? And she said, I am Ruth. 469 00:26:30,300 --> 00:26:34,100 Your maidservant, take your maidservant under your wing for 470 00:26:34,100 --> 00:26:37,200 you or a close relative. This is in here. 471 00:26:37,200 --> 00:26:40,500 If you haven't figured it out yet, she's saying I will be your 472 00:26:40,500 --> 00:26:45,200 wife. If you will be my kinsman 473 00:26:45,200 --> 00:26:48,600 redeemer. So that we keep the family name 474 00:26:48,600 --> 00:26:55,200 going for Naomi. Then he said, blessed are you of 475 00:26:55,200 --> 00:26:56,300 the Lord? My daughter. 476 00:26:57,600 --> 00:27:01,500 For you, have shown more kindness at the end than at the 477 00:27:01,500 --> 00:27:04,700 beginning. In that you did not go after 478 00:27:04,700 --> 00:27:13,800 young men, whether poor or Rich, Now I assume Boaz new girls 479 00:27:13,800 --> 00:27:17,600 didn't like him or something because he's blown away. 480 00:27:18,500 --> 00:27:21,300 He knows all this other stuff about how she's been Takin Care 481 00:27:21,300 --> 00:27:23,200 of Naomi and all the things she's done. 482 00:27:23,400 --> 00:27:27,200 And he had, he said, your you're showing more kindness by 483 00:27:27,200 --> 00:27:30,900 offering to be my wife, then in all the other things you've 484 00:27:30,900 --> 00:27:35,700 done, Because you've where your priority is placed and now my 485 00:27:35,700 --> 00:27:37,500 daughter don't forget, do not fear. 486 00:27:38,400 --> 00:27:42,600 I will do for you all that you request for all the people of my 487 00:27:42,600 --> 00:27:46,000 town know that you are a force of a woman. 488 00:27:47,500 --> 00:27:52,400 You're a virtuous woman. Now, I'm not even going to go 489 00:27:52,400 --> 00:27:56,200 through the rest of this story. You may be somewhat familiar 490 00:27:56,200 --> 00:27:58,400 with it. There's another one and he 491 00:27:58,400 --> 00:28:01,200 thinks he wants the land but he doesn't want the wife and so it 492 00:28:01,200 --> 00:28:03,800 all turns around and Boaz gets that. 493 00:28:03,800 --> 00:28:07,600 But here's what I do want to run fast forward to some of you know 494 00:28:07,600 --> 00:28:15,000 this already and some of you may not she ended up having a son. 495 00:28:16,000 --> 00:28:20,900 To carry the family name. That son became one of the 496 00:28:20,900 --> 00:28:27,700 grandparents of King David. And she is in the lineage of 497 00:28:27,700 --> 00:28:32,600 Jesus Christ, the Messiah. A moabite. 498 00:28:33,900 --> 00:28:36,800 The law says a moabite, couldn't even go into the temple to the 499 00:28:36,800 --> 00:28:40,000 tenth generation because of some of the issues they had with the 500 00:28:40,000 --> 00:28:42,900 moabites. What did Jesus is Greg? 501 00:28:42,900 --> 00:28:46,300 Greg, Greg, Greg, Greg Greg, Greg grandmas Couldn't even 502 00:28:46,300 --> 00:28:50,700 Worship in the temple and we're reminded that his blood of 503 00:28:50,700 --> 00:28:54,200 reconciliation flew. Black flew belt flowed backwards 504 00:28:54,200 --> 00:28:56,000 from the cross as well as forward. 505 00:28:58,800 --> 00:29:06,500 That's fascinating to me. And all it could have been done 506 00:29:06,500 --> 00:29:10,900 a million ways. But God carried this out through 507 00:29:10,900 --> 00:29:15,500 a virtuous woman, a force of a woman who was willing to leave 508 00:29:15,500 --> 00:29:18,100 Moab and turned herself to the people of God. 509 00:29:18,100 --> 00:29:21,400 Why did moas know about Ruth that would call her virtuous 510 00:29:21,400 --> 00:29:25,000 Ruth married into the people of God and she was converted she 511 00:29:25,000 --> 00:29:28,200 refused to go back. Blame God when tragedy struck 512 00:29:28,200 --> 00:29:30,300 today. If you want to be a force of a 513 00:29:30,300 --> 00:29:33,000 Christian in Bakersfield or wherever. 514 00:29:33,100 --> 00:29:36,000 Ever we're from. We have to be converted. 515 00:29:37,200 --> 00:29:42,900 because, as much as I love, Whoever was instrumental in my 516 00:29:42,900 --> 00:29:45,400 conversion and you insert the name for you. 517 00:29:46,700 --> 00:29:49,100 If they fall away, that's not where my faith lying. 518 00:29:50,700 --> 00:29:54,200 If they die and they pass away, I'm not going to blame God that 519 00:29:54,200 --> 00:29:57,200 that tragedy struck. I am converted. 520 00:29:57,200 --> 00:29:58,900 That's a way to be a force of a Christian. 521 00:29:59,000 --> 00:30:02,300 She did not lose faith when her family or a mentor became 522 00:30:02,300 --> 00:30:05,700 bitter. I've had some people in my life 523 00:30:05,700 --> 00:30:07,500 that turned. I don't know if you call it, 524 00:30:07,500 --> 00:30:09,900 bitter, but they just turned their back on what was truth and 525 00:30:09,900 --> 00:30:15,800 right. and they chose things that directly, if contradicted 526 00:30:15,800 --> 00:30:19,600 what the word of God says, And you got a choice when that 527 00:30:19,600 --> 00:30:21,100 happens. Am I going to follow them and 528 00:30:21,100 --> 00:30:23,200 stay with them? Or am I going to say bye and 529 00:30:23,200 --> 00:30:26,900 stay where God is, even if I lost this person or these people 530 00:30:26,900 --> 00:30:30,600 that were so key in my life, if I want to be a force of a 531 00:30:30,608 --> 00:30:33,600 Christian, I'm not going to follow them. 532 00:30:34,100 --> 00:30:36,600 I'm going to stay with truth. No matter what happens and I'm 533 00:30:36,600 --> 00:30:38,200 not going to be idle Ruth was an idol. 534 00:30:38,200 --> 00:30:40,700 She did what she could and I'm going to be the same way, it 535 00:30:40,700 --> 00:30:42,900 doesn't matter if the trash needs to get taken out. 536 00:30:42,900 --> 00:30:45,200 If somebody just needs to help the older ladies put their stuff 537 00:30:45,200 --> 00:30:49,300 in their car, it's vacuuming the Floors, if it's wiping down a 538 00:30:49,300 --> 00:30:52,500 toilet. I'm going to do whatever I can. 539 00:30:54,000 --> 00:30:57,100 Well God find greater things for us to do very likely but he may 540 00:30:57,100 --> 00:31:00,600 not, we'll do what we can. She thought of others and shared 541 00:31:00,600 --> 00:31:05,600 her blessings and mentioned it this morning with Zacchaeus, And 542 00:31:05,600 --> 00:31:06,800 I'll just say it coming up again. 543 00:31:06,800 --> 00:31:09,100 This afternoon, this is Freudian, I didn't intend for it 544 00:31:09,100 --> 00:31:12,700 to happen but one of my greatest concerns is that we as Americans 545 00:31:12,700 --> 00:31:17,700 are so blessed and rather than it, helping with our generosity, 546 00:31:17,700 --> 00:31:22,600 we began to try to. I need, how much am I going to 547 00:31:22,600 --> 00:31:23,600 need to retire? And what? 548 00:31:23,608 --> 00:31:27,400 And, and we accumulate, and I'm not saying that's all wrong. 549 00:31:27,400 --> 00:31:30,800 As Ruth took care of her own needs, she was satisfied, but 550 00:31:30,800 --> 00:31:33,900 she also thought of others, there's got to be that balance 551 00:31:33,900 --> 00:31:38,400 of Our blessings with those who stand in need, she followed the 552 00:31:38,400 --> 00:31:43,000 wise, advice in faith. And in Liberty, I know I've had 553 00:31:43,000 --> 00:31:45,800 to face some decisions in my life that there was no Bible 554 00:31:45,800 --> 00:31:51,100 verse for anybody to give me. And then we get a, we get to an 555 00:31:51,100 --> 00:31:53,500 issue of Liberty. Some things the Bible tells us 556 00:31:53,500 --> 00:31:55,600 plane and it's like, I just needed somebody to show me. 557 00:31:55,600 --> 00:31:57,000 I'm like, okay, that's what we do. 558 00:31:57,500 --> 00:31:59,700 Other things aren't like that, it's an issue of Liberty. 559 00:32:00,700 --> 00:32:04,700 Talk to people that you respect spiritually, the older ones. 560 00:32:06,300 --> 00:32:09,700 Be willing to follow that. Advice in issues of Liberty, 561 00:32:10,000 --> 00:32:12,500 Ruth chose, virtuous, priorities, not wealth. 562 00:32:12,500 --> 00:32:17,200 Not youth, not Beauty. She put her faith, we're things. 563 00:32:17,500 --> 00:32:21,900 And so I ask you today, if this doesn't describe your faith, are 564 00:32:21,900 --> 00:32:25,200 you ready to be current be converted and be this a child 565 00:32:25,200 --> 00:32:27,000 like this. If you're not a Christian, we 566 00:32:27,000 --> 00:32:29,100 talked about it this morning. You have to hear the word of 567 00:32:29,100 --> 00:32:30,000 God. You have to be willing to 568 00:32:30,008 --> 00:32:31,900 believe it. Have to be willing to change 569 00:32:31,900 --> 00:32:33,500 your life. That's repentance from 570 00:32:33,500 --> 00:32:35,800 self-willed and God's will to confess our faith. 571 00:32:35,900 --> 00:32:39,700 Before men, that Jesus is the son of God and be baptized 572 00:32:39,700 --> 00:32:44,100 according to Galatians 3:27. If you're a Christian today and 573 00:32:44,100 --> 00:32:46,600 you desire of, perhaps the prayers of the church that you 574 00:32:46,600 --> 00:32:50,700 say I just need to get things together and I know I can pray 575 00:32:50,700 --> 00:32:52,900 to God and he's just and faithful to forgive me and 576 00:32:52,900 --> 00:32:54,800 cleanse me from all unrighteousness but I want the 577 00:32:54,808 --> 00:32:56,900 prayers of the church. One of them know what I'm 578 00:32:56,900 --> 00:32:59,500 battling here. Then we want to pray with you 579 00:32:59,508 --> 00:33:02,000 and for you if there's one of either class won't you come 580 00:33:02,000 --> 00:33:03,500 home? We stand what we see. 581 00:33:04,700 --> 00:33:07,400 We thank you for listening to our podcast, put on by the 582 00:33:07,400 --> 00:33:13,100 Church of Christ at 22:15 plans. Road in Bakersfield, if you 583 00:33:13,108 --> 00:33:16,200 would like any additional information, or you would like 584 00:33:16,200 --> 00:33:19,400 to receive a free Bible correspondence, course by mail. 585 00:33:20,000 --> 00:33:23,900 Please email us at info at her Church of Christ 586 00:33:23,900 --> 00:33:27,800 Bakersfield.com. Our service times are on Sundays 587 00:33:27,800 --> 00:33:33,500 at 10:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. and Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m. 588 00:33:34,100 --> 00:33:37,600 Please make plans to join us. We would love for you to be our 589 00:33:37,600 --> 00:33:38,500 honored guest.