Bulletins - Mission Church LV

- - Psalm 95:1–3CSB
Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus
Psalm 18
- - Matthew 6:21CSB
- - Philippians 1:6CSB
Scarlet
My Soul Knows
Good morning and welcome to Mission Church! My name is John and I serve Mission as the Lead pastor. I am honored and humbled to be with you this morning.....especially as we enter the Advent season. Traditionally... advent begins 4 Sunday’s before Christmas but this year we are going to start a week early. It seems that every store and radio station has already started the Christmas season....so why not us?

Now.....what’s the deal with Advent? Well....Advent means “coming” or “arrival” and this season has historically been a time in which we look back to the long-foretold first coming of the Messiah, and in turn.....we learn to look forward to his return. Advent is a season of preparation....it’s a rhythm in which we as Christians pause.....we intentionally slow down....and recognize that the world in which we live is broken.

Let’s be honest.....We all know this.... we all feel the effects of living in a broken world.....and if we slow down long enough we can sense an almost cosmic ache…we can feel a deep desire for things to be made right and the incompleteness we find in the meantime.

Our collective tendency is to ignore ...or …to downplay the world’s brokenness… while we deflect or numb our feelings of despair. But by focusing our hearts on the first and second coming of Jesus....Advent can be an opportunity for us to face up to the darkness in order to appreciate the light....You see....the world might try to dull the pain of our suffering, but the refreshing news is that Scripture never does.

So where might we be going this Advent? Well we are going to spend time in a surprising portion of Scripture.....tucked away in the Old Testament…hundreds of years before Mary, Joseph, and the birth of Jesus is the story of a girl called Ruth. And her story doesn’t hold back from the reality of suffering and despair.....in fact it’s a story full of sadness and tears...even death... but it is a story where hope is found in the darkest of places....ultimately....the story of Ruth will liberate us from the exhausting deception that Jesus came into a world of endless cheer, tinsel, and twinkling lights.

So....If you would......Please grab a Bible and open it to Ruth1. If you don’t have a Bible we have some available for you ...along with some Ruth scripture journals.... on the book shelf in the foyer. I will give you a moment to turn there and when you have it…and if you are able…please stand for the reading of God’s Word.

Ruth 1:1–6 (CSB)
1 During the time of the judges, there was a famine in the land. A man left Bethlehem in Judah with his wife and two sons to stay in the territory of Moab for a while. 2 The man’s name was Elimelech, and his wife’s name was Naomi. The names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah. They entered the fields of Moab and settled there. 3 Naomi’s husband, Elimelech, died, and she was left with her two sons. 4 Her sons took Moabite women as their wives: one was named Orpah and the second was named Ruth. After they lived in Moab about ten years, 5 both Mahlon and Chilion also died, and the woman was left without her two children and without her husband.
6 She and her daughters-in-law set out to return from the territory of Moab, because she had heard in Moab that the Lord had paid attention to his people’s need by providing them food.

Pray

The Christmas season is often portrayed as a time of excitement, happiness, and peace.….it’s portrayed as a time when families magically get along as they wear their matching pajamas and feast around a table overflowing with desserts. But…unless you live in a hallmark movie … the Christmas season is usually marked by stress, forced family activities and holiday cheer.

We can try and mask or ignore reality but the holiday season doesn’t press pause on the difficulties and realities of life. Most of the time it heightens and magnifies our brokenness. In fact according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, 64% of people report being affected by holiday depression.

Maybe our cultures desire to “bring Christmas early’ is symptomatic of trying to escape the reality of our brokenness. But....no one can really escape reality for long....and …in a world that aches with sin…and the consequences of our sin…pretending that everything is endless cheer is both deceptive and exhausting.

Tell me....Do you ever have moments in your life when you look around and it seems like no matter where you look things are going crazy and are out of control? If so…and if you can relate ....then....How can you trust that God is good, that He loves you, and has not left you when the consequences of your decisions have led to despair and depression? What do we do when we are faced with …not only the world’s brokenness and depravity ....but our own brokenness and depravity?

Well....this morning…we’re going to see the truth that God is faithful.....And ....because God is faithful...we can trust that He works even in the darkest of times. In fact....a dark time of distress and despair is how the book of Ruth begins. Let’s take a look

Ruth 1:1–2 (CSB)
1 During the time of the judges...

The time of the judges can be considered Israel’s dark ages. It was the period of time after Israel had settled in the promised land and before the monarchy was established. It was a time that is best described as chaotic…dangerous…it was a time of social and religious disorder. It was a period filled with violence, idolatry, moral depravity, and civil war. In fact…the book of Judges describes it like this....

Judges 17:6 In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did whatever seemed right to him.

During the “time of the Judges” there was a repeated cycle of man’s rebellion and God’s redemption. At the beginning of each cycle God’s people would rebel against God....then God would hand them over to their oppressors …after some time God’s people would repent...then God would send a deliverer....he would send a Judge...to give the people a period of rest . But inevitably they would once again rebel against God....and the cycle would repeat. By the end of the book of Judges we see.... in graphic detail .....that Israel had comprehensively lost its way and had become every bit as bad as the Godless nations that surrounded them. Everyone just did what felt right to them.

If we’re honest ........this sounds a lot like the time and space in which we currently live....Today we are also surrounded by false religions, biblical ignorance, political corruption, and violence. Our culture still praises and promotes everyone doing what is right in his or her own eyes…and that’s exactly what’s going down in Bethlehem! Look back at v1

Ruth 1:1 During the time of the judges, there was a famine in the land.

One might describe the context of Ruth as hopeless....but ....as the saying goes… “When it rains it pours. You see....unfaithfulness to God resulted in famine....which is ironic.....given that Bethlehem.... literally means “House of Bread” ....You see.... this house of bread..... had no bread. It would be like starving to death in a Golden Coral!

Now…understand that famines are God's way of bringing His people back into submission to HIS rule and reign... And in our text ...we see.... not only a physical famine....which means there was no food..... but ...they were also experiencing a spiritual famine .....which was a result of them being so full of themselves and the worship of idols that they felt they no longer needed God. This reality is seen more clearly as the camera zooms in on a specific man and his family. Look back at our text

Ruth 1:1 ...A man left Bethlehem in Judah with his wife and two sons to stay in the territory of Moab for a while. The man’s name was Elimelech, and his wife’s name was Naomi. The names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah. They entered the fields of Moab and settled there.

Now..... Elimelech and his family…well they were in a tough situation! There’s no food anywhere.....and his family is hungry! And in their difficulty Elimelech has a choice to make…he has a road to choose. .…He could seek after God…He could repent and pray....He could stay in Bethlehem and mourn his sin and the sin that surrounded him. Essentially he could trust God to provide for him and his family.... Or... he could uproot His family ....move to Moab.... where God had forbidden them to go.....design is own solution and trust in himself to fix his problem.

Now....Elimelech…he had no business leaving Bethlehem to go anywhere…least of all Moab. You see....Moab was known for several things and none of them were good. The Moabites had originated out of an incestuous relationship between a guy named Lot and his older daughter (Gen. 19:30–38). Moab’s king had hired a guy to curse Israel (Num. 22–24); and when Israel was in the wilderness Moab’s women had been a stumbling block as they seduced Israel’s men to worship false gods (Num. 25); Not only that but Moab was one of Israel’s oppressors (Judg. 3).

Now…you tell me.....Does this sound like the place to go in order to raise a Godly family? I don’t think so!!!!…yet..... Elimelech ....this husband and father took his family away from God’s people and God’s presence to a place where God’s people and God’s presence was not......he left the Promised Land in search of what seemed like greener grass.

Can you relate to these circumstances? Have you ever found yourself in a season of turmoil and distance from God? Maybe it was a time where you were just not sure of anything....a time when you struggled to make ends meet? Maybe you’re there right now! Tell me... Are you tempted to turn away from the Lord? Are you tempted to chase greener grass? Friends....the road to Moab may look like it is paved with greener grass but....the truth is....it’s a dead end!

You see......It seemed like Elimelech was doing the right thing....I mean....he provided for his family ....but only financially.....and for many husbands and fathers… this is enough. “It’s my job to provide! I put food on the table …I put a roof over your heads.” And....This is what Elimelech did…there was no food so he moved to where there was food…he put food on the table. And many might say.....he did his job.

But listen to me…if you are a husband and/or a father.....our job is not only to provide food for our families physical bodies but also spiritual food for their souls. We are to provide a church community where our wives and kids can can sit under Biblically faithful teaching and grow to love Jesus....live like Jesus…and lead others to Jesus.

Elimelech....he followed God culturally…In Hebrew... his name literally means “My God is King” but it appeared that God was not really the king of his heart…there was no king in Elimelech’s life and therefore he did what he felt was right. Instead of following the path of repentance and faith....instead of trusting the Lord to provide for his family’s needs.....he chose to trust in himself. And he moved his family without considering his full job description as a husband and a father. In other words.....He did the bare minimum....He put food on the table but neglected his families spiritual needs. He neglected his responsibility to lovingly, responsibly, diligently, humbly, faithfully, and Biblically lead his family.

Men....I pray that today would be a defining moment in your life......if you have been living and leading like Elimelech....doing the spiritual minimum…giving lip service to God but not living for God. This morning I invite you to turn back to God. I pray that you would trust in God to provide and trust in the empowering work of His Spirit to enable you to fulfill your high calling of Husband and Father.

Now…its not only husbands and fathers who face life defining moments....all of us do! And.... Brothers and Sisters....when you are faced with a fork in the road.. …Which path will you choose? Will you choose what seems most likely to provide you with comfort and security? or ....will you trust God even when what He requires is not easy?

For Elimelech and Naomi…they chose comfort and security….At first it seemed as if they had made the sensible choice. While the rest of God’s people were back home suffering and hungry, they had plenty of food in Moab…but this road …which was supposed to lead to comfort and security…turned out to be a dead end..... look at v3

Ruth 1:3 Naomi’s husband, Elimelech, died, and she was left with her two sons.

Elimelech moved to avoid difficulty and death…he wanted comfort …he wanted security. But he just ended up dying and leaving his family with nothing! And now...... after his death.... Naomi and the boys are faced with the same decision…they have a familiar choice to make....They could repent and go back home to their own land and to their own God....or.... they could stay where they were..... away from the people and the presence of God. Well....it’s no surprise that the boys followed in the footsteps of their old man. They followed their dads faithless example.

Ruth 1:4 Her sons took Moabite women as their wives: one was named Orpah and the second was named Ruth.

These boys learned from their old man to do what they felt was best for them....they learned to pursue comfort and security.....you see.....they felt more at home in the land of compromise than in the land of promise. And....As a result.... Naomi’s sons took Moabite women as wives, even though the law of Moses had specifically commanded them not to do so (Deut. 7:3).

This speaks to the reality that when you live in continued…willful disobedience....it gets easier to disobey God. The first time you choose to step outside of God’s revealed will…it may very well come after a lengthy period of wrestling with your conscience. But once you’re on the outside…when you are living in continuous willful disobedience....it’s easier to just continue disobeying God than it is to repent....you see....our pride prevents us from returning home and admitting that we messed up. I don’t know why but it seems easier to bear the pain of continued emptiness than to confess that we have been pursuing fullness in all the wrong places.

And .....In the case of Naomi.....Even after her husband died she was still reasonably well situated in life. She had her sons, after all. They were young and married and had every prospect of providing future descendants to take care of her in her old age. And for ten years, everything seemed like it was going according to plan....so she stayed...but things get worse....v5

Ruth 1:5 both Mahlon and Chilion also died, and the woman was left without her two children and without her husband.

In the space of half of a verse..... Naomi’s whole world came crashing down! Naomi....which in Hebrew means “sweet”…was experiencing the exact opposite …she was experiencing bitterness! She was left alone to deal with not only the consequences of her own sin…but also the consequences of her husband’s and her sons’ bad choices.

Understand...... that because she had no husband…and because she had no son …it meant that she had no food and I don’t believe there were any government sponsored welfare programs in Moab. Naomi was now a stranger in strange land…an aging…single woman of no significance in a family oriented culture with no one to care for her or about her. Who would support a foreign widow in her old age?

I can only imagine that this was not the fairytale story that Naomi longed for! She wanted a husband and family and grandkids. But now…her husband is dead…her sons are dead…and not to mention.... her two daughter’s in law were barren…unable to have kids! What would she do?

And friend…maybe you can relate to Naomi. Maybe you too have lost a spouse…a child…or a dream. Maybe you have lost hope…or even your love for God. Maybe in your distress and in your difficulty you chose to run away from God ....maybe you chose to look for bread in your own version of Moab. Friend....if you have made some bad choices and it feels like your life is falling apart....listen to me...…God has not forsaken you…He is still good…He loves you....and he has not left you in your despair and depression.

In fact....God is faithful and He is committed to saving for Himself a people of His own....which means ....that even in the despair of your consequences…you can trust in His mercy and grace.....You can trust that He works even in the darkest of times.

Now…yet again…Naomi is faced with the same fork in the road. Will she stay in Moab? Or will she swallow her pride and go back home. This is a defining moment in her life.....and this time she has reached the complete end of herself.....and friends…unfortunately ....sometimes that’s what it takes for us to swallow our pride and return to God.

Ruth 1:6 She and her daughters-in-law set out to return from the territory of Moab, because she had heard in Moab that the Lord had paid attention to his people’s need by providing them food.

Finally......God’s blessing had returned to Bethlehem. The famine ....which the people in Bethlehem had been experiencing because of their sins.....had finally ended. Given the setting... in the days of the judges....this can only mean that God’s people repented....they returned to God and stopped worshipping idols…and as a result... rain had fallen....crops had grown…and the bread basket was full again....which speaks to the truth that while God’s judgement on sin is sure and reliable....His grace get’s the last word ......for it is God’s desire to restore wandering sinners to himself! And friends…that is good news for you and for me!

For Naomi.....after experiencing the bitter emptiness of the land of compromise.....the time was long overdue for the prodigal daughter to swallow her pride and go home. Will she experience the same grace and provision of God that Bethlehem did?

Remember......Naomi.....along with her husband and children, had set out on a road of disobedience, and they had experienced the reality of God’s judgment. Elimelech, Mahlon, and Chilion were all dead as a result. They no longer had the hope and reality of repentance.

Understand....Naomi wasn't innocently caught up events that were outside of her control. She couldn't blame her husband for everything…especially when she had the opportunity to go back home after he died.... she was responsible for at least some of her troubles. Yet .....somehow in the midst of Naomi's deep tragedy she was able to see the possibility that she could come back home to her people,....that she could come back home to her God. And that somehow, some way God could make sense of her mess.

This doesn't mean that she wasn't hurt…this doesn’t mean she wasn’t bitter…or tired....But…rather in her dark reality there was a glimmer of light .....there was this glimmer of hope .....hope that was not a result of her circumstances....or because of her ability to fix things for herself …she already saw how poorly that worked out for her the first two times. Rather....she had reached the end of herself and as a result....her hope was in God alone.

Now…we have to pause and take note that God’s actions of blessings and curses are not normally as physical and tangible in our lives as they were during the Old Testament period in which Naomi lived. We don’t see God’s favor and disfavor as directly expressed in terms of abundant prosperity when we are faithful and exile when we are unfaithful.

This was unique to Israel.....but their experience was a foreshadowing of the final rewards and judgments that we will experience on the last day when Christ returns. You see....the spiritual realities to which those signs pointed remain the same. The way of unfaithfulness to God continues to be the way of death.....while repentance and faith in Jesus leads to life.

Which road will you choose? Friend.....It didn’t matter how far Naomi had wandered away from home....the beginning of her road to return and repentance was only one step away. In the same way...... there is hope for you too....listen to me....if you have wandered and rebelled…even if you have been persistent in your rebellion....there is still a way home for you.

Maybe like Elimelech and Naomi you experienced hardship and you though that the grass was greener on the other side of the fence. Maybe you gave into the temptation to abandon the bread of heaven for the fast food the world offers. Maybe you chose the land of compromise instead of faithfully following Jesus and persevering in the Land of promise.

Let’s be honest....the provision of the world is tempting.... it’s tempting to run away from that which is difficult....it’s tempting to give in to the ways of the world and to our fleshly desires....the world offers immediate gratification. What the world offers seems to be much more real…much more tangible and more easily available than the promises of God.

And I think we....like Elimelech and Naomi…in difficulty we struggle to trust in God’s goodness and we run to our own version of Moab. And....this morning I pray that you would see the emptiness of Moab’s fields and in return hope in God for he alone is faithful....and He is committed to save for himself a people of his own. And.....He does this not by searching for perfect people.....but rather by reaching down to rebellious sinners …like you and like me....and transforming us from the inside out.

Brothers and Sisters.....as we will see next week …Naomi doesn’t make the journey back to Bethlehem alone.....So too God has not left us to make the journey home alone. In Christ, God comes running to meet us.

Unlike.....Elimelech who left the place of famine to seek a false blessing in Moab......Jesus left the comfort of heaven to bring us a true blessing on earth. Unlike Elimelech and Naomi who sent themselves into exile from the land of promise, trying to build their own kingdom rather than waiting for God to do it.......Jesus willingly went into exile from his Father’s presence so that he might rescue us from our own kingdom-building and grant us a true and living future in his kingdom.

You see.....as we trust in God…even as he empties us and brings us to the end of ourselves... however painful it is ......we can live with hope because Jesus too....knew what it was like to be stripped of all of his possessions…he knew what it felt like to be left alone and abandoned by his friends as he hung on a cross. Every tear of loss that God inflicts on us is a tear whose cost he himself understands.

Brothers and Sisters....we can be sure that the pain we experience as a result of God’s discipline is never harsh.....instead its purpose is to show us the emptiness of the path that we have chosen for ourselves so that we might return back to God.

You see....God takes the proud and brings them low…but by God’s grace and kindness....once we recognize our brokenness and our depravity....he lifts us up ..and welcomes us home with open arms. Mission Church …God is good and His mercy and his grace is overwhelmingly great!

This morning if you find yourself in the fields of Moab.....if you have been running away from God....attempting to find fulfillment in what the world provides….. this morning you are invited to stop.....turn around…repent.... return back to God....or perhaps trust in Him for the first time…friend …he loves you....and through the life, death, and resurrection of His Son Jesus…He has made a way for you to be rescued from sin and death and to be reconciled to Himself. Stop trusting in yourself and turn to God today and find rest and peace in His unending grace and mercy!
Lets Pray

Invitation
Brothers and sisters, as we draw near to the Lord’s Table to celebrate the Communion of the body and blood of Christ, we are grateful to remember that our Lord instituted this ordinance:
So that we would remember his dying for our sakes and the pledge of his undying love to us;
As a bond of our union with him and each other as members of his body the church;
As a seal of his grace to us and a renewal of our obedience to him;
For the blessed assurance of his presence with us who are gathered here in his name;
As an opportunity for us who love Jesus to feed spiritually on him who is the Bread of Life; and
As a reminder that He is going to return for us.
Fencing
This sacred time at the Lord’s Table is for believers who have rested all their hope on the death and resurrection of Christ. If you are not yet a believer, you should refrain from partaking until you come to faith in Christ—and then joyfully partake along with the body of Christ. I also encourage those of you who are believers to examine your hearts so that you can partake in a worthy manner. If your heart is harboring unrepentant sin, refrain until you can come freely to partake. Also, if you are harboring bitterness or unforgiveness towards another brother or sister in Christ, refrain until you can come freely to partake. As the bread and the cup are served, we ask that you hold them so that we all partake together.
This morning, rather than taking the elements individually, I would like for us to eat this meal together. So, with this in mind...I would like to invite you to the table now, and when you get back to your seat, please hold on to the elements until we take them together
The Bread
1 Corinthians 11:23–24 CSB
23 For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: On the night when he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”

Prayer for the Bread
Christ Jesus, when you came into the world, you said to the Father: “Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired, but a body you have prepared for me; in burnt offerings and sin offerings you have taken no pleasure.” Then you said, “Behold, I have come to do your will, O God, as it is written of me in the scroll of the book” (Heb. 10:5–7). You came in the incarnation, and by a single offering of your body on the cross you achieved what all the offerings on Jewish altars could never accomplish—the complete forgiveness of our sins. Bread of Heaven, as we now partake of the symbol, ravish our hearts and refresh our souls. Amen.
Partaking of the Bread
Jesus said: “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me” (1 Cor. 11:24b).
The Cup
1 Corinthians 11:25 CSB
25 In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, and said, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.”

Prayer for the Cup
Our gracious God, we thank you this day for the new covenant, the covenant sealed through the blood of Jesus Christ, your Son. And we drink this cup in remembrance of Christ’s sacrifice for our sins, asking him even now, through the Spirit, to commune with us as we commune with each other. With grateful hearts, O Christ, we drink of you and to you. Amen.
Partaking of the Cup
Jesus said, “Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me” (1 Cor. 11:25b).
Amen!
- - Matthew 26:26–28ESV
- - 1 Corinthians 11:27ESV
- - Matthew 26:29ESV
- - 1 Corinthians 11:23–29ESV
- - 1 Corinthians 10:17ESV
- - Luke 22:19–20ESV
- - Romans 6:3–4CSB
O Come All You Unfaithful
God Is Good
- - Numbers 6:24–26CSB
Good morning! If I have not had the pleasure of meeting you my name is John and I am honored and humbled to be with you this morning… especially as we continue our Advent series through the book of Ruth. Advent is a season of celebration and anticipation....it’s a time in which we are invited to slow down and to celebrate Jesus’s first coming while also anticipating his return.

We live in a world that has been broken and marred by sin. And if we’re honest...We all feel the effects of living in a broken world. And.... Advent is a gift for our weary souls as it provides us with an opportunity to face up to the darkness so that we may appreciate the light. We began our Advent journey two weeks ago in a surprising portion of Scripture.

Tucked away in the Old Testament...during a time of chaos…before Israel had a king...hundreds of years before Mary, Joseph, and the birth of Jesus…during a time when everyone did what was right in their own eyes…we stumble upon a story of a girl called Ruth. And her story is one that is full of sadness, tears, and even death... but it's also a story where hope is found in the darkest of places.

Before we jump back into our story .…Let's get caught up on the first two episodes. In Chapter 1 we met a man named Elimelech…and Elimelech took his wife, Naomi, and thier two sons, Maylon and Chilion to a place called Moab. Why? Well....because there was a famine in his town of Bethlehem. You see...Rather than trusting God to provide for his family he trusted in himself.....which resulted in …not only his death but also the death of his sons. This left Naomi and her two Moabite daughters in law, Ruth and Orpah, to fend for themselves.

Naomi gets word that the famine in Bethlehem is over so with no other option ....these three broken widows begin the journey back to Naomi’s home. Somewhere along the journey…at the prompting of Naomi.... Orpah returns to Moab…she goes back to her people and back to her god. But, Ruth she does the exact opposite.... she forsakes her land, her people, and her gods for Naomi’s land, people, and God. And with that …the two of them complete the journey to Bethlehem.

Now....Ruth and Naomi enter Bethlehem during the “Barley harvest.” …which means......not only is the famine over, but God is restoring his people. And the question now is.....Could this same restoration happen for Naomi and Ruth? Will God take notice of them? I mean here is Ruth, a Moabite in a foreign land. She is an alien, with little hope of acceptance from those who viewed her people as an enemy. She is widowed, and has no land. What would happen to her? Well we are about to find out in Ruth chapter 2..... but before we do.....let’s take a moment to ask God for His help.

Pray

Have you ever felt empty? Felt as though you’re not simply scraping the bottom of the barrel but have already taken the barrel, held it upside down, shaken it, and discovered that there’s absolutely nothing left in it? Further scraping would be a fruitless task, because there is nothing left to scrape. Let’s be honest.....Life....well.....life is hard....it’s difficult and we all experience circumstances…we have all known difficulties that have brought us to our knees and have left us feeling completely empty.

And for many..... the Christmas season only amplifies our emptiness......wether it’s a fragmented relationship, the loss of a loved one, the loss of a job, or the loss of a home……. brokenness....despair....and emptiness is only magnified during a season that promises nothing but holiday cheer. We can try and mask or ignore reality ....we can attempt to numb the pain with Christmas goodies, decorations, and traditions.... but the holiday season doesn’t press pause on a life lived in a broken world. The truth is....this time of year has a way of sapping the energy right out of us.... leaving us..... not with the promised Christmas rest, joy, or peace....but with an ever present reality of loss, pain, and a general feeling of emptiness.

In our despair and discouragement we can be tempted to lose hope and to question God's goodness…to doubt His love, His protection, and His provision. And.....this is exactly where Naomi found herself at the end of Ruth chapter 1. Remember.....she went from a state of fullness where she had a husband and two sons to support her.....and now....being reduced to a state of emptiness ... she had come to the conclusion that God had abandoned her.

I think…in times of despair.....we too are quick to feel as though God has walked out on us. But questioning God’s faithfulness is not the correct response to discouragement and despair. Here in Ruth chapter 2…the author points us to the truth that God is providentially arranging the details of our lives for His glory and our good. Therefore, no matter what painful realities we face, we can be confident that God is good, He is faithful, He loves us, and He will provide all we need.

And....although it was hard to see....God was at work in the lives of Naomi and Ruth. They had experienced the darkness of our sinful world but even in the overwhelming fog of despair... God was working in their lives and now there was a tiny sliver of light as the rays of God’s sweet providence began to break through their darkness. Look back to Ruth 1:22

Ruth 1:22 (CSB)
22 So Naomi came back from the territory of Moab with her daughter-in-law Ruth the Moabitess. They arrived in Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest.

God’s hand of judgment had been lifted from his people and there was food once again in Bethlehem! Now... if that trajectory from emptiness to fullness was possible for Naomi’s people....then perhaps her own future was not as dark as she imagined it would be. But in the meantime...... there was a more pressing issue....They Were Hungry! What would they do? What would they eat?!? Well…Ruth is a strong and faithful woman…so she takes it upon herself to begin searching for a solution to their problem. Look at v1

Ruth 2:1–2 (CSB)
1 Now Naomi had a relative on her husband’s side. He was a prominent man of noble character from Elimelech’s family. His name was Boaz. 2Ruth the Moabitess asked Naomi, “Will you let me go into the fields and gather fallen grain behind someone with whom I find favor?” Naomi answered her, “Go ahead, my daughter.”

In other words....Naomi may have been wallowing in her despair but Ruth…well.... she was going to do something…and what’s interesting is....her plan of finding a field to gather grain in..... was something she read while studying the Law of Moses. This practice is called gleaning and its a kind of “Welfare to Work” program…it was a provision for the poor. The law of Moses required farmers to leave the edges of their fields unharvested..... and it gave the poor the right to gather what remained on the ground and around the edges of the field after the harvesters had cut and bundled the stalks of grain. (see Lev. 19:9–10; Deut. 24:19–20).

And gleaning was hard work....it was hot work…it was humiliating work .....and it was dangerous work.....for…not every farmer followed the law…and remember we are in the time of the judges were everyone did whatever they wanted to do....so....with this in mind.... Ruth is taking a huge risk…a risk that could end up really bad for her…really quickly…especially given the fact that she is a foreign woman…with no one to protect her. So when Ruth volunteered to go out and glean to provide food for her and Naomi......she was making herself vulnerable.

Ruth was stepping out in faith....she believed that God would provide for her.....you see…faith is active....faith doesn’t simply sit around waiting ....no...we are called to do what we can, and as we do, we are to trust that God will provide for our needs. But....unfortunately…more often than not...when we’re discouraged …what do we do? Well....we tend to give ourselves over to doubt and worry....we stop believing that God is good. And we end up on a downward spiral in which our inactivity makes our situation worse and only deepens our despair…and as a result….we not only feel less inclined to step out and walk in faith....but we become critical…and we stop reading and we stop praying.

But......Brothers and sisters …when you’re in this downward spiral of despair the key to breaking this cycle is to grab hold of God’s promises ....look to the cross and see the height and the depth of the love of God for you in Jesus. See the smile of the Father’s favor towards you....you see.... in spite of your history of sin and failure....God has lavishly poured out his grace on you through Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection. What we need in times of bitterness and discouragement is to be reminded again and again of God’s grace.

And that’s exactly what Ruth and Naomi needed …They needed grace…they needed someone to provide for them what they could not earn or provide for themselves. Ruth had nothing to offer anybody.....but still... she stepped out in faith trusting that God would provide…that God would be gracious to her. look at v3

Ruth 2:3 (CSB)
3 So Ruth left and entered the field to gather grain behind the harvesters. She happened to be in the portion of the field belonging to Boaz, who was from Elimelech’s family.

Now....make note that Boaz is a legal relative of Elimelech.....this is crucial to understand …for...... much of the narrative hinges on this detail....and Boaz is also described as a prominent man of noble character....which speaks to his influential standing in the community as a wealthy business owner.

But.....Boaz …He’s not just a wealthy man.....he’s also a man of integrity and godliness. Which is amazing.....remember this is in the time of the judges…when chaos reigned and men did whatever they wanted and fulfilled every sinful desire...But....we are introduced to a man of both moral worth and material wealth who stands out amongst the crowd as not only a good man but a God fearing man.

And well......Ruth…she just “happened” to stumble into Boaz’s field. In other words......by Ruth’s good fortune....or.....as luck would have it….Literally the Hebrew reads, “and her chance chanced.” And what we have here is a little tongue in cheek…it’s a Hebrew funny....Of course, the narrator does not believe in chance…or luck…or fortune.... but rather He’s pointing us to God’s providence.

Consider Proverbs 16:9
Proverbs 16:9 (CSB)
A person’s heart plans his way, but the Lord determines his steps.
And Proverbs 16:33
Proverbs 16:33 (CSB)
33 The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord.

In fact the whole Bible points us to the sovereignty of God. Jesus emphasized this truth when he said that not even a bird dies without the Father’s knowledge (Matthew 10:29). So....with this in mind.... we can see that the author of Ruth is using sarcasm…he is using wit to emphasize an extremely important point .... In reality he is screaming, ‘See the hand of God at work!’ The same hand that had sent the famine.....and later provided food is the hand that had brought Naomi and Ruth to Bethlehem precisely at the beginning of the harvest and has now guided Ruth to the field belonging specifically to Boaz.”

You see…God is always at work arranging the details of our lives .... He’s not just working in the miraculous but also in the desperate and mundane moments of our lives. Ruth believed this…she knew she had a desperate need for grace....therefore .....her faith was not only active but it was laced with humility....she trusted God and God acted.

She had no idea where she was going but God was guiding each step she took. You see.... Ruth “just happened” to get the desire to go and glean…she “just happened” to go to Boaz’s field.....but friend…nothing just happens.....but rather you will land exactly where God wants you to be. And this truth makes me think about how I met my wife, Stacy:
One random Thursday evening.....we “just happened” to attend the same church service one night.
We “just happened” to have the same friends and ended up eating together at Applebees after the service.
We “just happened” to get seated right next to each other.
A year later I “just happened” to marry her.

Brother’s and Sisters.....The fact that God is providential working in your life may be a mystery…but you can be confident that He is constantly working to accomplish His gracious purposes in your life. And as you pray and seek His will…as you make decisions…and even as you make mistakes....it is God who orders events and guides your steps. Consider the possibility that what God’s teaching Ruth in this difficult season of her life is how to trust in him? What about you? Where might God’s hand be at work in your life right now? What is God teaching you during this season in your life?

Now....as Boaz enters the scene...the narrator points us to the truth that God’s timing is perfect.....not only that.... but we are given a brief glimpse of Boaz’s character by the way he greets his workers....look at v4

Ruth 2:4 (CSB)
4 Later, when Boaz arrived from Bethlehem, he said to the harvesters, “The Lord be with you.” “The Lord bless you,” they replied.

Boaz’s faith was not a once-a-week kind of religion......His spiritual life was not just about a “morning quiet time” either.....rather it seems that God was on his mind even in the ordinary routine of life…you see....this guy is the same at work as he is on Sunday mornings in worship........and we find him greeting his employees with the great covenant promise of God that’s woven all throughout Scripture.... “I will be with you,”....and by doing so..... Boaz is saying, ....as you guys begin your work today....remember the presence and blessing of God in this field!

You see....Boaz honors God with his work and his employees respect him for it. And friends.....like Boaz, we should do our work with the Lord’s glory and grace on our minds.....wether you’re at home folding the kids laundry…in the office..or on the sales floor....Our faith should be evident and we should use our words to build up and bless others.

Think about it like this....... What impact can you make at work? What do you talk about? How do you treat others? If we are to live like Jesus and lead other to Jesus we have to live with integrity…and wholeness....who we are on Sunday morning is who we are on Monday morning, Who we are when everyone is watching is who we are when no one is watching

Boaz’s integrity impacted his employees and now his integrity is going to impact Ruth. Look at v5
Ruth 2:5–7 (CSB)
5 Boaz asked his servant who was in charge of the harvesters, “Whose young woman is this?” 6 The servant answered, “She is the young Moabite woman who returned with Naomi from the territory of Moab. 7 She asked, ‘Will you let me gather fallen grain among the bundles behind the harvesters?’ She came and has been on her feet since early morning, except that she rested a little in the shelter.”

Boaz looked out over the field…and as he observed his employees he sees someone he had never seen before....he sees an unfamiliar face..…so he calls the foreman into his office… and he doesn’t simply ask who Ruth is…but he asks “ who does she belong to?” In other words....He asks.....Whose daughter is this? Whose wife is this? Where does this young lady fit in society? In other words....what has happened to this young woman that has led her to have no other choice than to do the equivalent of dumpster diving? Why is no one caring for her?

The foreman replies .....“Oh she’s that foreigner who came back from Moab with Naomi—you know the one. She’s an outsider; she doesn’t really belong anywhere. But I can tell you, she’s worked like a dog in this hot sun all day.” Boaz knew exactly who he was talking about....He heard all about Ruth from the gossip train that started when she arrived…he heard all about Ruth abandoning her people and her land for the sake of her mother in law....and now he found her hard at work in his field. And despite their social standings Boaz spoke to Ruth with tender care and gives her a generous offer of favor.

Ruth 2:8–9 (CSB)
8 Then Boaz said to Ruth, “Listen, my daughter. Don’t go and gather grain in another field, and don’t leave this one, but stay here close to my female servants. 9 See which field they are harvesting, and follow them. Haven’t I ordered the young men not to touch you? When you are thirsty, go and drink from the jars the young men have filled.”

Grace impacted Boaz’s actions. First he offers Ruth Provision…you see....normally a person in her position would have to go get her own water but Boaz puts her on equal standing with his employees and tells her ....you don’t have to go get your own water …instead drink of the water that has already been drawn and provided for my regular workers. In other words.... Boaz gave Ruth a place of significance.

He also offers her protection…he tells the men…Don’t you dare touch her or harass her! It was a dangerous time to be a young single woman…and Boaz knew that if she goes to some other field she would be at risk of being sexually assaulted....so he tells her don’t leave my field....I will provide for you and I will protect you.

God had answered Ruth’s prayer and he guided her steps of faith by leading her directly to where she would find favor…the exact place where she would find grace. How does Ruth respond?

Ruth 2:10 (CSB)
10 She fell facedown, bowed to the ground, and said to him, “Why have I found favor with you, so that you notice me, although I am a foreigner?”

She couldn’t believe It!!! Why was this man being so nice to her!?!? What had she done to deserve such kindness....such favor …such grace!?! And the truth is....she had a point....... I mean we all have baggage......but she had BAGGAGE! She was an immigrant…she was homeless…she was dirty....she was broke …she was raised in a cult…she was not a virgin and had already been married…and her only friend is her bitter old mother in law.

If this was her online dating profile there’s no way Boaz would be swiping right....and she knew it....she was self aware enough to recognize the reality that she had nothing to offer. Good news for her …grace is not something you earn or deserve.

And friends....if you pause and access your own reality…like Ruth....we also have nothing to offer....our profile isn’t that great either…but like Boaz God gives us grace …not because we are great but because He is great. I am reminded of what Paul wrote in Ephesians 2:4-5
Ephesians 2:4–5 (CSB)
4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of his great love that he had for us, 5 made us alive with Christ even though we were dead in trespasses. You are saved by grace!
A couple of verses later He reiterates our inability to earn or deserve salvation by saying.....
Ephesians 2:8 (CSB)
8 For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift—

Ruth had done nothing to earn the gift of Boaz’s favor and she is in awe…so....she lays face down before him out of respect…and look at how Boaz responds to her.

Ruth 2:11–12 (CSB)
11 Boaz answered her, “Everything you have done for your mother-in-law since your husband’s death has been fully reported to me: how you left your father and mother and your native land, and how you came to a people you didn’t previously know. 12 May the Lord reward you for what you have done, and may you receive a full reward from the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge.”

These are....perhaps....the first kind words Ruth had heard since she left Moab. And....although Ruth had no idea who Boaz was…he knew all about her…he knew that she had turned her back on her former land and on her former gods…and that she was looking to the Lord for refuge. So....with this in mind…he prays for her.....he prays that God would grant her the protection and the refuge that she so desperately needed. And look at how she responds... in v13

Ruth 2:13 (CSB)
13 “My lord,” she said, “I have found favor with you, for you have comforted and encouraged your servant, although I am not like one of your female servants.”

Ruth is overwhelmed by a deep sense of gratitude and she expresses relief and humility....she had had no idea what the day would bring.....but by God’s grace she found herself in a field of favor. And Boaz’s kindness to her continues to grow...you see....it’s lunch time and he invites her to sit at his table.

Ruth 2:14 (CSB)
14 At mealtime Boaz told her, “Come over here and have some bread and dip it in the vinegar sauce.” So she sat beside the harvesters, and he offered her roasted grain. She ate and was satisfied and had some left over.

Ruth has been working all day…and she had little to nothing to eat, but Boaz provides her not only with a meal....but with a feast!! For once she had enough to eat....she even had a Tupperware container of leftovers to take home. Boaz even commanded his men to be ......deliberately careless in their harvesting...so that this poor widow would have even more to gather.

Ruth 2:15–19 (CSB)
15 When she got up to gather grain, Boaz ordered his young men, “Let her even gather grain among the bundles, and don’t humiliate her. 16 Pull out some stalks from the bundles for her and leave them for her to gather. Don’t rebuke her.” 17 So Ruth gathered grain in the field until evening. She beat out what she had gathered, and it was about twenty-six quarts of barley. ( which was about 30-50 pounds of grain! Picture a giant bag of dog food from Costco and you get the idea. And a bag this size would have usually taken an average worker 2 weeks to get! )18 She picked up the grain and went into the town, where her mother-in-law saw what she had gleaned. She brought out what she had left over from her meal (with Boaz) and gave it to her. (so…Ruth returns home and not only is there plenty to eat but there is even more to talk about!! v19)
19 Her mother-in-law said to her, “Where did you gather barley today, and where did you work? May the Lord bless the man who noticed you.” Ruth told her mother-in-law whom she had worked with and said, “The name of the man I worked with today is Boaz.”

Imagine Naomi’s face… as Ruth tells her about her day and presents her with a mountain of food......Ruth may have not known who Boaz was but Naomi did and with the practical evidence of God’s goodness before her........for the first time in a long time Naomi saw the sweetness of God’s providence at work in her despair and her heart began to soften towards God…and she cries out…v20

Ruth 2:20 (CSB)
20 Then Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, “May the Lord bless him because he has not abandoned his kindness to the living or the dead.”...

God protected Ruth and provided for her and Naomi…and what we have now.... is front row seats to witness.... a personal revival of sorts in the life of Naomi .......as her posture towards God changes and her bitterness is replaced by thankfulness. Here declaration in v20 is a complete 180 degrees from her despairing words in chapter 1....there she only saw bitterness and despair in her situation....but now she recognizes that God has been at work all along even in the midst of her despair.....she sees now that God never left her....he never turned his back on her....this whole time God was providentially arranging the details of her life for His glory and her good and she was overwhelmed by His grace!

Maybe …like Naomi…you too are in as a season of grief....of pain or despair....you may be tempted to ignore…or numb the pain....but the pain you are experiencing is real....and its hard…and God has never said to ignore it…God has never belittled your pain....rather …He is invited you to trust him in your pain....and to take comfort in the fact that we serve a savior who experienced pain and can fully relate to you.

This morning allow Naomi’s story to encourage you and ask God to open your eyes to see His sovereign hand at work in your life. I pray …that God would grant you the grace to see and to know that your circumstances do not define who God is but rather that you will allow who God is to change your perspective of your circumstances.

Naomi proclaimed that God had not abandoned her and that he never stopped showing his kindness to her....and this word kindness is the Hebrew word hesed and it speaks to God’s love and His Covenant faithfulness…that at one time.... her pain had blinded her too....but in this moment she sees clearly that God never left her…He never abandoned her. And that same faithfulness that God showed Naomi…God has promised to you too!

Now…Naomi...continues by pointing out to Ruth who Boaz is....and I can help but imagine how excited she gets.... “Ruth, You’re not going to believe this but…that guy you met...”
Ruth 2:20–23 (CSB)
20 .... “That man is a close relative. He is one of our family redeemers.” 21 Ruth the Moabitess said, “He also told me, ‘Stay with my young men until they have finished all of my harvest.’ ” 22 So Naomi said to her daughter-in-law Ruth, “My daughter, it is good for you to work with his female servants, so that nothing will happen to you in another field.” 23 Ruth stayed close to Boaz’s female servants and gathered grain until the barley and the wheat harvests were finished. And she lived with her mother-in-law.

Naomi’s mind must have been racing at this point! For Boaz was more than a good godly man.....He was one of Naomi’s family redeemers. The Hebrew word is go’el (“redeemer”) and it points to Law of Moses and speaks of a close relative who is able to come to the aid of a family member. The instructions were that when a man died....his brother was obligated to marry his widow and raise up his children. He was even to give the dead man’s name to the first child born out of the new marriage. This would ensure that the inheritance would continue to be associated with the deceased relative.

Now ..... the Law didn’t necessarily obligate Boaz, nor did it address foreigners like Ruth who had married into the family. In fact there are a LOT OF LOOP HOLES THAT BOAZ CAN TAKE to avoid redeeming Ruth and Naomi! But we will look at the details of this concept more fully next week as it’s developed in chapter 3...but it is introduced here in chapter 2....and Boaz has already acted as a go’el …he has already been functioning as a redeemer as he protected Ruth and provided for her and Naomi.

With this in mind ….. and at this point in the story…I think it will be beneficial for us to step back and see the story so far from a thousand foot perspective. Behind every step that Ruth and Naomi have taken God is at work not only in guiding their steps but He is at work developing the scaffolding of redemptive history.

Consider the fact that Naomi and Ruth arrived back in Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest.....in other words.....they came home at the time of the feast of Passover which was celebrated when the grain harvest would begin. (see Deut. 16:9) I cant think of a better time for an exodus from the fields of Moab to the Promised Land?

And by the end of chapter 2......seven weeks had past and we arrive at the end of the barley harvest....in other words....at the end of chapter two is the celebration of the feast of first fruits…otherwise known as Pentecost. By this time, Ruth and Naomi…they experienced the first fruits of God’s deliverance in the gift of Boaz’s grain, but they had not yet seen the fullness of what God had planned for them! Also.....Ruth not only experiences the first fruits of God’s grace.....but in a profound sense, she is the first fruits.

You see....In the fullness of time…in Acts 2…we see that Pentecost, was the day that God chose to pour out his Spirit on Jews and Gentiles alike, bringing them together into the one new people of God. In other words Ruth’s incorporation by faith into God’s people was a foreshadowing of the much greater harvest that God one day would reap among the Gentiles as his grace extended more fully to the nations.

Naomi and Ruth had no idea the part they were playing in God’s redemptive narrative....but the author of Ruth wants you to see and observe the perfection of God’s timing. Because you and I also play a role…and like Ruth and Naomi we too…have received the first fruits of our salvation in the gift of the Spirit and and we too.....are waiting for its fullness.

Consider Romans 8:23
Romans 8:23 (CSB)
23 Not only that, but we ourselves who have the Spirit as the firstfruits—we also groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for adoption, the redemption of our bodies.

Brothers and Sisters....we are so often preoccupied with the challenges of surviving from one day to the next that we are quick to forget that life is short and we will soon be with our savior. When we do think about it.....it seems like our redemption is taking forever.....but…don’t forget that in God’s perfect timing …our present groaning…our present despair…our present difficulties and the the general pain that comes with living in a broken and sinful world will one day soon end…and give way to shouts of joy…as we receive our full adoption as the sons and daughters of God.

This morning I want to invite you to see that God is providentially arranging the details of your life for His glory and your good. And whatever painful realities you may face.....you can be confident that God is good, that He is faithful, that He loves you, and He will provide all you need. Take a moment to quiet your hearts and focus your attention on this reality and find hope and the encouragement to persevere patiently while we we wait and anticipate Jesus’s return.
Let’s pray

Psalm 95:1–3CSB

Matthew 6:21CSB

Philippians 1:6CSB

Matthew 26:26–28ESV

1 Corinthians 11:27ESV

Matthew 26:29ESV

1 Corinthians 11:23–29ESV

1 Corinthians 10:17ESV

Luke 22:19–20ESV

Romans 6:3–4CSB

Numbers 6:24–26CSB