Latest / Calvary Church with Ed Taylor Podcast / #20220615 - Hope In The Midst Of Hopelessness - Ruth 1

Transcript

#20220615 - Hope In The Midst Of Hopelessness - Ruth 1 · Calvary Church with Ed Taylor Podcast

0:05
Welcome to the study of God's word recorded live from Calvary
0:09
Chapel in Aurora, Colorado to learn more about the many
0:12
resources available, through abounding Grace media, visit us
0:15
online at Calvary Aurora dot org, or download our free app on
0:19
all platforms. And now, let's open our Bibles
0:22
and study God's word. What's on my heart to share
0:29
tonight is from The Book of Ruth.
0:34
Ruth, is that little book that's sandwiched in between the Book
0:39
of Judges and the Book of 1st Samuel?
0:44
And what I like about Ruth is not just that it's only four
0:48
chapters. What is the fact that there's
0:52
this tremendous? Hope that happens in chapters,
0:57
2, 3 and 4 in the midst of hopelessness, which is chapter
1:03
one, And it's on my heart to really teach chapter 12.
1:10
Bring out the reality of decisions that we can make that
1:14
will have an effect upon our family.
1:18
And yet, even when they are decisions that just our bad
1:23
decisions God is still working behind the scenes.
1:29
And right now in your life and in my life no matter what's
1:33
going on no matter decisions. Good decisions, bad God is
1:38
working. He's way ahead of us.
1:41
He's already at the end of the line.
1:42
You might say he's waving his through saying, you know, we can
1:46
do this, we're going to have to change a few things.
1:50
I'm going to have to let some Things Fall Apart, so we can
1:53
gather it together and do it right.
1:57
God is always working. And we're going to see that
2:00
we're going to be referring to that many times here.
2:05
You know, the Book of Judges is a difficult book to go through
2:09
because it, it starts off quite well, and then it just starts
2:13
going down, and down, and down. And then in chapter 17, to the
2:18
end of the Book of Judges, there's just this idolatry
2:21
that's rampant in the land. You know, the last judge from
2:27
the Book of Judges is Samson, and notice that there was no
2:32
Army that. He led, it was just him and the
2:35
men of Judah wanted to deliver him to the Philistines.
2:39
So it was just a disheartening sad time.
2:43
But then here's this book of Ruth, which shows that even in
2:47
the midst of how bad it can be, God is still working.
2:54
And I want to affirm to you tonight, God is still working in
2:58
your life even though you don't see him.
3:03
And even though you don't feel him white, the chorus part of
3:07
Waymaker chorus, even when we don't see it, you're working.
3:11
Even when I don't feel it, you're working.
3:15
So, my prayer is that all of us would hear the Lord speak to us
3:20
as we're covering this chapter here.
3:24
And let's see what the Lord wants to minister to us and not
3:30
just walk out of here and go. That was interesting but just be
3:33
a life-changing time. So let's begin with the word of
3:37
prayer and let's see what God has for us tonight.
3:41
All right. Father God, we thank you for the
3:45
wonderful word of God that should give us.
3:50
We thank you how the Holy Spirit has fashioned the word of God as
3:54
he moved upon the pens of men and women as they wrote down
4:00
their songs and their prophecies and their historical accounts.
4:07
And Lord, we need to hear your voice tonight.
4:10
You know, what's going on in our life?
4:14
You're the only one that can do it, right?
4:17
So minister to us tonight from chapter one of the Book of Ruth.
4:23
and may you give us faith and courage to believe, to follow
4:27
through and what you said on our hearts, in Jesus name, Amen.
4:34
So follow along with me as I look through versus 125 as we
4:39
launch into this section of History here. now it came to
4:46
pass in the days when the judges ruled that there was a famine in
4:50
the land and a certain man of Bethlehem Judah went to dwell in
4:56
the country of Moab he and his wife and his two sons, the name
5:02
of the man was elimelech, the name of his wife was Naomi and
5:07
the names of his two sons were Milan and Chilean Ephrathah
5:13
Heights of Bethlehem Judah and they went to the country of Moab
5:18
and remained there. Then elimelech Naomi's husband
5:24
died, and she was left and her two sons.
5:29
Now they took wives of the women of Moab, the name of the one was
5:34
orpah, the name of the other Ruth and they dwelt there about
5:39
10 years. Then both Milan and Chilean also
5:46
died. So the woman survived her two
5:50
sons and her husband That's a sad 5vs.
5:57
But let's talk about it. It was during the time when the
6:04
judges were ruling in Israel, the spiritual condition was at
6:09
an all-time low in Israel. Since the time they moved in,
6:15
Samuel. The prophet was going to be the
6:16
next judge profit that would rise on the scene.
6:20
But right now, we're in this little area where the Holy
6:24
Spirit saw fit to include this special book and it can be
6:27
called The Book of redemption. There's a famine in the land,
6:33
the text tells us and all throughout the Old Testament.
6:38
There are times when God touch the weather patterns and touch
6:41
the agricultural Foundation of Israel, and began to, to pull
6:46
back his Blessing to get their attention.
6:52
As but today if there's a famine or if there's a weather
6:57
situation that comes through, we have at all explained with our
7:00
meteorologists in our satellites and all.
7:02
And it just seems like, well, God doesn't use that anymore.
7:06
Oh, he could It's interesting to see what happened.
7:11
Just recently in the last two years, a worldwide pandemic.
7:16
I'm not saying it's a judgment from God but it sure got
7:20
people's attention. And it brought economies to
7:25
their knees individuals to their knees.
7:30
God was trying to get their attention through this time of
7:34
famine. And by the way, isn't that how
7:38
God gets our attention and our life?
7:41
When all the sudden we are sensing a dryness and emptiness
7:47
fruitlessness Have you considered that sometimes?
7:53
That's the Lord trying to get our attention.
7:57
Because there just seems to not be that sense of purpose
8:00
anymore. Life seems to have dried up.
8:05
It's not that God is punishing so much as he's trying to pull
8:09
us to himself. If we will receive it, if we
8:14
will see with a heart that wants to understand.
8:19
When God brings and allows a time of famine in our life.
8:24
It's so that we might draw close to him because he wants a full
8:29
blessing on our life. He doesn't just want token
8:33
service. He wants relationship.
8:41
God wants us to consider our ways.
8:44
It's not that everything that goes bad as a judgment from God.
8:49
But, you know, we need to consider, you know, and the time
8:51
adversity consider it says in Ecclesiastes and and I always do
8:56
not to condemnation but like Lord, what's up?
9:01
You know, the bottom is dropping out, what's up?
9:05
Draw me close to you and I just want to say before we go on that
9:10
God is always looking to calm the storm in our heart.
9:14
Before he calms, the storms outwardly who said that before
9:17
in a previous study So here they are in the midst of very
9:23
difficult, trying times in the area of Bethlehem Judah.
9:28
And so here's this, this man that's brought in here in verse
9:32
2, his name is elimelech and his name means my God is King.
9:38
But yet he's he's making some decisions that really don't seem
9:44
like God is in charge. He's, it's like a knee-jerk
9:48
reaction. When, oh my gosh.
9:50
Well, I've got to do something. I've got to find something and
9:53
and rather than looking to the Lord, you're trying to just find
9:55
everything else and depend on your own.
9:58
Reasoning. And it says here, his name was
10:03
elimelech. His wife's name was Naomi, which
10:09
is Hebrew for pleasant. And then he had a couple of
10:14
sons. Now, the names of these two sons
10:18
are interesting because the firstborn male on means sickly.
10:24
So I'm not sure if if he was a preemie or or or or what was
10:29
going on but to name your kids sickly, hey sickly, come here,
10:35
you know, and end their older. I mean, their marriage age,
10:39
okay? So you've got that on your
10:42
record. And then his brother.
10:46
Killian. It means pining sorrow, pining
10:50
away. It's a bummer of a family and
10:54
your name in them with these names.
10:56
That just kind of like are caring.
10:58
They're they're caring, it's on the birth certificate.
11:04
And they went to the country of Moab and remained there.
11:08
My guess is he sold off his property?
11:11
Took everything he had, which was probably not much and he
11:16
decided there must be sustenance over across the Jordan River.
11:21
In the land of Moab. Now MOA was was their enemies.
11:26
Why would you, why would you pull up steak from the, from the
11:31
people of God, and go to the land of the enemy to find
11:35
sustenance? But that's just what he was
11:39
doing and he brought his family into it.
11:46
The word Bethlehem means House of Bread.
11:49
The word Judah means, praise. so, in effect, elimelech left,
11:55
the house of bread, and the place of praise to go to the
12:01
land of Moab the enemy that God called his wash pot over in
12:07
Psalm 108 What's he thinking? He's relying purely upon
12:17
reaction to circumstances, instead of looking to the Lord.
12:23
Now, all of us do that at times, we can get caught up in the
12:27
circumstances and we and we make decisions that really weren't
12:32
thought through well and were suffering a bit because of it.
12:36
But I just want to keep reminding us that God is still
12:40
working behind the scenes. Sometimes God has to tear down
12:46
before he can build up. And so, these five verses
12:53
everything's falling apart. They are gone for 10 years.
13:00
And the first thing that happens in verse 3 is Naomi's, husband
13:05
dies. The companion of her life you
13:09
know whoever did the matchmaking to put them together.
13:14
They've been together since that time and now he's gone and she's
13:19
in a foreign land. At least she has her too sickly
13:23
Sons but things just keep unraveling It says in verse 4
13:32
now they took wives of the women of Moab, why didn't they just go
13:36
back to Judah, you know and find a gal?
13:40
I mean why go to the world to find companionship?
13:46
but what's happening here and I see this so, often is sometimes
13:55
The decisions of the father have an effect upon the children.
14:02
If the father has a pattern of going after worldliness and
14:06
looking upon that the efforts of the flesh, it can impact the
14:10
children and develop patterns and all the sudden they're
14:13
following suit. And so they marry to moabite
14:18
S's. And so now at least there's a
14:23
little bigger family for Comfort but then Verse 5, both mad Lon
14:33
and Julian die. This is within a 10-year period.
14:42
Naomi lost everything. I mean, everything and she's in
14:46
a foreign land. It reminds me of the scripture
14:54
in Jeremiah 2:13 where the Lord says my people have committed
15:00
two evils, they have forsaken me.
15:04
The Fountain of Living Waters and hewed themselves, cisterns
15:09
broken, cisterns that can hold no water.
15:16
Why do we go to the world to try to get purpose?
15:20
Why do we go to the world to try to, you know, the lust of the
15:24
eyes, the lust of the Flesh and the Foolish Pride of Life.
15:28
Why do we draw to that to try to fill our life?
15:34
It's just unbelief in the sufficiency of God.
15:39
His life fills us like nothing else in the world can do.
15:45
And there are times that we just, whether it's the
15:48
suggestion of the enemy and is Temptation.
15:52
We have become convinced that the world has something better
15:56
for me than what ever God could offer.
16:01
But it says here in at the end of verse 2, they went to the
16:06
country of Moab and remained there.
16:09
It's interesting. The Hebrew for the Hebrew word,
16:13
for remained, there means to exist.
16:18
They just existed. For ten years.
16:22
They were there. They were alive.
16:24
They were living, they were being provided for, but they
16:28
were just existing That's kind of a sad word because that's not
16:33
what God has for his people just to exist.
16:37
He once Abundant Life for them, but they have to follow his
16:41
ways, they have to go to him for that life.
16:51
Maybe this story actually represents what's going on in
16:55
our life this evening. We may have walked away from the
16:59
Lord thinking that the world had better things to offer.
17:03
And yet now there's a famine in our life that dryness there's
17:08
just dead things. We've less left the house of
17:12
bread in the place of praise. For Moab, the wash pot.
17:18
That's happened. So often skull backsliding.
17:23
It's called moving away from that fellowship with Jesus and
17:27
trying to be filled with things in the world.
17:31
And just like Naomi, we end up left with only memories of Prior
17:35
days. When at least we were surrounded
17:38
by family and friends, but God is working.
17:45
God is constantly working. And that's something we need to
17:51
really remember, everything's for a season.
17:55
Right now, you might be going through a season of dryness and
17:58
things are very difficult, but it's only for a season because
18:04
God is working. There is hope in the midst of
18:08
hopelessness. Because of him, not because of
18:12
circumstances. But we have to open our eyes and
18:17
see that how he has been back here.
18:20
He is still the same in the New Covenant, he loves he's
18:25
gracious, he's kind, but he will chasten only to bring back to
18:31
blessing. Humble yourself in the sight of
18:34
the Lord and He will lift you up.
18:37
God, resists the proud, but he will give grace to the humble.
18:40
Those are Eternal truths of how our God is.
18:47
I think of King David who gave it up, he was anointed to be the
18:51
next king. He was a young guy, he was in
18:53
his teens when he got anointed. And then the king got jealous
18:58
and put a contract on his life to kill them.
19:01
And so all during his 20s David is running through the
19:05
Wilderness of Judah. I mean, his whole twenties were
19:08
ruined. I mean the strength of his life
19:11
just ruined by this King who's jealous and chasing him.
19:16
But God was working behind the scenes but just a few weeks
19:21
before, David was going to have an opening to be King.
19:25
David makes a knee-jerk decision to move to the land of the enemy
19:31
for protection just like elimelech did.
19:35
And that scene in first Samuel 27 He was only just weeks away
19:43
from Saul being removed as king and that long trial would be
19:47
over. But God was using the season of
19:52
difficulty in David's life to purge ambition out of his life.
19:58
So that when he became king, there wouldn't be this power
20:03
ambition. You realize that finally won
20:07
David was was King and Saul had died.
20:11
He decided only to rule over Judah and not force all of
20:15
Israel to come under his care for seven and a half years.
20:19
He ruled over Judah. How could he do that?
20:24
When now, he's 30 years old, he's in his prime, I'm the
20:28
anointed king. But ambition had been purged out
20:34
of his hat out of his life through the trial.
20:38
So God is always working. Even when things seem unfair,
20:43
there's something inside that, God is Breaking. not to destroy,
20:54
but to bless Sometimes our best decision in times of trial and
21:03
difficulty is not sometimes, all the time is just to keep seeking
21:08
God's counsel and not rushing off to the arena of the enemy
21:13
for safety. Does that make sense?
21:17
Let's continue on here. Let's take a look at verses 6
21:20
and 7. Talking about Naomi.
21:24
Now it says, then she arose this is after 10 years.
21:30
Then she arose with her daughters-in-law that she might
21:33
return from the country of Moab. For she had heard in the country
21:37
of Moab that the Lord had visited his people by giving
21:40
them bread. Therefore, she went out from the
21:43
place where she was and her two daughters-in-law with her and
21:47
they went on their way to return to the land of Judah.
21:52
It was only after the death of everything, Naomi held precious
21:58
that she heard in the midst of the land of the enemy that the
22:03
Lord had visited his people with bread.
22:07
How did she hear it? You know, she didn't go online.
22:14
I mean, who came to her and told her but the Lord has ways in his
22:19
perfect timing to bring the news that you need to hear.
22:24
Even when you're in the land of the enemy, it's not that she
22:28
went looking for door inquiring, it came to her and I just see
22:33
this as the, the Providence of God Because God is God's timing
22:39
is being fulfilled. But it's interesting that often
22:45
the beginning of new life is after the fires have swept
22:49
through and destroyed. What all seem to be worthwhile
22:54
in our life. It's in those times of
22:57
Brokenness where God brings forth new life, isn't that?
23:01
What happens when you plant a seed?
23:03
The outward shell breaks open, doesn't it?
23:06
And then New Life comes out, but we don't want to be broken, you
23:10
know? I want to I just I just What
23:12
bless me? Bless me.
23:13
Bless me. Okay, well, I need to break your
23:15
break or break you. You know for New Life to come
23:19
out. I know you want the new life and
23:20
I want it for you but there's but that outward shell has to
23:23
break. Or this never going to grow.
23:29
It has to be planted in darkness.
23:32
Before anything can come out of it.
23:36
How merciful and creative. Our God is to reach us when we
23:39
are in need even though we're so full of doubts and
23:43
discouragement. And and you know, there can come
23:46
times where you can say. I don't even know if I can hear
23:50
God anymore. I don't even know if I mean.
23:54
Have you ever had those doubts especially when you first came
23:56
to Christ? Am I really a Christian?
23:58
Did that really take? I mean, am I am I really What it
24:03
says, I mean, I don't feel anything and look what's
24:06
happening to my life and we can have those doubts.
24:10
But God is working behind the scenes.
24:14
You know, the picture I liked and I didn't put one up here.
24:17
It's of a mother cat. Taking its kittens from one
24:20
place to another. You know, how she does it?
24:24
Of course you do, she grabs him by the back of the neck and
24:27
carries them and so they're led to their just like this, you
24:31
know, there hang in there because they're being taken from
24:33
one location to the other. Now, there are times in our
24:36
life, we can feel like that kitten God's got us on the back
24:40
of the neck and and, and we're just dragging along.
24:43
We have No idea where we're going.
24:46
Meow meow, you know. There's that other picture of
24:52
the, of the cat on the screen door like this.
24:54
Like hang in there baby, you know.
24:56
Okay enough of that picture. Verse 8.
25:01
So here they are at the Jordan River.
25:02
Probably we don't know where they are, but they're ready to
25:05
go into the land of Judah and the Jordan River in the Dead Sea
25:08
is the boundary Here's what she says.
25:13
In verse 8, verse 8 to 14, we're going to cover that section.
25:18
And Naomi said to her two, daughters-in-law go return each
25:22
to her mother's house. The Lord deal kindly with you as
25:26
you have dealt kindly with the dead and with me, the Lord grant
25:30
that you may find rest each in the house of her husband, So she
25:35
kissed them and they lift up their voices and wept.
25:40
And they said to her surely we will return with you and to your
25:43
people but Naomi said, turn back my daughter's.
25:47
Why will you go with me? Are there still sons and my womb
25:50
that they maybe your husband's turn back, my daughter's, go
25:55
for, I am too old to have a husband and if I should say, I
25:59
have hope if I should have a husband tonight and should also
26:02
bear Sons. Would you wait for them to leave
26:05
were grown? Would you restrain yourselves
26:07
from having husband's know? Daughters fur.
26:10
It Grieves me very much for your sakes that the hand of the Lord
26:16
has gone out against me. Then they lifted up their voices
26:21
and wept again and orpah, kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth
26:26
clung to her. Releasing her daughters-in-law.
26:32
I mean, they were moabite us' and she had no idea how they
26:38
would be treated back in Judah. Because, you know, there was
26:41
that division Moab was counted the land of the enemy and she's
26:46
bringing him into this and almost it's going to be a
26:49
nightmare. And she felt like they had a
26:54
better promising future going back to their father's house and
26:58
Moab than coming with her. I mean, she's not really
27:02
spiritually in a good place right now.
27:07
But God is working behind the scenes.
27:09
Hope in the midst of hopelessness is going to be
27:12
found in Ruth her daughter-in-law as we'll see.
27:17
Do you know, God understands our sufferings God understands our
27:22
grief. He's not up there saying.
27:25
Would you just get over it? God understands matter of fact,
27:31
Psalm 56 8 says you number my wanderings, put my tears into
27:37
your bottle, are they not in your book?
27:43
Some of you parents have wept over your children, which are
27:46
Wayward, and God has kept those tears in his bottle.
27:51
Some of you have gone through the most difficult time in your
27:53
life. You can't even imagine and
27:55
you're in the quiet in your bedroom, a sitting on the bed,
27:59
door closed, crying your eyes out.
28:02
God understands The heartache. I know that for a fact.
28:13
Been there myself. And the word of God affirms.
28:18
That's true. Although the circumstances of
28:23
our life, may not seem like there will ever be any change.
28:26
God is still active in the midst of those circumstances.
28:32
The daughters-in-law wanted to stay with her but Naomi said
28:36
look just just no no no no no. Go back.
28:40
It says it Grieves me very much that the hand of the Lord has
28:44
gone out against me and really that She had an incorrect
28:50
conclusion. God wasn't mad at her but she
28:55
used circumstances to judge how God felt about her you ever done
28:59
that. Then I have I'm gone.
29:03
Why isn't this changing quo? I mean, what am I doing wrong?
29:06
Tell me, you know, and I'm just getting a little snarky with the
29:09
Lord and he just says, you just need to chill.
29:18
You'll find out, you know, that the Lord Jesus said that to his
29:22
disciples, what I do, you don't understand now.
29:25
But you'll understand later in the Gospel of John, I love that
29:29
verse. Is all my years.
29:32
I've fallen upon that verse. Circumstances are not a correct
29:41
way to judge, God's heart. Because people in the world who
29:46
live in wickedness, have Bounty and affluence.
29:52
It's not that God has happy what their life at all.
29:56
And there are times when Christians are in prison and
29:59
suffering and in torture, So, is that God's heart for them?
30:05
You can't use circumstances as the final validator of the heart
30:08
of God and if you judge God by by circumstances, you need to
30:13
really repent because it's a wrong, you're putting yourself
30:18
in a place of judgment against God.
30:23
Let's continue on verses 15 to 18.
30:28
And Naomi says, to Ruth look, your sister-in-law has gone back
30:32
to her people into her Gods return after your sister-in-law,
30:35
but Ruth said, entreat me not to leave you or to turn back from
30:39
following after you forever. For wherever you go, I will go
30:44
wherever you Lodge. I will Lodge.
30:47
Your people shall be my people and your God, my God, where you
30:52
die, I will die. And there will I be buried the
30:56
Lord do so to me and more also, Sword, anything.
30:59
But death Parts you and me. When she saw that she was
31:04
determined to go with their she stopped speaking to her, which
31:07
is New, King James way of saying she stopped the argument.
31:11
It's not that she's I'm not going to talk to you.
31:13
The rest of your life is just it means she stopped the arguing
31:18
and trying to convince her to leave.
31:22
Ruth's words, reveal something, fascinating to me.
31:31
In the midst of a desert experience.
31:36
In Naomi's, life. Ruth found herself spiritually
31:42
hungry, and learning about the God of Israel from her husband.
31:48
And her heart was just drawn to the god of Israel so much, so
31:54
that she wanted nothing to do with the world anymore.
31:59
How fascinating that God can use us in our time of bummer to
32:05
actually touch the lives of those who are spiritually
32:09
hungry. I remember a time when my wife
32:13
and I were in the youth ministry in the 70s and we had gone
32:16
through a lot of Trials, and her sister came to visit us kind of
32:21
randomly. And we were sitting in the, in
32:24
the cabin, we were living in there on the, the acreage.
32:28
And she says, you're probably wondering why I came down to see
32:32
you and I'm going. Well, yeah.
32:34
And you know, I'm in my 20s. I can excuse that.
32:40
I said, well, yeah, yeah. And she goes well.
32:43
You guys have such a joy. And I'm listening to her speak
32:49
and I'm going. I don't remember that you guys
32:54
have such a joy and it seems like you have such a hope and I
32:57
need that And so we let her to Christ, but I learned a valuable
33:04
lesson that even in the midst of difficult times and trials, when
33:08
our countenances just so sad, God can still use us to draw the
33:14
spiritual hungry. And that's what happened with
33:18
Ruth here. Look at her comments.
33:20
There are five comments that Ruth made to Naomi, which were
33:24
expressive of her heart. Let's look at those number one.
33:28
Wherever You Go. I Go.
33:32
Number 2, wherever you Lodge, I will Lodge.
33:38
Number three, your people shall be my people.
33:43
And number for your God. My God.
33:48
And number five, where you die, I will die.
33:52
And there will I be buried? This tells us that Ruth had died
33:58
to her old life in Moab. and you know, the Jewish rabbis, use
34:04
this, these five things, as the prime example of the necessary
34:08
heart of a proselyte into Judaism, but I like to see this
34:14
as this is what we've said, when we turned our lives over to
34:17
Christ, Haven't we said that. Wherever you go, I go.
34:25
I just want to be with you. Wherever you Lodge, I will
34:30
Lodge. Your people shall be my people
34:36
and that gets a little hard sometimes when you've been
34:38
offended by God's people, but still there's that decision.
34:43
Your people will be my people. And your God, my God.
34:51
And where you die. I will die.
34:53
Where did Jesus die on the cross.
34:58
Didn't Jesus, say to those who wanted to follow him, if anyone
35:01
follow me, come after me, let him deny himself, pick up his
35:05
cross daily and follow me. I have to die to my flesh, die
35:12
to my dream, and let him be my dream because his way is so much
35:18
better than I could ever come up with.
35:24
Every line is a focus on the person of our savior. and
35:31
actually, this section is red many times during wedding
35:38
ceremonies Let's continue on here.
35:44
They're probably at the Jordan River, ready to cross over.
35:49
Kind of reminds me of baptism, doesn't it?
35:52
You know where water baptism you're showing outwardly that.
35:56
You're leaving the Old World Behind.
35:58
You're Crossing that river by the way we're having we have a
36:01
water baptism coming up on July 13th, Wednesday night.
36:07
So if you haven't ever been baptized in water, this is just
36:10
a little segue here. If you haven't ever been
36:12
baptized in water, since you've surrendered and believed on the
36:15
Lord, Jesus Christ, you need to be baptized in water.
36:19
It's that public Proclamation that you put the world behind
36:23
you. No, turning back.
36:29
So they cross the Jordan, come back into the land of Judah.
36:34
After 10 years, Naomi and her daughter-in-law Ruth.
36:41
And God is working behind the scenes.
36:44
Let's finish the chapter. Verses 19 to 22.
36:51
Now, the two of them went until they came to Bethlehem.
36:56
And it happened when they'd come to Bethlehem, that all the city
36:58
was excited because of them. And the woman said, is this
37:01
Naomi? And she said, do not call me
37:04
Naomi and she's she has kind of an attitude.
37:08
Actually, do not call me Naomi. Call me Mara for the almighty
37:13
has dealt very bitterly with me. I went out full in the Lord has
37:17
brought me home again. Empty, why do you call me Naomi?
37:21
Since the Lord has testified against me in the almighty, has
37:24
Afflicted me So, Naomi returned. And Ruth the moabite is her
37:33
daughter-in-law with her who returned from the country of
37:35
Moab. Now they came to Bethlehem at
37:37
the beginning of the barley Harvest.
37:41
Consider this. All the city was excited because
37:46
of them after 10 years Naomi you're back you're back.
37:52
They didn't speak with a New York accent, he spoken Hebrew
37:56
She never excited because of her.
37:59
But was she excited to be back? She's awesome.
38:05
You know, Naomi means Pleasant temps with the name means
38:09
pleasantness and she's anything, but pleasant.
38:12
As a matter of fact, she says, don't call me Naomi.
38:16
Don't call me Pleasant. Call me Mara, which means
38:18
bitter. Yeah, I guess. and then listen
38:24
to what the women say about her, is this Naomi When I read that,
38:34
it reminds me, that sustained sorrow can show itself on our
38:39
countenance after a long time. We wear it on our face when hope
38:46
is gone. and as we interact with people in the market, on our
38:54
job, in our neighborhood, There's going to be times that
38:59
you're going to run into people and you can just see the
39:03
hopelessness in their countenance.
39:09
That's a symptom. Of a need for Christ.
39:17
We need to be spiritually, sensitive.
39:20
To see that. because, Time and the world will just run away
39:28
from the Lord will just wear you down.
39:33
So she's coming back. She's not in a good place
39:37
spiritually, but God is working behind the scenes.
39:41
He has never given up on Naomi and he's going to use Ruth to be
39:47
a blessing. Isn't it interesting that
39:50
something that seems to randomly come into our life, can be,
39:53
actually God's plan to turn things around.
39:59
We don't see it at the time, but we'll see it later.
40:03
And what this is what we see in the Book of Ruth, because in
40:06
chapters true through for, there's this incredible Divine
40:11
Sovereign, move of God. To turn things around and Ruth
40:16
becomes the, the great-grandmother of King David.
40:22
Because she marries, Moab the near Kinsman.
40:27
We don't have time to course, to go into all the book. but right
40:33
now, as we close Can you trust that God is working behind the
40:44
scenes? Even when you don't see it and
40:47
even when you don't feel it, Can you just trust that?
40:52
Can you take your situation in life?
40:56
and take a breath and just say, I'm going to stop trying to
41:02
figure it out. And I want rest.
41:07
And I want peace in my heart. Because I'm going to trust that
41:13
you are working behind the scenes and you are doing things.
41:16
I don't understand or see right now.
41:24
God is working in us and he is working around us.
41:28
He is the Hope in the midst of hopeless situations.
41:34
It's not Ruth. Ruth is a vessel that God was
41:38
using, but God was the hope, he's the god of Hope.
41:45
And I want to close with this scripture and you most of you
41:48
know it but it's so apropos right now.
41:52
Proverbs 3 verses 5 through 7 trust in the Lord with all your
41:59
heart. And lean not on your own
42:03
understanding. In all your ways acknowledge
42:08
Him. And he shall direct your paths.
42:13
Do not or be not wise in your own eyes, fear, the lord, and
42:20
depart from evil. Let's pray.
42:26
Father. God, we thank you for your word
42:29
tonight. We are trusting.
42:36
That those who are listening online, those who will listen to
42:40
this later. And those of us in here, will
42:44
hear your voice. That it would be a prophetic
42:50
voice to our situation. God, we ask for grace in the
43:00
middle of difficult times. And I ask you God tonight to
43:09
give courage and Hope. In the midst of hopelessness.
43:17
The Lord made this message be used.
43:20
As we carry it to those, that we will encounter who are in any
43:24
trouble. Tonight, as we close here.
43:31
If, if this is you As we continue to pray and God is
43:37
speaking to your heart about your life situation, I'd like to
43:41
invite you just to stand where you are so we can pray for you.
43:46
Okay. God bless you, anybody else?
43:50
Okay back. God, bless you back here.
43:53
God's been speaking to your heart, through the message, God
43:56
bless you. I don't think it's a coincidence
44:03
that you're here, and I'm here. And this is the message for
44:06
tonight. Okay, back over here.
44:09
God bless you. All right.
44:13
And in standing what you're doing is, you're acknowledging.
44:17
God, I know you're speaking to my heart and I do want things to
44:20
change, but it has to start with me inside first, anyone else?
44:27
It's a good opportunity. Okay.
44:29
God bless you. God bless you.
44:34
Those of you that are around them, I'd like you just open
44:37
your eyes' and and keep standing please.
44:40
I'd like you to go over and put your hand on their shoulder and
44:43
let's pray for them, okay? Don't leave anyone standing by
44:51
themselves. Those of you who are watching
44:59
from home. You can stand as well because
45:03
God is right there with you. And lift up your hand to him and
45:09
let him take. Hold of it.
45:13
And father God, we pray for these right now, you know, all
45:17
the details. We don't need to know them.
45:22
And right now because you are the God of all grace, and mercy
45:25
and Power. That you would touch their
45:30
hearts that depth of their soul. And bring in hope, in the midst
45:38
of the hopelessness. Help them.
45:42
Lord fix their eyes on you. And let this night, June 15th.
45:48
Be that time where things are turned around, they've crossed
45:52
the Jordan, so to speak. And so Lord, we just commit them
46:00
to you. Now right now working in amazing
46:04
ways, surprise us, Lord, We pray in Jesus name.
46:11
Amen. We pray that you've been
46:15
encouraged by this Bible. Study delivered live from the
46:18
sanctuary of Calvary, Aurora for prayer or a copy of the study,
46:22
call us at 877, 30 Grace, that's eight 77304, 2:53 or visit us
46:31
online at Calvary, Aurora dot-org, be blessed as you
46:36
worship Jesus this week.