Ruth - Grace Bible Church

Redemption by Obedience

November 6, 2022 • Mike Burt • Ruth

“Priceless gems have often been found in unlikely places. Many a choice flower has been found blooming in a rocky crevice. Rainbow artistries have suddenly lit up the drabbest skies. Beauty spots have charmed the traveler at surprise turns on the least-promising road. It is even so with this superbly beautiful little idly, the book of Ruth.” J. Sidlow Baxter This has been a beautiful love story and is one of only two books in the Bible named for women (Esther is the other). And Ruth is not just a woman but a Gentile woman at that. This account was originally joined to the Book of Judges and is almost a lone positive story in the many depressing stories of sad Judges and disobedient Jews. Ruth becomes a beacon of hope in the ways God will protect and provide the integrity of the Messianic line moving toward His prophetic choices of monarchy (David) and His promises of a Redeemer (Jesus). Lots of rich theology about the person and role of Jesus Christ as our Redeemer can be traced to the typology centered around the figure of Boaz. The kind providence of God uses seemingly insignificant people and events to accomplish important kingdom goals. The loyalty and devotion of Ruth is rewarded with unimaginable blessing that spills over to all those who come to embrace the Lord Jesus as their Redeemer. The summary of the Book is seen in the fulfillment of the hopes of Naomi - Ruth 4:14 “Blessed is the Lord who has not left you without a redeemer today”. Naomi found her Redeemer in Boaz through Ruth – We must find our Redeemer in the linage of Boaz in the person of Jesus – our closest Kinsman Redeemer! See you Sunday for the final message in Ruth – Pastor Mike

Redeem, Restore and Rejoice

October 30, 2022 • Denis Garijo • Ruth 4:13–22

“Then the women said to Naomi, “Blessed be the Lord who has not left you this day without a redeemer, and may his name be renowned in Israel!”. Ruth 4:14 After eight weeks, we are at the end of Ruth's book, and what a beautiful happy ending we have in this book. In these nine verses, we will see God REDEEMING, RESTORING, and letting them REJOICE in His blessings. Those blessings were available for Ruth and Naomi and are still available for us in Jesus Christ. “And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you”. 1 Peter 5.10 “This book begins with a funeral and ends with a wedding! It opens with famine and closes with fullness!” Warren Wiersbe

Do you trust me?

October 16, 2022 • Mike Burt • Ruth 3:9–18

“‘Wait on the Lord’ is a constant refrain in the Psalms, and it is a necessary word, for God often keeps us waiting. He is not in such a hurry as we are, and it is not his way to give more light on the future than we need for action in the present, or to guide us more than one step at a time. When in doubt, do nothing, but continue to wait on God. When action is needed, light will come.” J.I. Packer. Knowing God Waiting is hard! Many of us struggle with patience and an urgent desire to jump up and do! Yet it is God who so often advocates ‘wait’ to the impatient believer. We saw last week that Naomi did not wait, she developed a plan to bring about the solution she imagined God to be unfolding but she could not wait for Him to do it – so she stepped in with a worldly inspired plan. Only by the honor of Boaz and the virtue of Ruth did her plan not create a disaster! Sunday we will continue in this saga as Boaz protects Ruth by sending her back with barley (engagement ring?) and Naomi trusting the heart of Boaz to obey the Law of God. When men or women force their image of God’s will onto others the outcome will be damaged lives and missed blessings. Only God could bring back this ‘wreck’ from the brink of disaster and turn it into something that honors Him. Naomi is getting closer to seeing the Lord again in her life – not there yet, but closer! Come this week to see the solution Boaz seeks by following God’s Word instead of a human plan to achieve God’s goals. It involves the Scripture, trust and obedience – all ingredients to genuine maturity and faith. Bring someone who is tired of trying to do God’s will on their own – let them find the rest God intends by trusting in His Word. See you Sunday, Pastor Mike

All or none – Trust Him!

October 23, 2022 • Mike Burt • Ruth 4

“If God cares for you, why need you care too?” C.H. Spurgeon Better buckle up – Sunday is a real roller coaster of a story! Ruth survives a risky plan by her virtue and Boaz keeps his word at the gates because he is a man of honor. But like life – there are always twists and turns! Boaz goes to the gates – the town square for official business transactions. This becomes the ‘notary’ in the days of the Judges. The offer is made and the nearest kinsman (unnamed) claims the right of Naomi and her belongings. Boaz is set aside and Ruth looses her beau. But God is not done yet – Boaz reminds the nearest kinsman that Ruth is also part of the deal – counter offer! The agreement is made and sandals are exchanged – Naomi is redeemed and Ruth is to be married! If this were a Disney movie a theme song would begin – cue the music! Instead, the crowd begins a prayer of blessing and the well wishes are impressive. Sunday I will take us through the gate – into the negotiations and celebrate the outcome protected by the Lord. So many great things in one week – but above all – faith is rewarded and God is praised – that is truly a good day. See you Sunday, Pastor Mike We can be certain that God will give us the strength and resources we need to live through any situation in life that he ordains. The will of God will never take us where the grace of God cannot sustain us. Billy Graham

God cares for us!

October 9, 2022 • Mike Burt • Ruth 3

“Remember that even Jesus' most scathing denunciation - a blistering diatribe against the religious leaders of Jerusalem in Matthew 23 - ends with Christ weeping over Jerusalem. Compassion colored everything He did.” John MacArthur What is Naomi thinking? She is trying to use the wiles of women to accomplish her goals – finding a home and hope for her and Ruth. Is Boaz the solution? Where is trust and faith and obedience? Sunday we step out of the fields and back into the home of Naomi and Ruth as they celebrate God’s provision and then begin to plot for God’s providence. It is the plotting that I will challenge going back to the family of Boaz – Rahab and then forward into our lives when we don’t wait for God and force the ‘will of God’ instead of seeking in by prayer and discipleship. God is able to bless even the poorest plans but the blessing is then forfeited to the impatient. God still works! Our greatest fear should be that He may work without us. Come Sunday and see how God worked with Naomi and Ruth and Boaz at the thrashing floor. You will hear stories of Rahab, Hagar, Gibeonites and Ruth and best of all you will hear how God can direct in your life without the plotting, forcing or manipulating – God is best when we trust Him! See you Sunday, Pastor Mike BTW – don’t be too hard on Rahab, she didn’t have any Sunday School teachers! Big thanks to our faithful Sunday School teachers!

AMAZING GRACE!

September 25, 2022 • Mike Burt • Ruth 2:1–13

Naomi was left in a terrible state – miserable and depressed and bitter! She did not want to be reminded of her past nor have any illusions about her future – she was hopeless. Ruth had seen enough to know that there was mercy in the faith of the Jews – so she sought to provide for them by the Levitical allowance of gleaning. Ruth goes to the field recommended by Naomi as it was a relative of her late husband – the fields of Boaz. Ruth was seeking mercy from God’s people but God was positioned to give her and Naomi great grace – amazing grace! Sunday I will share the background of gleaning, the faith of Ruth, the goodness of Boaz and the great and amazing Grace of God – join us for a wonderful journey down the path of trust as we meet the champion of our story – Boaz. D.L. Moody captures this entire encounter from his quote: “Grace means undeserved kindness. It is the gift of God to man the moment he sees he is unworthy of God's favor.” The bitter Naomi did not deserve God’s goodness – the Moabitess, Ruth did not deserve God’s goodness and to be honest – neither do we! Come and celebrate God’s goodness this week at Grace – where the topic will be Grace – God’s Grace. See you Sunday, Pastor Mike

Grace and Mercy

October 2, 2022 • Mike Burt • Ruth 2:14–23

What does kindness look like? Is it giving what we have left over to someone else? Or maybe sharing what we have with another? Kindness is giving of our selves but the story we read Sunday is much more than kindness or common generosity – it is a gift leaping from both Mercy and Grace! Last Sunday I compared the acts of God’s love as received by us in the forms of Mercy and Grace. I gave you the definition that Mercy is when God does not allow to us what we truly deserve – while Grace is God bestowing upon us what we do not deserve! Naomi’s family had fled the promises of God in the Land of Promise. While in Moab they felt the consequences of being out from underneath the shadow of God’s love – it was disastrous! Returning, Naomi was in despair and burdened with the care of her daughter in law, Ruth the Moabitess. But God stood ready with both Mercy and Grace. These twin gifts take the form of Boaz and his generosity – which could only be called Amazing! Sunday we will return to the overflowing of God’s Mercy and Grace – bring someone who needs either or both – they can find it! See you Sunday, Pastor Mike “Jesus Christ did not come into this world to make bad people good; he came into this world to make dead people live.” Lee Strobel

Call me Bitter!

September 18, 2022 • Mike Burt • Ruth 1:6–22

It is never too late to go home! Naomi was disappointed with God – He seemed to let them go and let them suffer so much. Truth is that they walked away from Him and suffered the consequences of poor choices. As we discovered last time the story of Ruth is set “during the time of judges” (Ruth 1:1). There is famine in the land of Judah. To escape the effects of the famine a family of four leaves Bethlehem to dwell in country of Moab. I do believe that the move indicated a lack of faith in God. Moab, was located due East of the Dead Sea. It’s people where descendants of Lot –through his incestuous relationship with his eldest daughter( Gen 19:36-37) Sometimes they were the friends of Israel but often they were regarded as enemies of Israel – (Judge 3:12-30, 1Samuel 22:3-4) The family was made up of Elimelech the father, Naomi the mother and their two sons: Mahlon and Chilion (Ruth 1:2). Death strikes this family three times. First, Elimelech dies – (Ruth 1:3) leaving Naomi a widow with two sons in a foreign land. His two sons then marry women of Moab – Ruth and Orpah (Ruth 1:4). They live in Moab about ten years and then the two sons die – (Ruth 1:5). Leaving Naomi a widow and childless. Grieving the death of her husband and two sons, Naomi gives thought to return to her homeland. That is where we pick up Sunday – the trip home – join us for the trek back to Bethlehem and where Naomi changes her nickname to Mara – bitterness! See you Sunday, Pastor Mike “God cannot fill with peace what is lined with disappointments.”

Cycles of Sin

September 11, 2022 • Mike Burt • Ruth 1:1–18

The Book of Ruth is a simple somewhat ordinary story on one hand and on the other; it is an amazing account of God’s faithful dealings with a simple family. The Book of Ruth is sort of the calm in the midst of the storm. The Book of Judges is a book of one episode of judgment after another called the Cycle of the Judges. I will show you a simple chart on Sunday about this cycle. God’s people would listen for a while and then they would turn to evil…God would judge them…God would send them a deliverer…they would turn back to Him. This cycle would happen time and time again. “In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” Judges 21:25 (ESV) The story of Ruth is set in a time period when everyone was doing whatever they wanted. The people determined right and wrong, not God. This is a very dangerous attitude to have. I believe it’s the same problems of our time. Truth is presented as subjective and people decide what is right and wrong. (usually wrong!) “For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” Romans 15:4 (ESV) In this great storm of the times of the Judges, God interrupts the story to show us a short account of one family – Elimelech and Naomi. God shows great kindness and faithfulness to an unfaithful family – redeeming a Moabitess and demonstrating the kinsman redeemer. Join us Sunday for a first walk into Ruth – see you then. Pastor Mike

Meet the Family

September 4, 2022 • Mike Burt • Ruth

“God doesn’t help those who help themselves: He helps those who trust in Him.” “But I trust in your unfailing love.” (hesed) Psa 13:5 The story of Ruth is a series of setbacks. From the first chapter Naomi and her husband and two sons leave their homeland in Judah because of famine – not led by God but rather by fear. Then Naomi's husband dies. Her sons marry Moabite women and for ten years the women have not additional family. And then her sons both die leaving two widows in the house of Naomi. Even though Ruth clings to Naomi, chapter 1 ends with Naomi's bitter complaint: "I went away full and the Lord has brought me back empty . . . The Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me." The other three scenes of this short book are about God working in the life of Ruth through unlikely ways – Boaz, the other relatives, the employees of Boaz and Naomi herself. Sunday, I will take us through a summary of the entire book – giving an overview of where we will go for the next 9 weeks. Come with me to Bethlehem and listen to the heart of God through the love of Ruth – first to Naomi and then to Boaz. God is good! One of my all-time favorite words is in Ruth – ‘hesed’ which is the lovingkindness of God. His everlasting promised love and hope. Ruth gets it – I hope we can too – See you Sunday to begin this classic story of Redemption and Salvation. Pastor Mike