In the Midst of the Mess - Week 4 - St. Peter - Pastor Jim Fleming
In the Midst of the Mess
Week 4 - St. Peter
Pastor Jim Fleming
Good morning to you, and welcome to our fourth and final message in our series “In the midst of the Mess”, and thank you to those who are joining us online as well.
Have you ever experienced culture shock in your life experience that, Maybe you were out of vacation went to another part of the United States, maybe you were overseas. You went there and they were speaking a different language, their skin was a different color. There was different food. There was different etiquette. There were different locations and places that you had not been to before and as you went to this place and navigated and tried to find your way, you just kind of felt nervous and uneasy and uncomfortable. I've experienced culture shock like that. I have in my life several times when I began in ministry, my mission board said we want you, Jim, to assimilate into native American culture, Navajo culture. And so, I did that, I learned history and I learned language and I learned religion, and I learned food and I learned dress and I learned etiquette. And I learned all of these things so that when I would see people, talk to people, I could say good morning to you or thank you or hug or I will see you later. But after 20 years, I can say, I was assimilated, people knew me and understood me. They respected me and they were happy to see me. And there are times when my wife and I would go to some activity. There'd be a hundred Navajo people, we'd be the only white people but we were comfortable and we were welcome and it was all good because I had assimilated into native culture. Can tell you the next time I experience culture shock. When I move back here,
And I had to wonder once again. Learn that “you betcha”, Is the universal answer to most questions and the English language, will you open the door for me? You betcha. Can I borrow that tool “you betcha”, right? But in all seriousness and this is not right or wrong, it's just different. I love being here, I love serving here but there's a lot of white people here you know to start which was a change and transition for me personally. Once again someone could look at me and say hey passage him he's a white guy on the outside but I was kind of red on the inside so that was a transition and change for me now. Now, why do I share these stories? And why do I call talk about culture shock? Can you imagine what it must have been like for Ruth? To leave Moab and go to a place she had never been. Now, I will grant you, she knew something about Israelite culture, because she married an Israelite who died, and she knew the true God. She was a believer. She knew the Lord. But to understand and hear those words that she spoke at the beginning, where you go, I will go. Your God will be my God and where you die. I will die. She was leaving her family and language and culture and etiquette and the places that were familiar to who was to her and she knew she was going to another place totally unfamiliar to her and she was going as a widow. And how are we going to survive?
That's culture shock. The transition I suspect. And we might look at this woman Ruth and go. How could she do it? How could she? And it's because she knew the Lord her husband Mahlon. taught her about the true God, so did Naomi. And if Jesus would have met Ruth, if Jesus would have met her, he would have said about her. Like he said, about a Canaanite woman, I have not found such great faith in all of Israel. Because Ruth was a special, special person.
Now maybe to rewind a little bit and talk about Ruth and Naomi. If you haven't been here through this series that we're working through, this is kind of be the one minute faster rewind, but Elimelech married Naomi. They live in Bethlehem, they have two sons. There's a famine they move. They leave Bethlehem because there's no food there. They moved to Moab. The two sons marry Moabite women, and then tragedy strikes, Elimilech dies, Mahlon and Killian dies and now Naomi and Ruth are left as widows and they decide to return to Bethlehem. Because now there's food there again, and then Ruth runs into this guy. While she's leaving, his name is Boaz and Boaz takes an interest in her and protects her and gives her food to eat. And then toward the end of chapter 3, finally Ruth goes to him at the threshing floor and says, spread your cloak over me. Spread your cloak over me and she was making a marriage proposal to Boaz. Now, Boaz is what is called, a kinsman redeemer, or guardian redeemer, and it's his responsibility. If his brother dies and there's no heir, he is to take his
Brother’s wife, marry her to bear a son to carry on the family name and to inherit that property. And this is Boaz’s responsibility. But there is a guy who is more closely related to Naomi that he and so this brings us to the climax and kind of the suspense of the story of Ruth because Boaz is going to go check this out. It's going to figure out what's going to happen. He says to Ruth that he will marry her but this is what happens at the end of chapter 3. Naomi says to Ruth. Wait my daughter until you find out what happens and then we're told at the beginning of chapter for Boaz, went up to the Town Gate and he sat there.
They're waiting. What is going to happen? Are you a person who likes to wait? If you ever been in a plane on the tarmac for three hours waiting to take off, And then you don't. And you get off the plane. All that was so great, I can't wait to do it again.
Or medical results waiting for them to come back or they going to be positive or they going to be - what's that going to look like, dude, like waiting there.
Next week, I'm going fishing in Canada with my four boys, I'm looking forward to that. But a week and a half ago, I did not have my passport to get into Canada. And I'm waiting, and it was uncomfortable, right? Waiting is not easy for us, right? It's just not. Sometimes in life, we pray to God, we have a situation. God, can I have this? God, can you take this away? And sometimes we pray. And God Says, Yes To Us. Sometimes God says, no. And sometimes, he says, wait to us. And that can be difficult that can be frustrating sometimes to us, right? There might be something we're dealing with at work or in family or with finances and we get frustrated about her with that person that's with us. And we speak sinful words of anger. Why is this going on? Why can't you hurry up and why can't things go faster? And we simply harm others with the words in our life because we show a lack of patience. And so we can understand what Ruth and Boaz and Naomi are going through. Because they are waiting, what is going to happen? And we are reminded of Our Saviors patients with us as well, where we are told in 2nd Peter. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise as some understand slowness God. Patient with you not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. The first takeaway is simply that's brothers and sisters. Lord, help me. Help me to have patience in my life. So, let's see what comes next for Boaz and Ruth. We're told boys took ten of the Elders of the town and said, sit here and they did. So then he said to the guardian Redeemer Naomi who has come back from Moab is selling the piece of land that belonged to our relative Elimelech. I thought I should bring the matter to your attention and suggest that you buy it in the presence of these seated here in the presence of the Elders of my people, if you will redeem it do so. But if you will not tell me. So I will know for no one has the right to do it except you and I am the next in line. I will redeem it. He said then but was said on the day you that you buy the land from Naomi. I also acquire Ruth the Moabite the Dead Man's Widow in order to maintain the name of the Dead with his property that this the guardian Redeemer said then, I cannot redeem it because I might endanger my own estate. You redeem it yourself.
Okay, so we are back to the kinsman redeemer and the best way that I can explain this. I think is to say, would any of us buy a brand new Corvette and then one year later, give it away to someone for free. Would any of us do that? Probably not because we can't afford it for most of us unless you have deep pockets. But this is kind of the situation for Boaz, Elimelech, excuse me, the other man, can buy the property, but when Boaz, marries Ruth, if they have a son, If they have a son, he automatically gets that property and to carry on the family name. And so this other man realizes that if I buy this, I could be given it away free in the year and he says so I'm not going to buy it. Okay, hopefully that helps now maybe that's more or less than you want to know, but that's the background. But here's the point. And here's the thing that we want to understand Boaz does not have to marry Ruth. Again, through the Book of Ruth, we are told she is a Moabite. She is a foreigner and as such Boaz is not bound to marry her, even though there is this custom of the kinsman redeemer, he does not have to do it but this leads us into a deeper understanding of Boaz and his character we know that he is caring that he protects Ruth but here we see even deeper that he is a man who is willing to serve and to marry her even
He does not have to he's not bound to do it. And so we see that he is a man who serves God interestingly enough. This is during the time of the Judges. There is corruption, there is idolatry. There is sexual sin. There is Bloodshed going on. It is an awful time in the history of the Israelite people. And here are these two people that love God and love each other, and are willing to circuits to sacrifice and to serve each other and it is wonderful to see. And interestingly enough when Boaz and Ruth get married and get together, they have a son and they named him Obed. Which means servant. And should that surprise us? Because as we look down through the generation, there's Obed, there's Jesse, there's King David in that family. It was a family that knew how to serve and this certainly reminds us of our savior.
Who said the son of God has come to serve, but to be served and to give his life as a ransom for many. That is our savior. And so, what do we see here? What do we understand? Do you want to have a good marriage? Do you look at Boaz. He is willing to go above and beyond the Call of Duty to serve his wife? Do you want to have a good relationship with your children or with your parents? Be willing to go above and beyond the Call of Duty to serve them? And to help them, do you want to have a good relationship with your employee or your employers be willing to go above and beyond the Call of Duty to serve them? Because that is what we see in our savior and how our savior has served us. And this is our next takeaway. As we look at this discussion that takes place. Please Lord, give me a heart. That is willing to serve the Lord. Please give me a heart, that is willing to serve it. So let's see where this leaves now, that Boaz has the land, it has a wife, then boy, has announced to the elders and all the people today. You are witnesses that I have bought from Naomi all the property of Elimelech. Killian and Mahlon. I have also acquired Ruth, the Moabite, Mahlons widow as my wife in order to maintain the
Of the Dead with his property, so that his name will not disappear from among his family, or from his hometown. Today, you are witnesses, then the elders know the people at the gate said, we Are Witnesses, may. The Lord, make the woman, who is coming into your home, like, Rachel and Leah, who together built up the family of Israel, may you have standing and Ephrathah and be famous in Bethlehem. So, Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife when he made love to her the Lord and Boaz and her to conceive and she gave birth to a son. The woman said to Naomi, praise be to the Lord who this day has not left you without a guardian redeemer, may he become famous throughout his well. He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age for your daughter-in-law, who loves you and who was better to you than seven sons has given him birth, then Naomi took the child in her arms and cared for him. And the women living there said Naomi has a son and they named him, Obed. He was the father of Jesse and the father of David. I love the Book of Ruth and the story and kind of the happy ending that takes place, right. But there is a theme and a contrast that runs through the Book of Ruth and it's the theme of empty and full. There's a contrast with that at the beginning of the book of Ruth.
Naomi is full in a sense in contrast is Bethlehem, which means House of Obed is empty. And so Naomi and elimelech, they take off and head down to Moab, and she even gets more full. She has her husband, her son's, married daughters. She has family there. Now, they have a home. They have food and she is fall. And Bethlehem is empty. And then tragedy strikes right? There's death and there is loss and she returns to Bethlehem and she says, call me Maura, she was bitter and she is empty. But now the contrast is Bethlehem is full. There's food there once again and we see the theme in the symbolism when Boaz gives grain and when he gives oats to help Ruth and Naomi survived a symbolic, and God is giving Hope and Faith to know Naomi little by Little and then by the end of the story, by chapter 4, at the end Naomi is full. Once again, she has a son and she has a daughter in law and she has a home and her property is taken care of and life is good. Once again. Now was it the same as before when she had her husband and two sons? No, it was different. It was a new normal but she was full once again in her life.
We see this theme in Ruth. This is what God does in life sometimes to people, sometimes he empties them before, he fills them up. Again in another way, there's many examples on the pages of scripture, we could think of Job, he's probably the best-known one, right? Suffers tremendously, not just that three people in his life, but seven sons, three daughters, his wealth, his health everything. But as we follow his life, through the Book of Job, once again, at the end of that stuff, When God fills up. Over again and blesses him even more than before. Or you think of Joseph, a young guy, he has a doll. He's got his coat of many colors and got empties him. He has forsaken. He is sold into slavery. Abandoned by his brothers, he is thrown into prison unjustly, he suffers and difficulties, but then slowly, and little by little God, blesses him and begins to fill him up. And by the end of Joseph's life, he has two sons. He has a wife and he is second command in Egypt. God filled him up. Though, I suspect if I were to take the time and to ask each of you here, was there a time in your life when God emptied you in some way?
Maybe it was the loss of a loved one. Immediately just health or financial or stress in a relationship and some way. And God emptied you and that was a tough time. That was difficult, but then little by little God blessed you, in other ways, he began to fill you up, and you found yourself later in another place, a different place, a good place, and God filled you up with his blessings once again.
Or maybe you're in that empty place right now. Maybe you're wanting to get pregnant and God's just not allowing that to happen. Maybe if you're a young person, you're saying God, why won't you a young single person God? Why, why don't you bring me a man into my life? Or why won't you bring a woman into my life? God, I really would like to get married, but it's not happening.
Whatever your circumstances if you're in that place, look at Ruth and look at Joseph and look at Job and to know that God does not forsake. But he will fill you up with his blessings in other ways in your life. And we see that in our Savior, Jesus Christ. And so our prayer in our takeaway for this is simply to save. Lord could tell continue to fill me up with your blessings. Lord, please help me give me strength and fill me up with your blessing. But there is one final theme in contrast that flows through Ruth and not really, not only Ruth but all of the Bible from the beginning of Genesis to the end of Revelation and the theme is this God is faithful. I mean, thanks for a moment, just think for a moment about Naomi and her husband and Ruth and Mahlon and Killian, they moved to Moab and they get comfortable there. Life is good. We got a great home, you got daughters along, we got food. You know, mom, that's a pretty nice place. It's a little bit warmer here than up north. I think, I like being down south but what happens if they get comfortable there and don't move back to Bethlehem?
But if that man and two sons, don't die. Ruth doesn't run into Boaz. Ruth is an ancestor to Savior. Boaz is an ancestor of David and ultimately of Jesus, what happens? The line of the Savior is broken. So we see our God's faithfulness, even in difficulty, in trouble of getting Ruth and Naomi and Boaz back together in Bethlehem where one day the Savior Jesus would be born. Here God is faithful and God made some promises to some people in the book of Genesis to Adam and Eve, God promised to send the Satan. God said to Satan, that he would send the crusher. Satan crushed one day, the snake crusher. One day to crush him, God made that promise to Adam and Eve and later on God said to Abraham in Genesis through you, Abraham all nations on earth are going to be blessed finally God, prompts prophesied and promised through to prophet Isaiah. He was pierced for our transgressions. He was stricken for our iniquities to punishment that brought his peace upon him. And by his wounds, we are healed. God made those faithful promises and he promised and he followed through on those promises by brothers and sisters. My God, your God is faithful. Faithful to not only those people but faithful to you. At times, we can reflect on that there's trouble. There's difficulty in my life, but when we look at the faithfulness of our God and fulfilled in our Savior, Jesus. We see his grace and mercy. Our Savior Jesus was emptied in his life when he was on the cross. My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? So that God could fill us up with his blessings to know that I am forgiven, that I am loved. And that my God cares for me that he showers his mercy and grace upon me that I am near and dear to him and that I am important and have infinite value. And my God's sight brothers and sisters. God is faithful to you. And that is our final takeaway this morning that you want to jot in if you like. God is faithful.
So this is our journey through the book of Ruth and I hope it's been an enjoyable one. And I wish I could preach more because I would like to preach on every chapter in Ruth. But there are so many great takeaways in the book of Ruth, we see that even in the midst of the mess, God is working for the good of his church. We see that God uses all things for his good. We see that God provides for people. We see that God is faithful to his promises. So many good things and so, brothers and sisters as we come to a close, I pray that it's abandoned encouragement to you, amen.
