To quote Zig Ziglar, every day I read my Bible and the newspaper so I can see what both sides are up to. And, right now, I have no idea what is going on in this world.
I am baffled at the lack of attention internationally to the Iranian nuclear threat. Even if you remove the direct threats to Israel, why isn't the world going ballistic over an avowed enemy nation seeking nuclear weapons? Why aren't the western nations joining together to apply sanctions or other actions on Iran to thwart their head-long pursuit of such weapons? Surely everyone recognizes what Iran is doing and understands the threat a nuclear Iran poses, not only to Israel but to the entire world. So why the inaction?
Along those same lines, I am astounded at how the world, especially the western world, is starting to turn their backs on Israel as they face one of the largest crises in their history. Not since 1967 has Israel faced an international crisis as large as a nuclear Iran, but we quibble over settlements in the capitol of Jerusalem and fiddle while Rome burns and Iran arms. Our country has always been a strong supporter of Israel, but now, as Israel faces its darkest moment as a revived nation, we appear to also be turning our back on our former ally. Why this sudden change in policy? Why this intentional turning away?
We can't blame this all on the current administration. While Obama may not be a strong supporter of Israel, others in his administration and in congress are. I have never been a fan of Hillary Clinton, but her unwavering support of Israel and her call for crippling sanctions has won my admiration. Along those same lines, many in congress, most notably Lindsay Graham and Chuck Shumer have been vocal in their call for sanctions and support of Israel. So, it's not like our country is in the midst of an overall turning away from Israel, and if this is not the case, then what in the world is going on?
As I sought answers for this in my own limited understanding of international politics, I ran across this quote from Joel Rosenberg posted on his website:
"Prophetically, I believe Israel will eventually be isolated from all countries in the world, especially as we approach the fulfillment of Ezekiel 38 & 39. Eventually, the Lord will wean Israel off of every nation – including the U.S. – so that the Jewish people only have Him to turn to and depend upon. That said, however, the Scriptures are clear in Genesis 12:1-3 and elsewhere that those who bless Israel, He will bless, and those who curse Israel, He will curse. We want our countries to be blessed by God, to experience repentance and revival and to be blessings to the rest of the world. Now, therefore, is the most critical time for true followers of Jesus Christ to show unconditional love and unwavering support to Israelis and to their Palestinian neighbors. We need to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. We need to show the love of Jesus to every Jew and Gentile in the Holy Land. And we need to strengthen the Church in the epicenter, encourage pastors and ministry leaders, and help them fulfill Isaiah 60:1-4."
Perhaps Rosenberg is correct -- perhaps this turning away is a hardening of the world's hearts towards Israel in order to get Israel's attention. What do you think? Are we seeing the hand of God moving the hearts of the nations against Israel? Are the recent natural disasters that we have experienced signs of God's unfolding prophecy? Is Rosenberg correct in his assertions?
Thursday, March 25, 2010
SERMON: CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE GOD KIND
28 February 2010
I. Introduction
-- turn in your Bibles to Luke 9
57. As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, "I will follow you wherever you go."
58. Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head."
59. He said to another man, "Follow me." But the man replied, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father."
60. Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God."
61. Still another said, "I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say good-by to my family."
62. Jesus replied, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God."
-- I know I'm going old-school on you, but how many of you remember the movie, "Close Encounters of the Third Kind?" -- it's hard to believe, but that movie is over 30 years old now
-- I remember watching that as a kid and enjoying the movie, but not really comprehending everything that was going on -- as I was studying this passage, I started thinking about that movie again
-- remember in the start of the movie how the character played by Richard Dreyfuss became obsessed with these images of a mountain-like shape? -- he kept having these dreams about this mountain and he kept seeing images of it everywhere he looked -- he started drawing pictures of it -- I remember at one point that he actually took his mashed potatoes and made a mountain out of them on the dining room table
-- as the movie progressed, he realized that this mountain that he had been seeing was real and he knew that he had to go to that mountain -- he had to follow that call that was in his heart and go to that place even though he didn't really know what was going on and he didn't understand what was happening -- he dropped everything -- he left everything behind -- his family -- his job -- his responsibilities -- all of it -- to follow this call -- it changed his life and set him on a different path
-- have you ever felt a calling like this in your life? -- have you ever felt a calling that was just so big and so important that you knew that you had to follow it, even though you didn't understand it completely -- event though it meant that you had to leave everything and everyone you knew behind in order to follow it?
-- that's the focus of this passage here in the book of Luke -- really, it's the focus of the whole New Testament -- it's about following the call of Jesus -- it's about responding to Him when He stops and looks at us and says, "Come, follow Me"
-- you know, even though the Bible is filled with teachings of Jesus -- with parables and beatitudes and conversations with people who drifted into His life -- really, Jesus' message was quite simple -- you could sum it up in two short statement -- first, "Repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand" -- and, second, "Come, follow Me"
-- all of His teachings -- all of His messages -- even the Great Commandment and the Great Commission -- is encompassed within the meaning of these two statements, for to repent and follow Him means to turn away from the world and all our past allegiances and to follow Jesus and His ways with our whole heart and our whole being
-- our problem is that, a lot of times, we misunderstand this call of Jesus -- when we hear Him say, "Come, follow Me," we assume that all He's talking about is salvation -- all He's talking about is a one-time commitment -- that is what has led our churches to be so impotent in this world -- we've concerned ourselves with salvation -- with getting to the cross -- with getting people to their knees -- but we've never considered what to do next
-- but, when Jesus told people to follow Him, the Greek word that He used there -- in every case -- didn't just mean a one-time event -- it didn't just mean, "right now" -- it implied a future event -- it implied future action -- it meant something that was greater than the immediate moment
-- when Jesus said, "Come, follow Me," what He really meant was, "From this moment on, stat following Me and never quit -- keep on following me -- keep on doing my will and my way -- keep on in obedience to me -- keep on my path with every step -- do nothing else in your life but follow me and my ways"
-- and knowing that, it makes perfect sense -- Jesus' first call was to repent -- that means to turn away from something -- to change course -- and His call to repent was not only to repent from the sin in our lives, but to repent from the things that led us into sin -- our flesh and our world
-- and, if you repent, if you turn from one thing and stop following it, then you have to start following something else -- so that's why Jesus said, "Repent, and follow Me" -- He's given us a different course -- a different path -- a different calling -- one that will cause us to do just like Richard Dreyfuss and leave everything behind in order to follow Him
II. Scripture Lesson (Luke 9:57-62)
-- but, as Bruce Cole puts it, "there are many who think that following Jesus is important, but not the most important thing in life" [Bruce Cole, http://www.fcfonline.org/content/1/sermons/011799m.pdf]
-- we see that right here in this passage
-- this passage occurs at an important point in Jesus' ministry -- it is in Luke Chapter 9 that Jesus confirms that He is more than just a teacher -- that He is more than just a prophet -- but that He is the Messiah -- the Son of God -- God Himself -- God incarnate
-- it is in this chapter that we read Peter's magnificent confession of Christ -- when Jesus asks His disciples who the people say He is, they respond, "Some say you are John the Baptist -- others say you are Elijah -- others that you are one of the prophets" -- Jesus then asked them, "Who do you say I am?" and Peter responds, "The Messiah -- the Christ of God -- the Anointed One" and Jesus applauds Peter for recognizing who He really is
-- shortly after that, we read of the Transfiguration on the mountain -- when the incarnate Jesus was clothed in all His glory and was transfigured before the eyes of His disciples Peter, James, and John -- showing once again that He was more than just a man -- that He was the God-Man -- the Messiah -- God with us
-- and now, after Jesus has identified Himself and His purpose to His disciples, Luke tells us that He has resolutely set His face towards Jerusalem -- Jesus is going to fulfill the purpose for which He came -- and all along the way, His call continues to go out to others around them through His teachings and His actions to join Him -- to follow Him -- He proclaims to all who listen, "Come, follow Me," but even though He is surrounded by crowds of people, few really hear and respond whole-heartedly to this call to be His disciple
-- here in these verses, we read of three such people -- let's look back at this now and see what we can learn from their responses to Jesus
-- verse 57
57. As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, "I will follow you wherever you go."
58. Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head."
-- Luke tells us that as Jesus and His disciples were walking along, a man came up to them and said, "I will follow you wherever you go." -- and I think it's important to note that He came up to them as they were walking along the road
-- this seems to imply that he didn't really didn't think about what was he was doing -- he was just reacting in the heat of the moment -- here he is, minding his own business, when he sees this Jesus that everyone's been talking about -- he sees Jesus coming through, with His disciples and a crowd of people following Him, and he just gets excited and says, "I'm coming too" -- it's like someone jumping in and joining a parade without knowing why he's doing it
-- this first man was impulsive and idealistic -- he heard the message and jumped on the bandwagon without really considering the cost -- he was like the seed that falls on the shallow soil in Jesus' parable about the sower -- he sprang up quickly and promised to follow Jesus wherever He went, but it wasn't real -- and Jesus knew that when the sun came out and began to beat on him -- when the trials and troubles and persecutions that come with following Him began to fall on this young man -- he would quickly fade away and not last
-- there's many of us who get caught up in the emotions of the moment and pledge our undying loyalty to Jesus, but who fade away when times get tough
-- I once hired a student to work with me in the field -- he came to my office one day and pledged his undying loyalty to me -- no, actually, he came and told me how he wanted to be a wildlife biologist -- how he wanted to study animals and work in the field and how this job would help him in his future career -- so, I hired him
-- but, I knew I was in trouble when he showed up for work that first day in an Izod shirt, plaid shorts, and sandals -- I made him go and change and then we headed out into the field -- he was excited the whole time we were driving out there, but when we got out of the truck and stepped into that July heat and into the woods, his tone changed -- he did nothing but complain the whole time we were out there -- this was not what he thought it was going to be like -- he thought it was going to be Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom with Marlin Perkins -- he thought it was going to be the Discovery Channel -- and when it turned out to be harder than he thought, he just quit -- he just left one day, told me he'd see me on Monday, and I never saw him again
-- Jesus recognized that in this young man -- Jesus wanted to make sure this man understood what he was getting into -- Jesus pointed out that there would be no warm bed at night -- there would no comforts along the way -- to come and follow Jesus meant he was going to face hardships and trials -- Jesus might be a King, but the call was not to live in the King's court, at least, not right now
-- J.C. Ryle put it this way, "Jesus would have no man enlisted on false pretenses -- He would have it distinctly understood that there is a battle to be fought and a race to be run, a work to be done, and many hard things to be endured if we propose to follow Him -- Christ would not have us ignorant that we shall have deadly enemies -- the world, the flesh, and the devil -- and that many will hate us, slander us and persecute us if we become disciples -- He does not wish to discourage us, but He does wish us to know the truth (Expository Thoughts on the Gospels, 3:339)"
-- and the truth is, to follow Jesus doesn't mean a life of comfort and convenience -- it means a life of difficulty, because you are going opposite the way of the world -- that's why Jesus tells us to count the cost before we commit to following Him
-- verse 59
59. He said to another man, "Follow me." But the man replied, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father."
60. Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God."
-- now, this second man had counted the cost -- he knew what it took to follow Jesus -- he just wasn't ready to give in to this call completely right now
-- this man put Jesus behind family obligations -- he put Jesus second -- and if you're going to follow Jesus, you have to put Him first
-- now, don't misunderstand what was going on in this interchange between Jesus and this man -- we read this and we think, "Wow! I can't believe that Jesus was so callous that He would tell the man to leave his father's side right after he has died and to come and follow Him" -- that's not what's goign on -- this phrase, "first let me go and bury my father" was a middle Eastern saying that meant, "I have to stay with my father until he passes away, and then, when he is gone and I have received my inheritance, I will follow you"
-- in other words, the man was putting his family and his familial obligations above Jesus -- he was putting his immediate needs in front of Jesus' call -- he recognized Jesus as Lord -- he recognized the cost of following Jesus -- but he was basically saying, "I can't pay that cost right now -- I'll follow you some day when my father is gone and I don't have as many obligations, but not right now"
-- we do the same, don't we? -- we tell Jesus, "I'll follow you when I retire and have more time" -- "I'll follow you when life gets less busy" -- "I'll follow you when the kids get grown and get out of school" -- "I'll follow you when I get that promotion or when my job is not so hectic" -- and so on and so on and so on
-- so, Jesus responded, "Let the dead bury their own dead" -- in other words, "make a choice -- either follow Me into the spiritual life that I offer and leave the old world behind -- let the spiritually dead people take care of themselves -- or don't"
-- when Jesus calls to us and says, "Come, follow Me," He means, "right now" -- He doesn't mean in the future -- He doesn't mean when we have less responsibilities -- He doesn't mean when our life is less hectic -- He means right now -- and that is something this man was unwilling to do
-- verse 61
61. Still another said, "I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say good-by to my family."
62. Jesus replied, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God."
-- I read about this teenage girl who got lost in her car during a snow storm -- she remembered what her dad had once told her: "If you ever get stuck in a snow storm, wait for a snow plow and follow it."
-- Pretty soon a snow plow came by, and she started to follow it -- She followed the plow for about forty five minutes -- and, finally the driver of the truck got out and asked her what she was doing -- She explained that her dad had told her if she ever got stuck in the snow, to follow a plow.
-- The driver nodded and said, "Well, I'm done with the Wal-Mart parking lot, now you can follow me over to K-Mart."
-- we have to be careful of who we follow -- we can't go with Jesus if we're still trying to follow the ways of this world -- Jesus' call is exclusive -- Jesus' call is to follow Him and no one else, but the man in these verses had a divided heart -- he just couldn't let go of his old relationships and ways -- he wanted to follow both Jesus and the world
-- he reminds me of Lot's wife from the story of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah -- as you remember, as Lot and his family were fleeing the city, the angel told them to not look back -- to keep their eyes on their destination -- but Lot's wife couldn't stand -- she couldn't leave the past behind -- and when she looked back, she was turned to a pillar of salt
-- that seems to be what's going on with this man -- he just couldn't make a clean break -- he just couldn't leave the past behind -- and Jesus knew that he was going to be continually looking back and that that was going to doom him to failure as a disciple
-- we can't move forward with Jesus if we try to walk looking back -- a friend of mine was talking about the rear-view mirror syndrome just this weekend -- he said that most accidents occur because people get so focused on their rear-view mirror and what's behind them that they quit looking ahead -- and next thing you know, they've run into the back of another car
-- well, we do the same thing, too -- we tend to look back at where we've come from -- we tend to focus on what's in the past when what Jesus is doing is calling us to focus on Him and to give our whole attention to Him
-- that rear-view mirror analogy is a great one to picture this -- think about your car -- how big is your rear-view mirror? -- pretty small, right -- now how big is your windshield? -- yeah, it takes up the whole front of the car -- the message is that we should be paying attention to where we are headed rather than to where we have been
-- this man wanted to keep one foot in the past -- he wanted to try to walk forwards looking back -- but Jesus said, "You can't come with Me unless you give me all of yourself -- unless you give me all of your attention and focus and obedience -- you're not fit for service in the kingdom if you don't quit looking back and clinging to the world"
III. Closing
-- the only way to follow Jesus is completely -- when Jesus says, "Come, follow Me," He intends for us to give ourselves completely and totally to Him -- this means that we give our total being to Him -- our mind -- our heart -- our hands -- everything
-- the first man didn't want to give Jesus his mind -- he didn't think about what it meant to follow Jesus -- all he thought about was how great it would be to be counted in Jesus' number -- to be known as one of Jesus' followers -- he didn't consider the cost to following Jesus because he wouldn't give his mind to Jesus
-- the second man wouldn't give his heart to Jesus -- his loyalties were divided -- his heart was divided -- he wanted to follow Jesus, but that wasn't his first love -- his first love was his family -- and so he wouldn't give his whole heart to Jesus when He called
-- the third man was willing to give his mind and his heart to Jesus, but he wouldn't give his hands -- he still wanted to be in the world -- he still wanted to keep on doing what he had been doing -- to keep on going like he had been going while still following Jesus -- but Jesus said, "You can't stay where you are and go with me -- you can't follow if you're constantly looking back"
C.S. Lewis wrote in "Mere Christianity:"
"Christ says, "Give me all -- I don't want so much of your time and so much of your money and so much of your work: I want you. -- I have not come to torment your natural self, but to kill it. -- No half-measures are any good. -- I don't want to cut off a branch here and a branch there. -- I want to have the whole tree down.
-- I don't want to drill the tooth, or crown it, or stop it, but to have it out. -- Hand over the whole natural self -- all the desires which you think are innocent as well as the ones you think are wicked—the whole outfit. -- I will give you a new self instead. -- In fact, I will give you myself: my own will shall become yours."
-- the call to follow Jesus is life-changing -- it must be life-changing -- because anything else is not complete commitment to the call
-- if we are going to respond to Jesus' call to "Come, follow Me," then we've got to make a clean break from the world -- we've got to remember that this is not a one-time call but a continual call -- we've got to get up from the cross -- get up from our knees -- and put the world behind -- and not look back -- we've got to follow Jesus and keep following Jesus -- that's the call that Jesus has made
-- as I close this morning, I want you to consider where you are in your walk with Christ -- have you settled for less than what Christ is demanding? -- have you stopped at the cross? -- are you trying to straddle a fence, with one foot in the world and one foot in God's kingdom?
-- Jesus wants us to follow Him and no one else -- Jesus wants us to follow Him and leave all behind -- and until we do so, we will never truly experience His presence and His power in our lives
-- I want to invite you to respond to God's word this morning as you feel led -- and come to the altar if you need to physically move forward into His kingdom today as you hear His call, "Come, Follow Me"
-- let us pray
I. Introduction
-- turn in your Bibles to Luke 9
57. As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, "I will follow you wherever you go."
58. Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head."
59. He said to another man, "Follow me." But the man replied, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father."
60. Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God."
61. Still another said, "I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say good-by to my family."
62. Jesus replied, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God."
-- I know I'm going old-school on you, but how many of you remember the movie, "Close Encounters of the Third Kind?" -- it's hard to believe, but that movie is over 30 years old now
-- I remember watching that as a kid and enjoying the movie, but not really comprehending everything that was going on -- as I was studying this passage, I started thinking about that movie again
-- remember in the start of the movie how the character played by Richard Dreyfuss became obsessed with these images of a mountain-like shape? -- he kept having these dreams about this mountain and he kept seeing images of it everywhere he looked -- he started drawing pictures of it -- I remember at one point that he actually took his mashed potatoes and made a mountain out of them on the dining room table
-- as the movie progressed, he realized that this mountain that he had been seeing was real and he knew that he had to go to that mountain -- he had to follow that call that was in his heart and go to that place even though he didn't really know what was going on and he didn't understand what was happening -- he dropped everything -- he left everything behind -- his family -- his job -- his responsibilities -- all of it -- to follow this call -- it changed his life and set him on a different path
-- have you ever felt a calling like this in your life? -- have you ever felt a calling that was just so big and so important that you knew that you had to follow it, even though you didn't understand it completely -- event though it meant that you had to leave everything and everyone you knew behind in order to follow it?
-- that's the focus of this passage here in the book of Luke -- really, it's the focus of the whole New Testament -- it's about following the call of Jesus -- it's about responding to Him when He stops and looks at us and says, "Come, follow Me"
-- you know, even though the Bible is filled with teachings of Jesus -- with parables and beatitudes and conversations with people who drifted into His life -- really, Jesus' message was quite simple -- you could sum it up in two short statement -- first, "Repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand" -- and, second, "Come, follow Me"
-- all of His teachings -- all of His messages -- even the Great Commandment and the Great Commission -- is encompassed within the meaning of these two statements, for to repent and follow Him means to turn away from the world and all our past allegiances and to follow Jesus and His ways with our whole heart and our whole being
-- our problem is that, a lot of times, we misunderstand this call of Jesus -- when we hear Him say, "Come, follow Me," we assume that all He's talking about is salvation -- all He's talking about is a one-time commitment -- that is what has led our churches to be so impotent in this world -- we've concerned ourselves with salvation -- with getting to the cross -- with getting people to their knees -- but we've never considered what to do next
-- but, when Jesus told people to follow Him, the Greek word that He used there -- in every case -- didn't just mean a one-time event -- it didn't just mean, "right now" -- it implied a future event -- it implied future action -- it meant something that was greater than the immediate moment
-- when Jesus said, "Come, follow Me," what He really meant was, "From this moment on, stat following Me and never quit -- keep on following me -- keep on doing my will and my way -- keep on in obedience to me -- keep on my path with every step -- do nothing else in your life but follow me and my ways"
-- and knowing that, it makes perfect sense -- Jesus' first call was to repent -- that means to turn away from something -- to change course -- and His call to repent was not only to repent from the sin in our lives, but to repent from the things that led us into sin -- our flesh and our world
-- and, if you repent, if you turn from one thing and stop following it, then you have to start following something else -- so that's why Jesus said, "Repent, and follow Me" -- He's given us a different course -- a different path -- a different calling -- one that will cause us to do just like Richard Dreyfuss and leave everything behind in order to follow Him
II. Scripture Lesson (Luke 9:57-62)
-- but, as Bruce Cole puts it, "there are many who think that following Jesus is important, but not the most important thing in life" [Bruce Cole, http://www.fcfonline.org/content/1/sermons/011799m.pdf]
-- we see that right here in this passage
-- this passage occurs at an important point in Jesus' ministry -- it is in Luke Chapter 9 that Jesus confirms that He is more than just a teacher -- that He is more than just a prophet -- but that He is the Messiah -- the Son of God -- God Himself -- God incarnate
-- it is in this chapter that we read Peter's magnificent confession of Christ -- when Jesus asks His disciples who the people say He is, they respond, "Some say you are John the Baptist -- others say you are Elijah -- others that you are one of the prophets" -- Jesus then asked them, "Who do you say I am?" and Peter responds, "The Messiah -- the Christ of God -- the Anointed One" and Jesus applauds Peter for recognizing who He really is
-- shortly after that, we read of the Transfiguration on the mountain -- when the incarnate Jesus was clothed in all His glory and was transfigured before the eyes of His disciples Peter, James, and John -- showing once again that He was more than just a man -- that He was the God-Man -- the Messiah -- God with us
-- and now, after Jesus has identified Himself and His purpose to His disciples, Luke tells us that He has resolutely set His face towards Jerusalem -- Jesus is going to fulfill the purpose for which He came -- and all along the way, His call continues to go out to others around them through His teachings and His actions to join Him -- to follow Him -- He proclaims to all who listen, "Come, follow Me," but even though He is surrounded by crowds of people, few really hear and respond whole-heartedly to this call to be His disciple
-- here in these verses, we read of three such people -- let's look back at this now and see what we can learn from their responses to Jesus
-- verse 57
57. As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, "I will follow you wherever you go."
58. Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head."
-- Luke tells us that as Jesus and His disciples were walking along, a man came up to them and said, "I will follow you wherever you go." -- and I think it's important to note that He came up to them as they were walking along the road
-- this seems to imply that he didn't really didn't think about what was he was doing -- he was just reacting in the heat of the moment -- here he is, minding his own business, when he sees this Jesus that everyone's been talking about -- he sees Jesus coming through, with His disciples and a crowd of people following Him, and he just gets excited and says, "I'm coming too" -- it's like someone jumping in and joining a parade without knowing why he's doing it
-- this first man was impulsive and idealistic -- he heard the message and jumped on the bandwagon without really considering the cost -- he was like the seed that falls on the shallow soil in Jesus' parable about the sower -- he sprang up quickly and promised to follow Jesus wherever He went, but it wasn't real -- and Jesus knew that when the sun came out and began to beat on him -- when the trials and troubles and persecutions that come with following Him began to fall on this young man -- he would quickly fade away and not last
-- there's many of us who get caught up in the emotions of the moment and pledge our undying loyalty to Jesus, but who fade away when times get tough
-- I once hired a student to work with me in the field -- he came to my office one day and pledged his undying loyalty to me -- no, actually, he came and told me how he wanted to be a wildlife biologist -- how he wanted to study animals and work in the field and how this job would help him in his future career -- so, I hired him
-- but, I knew I was in trouble when he showed up for work that first day in an Izod shirt, plaid shorts, and sandals -- I made him go and change and then we headed out into the field -- he was excited the whole time we were driving out there, but when we got out of the truck and stepped into that July heat and into the woods, his tone changed -- he did nothing but complain the whole time we were out there -- this was not what he thought it was going to be like -- he thought it was going to be Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom with Marlin Perkins -- he thought it was going to be the Discovery Channel -- and when it turned out to be harder than he thought, he just quit -- he just left one day, told me he'd see me on Monday, and I never saw him again
-- Jesus recognized that in this young man -- Jesus wanted to make sure this man understood what he was getting into -- Jesus pointed out that there would be no warm bed at night -- there would no comforts along the way -- to come and follow Jesus meant he was going to face hardships and trials -- Jesus might be a King, but the call was not to live in the King's court, at least, not right now
-- J.C. Ryle put it this way, "Jesus would have no man enlisted on false pretenses -- He would have it distinctly understood that there is a battle to be fought and a race to be run, a work to be done, and many hard things to be endured if we propose to follow Him -- Christ would not have us ignorant that we shall have deadly enemies -- the world, the flesh, and the devil -- and that many will hate us, slander us and persecute us if we become disciples -- He does not wish to discourage us, but He does wish us to know the truth (Expository Thoughts on the Gospels, 3:339)"
-- and the truth is, to follow Jesus doesn't mean a life of comfort and convenience -- it means a life of difficulty, because you are going opposite the way of the world -- that's why Jesus tells us to count the cost before we commit to following Him
-- verse 59
59. He said to another man, "Follow me." But the man replied, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father."
60. Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God."
-- now, this second man had counted the cost -- he knew what it took to follow Jesus -- he just wasn't ready to give in to this call completely right now
-- this man put Jesus behind family obligations -- he put Jesus second -- and if you're going to follow Jesus, you have to put Him first
-- now, don't misunderstand what was going on in this interchange between Jesus and this man -- we read this and we think, "Wow! I can't believe that Jesus was so callous that He would tell the man to leave his father's side right after he has died and to come and follow Him" -- that's not what's goign on -- this phrase, "first let me go and bury my father" was a middle Eastern saying that meant, "I have to stay with my father until he passes away, and then, when he is gone and I have received my inheritance, I will follow you"
-- in other words, the man was putting his family and his familial obligations above Jesus -- he was putting his immediate needs in front of Jesus' call -- he recognized Jesus as Lord -- he recognized the cost of following Jesus -- but he was basically saying, "I can't pay that cost right now -- I'll follow you some day when my father is gone and I don't have as many obligations, but not right now"
-- we do the same, don't we? -- we tell Jesus, "I'll follow you when I retire and have more time" -- "I'll follow you when life gets less busy" -- "I'll follow you when the kids get grown and get out of school" -- "I'll follow you when I get that promotion or when my job is not so hectic" -- and so on and so on and so on
-- so, Jesus responded, "Let the dead bury their own dead" -- in other words, "make a choice -- either follow Me into the spiritual life that I offer and leave the old world behind -- let the spiritually dead people take care of themselves -- or don't"
-- when Jesus calls to us and says, "Come, follow Me," He means, "right now" -- He doesn't mean in the future -- He doesn't mean when we have less responsibilities -- He doesn't mean when our life is less hectic -- He means right now -- and that is something this man was unwilling to do
-- verse 61
61. Still another said, "I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say good-by to my family."
62. Jesus replied, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God."
-- I read about this teenage girl who got lost in her car during a snow storm -- she remembered what her dad had once told her: "If you ever get stuck in a snow storm, wait for a snow plow and follow it."
-- Pretty soon a snow plow came by, and she started to follow it -- She followed the plow for about forty five minutes -- and, finally the driver of the truck got out and asked her what she was doing -- She explained that her dad had told her if she ever got stuck in the snow, to follow a plow.
-- The driver nodded and said, "Well, I'm done with the Wal-Mart parking lot, now you can follow me over to K-Mart."
-- we have to be careful of who we follow -- we can't go with Jesus if we're still trying to follow the ways of this world -- Jesus' call is exclusive -- Jesus' call is to follow Him and no one else, but the man in these verses had a divided heart -- he just couldn't let go of his old relationships and ways -- he wanted to follow both Jesus and the world
-- he reminds me of Lot's wife from the story of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah -- as you remember, as Lot and his family were fleeing the city, the angel told them to not look back -- to keep their eyes on their destination -- but Lot's wife couldn't stand -- she couldn't leave the past behind -- and when she looked back, she was turned to a pillar of salt
-- that seems to be what's going on with this man -- he just couldn't make a clean break -- he just couldn't leave the past behind -- and Jesus knew that he was going to be continually looking back and that that was going to doom him to failure as a disciple
-- we can't move forward with Jesus if we try to walk looking back -- a friend of mine was talking about the rear-view mirror syndrome just this weekend -- he said that most accidents occur because people get so focused on their rear-view mirror and what's behind them that they quit looking ahead -- and next thing you know, they've run into the back of another car
-- well, we do the same thing, too -- we tend to look back at where we've come from -- we tend to focus on what's in the past when what Jesus is doing is calling us to focus on Him and to give our whole attention to Him
-- that rear-view mirror analogy is a great one to picture this -- think about your car -- how big is your rear-view mirror? -- pretty small, right -- now how big is your windshield? -- yeah, it takes up the whole front of the car -- the message is that we should be paying attention to where we are headed rather than to where we have been
-- this man wanted to keep one foot in the past -- he wanted to try to walk forwards looking back -- but Jesus said, "You can't come with Me unless you give me all of yourself -- unless you give me all of your attention and focus and obedience -- you're not fit for service in the kingdom if you don't quit looking back and clinging to the world"
III. Closing
-- the only way to follow Jesus is completely -- when Jesus says, "Come, follow Me," He intends for us to give ourselves completely and totally to Him -- this means that we give our total being to Him -- our mind -- our heart -- our hands -- everything
-- the first man didn't want to give Jesus his mind -- he didn't think about what it meant to follow Jesus -- all he thought about was how great it would be to be counted in Jesus' number -- to be known as one of Jesus' followers -- he didn't consider the cost to following Jesus because he wouldn't give his mind to Jesus
-- the second man wouldn't give his heart to Jesus -- his loyalties were divided -- his heart was divided -- he wanted to follow Jesus, but that wasn't his first love -- his first love was his family -- and so he wouldn't give his whole heart to Jesus when He called
-- the third man was willing to give his mind and his heart to Jesus, but he wouldn't give his hands -- he still wanted to be in the world -- he still wanted to keep on doing what he had been doing -- to keep on going like he had been going while still following Jesus -- but Jesus said, "You can't stay where you are and go with me -- you can't follow if you're constantly looking back"
C.S. Lewis wrote in "Mere Christianity:"
"Christ says, "Give me all -- I don't want so much of your time and so much of your money and so much of your work: I want you. -- I have not come to torment your natural self, but to kill it. -- No half-measures are any good. -- I don't want to cut off a branch here and a branch there. -- I want to have the whole tree down.
-- I don't want to drill the tooth, or crown it, or stop it, but to have it out. -- Hand over the whole natural self -- all the desires which you think are innocent as well as the ones you think are wicked—the whole outfit. -- I will give you a new self instead. -- In fact, I will give you myself: my own will shall become yours."
-- the call to follow Jesus is life-changing -- it must be life-changing -- because anything else is not complete commitment to the call
-- if we are going to respond to Jesus' call to "Come, follow Me," then we've got to make a clean break from the world -- we've got to remember that this is not a one-time call but a continual call -- we've got to get up from the cross -- get up from our knees -- and put the world behind -- and not look back -- we've got to follow Jesus and keep following Jesus -- that's the call that Jesus has made
-- as I close this morning, I want you to consider where you are in your walk with Christ -- have you settled for less than what Christ is demanding? -- have you stopped at the cross? -- are you trying to straddle a fence, with one foot in the world and one foot in God's kingdom?
-- Jesus wants us to follow Him and no one else -- Jesus wants us to follow Him and leave all behind -- and until we do so, we will never truly experience His presence and His power in our lives
-- I want to invite you to respond to God's word this morning as you feel led -- and come to the altar if you need to physically move forward into His kingdom today as you hear His call, "Come, Follow Me"
-- let us pray
SERMON: AN ARRANGED MARRIAGE
14 February 2010
I. Introduction
-- turn in your Bibles to the Book of Ruth, Chapter 3
-- while you are doing that, since it is Valentine's Day today, I want to share with you some humorous quotes from kids on the subject of love and marriage that I got off the internet
-- these were all in answer to questions that the interviewer asked
-- How Do You Decide Who To Marry?
-- Alan, age 10, said: "You got to find somebody who likes the same stuff. Like, if you like sports, she should like it that you like sports, and she should keep the chips and dip coming."
-- Kirsten, age 10, said, "No person really decides before they grow up who they're going to marry. GOD decides it all way before, and you get to find out later who you're stuck with."
-- What Is The Right Age To Get Married?
-- Camille, age 10, said, "Twenty-three is the best age because you know the person FOREVER by then."
-- Freddie, age 6, was a little more cynical -- "No age is good to get married at. You got to be a fool to get married."
-- How Can A Stranger Tell If Two People Are Married? -- Derrick, age 8, had it figured out -- "You might have to guess, based on whether they seem to be yelling at the same kids."
-- here's a good one from Lori, age 8 -- What Do You Think Your Mom And Dad Have In Common? -- "Both don't want any more kids."
-- What Do Most People Do On A Date?
-- "Dates are for having fun, and people should use them to get to know each other. Even boys have something to say if you listen long enough." --Lynnette, age 8
-- Martin, age 10, said -- "On the first date, they just tell each other lies and that usually gets them interested enough to go for a second date."
-- When Is It Okay To Kiss Someone?
-- Pam, age 7 -- "When they're rich."
-- here's Curt, age 7 -- "The law says you have to be eighteen, so I wouldn't want to mess with that."
-- How Would The World Be Different If People Didn't Get Married? -- "There sure would be a lot of kids to explain, wouldn't there?" --Kelvin, age 8
-- How Would You Make A Marriage Work? -- Ricky, age 10, has it all figured out -- "Tell your wife that she looks pretty, even if she looks like a truck."
-- those were pretty good, weren't they? -- I just wanted to share with you a little Valentine's Day Gift on this day in which we celebrate our relationships with our loved ones
-- now, if you would, look with me at the Book of Ruth, Chapter 3, and let's read our text for today -- Ruth 3:1-14
1. One day Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, "My daughter, should I not try to find a home for you, where you will be well provided for?
2. Is not Boaz, with whose servant girls you have been, a kinsman of ours? Tonight he will be winnowing barley on the threshing floor.
3. Wash and perfume yourself, and put on your best clothes. Then go down to the threshing floor, but don't let him know you are there until he has finished eating and drinking.
4. When he lies down, note the place where he is lying. Then go and uncover his feet and lie down. He will tell you what to do."
5. "I will do whatever you say," Ruth answered.
6. So she went down to the threshing floor and did everything her mother-in-law told her to do.
7. When Boaz had finished eating and drinking and was in good spirits, he went over to lie down at the far end of the grain pile. Ruth approached quietly, uncovered his feet and lay down.
8. In the middle of the night something startled the man, and he turned and discovered a woman lying at his feet.
9. "Who are you?" he asked. "I am your servant Ruth," she said. "Spread the corner of your garment over me, since you are a kinsman-redeemer."
10. "The LORD bless you, my daughter," he replied. "This kindness is greater than that which you showed earlier: You have not run after the younger men, whether rich or poor.
11. And now, my daughter, don't be afraid. I will do for you all you ask. All my fellow townsmen know that you are a woman of noble character.
12. Although it is true that I am near of kin, there is a kinsman-redeemer nearer than I.
13. Stay here for the night, and in the morning if he wants to redeem, good; let him redeem. But if he is not willing, as surely as the LORD lives I will do it. Lie here until morning."
14. So she lay at his feet until morning, but got up before anyone could be recognized; and he said, "Don't let it be known that a woman came to the threshing floor."
-- since I have advanced in my job and have found myself trapped in the office more and more on a regular basis, I have found myself working around and with women more than men -- in the early part of my career, I was frequently just outdoors alone or with a few other guys, but now, I seem to be constantly working with women -- which is not necessarily a bad thing
-- because of this, I have learned some things about women that I never knew -- growing up, when I was in high school and then in college, women were a great mystery to me -- I never could understand them or figure out what drove them and what they were interested in -- but now, after working with them closely for several years, I know
-- there is one great common thing that I would say that 99% of all single women share -- they all want to get married -- they all have these dreams of settling down in a nice home with a white picket fence, two kids, and a loving husband -- I know I'm generalizing here, but there does seem to be this heart-cry of women for marriage and a long-term relationship
-- quite a few of the women I have worked with over the years have had steady boyfriends that they had been dating for years and years, but who would never seem to work up the courage to ask them to marry him -- I would hear these women complain time and time again, "When is he going to ask me to marry him? -- why won't he ask me to marry him?"
-- I guess this is a common problem with women today -- this is the plot of the new movie, "Leap Year," that just came out a few weeks ago -- Anna is a successful businesswoman who has her life all mapped out -- her career has succeeded beyond her wildest expectations -- and it seems like her social life is succeeding, all except for the fact that her boyfriend Jeremy just never will propose and ask her to marry him
-- so, Anna's father reminds her of an old Irish tradition that comes about every four years during Leap Year -- on February 29th of every leap year, the roles are reversed and women have the right to ask a man to marry them -- we have this same tradition in our country, but we call it "Sadie Hawkins Day" -- in Anna's case, Jeremy just happens to be in Ireland for February 29th, so she travels over to Dublin to ask him to marry her -- if you want to know what happens to Anna and Jeremy, you'll just have to go see the movie for yourself
II. Scripture Lesson (Ruth 3:1-14)
-- I bring this up on Valentine's Day today because in our text today we see a parallel between Anna and Ruth -- not that Ruth has been waiting years for her boyfriend to propose, but that social conventions of her day would not allow women to ask men to marry them
-- so, let's look back at this passage and read about one of the most romantic stories in all the Bible
-- before we go back to Chapter 3, let me remind you of the background of the story of Ruth
-- as you probably remember, Ruth was from Moab -- when Elimelech and his wife, Naomi, had moved from Bethlehem in Israel to Moab with their sons to flee a devastating drought in the country, Ruth had ended up marrying Elimelech's son, Mahlon
-- just a few years after they had been married, Mahlon died, along with Elimelech and his brother, Kilion -- leaving Ruth a widow -- rather than returning to her people like Kilion's wife, Ruth had instead traveled back to Israel with Naomi to live with her and take care of her in Bethlehem
-- as our story today opens, Ruth and Naomi have been living in Bethlehem for some time without any source of income and food had become scarce -- so Ruth went into the fields during the spring harvest season for barley and wheat to glean behind the reapers -- she would follow them along and pick up the stray stalks of grain that fell to the ground and were left behind during the harvesting process -- and this was what she and Naomi survived on
-- I've always heard that a coincidence is when God chooses to remain anonymous -- and by coincidence, Ruth just happened to pick the field of Boaz to glean in -- now Ruth didn't know it, but Boaz was her and Naomi's kinsman-redeemer
-- a kinsman-redeemer was a close relative who was responsible for protecting the interests of needy members of their extended family -- they were to redeem the family name of deceased relatives by making sure their widows and children were provided for, including marrying the widows and providing an heir for the deceased to ensure that their family line was continued and buying back family land that had been sold or avenging the death of a relative
-- in this case, Boaz was a kinsman-redeemer for both Naomi and Ruth though her marriage to Mahlon
-- now we're not going to look at Chapter 2 this morning, but if you go back and read it and read between the lines, you'll quickly see that Boaz was smitten with Ruth -- he fell in love with her at first sight and made sure that she was taken care of and provided extra grain and was protected from all harm -- and as you read, you can see how Ruth begins to fall in love with Boaz, too
-- which brings us to Chapter 3 and our text for today -- as this chapter opens, Naomi has seen this blossoming romance between Ruth and Boaz and realizes that Boaz can't ask Ruth to marry him for a couple of reasons
-- first, Ruth was from Moab, a people that were despised in Israel -- it would have gone against social and political conventions for Boaz to marry her, and it would have affected Boaz's standing in the community
-- and, second, Boaz was not Naomi's closest kinsman-redeemer -- there was another person more closely related to Naomi and Ruth than he, and that person had first choice as to whether to marry Ruth or not -- the rules of society dictated that Boaz not make a move towards Ruth until the other person chose whether to marry her or not
-- and, third, Boaz evidently was a lot older than Ruth -- he appears to be about the same age as Naomi and he keeps referring to Ruth as "daughter" -- a man of noble character like Boaz would not act upon his interests in a younger woman unless he knew for sure she was interested in him
-- so, let's look back at Chapter 3 here and pick up the story of Ruth and Boaz at that point
-- verse 1
1. One day Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, "My daughter, should I not try to find a home for you, where you will be well provided for?
-- typically, it would have been a father's responsibility to find a suitable husband for his daughter -- or, in the case of a widow, her father-in-law -- but, both Ruth and Naomi are widows -- there is no man in their home and Naomi knows that they need a man in their lives -- they need someone who can protect them and provide for them if they are going to make it there in Bethlehem -- so, Naomi takes it upon herself to break social conventions and to find a husband for Ruth -- and, of course, who does she propose? -- Boaz
-- verse 2
2. Is not Boaz, with whose servant girls you have been, a kinsman of ours? Tonight he will be winnowing barley on the threshing floor.
3. Wash and perfume yourself, and put on your best clothes. Then go down to the threshing floor, but don't let him know you are there until he has finished eating and drinking.
-- at this time, the harvest was all in and all that remained was the thresh and winnow the grain -- this was a time for celebration, and each night at the threshing floor a great party would be held, with eating and drinking and just celebrating all that God had done for them
-- Naomi has Ruth dress like she's going to the prom -- she has her put on her best clothes and her best perfume and she sends her down to the threshing floor -- but she tells her to stay hidden in the background until the festivities are over -- Ruth isn't going to party -- Ruth is going for another reason, and Naomi doesn't want Boaz to get the wrong impression
-- verse 4
4. When he lies down, note the place where he is lying. Then go and uncover his feet and lie down. He will tell you what to do."
5. "I will do whatever you say," Ruth answered.
6. So she went down to the threshing floor and did everything her mother-in-law told her to do.
7. When Boaz had finished eating and drinking and was in good spirits, he went over to lie down at the far end of the grain pile. Ruth approached quietly, uncovered his feet and lay down.
8. In the middle of the night something startled the man, and he turned and discovered a woman lying at his feet.
9. "Who are you?" he asked. "I am your servant Ruth," she said. "Spread the corner of your garment over me, since you are a kinsman-redeemer."
-- now, let me explain what is going on in this passage with all the uncovering of feet and laying down next to each other
-- this was an ancient Near Eastern custom -- this was their version of February 29th or Sadie Hawkins Day -- when a woman took the bold step of offering herself to a man, she would go to where he was sleeping and uncover his feet -- when he woke, he had a choice -- he could either cover her with his robe or blanket, signifying that he would be her protector -- or, he could reject her by not covering her up and leaving her at his feet
-- now, note that this was not a sexual proposition by Ruth -- it is true that women of good moral character did not typically go to the threshing floor -- only women of ill repute would do that -- but rather than going in and laying at his side in the middle of the night, which would have been a sexual proposition, Ruth lies at his feet -- a position a servant would take
-- by going to the threshing floor and uncovering Boaz's feet and laying there all night, Ruth was asking Boaz to marry her -- to bring her up from the position of a servant to the position of a wife
-- the author of Ruth tells us that Boaz woke up suddenly and was alarmed at finding a woman laying at his feet -- it was dark -- he couldn't tell who it was -- but it is obvious that Boaz was not the type of man who was accustomed to finding women laying at his feet -- in other words, Boaz was a man of character and integrity and he was shocked at finding a woman laying there on the threshing floor
-- so, he asks who it is, and Ruth proposes to him by reminding him of the obligation of the kinsman-redeemer
-- verse 10
10. "The LORD bless you, my daughter," he replied. "This kindness is greater than that which you showed earlier: You have not run after the younger men, whether rich or poor.
11. And now, my daughter, don't be afraid. I will do for you all you ask. All my fellow townsmen know that you are a woman of noble character.
12. Although it is true that I am near of kin, there is a kinsman-redeemer nearer than I.
13. Stay here for the night, and in the morning if he wants to redeem, good; let him redeem. But if he is not willing, as surely as the LORD lives I will do it. Lie here until morning."
14. So she lay at his feet until morning, but got up before anyone could be recognized; and he said, "Don't let it be known that a woman came to the threshing floor."
-- does it seem like all of Boaz's wildest dreams have come true? -- it seems like he can't believe his good fortune -- it's obvious that he has been in love with Ruth -- he gushes over her -- his emotions come out in a rush -- it seems like he can't believe that she chose him over the younger men in the city, even the rich ones who would have provided a better life for her
-- he is nothing but a gentleman -- he accepts her proposal and tells her that he will do everything in his power to marry her -- he has her lie there the rest of the night, and then sends her off in the morning before the other men wake up to protect her honor
-- the story continues in Chapter 4 as Boaz convinces the other kinsman-redeemer to not marry Ruth himself -- Ruth and Boaz get married and live happily ever after -- having a son together that they named Obed, who was the father of Jesse, the grandfather of David -- and part of the lineage of Jesus Himself
III. Closing
-- so, what a wonderful, romantic story for Valentine's Day -- but, you might be asking yourself, "Why? -- Why is this in the Bible? -- What does this have to do with God? -- What does this have to do with me?"
-- surely, God didn't just have this put in His holy scriptures just to entertain us on Valentine's Day -- surely, this wasn't just put in as a romantic story for the early Israelites to read around the campfire
-- so, what does it mean?
-- well, this story of Ruth and Boaz is a symbol of the greatest love story of all time -- in this love story, we play the role of Ruth -- we are lost and alone in a foreign land, living among people that are not our own -- we need someone to love us -- someone to protect us -- someone to redeem us
-- and so, in comes our kinsman-redeemer -- the One who loves us enough to give up His very own life to redeem us from our lives of sin and shame -- Jesus came to redeem us -- to make us part of His family -- to offer us a place in His home
-- and although in this case the offer of marriage has been made, we have to follow the example of Ruth and we have to take the next bold step -- we have to go to where Jesus is and we have to say, "Yes," to His offer of a relationship
-- we have to ask Him to cover us, not with His robe, but with His blood -- we have to ask Him to forgive us of our sins -- and we have to accept His forgiveness and receive the salvation He offers if we are to experience eternal life with Him
-- if we do so, then we will enter into a love relationship that is greater than any other -- a love relationship that protects and provides and offers us heaven itself
-- what better way to celebrate Valentine's Day than by receiving the love of Christ in our hearts? -- if you have never done that, then I want to invite you to do so this morning
-- if you have done that, then don't forget your Valentine today -- remember Jesus and use this day to restore and renew your relationship with Him -- pledge your love to Him again -- and pledge to live for Him today
-- let us pray
I. Introduction
-- turn in your Bibles to the Book of Ruth, Chapter 3
-- while you are doing that, since it is Valentine's Day today, I want to share with you some humorous quotes from kids on the subject of love and marriage that I got off the internet
-- these were all in answer to questions that the interviewer asked
-- How Do You Decide Who To Marry?
-- Alan, age 10, said: "You got to find somebody who likes the same stuff. Like, if you like sports, she should like it that you like sports, and she should keep the chips and dip coming."
-- Kirsten, age 10, said, "No person really decides before they grow up who they're going to marry. GOD decides it all way before, and you get to find out later who you're stuck with."
-- What Is The Right Age To Get Married?
-- Camille, age 10, said, "Twenty-three is the best age because you know the person FOREVER by then."
-- Freddie, age 6, was a little more cynical -- "No age is good to get married at. You got to be a fool to get married."
-- How Can A Stranger Tell If Two People Are Married? -- Derrick, age 8, had it figured out -- "You might have to guess, based on whether they seem to be yelling at the same kids."
-- here's a good one from Lori, age 8 -- What Do You Think Your Mom And Dad Have In Common? -- "Both don't want any more kids."
-- What Do Most People Do On A Date?
-- "Dates are for having fun, and people should use them to get to know each other. Even boys have something to say if you listen long enough." --Lynnette, age 8
-- Martin, age 10, said -- "On the first date, they just tell each other lies and that usually gets them interested enough to go for a second date."
-- When Is It Okay To Kiss Someone?
-- Pam, age 7 -- "When they're rich."
-- here's Curt, age 7 -- "The law says you have to be eighteen, so I wouldn't want to mess with that."
-- How Would The World Be Different If People Didn't Get Married? -- "There sure would be a lot of kids to explain, wouldn't there?" --Kelvin, age 8
-- How Would You Make A Marriage Work? -- Ricky, age 10, has it all figured out -- "Tell your wife that she looks pretty, even if she looks like a truck."
-- those were pretty good, weren't they? -- I just wanted to share with you a little Valentine's Day Gift on this day in which we celebrate our relationships with our loved ones
-- now, if you would, look with me at the Book of Ruth, Chapter 3, and let's read our text for today -- Ruth 3:1-14
1. One day Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, "My daughter, should I not try to find a home for you, where you will be well provided for?
2. Is not Boaz, with whose servant girls you have been, a kinsman of ours? Tonight he will be winnowing barley on the threshing floor.
3. Wash and perfume yourself, and put on your best clothes. Then go down to the threshing floor, but don't let him know you are there until he has finished eating and drinking.
4. When he lies down, note the place where he is lying. Then go and uncover his feet and lie down. He will tell you what to do."
5. "I will do whatever you say," Ruth answered.
6. So she went down to the threshing floor and did everything her mother-in-law told her to do.
7. When Boaz had finished eating and drinking and was in good spirits, he went over to lie down at the far end of the grain pile. Ruth approached quietly, uncovered his feet and lay down.
8. In the middle of the night something startled the man, and he turned and discovered a woman lying at his feet.
9. "Who are you?" he asked. "I am your servant Ruth," she said. "Spread the corner of your garment over me, since you are a kinsman-redeemer."
10. "The LORD bless you, my daughter," he replied. "This kindness is greater than that which you showed earlier: You have not run after the younger men, whether rich or poor.
11. And now, my daughter, don't be afraid. I will do for you all you ask. All my fellow townsmen know that you are a woman of noble character.
12. Although it is true that I am near of kin, there is a kinsman-redeemer nearer than I.
13. Stay here for the night, and in the morning if he wants to redeem, good; let him redeem. But if he is not willing, as surely as the LORD lives I will do it. Lie here until morning."
14. So she lay at his feet until morning, but got up before anyone could be recognized; and he said, "Don't let it be known that a woman came to the threshing floor."
-- since I have advanced in my job and have found myself trapped in the office more and more on a regular basis, I have found myself working around and with women more than men -- in the early part of my career, I was frequently just outdoors alone or with a few other guys, but now, I seem to be constantly working with women -- which is not necessarily a bad thing
-- because of this, I have learned some things about women that I never knew -- growing up, when I was in high school and then in college, women were a great mystery to me -- I never could understand them or figure out what drove them and what they were interested in -- but now, after working with them closely for several years, I know
-- there is one great common thing that I would say that 99% of all single women share -- they all want to get married -- they all have these dreams of settling down in a nice home with a white picket fence, two kids, and a loving husband -- I know I'm generalizing here, but there does seem to be this heart-cry of women for marriage and a long-term relationship
-- quite a few of the women I have worked with over the years have had steady boyfriends that they had been dating for years and years, but who would never seem to work up the courage to ask them to marry him -- I would hear these women complain time and time again, "When is he going to ask me to marry him? -- why won't he ask me to marry him?"
-- I guess this is a common problem with women today -- this is the plot of the new movie, "Leap Year," that just came out a few weeks ago -- Anna is a successful businesswoman who has her life all mapped out -- her career has succeeded beyond her wildest expectations -- and it seems like her social life is succeeding, all except for the fact that her boyfriend Jeremy just never will propose and ask her to marry him
-- so, Anna's father reminds her of an old Irish tradition that comes about every four years during Leap Year -- on February 29th of every leap year, the roles are reversed and women have the right to ask a man to marry them -- we have this same tradition in our country, but we call it "Sadie Hawkins Day" -- in Anna's case, Jeremy just happens to be in Ireland for February 29th, so she travels over to Dublin to ask him to marry her -- if you want to know what happens to Anna and Jeremy, you'll just have to go see the movie for yourself
II. Scripture Lesson (Ruth 3:1-14)
-- I bring this up on Valentine's Day today because in our text today we see a parallel between Anna and Ruth -- not that Ruth has been waiting years for her boyfriend to propose, but that social conventions of her day would not allow women to ask men to marry them
-- so, let's look back at this passage and read about one of the most romantic stories in all the Bible
-- before we go back to Chapter 3, let me remind you of the background of the story of Ruth
-- as you probably remember, Ruth was from Moab -- when Elimelech and his wife, Naomi, had moved from Bethlehem in Israel to Moab with their sons to flee a devastating drought in the country, Ruth had ended up marrying Elimelech's son, Mahlon
-- just a few years after they had been married, Mahlon died, along with Elimelech and his brother, Kilion -- leaving Ruth a widow -- rather than returning to her people like Kilion's wife, Ruth had instead traveled back to Israel with Naomi to live with her and take care of her in Bethlehem
-- as our story today opens, Ruth and Naomi have been living in Bethlehem for some time without any source of income and food had become scarce -- so Ruth went into the fields during the spring harvest season for barley and wheat to glean behind the reapers -- she would follow them along and pick up the stray stalks of grain that fell to the ground and were left behind during the harvesting process -- and this was what she and Naomi survived on
-- I've always heard that a coincidence is when God chooses to remain anonymous -- and by coincidence, Ruth just happened to pick the field of Boaz to glean in -- now Ruth didn't know it, but Boaz was her and Naomi's kinsman-redeemer
-- a kinsman-redeemer was a close relative who was responsible for protecting the interests of needy members of their extended family -- they were to redeem the family name of deceased relatives by making sure their widows and children were provided for, including marrying the widows and providing an heir for the deceased to ensure that their family line was continued and buying back family land that had been sold or avenging the death of a relative
-- in this case, Boaz was a kinsman-redeemer for both Naomi and Ruth though her marriage to Mahlon
-- now we're not going to look at Chapter 2 this morning, but if you go back and read it and read between the lines, you'll quickly see that Boaz was smitten with Ruth -- he fell in love with her at first sight and made sure that she was taken care of and provided extra grain and was protected from all harm -- and as you read, you can see how Ruth begins to fall in love with Boaz, too
-- which brings us to Chapter 3 and our text for today -- as this chapter opens, Naomi has seen this blossoming romance between Ruth and Boaz and realizes that Boaz can't ask Ruth to marry him for a couple of reasons
-- first, Ruth was from Moab, a people that were despised in Israel -- it would have gone against social and political conventions for Boaz to marry her, and it would have affected Boaz's standing in the community
-- and, second, Boaz was not Naomi's closest kinsman-redeemer -- there was another person more closely related to Naomi and Ruth than he, and that person had first choice as to whether to marry Ruth or not -- the rules of society dictated that Boaz not make a move towards Ruth until the other person chose whether to marry her or not
-- and, third, Boaz evidently was a lot older than Ruth -- he appears to be about the same age as Naomi and he keeps referring to Ruth as "daughter" -- a man of noble character like Boaz would not act upon his interests in a younger woman unless he knew for sure she was interested in him
-- so, let's look back at Chapter 3 here and pick up the story of Ruth and Boaz at that point
-- verse 1
1. One day Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, "My daughter, should I not try to find a home for you, where you will be well provided for?
-- typically, it would have been a father's responsibility to find a suitable husband for his daughter -- or, in the case of a widow, her father-in-law -- but, both Ruth and Naomi are widows -- there is no man in their home and Naomi knows that they need a man in their lives -- they need someone who can protect them and provide for them if they are going to make it there in Bethlehem -- so, Naomi takes it upon herself to break social conventions and to find a husband for Ruth -- and, of course, who does she propose? -- Boaz
-- verse 2
2. Is not Boaz, with whose servant girls you have been, a kinsman of ours? Tonight he will be winnowing barley on the threshing floor.
3. Wash and perfume yourself, and put on your best clothes. Then go down to the threshing floor, but don't let him know you are there until he has finished eating and drinking.
-- at this time, the harvest was all in and all that remained was the thresh and winnow the grain -- this was a time for celebration, and each night at the threshing floor a great party would be held, with eating and drinking and just celebrating all that God had done for them
-- Naomi has Ruth dress like she's going to the prom -- she has her put on her best clothes and her best perfume and she sends her down to the threshing floor -- but she tells her to stay hidden in the background until the festivities are over -- Ruth isn't going to party -- Ruth is going for another reason, and Naomi doesn't want Boaz to get the wrong impression
-- verse 4
4. When he lies down, note the place where he is lying. Then go and uncover his feet and lie down. He will tell you what to do."
5. "I will do whatever you say," Ruth answered.
6. So she went down to the threshing floor and did everything her mother-in-law told her to do.
7. When Boaz had finished eating and drinking and was in good spirits, he went over to lie down at the far end of the grain pile. Ruth approached quietly, uncovered his feet and lay down.
8. In the middle of the night something startled the man, and he turned and discovered a woman lying at his feet.
9. "Who are you?" he asked. "I am your servant Ruth," she said. "Spread the corner of your garment over me, since you are a kinsman-redeemer."
-- now, let me explain what is going on in this passage with all the uncovering of feet and laying down next to each other
-- this was an ancient Near Eastern custom -- this was their version of February 29th or Sadie Hawkins Day -- when a woman took the bold step of offering herself to a man, she would go to where he was sleeping and uncover his feet -- when he woke, he had a choice -- he could either cover her with his robe or blanket, signifying that he would be her protector -- or, he could reject her by not covering her up and leaving her at his feet
-- now, note that this was not a sexual proposition by Ruth -- it is true that women of good moral character did not typically go to the threshing floor -- only women of ill repute would do that -- but rather than going in and laying at his side in the middle of the night, which would have been a sexual proposition, Ruth lies at his feet -- a position a servant would take
-- by going to the threshing floor and uncovering Boaz's feet and laying there all night, Ruth was asking Boaz to marry her -- to bring her up from the position of a servant to the position of a wife
-- the author of Ruth tells us that Boaz woke up suddenly and was alarmed at finding a woman laying at his feet -- it was dark -- he couldn't tell who it was -- but it is obvious that Boaz was not the type of man who was accustomed to finding women laying at his feet -- in other words, Boaz was a man of character and integrity and he was shocked at finding a woman laying there on the threshing floor
-- so, he asks who it is, and Ruth proposes to him by reminding him of the obligation of the kinsman-redeemer
-- verse 10
10. "The LORD bless you, my daughter," he replied. "This kindness is greater than that which you showed earlier: You have not run after the younger men, whether rich or poor.
11. And now, my daughter, don't be afraid. I will do for you all you ask. All my fellow townsmen know that you are a woman of noble character.
12. Although it is true that I am near of kin, there is a kinsman-redeemer nearer than I.
13. Stay here for the night, and in the morning if he wants to redeem, good; let him redeem. But if he is not willing, as surely as the LORD lives I will do it. Lie here until morning."
14. So she lay at his feet until morning, but got up before anyone could be recognized; and he said, "Don't let it be known that a woman came to the threshing floor."
-- does it seem like all of Boaz's wildest dreams have come true? -- it seems like he can't believe his good fortune -- it's obvious that he has been in love with Ruth -- he gushes over her -- his emotions come out in a rush -- it seems like he can't believe that she chose him over the younger men in the city, even the rich ones who would have provided a better life for her
-- he is nothing but a gentleman -- he accepts her proposal and tells her that he will do everything in his power to marry her -- he has her lie there the rest of the night, and then sends her off in the morning before the other men wake up to protect her honor
-- the story continues in Chapter 4 as Boaz convinces the other kinsman-redeemer to not marry Ruth himself -- Ruth and Boaz get married and live happily ever after -- having a son together that they named Obed, who was the father of Jesse, the grandfather of David -- and part of the lineage of Jesus Himself
III. Closing
-- so, what a wonderful, romantic story for Valentine's Day -- but, you might be asking yourself, "Why? -- Why is this in the Bible? -- What does this have to do with God? -- What does this have to do with me?"
-- surely, God didn't just have this put in His holy scriptures just to entertain us on Valentine's Day -- surely, this wasn't just put in as a romantic story for the early Israelites to read around the campfire
-- so, what does it mean?
-- well, this story of Ruth and Boaz is a symbol of the greatest love story of all time -- in this love story, we play the role of Ruth -- we are lost and alone in a foreign land, living among people that are not our own -- we need someone to love us -- someone to protect us -- someone to redeem us
-- and so, in comes our kinsman-redeemer -- the One who loves us enough to give up His very own life to redeem us from our lives of sin and shame -- Jesus came to redeem us -- to make us part of His family -- to offer us a place in His home
-- and although in this case the offer of marriage has been made, we have to follow the example of Ruth and we have to take the next bold step -- we have to go to where Jesus is and we have to say, "Yes," to His offer of a relationship
-- we have to ask Him to cover us, not with His robe, but with His blood -- we have to ask Him to forgive us of our sins -- and we have to accept His forgiveness and receive the salvation He offers if we are to experience eternal life with Him
-- if we do so, then we will enter into a love relationship that is greater than any other -- a love relationship that protects and provides and offers us heaven itself
-- what better way to celebrate Valentine's Day than by receiving the love of Christ in our hearts? -- if you have never done that, then I want to invite you to do so this morning
-- if you have done that, then don't forget your Valentine today -- remember Jesus and use this day to restore and renew your relationship with Him -- pledge your love to Him again -- and pledge to live for Him today
-- let us pray
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)