Introduction:
The Redemption of God... (Ruth 3):
- Cannot be earned by my efforts but Only Received by Faith . (Ruth 3:1-5)
Isaiah 64:6 - All of us have become like one who is unclean and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags.
- Brings me guaranteed Rest and Protection . (Ruth 3:6-14)
Philippians 1:6 - And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.
Jude 24 - Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of His glory with great joy.
- Reveals itself in my life in Tangible Ways . (Ruth 3:15-18)
2 Corinthians 13:5 - Examine yourselves, to see if you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? – unless indeed you fail to meet the test!
Sermon Notes (PDF): BLANK
Hint: Highlight blanks above for answers!
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00:54-01:15
Alright, so you can turn to Ruth chapter 3 Ruth chapter 3 October 5th 2013 I asked the most important question of my life and this question could either the answer to this question could either devastate me or Change my future for the rest of my life. Can you guess what that question is?
01:17-01:30
Will you marry me and thankfully Kate's answer was yes which still boggles my mind that she would marry someone like me, and many of you are thinking, "Yes, Taylor, I'm thinking the same exact thing." It boggles my mind as well.
01:31-01:41
And I won't bore you with all the details of our engagement because even though it was exciting for us, it wasn't an over-the-top extravaganza that you often see on YouTube and social media.
01:42-01:46
Some guys take it way too far with proposals, don't they?
01:46-01:52
Turn to the person next to you and share the lamest or most extreme engagement story you've ever heard?
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Take 20 seconds, do that.
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20 seconds to explain the lamest or most extreme engagement story you've ever heard.
02:02-02:03
All right, all right.
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Hopefully none of you shared about your engagement story during this, right?
02:08-02:18
Well, this past week, while you were doing whatever you were doing, I looked up the most crazy and weird proposal stories that have ever happened.
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Do you wanna hear about what I came up with?
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Or I thought you would.
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Did you know, for a short period of time, Pizza Hut offered a dinner box that came with an engagement package?
02:31-02:37
Because we all think of romance when we think of a personal pan pizza that used to be good back in the 90s, right?
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We actually have a picture of their ad.
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This engagement included a red ruby ring.
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Oh, so fancy.
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A limo ride, and even a fireworks display.
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Man, if I'd only known about that back in the day, my engagement story would even be more noteworthy.
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And this option could have been mine for the super reasonable price of $10,010 plus tax.
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I love the $10, like that pushes it over the edge for to make it really worth it.
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Or how about this one?
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An amateur pilot named Anthony convinced his girlfriend to let him take her up for a plane ride even though she was terrified of flying.
03:16-03:19
And while they're flying, he fakes an engine failure.
03:21-03:24
And he hands her a checklist and frantically says, wait, read me all the instructions.
03:25-03:27
And she's like crying and down to the bottom.
03:27-03:30
And the last thing that says is, will you marry me?
03:32-03:35
And after she comes down from a panic attack, she actually said yes.
03:37-03:39
And this last one might be my favorite.
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A Russian guy named Alexey Bykov hired a stuntman and a film director to help him fake his own death in an elaborate car crash right in front of his girlfriend.
03:52-04:01
And so after Lexi is laying there in a pile of movie blood, he pops up, "Will you marry me?" And thankfully and strangely, she actually said yes.
04:02-04:08
I feel like these last two stories almost say more about the women who said yes than the guys who asked if they would say yes.
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Well, at this point, you may be thinking, "Taylor, this is really fun and all, But are you gonna get to the point in the near future?
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Well, we're in the third week of our study of the Book of Ruth.
04:20-04:25
This morning, we're gonna zero in on one of the most unique proposal stories in the entire Bible.
04:26-04:32
It may not be as strange as a Pizza Hut engagement box or faking a plane or a car crash, but it's up there.
04:33-04:41
And since this proposal story is so unusual, I wanna approach this sermon in a very unusual way.
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I wanna keep us on our toes this morning.
04:44-04:50
I want you to put yourself in elementary school mindset and get ready for story time.
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Who likes story time?
04:52-04:55
As a kid, remember the carpet squares you used to sit on?
04:55-05:06
I want you to bust out a mental carpet square and get ready for story time as I go straight through the account of Ru's proposal to Boaz in chapter three of this book.
05:07-05:12
And we'll see that this isn't just an entertaining retelling of someone popping the question.
05:13-05:20
This is actually a glorious picture of sacrifice, redemption, and restoration.
05:21-05:32
And once we wrap up story time, we will unpack three essential truths about our redemption in Christ that we see reflected in the Lord's redemption of Ruth.
05:33-05:36
So before we do that, let's go to the Lord and ask for his help.
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Father, we thank you so much this time as we open up your word to hear from you.
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And that's what we want, to hear from you.
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Every single time we read from your word, we are hearing from the mouth of God.
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I pray that we would submit to you.
06:00-06:03
We receive the word that you have for us, Lord.
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that we'd walk out of here different and transformed.
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We ask all this in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
06:14-06:21
So let's kick off story time with a reminder of where we've come so far because maybe you forgot or maybe you weren't here over the past week or two.
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So a famine hits the land of Israel and a family of four escapes to the pagan nation of Moab.
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And while they're there, the father of Limelech and his two boys suddenly die.
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They leave behind their mother, Naomi, and their two Moabite wives, Ruth and Orpah.
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And Naomi hears that the Lord has revisited Israel with rain and there's finally food.
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So she decides to turn away from Moab and turn back to Israel.
06:50-07:01
Orpah decides to stay in Moab while Ruth decides to loyally stick by her mother-in-law's side because she actually loves and worships Yahweh.
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And the Lord's providential hand leads Ruth to a large community field in Israel.
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And the portion of the field is owned by a man of integrity named Boaz.
07:12-07:16
And Boaz shows Ruth unbelievable kindness.
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And she comes back to her house with 30 pounds of barley.
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And she tells Naomi everything that happened with Boaz.
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And Naomi gives her the juicy detail that Boaz is actually one of their relatives and he is one of their redeemers.
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Well, what does that mean?
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What is a redeemer?
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Well, a kinsman redeemer is a male family member who is expected to help their household in times of trouble.
07:43-07:47
And not just with their immediate family, but with their extended family as well.
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If a family member is sold into slavery, a kinsman redeemer is expected to buy them back, to buy their freedom.
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If a murder or theft hits the family, The kinsman redeemer is expected to seek justice and not just sit back and do nothing.
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If family property or land is lost for any reason, the kinsman redeemer must buy it back at his own expense rather than sit back and go, good luck with that, not my problem.
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If a husband dies childless, his brother is expected to marry his widow.
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And this kinsman redeemer should father a son for his brother so his brother's name does not die with him.
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Now this may be brand new information for us in 2024, but this Redeemer tradition was ringing in Naomi's mind as she heard about Boaz's kindness to Ruth.
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So she begins to hatch a plan, an idea for the strangest proposal that you can imagine.
08:55-09:01
She wants Boaz to marry Ruth so that he can redeem and rescue their family line.
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So let's peek into Naomi's house to overhear her lay out this plan step by step to Ruth in verses one through five of chapter three.
09:12-09:19
The Naomi, her mother-in-law said to her, my daughter, should I not seek rest for you that it may be well with you?
09:19-09:23
Is not Boaz our relative with whose young women you were?
09:23-09:26
See, he is winnowing barley tonight at the threshing floor.
09:27-09:37
Wash therefore and anoint yourself and put on your cloak and go down to the threshing floor, but do not make yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and drinking.
09:38-09:47
But when he lies down, observe the place where he lies, then go and uncover his feet and lie down and he will tell you what to do.
09:47-09:51
And she replied, all that you say, I will do.
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So like a good mother, Naomi only wants what is best for Ruth.
09:58-10:03
She wants her daughter-in-law to experience true rest and protection.
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And Naomi seems to get that God is providentially bringing Ruth and Boaz together.
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She kind of wants to push that boulder a bit further so they go down the hill and gather momentum.
10:16-10:23
I'm sure that nobody in this room can relate to having a nebby mother-in-law like Naomi, right?
10:23-10:24
Don't laugh too hard for some of you.
10:26-10:36
At the end of the harvest season, the reapers actually would sleep in the field overnight after working overtime to make sure that all of the work is finished on time.
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This is the time of winnowing, when the wheat or barley is thrown in the air and the grain and the chaff is separated from each other.
10:45-10:49
The chaff actually blows away in the wind.
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And Naomi knows that Boaz is a great guy, he's a great boss, so he won't just be sleeping at home in his own bed while his workers do everything.
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She knows he's gonna be sleeping at the threshing floor with them.
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She tells Ruth to get dressed up, put on her best face, sneak down to the threshing floor and spy on Boaz for a bit.
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And once he's had his celebratory wine, his late night snack, and has fallen asleep, go to him, lie down with him, and uncover his feet.
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Now we have to understand, this story took place over 3,000 years ago, so there's a lot of customs and traditions that we have no idea about.
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It's kind of hard to grasp Naomi's thought process here, because in 2024, at first glance, this seems like a sexual proposition, but that is not the case, and that will become obvious as the story unfolds.
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But there are a couple questions that pop up as you read this text.
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Why couldn't Naomi have just gone to Boaz in the light of day to ask him to marry Ruth?
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As was very common back in those days.
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Why did this all have to happen at nighttime?
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As your mother probably told you at some point, nothing good happens after midnight.
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Have you ever heard your mom say that?
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or if you're a mom, have you said that to your kids?
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Well, that's certainly proven true in my life and probably many of your lives as well.
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And the uncovering of the feet is a bit weird too.
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People have a question about what does that even mean?
12:29-12:31
Well, the simplest answer is probably the right answer.
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By removing the sheet from his feet, he would get chilly and, thank you, Pastor Jeff.
12:39-12:40
(congregation laughing)
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He would get chilly and he would wake up.
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So after Ruth hears this entire plan, she doesn't object, she doesn't ask any questions.
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She says that she will do everything as she is told to do.
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So let's see how the execution of the plan works out in verses six through 13.
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So Ruth went down to the threshing floor and did just as her mother-in-law had commanded her.
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And when Boaz had eaten and drunk and his heart was merry, "He went to lie down at the end of the heap of grain.
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"Then she came softly and uncovered his feet and lay down.
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"At midnight the man was startled and turned over "and behold a woman laid his feet.
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"He said, 'Who are you?' "And she answered, 'I am Ruth, your servant.
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"'Spread your wings over your servant "'for you are a redeemer.' "And he said, 'May you be blessed by the Lord, my daughter.
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"'You have made this last kindness to me "'greater than the first, "in which you have not yet gone after young men, "whether poor or rich.
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"And now, my daughter, do not fear.
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"I will do for you all that you ask, "for all my fellow townsmen know "that you are a worthy woman.
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"And now it is true that I am a Redeemer." Now get ready to gasp.
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"Yet there is a Redeemer nearer than I." And nobody gasped.
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Let me give another chance at that.
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"Yet there is a Redeemer nearer than I." All right, good job.
14:06-14:08
"Remain tonight in the morning.
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"If he will redeem you, good, let him do it.
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"But if he is not willing to redeem you, "then as the Lord lives, I will redeem you.
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"Lie down until morning." Like any man being woken up in the dead of night, Boaz is a bit startled and jumpy, but he's excited that Ruth is there because he likes her and he is happy that she wants to marry him.
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He's a bit surprised because he's a bit older when she's younger.
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And he says that her reputation is growing in Bethlehem and she's a very eligible bachelorette among the younger guys in town.
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Boaz wants to marry her, but as we just gassed at, there is another redeemer in the family who is closer, who is next in line to marry Ruth.
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And Boaz can't just cut in line without asking for this redeemer's permission first to see if he wants to marry Ruth.
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Boaz swears in the name of Yahweh that he will marry, he will redeem Ruth if this other redeemer rejects her.
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He tells her to lie down and they fall asleep, which again, looks really bad on the surface, right?
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But we have no idea how close the other sleeping workers were to them at the time.
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It's very likely that Boaz was worried for Ruth's safety and he didn't want her to travel back home into pitch black, especially during the time of the judges where other men weren't to be trusted.
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As we read this story, it's a good idea to assume the best instead of the worst when it comes to Ruth and Boaz because they have a long track record of doing the right thing.
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But I have a quick tangent I wanna share with you.
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This story is not giving unmarried couples permission to sleep in the same bed or live in the same house even if they aren't having sex.
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The author is not saying that this was a good and wise choice, he is simply describing what happened all those years ago, not prescribing how unmarried couples should go about their sleeping arrangements.
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Does that make sense?
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All right, good, I feel so much better, now we can move on.
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So let's wrap up story time with verses 14 through 18.
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So Ruth laid his feet until the morning, but arose before one could recognize another.
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And he said, "Let it not be known that the woman came to the threshing floor.
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And he said, bring the garment you are wearing and hold it out.
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So she held it, and he measured out six measures of barley and put it on her.
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Then she went into the city.
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And when she came to her mother-in-law, she said, how did you fare, my daughter?
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Then she told her all the man had done for her, saying, these six measures of barley he gave to me, for he said to me, you must not go back empty-handed to your mother-in-law.
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She replied, wait, my daughter, until you learn "turns out, for the man will not rest, "but will settle the matter today." So they both wake up before it's light out, and Boaz says, "Hey, nobody can know about this, "because again, it seems pretty bad, right?" If people hear about this, the rumor mill will begin to churn, right?
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They didn't have sex, but perception often seems like reality.
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You could just imagine what people would say in Bethlehem.
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"Did you hear what happened last night in Boaz's field?
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"Him and Ruth slept together.
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"He's such a creepy old man.
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"Oh, Ruth, I thought she loved the Lord, "but I guess I was wrong about her." Boaz isn't trying to cover up wrongdoing.
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He's simply trying to protect Ruth's reputation.
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He doesn't want lies and rumors following her around for the rest of her life.
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And then Boaz has her take off her shawl and he fills it with 60 to 80 pounds of barley.
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I was laughing this entire week.
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I mean, how did that even work?
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Here, give me your shawl.
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He puts all this weight in it.
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I guess she just threw it over her shoulder and like dragged it home.
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I have no idea how this worked.
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But instead of going to Pizza Hut and getting a red ruby ring to show to her that he would marry her, he gives her all this food as a symbol that he will redeem her if the time comes.
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And he gives her this symbol to show to Naomi as well, to show that he will follow through on his word.
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And Naomi is convinced that he will be on the ball, that he's gonna track down the other redeemer that very day.
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And that is the story of chapter three.
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You can put your mental carpet squares away since story time is over.
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And I know what some of you may be thinking at this point in this message.
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Taylor, I was paying attention the entire time, but I'm still unclear about what this proposal has to do with me.
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Well, we just heard a story of a woman being guaranteed that she will be rescued from an extremely difficult position in life.
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This is a story of redemption.
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And if you know and love Jesus Christ, you have a story of redemption as well, except your story of redemption is infinitely more beautiful and glorious than Ruth's.
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Her redemption only involved freedom from a life of isolation and poverty.
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You, on the other hand, have been redeemed or bought back from slavery to Satan, sin, and death.
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Your ransom has been paid by the precious blood of Christ that was shed upon the cross, and you have been rescued from eternal punishment in hell.
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You have gone from an enemy of God to a beloved child and friend.
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You have been set free.
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And that news is astounding the first time you heard it, and it'll be as astounding the billionth time you've heard it.
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But unfortunately and sadly, we often lose sight of how truly awesome this story of redemption really is.
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So for the next few minutes, I want us to see how Ruth's redemption points to our own and highlights the amazing grace of our great God.
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So on your outline, the redemption of God, number one, cannot be earned by my efforts, but only received by faith.
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Cannot be earned by my efforts, but only received by faith.
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As we read earlier, Ruth is told by Naomi to take a bath, put on her nicest outfit, to spray her neck and wrists with perfume, and to approach Boaz under the cover of darkness.
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Now this fancy makeover is most likely a sign that she is no longer mourning her husband who died, that she is making herself available for remarriage.
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This is the ancient equivalent of activating your online dating profile and clicking the box that says single.
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Ruth puts in her best effort into her appearance for this big date.
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You know, I was talking to Rich Sprunk a few weeks ago about this passage, and he said something that has really stuck in my mind.
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I haven't been able to stop thinking about since when it comes to this passage.
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He said, knowing Boaz's character, he would have chosen to redeem and marry Ruth even if she hadn't focused on how she looked.
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If she had looked like she just rolled out of bed and she hadn't really focused on what she looked like, he still would have redeemed her because he cared about her.
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He didn't care about her external appearance.
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Ruth didn't need to clean herself up to be redeemed by Boaz.
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And we don't need to clean ourselves up for Christ to be redeemed by him either.
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You know, working in full-time ministry, I hear so many inaccurate claims from a wide variety of people.
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I'll hear people say, oh, you don't want me going to your church.
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If I were to walk in, I'd immediately catch on fire.
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Have you ever heard someone say something like that before?
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They say it so confidently, like it's ever happened in the history of the church, right?
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Like we have a special fire extinguisher just to put out the horrible people who walk into our church.
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We have a fantastic security team, but I'm pretty sure this is not one of the scenarios they've been trained on.
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Pastor Jeff, you've been in ministry for over 30 years.
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Have you ever seen this happen before?
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All right, let us know if you do remember.
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I hear this next one a lot.
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I know, I know, I need to read the Bible and go to church, but I need to work on myself first.
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I need to clean up my act before I can get right with God.
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Does that sound like a good plan to you?
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I always respond in the same exact way.
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You're getting that order completely reversed.
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You have a zero percent chance of cleaning up your act and becoming the person you need to be apart from being made right with God.
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Behavior modification doesn't matter if you haven't had a heart transformation?
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What's the point of trying to obey the word of God if you have not been saved from the wrath of God?
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We have to constantly remind ourselves that we cannot work our way towards this redemption.
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We can never be good enough.
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We can never do enough.
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We are given this hard news in Isaiah 64, six, that all of us have become like one who is unclean, and all of our righteous acts are like filthy rags.
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Even your best efforts apart from Christ are disgusting and dirty in the eyes of God.
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Trying to pay off your sin debt to the Lord with your own unrighteous deeds is as foolish as trying to pay your taxes this April with Monopoly money.
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You can try either of those things with the highest of hopes and the best of intentions, but the debt will remain the same and it will be unpaid.
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Scripture makes it crystal clear that we can only receive this redemption by grace through faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ.
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The Apostle Paul backs this up in Ephesians 2:8-9.
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For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing.
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It is the gift of God, not a result of works that no one may boast.
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If you've been trying to scrub yourself clean to be accepted by God, I have fantastic news for you this morning.
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You can stop doing that right now, because it does nothing.
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It does nothing.
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Instead, turn to Jesus Christ for salvation.
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His perfect blood will wash you clean of every single sinful stain on your life, no matter what it is.
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He alone can pay off your sin debt in an instant.
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He alone can redeem you.
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He alone can rescue you.
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He alone can free you from your sin.
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If you're a follower of Christ this morning, please never forget that salvation belongs to the Lord.
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You didn't save you, Jesus Christ saved you.
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As Paul said in the verses we just read, We have no room to boast about ourselves because the only thing we contributed to our redemption is the sin that made it necessary in the first place.
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It can be so easy to fall under pride and look down our noses at unbelievers around us and make them feel less than.
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To make ourselves puffed up and think that we're better than them, which we are not.
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We can act like we're special and they can just get lost and stay lost.
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Listen, the only difference between you and a non-Christian is the saving grace of Jesus Christ.
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That is it.
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You are no better than them.
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And if you can be content with hoarding God's grace and keeping it to yourself, I have a hard time believing you've even experienced his grace.
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It should rip us apart that there are dozens and dozens of people that we interact with every single day who are on the road to hell and are in desperate need of the redemption that is in Jesus Christ.
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Instead of constantly grumbling about how horrible this culture is, let's actually commit ourselves to evangelism and prayer.
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Instead of just pouting in the corner, crossing our arms, let's actually do something about it.
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We cannot afford to stand our holy huddle at this church and just pat each other on the back and see how great we are.
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We have to get in the game at work, our schools, in our neighborhoods to point people to this amazing grace, to this redemption that is offered them.
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If we're gonna brag about anything, let us brag about Christ and what he can do in anyone's life.
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Secondly, the redemption of God brings me guaranteed rest and protection.
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brings me guaranteed rest and protection.
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As we've already discussed, Ruth and Naomi want the same exact thing.
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Rest and protection.
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They don't want to wake up every single day wondering what's going to happen.
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They don't want to lay their heads on their pillows at night wondering how they're going to make ends meet.
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They don't want to stress about is Ruth going to find someone to marry?
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Will our family line die with our husbands?
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They truly believe that Boaz is the answer to all of their problems.
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In chapter two, verse 12, Boaz commended Ruth for running away from the idols of Moab to find refuge and protection under the wings of Yahweh.
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And in chapter three, verse nine, Ruth turns the tables on Boaz with his own words by saying this, "Spread your wings over your servant "for you are a redeemer." With this callback, Ruth is saying, "Actually, Boaz, you are the one "that God will use to restore my life.
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"You are God's instrument of redemption for me." What a mic drop moment.
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What can Boaz say to this except yes, which he does.
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He wants to help Ruth.
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He wants to protect and care for her.
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And if you're a born-again believer, God has spread his wings of protection and care over you as well.
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He has promised to walk through the trials of life with you.
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He has promised to bring great good out of the worst things that happen to you.
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He has promised you eternal security.
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God wants his people to know that they are his people.
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He doesn't want you to wonder if you're going to heaven or not.
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He wants you to have an assurance of salvation.
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You know, the grocery store coupons you get in the mail can only be redeemed for items that will last for a very short period of time.
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They will eventually be eaten or thrown in the garbage.
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While God's redemption in Christ lasts forever and has no expiration date, our redemption never goes bad or needs to be repurchased.
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The same God who saved you will keep and sustain you for the rest of your life.
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Paul talks about this in Philippians 1:6, and I am sure of this, this is confidence, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.
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You know, many of us have a lot of unfinished projects at home right now.
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We wonder when or if they'll ever get completed.
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I'm sorry if I just got you in trouble again by bringing up your failure in this area.
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I know I have some pain, touch-ups around the house I need to get to that I keep pushing off and pushing off and pushing off.
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The great news is this never happens with God.
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God has no unfinished projects.
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He finishes what he starts every single time.
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If you've been adopted into his family, he will never let go of you.
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He started you on this Christian race, He will give you energy and strength as you run it, and He will bring you victoriously across that finish line.
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The God who justified you in the past will sanctify you in the present and then glorify you in eternity.
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I know what some of you may be thinking.
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Well, Taylor, what if I do something so bad that God doesn't love me anymore?
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What if I do something so horrible that God just lets go of me and drops me.
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Well, if you wrestle with that kind of thinking, you need to look more at God and his word than you look to yourself.
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Correct your wrong theology about God before you make any more wrong assumptions about him.
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God isn't a fickle dad who has mood swings and may kick us out of the house or not.
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He is a loving father who keeps us close to his side "no matter what." We're told in the book of Jude to look to God who is infinitely able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy.
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I love that last line, with great joy.
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God isn't thinking, "I can't stand you, "but if I have to live with you forever, fine." No, instead God is saying, I sacrifice what is most precious to me to redeem you, my own son.
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I have saved you, I will keep you, and I will enjoy your company forever and ever.
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He is our protector, he is our rest in this life and eternity.
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Finally, the redemption of God reveals itself in my life in tangible ways.
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The redemption of God reveals itself in my life in tangible ways.
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So our story wrapped up with Boaz giving Ruth a tangible symbol of his promise to her.
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More food than she knew what to deal with.
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And as believers, God has given us a much better symbol of our redemption than a scarf full of bread.
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He has given us the Holy Spirit.
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Scripture describes the Holy Spirit as the seal, the guarantee or down payment of our redemption in Christ.
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He comes to live within Christians, and there is a clear and tangible evidence of his transforming power in our lives.
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He transforms us, He gives us new hearts that actually desire the Lord.
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He produces the fruit of the Spirit within us, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
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It should be evident to everyone around you that there is something different about you, that you're not like everyone else.
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How can you possibly be indwelt by the God of the universe and be just like the rest of the world?
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It's not possible.
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As Pastor Jeff taught on all throughout the book of James, a faith that hasn't changed you hasn't saved you.
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We should be making some kind of progress in our walk with the Lord.
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You should be more like Jesus Christ on December 31st, 2024 than you were on January 1st, 2024.
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And if you don't see any changes you're thinking, you're speaking, or you're living, you have to ask yourself, do I truly know and love Jesus Christ?
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We just learned that we cannot lose our salvation, but maybe some of you in this room will come to the realization that you never actually received this salvation in the first place.
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You may even be a baptized member of this church, but you may not be a member of God's family.
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This is painful to admit.
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This is a hard thing to come to grips with.
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But if there is no tangible evidence or fruit of transformation in your life, you need to take a hard look at yourself in the mirror and evaluate your spiritual condition.
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Don't ignore this harsh reality any longer.
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This is way worse than noticing that the engine of your car is smoking and on fire, but you just continue to keep on driving anyway.
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to pull over immediately to deal with this emergency.
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Recently I had my car batteries keep dying and dying and dying and I have a guy in the church that lives really close to me, I had to keep inviting him over to my house to jump my car for me.
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I couldn't do it without his help.
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You know what, don't face this on your own.
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Ask for help.
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If you are wrestling with doubts and concerns about your salvation, please call me.
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Talk to Pastor Jeff, talk to one of our elders, talk to your small group leader.
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We do not want a question mark floating over your eternal destiny.
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There is too much at stake just to roll the dice on that.
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Face these things with people who love and care about you.
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Well, as the worship team comes forward, will you please bow your heads and close your eyes?
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You know, the redemption that is found in Jesus Christ is like a massive, gorgeous, and multifaceted diamond.
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No matter how many times you look at it and examine it from different angles, you should be captivated by its beauty and its splendor.
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How can we possibly hear this good news and be bored by it?
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How dare we be unmoved by the sacrificial love of our Savior and just shrug our shoulders and say, eh, I've heard it all before, what else you got?
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If you're experiencing that kind of indifference this morning, take a few moments to go to the Lord and cry out along with David from Psalm 51, 12, "Restore to me the joy of your salvation." Ask God to fill you afresh with an excitement for him and what he has done for you.
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Or maybe you never really think very much of sharing this good news with others and you just settle for living a nice life little bubble.
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Ask the Lord to burst that bubble so that you can step out of your comfort zone and faithfully proclaim the gospel to people in your life who are on the wrong track and in need of what Christ has to offer.
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And finally, if you are unsure of where you stand with Jesus Christ, take some time to contemplate who he is.
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Take some time to meditate on his life, his death, and his resurrection.
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I hope that you will stop trying to clean yourself up this morning, or ignoring the warning signs in your life, and finally give yourself over to Christ and faithfully follow him.
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Take some time to be still before the Lord, and I will close us in a final prayer in a minute or two.
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Father, we come to you.
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And we admit that we so often get distracted by a million different things.
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We so often take our eyes off of what is truly important.
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Lord, I pray that in the stillness, we are able to meet with you and do serious business with you.
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Whether it's a matter of salvation, it was a matter of just restoring the joy of the salvation that's already present.
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Lord, we thank you for all that you've done for us in Christ.
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Lord, thank you that we have been redeemed.
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We have been rescued.
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We have been set free.
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And Lord, if there's anyone in this room who has not yet experienced that, Lord, I pray they wouldn't be able to leave today without making that important decision.
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Lord, for the next few moments, help us we worship you in light of what you have done for us to lift high the name of Jesus Christ.
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It's in his name we pray, amen.
Small Group Discussion
Read Ruth 3:1-18
What was your big take-away from this passage / message?
What does it mean to be redeemed? How can we stay passionate about our redemption and not lose sight of how awesome it truly is?
How do you see the sin of pride showing up in your life right now? Why should we never view ourselves as better than unbelievers in our lives and in our culture?
Do you ever struggle with an assurance of your salvation? How can true believers fight against their doubts and lack of assurance?
If the Holy Spirit lives within you, what evidence will show up in your life? In other words, what are the marks of a changed life?
Breakout
Pray for one another.
