Missions Follow Up -- SO ALL CAN HEAR

10/28/12 Ready, Set, GROW!!

    The past two weeks we have had our annual Missions Convention.  Why have a missions convention and why get excited about missions?  Why the effort and sacrifice?
    Let me tell you about a man I met in Brazil.
Picture
    One interesting event when Pastor Richard and I were touring the coastal area.  Richard was thirsty and went to a building where he thought he could buy a bottle of water.  He started talking with the man there who said they didn’t sell water, but would give him some water to drink.
    As we were talking (they were talking and I listening and not understanding) we saw an open Bible on the counter. Richard asked him about it.  The place was not a store but a beach outreach from a church. Richard said he knew the church and the pastor.  The man was a surfer, party-life guy who had gotten saved.  He worked there at the ministry.  The surfer beach is very popular with the youth.  Every weekend the beach is full of kids and there is much sin that happens.  The church has the outreach to minister to the youth.  He showed us a wooden box.  He sat on it and the front is a drum.  He demonstrated and he could get amazing sounds out of it.  They are there to reach a generation of people looking for answers and thinking they will find them in sin.  It was very interesting and again, we ran in to a Christian.  Brazil has many Christians. The Brazilian Assemblies of God has 15 million people.  There are millions more in other fellowships.
    The reason why we have a missions convention, the reason why we have church services and teach the Bible, is because Jesus is the only hope of the world.  Like this young man who found that Jesus filled what he was seeking, millions have found the answer in Jesus.  The last thing Luke records Jesus saying in Acts 1 is this: “you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” V.8.
    We are to be witnesses of Jesus and all He did. It starts locally, then spreads out farther and farther and goes to the ends of the earth.  We are to be witnesses because Jesus knew He was the only real hope for the world.
Acts 4:12 NKJV
Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.
NLT
There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.
The Message
Salvation comes no other way; no other name has been or will be given to us by which we can be saved, only this one.
WEYMOUTH
And in no other is the great salvation to be found; for, in fact, there is no second name under Heaven that has been given among men through which we are to be saved.
    This is the footnote from the Fire Bible:
Salvation... in no one else. Jesus’ disciples were convinced that the greatest need of every individual was to be rescued from the consequences of rebellion and opposition against God so they could enjoy a personal and eternal relationship with him. They preached that this need could be met by no one other than Jesus Christ. He is the only one whose perfect and sinless life (Heb 4:15) could have provided the perfect sacrifice to pay the penalty for sin once and for all (1Pe 3:18). This truth reveals the exclusive nature of spiritual salvation (i.e., the fact that it comes only one way—through faith in Jesus Christ; see Jn 14:6). It also highlights the church’s responsibility of communicating the message of Christ to every person. If there were other ways to be spiritually saved and to have a personal relationship with God, then the church would not have to face its mission with such urgency. But according to Christ himself (see Jn 14:6, note), there is no hope of salvation for anyone apart from Christ and faith in him (cf. 10:43; 1Ti 2:5-6). This fact is the basis for the church’s need to support missionary efforts (i.e., people and ministries that take Christ’s message to people in other places, nations and cultures).
Acts 4:7 NKJV
And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, “By what power or by what name have you done this?”
    Authority.  There must be power, authority to do the miraculous.  The disciples were asked how the healing of a crippled man happened.  Jesus is not limited by political power or the laws of evil leaders.  There is power in the name of Jesus.  Since Jesus never changes, His power is just as strong today.
John 14:6 NKJV
Jesus said to him, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
    This is a clear declaration by Jesus that He is the ONLY way.  While this may offend some people, it is still the truth.  How will people know this if no one tells them?
Romans 10:13-15 NKJV
13 For “whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.” 14 How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? 15 And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things!”
    Someone has to tell each individual person about the love and hope found in Jesus.  Someone must tell them the truth of Jesus.  This telling is local, regional, national and worldwide.
    What are the results of telling people around the world of Jesus?  People are changed.  Hope is given where there is no hope.  Eternity comes into focus.
    I have had the privilege of traveling and teaching in three other continents.  I want to share some of my experiences and the insights I have gained.
Brazil
Student ministries, Chi Alpha weekend conference.
Pic: the students had posters with Biblical themes.  Luke 9:62 NKJV
But Jesus said to him, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”  They painted their hands and put them to the plow.
Pic: Joyful students ready to serve the Lord.
Pic: prayer time with believers in the local church.  Anxious to seek God.  They expressed great joy in knowing Jesus.
Pic: George’s car.  Speed The Light.  Youth missions program the provides millions of dollars annually to purchase equipment, transportation for missionaries. The kind of vehicle purchased depends on the need.  Here, George lives in Amsterdam, a practical vehicle for the city.
Pic: This Toyota Land Cruiser diesel is what we drove in West Africa.  Four wheel drive, high clearance.  Why is this needed here?  Look at the roads.
Pic: This was my first day there, driving from the airport to Dassa-Zoume, where I would teach.  The main highway was flooded.  It was worse the day before.  Many vehicles got stuck there.  We drove right through.
Pic: BGMC  A well on the campus of the Bible School to provide water.  Water is hard to come by.  This well is a major blessing.
Pic: What are the options for water?  Pumping it by hand and pushing a cart.
Pic:  What were the streets like?  Dirt.  All these men are taxi drivers.  If you want a taxi you will have a motorcycle ride.
Pic: Do you need fuel for your bike?  Here it is at the local convenience store.
Pic: There was road construction going on.  We drove past this every day on the way to the Bible School.  This is how they were mixing cement for the curbs to help control rain runoff.
Pic: More streets.
Pic: More streets.
Pic: This is a street in the large city, Cotonou, where the airport was.
Pic: Do you want electricity?  Here is a local utility pole.
    I show you these pictures to see the setting the people live in.  Nothing was fancy.  No hot water in the motel I stayed in.  Electricity went off multiple times every day.  Medical care was almost not existent.  Yet, as the people find Jesus, there is joy in their hearts.  They love the Lord.
Pic: this is the chapel on campus.  The student body circled it and had a powerful prayer meeting.
    One more picture, transition to Amsterdam.  I spoke at a local church.  I met a young man who was wanting to go into youth ministry.  He had an interesting story.  He grew up there.  He went to Africa on a volunteer program.  He got saved THERE.  He told me that it was much harder to get saved in Amsterdam than Africa.  His goal was to get training and reach out to the street youth of Amsterdam.

    The needs of the world are overwhelming.  We know, we have the answer.  But, it takes effort, it takes sacrifice to get the job done.  A few weeks ago, Kevin Senapatiratne used an illustration about skiing.  Well, I have never gone skiing in my life.  But, as I thought of his story, I thought of something from my life.  Let me borrow and modify his story.
    There is a popular puzzle game called sudoku.  It is a number puzzle.  One day Andrea encouraged me to try it.  I did.  I decided that if I was going to do it I should learn about it.  So, I read about strategy and started out with the really easy ones.  Little by little I learned and got better.
    I make no claim to be a champion, but I can now figure out some hard ones.  The easy ones that I used to do are now boring.  I find myself only doing the hard ones in the book and the easy owes get ignored.  I enjoy the challenge of the harder puzzles.
    That is a good illustration of life.  We need a challenge.  We don’t just want to read about Dick and Jane and their dog, Spot.  Spiritually, we often want to do just the easy things.  But, the task is hard and the battle challenging.
**As we grow closer to the Lord
**As we see the world more the way God sees it
**As we see the need more clearly
*****We want to step out and let God take us to new areas of service for Him.
    God will take us to greater accomplishments for Him than we ever thought possible.
Missions will:
start locally
expand outward
include each one of us

LIFE APPLICATION: The Next Step
Ready, Set, GROW!

What are the key points of this message?

How can we apply this message?

Seven Stories - Saul to Paul – Accuser to Apologist

 
10/7/12 Ready, Set, GROW!!

    Two stories defending the faith.  Our faith in Jesus either can be defended or it is worthless.
Mount Rushmore Points to Its Designer/Creator
    You are hiking in the Black Hills of South Dakota. As you round a hill, you come upon a sight that stops you in your tracks. In front of you are four giant faces carved into stone. Each head is as tall as a six-story building. The faces are a perfect likeness of four American presidents— Washington, Jefferson, Teddy Roosevelt, and Lincoln.
    After taking photos of this magnificent find, what conclusions would you come to concerning its origin? How did these faces appear on this mountainside? What reasonable options are there to explain it?
    Perhaps they happened through chance. Over the years, wind and rock slides combined to produce these four faces. But that seems silly, doesn’t it? We know that Mount Rushmore exhibits the three signs of design: forethought, planning, and intention.
    Mount Rushmore is the brainchild of sculptor John Gutzon Borglum. Borglum wanted to create a memorial of America’s most revered presidents (intention). Borglum and his four hundred workers devised an ingenious method of removing more than eight hundred million pounds of stone created by the blasting (planning). Before the blasting could begin, designers mapped out the size and shape of each president. The presidents’ noses are twenty feet long and rest above mouths that are eighteen feet wide. Each of the presidents’ eyes is eleven feet across. The carvings are scaled to individuals who would stand 465 feet tall (forethought). After fourteen years of work, the four busts were completed, and Mount Rushmore opened to the public in 1941.
    Just as we attribute the design of Mount Rushmore to the work of John Gutzon Borglum, so we ought to attribute the design found in nature and in the human body to the handiwork of God.
J. P. Moreland & Tim Muehlhoff, The God Conversation (InterVarsity Press, 2007)
    Nothing we use on a daily basis just happened.  The home you live in, the car you drive, the clothes you wear, everything came from an idea, a designer and builder.
    Another story.
Buddhism Also Claims to Be the Only Right Path
    In his book The Intolerance of Tolerance, D. A. Carson notes that, at least in popular thought, Buddhism is much more open, flexible, and tolerant than Christianity. But Buddhism also has its hard edges of exclusionary doctrines and beliefs. For instance, when the Dalai Lama was asked whether only the Buddha can provide “the ultimate source of refuge,” he replied:
    Here, you see, it is necessary to examine what is meant by liberation or salvation. Liberation in which “a mind that understands the sphere of reality annihilates all defilements in the sphere of reality” is a state that only Buddhists can accomplish. This kind of moksha or nirvana is only explained in the Buddhist scriptures, and is achieved only through Buddhist practice.
Quoted in D. A. Carson, The Intolerance of Tolerance (Eerdmans, 2012), pp. 116-117
    Our world today emphasizes that everyone is right, as long as they are comfortable with their decisions. Truth and right are what you make it.  They mock Christianity for claiming exclusivity in Jesus.  Yet, any religion claims that they are the right way.
    Jesus did claim that He is the ONLY way to God.  He showed the power of God in many miracles.  The ultimate miracle was His resurrection. He was publicly executed.  The people knew He was dead, killed by experts.  He also showed Himself to hundreds of people to prove He came back to life. The historical documents of this are extensive.
    Why did I take this time to give two stories defending the faith?  Because, as we wrap up this series of Seven Stories, today we are going to talk about the man known as the Apostle Paul.  Paul was a powerful defender of the faith.
    Let me share a term with you so you can grasp it, if you are not yet familiar with it.  The term is Apologist.  This is not someone who apologizes for things.  This is a defender of the faith.
    Dictionary-type definitions:
a person who offers an argument in defense of something
a person who makes a defense in speech or writing of a belief, idea, etc.
one of the authors of the early Christian apologies in defense of the faith.
    Apologetics:
the branch of theology concerned with the defense or proof of Christianity.
    There are modern apologists who study and then write or speak, giving solid reasons for belief in Jesus.
    Let’s look at Paul’s life and see where God took him from and how He used him.
The salvation and calling of Saul, who later changed his name to Paul.  God called him to be an Apostle to the Gentiles.
Acts 9:1-22 NIV
1 Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest 2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. 3 As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. 4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”
5 “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked. “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied. 6 “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”
7 The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone. 8 Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus. 9 For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything.
10 In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, “Ananias!” “Yes, Lord,” he answered.
11 The Lord told him, “Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying. 12 In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight.”
13 “Lord,” Ananias answered, “I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your saints in Jerusalem. 14 And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name.”
15 But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel. 16 I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.”
17 Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord--Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here--has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized, 19 and after taking some food, he regained his strength. Saul spent several days with the disciples in Damascus.
20 At once he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God. 21 All those who heard him were astonished and asked, “Isn’t he the man who raised havoc in Jerusalem among those who call on this name? And hasn’t he come here to take them as prisoners to the chief priests?” 22 Yet Saul grew more and more powerful and baffled the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Christ.     Paul wrote this letter to the church in Philippi to help them understand what God was doing in and through him as he was in prison for preaching the gospel. Yes, he was a prisoner, but God knew what He was doing and didn’t make a mistake.
Philippians 1:12-26 NIV
12 Now I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel. 13 As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. 14 Because of my chains, most of the brothers in the Lord have been encouraged to speak the word of God more courageously and fearlessly.
15 It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill. 16 The latter do so in love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. 17 The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains. 18 But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice. Yes, and I will continue to rejoice,
19 for I know that through your prayers and the help given by the Spirit of Jesus Christ, what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance. 20 I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. 21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.
Living Bible: For to me, living means opportunities for Christ, and dying – well, that better yet!
22 If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! 23 I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; 24 but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. 25 Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, 26 so that through my being with you again your joy in Christ Jesus will overflow on account of me.

    Under the anointing of the Holy Spirit, Paul fearlessly proclaimed Jesus as Lord and Savior.  He didn’t compromise, but learned how to give the truth without being afraid someone may prove him wrong.

Saul to Paul – Accuser to Apologist
□    There is no person who God cannot reach if they will listen to God’s call and submit to HIM.
□    There is no limit to what God can do through you if you are willing to pay the price.
□    The power of God will overcome lies and resistance to impact lives through a submitted believer.
□    No compromise on truth, for truth stands.

    Before we talk about the life application, I have a question for you.  If you were to close out this message today, what challenge would you give?  What is the key point you think we should take home, learning from the life of Paul?
LIFE APPLICATION: The Next Step
Ready, Set, GROW!
What are the key points of this message?
How can we apply this message?

Seven Stories - Ruth, A Faithful Woman
Ready, Set, GROW!!
Stories of FAITHFULNESS
    At a church in Binford, North Dakota, an elderly woman, Mary, fainted and struck her head on the end of the pew. Immediately, an EMT in the congregation called an ambulance.
    As they strapped her to a stretcher and got ready to head out the door, Mary regained consciousness. She motioned for her daughter to come near. Everyone thought she was summoning her strength to convey what could be her final words. The daughter leaned over until her ear was at her mother’s mouth. “My offering is in my purse,” she whispered.
Fresh Illustrations for Preaching & Teaching (Baker), from the editors of Leadership.
Couple Married 72 Years Die Holding Hands
    In October 2011, Gordon Yeager, 94, and his wife Norma, 90, died exactly one hour apart after 72 years of marriage. They were holding hands when they died.
    The couple left their home in Marshalltown, Iowa, to run some errands in town, but they never made it. A car accident sent the couple to the emergency room with broken bones and other injuries. When they were transferred to intensive care the nurses knew not to separate them. But, even in the hospital, they were more concerned about each other.
    Their son Dennis Yeager said, “She was saying her chest hurt and what’s wrong with Dad? Even laying there like that, she was worried about Dad. And his back was hurting and he was asking about Mom.”
    When it became clear that their conditions were not improving, they moved them in beds side-by-side so they could hold hands.
    Gordon died at 3:38 P.M. holding hands with his wife as the family they built surrounded them.
    Their son Dennis said,
    “It was really strange, they were holding hands, and dad stopped breathing but I couldn’t figure out what was going on because the heart monitor was still going. But we were like, he isn’t breathing. How does he still have a heart beat? The nurse checked and said that’s because they were holding hands and it’s going through them. Her heart was beating through him and picking it up.”
    At 4:38 p.m., exactly one hour after Gordon died, Norma passed away too.
    Dennis Yeager said, “They just loved being together …. They were old-fashioned. They believed in marriage till death do you part.”
    Dennis also added, “I don’t believe there was a big secret to their marriage. Sometimes one or the other would get mad, but they worked everything out. In the end, they chose each other, and that was it. They were committed.”
sources: KCCI Des Moines, “Couple Married 72 Years Dies Holding Hands” (2-14-12); Christina NG, “Iowa Couple Married 72 Years Dies Holding Hands, an Hour Apart,” ABC News (10-19-11)
    Beautiful stories of faithfulness.
    As we continue with Seven Stories, today we look at one of the two books named after a woman - Ruth. The other book is Esther.  Since this is not the most well-known book in the Bible, let’s do some foundational study to start.
Background (comments edited from Fire Bible)
    Historically, the book of Ruth describes events in the life of an Israelite family during the time of the judges.  Last week we looked at Gideon from Judges.
    Geographically, the setting for the first 18 verses is the land of Moab (east of the Dead Sea). The rest of the events took place in or near Bethlehem.
    The book traces Ruth’s descendants up to King David.  It most likely was written during the time when David was king.
Purpose
    Ruth was written to describe how a young Moabite woman who showed deep loyalty and love became the great-grandmother of Israel’s King David.  It tells about a godly family whose faithfulness served as a supreme example during the time of great spiritual and moral decline.  We saw the impact of that spiritual decline last week with how God used Gideon.
    The story of redeeming, saving love opened during a famine that caused Elimelech to leave Judah and move his family to Moab. Things got worse when Elimelech died.  Later his two sons died in Moab. This left Naomi, the mother and the two daughters-in-law as widows.  All three were in a very difficult position in that culture at that time.
Let’s get an overview of the whole story.
Ruth 1:1-9 NLT
1 In the days when the judges ruled in Israel, a severe famine came upon the land. So a man from Bethlehem in Judah left his home and went to live in the country of Moab, taking his wife and two sons with him. 2 The man’s name was Elimelech, and his wife was Naomi. Their two sons were Mahlon and Kilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in the land of Judah. And when they reached Moab, they settled there.
3 Then Elimelech died, and Naomi was left with her two sons. 4 The two sons married Moabite women. One married a woman named Orpah, and the other a woman named Ruth. But about ten years later, 5 both Mahlon and Kilion died. This left Naomi alone, without her two sons or her husband.
6 Then Naomi heard in Moab that the LORD had blessed his people in Judah by giving them good crops again. So Naomi and her daughters-in-law got ready to leave Moab to return to her homeland. 7 With her two daughters-in-law she set out from the place where she had been living, and they took the road that would lead them back to Judah. 8 But on the way, Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go back to your mothers’ homes. And may the LORD reward you for your kindness to your husbands and to me. 9 May the LORD bless you with the security of another marriage.” Then she kissed them good-bye, and they all broke down and wept.
    Orpha listened to Naomi and returned home.  Ruth insisted on going on with Naomi.  They returned to Bethlehem.  The people were excited to see Naomi return.  But she was sad for the great loss of her husband and sons.
    They arrived in Bethlehem in late spring, at the beginning of the barley harvest.  Survival was going to be a real issue for them.  God had given as part of His law that needy people could glean crops from fields after the harvesters had gone through them.  Naomi sent Ruth out and she went to the field of Boaz, a wealthy and influential relative.  She sent there to gather grain.
    Boaz saw her there and asked who she was.  He found out she was Naomi’s daughter-in-law.  Boaz told her to gather all the grain she wanted from his field.  She could work with the harvesters.  He warned the people to treat her kindly.  He told her to feel free to drink from the water they supplied to the workers.  He said she should join the workers for meals, and she could bring some leftovers home.
    Ruth was extremely grateful for his kindness and expressed to Boaz.  When she got home she showed Naomi the bountiful harvest she got and told her the whole story.
    Ruth worked with them through the barley harvest, and then joined them for the wheat harvest.
    As we go on, I need to help you understand an important term.
    Kinsman Redeemer: It comes from the law of Moses, Leviticus 25.  It speaks of a person whose right it is, because of being the nearest relative, to redeem or buy back a forfeited inheritance.  It was his right to purchase or acquire a relative’s property to keep it in the family.  He could redeem it from whoever had bought it.  This is the picture of Boaz, who was one of the nearest relations to Elimelech.  He married Ruth, an heiress of Elimelech, and reentered into the possession of her estate.
    The prophetic picture is that Jesus is our kinsman redeemer, we have been purchased, redeemed, through the Blood of Jesus.     Naomi gave Ruth instructions as to how to approach Boaz as her kinsman redeemer.  She followed her instructions exactly.  This was important for Boaz knew the customs and the law.  He recognized what was happening.
    Boaz told Ruth he would do what was right.  There was another person who was a closer relative.  He had to talk with him first to see if he wanted to marry Ruth and redeem the inheritance.  It turned out he didn’t want to do that.
    Boaz and Ruth were married.  They had a son and named him Obed.  Obed was the grandfather of King David.  Jesus was born from the line of King David.
    Ruth’s faithfulness was rewarded in ways far beyond anything she could ever imagine.
Mysterious Congo Missionary Deaths - an example of faithful.
    The daughter of missionaries to the Congo Republic told Pastor Leith Anderson this story: As a little girl, she participated in a daylong rally to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the coming of missionaries to that part of Africa. At the close of a long day of speeches and music, an old, old man stood before the crowd and insisted on speaking. He soon would die, he said, and if he didn’t speak, information that he alone possessed would go with him to his grave.
    He said that when the missionaries arrived, his people thought them strange and their message dubious. The tribal leaders decided to test the missionaries by slowly poisoning them to death. Over a period of months and years, missionary children died one by one. Then, the old man said, “It was as we watched how they died that we decided we wanted to live as Christians.”
    Those who died painful, strange deaths never knew why they were dying or what the impact of their lives and deaths would be. But through it all, they didn’t leave. They stayed because they trusted Jesus Christ.
Leith Anderson, “Mystery Martyrs,” Men of Integrity, (January/February 2004)
    We never know what God can accomplish through our faithfulness.
    The book of Ruth begins with great sorrow.  It ends with great joy and fulfillment — for Naomi, Ruth, Boaz and all of Israel.
    I want to quickly point out three applications of this book, although there are several more we could talk about.
Ruth 1:16 NLT
But Ruth replied, “Don’t ask me to leave you and turn back. Wherever you go, I will go; wherever you live, I will live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God.
    Where you go, I will Go.  She was faithful to serve whatever the cost and inconvenience.
    Your God will be my God.  Ruth turned from the gods of her childhood to serve the Creator God.  Faithfulness to God is vital.
14 At mealtime Boaz called to her, “Come over here, and help yourself to some food. You can dip your bread in the sour wine.” So she sat with his harvesters, and Boaz gave her some roasted grain to eat. She ate all she wanted and still had some left over.
15 When Ruth went back to work again, Boaz ordered his young men, “Let her gather grain right among the sheaves without stopping her.
16 And pull out some heads of barley from the bundles and drop them on purpose for her. Let her pick them up, and don’t give her a hard time!”
    Here we see God’s provision.  I love the thought that he told them to leave extra for Ruth to pick up, do it on purpose.  Handfuls on purpose.  God has no problem providing for His people.  Ruth was rewarded for her faithfulness and service.
Ruth 4:14 NLT
Then the women of the town said to Naomi, “Praise the LORD, who has now provided a redeemer for your family! May this child be famous in Israel.     Some background.  At one time Naomi thought God had forsaken her.  Ruth 1:21 NLT
I went away full, but the LORD has brought me home empty. Why call me Naomi when the LORD has caused me to suffer and the Almighty has sent such tragedy upon me?
    Times of difficulty are God’s opportunity for advancing his purposes.  Naomi thought God had abandoned her, but that was not true.
    God does not abandon His children.  He is always there for us, no matter what the situation looks like.

    God honors faithfulness.  This is one of the most important characteristics we must develop as believers.  Out of faithfulness will grow God’s presence and power.  We prove faithfulness and grow in our relationship with Jesus.  Then, there is no limit to what God can do through YOU.