Filed under: Sermons Starters in Ruth, calvinism, observations, opinion, sermon ideas
Ruth 1:19 ¶ Now the two of them went until they came to Bethlehem. And it happened, when they had come to Bethlehem, that all the city was excited because of them; and the women said, “Is this Naomi?”
20 But she said to them, “Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me.
21 “I went out full, and the LORD has brought me home again empty. Why do you call me Naomi, since the LORD has testified against me, and the Almighty has afflicted me?”
Life’s tragic circumstances often lead us to despair and depression; sometimes we have no sense of the immediate presence of God. Even so, he may bring others alongside to encourage and strengthen us in our time of need- whether or not we are receptive. The Lord provided Naomi with Ruth yet she still regarded her life as bitter. However, even with her twisted theology that caused her bitterness she did not stop believing in God’s sovereignty or power.
John Piper says this about Naomi’s theology, ” I would take Naomi’s theology any day over the sentimental views of God which dominate evangelical magazines and books today. Naomi is unshaken and sure about three things: God exist, God is sovereign, and God has afflicted her.” Naomi in her bitterness and life circumstance had forgotten God’s love and grace.
Her attitude would soon change with her altitude. So will ours.
(Piper quote and observations from the Holman Bible Commentary an excellent Old Testament resource for expository preaching)
Gen 50: 24 And Joseph said unto his brethren, I die: and God will surely visit you, and bring you out of this land unto the land which he sware to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. 25 And Joseph took an oath of the children of Israel, saying, God will surely visit you, and ye shall carry up my bones from hence.
Joseph ,of all people, should have been a slave to the past. He came from a disfunctional family where his two moms were always competing with each other using sex to manipulate and out do the other. His father was given to favoritism because of a family squabble that landed him 2 wives instead of one. His brothers hated him because of the obvious favoritism that his father showed toward him. He was hated and sold into slavery, falsly accused, imprisoned, and estranged from a land that his father, grandfather, and great-grandfather had told him was his. He should have been bitter, resentful, and even hostile toward his family. However, the Bible records his last words to be words of hope and encouragement. He was concerned enough for his family that he would rehearse a prophecy given to Abraham back in Genesis 15 concerning the deliverence of the people of Israel from Egypt. He also wanted to be buried with his people not in Egypt which spoke of the completeness of the forgiveness he had given to his brethren.
Many problems can result from an inabillity to let go of the past. Bitterness, discouragement, depression, anger, loss of focus, and many other negative things can happen when we allow ourselves to be a slave of the past. Joseph let the past go by:
1. Acknowledging God’s Providence
2. Freely Forgiving Others
3. Looking Beyond The Present
You can do the same by faith!
This text shows us the extraordinary endurance that the Apostle Paul had through the power of the Holy Spirit as he preached the Gospel. This is also a reminder that when we proclaim the Gospel faithfully we will have to endure the enemies of the Gospel. Our pastors and churches are so consumed with what Pink calls “Easy Chair” Christianity that we do not talk very much about enduring for the sake of the Gospel. However, when Paul was giving his final instructions to Timothy in his second letter he tells him no less than 4 times to “endure.” Fulfilling the call of Christ is truly a call to take up a cross. It is not for a coward or a hireling. This text shows us 3 types of people that must be endured when preaching the Gospel. For the sake of space I will let you research and fill in the gaps.
1. When we preach the Gsopel we must endure the divisive. vs 1-6
2. When we preach the Gospel we must endure the ignorant who misunderstand. vs 8-18
3. When we preach the Gospel we must endure the fickle. vs 19-20
Why do we endure such for the Gospel? Luke records that Paul after being almost killed in a stoning got up and went right back into the city. He went back in and preached, made many disciples, strengthened the souls of the disciples, and exhorted them saying, ” We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.” This last phrase was probably brought home clearly with all the bumps and bruises still visible on his body! What motivated Paul to do these things? His answer is found in 2 Timothy 2: 10. ” Therefore, I endure all things for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.” God help us to have the same motivation.
Thoughts Concerning Judges 17 & 18
The downfall of Micah’s household in this passage is strange to say the least. It shows the depravity of the Israelite society in that they could feel OK with worshipping Yahweh with graven images. In addition, it expresses the loss of respect and support for the tabernacle worship that there was a “young Levite” searching for a home and willing to prostitute himself as a hireling household priest. However, the more I ponder this event in history the more contemporary it sounds. According to the Baptist Courier 83% of so called “ Born Again” Christians say that they can worship God at home just as effectively or more effectively than at an organized church. Experts say this is evidence that people are rejecting organized religion and its tradition. This may be so but it can also indicate that more people are seeking to reinvent God in their own image mixing truth with error like Micah did. Micah and his family were sincere but they were sincerely wrong. Instead of pastors and churches going into a pragmatic frenzy or having a guilt trip about people not liking the “organized church” maybe we should preach more about the saints responsibility to the church and to the truth. Maybe we should talk more about the consequences of “forsaking the assembly.” Micah’s house-church ended up deceiving a whole tribe of people. An individual who declares himself or herself to be the final religious authority may end up with a Voodoo Religion that deceives them and many others. How close are we to losing a whole population to a Voodoo Christianity? Judges 18:30 tells us that Moses grandson was a priest for the tribe of Dan. The grandson of the lawgiver was an idol worshiping priest!
