Jeff Schreve - From Tragedy to Triumph

December 1, 2024 | S

#Faith #Hope #TrustGod #Victory #Honesty #WordofGod #inActive #Suicide #FromHisHeart:JeffSchreve #JeffSchreve #Tragedy #Death #LifeAfterDeath #Hopelessness #Ruth4

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From His Heart: Jeff Schreve | Jeff Schreve - From Tragedy to Triumph | December 1, 2024

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♪♪♪
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Pastor jeff schreve: the bible teaches that god is for us,
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Not against us.
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He is the god who's working all things together for good to
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Those who love him.
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I'm pastor jeff schreve and we're completing our study of
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The wonderful little old testament book entitled ruth.
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Ruth is the encouraging story of how we can move from tragedy to
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Triumph if we will simply trust the lord.
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♪♪♪
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Jeff: you know, i think the idea of beauty to ashes or ashes
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To beauty that where we just we bring all the junk of our lives,
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All the mess ups and all the sin and all the--just like lord,
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This is all i got it's just ashes, everything is burned and
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God says give me all that and i can turn your sorrow into joy
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And i can turn your ashes into beauty.
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I can take what is a tragedy and turn it to a triumph.
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And that's the story of ruth.
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It starts out so sad, but it ends so happy.
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As i told you last week, it starts out in chapter 1 with
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Whoa, with three funerals, but it ends with wow, look what
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God did.
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It's a story of hope.
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Now we like stories with happy endings because happy endings
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Give us hope.
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And we are people desperately in need of hope.
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God in the bible is called the god of hope and we need hope.
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I'm convinced that people who commit suicide, commit suicide
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Really for one main reason, they lose hope that things are ever
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Gonna get better.
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They lose hope that they're ever going to feel better.
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They lose hope that their life is ever gonna get better.
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They just think that there is no light at the end of the tunnel
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And this is how it's gonna be and this is awful and i can't
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Stand this anymore and they take their own lives.
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People need hope and we need to be reminded that god is the god
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Who gives beauty for ashes.
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That god is the god who works all things together for good to
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Those who love him and to those who are called according to
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His purpose.
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So if you are one who needs hope today, hope in your life, my
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Prayer is that this message will encourage you because we're
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Gonna talk about three lessons from the book of ruth as we
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Close out this book today.
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Three lessons to encourage us.
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Ruth chapter 4.
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In chapter 4, ruth is redeemed by boaz.
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Boaz, a picture of the lord jesus christ, a picture of our
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Kinsman redeemer.
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And boaz marries ruth, the poor moabite woman whose husband
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Had died.
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He marries her.
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She's destitute and now all of a sudden she becomes wealthy
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Beyond imagination because boaz was a mighty man of wealth.
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And she is given such tremendous blessings.
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It says in verse 13, "so boaz took ruth, and she became his
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Wife, and he went in to her.
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And the lord enabled her to conceive,
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And she gave birth to a son.
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Then the women said to naomi, her mother-in-law, 'blessed is
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The lord who has not left you without a redeemer today, and
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May his name become famous in israel.
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May he also be to you a restorer of life and a sustainer of your
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Old age for your daughter-in-law who loves you and is better to
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You than seven sons has given birth to him.'
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Then naomi took the child and laid him in her lap, and became
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His nurse.
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And the neighbor women gave him a name, saying, 'a son has been
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Born to naomi!'
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And they named him obed," which means servant.
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"he is the father of jesse, the father of david," who
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Became king.
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"now these are the generations of perez, to perez was born
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Hezron, and to hezron was born ram, and to ram, amminadab, and
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To amminadab was born nahshon, and to nahshon, salmon, and to
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Salmon was born boaz, and to boaz, obed, and to obed was born
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Jesse, and to jesse, david."
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That's how the book ends on an exclamation point that ruth the
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Moabitess became the wife of boaz, the mother of obed in the
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Ancestral line of king david and of david's greater son, the lord
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Jesus christ.
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Well, i wanna share with you today three lessons from this
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Story of ruth.
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Now we all know, as we have been tracking with this story, it's a
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Story if you just have to boil it down what is ruth about, it's
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About a kinsman redeemer.
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Ruth is a main character, but boaz is really the focus and he
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Is a picture of the lord jesus christ.
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And we talked about that last week, all about redemption when
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Boaz redeemed ruth and brought her back and raised up a son for
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Her and for her family's namesake.
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So i want us to look at some different things kind of an
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Overview of this great story.
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First lesson, even when we are faithless, god remains faithful.
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Even when we're faithless, god remains faithful.
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Now, the three main characters in the book of ruth are ruth and
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Ruth's mother-in-law, naomi, and boaz.
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And naomi is one who really is front and center in chapter 1.
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She was the one that left bethlehem with her husband
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Elimelech and her two sons mahlon and chilion.
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They left bethlehem, the house of bread, and they went to moab,
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Which was god's garbage can and they sojourned there because
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There was a famine in the land of bethlehem.
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And they went outside of the will of god 'cause moab is not a
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Good place and moab is a detestable place in that they
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Worship the detestable idol kimosh, the god of the ammonites
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And the god of the moabites and the way you would worship kimosh
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Is you would sacrifice your sons and your daughters, your little
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Babies on the altar to appease this horrible god.
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God couldn't stand the ways of the ammonite and the ways of
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The moabite.
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They were there for ten years trying to escape the famine.
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What happened in moab?
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Well, mahlon married ruth and chilion married orpa, but then
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Mahlon died and chilion died and then elimelech died and naomi's
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There in bethlehem and she has lost her husband and lost her
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Two sons and so she says i need to go back to bethlehem and when
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She goes back to bethlehem, what does she say?
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They say there's naomi we haven't seen you for ten years.
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Her name meant pleasantness.
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"there's pleasantness." "don't call me that."
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Call me mara, which means bitterness because the almighty
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Has dealt very bitterly with me.
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I went out full, but i have come back empty.
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And the lord has witnessed against me and god has been very
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Adversarial to me.
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That was what was going on in her heart and in her life.
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We would say that she was definitely faithless when she
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Came back to bethlehem.
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She didn't come back brimming with hope.
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She didn't come back brimming with, you know, bad things have
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Happened to me, but i just believe that god is getting
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Ready to do his greatest work in me.
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She didn't come back like that.
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Even when we are faithless, god remains faithful.
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2 timothy 2:13 says those words exactly, "if we are faithless,
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He remains faithful; for he cannot deny himself."
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And so when we think about her, especially in chapter 1, there's
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Some lessons in her life.
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First lesson is she was honest and you and i need to be honest
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With our hurts and fears and frustrations.
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She didn't stuff it, she didn't try and cover it up, she didn't
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Try and put on a happy face.
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It was out there when she came back.
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The almighty has dealt very bitterly with me.
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And she was forlorn and crushed and she was blaming god, but she
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Was letting it be known.
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She had a meltdown in chapter 1. a mara moment.
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You ever had that?
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Say, "yeah i've had that."
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Aren't you glad god didn't put it in the bible?
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Your mara moment, well, hers is in there to encourage us.
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Hey, be honest before the lord.
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If everything's falling apart, don't try and put on a happy
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Face and act like you're doing all right when you know you're
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Not doing all right.
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I talked to a young lady not too long ago and i saw her and i
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Said, "hey, how are you doing?"
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And she said, her eyes just started filling with tears and
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She said, "not good.
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Not good."
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So we sat down and i tried to encourage her some.
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You know how many of us our lives can be falling apart.
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Hey, somebody sees us at church, "hey how're you doing?"
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"oh, doing good.
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Doing good."
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You know you're not doing well, but you're not being honest.
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You come before the lord to pray and you just talk about surface
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Stuff, you're not being honest.
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There's a huge elephant in the living room, so to speak, and
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You're not dealing with the thing that's really on your
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Heart that's really weighing you down, your crushed dreams and
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Your crushed hopes and your mara's experience.
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God says, hey, be honest with me.
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I know and you know and you should know that i know, but
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Let's talk about it because it's there.
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So be honest with your hurts and fears and frustrations.
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Secondly, be reverent with your hurts and fears
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And frustrations.
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You know, you can tell god anything, you can be honest with
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God about anything and frustrations you can share that
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With the lord, but you always remember god is god.
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You're not coming before the shoeshine boy who missed a spot.
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You're not coming before some lowly clerk at the convenience
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Store who miscounted your change.
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You don't rail on god because he's god.
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Job didn't ever rail on god, but he wanted to have a conversation
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With god.
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He wanted to say, "i need to talk to you, god."
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God was silent for many, many chapters in the book of job.
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Job didn't understand.
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He never blamed god, but he certainly wanted to talk to god
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About his situation because job felt like he had been wronged
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With all the terrible things that had happened to him.
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So be honest, be reverent.
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And then be obedient with your hurts and fears
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And frustrations.
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Be obedient.
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Here's naomi.
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She's obedient in that she didn't stay in moab.
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She could've stayed in moab, but she didn't.
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I've lost my husband elimelech.
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I've lost mahlon.
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I've lost chilion.
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I gotta get out of this town.
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I gotta leave moab and i gotta get back to bethlehem.
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Did she come back giddy?
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Did she come back happy?
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Did she come back full of faith?
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None of those things.
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Did she come back full of hope?
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No, none of those things, but the point is she came back.
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As i told you a few weeks ago, you can't get right with god
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In moab.
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You gotta get back on blessing ground.
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You gotta get yourself back to the place where god can work in
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Your life.
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Sometimes people their lives are falling apart and they think
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Well, i just can't come to church.
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I mean, you know, i'm not in the right frame of mind to come
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To church.
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I'm angry at god.
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I'm bitter at god.
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This is the place you need to be.
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You come with all your mara
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And you come with all your
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Bitterness and you come before
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The lord and you say, "lord, i
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Don't wanna be here,
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But i'm here 'cause i know it's right to be here.
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And god can work through the music and through the message
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And through the handshake of the usher.
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God can work in your heart and break away that heart of stone
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And all the bitterness can melt away.
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She put herself in a position for god to bless and we read
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What happened to her verse 14, naomi, the one that was mara,
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Everything changes.
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Chapter 14 or chapter 4 verse 14.
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"then the woman said to naomi, 'blessed is the lord who has not
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Left you without a redeemer today,"
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And they're not talking about boaz,
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They're talking about little baby obed.
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"and may his name become famous in israel.
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May he also be to you a restorer of life and a sustainer of your
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Old age."
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You know, when naomi was going to get older and older and older
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She'd need someone to take care of her and this little boy obed
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Whose name means servant, was going to be the one who would
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Take care of her in old age.
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It says, "for your daughter-in-law who loves you is
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Better to you than seven sons, and she's given birth to him.
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Then naomi took the child and laid him in her lap, and became
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His nurse."
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She took care of him, "and the neighbor woman gave him a name
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Saying, 'a son has been born to naomi.'
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So they named him obed."
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Oh, how awesome.
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She said, i came out--when she came back in chapter 1, she
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Said, i went out full, but now i come back empty and i come back
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Empty to bethlehem and in bethlehem god began to work.
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Even though she was faithless, god remains faithful.
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God began to work and now she has a little baby boy in her lap
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And her heart is full.
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Hey, when we're faithless god remains faithful.
00:14:39.203 --> 00:14:41.572
What a good word for those of us who are struggling.
00:14:41.572 --> 00:14:45.410
I don't have to be perfect.
00:14:45.410 --> 00:14:46.744
I don't have to have it all together for god to still work
00:14:46.744 --> 00:14:49.580
In my life.
00:14:49.580 --> 00:14:51.582
Second lesson.
00:14:51.582 --> 00:14:53.217
Not only even when we're faithless, god remains faithful,
00:14:53.217 --> 00:14:56.554
But second lesson, even when we are blessed, god has more in
00:14:56.554 --> 00:15:01.225
Store for us.
00:15:01.225 --> 00:15:04.362
Now shifting gears from naomi, let's talk about ruth.
00:15:04.362 --> 00:15:08.433
Ruth, the moabitess, she grew up in moab, she grew up with the
00:15:08.433 --> 00:15:13.271
Pagan god kimosh.
00:15:13.271 --> 00:15:16.140
And she, by god's providence gets connected to mahlon, the
00:15:16.140 --> 00:15:21.679
Oldest son of naomi and elimelech.
00:15:21.679 --> 00:15:24.682
They marry, but then mahlon dies.
00:15:24.682 --> 00:15:28.353
And all the men and the family are dead and she goes back with
00:15:28.353 --> 00:15:32.991
Ruth, you remember orpa the other daughter-in-law, she went
00:15:32.991 --> 00:15:36.461
About halfway and then turned back to go to moab, but ruth
00:15:36.461 --> 00:15:40.965
Wouldn't leave naomi.
00:15:40.965 --> 00:15:42.333
"ask me not to leave you nor to turn back from following you for
00:15:42.333 --> 00:15:45.203
Where you go i will go and where you lodge i will lodge.
00:15:45.203 --> 00:15:47.939
Your people shall become my people and god, your god shall
00:15:47.939 --> 00:15:52.443
Become my god."
00:15:52.443 --> 00:15:54.178
That was her statement of faith and trust in the god of israel.
00:15:54.178 --> 00:16:00.184
And and boaz is so kind to her and boaz helps her and boaz
00:16:00.184 --> 00:16:04.555
Feeds her lunch.
00:16:04.555 --> 00:16:06.724
And boaz tells his servants, hey, make sure when you're
00:16:06.724 --> 00:16:11.963
Gleaning to throw out some extra for her.
00:16:11.963 --> 00:16:14.999
She's gonna be behind you.
00:16:14.999 --> 00:16:16.334
Throw out some extra.
00:16:16.334 --> 00:16:17.702
Give her handfuls on purpose so that she can have enough.
00:16:17.702 --> 00:16:21.272
And she gleaned in the field and she ate lunch and boaz fed her
00:16:21.272 --> 00:16:24.742
And she had some leftovers for naomi that she took back and her
00:16:24.742 --> 00:16:28.446
Gleaning with just the leftovers she got about 30 pounds
00:16:28.446 --> 00:16:32.917
Of barley.
00:16:32.917 --> 00:16:34.786
That she could take it there's enough food for her and naomi
00:16:34.786 --> 00:16:38.723
For a number of days.
00:16:38.723 --> 00:16:41.292
Well, that was a great blessing.
00:16:41.292 --> 00:16:43.995
And she could have easily stayed in chapter 2, just experiencing
00:16:43.995 --> 00:16:50.668
The leftovers of this man of great wealth, boaz, but
00:16:50.668 --> 00:16:55.573
She didn't.
00:16:55.573 --> 00:16:57.275
She pressed in and chapter 3 she deepens this relationship with
00:16:57.275 --> 00:17:01.779
Boaz and chapter 4 she's married to boaz and she goes from being
00:17:01.779 --> 00:17:05.683
A gleaner in the field to owning the field as the wife of boaz.
00:17:05.683 --> 00:17:10.655
So here is the lesson.
00:17:10.655 --> 00:17:14.092
Even when we're blessed, god has more in store.
00:17:14.092 --> 00:17:17.728
Don't settle for the leftovers in your christian life.
00:17:17.728 --> 00:17:23.000
Don't settle for the leftovers.
00:17:23.000 --> 00:17:24.368
So many christians live in ruth chapter 2.
00:17:24.368 --> 00:17:28.573
They're just happy with the leftovers.
00:17:28.573 --> 00:17:31.442
Oh, god has been so good to me.
00:17:31.442 --> 00:17:33.344
Look what he gave me.
00:17:33.344 --> 00:17:34.679
He gave me a handfuls on purpose and look how much i was blessed
00:17:34.679 --> 00:17:39.617
By god, and we're just happy to be in that state of ruth chapter
00:17:39.617 --> 00:17:44.655
2, just gleaning in the corners of the field, and god says, i
00:17:44.655 --> 00:17:48.893
Have so much more in store for you.
00:17:48.893 --> 00:17:51.162
So many christians, they live in ruth chapter 2.
00:17:51.162 --> 00:17:54.098
They just live on the leftovers and they don't press
00:17:54.098 --> 00:17:56.767
In to the lord.
00:17:56.767 --> 00:17:58.302
They never hit ruth chapter 3 where she cleans herself up and
00:17:58.302 --> 00:18:01.439
Goes before boaz and sits at his feet and says to him, cover me.
00:18:01.439 --> 00:18:07.044
You're a close relative, cover me.
00:18:07.044 --> 00:18:09.881
We don't do that with the lord.
00:18:09.881 --> 00:18:11.616
We're just free to say, well, i just, i just like my surface
00:18:11.616 --> 00:18:14.652
Relationship with the lord.
00:18:14.652 --> 00:18:16.020
I just like to be on the fringe with the lord.
00:18:16.020 --> 00:18:18.256
The lord doesn't want you to be on the fringe.
00:18:18.256 --> 00:18:20.024
You know, i've heard people say this before.
00:18:20.024 --> 00:18:21.392
They say, well, you know, concerning heaven, you know, you
00:18:21.392 --> 00:18:23.728
Talk about rewards in heaven 'cause the lord is coming and
00:18:23.728 --> 00:18:26.297
His reward is with him to render to every man according to his
00:18:26.297 --> 00:18:29.066
Deeds, and they talk about rewards.
00:18:29.066 --> 00:18:30.701
Well, the reward for me just as long as i make it to heaven,
00:18:30.701 --> 00:18:34.305
That's all i care about.
00:18:34.305 --> 00:18:35.673
I could be, you know, just pushing a wheelbarrow in heaven
00:18:35.673 --> 00:18:39.577
So long as i'm there, that's all i care about.
00:18:39.577 --> 00:18:43.080
Well, that's true to a certain extent, but that's just like
00:18:43.080 --> 00:18:46.551
Saying, well, i'm just so long as i'm not in egypt, so i'm just
00:18:46.551 --> 00:18:48.953
Glad to be out in the wilderness.
00:18:48.953 --> 00:18:50.288
But the lord says, yeah, but i don't want you to be here.
00:18:50.288 --> 00:18:53.724
I want you to press in.
00:18:53.724 --> 00:18:55.393
I want you to get more.
00:18:55.393 --> 00:18:59.230
I want you to deepen your relationship with me.
00:18:59.230 --> 00:19:04.769
So don't settle for the leftovers and don't seek god's
00:19:04.769 --> 00:19:07.872
Hand, seek god's face.
00:19:07.872 --> 00:19:11.275
God's face.
00:19:11.275 --> 00:19:12.610
What did ruth experience in chapter 2: the hand of boaz, the
00:19:12.610 --> 00:19:16.380
Good hand of boaz, the blessings of boaz, but you know what she
00:19:16.380 --> 00:19:21.319
Experienced in ruth chapter 3 and ruth chapter 4: the heart of
00:19:21.319 --> 00:19:24.722
Boaz, the love of boaz, the person of boaz, the face, so to
00:19:24.722 --> 00:19:32.196
Speak, of boaz.
00:19:32.196 --> 00:19:33.831
Hey, let me ask you a question, how deep is your relationship
00:19:33.831 --> 00:19:37.635
With god?
00:19:37.635 --> 00:19:40.037
You're satisfied just to have the leftovers or do you wanna
00:19:40.037 --> 00:19:44.508
Press in to the lord.
00:19:44.508 --> 00:19:45.977
And we talk in church about the need to be in a small group.
00:19:45.977 --> 00:19:50.348
You come on sunday morning and that's great, but you don't
00:19:50.348 --> 00:19:53.284
Wanna stay in just the big group on sunday morning, you wanna
00:19:53.284 --> 00:19:56.320
Start pressing in to smaller groups.
00:19:56.320 --> 00:19:58.189
You don't wanna stay just in a tender, you wanna become
00:19:58.189 --> 00:20:00.591
A member.
00:20:00.591 --> 00:20:01.926
You don't wanna stay in the leftover line, you wanna get in
00:20:01.926 --> 00:20:04.695
The line that seeks god's face and that experiences
00:20:04.695 --> 00:20:09.133
God's heart.
00:20:09.133 --> 00:20:11.269
Lesson number 3, even when things look hopeless, god is the
00:20:11.269 --> 00:20:17.308
God of hope.
00:20:17.308 --> 00:20:18.976
God is the god of hope.
00:20:18.976 --> 00:20:20.311
One of my favorite verses, romans 15:13, "now may the god
00:20:20.311 --> 00:20:23.381
Of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing that you
00:20:23.381 --> 00:20:28.886
May abound in hope by the power of the holy spirit."
00:20:28.886 --> 00:20:33.524
Their situation in chapter 1 looked really, really grim.
00:20:33.524 --> 00:20:37.428
No man, poor, destitute.
00:20:37.428 --> 00:20:40.831
Women in that back in that time period, i mean, if you didn't
00:20:40.831 --> 00:20:44.001
Have a kinsman redeemer, you didn't have anything 'cause it
00:20:44.001 --> 00:20:46.203
Was a male dominated society and they didn't have any money
00:20:46.203 --> 00:20:49.874
That's why she was--ruth was out in the fields gleaning like a
00:20:49.874 --> 00:20:54.111
Peasant because she didn't have anything and so she's begging.
00:20:54.111 --> 00:20:58.115
It's almost like going through dumpsters trying to find
00:20:58.115 --> 00:21:00.384
Something to eat.
00:21:00.384 --> 00:21:01.752
That's kind of what she was doing so to speak.
00:21:01.752 --> 00:21:05.056
And so things looked really hopeless and, you know, you look
00:21:05.056 --> 00:21:08.025
At ruth and you say, well, you know, you're from moab, what
00:21:08.025 --> 00:21:10.294
Kind of prospects do you have for a husband?
00:21:10.294 --> 00:21:13.631
Slim to none and slim left town.
00:21:13.631 --> 00:21:15.599
I mean it's that kind of deal.
00:21:15.599 --> 00:21:16.934
It's like, yeah, i don't have anything, but i have god.
00:21:16.934 --> 00:21:20.971
I have god.
00:21:20.971 --> 00:21:22.340
And when you have god, you have everything because god is the
00:21:22.340 --> 00:21:25.276
God of hope.
00:21:25.276 --> 00:21:26.644
And see, god does his greatest work in the
00:21:26.644 --> 00:21:28.512
Darkest circumstances.
00:21:28.512 --> 00:21:31.415
His greatest work in the darkest circumstances.
00:21:31.415 --> 00:21:33.317
Maybe you're here today and you say, "jeff, my life seems like
00:21:33.317 --> 00:21:36.587
It's over.
00:21:36.587 --> 00:21:38.222
I mean, i have messed up so royally.
00:21:38.222 --> 00:21:41.659
I have made so many bad decisions, so many selfish,
00:21:41.659 --> 00:21:45.296
Sinful decisions that i don't see how anything's ever gonna
00:21:45.296 --> 00:21:48.432
Change for me.
00:21:48.432 --> 00:21:49.767
I am hester prynne with a scarlet letter on my chest."
00:21:49.767 --> 00:21:54.372
And maybe it's the scarlet a because you have committed
00:21:54.372 --> 00:21:57.074
Adultery or maybe it's a scarlet a because you have committed
00:21:57.074 --> 00:22:00.111
Abortion, the sin of abortion and took the life of your
00:22:00.111 --> 00:22:04.115
Unborn baby.
00:22:04.115 --> 00:22:05.883
Maybe it's for a scarlet a for addiction and you've been
00:22:05.883 --> 00:22:08.953
Addicted to drugs and alcohol and all sorts of other things
00:22:08.953 --> 00:22:12.323
That have just wrecked and ruined your life and you said
00:22:12.323 --> 00:22:14.525
There's no hope.
00:22:14.525 --> 00:22:15.860
I've destroyed my family.
00:22:15.860 --> 00:22:17.194
I've lost my job.
00:22:17.194 --> 00:22:18.696
What could possibly come of this?
00:22:18.696 --> 00:22:22.433
God is the god of hope.
00:22:22.433 --> 00:22:24.735
God is the god who can do anything.
00:22:24.735 --> 00:22:27.805
And he does his greatest work in the darkest of circumstances.
00:22:27.805 --> 00:22:32.610
And then the lord showers his love and grace on those who
00:22:32.610 --> 00:22:37.114
Trust him.
00:22:37.114 --> 00:22:38.516
On those who trust him.
00:22:38.516 --> 00:22:39.850
I love this how this book ends.
00:22:39.850 --> 00:22:43.220
Because how it ends is such a testimony to the goodness
00:22:43.220 --> 00:22:47.558
Of god.
00:22:47.558 --> 00:22:48.926
See, ruth, as we've said, she's from moab.
00:22:48.926 --> 00:22:51.695
She's a moabitess.
00:22:51.695 --> 00:22:53.164
She's called that in the book of ruth on numerous occasions, ruth
00:22:53.164 --> 00:22:56.967
The moabitess.
00:22:56.967 --> 00:22:59.036
She's from moab, and moab--the moabites were under a curse.
00:22:59.036 --> 00:23:02.740
Deuteronomy 23, verse 3, "no ammonite or moabite shall ever
00:23:02.740 --> 00:23:07.878
Enter the assembly of the lord.
00:23:07.878 --> 00:23:09.213
None of their descendants even to the tenth generation shall
00:23:09.213 --> 00:23:12.750
Ever enter the assembly of the lord."
00:23:12.750 --> 00:23:16.921
But ruth didn't stay in moab.
00:23:16.921 --> 00:23:19.723
And although she would be attached to moab because that
00:23:19.723 --> 00:23:22.560
Was home to her, she wasn't a follower of kimosh, the false
00:23:22.560 --> 00:23:26.864
God of the moabites.
00:23:26.864 --> 00:23:28.232
She was a follower of yahweh, the true god of the israelites.
00:23:28.232 --> 00:23:31.302
She became a proselyte jew, not a jew by birth, but a jew by
00:23:31.302 --> 00:23:35.739
Choice and she followed the god of the jews and god showered her
00:23:35.739 --> 00:23:41.145
With love and grace just like he does everyone.
00:23:41.145 --> 00:23:45.049
And when any ammonite or moabite turns to the god of israel and
00:23:45.049 --> 00:23:50.287
Cries out for mercy and grace, what does that person find?
00:23:50.287 --> 00:23:53.057
He finds the open arms of the lord and that person gets mercy
00:23:53.057 --> 00:23:56.994
And grace, and jesus christ will receive anyone who will come to
00:23:56.994 --> 00:24:02.066
Him in repentance and faith.
00:24:02.066 --> 00:24:05.569
And i don't care what you've done.
00:24:05.569 --> 00:24:07.638
And i don't care how stained your heart and life might be if
00:24:07.638 --> 00:24:13.143
You today would say i'm gonna get up and i'm gonna leave moab.
00:24:13.143 --> 00:24:18.582
My moab, wherever that is, my pigsty just like the prodigal
00:24:18.582 --> 00:24:21.919
Son, i'm gonna leave this place and i'm gonna go to the god of
00:24:21.919 --> 00:24:27.024
The universe and come before him in brokenness and repentance and
00:24:27.024 --> 00:24:31.629
Put my faith and trust in him.
00:24:31.629 --> 00:24:33.297
You'll find his arms open wide.
00:24:33.297 --> 00:24:34.665
And if you'll take one step just as the song says, if you'll take
00:24:34.665 --> 00:24:37.468
One step toward the savior, my friend, you'll find his arms
00:24:37.468 --> 00:24:40.237
Open wide, and that's how the book of ruth ends.
00:24:40.237 --> 00:24:44.875
God reverses the curse in her life because she put her faith
00:24:44.875 --> 00:24:48.979
And trust in jesus or in the god of israel.
00:24:48.979 --> 00:24:54.151
She became an ancestress to the lineage of the king of kings and
00:24:54.151 --> 00:24:59.256
Lord of lords.
00:24:59.256 --> 00:25:00.624
Listen, the question is simple.
00:25:00.624 --> 00:25:04.061
Will you do what ruth did and put your faith and your complete
00:25:04.061 --> 00:25:09.366
Trust in yahweh god?
00:25:09.366 --> 00:25:11.936
Jeff: no matter where you are in life, god's love and care is
00:25:14.271 --> 00:25:17.975
Always available and you can discover the depth of his love
00:25:17.975 --> 00:25:21.278
For you each day in 2025 in a brand new daily devotional book
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Called "god's mercy, grace, and compassion."
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I had the honor of joining with 47 other pastors and christian
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Leaders to produce this brand new high quality book that
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Features daily scripture readings, inspiring devotional
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Thoughts, and a daily prayer that i believe will help you
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Walk more closely with the lord.
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We hope you'll contact us today to get your copy of this new
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Year-long daily devotional that will help you grow in gratitude
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For god's mercy, grace, and compassion.
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Here's how you can get yours.
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Male announcer: to get your copy of this beautiful and inspiring
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Year-long daily devotional book, "god's mercy, grace, and
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Compassion," either for yourself or as a present for a friend,
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Make your timely and important calendar year in gift "from his
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Heart" today.
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To help us sustain and expand our reach in 2025, call...
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Or go to fromhisheart.org and make that year-end gift today.
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Jeff: my friend, it is decision time for you today.
00:26:27.211 --> 00:26:30.314
If you've never turned from sin and trusted jesus as savior and
00:26:30.314 --> 00:26:34.051
King, today is the day for you.
00:26:34.051 --> 00:26:36.220
Pray this prayer with me, "lord jesus, i need you.
00:26:36.220 --> 00:26:40.591
I know that i'm a sinner and i'm lost and i can't save myself.
00:26:40.591 --> 00:26:45.162
Jesus, i believe that you are god in the flesh.
00:26:45.162 --> 00:26:48.098
I believe you died on the cross for my sins and rose again from
00:26:48.098 --> 00:26:51.468
The dead, and right now, jesus, i surrender my heart, my life,
00:26:51.468 --> 00:26:55.806
My all to you.
00:26:55.806 --> 00:26:57.241
Save me, change me from the inside out, and i promise to
00:26:57.241 --> 00:27:00.778
Follow you all the days of my life.
00:27:00.778 --> 00:27:03.781
We would love to hear from you.
00:27:03.781 --> 00:27:05.516
If this program has been a blessing to you, if you just
00:27:05.516 --> 00:27:08.218
Prayed that prayer to receive christ, please let us know.
00:27:08.218 --> 00:27:11.388
Remember, you're important to god and you're important to us,
00:27:11.388 --> 00:27:15.292
And we're here for you.
00:27:15.292 --> 00:27:17.094
♪♪♪
00:27:17.094 --> 00:27:28.138

Jeff Schreve - From Tragedy to Triumph

December 1, 2024 | S

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