The Sovereignty of God & the Joy of Man (04/03/2005)

Romans 8 and Ruth 1: The Sovereignty of God and the Joy of Man

We won't be having our scripture songs today, so we're gonna go right into the message. Like for you to turn to Romans chapter 8 and Ruth chapter 1 this morning. Romans chapter 8 verse 26 and we're gonna be Ruth chapter 1 verse 1.

Want to speak to you about the sovereignty of God and the joy of man this morning. Sovereignty of God and the joy of man. Romans chapter 8 Verse 26. Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities for we know not what we should pray for as we ought but the Spirit Himself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered and He that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit because he maketh intercession for the Saints according to the will of God.

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God to them who are called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow and you have to know that this word for knowledge when he says he knew us.

It means he knows us with love. He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his son. That he might be the firstborn among many brethren. All things work together for good to them that love God to them who are called according to his purpose.

That's a lot of people's favorite verse in the Bible and rightly, so because as we Live in this life. We run across Tribulations, don't we seems that way seems like they just come into our path. The truth is they're designed to be in our lives.

So that we might grow to be the very person we're supposed to be when we meet Jesus face to face and those tribulations are probably The most important part that we go through. As far as the molding process, that's where the pressure comes from that the potter can use to mold the clay and.

This week it seems like we just had a lot of families that are going through things. I know Raymond and Sharon were very concerned. They thought he was having a heart attack when they rushed him to the hospital this week.

Brother Russell fortunately was there. I don't know how they even How you found out about it and all that I was right getting in the Getting packed in the car to leave to go up to this wedding. And Russell was kind of keeping me informed and and I don't know that that information is right about that muscle leak.

I think what they meant was a valve a leaky valve that you know. How they do the blood test when you have a heart attack. They've got about three of them and They read Enzyme levels in your blood and they can tell if you've had heart damage muscle damage and so forth.

But they're apparently one of those three can show if you have a leaky valve. It's some kind of protein or or it probably is a protein. And it showed one of the three showed up negative. And so that's the one but anyway, they're Very concerned.

He was having some arrhythmias and so forth. We know about that. Don't we miss B? First time you ever have those you think you're dying, don't you? But. And then the Rivera family over in Mahaya. They had their children in our school when our school was first starting back in the early 80s wonderful Christian family.

And very much in the word. In fact, mr. Rivera pretty much is Lay preacher he just has people around him in his home all the time teaching the Bible to to the Mexican American people and. And anyway, what Juanita had a stroke in?

February they thought a small stroke that she got over with pretty easily then in March. She had another little one and then all of a sudden here about a week ago. She had another one and went in the hospital went on a ventilator for about a week then they took her off and she got pneumonia and she passed away last night and.

And very close to Paul and when my when Paul was a little boy we were very much around that family quite a bit and Kids were in our school and sometimes they would babysit. They were a little older than our kids that come over to babysit our Children, so it's been very difficult for Paul to go through this.

Miss Juanita was very close to Paul and vice versa, but Anyway, she was only like 50 three or four years old, I think and Then there was this Brian Bailey that that brother Russell mentioned one of our first students in our school that's passed away back in the early 80s, he was a like an eighth grader in our school and.

So a lot of people going through a lot of things and then there's the Pope's family I'm sure they're upset and he now I missed that but I heard that he passed away. We were sort of in the midst of preparing for this Wedding and everything so I haven't seen any of the stuff on TV if you want, I'm sure it's just everywhere, isn't it?

I'm sorry. I'm missing that. I really am. Sorry to miss some of it. I like to hear some of the things they say so what if you could some of you tell me some of the things are Saying oh, really? It's gonna go on.

Well, when is the burial gonna be? So they really stretch it out. Okay, so they don't even tell us when exactly. Now have they selected the new one? So the smoke goes up the chimney when they select him.

Will that be this week too, or does that take a while? I don't remember. It's been a while since I've yeah. Will that be this week or do you know? 50 they have to do it in 15 days. They probably. Okay.

Well, the whole world is on hold now till we get our new Pope now if he's Half Jew or something like that and get shot in the head and recovers. We'll know. We'll know we're close won't we? Really? Wasn't a head injury was it.

Well, some people think that the Antichrist will be a Pope will be the Pope of that time. To get to become it All That would be pretty you think pretty necessary for that position, but Well, the whole world gets all excited about the Pope.

Russell was telling me they didn't mention Jesus too many times. They just mostly talked about him. I would say the good. Wasn't he the first one to have a Popemobile? How About John Pope Paul the Batman or something.

We laugh about it, but it's boy serious business with the demonic world they work through that so much well. Isn't it amazing that we live in a day where we have freedom and they're not killing us? I was thinking about that while I was reading this verse.

I Was thinking about the Pope in the back of my mind and reading this verse and I was thinking, you know We have freedom to be a little small group like this meet together. Study the word together allow the Holy Spirit to be our teacher for most of the 2 ,000 years since Jesus time that the Catholics have killed people like that because we don't come under the authority of the Pope and they Don't like that.

So we live in a little space of time here where we've been in a protected time in the United States of America and Other third world countries, I know Mexico you don't think of that. A lot of people think of that is.

It's as far out. There's some third world countries. But I guarantee you that there are some mountainous areas in Mexico. If you went there as a Protestant, they would raid you out in the street and kill you and.

Because you're not a Catholic. So it's an amazing power struggle. And who knows how many of you think that the Catholic Church is the great? The great whore that it talks about in Revelation. Raise your hand.

I want to see how many of you think that might be the Catholic Church. Brother Otis had his hand up so you might raise your hands. Well, I think the Roman Catholic Church easily could be. I think it could include other things with it, but you know, they merge things into themselves.

It could be the entire false religion hierarchy in the whole world and excluding only true Bible believers. Because there's a big move to bring everything under one so that. Wow, is that what they're saying on TV?

Billion strong. They only have about eight billion in the whole world only or is it six six to eight billion? Around around six. So one-sixth of every human is a Catholic. Wow. The biggest cult group in the world.

Yes, he did. And how they killed. Did he apologize for killing the Baptists? Or just the Muslims. I don't think he's apologized for that one yet, but. It's it's amazing history. Bush. Oh well, they. Have they ever chosen an American for that?

I don't think they ever have never will it'll be you know some European and you know if if the church if the Catholic Church is a Role, which we it probably will be it will probably be what brings together the European nations, you know.

In that ten nation Confederacy that Daniel talks about. Well, it gets interesting and. So, let's get our minds off those things and let's talk about how God is in control. Not the folk. So I want to tell you a story this morning out of the Bible about how God works all things together for good in our lives.

This story took place three thousand three hundred years ago and. And the customs of that day were a little different than they are now, but God has not changed. And this was about a thousand years before Jesus Christ was born and it happened in the same city.

That he was born Bethlehem so let's look at Ruth chapter 1 verse 1. Now it came to pass in the days when the judges ruled that there was a famine in the land. Now, wouldn't you think think that a famine is a bad thing.

That's how we think isn't it but God can use things like famines to move you to the place where you are supposed to be and This famine caused this family to move to another place. If they hadn't moved to this place, which means if it hadn't been for this famine Jesus Christ would not have been born and We would have died in our sins.

So this was a very important famine. Now what that teaches us is that the things that we consider to be bad are very important events. They are not bad from God's viewpoint. This famine was in the whole land and a certain man of Bethlehem Judah Went to sojourn in the country of Moab Ian his wife and two sons and the name of the man was a limeleck and the name of the wife was Naomi and the name of the two sons were Mahalon or Mahalon and Chile on and They came into the country of Moab and they continued there and then a limeleck died in verse 3 and So they were rooted uprooted by this famine they made the trip over to Another land and to Moab.

No sooner had they gotten there than the father died passed away. And so Naomi is left with just her two sons. Now the two sons marry. But before we go into that let me tell you the Hebrew here behind their names if you you may remember or have heard this but Does anyone remember what Mahalon means this boy's name?

His name means sickly and Chile on means whiny so here her two sons are sickly and whiny and Her husband passes away. So this we have the marks of a real tragedy. And It really is a tragedy because of their physical appearance.

These were the names that were given these two boys and What a picture this presents. And here they're in a foreign land. Well sickly and whiny find a couple of wives and They were women of Moab and The name of one was Orpah and the name of the other was Ruth and they dwelled there about ten years and This is Orpah not Oprah.

All right. Make sure you know the difference. Charlotte was telling me on the car on the way over here that Oprah Winfrey was really named Orpah and they misspelled it. And that's how she became Oprah.

But I'm glad it was not Oprah because this is a tragedy enough as it is and Orpah Means the nape of the neck. So apparently Orpah might have been a bit stubborn in her nature. Now Ruth on the other hand the name means friend.

So the tragedy continues in verse 5 and Mahalon and Chile on died also both of them and The woman was left of her sons and her husband. Then she arose with their daughters-in-law that she might return from the country of Moab.

For she had heard in the country of Moab how that the Lord had visited his people and giving them bread. Now see how Circumstances can play a role in the way that God moves us to the place where he wants us to be and To her it was just a matter of Necessity.

She had lost her husband. She lost her sons. All she had left was two Moabitis Daughters-in-law and now the famine was over and There was bread in abundance. The economy had turned for the good in the homeland.

So she sees that as an open door to head back that way. So as she leaves to head back to Judah with her two daughters-in-law. She beseeches both of them to return to their mother's home and she gave them her blessings to stay in their homeland with their own families and at first both of them said no, we'll go with you and They both of the daughters-in-law said they would go with Naomi but finally Orpah consented and returned to the place of her family in verse 15 and She said to Ruth behold my sister-in-law is gone back and to her people and unto her gods.

Returned out after thy sister-in-law. So Naomi turns to Ruth and says look Orpah went back to her family. You should do the same. She went back to her family and to her gods. With a little G and that means they're idols.

They're false gods and then at this point comes one of the most beautiful poetic passages in the whole Bible and I think perhaps in the entire literary world one of the most beautiful passages look at verse 16 and Ruth said and treat me not to leave thee or to return from following after thee.

For whether thou goest I will go where thou lodges I will lodge. Thy people shall be my people and thy God my God. Where thou diest will I die and there will I be buried. The Lord do so to me and more also if aught but death part thee and me.

What a beautiful picture of faithfulness and Friendship her name meaning friend verse 18 when she saw. When Naomi saw that Ruth was steadfastly minded to go with her then she stopped trying to talk her out of it.

What a beautiful statement this woman made you know thy God shall be my God and So God is blessing Naomi with the true friendship of Ruth and Her love and faithfulness, but there's more to this blessing but first before we see that let's note the bitter pain that Naomi was in and This reminds me of us.

Certainly, I can speak for myself not you, but I assume we're similar in many ways. So look at this she's Dealing with this situation of losing her husband losing her sons in her mind. She's lost everything that she has the only thing that she had left is this Moabitess young woman who Follows along tags along with her named Ruth and refuses to go back to her parents.

Naomi who knows maybe she might have even seen that as a burden now. She's got to take care of this young woman. But she was believing that God had dealt with her harshly. I mean, this is human nature.

It's human nature sometimes to question God when we're going through trials. And I'll say this if you're strong in your belief in the sovereignty of God like we are. You might have more a tendency to do that than others.

Because you know who's in control. So something bad happens to you, you know who was ultimately in control. So we in our strong belief that God is sovereign when Tragedy strikes us if we're not careful.

We may tend to shake the fist for a little while and say God how did you do this to me? I know you could have stopped this. You could have made this where this didn't happen and you didn't. This is exactly where she is.

Look at verse 19. You'll see this. But I'll tell you what it teaches. She did have a strong belief in the sovereignty of God. Now. Listen, this is biblical. Ladies and gentlemen, don't think ever for a moment that you're in some strange little church where you probably do think that but you're in Some strange little church where we invented this idea of the sovereignty of God and how important it is.

I'll take this opportunity to remind you that before the year 1900 in Europe in the in the British. Among the Baptist in England before we they even I didn't go back far enough but you you go back about a hundred years, but you go back even further than that before our nation was really a nation and They had two groups Particular Baptist and General Baptist.

The particular Baptist were about three-fourths of everybody. Almost every Baptist was called a particular Baptist. Why did they call themselves that because that meant that Jesus died for a particular group of people the elect.

They strongly believed in the sovereignty of God. The General Baptist were a small group. Who who believed otherwise? So it's historical but look how far back it goes. Now look as you read about Naomi in verse 19 and see if you don't see in her.

That she had the strength of believing that God was in control of everything. Therefore It's his fault that this happened. That's the downside of being strong in our belief. Is we if we're not careful when we go through tribulation.

We get a little bit bitter towards God. So they too went until they came to Bethlehem and it came to pass when they were come to Bethlehem. That all the city was moved about them and they said is this Naomi?

So she said so that the two women come back into the town the hometown. She's been gone for at least 10 years 10 or 11 years. And she's changed a little bit, but they recognize her and they say is this Naomi.

Is she back? And her answer is interesting because she said of them call me not Naomi. Call me Mara. For the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me. Mara means bitter. The Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me.

I went out full and The Lord hath brought me home again empty. What a statement. Can't you just feel with her how she was feeling? I Left full. I came back with nothing now whose fault does she think this is?

Well, who's running the universe? So she places it in the right place. It's just that her attitude is not right. But we can't point the finger at her. Can we? How many times in our lives have we had our caught our minds.

Maybe for a brief second or two blaming God maybe for a day or two. The fortunate thing is if we're born again, the Holy Spirit leads us back to the right thinking doesn't he? To realize he is a loving God and a good God all knowing God.

So the best is what is happening. But it may take us a day or two to work through that and it did this. This woman is flesh and blood like we are. So she was dealing with this heavy on her heart. So the two women settle in back in the hometown territory around Bethlehem.

And as God's providence would have it. They returned at exactly the time of the barley harvest. And so Ruth goes out into the fields to reap. Ruth chapter 2 verse 3 if you would look at that one and She went and came and gleaned in the field after the Reapers and her hat.

Want you to underline that word hap was to light in a part of the field belonging unto Boaz. Who was the kindred of a limeleck? He was kin to the father-in-law. Now the word hap. What does that mean in the Old English?

Like it happened to go there happenstance or fortune. Now what's interesting is that's man's viewpoint, isn't it? Of course all the stories are told from man's viewpoint. It's interesting that you see the sovereignty of God in verses 19 through 21.

But here you see man's viewpoint is from our viewpoint. We just happened to have ended up right here in this church today didn't we. I Mean we drove all the way from the moon practically last night and landed right here in this church today.

Just happened to be here. Well, she just happened to light. On the part of the field that belongs to Boaz. Which happens to be a kindred now? This is the kind of hap that I like. Because there's no real accidents or happenstance.

Except from our viewpoint, but from God's viewpoint everything is orchestrated. We should remember this when we're going through difficult times in our own lives everything is orchestrated even the difficulty of the times as Ruth goes out into the fields an Extremely eligible bachelor named Boaz took note of her and I mean he took the kind of note of her that a man takes of a beautiful woman when His eyes seem to be saying she's the one for me.

And if you go home you read the story truly, it's one of the most romantic stories in the whole Bible. So He told her to remain in his field. He said you don't need to reap anywhere else. You just reap right here in my field.

You can follow my workers. In fact, he said I want you to stay right here with the young men and reap with them. Well, actually this was a test. But where Boaz was testing her to see what she would do around these young strong men.

He was a little bit older. Well Ruth's mother-in-law comes into play now. She comes back tells the story to Naomi. Now this is not a conniving mother-in-law at all. She's just wise and she's been around and she's going to give a little help to Ruth and Chapter 3 verse 1 and we'll see the advice that she gives her.

Now Let me give you some background before we get into this. They had a law and this was part of God's law in these times of this dispensation of the Old Testament Saints. That if a woman lost her husband.

That a kinsman in in the larger family could redeem her and the land of the original husband. Pay a price for that land and in the process purchase her as his own wife. So that you could raise up seed to that family and not have the family line die out.

And this was part of God's law. So at that time, this is how it worked. This was how God Instituted this for the Israelites. So that comes into play here. It sounds a little bit strange because that's not our custom today.

But this comes into play so There is nothing illegal or illicit going on here. And as you read this you might think well, this is strange well, it's because It's a different dispensation. God dealt with these people a little bit differently.

God didn't change but the way that he dealt with the people did. So everything is above board here and everything is right. But look at how Naomi counsels Ruth chapter 3 verse 1 then Naomi her mother-in-law said unto her my daughter Shall I not seek rest for thee?

That it may be well with thee she says look I want it to go well with you. I'm gonna give you some advice and Now is not Boaz our kindred now you see no Naomi was familiar with the law. She was familiar with the law and she knew he is our kindred therefore he could become a kindred Redeemer, by the way, this is a picture.

This whole thing is a picture. This kindred Redeemer idea is a picture of Jesus Christ. He is our kindred Redeemer. So Is he not a kindred with whose maidens thou wast? In other words you were out in the field with Servants of his and the young men and the young women you were reaping in their field.

Isn't this man who owns this field? So he's a very wealthy man. Isn't he our kindred? Behold he winnoweth barley tonight in the threshing floor. Wash thyself therefore and anoint thee and Put thy raiment upon thee and get thee down to the floor.

But make not thyself known unto the man until he has done eating and drinking. She's given her specific instructions. And and it shall be that when he lieth down that thou shalt mark the place where he shall lie.

And thou shalt go in and uncover his feet and lay thee down and he will tell thee what thou shalt do. And she said unto her all that thou sayest unto me. Ruth said I will do and she went down to the floor and did according to all that her mother-in-law bade her and when Boaz had Eaten and drunk and his heart was merry he went to lie down at the end of the heap of corn and She came softly or quietly and uncovered his feet and laid her down.

And it came to pass at midnight that the man was afraid and turned himself and behold a woman lay at his feet. Now that's a real predicament, isn't it gentlemen? Well Moab handled this as a gentleman ought to and It is good that he did because God was watching and planned on writing this story in a best-selling book the best-selling book.

So young men remember this. God may still be writing books. He's watching you. All of us are young men in here, by the way. So he is watching us. So he says who art thou. And she answered I am Ruth thine handmaid.

Spread therefore thy skirt over thine handmaid for thou art a near kinsman. Now she was not doing or saying anything inappropriate. This was according to the law of their time. So she wasn't behaving badly here it was God's law about the kinsman.

Redeemer. And but look at verse 10 how he handles this and he said blessed be thou of the Lord my daughter. For thou had now he calls her daughter just because she's younger. She's a young woman and she is a kinsman.

It's not really her daughter, but she is a part of the larger family and He says for thou has shown more kindness in the latter than in the beginning. You've shown me more kindness tonight than you did when you came and you reaped in my field.

And as much as thou follow us not the young men whether poor or rich. You see he had put her with his young men to test her and he noticed she didn't go after the young men. She's interested in him and he notices this and Now my daughter fear not I will do to thee all that thou requirest.

You see this was a requirement of the law. For all the city of my people doth know that thou art a virtuous woman. Now Boaz had a way of seeking God's will and He went about to seek the Lord's will with an honest process.

Despite what his heart was feeling that night so he told her lie down until morning and She lay at his feet until the morning and she rose up before one could know another in other words while it was still dark.

And he said let it not be known that a woman came into the threshing floor. Now she goes back and tells Naomi the story and look at what Naomi says to her as she consoles her in verse 18 and Said she sit still my daughter.

Until thou know how the matter will fall for the man will not be at rest. Until he had finished the thing this day now she knew human nature didn't she? She seemed to know men very well, but she'd been surrounded by men the husband two sons.

That's all she had so she knew how men thought how they reacted and she said you don't need to worry. He won't take his mind off you till he figures out the end of this matter. She was exactly right so Boaz goes out now.

It's interesting. He goes to the men of the city and some of the other family members. It says there's really a kinsman. That's nearer than I am so the law would say he should have the first right. So he actually talks to this man and tells him about the situation.

It says you have the right to redeem this land and to marry this woman if you want to. Well. He turned it down said no no no probably because he knew is he was already married. So the wife wouldn't have anything to do with this.

No, no, no, it's not right for me. So that put it over back into Boaz's side of the court so to speak so all of this took place and he was patient and he Gave God a chance to close the door on this now.

Young men and the rest of us all of us listen to this. That is a good thing to do. When you think you want to go out and do something pray and say Lord if this is what you want me to do. Open the door if you don't close the door.

He gave this an opportunity not to happen and God opened the door rather than closing it. And that's a great way to pursue God's will for our lives. So verse 9 boy has said unto the elders and to do all the people.

You are witnesses this day that I have bought all that was a limal X and all that was Chileans and Mahalans of the hand of Naomi. Moreover Ruth the Moabitess the wife of Mahalon have I purchased to be my wife.

To raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance. That the name of the dead be not cut off from among his brethren and from the gate of his place. Your witnesses this day now the men of the city in their own way and the customs of their time Gave their blessings and they gave a beautiful blessing in verse 11 and all the people that were in the gate and the elders said We are witnesses.

The the Lord make the woman that is coming to the hunt house like Rachel and Leah which to did build the house of Israel and Do thou worthily in Ephratah and be famous in Bethlehem in? Verse 13. So boy has took Ruth and she was his wife and when he went in unto her the Lord gave her Conception and she bear a son.

Now look at this and the woman senator Naomi all the women of the city said to Naomi the mother-in-law Blessed be the Lord which hath not left thee this day without a kinsman that his name may be famous in Israel and He shall be unto thee a restorer of thy life and a nourisher of thine old age.

For thy daughter-in-law which loveth thee which is better to thee than seven sons Hath borne him and Naomi took the child and laid laid it in her bosom. So the mother-in-law became the nurse of the child and and verse 17 The women her neighbors gave it a name saying there is a son born to Naomi and they called his name Obed.

He is the father of Jesse the father of David. So Now we see that Ruth actually becomes the great-grandfather of King David of Israel. Who is the direct lineage of the Lord Jesus Christ whom will sit on his throne? someday In the Millennial Kingdom the Savior of all that will be saved.

And all of this took place because of the famine because of the deaths of The men the husband and the two young men sickly and whiny. God does have a sense of humor, doesn't he? So God always meets our needs.

He always takes the trials we go through and works them together. For the best in our lives, but also for his own purpose that we would be right in the middle of it and He has done this for Naomi and Ruth and Boaz and he will do this for each of us.

He will do this for all of us who love him and are called according to his purpose. Well, that is the message today. We're going to get an early start on lunch and I think we will Postpone our evening service today cancel it and just pick it up next Sunday when we have everybody back.

If you don't mind, I think that would be a wise thing to do. So we'll break for our fellowship time. Let's have a word of prayer father. We thank you for this beautiful story. Wonderful story in the lives of these people your servants some three thousand three hundred years ago.

Thank you for how you bring this to life in our own lives and you teach us That as we go through times of trial and tribulation. To fight that. Thought of being bitter towards you realizing that you love us and you're always working things for our best.

But also according to your purposes. So that when we meet you someday face to face we will be Exactly who you know, we are supposed to be and father. We thank you that you are in control because what fear we would have if man was in control.

We thank you that you guide and you orchestrate not only our lives, but the lives of our children. We can take peace in that as our children grow and mature and So Lord, we commend our children into your hands.

Someday each of them will go out and You will be their direct Father their parent and we will not be the responsible parties for the discipline any longer. You will be and we know that that's where our children are going.

And we take comfort in the fact that you will guide their steps. Just as you did these people in the Bible and just as you do ours. And so we thank you for that Lord. We ask you to be with us during our fellowship time bless the meal.

We're about to have in Jesus name. Amen.