River of Life Assembly
Pastor Curt Lapham
Date: 21 JAN 2018
Title: Momentum
Subject: Sovereignty, Hope, Momentum
Text: Ruth Ch.3, Hebrews 12:1-2
In chapter 2 the mercy of God breaks through just bright enough for even Naomi to see God is truly not her enemy. We meet Boaz, a man of wealth, a man of power, a man of respect, and most importantly a man of God. We learned he is a relative of Naomi's deceased husband. We see Ruth taking refuge under the wings of God in a foreign land and being led mercifully by God to the field of Boaz to glean. And we see Naomi recover from her long night of sorrow as she praises God (2:20): "The Lord's kindness has not forsaken the living or the dead!" Chapter 2 overflows with hope. Boaz is a God-saturated man in his business and personal relations (vv. 4, 10–13). Ruth is a God-dependent woman under the wings of God. Naomi is now a God-exalting woman under the sovereignty of God. All the darkness of we learned of in chapter 1 is gone. God has turned her mourning into dancing. "The Almighty has dealt bitterly with me" (1:20) has given way to "His kindness has not forsaken the living or the dead" (2:20). The lesson of chapters 1 and 2 is surely at least this:
You fearful Christians fresh courage take:
The clouds you so much dread
Are saturated with grace and mercy and will break
In blessings on your head
Today’s message is entitled -- Momentum:
A paraphrase of Newton’s first law of motion states “Unless acted upon by a force an object at rest will stay at rest and an object in motion will stay in motion.” In other words, unless someone or something does something to change things something that is stationary will stay that way and something that is moving will keep going. For example, a book set on a table will remain in the same place until you or I do something with it. If we apply force to the book and slide it across the table the book will want to keep moving in the same direction and the same speed as we started it moving unless something else applies force to stop it.
Spiritually we’re just like the book and so were the characters in the Book of Ruth. While we may get off to a great start we encounter resistance. In their case resistance came in the form of death. Hardships and difficulty get in our way and we lose our momentum. Some folks even come to a stop spiritually, and then it’s hard to get them started again—they would prefer to stay put. We certainly see this happen to Naomi.
God’s word and Holy Spirit often working thru people have been the forces He uses to get us moving in the right direction. While some of us may have not encountered much resistance yet, others of us have already felt like throwing in the towel. We get off to a great start, but then life hits us in the face and we lose our momentum; we slow down, change direction, and if we aren’t careful just stop altogether from walking in God’s great plans.
How can we maintain our spiritual momentum? How can we keep on keeping on for Jesus? This morning we want to answer that important question. Now that we have started the race, how can we finish it well?
Hebrews 12:1-2 - Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. [2] Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Part of this cloud of witnesses, who took the initiative, allowing The LORD to send His best blessing are revealed to us in the lives of Naomi, Ruth and Boaz in this Chapter of Ruth.
Now for Ruth Chapter 3. The phrase I want you to keep in your mind is "Momentum." The question which chapter 3 answers is, ‘What does a God-saturated man, a God-dependent young woman, and a God-exalting older woman do when they are filled with hope in God’s nature (Recall He is always good)? And the answer is that they set in motion a "strategic righteous plan." By righteous I mean a desire for doing what is good and right—a zeal for doing what is appropriate when God is seen as sovereign and merciful. By strategic I mean that there is purpose and planning with a mission and end state goal. A Christian can live a passive life which simply avoids evil or risk when it presents itself. But a person who has Holy Spirit inspired momentum takes the initiative in life, filled with vision of what could be - HOPE.
HOPE - One of the lessons I want you to learn from Ruth ch.3 is that 1) hope helps us dream. 2) Hope helps us think up ways to do good. 3) Hope helps us pursue our ventures with virtue and integrity. It's hopelessness that makes people think they have to lie and steal and seize illicit pleasures for the moment. But hope, based on the confidence that a sovereign God is for us, gives us a thrilling strategic righteousness plan. We see it in Naomi in 3:1–5, in Ruth in 3:6–9, and in Boaz in 3:10–15. And the chapter closes again with Naomi full of confidence in the power and goodness of God. So what are the practical lessons we can harvest from this chapter? Notice - Harvest not Glean!
1. Naomi's Strategy – Provided the PLAN and VISION.
Two things stand out in Naomi's new strategy in verses 1–4. One is that she has a strategy; and the quality of her strategy. The sheer fact that Naomi has a strategy teaches us something. People who feel like victims don't make plans. As long as Naomi was oppressed; as long as she could only say, "The Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me," she could not imagine a better future.
One of the terrible effects of depression is the inability to move purposefully and hopefully into the future. When Naomi awakens in 2:20 to the kindness of God, her hope comes alive and the overflow produces a strategic mission; find Ruth a place of care and security.
One of the reasons we must help each other "hope in God" (Psalm 42:5) is that only a hopeful church can have the momentum towards a vision of what could be. Churches that feel no hope develop a maintenance mentality at best, and just go through the motions year in and year out. But when a church feels the sovereign kindness of God moving, hope starts to thrive and the church comes alive! A Church that is once again seeking the Lord to know His ways; this is followed by a willingness to help others. At River of Life Assembly, we call this “Having a Big Heart!” That’s what we strive for here.
Naomi's aim is clear: Win Ruth a godly husband and preserve the family line. So she tells Ruth to make herself as clean and attractive as possible, go to the threshing floor of Boaz, and after he has lain down for the evening, sneak in, lift up his cloak, and lie down at his feet. Everybody, including Ruth, must respond by thinking, "And just where do you suppose that will lead?" To which Naomi gives the extraordinary answer in verse 4, "He will tell you what to do."
2. Ruth's Strategy – Do What Naomi SAID and TRUST in the LORD.
Next, we see momentum as Ruth faithfully follows all of Naomi's instructions (v. 5-9). Ruth adds to the momentum when she tells Boaz why she has come. She is lying at his uncovered feet. He awakes and says, "Who are you?" She answers with words unprompted by Naomi, "I am Ruth, your maidservant; spread your blanket over your maidservant, for you are next of kin." Or literally, "You are the redeemer: the one who can redeem our inheritance and our family name from being lost. I want you to fill that role for me. I want to be your wife." She doesn't say it outright. In fact, she is less direct, more savvy of the ancient customs of God’s people; her newly adopted people. She says, "Spread your blanket over me."
An Indirect and Pure Romance – is on display here.
Imagine how fast her pulse was racing when Boaz awoke. Then the all-important words: "I am Ruth . . . spread your wing over your maidservant." There had to have been an immense silence for a moment while Boaz let himself believe that this magnificent woman had really understood his earlier intentions. A middle-aged man in love with a young widow whom he discretely calls "my daughter," uncertain whether her heart might be going after the younger men, communicating the best he can that he wants to be God's protective wing for her. And a young widow gradually and righteously responding. That's powerful stuff!!
3. Boaz's Strategy – BLESS Ruth and MAINTAIN the momentum.
Now comes response of Boaz in verses 10–15. To hear what he says in the right way, you must remember it is midnight, they are under the stars, and he is looking down into the beautiful face of the woman he loves covered with his own blanket. He wants to seize the opportunity but also act righteously before her and the LORD.
“May you be blessed by the Lord, my daughter; you have made this last kindness greater than the first, in that you have not gone after young men, whether poor or rich. And now, my daughter, do not fear, for I will do for you all that you ask; for all my fellow townsmen know that you are a woman of worth.”
And then comes a word of magnificent character and self-control. He says, "According to custom, Ruth, there is another who has prior claim to you and I won't be able to proceed until all things are duly settled with him." The stars are beautiful overhead, it is midnight, he loves her, she loves him, they are alone, she is under his blanket . . . and he stops it for the sake of righteousness, and does not touch her and keeps the Spiritual momentum going. What a man! What a woman!
Lessons to learn from Ruth Ch. 3
Listen, the mood of American life today is, “If it feels good, do it, and to hell with your guilt-producing principles and faithfulness.” But Ruth’s story says to you, “If the stars are shining in their beauty and your heart pounds like a hammer and you two are alone, STOP . . . for the sake of righteous momentum towards God’s best. Don't be like the world. Be like Boaz. Be like Ruth. Profoundly in love. Deep in communication. Powerful in self-control. Committed to maintaining the momentum towards God’s abundant life.
The Story of Ruth reminds us our strength our pathway to security is found in laying ourselves by faith at the feet of Christ just like what Ruth did with Boaz.
Have no doubt, in Christ we have found our Kinsman redeemer.