AMAZING LOVE
Ruth 3
Read at beginning of service:
1 Corinthians 13:1-2 (NIV)
1 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.
INTRODUCTION
Many people have different responses to the question, "What is love?" Seldom is there two people who agree on what love is.
There is the story of the little girl who answered that love is when her daddy tucks her in to bead and reads a story to her – True love is when he doesn’t skip any pages! (Autoillustrator.com, "LOVE")Love is a mother.
Love is a father.
Love is when my sister leaves me alone.
Love is your parents letting you have your way.
Love is a lesson in human frailty.
Love is a candle lit at both ends and when it meets it extinguishes itself.
They get better, I mean worse.
Love is the dim glow of the candle flame of hope buried at the bottom of a well so deep that on a no-moon night, peering over the edge as far as possible, you cannot detect the feeble flame -- you know it’s there … but the rope you have is only five feet long.Love is sitting at the window, looking out and remembering who you were the night before.
Love is where fantasy meets reality.
It is safe to say many have no idea of what love is or what it is about. And yet, for so many love is the one thing they want more than anything else – to love and be loved. So the question and the quest moves on to you and I. What is love?
Today we have before us a picture of love. It is a picture of God’s love, God is the source and sum of true love. It involves the lives of Namoi, Ruth, Boaz, you and I.
For those who have not been with us in the last few weeks let me give a brief history account to catch us all up to date.Naomi & Elimelech travel to the land of Moab because of famine in the land of Israel.
Elimelech dies in Moab.
Ruth’s two sons marry women from Moab, Ruth and Orpah.
Their husbands die and Orpah returns to her own people, but Ruth clings to Naomi and forsake her people.
They travel back to Israel for the famine has ended.
Ruth gleans in the field of Boaz and finds favor in his sight.
The story is quickly coming to a climax that involves love and redemption. Today we look at love and next week redemption.
To get a clearer understanding of love let us not glean among the tares of the world for our definition, but from the wheat itself of God’s love.
Read Ruth 3
Love Provides Security
Ruth 3:1-2
Ruth 3:1-3 (NIV)
1 One day Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, "My daughter, should I not try to find a home for you, where you will be well provided for? 2 Is not Boaz, with whose servant girls you have been, a kinsman of ours? Tonight he will be winnowing barley on the threshing floor. 3 Wash and perfume yourself, and put on your best clothes. Then go down to the threshing floor, but don’t let him know you are there until he has finished eating and drinking.
God is a great provider. If we will only look around us we can see His loving provisions.
Notice Naomi who earlier was bitter about her situation believing God’s hand was against her. Through the faithfulness of Ruth and the favors of Boaz, Naomi begins to see rays of hope in the midst of her darkness. She goes from having to be provided for to one who wants to provide. She knew she could not give Ruth a home or living. So she now plays "matchmaker" for she wants to provide for Ruth the security of marriage.
Do those whom you love find security in your love? Or are they always having to earn your love? Do you love to make others feel secure?
Why did God provide . . .
Coverings for Adam and Eve after they had sinned? … Because He loved them.Smoke by day and fire by night to lead the children of Israel? … Because He loved them.Voices of repentance through the prophets? … Because He loved His people.Protect Daniel in the lion’s den? … Because He loved him.Why did God provide His Son as the atoning sacrifices for ours sin? Because He loves us!
Naomi sought "security" for Ruth by obtaining a Hebrew husband for her. In granting her success, God was answering her earlier prayer (1:9 "May the LORD grant that each of you will find rest in the home of another husband.") with much more than she had hoped. (Quickverse: Believers Study Bible) God always provides security
Ephesians 3:20 (NIV)
20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,
In Christ God has provided each of us with His secure love. A love that we do not have to earn. A love that will keep us eternally secure.
Extra Note: Did you notice verse three? Naomi instructed Ruth to "put on" her best garments. Love is the greatest garment you and I can wear! It wasn’t just the clothes, but the love Ruth had for Boaz.
We are instructed in the Christian life to "put on" several garments.
Colossians 3:12-14 (NIV)
12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
Put on the love of Jesus Christ, for there you will find the greatest provision of security.
Love Submits & Obeys
Ruth 3:4-5,6-7
Submit and obey, these are words that conjure up horrible thoughts among many today. Living in a "free" society many do not want to submit to the likes of others having to obey their commands. We desire freedom from all restraints.
What we fail to understand is that in the field of loving security it is not a burden to submit and obey.
Ruth listens to the very detailed words of her mother-in-law (vs.4-5) and the executes them obediently (6-7). Listen to Ruth, "All that you say to me I will do."
Would you? Would you not obey these words of instruction knowing they would bring you security and a hope in life? Ah, be careful how you answer.
John 14:15 (NIV)
15 "If you love me, you will obey what I command.
Love submits . . .Thoughts so as not to think less of another.
Tongue so as not to talk less of another.
Eyes so as not to see another as less.
Life so as to love Christ and others.
In a time of great extremity the young man prayed to God for deliverance. In return for that deliverance the young man promised God a life-long commitment of service to others. Shortly thereafter, he was confronted with a man who embodied all that he disdained: a Texan with a loud brash manner who would lean close to confide a "great truth." And in drawing near he would bellow and his spittle would fly and cover the glasses of the quiet young man. That night, he whispered to God, "If you will but deliver me from this loud, obnoxious person, I promise to serve you the rest of my life." Instantly the response came in his heart: "Love one another." The relationship continued. The Texan, oblivious to all, seemed to be delighted to have this quiet young man as his friend and confidant. He would give lusty greetings from across a crowded room, and continued showering the young man whenever they were in close proximity. On his part, the young man would remove his glasses, and holding the gaze of the Texan, clean them very deliberately. He thought: "God -- you love him through me. I’m weak -- much too weak." The answer in his heart was swift and sobering: "My commandment is this -- that you love him, just as I have loved you." The young man began to try to put this into practice. He looked for ways to express a love that he did not feel. He listened to the Texan, and even began to be interested in what he was saying. He took him out for coffee and, during the telling of a story by the Texan, laughed loudly himself when the Texan spilled his coffee while gesturing wildly. After a short while, the quiet young man and the Texan became inseparable friends. Always together, they found time for many conversations. One day the quiet young man related to his friend from Texas that he had had a great deal of difficulty in the beginning of their relationship. There was a quiet moment. Then the Texan leaned close and said, or sprayed: "YEAH, AH KNOW. AH DID TOO. AH THOUGHT YOU’D NEVER GET OVER BEIN’ SUH STUCK UP!" (Autoillustrator.com, LOVE)Ruth’s simple reply shows her trust in Naomi and her submission to her. Here is the key to her obedience. She knows that a place of blessing is found in submission.
Have we learned this? "At your feet Oh Lord is the most high place."
The very picture of Ruth laying at the feet of Boaz is a beautiful picture of you and I submitting our lives at the feet of God the Father.
Husbands have you learned this? Wives have you learned this? Children have you learned this? Submission is the place of blessing.
Love Gives and Receives
Ruth 3:8-17
Acts 20:35 (NIV)
35 In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ’It is more blessed to give than to receive.’"
When love is received it continues to give. Ruth could have gone after younger men than Boaz (vs.10). But she gave her life. She started by giving her life away when she left Moab forsaking her own people to stay with Naomi and now as she lay in submission (vs.14) she again was giving her life away. Ruth was willing to give her life that she might receive life (vs.9).
John 12:25 (NIV)
25 The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.
There is a story about a man and wife who were celebrating their Golden Wedding Anniversary--fifty years of married life. Having spent most of the day with relatives and friends at a big party given in their honor, they were back home again. They decided, before retiring, to have a little snack of tea with bread and butter. They went into the kitchen where the husband opened up a new loaf of bread and handed the end piece (the heel) to his wife. Whereupon she exploded! She said, "For fifty years you have been dumping the heel of the bread on me. I will not take it anymore; this lack of concern for me and what I like." On and on she went in the bitterest of terms, for offering her the heel of the bread. The husband was absolutely astonished at her tirade. When she had finished he said to her quietly, "But it’s my favorite piece." (Autoillustrator.com, "LOVE")Boaz willingly receives Ruth’s proposal for marriage through the Kinsman Redeemer relationship.
Ruth 3:9 (NIV)
9 "Who are you?" he asked. "I am your servant Ruth," she said. "Spread the corner of your garment over me, since you are a kinsman-redeemer."
When you give you receive. Boaz promises to do all that Ruth has asked of him. He will become her redeemer. Love always gives and love always receives and in turn it will always give again.
CONCLUSION
We will see in greater detail next week the work of the Kinsman Redeemer for our lives who is Christ. But for the moment I want you to see this beautiful picture of love made up of provision, submission, obedience, giving and receiving. And it all pertains to you and I.
I know this story may seem archaic but it is not. It is our story! Giving and receiving love is our make up as Christians. If there is one quality of the Christian life that ought to out weigh and shine all the others it is our love. We are to be known for our love.
Folks the tremendous truth of the Bible – which is God’s word to us is that He loves you – and it is by His example of love that He shows how we can love.
The Bible declares these words to us.
1 Corinthians 13:1-2 (NIV)
1 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.
The story in Ruth 3 is a story of love. I think it is only fitting to close out this chapter with the words of Paul for they fit so well into the lives of Naomi, Ruth and Boaz. And we can only pray they fit our lives.
1 Corinthians 13:4-8a (NIV)
4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 8 Love never fails.
Look at the lives of Naomi, Ruth, and Boaz and we quickly discover, "Love never fails."
WHATEVER Once, while riding in the country, I saw on a farmer’s barn a weather vane on the arrow of which was inscribed these words: "God is Love." I turned in at the gate and asked the farmer, "What do you mean by that? Do you think God’s love is changeable; that it veers about as that arrow turns in the winds?" The farmer said, "Oh, no! I mean that whichever way the wind blows, God is still Love." Charles Spurgeon (Autoillustrator.com, "LOVE")
God loves you and when you know that you find His provisions. When you know God loves you, you can submit to Him in obedience. And when you receive God’s love you and give God’s love.
Ah, it’s love that can only be described by living it. "Love so amazing, so divine demands my soul, my life, my all." Amen!
This sermon was preached by Darren Ethier at Hanover Pentecostal Church. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, Copyright © 1873, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers. Thanks goes to Robert Aubuchon for his message, "A Story of God’s Love" - part of the Series: Ruth – Kinsmen Redeemer
