IBC Bremen Sermons

2 Corinthians 9:6-15 The Ministry of Financial Giving

OPENING ILLUSTRATION: What did you get for Christmas?

Of course someone gave you something for Christmas. You gave someone else a gift for Christmas. We accept the fact that we exchanged gifts with one another. Let me tell you what I got for Christmas. I got a PDA. It is not new, but it was given out of love. I also got a new calendar for 2007. I also got a few other small things. Someone gave us coffee and lots of candy. My wife got a lot of presents from various people this year. Did we enjoy these gifts? Yes, of course we did. Why? Not just because we received something, but because we know that the person who gave the gift out of their love for us. Heike spent her money and gave something precious to me. I spent my money and gave something special for her. There was a motivation behind the giving. The motivation was love.

THE MATHEMATICS OF GIVING (9:6)

What of Giving

Normal math is 10-1=9. God's math is 10-1=10+

The world says that you take 10 Euros and subtract 1 Euro, you get 9 Euros. This is true when you look at all of your giving as an expense. Of course, you have to pay for all that you have on this Earth. You have to pay taxes - more next year than this year. So, it is easy to think that when you give God ten percent, you lose ten percent.

But God says that when you give to Him, He collects and gives back to you. When you give to God, it is like an investment, not an expense. Giving to God ten percent doesn't mean that you will get rich. But it does mean that your needs will be met financially. You have a full 100% to pay your bills. You won't go hungry. But you have to trust God with your money. The best way to start this New Year is to make God a priority. The best way to show God that you have made Him the first priority of your life is with your money. Notice how 2 Corinthians 8 says it:

imploring us with much urgency that we would receive[1] the gift and the fellowship of the ministering to the saints. And not only as we had hoped, but they first gave themselves to the Lord, and then to us by the will of God. (2 Corinthians 8:4-5 NKJV)

There is one who scatters, yet increases more; And there is one who withholds more than is right, But it leads to poverty. (Proverbs 11:24 NKJV)

He who has a generous eye will be blessed, For he gives of his bread to the poor. (Proverbs 22:9 NKJV)

The Bible calls giving God ten percent a tithe. It literally means a tenth or (1/10). Here is a brief overview of the Bible teaches about giving a tenth of your money to Him.

OVERVIEW OF THE TITHE (Giving Ten Percent to God)

It is not just a Mosaic Law. Abraham gave the tithe as a an act of worship. He recognized that God had given Him the victory and so he gave 10 percent of his profits from the war he had won to God - this is represented by the priest to whom He presented the profits, Melchizedek.

And he (Melchizedek) blessed him and said: "Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; And blessed be God Most High, Who has delivered your enemies into your hand." And he (Abraham) gave him a tithe of all. (Genesis 14:19-20 NKJV)

Since this practice started with Abraham, it continued through the life Moses. You can see that as an act of worship, people gave ten percent of what they had to the temple.

"You shall truly tithe all the increase of your grain that the field produces year by year. And you shall eat before the LORD your God, in the place where He chooses to make His name abide, the tithe of your grain and your new wine and your oil, of the firstborn of your herds and your flocks, that you may learn to fear the LORD your God always.
(Deuteronomy 14:22-23 NKJV)

Deuteronomy 14:22-27

The ten percent that the people gave in the Temple was considered holy. That means that once it was given, it was God's. He chose to use it as He wished.

And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the tree, is the LORD's. It is holy to the LORD. If a man wants at all to redeem any of his tithes, he shall add one-fifth to it. And concerning the tithe of the herd or the flock, of whatever passes under the rod, the tenth one shall be holy to the LORD. He shall not inquire whether it is good or bad, nor shall he exchange it; and if he exchanges it at all, then both it and the one exchanged for it shall be holy; it shall not be redeemed."' (Leviticus 27:30-33 NKJV)

The tithe was used to pay for the expenses of the priests and the Levites - the servants who worked in the Temple. The reason was because these priests and Levites received no land as their inheritance. They worked for God for life. So to support them, ten percent from every person was taken during worship.

"Behold, I have given the children of Levi all the tithes in Israel as an inheritance in return for the work which they perform, the work of the tabernacle of meeting. (Numbers 18:21 NKJV)

Numbers 18:21-24

There was even a ten percent taken every three years for the widows, orphans and resident aliens (or internationals). In essence, the entire nation of Israel gave 3 percent more annually just to take care of people who could not take care of themselves.

"At the end of every third year you shall bring out the tithe of your produce of that year and store it up within your gates. And the Levite, because he has no portion nor inheritance with you, and the stranger and the fatherless and the widow who are within your gates, may come and eat and be satisfied, that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hand which you do. (Deuteronomy 14:28-29 NKJV)

Deuteronomy 14:28-29

But ultimately, the ten percent should be given from a person who desires to show their love for God. It should come from a sincere and generous heart. Jesus showed this through two parables. He also spoke against the legalistic people of His day who gave to show how much they had, not by how much they loved God.
"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone. (Matthew 23:23 NKJV)

Now Jesus sat opposite the treasury and saw how the people put money into the treasury. And many who were rich put in much. Then one poor widow came and threw in two mites, which make a quadrans. So He called His disciples to Himself and said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all those who have given to the treasury; for they all put in out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all that she had, her whole livelihood." (Mark 12:41-44 NKJV)

Mark 12:42, Matthew 23:23

This leads me to share with you the motive for giving.

THE MOTIVE FOR GIVING (9:7)

Why of Giving

There is a proper motivation for giving. The motivation is that of a person who has decided - "I want to give to God and His church." There are three motivations listed in this verse. Two motives are poor motives. One is the proper motive.

1. We don't give to regret it later. This is giving grudgingly. This giver is a reluctant giver. This giver asks: "I give, but will I regret it? Maybe then, I shouldn't give." This guy worries when he gives. God doesn't want you to worry.

2. We don't give because we think we have to do it. This is giving out of compulsion. To give out of compulsion is because we think somewhere that when we give, we were told to give. This giver says: "I am going to give because I am being forced to give." This guy feels forced when he gives. He feels a certain pressure to give. God doesn't want you to feel forced or pressured to give. You don't give by force. Now some people think this way all the time about giving to God's Kingdom. You hear in statements like this:

"If you give to this church, God will make you a millionaire." - God might make you millionaire, but that is not the reason to give. Giving to God is not like playing the lottery. You don't give because you think that God will make you rich. God will provide for your needs. As a matter of fact, He provides for more than you need. Notice that what God gives to you can be used to "multiply" and to "increase".

We live much more comfortably on our money when we give to God. We can give to Him, hold back for ourselves and also give to others.


"If you don't give to this church, God will punish you severely." - God won't punish you. But whatever circumstances come your way, it may be because of your giving. The mathematics of God's provision works. It is simply a spiritual law. What you do notice in (9:7) is that Paul talks about the natural effects of giving. You reap what you sow. If you plant, God provides the harvest. As a matter of fact, God provides the seed for the plant in the first place. This is what Paul says in (9:10). What does this mean?

God gives you all of the money. You don't make your money. God gives it to you. You only plant the money. Yes, you work a job. But God gave you the job to work. If you started the job yourself, God gave you the opportunity. So God gives you the seed. You have to use it wisely.

So we don't give with worry or regret in our hearts, and we don't give because we think we have to do it. What is then the proper motivation?

3. We give because we want to give. We give out of our love for God. We give cheerfully.

We know that God loves us. We know that God provides for us. We know that God gives us the seed money and we should plant it wisely. Because we know that God has given us all good things, we should want to give back to Him.

THE MINISTRY OF GIVING (9:8-15)

How of Giving

As if to emphasize the importance of giving, Paul shares with us the ministry of financial giving. He tells us that financial giving a ministry. There are two parts to this ministry of financial giving. There is God's part and my part. You will see that God's part begins and ends with grace.
God's Part - grace-giving (9:8-10, 14-15)


Let's look first at the opening book-end of God's Part. This entire ministry of giving begins with God. (9:8-10)

God gives His grace first. Paul quotes Psalm 112. What Paul is saying is that God is the source of all giving. God is the source of what we have and what we give.

God gives His grace completely. (9:14-15)

God's grace - His unmerited favor - His great love that we don't deserve. This grace lives in us. But this grace was most importantly displayed in the "indescribable gift." Have you ever received a gift and you could not believe that this person would spend so much money, time, and effort to give you this gift. You might have even thought: "You should not have spent all of your hard-earned money on this gift for me." This is the idea behind what Paul says when he says "indescribable gift." Paul just can't believe what God has given to him. God gave His Son Jesus Christ so that you and I might have eternal life with God. God gave His Son so that you and I might have peace with God. God gave His Son so that you and I might experience the wonderful blessings that we receive today. This is part of what is meant by God's grace.

God's great love and favor that He pours out on you and I is not just spiritual. It flows to the material as well. The salvation we have in Jesus Christ is just the beginning. God continues to shower us with grace even when we don't deserve it. God is a grace-giving God.

God's way of giving out grace is like giving out presents to His children. He showers us with gifts all the time. He just keeps giving and giving gifts to His children. Here, God gives a spiritual gift. Then He gives a gift of wisdom. He shares with you the gift of prayer, gives out a gift by giving you a wife or husband. He brings children into your life. God keeps giving and giving - out of love. Here, He gives a job, to another he brings health and healing. God is a grace-giving God.

My Part - liberal-giving (9:11-13)

Liberal in these verses means that we should give out of sincerity. We should give without a double motive. What does having a double motive mean? When I give out of a double motive, it means that I have more than just giving to God in mind. I have a selfish reason. Perhaps I want to give because I want God to do something else for me. That is not out of simplicity and sincerity. I should give because I love God and I want to obey Him and follow Him in faith.

Liberal giving means also to give generously. I don't give for self-centered reasons. It is like the story of Scrooge.

Story of Scrooge.

Charles Dickens wrote a famous story that is told during Christmas. Ebenezer Scrooge is a business man who cares more about his business than about anyone else. The businessman only cares about money. He makes so much money that he sits and enjoys just counting the money. He lets his business clerk, Bob Cratchit, a day off (just one day off) to celebrate Christmas. But Scrooge hates it and does this act grudgingly, even regretting giving this guy a day off. Scrooge goes home to sleep and is visited at night by a ghost. This ghost is his old business partner Jacob Marley. Marley was like Scrooge - stingy, exploiting the poor at any opportunity. Marley too cared only about his money. But Marley was damned and sent to hell for his behavior. On this night before Christmas, Marley visits Scrooge in his dreams to help Scrooge avoid the same end result. On the night before Christmas, Scrooge gets a visit from three people - the ghosts of Christmas Past, Christmas Present, and Christmas Yet to Come. These people come to show Scrooge - how he came to be so stingy and mean. His father abandons Scrooge. Scrooges' own father was a man who left his son on Christmas Eve. Christmas Present shows a scene with Bob Cratchit and his famile - poor, but content and happy. Scrooge also visits a time when he was engaged to a woman named Belle - the love of his life. But she left him because although they were engaged Scrooge pushed the wedding back. He did this because he wanted to wait until he had enough money so that he can live with a wife with lots of money. Needless to say, money was more important than family for Scrooge. The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come shows life without Scrooge. No one goes to his funeral, and no one even cared about him. The point of these visits is to show there is more to life than just accumulating wealth. Life is more about giving, not just getting. Of course, Scrooge learns the lesson. He wakes up on Christmas Day and proceeds to give. He buys presents for the employee, along with presents for his entire family. He gives his employee his job back, along with a raise. Scrooge has learned that living life is more than accumulating money and riches. He learns to give in life, not just try to get.

When you hear today that someone is a Scrooge, it means that they care more about money, than they do about you. When it comes to our motives, no one should call a Christian a scrooge.

The Germans have a word for this: Geizig. When it comes to giving to God - "Geiz ist nicht geil", "Stinginess is neither cool nor sexy."

The Part of Others - thanks-giving (9:11-14)

When I give, God is honored, I am blessed, and others are blessed as well. Because God works His work through the church, when you give to God through His church, you help others. This is done through the missions offerings that we give. It may include the gifts that you give through our budget, or through additional opportunities. When you give to Chrissie Willker for example, she is being blessed by your gift. The people to whom she ministers will be blessed by your gift. They will return that in thanksgiving - or giving thanks back to you and to God.

So, here you see the "fruits" of your giving. Here is the practical benefit for giving to God. He doesn't just take the money and run with it. He uses it. He uses it to help other people come to Jesus. He uses it to help missionaries tell the important story of Jesus to those who need Him. He uses it in the church to help the people grow in their spiritual walk and life. God uses the money. You will see that in practical ways. When someone says:

"I accepted Jesus through the ministry of IBC Bremen."
"I was baptized here in this church."
"The people at IBC Bremen helped me in my deepest time of difficulty."

When you hear other people thank the people of this church - and we will hear these words from time to time - you will see how God is using the ministry of financial giving.

So make a New Year's resolution to give to God through His church. Take time to consider how you will give your ten percent this year. Whether you give electronically or in the offering plate, God will be honored. Others will be blessed, and you will be encouraged. Giving is not reserved for just Christmas time. Scrooge learned that. Giving is something that we can start practicing today and throughout the entire year.

Posted by Jim Erwin at 7:15 PM | Permalink | Comments

Ruth 4 - Legacy

Christmas is about leaving a legacy.

Let me define what I mean by the word legacy. One definition for legacy is this: Something handed down or inherited from generation to generation.

Christmas is about what you hand down from one person to another. You leave a legacy for someone else to follow. In Ruth, we see a glmpse of legacy in three different ways.

God left a legacy in His Son Jesus Christ.
Now this is the genealogy of Perez: Perez begot Hezron; Hezron begot Ram, and Ram begot Amminadab; Amminadab begot Nahshon, and Nahshon begot Salmon; Salmon begot Boaz, and Boaz begot Obed; Obed begot Jesse, and Jesse begot David. (Ruth 4:18-22 NKJV)

Posted by Jim Erwin at 7:18 PM | Permalink | Comments

Ruth 3 - True Love

INTRODUCTION: The Princess Bride - how I love this movie and I think it is the best story of all time.

True Love

In The Princess Bride, Westley is driven by one goal—to return to the love of his life, Buttercup. Westley does whatever it takes for his one "true love." He scales mountains, fights giants, goes through extreme torture, and even dies - or at least he becomes half-dead. In one scene in the movie, there is this exchange that best shows his "true love" for Buttercup:

Westley: Can you move at all?
Buttercup: Move? You're alive. If you want, I could fly.
Westley: I told you, "I would always come for you." Why didn't you wait for me?
Buttercup: Well ... you were dead.
Westley: Death cannot stop true love. All it can do is delay it for a while.
Buttercup: I will never doubt again.
Westley: There will never be a need

“True love is like a pair of socks: you gotta have two and they've gotta match.”

Marriage License: A Learner’s Permit

It’s a wise groom who has to be dragged to the altar. He knows what love is. It’s death. If lovers don’t know this, they are headed for trouble. Never will you have your way again. You can’t be happy if this other person isn’t. No matter who wins the argument, you lose. Always. The sooner you learn this the better off you will be.

Love is an exercise in frustration. You leave the window up when you want it down. You watch someone else’s favorite TV program. You kiss when you have a headache. You turn the music down when you like it loud. You learn to be patient without sighing or sulking.

Love’s doing things for the other person. In marriage two become one but the one isn’t you. It’s the other person. You love this person more than you love yourself. This means that you love this person as she or he is. Acceptance. We ask ourselves frankly what that impulse is that makes us want to redesign a person. It isn’t love. We want the other person to be normal like us. But is that loving the other person or ourselves? Love brings out the best in people. They can be themselves without artificiality. People who know they are loved glow with beauty and charm.

Love is funny. Its growth doesn’t depend on what someone does for you. It’s in direct proportion to what you do for him or her.

“Men are from Mars...”, Part 3 - Ephesians 5:23,24”, Countdown! Golden Minutes Ministries Newsletter, (Long Beach, CA, October 1996).

This kind of true love, the true love that Westley displayed for Buttercup, is the kind of true love that is asking for.

I. Ruth asked for true love.

And after Boaz had eaten and drunk, and his heart was cheerful, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of grain; and she came softly, uncovered his feet, and lay down. Now it happened at midnight that the man was startled, and turned himself; and there, a woman was lying at his feet. And he said, "Who are you?" So she answered, "I am Ruth, your maidservant. Take your maidservant under your wing,[1] for you are a close relative." Then he said, "Blessed are you of the LORD, my daughter! For you have shown more kindness at the end than at the beginning, in that you did not go after young men, whether poor or rich. (Ruth 3:7-10 NKJV)

What about this strange middle of the night encounter? What is the deal with taking off his sandals? What was this about? What was Ruth thinking?

Apparently, the "uncovering the feet" had a significance that Noami had known. It was a sign of interest that Ruth would have for Boaz. This was a woman's way of saying she was interested in a man. Strange as it may seem, it was not sexual at all. Because after she took his shoes off and laid beside him, he knew exactly what to do. Boaz knew that Ruth was interested in him. You see it in the the response he says to her. He realizes that she is a very young woman, and that he is not a young man. He is much older than her. As a result, Boaz knows that Ruth has decided to love him even though he is an older man.

And you can't look at it like this Anna Nicole Smith - a very young lady who married a 80-year old man just for his money. She really had true love in mind for Boaz.

There was this custom for widows who were left without a son to continue the family line. It was called the Levirate Marriage custom. Naomi basically asked Ruth to ask for Boaz as her husband. Boaz would know that since Ruth is a close relative, there was an obligation to take care of the family. Boaz knew that Ruth would come asking for this request. She needed someone like Boaz to continue the family line.

Ruth asked for Boaz to take her as his wife. Ruth asked for true love from Boaz. She wanted him to be like Westley in The Princess Bride. Will Boaz do everything and anything for her? This is what Ruth is asking. She is asking Boaz for true love.

Are you asking?

II. Boaz answered the call of true love.

Look at what Boaz does. He does not misuse the opportunity. He could have easily misused Ruth. He could have taken advantage of the midnight encounter. Instead, he does not. He answers the call of true love. He responds with integrity.

True love is NOT:

1. A sexual encounter.
2. A wish list of wants and desires.
3. A living-together agreement or business transaction

True love is deciding to take responsibility and do what is necessary for the person God has put with you. True love is answering the call of your spouse when she or he asks. Just as Buttercup asked and Westley answered, just as Ruth asked Boaz and he answered, so men must be ready to answer.

Are you answering the call?
III. The Kinsman-Redeemer as a picture of Christ fulfills true love.

In this story, a poor widow named Naomi, returns home without a penny to her name. In order that she can be taken care for, she needs a relative who is willing to redeem her. This means that she needs someone who will pay the price that is necessary to take her out of her physical poverty, and give her an inheritance. This inheritance is not just a financial payment, but also an obligation to bring a son. Only a son will continue the family line and ensure that the widow will be remembered.

In this story, there is a man who is able to do this for Naomi. His name is Boaz. But there is another relative who is more closely related to Naomi. It probably was so that Boaz was the younger brother. We do not know for sure. All we know is that this "unnamed relative" is able to pay the price to redeem Naomi. However, at some point in the story, he discovers that paying the price will hurt his own inheritance with his own immediately family. The Bible makes no explanation as to how this can happen. But the point is clear. The way is made for Boaz to take care of Noami and take a wife in Ruth.

Boaz realizes that in order to do this, he will have to be the Kinsman-Redeemer. Boaz will take full responsibility for his wife Ruth. He will provide for her and her family (Naomi.) He will pay the financial price necessary to save her family from eternal ruin. He will lead her and teach her and help her. He will provide an inheritance that will last her entire life. She will be taken care of. He will also provide her a son. Boaz as the Kinsman-Redeemer displays true love for Ruth and Naomi.

Boaz as a the Kinsman-Redeemer is a picture of what Jesus Christ has done for us.

Christ makes God's true love for me possible.

Today we had a Christmas presentation by the children. Right now they are downstairs having a party. Santa Claus is down there right now. He is giving out presents. Traditionally during this time before Christmas, children can come up to Santa and share their wishes for Christmas. This reminds me of a story:

Redemption, Through Christ: Charge It!
A little girl was sitting on Santa Claus' lap. She gave him a whole list of expensive toys which she wanted for Christmas and then without a word of appreciation, she jumped off Santa's lap and started toward her mother. Her concerned mother spoke quickly, "Honey, haven't you forgotten something?" The little girl thought for a moment, then said, "O, yes." Then turning back toward Santa, she shouted, "Charge it."

God has already "charged" our sins to His Son Jesus and Jesus has paid the debt in full. What more could you ask for at Christmas?
Do you know how much Jesus wants to fulfill true love? Do you want to accept the gift of life He gives you this Christmas by His payment of your sins?
IV. I commit to true love with God when I commit my life to His Son Jesus Christ.

The most selfless act that done for you was done by God. He sent His Son at Christmas time. God gave up His only Son. God acted in true love by giving up what was most precious to Him - Jesus Christ. God could have prevented the pain and suffering of the cross that His Son would go through. But God knew the same important truth that Westley in The Princess Bride knew - true love is stronger than death. So God raised Jesus back from the dead. In doing that, God made a way for you and I to come to Him in true love.

But that can only happen when we place our trust in Jesus Christ. He is the only way to true love with God. We have to charge all of our sins to His account, confess that we need Him, and let Him pay the bill. In return, we let Jesus take care of all of our life accounts. All of our life is given to Jesus - to lead me and guide me. I give up the penalty of my sin through forgiveness. I give up control of my life to Jesus. This is the act of true love that God requires of me.

This is what Christmas is all about. Christmas is about true love. Jesus came to show true love. We come to Jesus to accept that true love.

Posted by Jim Erwin at 7:21 PM | Permalink | Comments

Ruth 2 - Romance

The great German poet Goethe said of this book, "we have nothing so lovely in the whole range of epic and idyllic poetry."

Goethe thought Ruth was a romantic story. Many other people have commented on the beauty of the book of Ruth because it is a romantic story. Today we see parts of that romance as Ruth and Boaz meet for the first time. Even though they meet for the first time, they can teach singles who are courting and married couples alot about how to improve our relationships. These lessons are for everyone, whether you are single, dating or courting someone, or married.

Let me speak first to women, and then to the men. For the women, I have three lessons to relate to you from this passage. For the men, I have a seperate set of three lessons. But both sets of principles can compliment one another. By this I mean that when the woman start growing their relationships in a healthy way as Ruth did, they will have a better relationship with their spouse, or boyfriend. When a man starts to grow in their relationship like Boaz does here, they will have a better relationship with their spouse, or girlfriend.

So let me first speak to the women:

THREE LESSONS FOR WOMEN - Keyword: glean

LESSON #1 : If you want to have the relationships you want, you need to glean from God's best.

You see the word glean used throughout this chapter. To help you understand what I mean, let me first give you a definition:

Glean: to gather or pick up in small amounts or from widely scattered places by searching here and there. To add to this definition: To glean means to gather, to cull, to extract, to garner. In an agricultural context, you sift, and winnow crops. In an information context, you extract, pick up, you garner and gather bit by bit. In a relationship context, you learn, you deduce, you conclude, you receive guidance.

So while the picture and scene in this chapter is an agricultural scene - Ruth is picking up food. She is at the same time learning and receiving guidance about her relationships.

How do I know this?

God was guiding Ruth. God placed her in the field where she would meet Boaz.

Then she left, and went and gleaned in the field after the reapers. And she happened to come to the part of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the family of Elimelech. (Ruth 2:3 NKJV)

God was guiding her and putting Ruth in the best place at the best time. It was near the end of the barley harvest. The best time to get the best food. It was in the field of Boaz, the best field to find the best man that Ruth needs. Not just because Boaz was a relative of Naomi and could help her maintain her family. Ruth would meet the best man that God has for her.

LESSON #2 - If you want the best out of the relationship, you need to come under the "wings" of God.

And Boaz answered and said to her, "It has been fully reported to me, all that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband, and how you have left your father and your mother and the land of your birth, and have come to a people whom you did not know before. The LORD repay your work, and a full reward be given you by the LORD God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge." (Ruth 2:11-12 NKJV)

Boaz recognized that Ruth has come to God for help in her relationships. Ruth has placed her faith in God in the first chapter. Now she is asking for "guidance" in the second chapter. If you want to glean or pick up the best, you need to come under the "wings" or authority of God. You need to ask God to help you in your relationships.

LESSON #3 - If you want the best out of your relationships you want, be mindful of first impressions and the reputations that you bring with you.
Then Boaz said to his servant who was in charge of the reapers, "Whose young woman is this?" So the servant who was in charge of the reapers answered and said, "It is the young Moabite woman who came back with Naomi from the country of Moab. (Ruth 2:5-6 NKJV)

So she fell on her face, bowed down to the ground, and said to him, "Why have I found favor in your eyes, that you should take notice of me, since I am a foreigner?" And Boaz answered and said to her, "It has been fully reported to me, all that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband, and how you have left your father and your mother and the land of your birth, and have come to a people whom you did not know before. (Ruth 2:10-11 NKJV)

Everyone brings their reputation with them to every relationship. Your reputation is your character. If you want to have the best out of your relationships that you want, you need to protect your reputation.

We say in English, "You never get a second chance to make a first impression." The first impression you bring to others is the basis for what comes next in your relationship. If you want the best relationships, you need to protect your reputation.

What am I saying: Whatever you do in your life will make others think whether they should be with you in a relationship. If they find something wrong with your character (a sexual misconduct, a violent anger, gossip, or some other characteristic that tells something bad about you), they may be less likely to continue that relationship. Because people are going to check you out.

They are going to do an FBI check. They are going to ask the character police about your background. People are going to ask questions to find out who you really are. This is what Boaz is doing. He is doing a "Homeland Security" immigration background check on this foreign woman. In (2:5-6) he asked the man who is in charger of the reapers (apparently someone who would have all the information) about Ruth. But it seems that Boaz asked some other people about Ruth and her background. Because when Ruth and Boaz do meet for the first time, he knows alot about her.

If other people are going to check you out, then it stands to reason that you should do the same. I think it is a good policy to find out as much as you can about the person. Ask the person. But then talk to the person's friends. Talk to someone who knows the background well. I don't think there is anything wrong with checking the other person out. If they have problems in their past, you can discuss them. If there are no major character flaws, then the person has nothing to hide. Now when you do a background check, cooking skills are not a reason for rejection in a relationship. Notice that Boaz asked about Ruth's family and circumstances, and things that matter about her character. Preferences were not on the list.

I think you need to a spiritual police background check on your spouse from time to time. If you are really going to build strong and stable relationships, then you need to take some time to deal with some character flaws. Wives, if you are seeing some problems with her husbands, you need to bring it up. (Not every day or every week, but in a calm manner that tells the man - "I love you and we want to grow together and here is where I see we can help each other grow.") This means that if a man still has anger issues after ten years of marriage, you need to bring it up. If he still is not sensitive to your needs, you need to bring it up. Why? Because if you are not open now, you will criminalize him later. You will use his flaws now as an excuse for an affair or a divorce. Men need to know that is a background check, and that it is only to help him understand where he can love his wife better.

Men, you need to teach your wives in areas where they need to grow. Do a spiritual assessment on areas where the relationship can be better. Anyone who says there are no problems to address is either lying, or in denial. There are always things that can be improved in the relationship. The difference between married couples and non-married couples is that with a married couple, the background check is between the two of you. You don't go ask the mother-in-law for the husbands crime record before you were married. You talk to your husband.


THREE LESSONS FOR MEN - Keyword: grace

God is a God of grace. He treat His children with grace. He teaches men to treat their wives out of a heart of grace.

Now, let me speak to the men. If women should glean from the best, then men should be gracious. The Bible uses a Hebrew word in these verse as they describe Boaz. It is the word hesed. Basically, this word is the same word where we get "grace." How did Boaz love and show grace to Ruth? How can you and I as men be gracious and loving to our women?

LESSON #1 - If you want the best out of your relationships, you need to recognize her kindness with grace.

Ruth fell at his feet and thanked him warmly. "Why are you being so kind to me?" she asked. "I am only a foreigner." "Yes, I know," Boaz replied. "But I also know about the love and kindness you have shown your mother-in-law since the death of your husband. I have heard how you left your father and mother and your own land to live here among complete strangers.
(Ruth 2:10-11 NLT)

Notice the word for kindness in this question. That is the word for grace in Hebrew.

The LORD repay your work, and a full reward be given you by the LORD God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge." Then she said, "Let me find favor in your sight, my lord; for you have comforted me, and have spoken kindly to your maidservant, though I am not like one of your maidservants."
(Ruth 2:12-13 NKJV)

Women are the gentle gender by nature. 1 Peter says this:

In the same way, you husbands must give honor to your wives. Treat her with understanding as you live together. She may be weaker than you are, but she is your equal partner in God's gift of new life. If you don't treat her as you should, your prayers will not be heard.
(1 Peter 3:7 NLT)

Women are precious and gentle. They are not weak in the sense that they cannot do anything. But they are more sensitive to what we say to them as husbands. They require more gentle care. Because they are more gentle, they want to do the most they can for their husbands. For example:

Every Sunday morning, every morning for that matter, my wife sets my clothes out for me. She doesn't have to do it. She chooses to do it. She is being kind to me. She is helping me. I can choose to get upset about it. I could tell her: "I don't like this combination of clothes". Or I can choose to be kind to her. I can choose to accept what she has done in her gentleness as an act of love.

Men have to recognize the "little acts of kindness" from their wives and accept them as acts of love. We should also take notice of these acts of kindness.

Boaz doesn't push Ruth to get his own way. He recognizes the kindness that Ruth has shown to her mother-in-law. He realizes that this kindness is a quality of love in Ruth. So he responds to her with grace. Kindness is one of the love languages that Ruths speaks and grace is one she understands. Men need to recognize the love that comes from the acts of kindness that their wives give to them and tell them that they appreciate it.


LESSON #2 - If you want the best out of your relationships, you need to overloook her differences and think about her interests.

So she fell on her face, bowed down to the ground, and said to him, "Why have I found favor in your eyes, that you should take notice of me, since I am a foreigner?" And Boaz answered and said to her, "It has been fully reported to me, all that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband, and how you have left your father and your mother and the land of your birth, and have come to a people whom you did not know before.
(Ruth 2:10-11 NKJV)


Ruth was very different from Boaz. She was from a different culture and country. However, Boaz overlooked her differences. He recognized that just because she had a different background and different habits, Ruth was still a woman to be valued.

Sometimes men need to do the same. We still need to value our wives even though they think differently about things. Let me give you personal example:

We both think differently about all kinds of things. But sometimes I forget her point of view. For example, when I go shopping, I tend to remember the kinds of food that I like to eat, but many times I forget what she likes to eat. So I come home with the food and sometimes her first question is: "What about the foods that I like?" "Why didn't you buy what I like?" "You egoist!" You know how that feels men. You are doing what you think your wife needs you to do, and then you realize that she wanted you to think about her when you do it. I had only considered what I like. I have to consider what she likes as well. We have different tastes and I have to consider her differences. Marriage is like that. You have to overlook her differences and think about what she wants sometimes.


LESSON #3 - If you want the best out of your relationships, you need to share with her out of all of your abundance.

Now Boaz said to her at mealtime, "Come here, and eat of the bread, and dip your piece of bread in the vinegar." So she sat beside the reapers, and he passed parched grain to her; and she ate and was satisfied, and kept some back. And when she rose up to glean, Boaz commanded his young men, saying, "Let her glean even among the sheaves, and do not reproach her. Also let grain from the bundles fall purposely for her; leave it that she may glean, and do not rebuke her."
(Ruth 2:14-16 NKJV)

This last lesson I think is the most important lesson to share from this story. Marriage is all about sharing. There is no "his and hers". There is just "ours". Boaz shares everything with Ruth out of his abundance. He tells his workers to give more from his wealth. He shares from his food, and his wealth. It is a practice that Boaz will continue even when they marry. But the principle is to share. The fact that he says that "they should let the grain fall on purpose for her" speaks about his willingness to share.

He tells his servants not to argue with her about what she takes. The same should be true in our relationships.

When I met Heike, she told me "what is mine is yours." Even when we were not married, but engaged, she said: "what is mine is yours." That is hard to get used to. But it is an important truth to a great marriage. Marriage is about sharing. You learn that "what is mine is yours, what is yours is mine." This applies to all parts of marriage:

My food is your food.
My house is your house.
My bank account is your bank account.
My business is your business.
My friends are your friends.
My secrets are your secrets.

We have a rule in our relationship. We talk about everything. We don't keep anything back. If one of you tells my wife something, she will tell me. If one of you tells me about something, I will tell her - although it may take longer. I tend to forget. But we talk about everything. We keep no secrets from each other.

We share bank accounts. We have one bank account. If I died today, Heike would get everything I owned. The house would be paid for, the farm would go to her. Out of my abundance, I share everything. She deserves it. I don't seperate that abundance from her. Men, this is a lesson that we have to learn. Everything you own is also for your wife. There should be no seperate bank accounts. All wills should have her as the beneficiary. You don't give them to your parents or brothers or sisters. You give them to your wife.

Christmas is about love. Christmas should be a time of love. It should be a time when we work on strengthening our most precious relationships.

Posted by Jim Erwin at 7:23 PM | Permalink | Comments

Ruth 1 - Tragedy


We are beginning a new series for Advent. Advent means "coming towards" in Latin. Advent means the days approaching the coming of the Christ on earth. We take these four weeks to celebrate the coming of Christ years ago. So you may be wondering why I am having us read from the Book of Ruth? The story in Ruth and the story of Christ's birth take place in the same city - Bethlehem. So we are going to be reading a pre-quel of the real Bethelem story. I like to call it "the Bethlehem story before the real Bethlehem story." It is the pre-quel story that sets up the kingdom of Jesus Christ.

You may have heard of movies being made to establish the beginning of a famous story. They fill in the history so that the real story becomes richer and more meaningful. They did it with Star Wars, by sharing a prequel of stories to help you understand how Anakin Skywalker, the father of Luke Skywalker, became Darth Vader. They did in the Batman series of movies with the movie Batman Begins to help you understand how Bruce Wayne really became Batman. They are doing it now by bringing Ian Fleming's James Bond character more depth in the new film Casino Royale. You see how James Bond becomes the spy that he is in the later adventures by watching him develop in the first adventure.

In the same way, the Book of Ruth shares with us the story of redemption. It takes place in the city that will become the future birthplace of our Redeemer Jesus Christ. By looking into the story that is in the Book of Ruth, we can begin to see how God fills in the Christmas story that we know. This story is here to help establish the kingship of Jesus Christ. The Book of Ruth also shows us a story of a foreigner who sees God and receives salvation. This has significance for us as internationals living today.

The story begins with a tragedy. Every good story has its valleys before its mountain peaks. That is what makes it a great story.

Jesus went to the cross before He was resurrected, as Philippians 2 shows. Everyone is a slave to sin until we accept Jesus. At which point, we have freedom in the Spirit, as Romans 1-8 describes. Job lost everything before God restored him. Here in Ruth, three women lose their husbands while living in a foreign land.
ELEMENTS OF TRAGEDY

1. Economic tragedy (1:1) - Famine

Now it came to pass, in the days when the judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehem, Judah, went to dwell in the country of Moab, he and his wife and his two sons. (Ruth 1:1 NKJV)

The first element of tragedy is a famine. This story takes place during the time of the judges. This was a period of political instability. The summary of the political atmosphere of the country can be seen as we read these verses in Judges:

From time to time, the LORD would choose special leaders known as judges. These judges would lead the Israelites into battle and defeat the enemies that made raids on them. In years gone by, the Israelites had been faithful to the LORD, but now they were quick to be unfaithful and to refuse even to listen to these judges. The Israelites would disobey the LORD, and instead of worshiping him, they would worship other gods. When enemies made life miserable for the Israelites, the LORD would feel sorry for them. He would choose a judge and help that judge rescue Israel from its enemies. The LORD would be kind to Israel as long as that judge lived. (Judges 2:16-18 CEV)

Some of us can relate to an economic tragedy. You lose a job; you run out of food. Farmers could not work the land. Merchants could not sell their products because there was no food. The food prices would therefore rise. All of this forced Elimelech to move south. He had to go where there was a job. So he took his family into a new country and worked as a foreigner.

Adjustment/Coping with the Tragedy: You move. You go where the jobs are. You find the food. Sometimes these are hard choices.

The name of the man was Elimelech, the name of his wife was Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion--Ephrathites of Bethlehem, Judah. And they went to the country of Moab and remained there. (Ruth 1:2 NKJV)

2. Personal Tragedy (1:3-5) - Family

Naomi goes through a series of tragedies in her life in Moab. Her husband dies. Naomi is left to raise two boys without her husband. She adjusts to her tragedy by taking the self-initiative to raise her family. It must have been hard as a foreigner to raise her children alone. There probably was no government assistance.

So the boys grew up and they each married Moabite women. This is in itself also a tragedy. You do your best to raise your children with the right influences. Yet they go off and marry women of a different faith. You try to teach Christian values to your children. They marry foreign, and faithless wives. How do we know this?

Ruth will later come to faith in God. Orpah will stay in her own culture and not accept her mother--in-law's faith. The Bible shows examples of the dangers of interfaith marriages. This is one of the hardest difficulties of raising children in a different culture. We have to learn to accept the culture of the other person, but maintain the Christian faith. This is what the Bible teaches. The negative example is with Solomon.

For it was so, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned his heart after other gods; and his heart was not loyal to the LORD his God, as was the heart of his father David. (1 Kings 11:4 NKJV)

Then Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the abomination of Moab, on the hill that is east of Jerusalem, and for Molech the abomination of the people of Ammon. (1 Kings 11:7 NKJV)

Then the king defiled the high places that were east of Jerusalem, which were on the south of the Mount of Corruption, which Solomon king of Israel had built for Ashtoreth the abomination of the Sidonians, for Chemosh the abomination of the Moabites, and for Milcom the abomination of the people of Ammon. (2 Kings 23:13 NKJV)

After ten years of marriage, the husbands of these two ladies die. Noami loses her only two sons.

Now they took wives of the women of Moab: the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth. And they dwelt there about ten years. Then both Mahlon and Chilion also died; so the woman survived her two sons and her husband. (Ruth 1:4-5 NKJV)

Adjustment/Coping with the Tragedy: You do your best to help your children receive the best life they can have.

But Naomi said, "Turn back, my daughters; why will you go with me? Are there still sons in my womb, that they may be your husbands? Turn back, my daughters, go--for I am too old to have a husband. If I should say I have hope, if I should have a husband tonight and should also bear sons, would you wait for them till they were grown? Would you restrain yourselves from having husbands? No, my daughters; for it grieves me very much for your sakes that the hand of the LORD has gone out against me!" (Ruth 1:11-13 NKJV)
All along, you wonder about God. You wonder where is God in the midst of tragedy. Then, slowly but surely, God answers. We never once hear God talk in this book. But we do see God act. Notice how God is starting to reveal Himself in this chapter.

HOW GOD SPEAKS TO US DURING DIFFICULT TIMES

1. Naomi hears that God has brought the Israelites bread. God ended the famine. God is working and the people talk about it. Naomi hears it as well.

Then she arose with her daughters-in-law that she might return from the country of Moab, for she had heard in the country of Moab that the LORD had visited His people by giving them bread. (Ruth 1:6 NKJV)

God was ending the famine. God was bringing the bread. Can't you feel the expectations and excitement here. God is coming. He is really coming.

2. One of your daughters-in-law comes to faith in God.


But Ruth said: "Entreat me not to leave you, Or to turn back from following after you; For wherever you go, I will go; And wherever you lodge, I will lodge; Your people shall be my people, And your God, my God. Where you die, I will die, And there will I be buried. The LORD do so to me, and more also, If anything but death parts you and me." (Ruth 1:16-17 NKJV)

In these verses, which are often quoted in weddings, Ruth places her faith in the God of Israel. In essence, Ruth comes to faith in God. She does not turn to her Moabite religion. How excited this should make Naomi.

3. You are not alone as a family.

When she saw that she was determined to go with her, she stopped speaking to her. (Ruth 1:18 NKJV)

Noami and Ruth join together on this return journey to Bethlehem. Naomi is not alone.

But even though is God is working all around Naomi, Naomi doesn't see it. This leads me to the truth of this sermon.

Tragedy can cause me to be bitter or be better.

You and I can easily let tragedy cause us to be bitter. But God wants to use tragedy in your life to make you better.

VISUAL: How do you see tragedy? Do you see your tragedy with bitter glasses or with blessing glasses?

When we look at our situation and circumstances, it is like looking an object that should be seen in 3-D. It looks clumsy and blurred. You can make our some shapes, but things are just not so clear. When we look at our past tragedy with bitterness, it is like this. Our vision is damaged and hurt by our bitterness. We can't see the next step or the next person. We are too occupied with our bitterness. But when we take our vision and see with God's view, it becomes more enhanced. It is richer and fuller than we had first imagined.

Some of us here need to take our bitterness glasses off, and put on a pair of blessing glasses.


HOW WE TURN TRAGEDY INTO BITTERNESS

Naomi looked at her circumstances and chose to become bitter.

1. She turned bitter on those closest to her (1:18)

Tragedy can cause us to be bitter to the ones that love us the most. Look at the passage. Naomi went hundreds of kilometers back to Bethlehem and did not speak to Ruth. How bitter can you be that you don't even talk to the people most closest to you. Ten years of relationship and Naomi doesn't want to strengthen it up with Ruth. Instead, she wants to stay bitter. Naomi starts to throw a pity party. Ruth wants to help her, and comfort her. But look at how selfish Naomi acts. Woe is me. And now I am going to give you the silence because you can't possibly help me. How selfish of Naomi. Maybe you can relate to Ruth. Maybe you are relating to Naomi. Husbands, how many times have you given the silent treatment to your wife. Wives, how many times have you turned your bitterness against your husband? Parents don't speak to their children. Children become bitter at their parents. Brothers and sisters, and close friends stop talking. Christmas is a time to change that.

Christmas gives us the opportunity to stop staying bitter and start making our relationships better.

2. She looked at her circumstances and turned bitter. (1:19-20)

Even when Naomi gets home, she is still fuming over the tragedy of losing her husband and her sons. The friends and neighbors are happy that Naomi is back. But Naomi can't see nor share in that happiness. Christmas is a time to reflect on the goodness of God. We should want to come to Him and enjoy the party. But we take Christmas and we say that we are lonely. We are not lonely. We have a Mighty God who wants to be involved in our lives. We should take Christmas as the opportunity to strengthen our relationships.

3. She took her tragedy and became bitter at God. (1:20-21)

Sure enough, when the tough times comes, who is the first person she blames? God Almighty. The Lord. We do the same thing. When things turn sour, hard, difficult, dangerous, and hurtful, who do we blame? We blame God. It's not right. But it is a reaction that we have when we don't notice that God is working. We look at what we think is important, not what God thinks is important. We turn our selfishness and use it against Him. God does not need our bitterness.

Naomi thinks God has been bitter at her. She never could see that God has a bigger plan in the tragedy than Naomi realizes.

We share the same problem as Naomi. We look at isolated events and we focus on them. We think that our lives don't seem to be working. It seems like one hard time after another. But when we look at the entire string of events, we should be prepared to see God in our lives. But for some of us, that is too hard to do.

We get hung up and angry.
God doesn't bring children.
God doesn't bring that job.
God doesn't bring the security that I want.
So God must be angry at me.

But if we would just look at the bigger picture in our lives, we might recognize this truth. I say it again:

We take tragedy and we can make ourselves bitter. But we should take tragedy and see how God is going to make us better.
So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess her daughter-in-law with her, who returned from the country of Moab. Now they came to Bethlehem at the beginning of barley harvest. (Ruth 1:22 NKJV)

Can't you see God is beginning to take this tragedy and use it so that He can change and use us. Do you see the loaded anticipation at the end of Ruth 1. It is like the end of that prequel movie, when you realize that the adventure doesn't end. It is just beginning to get interesting.

The barley harvest is coming. The famine is over. Naomi and Ruth are coming to Bethlehem. God is going to meet them there. God is going to meet Naomi and Ruth at the barley harvest. Naomi's emptiness, her spiritual famine, is going to be filled. God is going to fulfill Naomi's life.

God is inviting you to come and meet Him in Bethlehem. There may have been tragedy in your life. But God is coming. God invites you to meet Him. Whether it is a recognition that you need Jesus, or that you simply need to have God help you with your troubles, He invites you to come. There may be some people in this room who are still bitter. You need to ask forgiveness from your bitterness. You need to switch glasses. You need to stop wearing bitterness glasses and start to wear blessing glasses.

As we end, I want you to take this time and go to someone whom you have been bitter. Ask forgiveness. Share your hurt. Perhaps you are bitter at God. Take this time and come to Him. This will be our altar call this evening. Christmas should be a time when we turn from our bitterness and become better by strengthening our relationships.

God wants to take tragedy and make you better. He invited you to come to Bethlehem, to His Son Jesus Christ today. Meet Him today.

Posted by Jim Erwin at 7:25 PM | Permalink | Comments