Oct. 4, 2024

Finding Peace in Trust: Lessons from Ruth and Boaz - Wednesday Evening - September 2, 2024

Finding Peace in Trust: Lessons from Ruth and Boaz - Wednesday Evening - September 2, 2024

This podcast episode delves into the profound themes of love, redemption, and trust as illustrated in the book of Ruth. Pastor Josh Massaro emphasizes the vital lesson of patience and faith in the face of uncertainty, highlighting Ruth's reliance on Boaz as her kinsman redeemer. The discussion unfolds around the significance of trusting in God's promises, even when circumstances seem challenging. Pastor Josh draws parallels between Ruth's experience and our own relationship with Christ, reminding listeners that true peace comes from knowing and relying on God’s sufficiency. As the episode progresses, it encourages the congregation to embrace stillness and faith, even amidst life's trials, and to recognize the ultimate hope found in Christ as our redeemer.

The podcast delves into the profound story of Ruth, highlighting the themes of love, redemption, and the role of the kinsman redeemer. Pastor Josh Massaro articulates how the narrative is not just a tale from the past but a vivid depiction of God's promise and provision for His people. He explains that a kinsman redeemer is someone who steps in to restore what has been lost, drawing an analogy to the ultimate kinsman redeemer, Jesus Christ. The discussion emphasizes Ruth's act of faith as she approaches Boaz, showcasing her courage and trust in God's plan amidst her dire circumstances. Pastor Massaro encourages listeners to reflect on their own lives, considering how they might lean into their faith during times of fear and anxiety. He reassures them that just as Boaz offered Ruth security and provision, God extends His promises to His children, urging them to trust in His sufficiency even when situations seem bleak. The message resonates powerfully with the audience, reinforcing the importance of waiting on the Lord and recognizing His work in their lives, even when the outcome is uncertain.

Takeaways:

  • Ruth's story illustrates the importance of trust and patience in difficult circumstances.
  • Boaz exemplifies the role of the kinsman redeemer, reflecting Christ's love for us.
  • We often struggle with anxiety, yet God invites us to come to Him for peace.
  • It's essential to remember that God's timing is different from our own expectations.
  • Faith is not just belief; it involves actively trusting in God's promises.
  • The peace of God surpasses understanding and can guard our hearts in turmoil.

 

Links referenced in this episode:

 

Chapters

00:00 - None

00:00 - Welcome to Middletown Baptist Church Podcast

00:23 - Introduction to the Book of Ruth

00:44 - The Kinsman Redeemer Explained

01:21 - Ruth's Proposal to Boaz

02:05 - Boaz's Response and Assurance

04:16 - The Problem of the Nearer Kinsman

06:39 - Trust and Patience in Difficult Times

11:11 - God's Provision and Sufficiency

44:20 - Conclusion and Next Steps

44:46 - Outro and Blessings

Transcript

Pastor Josh

Hello and welcome to the Middletown Baptist Church podcast, where we are proclaiming the truth to the world.


Pastor Josh

My name is Pastor Josh and I want to thank you for listening to this podcast.


Pastor Josh

I hope that this podcast can be a blessing to you and strengthen you in the word of God.


Pastor Josh

Now come along.


Pastor Josh

Let's look into the Bible and see what God has for us here today.


Pastor Josh

All right, we're going to continue our study in the book of Ruth.


Pastor Josh

If you have your bibles, turn there with me.


Pastor Josh

Ruth, chapter three.


Pastor Josh

We're going to pick up where we left off last week.


Pastor Josh

If you weren't here last week, I'll try to catch you up with where we are in this story.


Pastor Josh

The story of Ruth is a story of love.


Pastor Josh

It's a story of redemption.


Pastor Josh

And we're seeing the picture of the kinsman Redeemer.


Pastor Josh

Now, if you don't know what the kinsman redeemer is, it's an individual that redeems another individual in their loss.


Pastor Josh

And so we see Ruthenhenne, who has lost their husband.


Pastor Josh

And in this culture, losing your husband means losing your security, losing your income, losing the future promise that you had with that relationship.


Pastor Josh

And so what would happen, and God instilled this, was that the closest family member to your deceased husband would then take you in, take care of you, give you security, give you income, give you provisions and all that.


Pastor Josh

And what we're going to see here in the story is that Ruth goes to Boaz and basically petitions him in faith to be her kinsman Redeemer.


Pastor Josh

She hears from Naomi that Boaz is her relative, a close relative.


Pastor Josh

So she says, this is great.


Pastor Josh

This is an opportunity.


Pastor Josh

And so we looked at last week Ruth's proposition, her proposal to Boaz, to marry her, to give her security, to give her salvation, if you will.


Pastor Josh

And the picture of that is the picture of what Jesus does for us and the fact that he is our kinsman Redeemer.


Pastor Josh

We come to him in faith for salvation.


Pastor Josh

We come to him in faith for security.


Pastor Josh

We come to him in faith for provision.


Pastor Josh

We come in him with faith so that he can do all the things that he promises us.


Pastor Josh

And so what does Boaz do?


Pastor Josh

Boaz comes back to Ruth and he says, yes, Ruth, I will do that.


Pastor Josh

I will keep that role in my life as the top focus that I have.


Pastor Josh

I will take care of you.


Pastor Josh

If you go back, you'll see it there in verse number eleven.


Pastor Josh

He says, and now, my daughter, fear not.


Pastor Josh

And so the remedy to her anxiety, the remedy to her fear, was that relationship with Boaz.


Pastor Josh

And we know the remedy to our fear, the remedy to our anxiety, our concerns, would be to come to a relationship with Christ.


Pastor Josh

And the Lord tells us, don't fear.


Pastor Josh

Fear not.


Pastor Josh

And we know that in two Timothy, chapter one, verse seven, God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.


Pastor Josh

And so a lot of times in her life, our circumstances are realistic.


Pastor Josh

They're real.


Pastor Josh

They're real difficult circumstances.


Pastor Josh

Ruth was in a real spot.


Pastor Josh

She was in a real difficult position.


Pastor Josh

But because of her relationship, or at least in this case, her future relationship with Boaz, Boaz reminds her, don't fear.


Pastor Josh

And that's sometimes what happens to us in our own christian life.


Pastor Josh

We've got circumstances and difficulties and loss and pain and what have you, anxieties and all of that.


Pastor Josh

But what God says is that a relationship with me will bring you peace, it will bring you confidence, it will bring you hope.


Pastor Josh

And so therefore, there's no reason to fear.


Pastor Josh

And so Boaz says, fear not, I will do to thee all that thou requirest.


Pastor Josh

All that thou needest, essentially, is what he's saying.


Pastor Josh

Everything that you need, I will be there for you.


Pastor Josh

And that's what God says to us.


Pastor Josh

And it's important to remember the sufficiency of Christ in your life.


Pastor Josh

Sometimes as an individual, we think about this understanding.


Pastor Josh

At least I'll speak for myself that you know what?


Pastor Josh

I know that God is good.


Pastor Josh

I know that he loves me.


Pastor Josh

I know that he's all powerful.


Pastor Josh

But in my situation, I'm not sure if he's going to handle it.


Pastor Josh

I'm not sure that he's going to work it out the way that I think he should work it out.


Pastor Josh

And really what we're doing is we're not putting our sufficiency in Christ.


Pastor Josh

We're putting our sufficiency in worldly wisdom, in what makes sense to us on paper or what makes sense to us in a circumstantial event.


Pastor Josh

And so what the Bible tells us is that what Jesus Christ does for us is sufficient in every way.


Pastor Josh

And that's what Boaz is telling Ruth here.


Pastor Josh

But in this promise comes an issue, the issue of a problem, verse number twelve.


Pastor Josh

And now, it is true that I am thy near kinsman, but this is what we left off with last week.


Pastor Josh

Howbeit there is a kinsman nearer than I.


Pastor Josh

And so we leave off last week with a lot of optimism, a lot of promise, a lot of hope.


Pastor Josh

But now we see that there is a problem that is presented to Ruth and to Boaz, and that is that there is a nearer kinsman, a closer family member.


Pastor Josh

Now, what does that mean?


Pastor Josh

That means that Boaz does not necessarily have the right to claim this kinsman redeemer position unless the closer relative gives up that right.


Pastor Josh

And so we're going to see that exchange happening here in the next few verses.


Pastor Josh

But until then, what happens?


Pastor Josh

Well, Ruth has a chance to trust in her kinsman Redeemer or to fear.


Pastor Josh

She has a chance here to trust and to wait and to be patient or to be anxious and running and trying to manipulate situations.


Pastor Josh

There's a lot of things that she could do here in this case.


Pastor Josh

But let's see what happens here after Boaz tells her, hey, there's a closer relative.


Pastor Josh

And so there's another kinsman Redeemer.


Pastor Josh

That's possibly the one that could take this relationship.


Pastor Josh

But the problem is for Ruth and for Boaz is they've already expressed their love for each other.


Pastor Josh

There's already been this unveiling of their heart to each other.


Pastor Josh

And that's what we looked at last week in that proposal.


Pastor Josh

If you would like to read through that, you can.


Pastor Josh

There might be some confusion if you don't know the context.


Pastor Josh

Essentially, Boaz wakes up in the middle of the night and there's a lady laying at his feet, and he's like, what are you doing?


Pastor Josh

And it's dark.


Pastor Josh

He's like, who are you?


Pastor Josh

And she goes through this whole spiel about basically how she wants him to marry her, to redeem her.


Pastor Josh

And so this is what he says at the end of verse number 13.


Pastor Josh

He says, tarry this night, meaning wait, wait tonight, and it shall be in the morning, that if he will perform unto thee the part of a kinsman, well, let him do the kinsman's part.


Pastor Josh

Meaning this is out of our control.


Pastor Josh

This is out of our hands.


Pastor Josh

We have to kind of let this play out.


Pastor Josh

So be patient.


Pastor Josh

But then he says something very interesting here.


Pastor Josh

He says, but if he will not do the part of a kinsman to thee, then will I do the part of a kinsman to thee.


Pastor Josh

As the Lord Liveth, lie down until the morning.


Pastor Josh

So he's essentially telling her, we have to trust God if this is going to come to pass, if God opens this door, if God allows this to happen, then we're going to run right through.


Pastor Josh

And so this is going to be a picture of patience.


Pastor Josh

This is going to be a picture of trusting.


Pastor Josh

And that's a word that I want you to think about here this evening, trusting God in his promises, in the midst of difficulty, in the midst of a problem, in the midst of a difficulty that could possibly lead to us not receiving what we expect we should receive.


Pastor Josh

And so, you know, God tells us that he loves us.


Pastor Josh

God tells us that he's never going to leave us.


Pastor Josh

God tells us that he's never going to forsake us.


Pastor Josh

But sometimes there's situations in our life where we're tempted to doubt that.


Pastor Josh

And what does God tell us?


Pastor Josh

God tells us to wait, to be patient.


Pastor Josh

There's another passage of scripture that we could cross reference with this, and that's in psalm 46.


Pastor Josh

Most of you know this verse, but if you don't know this verse, it's a wonderful verse to deal with when we're going through a time of crisis in our life, a time of uncertainty, a time of waiting, possibly.


Pastor Josh

Psalm 46, verse number ten, says, be still and know that I am God.


Pastor Josh

I will be exalted among the heathen.


Pastor Josh

I will be exalted in the earth.


Pastor Josh

So God's command for us in the midst of a crisis is to be still, to be patient, to trust in him, to trust in his word, to trust in his ways.


Pastor Josh

Now, if you know the context of psalm 46, it's all about chaos.


Pastor Josh

It's actually not a peaceful situation that the psalmist is in right there.


Pastor Josh

A lot of times people will read psalm 46 and they'll get to verse number ten and they'll think, well, be still and know that I am God.


Pastor Josh

That is all about when God gives you a peaceful moment in your life, then you can just thank him for that.


Pastor Josh

That's not what he's talking about here.


Pastor Josh

A few weeks ago, Brother Chris Phillips, our special speaker for our marriage conference, was talking about this very thing.


Pastor Josh

And he says, when God tells us to be still, it's not saying, hey, be still in this peace.


Pastor Josh

It's saying, be still in the midst of the storm.


Pastor Josh

Very similar to when Jesus is on the water, right with his disciples and the storm's coming.


Pastor Josh

What does he say?


Pastor Josh

Peace.


Pastor Josh

Be still.


Pastor Josh

So it's peace in the midst of chaos.


Pastor Josh

And I think a lot of times in our life we're waiting for peaceful circumstances to have peace.


Pastor Josh

But the Bible doesn't say that's what happens.


Pastor Josh

The Bible actually says that we can have peace in the midst of a difficulty.


Pastor Josh

So we go back to Ruth, and Ruth is now in a crisis moment.


Pastor Josh

She's in a moment of saying, now I've shown my love for Boaz.


Pastor Josh

Now I have my heart set on this kinsman redeemer.


Pastor Josh

This other guy, I don't know.


Pastor Josh

This other guy I don't want.


Pastor Josh

But now, possibly God might change the path.


Pastor Josh

God might change what's going on.


Pastor Josh

And so she's got to trust.


Pastor Josh

And I want you to think about that here this evening.


Pastor Josh

This understanding of trust.


Pastor Josh

The Bible says in Hebrews, chapter eleven, verse six that it's impossible to please God without faith.


Pastor Josh

You cannot please God without faith.


Pastor Josh

And so what is faith?


Pastor Josh

Well, a lot of times we'll say faith is believing in something that we don't see, which is true.


Pastor Josh

But faith is also tied together with trusting, right?


Pastor Josh

I can say all day what I believe, but until I truly trust in what I believe, I'm not really having faith.


Pastor Josh

You've heard the classic analogy of the chair, right?


Pastor Josh

The chair is there.


Pastor Josh

I believe that that's a chair.


Pastor Josh

I believe that chair can hold me up.


Pastor Josh

But until I sit in that chair, that's actually the action of trust.


Pastor Josh

I'm trusting and displaying my faith that that chair will hold me up.


Pastor Josh

And so we say that we trust God, or at least we say we believe that God is who he says he is.


Pastor Josh

Well, it's that trust that proves that faith.


Pastor Josh

And so here Ruth has a chance to express confusion, express doubt, or express trust and faith.


Pastor Josh

And so what happens?


Pastor Josh

Verse number 14.


Pastor Josh

And she lay at his feet until the morning.


Pastor Josh

And so Boaz and Ruth are not doing anything inappropriate, but they're just here waiting till the morning.


Pastor Josh

And she rose up before one could know another.


Pastor Josh

So she gets out of there.


Pastor Josh

And he said, let it not be known that a woman came into the floor.


Pastor Josh

Now, Boaz and Ruth were not trying to hide anything, but it was just that Boaz didn't want this near kinsman to learn what Ruth had done.


Pastor Josh

Basically like, hey, let's let God figure this out.


Pastor Josh

Let's not try to manipulate this.


Pastor Josh

Let's not try to get in the mind of this other guy.


Pastor Josh

And so verse 15.


Pastor Josh

And he said, bring the veil that thou hast upon thee and hold it.


Pastor Josh

And when she had held it, he measured six measures of barley and laid it on her, and she went into the city.


Pastor Josh

So he gives her something as she goes.


Pastor Josh

And I think that this is a picture of how God expects us to trust him.


Pastor Josh

In most cases, when God gives us a promise, he's going to give us a provision in the midst of that promise, right?


Pastor Josh

So what?


Pastor Josh

Boaz makes a promise to her.


Pastor Josh

He says, let's trust.


Pastor Josh

Let's let this play out.


Pastor Josh

I will take care of this.


Pastor Josh

I'm going to go to the other kinsman.


Pastor Josh

I'm going to take care of this for you.


Pastor Josh

You don't have to worry about this.


Pastor Josh

He says, here, take these provisions and go.


Pastor Josh

And that's what God does to us.


Pastor Josh

When he's asking us to trust him, he's saying, look, I've given you all these provisions in your life.


Pastor Josh

Now trust me in the midst of this doubt.


Pastor Josh

Trust me in the midst of this darkness.


Pastor Josh

And so he says, I will perform it.


Pastor Josh

I will do this.


Pastor Josh

I will take care of this.


Pastor Josh

And so, just as Boaz is doing all the work for Ruth, so does Jesus do all the work for us in the midst of our salvation, in the midst of our doubts, in the midst of our loss, in the midst of our hope that we have.


Pastor Josh

And so, verse 16.


Pastor Josh

And when she came to her mother in law, she said, who art thou, my daughter?


Pastor Josh

And she told her all that the man hath done to her.


Pastor Josh

So she explains all the stuff that happened between her and Boaz.


Pastor Josh

And she said, these six measures of barley gave he me.


Pastor Josh

For he said to me, go not empty unto thy mother in law.


Pastor Josh

And this is the truth.


Pastor Josh

I mean, sometimes we feel like we're empty.


Pastor Josh

Sometimes we feel like we are without.


Pastor Josh

But God always gives us everything that we need.


Pastor Josh

Philippians, chapter four.


Pastor Josh

Paul says, God, my God, shall supply all your need.


Pastor Josh

And so when God is making us go through something, or at least allowing us to go through something, he's always going to give us the provisions that we need to get through that struggle, even though it might not feel that way sometimes.


Pastor Josh

But he's given us enough in his word.


Pastor Josh

He's given us enough in his presence for us to understand that we can trust in something.


Pastor Josh

It's not like God just leaves us out on a ledge and doesn't give us truths in his word so that we can trust in that.


Pastor Josh

The word of God is a rich depth of faith that we can have in the concept of, hey, this is what we go back to.


Pastor Josh

God tells me all these things, and so I can go back to that.


Pastor Josh

And I think that that's important to realize when we're coming to this understanding of trust and faith.


Pastor Josh

Right?


Pastor Josh

Faith cometh by hearing.


Pastor Josh

This is Romans chapter ten, verse 17.


Pastor Josh

Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God.


Pastor Josh

And so if you want to grow in your faith, you have to grow in the understanding of what God's word says.


Pastor Josh

It's always linked together.


Pastor Josh

You can't just grow in faith by saying, well, I'm just gonna try harder.


Pastor Josh

I'm just gonna, like, really pull myself up on my bootstraps and keep trying.


Pastor Josh

The truth is that when we don't have that proper object of faith, we're never gonna have solid faith.


Pastor Josh

We're never gonna have a solid footing.


Pastor Josh

Like, I put my faith in a lot of things sometimes, and probably not the greatest things to put my faith in.


Pastor Josh

You know, there's been times I don't know about you, I don't like heights, but sometimes I've climbed up on some ladders that probably weren't very trustworthy.


Pastor Josh

Okay?


Pastor Josh

I probably shouldn't have trusted them, and I probably shouldn't have gone as high as I did on that ladder.


Pastor Josh

The truth is, is that sometimes we put our faith and trust in something that is really not reliable.


Pastor Josh

But the truth is that when God calls us to do something, and when he asks us to do something, it's the most reliable thing.


Pastor Josh

And the reason we can have that proof is through his word.


Pastor Josh

And so she says, I have what I need here.


Pastor Josh

He didn't leave me empty.


Pastor Josh

Verse 18.


Pastor Josh

Then she said, this is Naomi's advice to Ruthenhenne, which at this point in time, Naomi is giving good advice.


Pastor Josh

She wasn't giving good advice back in chapter one, okay?


Pastor Josh

If you remember back then, she was telling Ruth to stay in Moab.


Pastor Josh

Keep worshipping your idols.


Pastor Josh

Even further on, Naomi said, hey, I'm bitter.


Pastor Josh

God's taken everything away from me now.


Pastor Josh

Naomi's perception has changed, and now she's a lady that's giving wonderful advice.


Pastor Josh

She says, sit still, my daughter.


Pastor Josh

That's reminiscent of that psalm 46 passage.


Pastor Josh

Be still and know that I am God.


Pastor Josh

She said, there is a time in the midst of a struggle that you have to sit still and trust in your kinsman redeemer.


Pastor Josh

And that is one of the hardest things to do.


Pastor Josh

One of the hardest things to do is just sit and be patient and wait for God to do his work.


Pastor Josh

A lot of times, we want it right now.


Pastor Josh

We live in that society.


Pastor Josh

We live in a smartphone society where everything, we can just pull it up, and that's access.


Pastor Josh

Right now.


Pastor Josh

Right now, I guarantee you.


Pastor Josh

But let me say it this way.


Pastor Josh

Yesterday my phone stopped working.


Pastor Josh

Okay?


Pastor Josh

It stopped working.


Pastor Josh

About 430.


Pastor Josh

I don't know what it was.


Pastor Josh

It popped up all these error codes, and I didn't have reception.


Pastor Josh

You know what?


Pastor Josh

I think it was like 430 by 438.


Pastor Josh

I was at the Verizon store, okay?


Pastor Josh

I'm like, I gotta have my phone.


Pastor Josh

Okay?


Pastor Josh

This is my access point.


Pastor Josh

This is where I do everything this is where I do my work.


Pastor Josh

This is where people communicate to me.


Pastor Josh

So I drove over there and they fixed it for me, and I got out, and I was like, peace, right?


Pastor Josh

But for those eight minutes, I was stressed because I'm like, someone could be reaching out to me, right?


Pastor Josh

And I started realizing, what, you know, where have I gotten to in my life where I'm so reliant on this now?


Pastor Josh

There are reasons for that.


Pastor Josh

My wife was out with the kids somewhere else, and I didn't have a way to contact her, and I was concerned that she might need me.


Pastor Josh

So there are things.


Pastor Josh

It's not like I was just playing games on my phone and I couldn't take eight minutes without it.


Pastor Josh

I just wanted to make sure that my wife wasn't traveling and needed something.


Pastor Josh

But anyway, the concept of this immediate gratification has caused us as believers to struggle with this understanding of being patient and waiting on God to do his work.


Pastor Josh

Sometimes God is going to do it in his timing, and most of the time, our timing is not God's timing.


Pastor Josh

Like, come on, lord, when are you going to do this?


Pastor Josh

When are you going to work this out?


Pastor Josh

And so, for her, this was just one evening, but it probably seemed like an eternity.


Pastor Josh

But Naomi says, sit still, my daughter, until thou know how the matter will fall.


Pastor Josh

She essentially tells her this advice, don't stress about it till it actually comes to pass.


Pastor Josh

There's nothing you can do right now except for trusting in God, praying, giving it over to him.


Pastor Josh

And I want you to see another passage of scripture that ties so well into this, and that's Philippians chapter four.


Pastor Josh

We've already mentioned in Philippians chapter four the principle of God providing needs.


Pastor Josh

But in Philippians chapter four, we also see this idea of prayer and giving it over to God in the midst of anxiety.


Pastor Josh

I know for me a lot of different things bring me anxieties and concerns and tempt me to not trust in God.


Pastor Josh

But whatever it is for you, Philippians chapter four, verse six, says something very interesting.


Pastor Josh

It says, be careful or I be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving.


Pastor Josh

So we're asking in faith, let your request be made known unto God.


Pastor Josh

So the Bible tells us what to do when we're being still, and that is to bring our requests, our struggles, our anxieties, our cares over to God with thanksgiving.


Pastor Josh

Meaning, Lord, you're gonna do what you're gonna do, and I know it's good.


Pastor Josh

And do all that.


Pastor Josh

And what does it say in verse number seven?


Pastor Josh

And the peace of God which passeth all understanding.


Pastor Josh

Meaning no one can understand this outside of those who are in Christ.


Pastor Josh

And the peace of God which passeth all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.


Pastor Josh

And so in the midst of conflict or the midst of crisis, or in the midst of anxieties, what do we do?


Pastor Josh

We turn it over to the Lord.


Pastor Josh

Be careful.


Pastor Josh

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, let your request be made known unto God with thanksgiving.


Pastor Josh

And therefore, the product of that patience is what peace?


Pastor Josh

The peace of God.


Pastor Josh

And so that's an amazing product of that patience.


Pastor Josh

And we even see that in Galatians, we see the fruit of the spirit.


Pastor Josh

One of the elements of the fruit of the spirit would be in the King James.


Pastor Josh

It says long suffering, which is a good way to describe patience, suffering long.


Pastor Josh

But the Bible says that there is this understanding that when we're in the spirit, we're more able to be long suffering and be patient and wait upon the peace of God.


Pastor Josh

And so we go back to Ruth and we see Naomi giving Ruth this same advice.


Pastor Josh

Basically this sit still, wait, allow God to work out this matter, for the man will not be in rest.


Pastor Josh

So she contrasts Ruth's role in this problem and Boaz's role.


Pastor Josh

What's Ruth's role?


Pastor Josh

Sit still, be patient.


Pastor Josh

Trust.


Pastor Josh

What's Boaz's role as the kinsman Redeemer?


Pastor Josh

Well, this man will not be in rest until he have finished the thing this day.


Pastor Josh

Meaning Boaz is the one doing the work.


Pastor Josh

Boaz is the kinsman redeemer.


Pastor Josh

Let him do the thing that he does.


Pastor Josh

And that's what it means for us as christians to say, let God do his work.


Pastor Josh

Trust in him, trust in his goodness, trust in his holiness, trust in his power, trust in his provision.


Pastor Josh

And say, you know what?


Pastor Josh

I can't stress about this.


Pastor Josh

This isn't my issue.


Pastor Josh

There are certain things that we should have concern over things that we're doing in our life, about the actions that we do and the reactions that we have.


Pastor Josh

But really, sometimes there's going to be things that are outside of our control that we can't stress about because that literally will bring us to a place of selfishness, pride and anxiety.


Pastor Josh

And then that will lead to a very negative place because we're thinking it's all about us.


Pastor Josh

We're thinking it's all on us.


Pastor Josh

And really the truth is that the Bible tells us that our salvation, our redemption, is not on us.


Pastor Josh

It's ultimately on the Lord.


Pastor Josh

And so we see a transition from verse 18 to verse one.


Pastor Josh

And you know that the chapter divisions are there for organization.


Pastor Josh

So the story continues on, and we got to see what happens in verse one, because now we shift focus from Ruth and her challenge of patience and prayer and peace to now the kinsman Redeemer, what he's doing, and that's Boaz.


Pastor Josh

And so verse one says, then Boaz then went Boaz up to the gate and sat him down there.


Pastor Josh

Now, a lot of people might ask the question, maybe you don't.


Pastor Josh

Maybe you didn't catch it, but, like, why is he going to the gate?


Pastor Josh

There is great significance to the gate.


Pastor Josh

The gate was the place where everyone that was any importance would go to.


Pastor Josh

It wasn't just the gate of the city.


Pastor Josh

It was the place where a lot of matters would be judged.


Pastor Josh

It would be the place where all the powerful men would sit, all the wise men.


Pastor Josh

And people would come with needs, they would come with concerns, they would come with conflict.


Pastor Josh

It would be a place of trade.


Pastor Josh

It would be a place where people would sell their wares.


Pastor Josh

And when I was in Israel, if we could actually throw up, I have a picture up there.


Pastor Josh

Hopefully you guys can find it.


Pastor Josh

It's on the slides there.


Pastor Josh

When I was in Israel, we actually got to go to one of these gates, and the words weren't there.


Pastor Josh

If you could take those words down, you can see the gate there.


Pastor Josh

Yeah, we'll get it up there in a second.


Pastor Josh

It's going to be hard for you.


Pastor Josh

I'm the one in the very middle, the dark blue there.


Pastor Josh

Not that it matters, but if you can tell there's a wall there, and then there was like a bench that the people would sit.


Pastor Josh

So they said, when we're in Israel, they're like, all right, all the pastors, all the wise men.


Pastor Josh

Okay, we want you to go sit.


Pastor Josh

So that was all the pastors on our tour, and we all sat down there.


Pastor Josh

But it's interesting how it would go, because basically it would be like an l shape.


Pastor Josh

They would go in.


Pastor Josh

There would be like a bench, and then they would come around.


Pastor Josh

And so there would be security there as well.


Pastor Josh

And so that picture is just kind of showing you what it would have been like.


Pastor Josh

Boaz is going, and he's sitting at the gate waiting for this other man who would have been probably wealthy, well, to do powerful.


Pastor Josh

He would have gone through that gate as well.


Pastor Josh

And so he knew that this was a place where this person would be.


Pastor Josh

So he's in the place that he should be.


Pastor Josh

So you guys can go ahead and take that down if you want to know more.


Pastor Josh

If you want pictures about stuff I was doing in Israel, I'll try to throw them up when I can, when they're applicable.


Pastor Josh

That was, I believe, at the same time of Dan.


Pastor Josh

That's in northern Israel.


Pastor Josh

But anyway, so that's the gate.


Pastor Josh

That's the gate that he went to.


Pastor Josh

Not that specific gate, but a gate like that.


Pastor Josh

And he sat down there and behold, the kinsman of whom Boaz spake came by.


Pastor Josh

So now here's his moment.


Pastor Josh

Boaz is going to petition for Ruth, but he can't just say, I want Ruth and you don't want her, because the rightful thing for Boaz to do, the honorable thing is to offer it to him.


Pastor Josh

That's what he has to do if he's an honorable man, which we see, Boaz is an honorable man.


Pastor Josh

And so Boaz comes in and then what does he say here?


Pastor Josh

This is a really interesting thing.


Pastor Josh

He says, ho such a one.


Pastor Josh

Now that's an interesting thing to say.


Pastor Josh

If you were to put it in our terms today, it basically means mister so and so.


Pastor Josh

He doesn't say the name.


Pastor Josh

And a lot of commentators would say, why doesn't he say a name?


Pastor Josh

He obviously knew this person.


Pastor Josh

A lot of commentators would say that this person doesn't get the honor of having his name in scripture because of his, his act that he does here.


Pastor Josh

Basically, he denies his responsibility.


Pastor Josh

And we're going to see this come to pass here.


Pastor Josh

So he misses the opportunity to be the kinsman redeemer.


Pastor Josh

And so therefore he doesn't get any honor here.


Pastor Josh

So we have a guy named Boaz who is going to get the honor because of his responsibility and his faith and his trust and his action.


Pastor Josh

And then we see this other guy who had the opportunity and selfishly turns it down so he gets no recognition here.


Pastor Josh

Ho such a one.


Pastor Josh

Turn aside.


Pastor Josh

Sit down here.


Pastor Josh

And he turned aside and sat down.


Pastor Josh

So he's going to get his attention here.


Pastor Josh

He's going to come to this place where he's going to petition.


Pastor Josh

And, you know, I think that this was probably at least if I was Boaz, I would be nervous, right?


Pastor Josh

Because now Boaz is like, great, I have a wife, but now I got to get this guy to not take her as a wife, right?


Pastor Josh

So this is, this is, there's a lot at stake for Boaz here because remember, Boaz is nothing.


Pastor Josh

A perfect kinsman redeemer, like our savior is a perfect kinsman redeemer.


Pastor Josh

So Boaz still has flaws.


Pastor Josh

He's still a human being.


Pastor Josh

And so Boaz is going to basically explain it.


Pastor Josh

But before he does that, we see him again.


Pastor Josh

Being an honorable man, he brings witnesses.


Pastor Josh

Now, why does he bring witnesses?


Pastor Josh

Well, very similar to why we would bring witnesses.


Pastor Josh

So there would be people that were watching, so that there would be people who could vouch for what is said here.


Pastor Josh

And so he took ten men of the elders of the city.


Pastor Josh

Again, picture in your mind that gate, okay?


Pastor Josh

That gate with everyone sitting there.


Pastor Josh

He says, hey, ten of you, come here.


Pastor Josh

Listen to this.


Pastor Josh

And he says, sit ye down here.


Pastor Josh

And they sat down.


Pastor Josh

And he said unto the kinsman Naomi, that is, come again.


Pastor Josh

Out of the country of Moab selleth a parcel of land which was our brother Elimelech's.


Pastor Josh

And I thought to advertise thee, saying, buy it before the inhabitants and before the elders of my people.


Pastor Josh

If thou wilt redeem it, redeem it.


Pastor Josh

But if thou will not redeem it, then tell me that I may know, for there is none to redeem it beside thee, and I am after thee.


Pastor Josh

And he said, I will redeem it.


Pastor Josh

Now, you might say, what's going on here?


Pastor Josh

He didn't mention anything about Ruth.


Pastor Josh

Well, there's actually a few elements to the Kinsman Redeemer.


Pastor Josh

It's not just about a spouse being reunited with the family, but it's also about the land to be reunited to the family.


Pastor Josh

So the kinsman redeemed are played different roles.


Pastor Josh

He was also the person who would redeem the land.


Pastor Josh

He would buy back the land.


Pastor Josh

And so, for whatever reason, Boaz presents the land first.


Pastor Josh

He says, hey, there's some land that you can acquire because you're the kinsman redeemer.


Pastor Josh

Would you be willing to redeem this?


Pastor Josh

Because Naomi's well past her age of childbearing, and so he doesn't mention Ruth here.


Pastor Josh

He only mentions Naomi.


Pastor Josh

And he says, naomi has some land.


Pastor Josh

Would you redeem it back?


Pastor Josh

And what guy wouldn't want in some land, right?


Pastor Josh

He was like, great, I will do it.


Pastor Josh

I will redeem it.


Pastor Josh

And probably in Boaz's heart, you know, at least sometimes we don't want to speculate, but in my heart, if I was Boaz, I'd be like, oh, no, my heart would have sunk.


Pastor Josh

When he says, I'll redeem it, I'll do it, because it's a package deal.


Pastor Josh

With the land comes Ruth.


Pastor Josh

With the land comes being a husband.


Pastor Josh

And so we're going to see here that he's going to add more to it.


Pastor Josh

Then said, boaz, what day thou buyest the field of the hand of Naomi, thou must buy it also of Ruth, the Moabitess, the wife of the dead, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance.


Pastor Josh

So he says, well, there's more to the story.


Pastor Josh

You're going to get some land, but you're also going to have a wife, a Moabitess wife, for that matter.


Pastor Josh

And we see this man, we don't know his name again.


Pastor Josh

And so, selfishly, I believe he says, great, I'll take the land, of course.


Pastor Josh

But when the wife is thrown in, we see him backpedal.


Pastor Josh

We see him go, whoa, that's not for me.


Pastor Josh

So selfishly, he didn't want to do that work.


Pastor Josh

He didn't want to go that far.


Pastor Josh

He wanted the benefit of the land, but he didn't want to do the work truly as a complete kinsman redeemer.


Pastor Josh

And the kinsman said, I cannot redeem it for myself.


Pastor Josh

And we see more to his heart in his explanation here.


Pastor Josh

He says, lest I mar mine own inheritance.


Pastor Josh

So he says, hey, I was willing to gain something from this, but I'm not willing to sacrifice anything.


Pastor Josh

I'm not willing to give up any of my inheritance, because probably he had children that he needed to delegate the money to and give that money to eventually.


Pastor Josh

And he's like, no, I don't want to lose anything that I have already.


Pastor Josh

I'm not willing to sacrifice.


Pastor Josh

This is a perfect picture of every other thing in the world that people put their faith in, right?


Pastor Josh

There is nobody or nothing that's willing to sacrifice for you or at least give up their life.


Pastor Josh

Jesus is the only kinsman Redeemer who said, look, I'm willing to put my life on the line for you.


Pastor Josh

I'm willing to die for you.


Pastor Josh

And so this is a picture of a willing kinsman redeemer, willing to sacrifice.


Pastor Josh

Boaz is the one willing to sacrifice.


Pastor Josh

This other fellow is not willing to sacrifice.


Pastor Josh

He says, that's going to marden my own inheritance.


Pastor Josh

Redeem thou my right to thyself, for I cannot redeem it.


Pastor Josh

So Boaz's heart goes down, and then it goes back up, because this man says, look, I want to redeem it, but if it means losing my inheritance, not going to happen.


Pastor Josh

You can take it.


Pastor Josh

You can have this.


Pastor Josh

And I think that's a beautiful picture of the relationship that we have to Christ.


Pastor Josh

He is the only one who offered that sacrifice for us.


Pastor Josh

And then so many times we turn to these things in the world that we think are going to give us hope and peace and salvation.


Pastor Josh

But let me tell you, none of those things ever, ever gave you the sacrifice of life.


Pastor Josh

I used to tell the teenagers this all the time, but I could say this to adults.


Pastor Josh

Those people that are putting out content on the Internet and Hollywood and whatever, they don't care about your well being.


Pastor Josh

They want your dollars, they want your attention.


Pastor Josh

But so many people are so given over to these things that are pulling them away.


Pastor Josh

And the truth is, is that they don't love you.


Pastor Josh

The one who loves you proved his love for you, and that's Jesus Christ.


Pastor Josh

And therefore your kinsman redeemer is willing to sacrifice.


Pastor Josh

So now we get into a really interesting thing here, and this is where we're going to kind of wrap up this evening.


Pastor Josh

And so, verse seven.


Pastor Josh

Now, this was the manner and former time in Israel concerning redeeming and concerning changing, for to confirm all things.


Pastor Josh

And we're not going to understand this, okay, you're going to say, what are we talking about here?


Pastor Josh

Remember, this is thousands of years ago, different culture, different ways.


Pastor Josh

This would have been the norm for them back then.


Pastor Josh

Okay?


Pastor Josh

So to confirm all things, a man plucked off his shoe and gave it to his neighbor.


Pastor Josh

And this was a testimony of Israel.


Pastor Josh

Therefore, the kinsman said unto Boaz, buy it for thee.


Pastor Josh

So he drew off his shoe.


Pastor Josh

And so you would say, what's going on here?


Pastor Josh

This was just something that they would do.


Pastor Josh

This was a ritual that they would accomplish in completing this task of the kinsman Redeemer.


Pastor Josh

And so this would have been the custom of sandal transactions, verse nine.


Pastor Josh

And Boaz said unto the elders and unto all the people, ye are witnesses this day that I have bought all that was elimelechs and all that was Chileans and Mahlons and the hand of Naomi.


Pastor Josh

And so this was very, very interesting here.


Pastor Josh

He says, basically, you are the witnesses.


Pastor Josh

The world is the witness of what Jesus Christ did for us.


Pastor Josh

And so all these people were the witnesses what Boaz did for Naomi and Ruth.


Pastor Josh

And so, moreover, Ruth, the Moabitess, the wife of Mahlon, 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 this place.


Pastor Josh

Ye are witnesses this day.


Pastor Josh

And so everyone could be the witness of what Boaz was doing, and everyone could be a witness of what Jesus Christ has done for us and our lives.


Pastor Josh

And so we're going to stop there, here this evening, because we're going to conclude it next week because there's more to the story.


Pastor Josh

The story doesn't end with Boaz and Ruth's marriage.


Pastor Josh

It actually continues on with a legacy.


Pastor Josh

And we're going to talk about that legacy more, actually, not next week.


Pastor Josh

We have a guest next week, but we will conclude that in two weeks.


Pastor Josh

But I want to go with some takeaway thoughts here tonight because we're talking about this idea of kinsman Redeemer.


Pastor Josh

But.


Pastor Josh

But I think that in this story, one of the greatest lessons is that challenge for Ruth to be patient and to sit still and to trust in her kinsman redeemer to do the work and figure out that problem in her life.


Pastor Josh

You know, I know that some people, by nature, are more prone to worry than others, but probably all of us at some point in our lives have a chance to wait and be patient or not be patient in the midst of a difficulty, in the midst of a quote unquote problem.


Pastor Josh

And, you know, I used to think growing up that if I could just run away from all my problems, everything would be okay.


Pastor Josh

I remember one time, I don't know how old I was.


Pastor Josh

I couldn't have been much older than Micah, so I was probably like ten or eleven years old, and I was having a rebellious stage in my life, and I was getting upset with my dad, and my dad had all these rules, and I said, fine, I'm going to run away from home.


Pastor Josh

I don't know if any of you have ever went through that process in your mind.


Pastor Josh

And I thought I really was going to.


Pastor Josh

I went to my room and I started packing my bags, and I was like, I'm going.


Pastor Josh

And my dad's like, oh, you're going to go?


Pastor Josh

Okay.


Pastor Josh

You better take some food with you.


Pastor Josh

Better take.


Pastor Josh

You know, my dad knew I wasn't going anywhere, but I was so set that I was going to go somewhere, and I was like, I'm going to go somewhere that doesn't have rules, and I'm going to make my own rules.


Pastor Josh

And by the time I probably left and my parents probably could tell the story better than me, maybe they don't even remember it.


Pastor Josh

I don't know.


Pastor Josh

We'll see.


Pastor Josh

But I'll have to ask them later if they're watching.


Pastor Josh

But before I left, I realized, you know what?


Pastor Josh

There's nowhere that I can go that I have it this good.


Pastor Josh

There's no one that's going to love me like my dad and mom.


Pastor Josh

There's no one that's going to protect me like my dad and mom, no one's going to feed me like them, right?


Pastor Josh

There's all these things in my mind that are running through my mind, as rational as a ten or eleven year old could be.


Pastor Josh

I started realizing that all of these things are never going to bring back to me what I have in that relationship with my parents.


Pastor Josh

Now some of you might say, well, you know what?


Pastor Josh

You didn't know my parents, okay?


Pastor Josh

I should have run away from them because I think I could have found, no, I know what you're saying, but we got to think about it from the perspective of we have a perfect father, we have a perfect heavenly father who sometimes we feel like we can go somewhere else and figure it out on our own.


Pastor Josh

But he has us coming back every single time saying, look, I forgive you.


Pastor Josh

It's the classic picture of the prodigal son, right?


Pastor Josh

He meets us, he wraps his arms around us and he says, I alone can give you what you need.


Pastor Josh

I alone can be sufficient in your life and provide for you and protect for you.


Pastor Josh

So Ruth had the opportunity to stress and to worry and to fret about it.


Pastor Josh

But then we have that picture of peace.


Pastor Josh

Be still.


Pastor Josh

And so I want you to think about that understanding of peace here this evening.


Pastor Josh

Have you ever desired peace and quiet in your life?


Pastor Josh

By way of testimony, I have a house with a nine year old, a six year old and a eight month old.


Pastor Josh

I desire peace sometimes, okay.


Pastor Josh

Sometimes I'm like, I just want it to be peace and quiet, okay?


Pastor Josh

But that's very far and few between in times of our house.


Pastor Josh

But the truth is, is that there's a greater peace.


Pastor Josh

I think sometimes that people are seeking after in this world.


Pastor Josh

And we all know that some people try to seek that peace in all the wrong places and you could fill in the gap.


Pastor Josh

Okay?


Pastor Josh

I tried to do this to bring peace, but it didn't satisfy or temporarily.


Pastor Josh

It satisfied for maybe a week or a month, maybe even a year or so.


Pastor Josh

But ultimately those things of the world that are packaged so nicely to say, here's peace, here's pleasure, here's comfort, all of those things are eventually going to fall apart.


Pastor Josh

All those things are going to rust away, that's eventually going to tear us down.


Pastor Josh

But what the Bible says is that there is this peace that passeth all understanding.


Pastor Josh

And if you have tasted of that peace, it's the most amazing thing, it's the most comforting thing to know that no matter what happens to you physically, emotionally and spiritually, that nobody can take away the love that God has for you.


Pastor Josh

Romans chapter eight.


Pastor Josh

If you are ever struggling with the concern of God caring about you or loving you or taking care of you in the midst of a difficulty, read Romans chapter eight.


Pastor Josh

And if you believe the word of God as the word of God, Romans chapter eight will bring you right back to the place where you need to be.


Pastor Josh

Because by the time you get to the end, it starts with in verse one, there's no more condemnation to those that are in Christ Jesus.


Pastor Josh

And it ends with the fact that nothing in this world can separate us from the love of God.


Pastor Josh

And he lists all of these things and he says, no, we're more than conquerors.


Pastor Josh

Because no matter what comes in my life, I can still have that peace that passeth all understanding.


Pastor Josh

And so there's going to be times that aren't peaceful in our life.


Pastor Josh

There's going to be times where we don't believe that.


Pastor Josh

There's going to be times where we go through struggles.


Pastor Josh

But I'm going to tell you that that center point of God's peace is found in knowing him and knowing his word and resting in his presence in our life and just being still and knowing that he is God.


Pastor Josh

And one of the greatest things that I was able to accomplish in my life when it comes to my spiritual walk was not, hey, I gotta just try harder.


Pastor Josh

It was, I wanna just know God and know him in a deeper level.


Pastor Josh

And the more I got to know him, the more I realized that he's not going to fail me.


Pastor Josh

And there's gonna be days where, there's days where I'm talking to someone and I catch myself going, you know, I know this, but, and then I, anytime we say that, that's where we're in the problem, right?


Pastor Josh

Because I know that God is good, but, and then we say something else, whatever it is.


Pastor Josh

But my situation is really tough.


Pastor Josh

Well, right.


Pastor Josh

And I think that's one of the many reasons why God gave us his word.


Pastor Josh

For us to see all the other people that went through struggles and how when they trusted in God, there was always reward.


Pastor Josh

Because there's a second part of that verse in Hebrews chapter eleven.


Pastor Josh

I want you to see that with me because this is so important, because sometimes we only heard of, hey, it's impossible to please God without faith.


Pastor Josh

And you're like, well, now what?


Pastor Josh

Is it impossible for me to ever please God?


Pastor Josh

Because I don't have the type of faith that I need to have.


Pastor Josh

Well, Hebrews eleven six says, hey, it's impossible to please God without faith.


Pastor Josh

But then there's a positive side to this.


Pastor Josh

Anytime God says something in the negative, he always is going to bring the positive side of it.


Pastor Josh

Like, don't do this, but do this.


Pastor Josh

So in Hebrews, chapter eleven, verse six, he says, but without faith it is impossible to please him.


Pastor Josh

But then he says, why?


Pastor Josh

He gives the background, he gives the deeper understanding.


Pastor Josh

He says, for he that cometh to God must believe there's that trust that he is, meaning that he exists, that he is who he says he is.


Pastor Josh

And there's an and there that's joining two things together.


Pastor Josh

So believe that he is who he is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.


Pastor Josh

Meaning I have to believe that God is going to reward my faith, not in the way that I think sometimes, because there's going to be some people that say if you have enough faith, all of your problems are going to go away.


Pastor Josh

Well, I can tell you there's a whole chapter called Hebrews chapter eleven, okay?


Pastor Josh

It's called the hall of Faith.


Pastor Josh

And it says, all these people that had faith, but it didn't say that all their problems necessarily went away, their circumstances went away, their bigger problem of sin went away.


Pastor Josh

And so what I'm gonna tell you here this evening is there is a false teaching out there, and I gotta tell you the truth about this, okay?


Pastor Josh

There's some people that will teach you that if you have enough faith, all of your sicknesses will just go away.


Pastor Josh

And if you're not, the problem with your condition is that you don't have enough faith.


Pastor Josh

That's misleading, right?


Pastor Josh

That is so misleading because the Bible doesn't say, the Bible doesn't promise that all of my problems and sicknesses will be taken away here on this earthen just because I have faith in God.


Pastor Josh

Now, can he do that?


Pastor Josh

Yes.


Pastor Josh

God is a miracle worker.


Pastor Josh

God can do what he wants to do.


Pastor Josh

And we should plead with him for healing.


Pastor Josh

We should plead with him for our circumstances to go away.


Pastor Josh

But what we do know is that sometimes God doesn't heal us in the way that we expect God's going to heal us in a greater way, in a different way.


Pastor Josh

And the Bible speaks all to that.


Pastor Josh

But I will tell you that the Bible does say that there is one great healing one day, that all of our sickness will go away, all of our sadness will go away, all of our pain will go away, all of our struggles with sin.


Pastor Josh

And that is one day, the Bible says, and the theological term for this is glorification.


Pastor Josh

But it's that day when we are reunited with him.


Pastor Josh

One day, and that might happen sooner than later.


Pastor Josh

You know, you never know when that's going to happen.


Pastor Josh

But the truth is that we should long for that day.


Pastor Josh

As christians, I long for the day when my sinful flesh is not fighting against the spirit.


Pastor Josh

I long for the day where there's no more waking up in the morning and things are aching and pain and all of that.


Pastor Josh

I long for the day where there's no more chaos in this world.


Pastor Josh

The Bible says that day is coming, but until then, trust in him that it's coming.


Pastor Josh

God is going to make all things right.


Pastor Josh

David the psalmist says, God, it seems like you're letting all the bad people get away with this and all the good people are going through difficulties.


Pastor Josh

And David's speaking for us.


Pastor Josh

Sometimes.


Pastor Josh

Sometimes it looks like people are getting away with stuff that's evil.


Pastor Josh

Like, when's God going to judge them?


Pastor Josh

Let me just tell you.


Pastor Josh

And we don't, like, rejoice in this necessarily in the fact that they're going to be judged, but we should rejoice in the fact that God is going to make all things right.


Pastor Josh

He is the great judge.


Pastor Josh

He's the one that's sitting on the bench of the city, but ultimately his bench is higher than everybody else.


Pastor Josh

There's the Bema seat, but there's also going to be one day, the bema seat is the judgment that God is going to say, okay, this is what you did for me as a christian rewards, right?


Pastor Josh

That's the judgment seat of Christ.


Pastor Josh

But there's also what's called the great white throne judgment.


Pastor Josh

And so what that means is that God is going to judge all of those that have rejected him.


Pastor Josh

And so all these people that have rejected God and turned their way to evil, God's not going to let it go unnoticed.


Pastor Josh

God is a righteous judge now.


Pastor Josh

He's patient and he has grace.


Pastor Josh

He's long suffering.


Pastor Josh

But the Bible says that he will right all wrongs in this world.


Pastor Josh

And we have to have faith in that.


Pastor Josh

We have to have faith in that as christians.


Pastor Josh

And that's what we are looking at when it comes to the peace of God in our lives.


Pastor Josh

But until then, what do we do?


Pastor Josh

We preach the gospel, okay?


Pastor Josh

For a lot of us, we want to be the judge.


Pastor Josh

We want to be the judge and the jury and take out our wrath upon people.


Pastor Josh

God did not call us to do that.


Pastor Josh

God called us to project and to proclaim and to display the gospel message in that time that we have in this age of grace.


Pastor Josh

And so what do we do we preach the truth?


Pastor Josh

We say what is true, we call out what is wrong, but we have grace to preach the message and love to preach the message, to give people the opportunity to come to Christ.


Pastor Josh

You know, I know some people that will say, including myself, that person could never come to Christ.


Pastor Josh

That's not our judgment.


Pastor Josh

That's not our job.


Pastor Josh

Our job is to proclaim the truth of the gospel.


Pastor Josh

There have been people that have changed because of the Holy Spirit, not because of logic, not because of wisdom, but because of the power of the Holy Spirit changing their heart from a heart of stone into a heart of flesh.


Pastor Josh

And so that's where our peace comes from, the bigger picture, the peace of God, which passeth all understanding.


Pastor Josh

Now, I'm going to move forward a little bit here, and I am going to tell you that as a christian today, we have a lot of reason to be anxious.


Pastor Josh

We have a lot of reason to question.


Pastor Josh

We have a lot of reason to even sometimes doubt the goodness of God because we look at circumstances.


Pastor Josh

What I would tell you is you can watch the news, okay?


Pastor Josh

There's nothing unbiblical about watching the news.


Pastor Josh

But what you deal with when you watch the news is either biblical or not biblical, okay?


Pastor Josh

You can do everything in your life biblically or you can do everything in your life unbiblically.


Pastor Josh

So it doesn't necessarily mean this.


Pastor Josh

Like, for example, this is what I try to do sometimes.


Pastor Josh

I just try to not watch the news, okay?


Pastor Josh

I'm like, okay, if I just don't watch the news, I won't have any problems.


Pastor Josh

The truth is, is that people will tell me what's going on in the world.


Pastor Josh

Then I immediately start stressing.


Pastor Josh

So it doesn't really matter.


Pastor Josh

I can't avoid the temptation always.


Pastor Josh

That's what happened when all these people tried to be monks.


Pastor Josh

And there's still people that try to do this.


Pastor Josh

They try to go live out on a monastery thousands of miles away.


Pastor Josh

They try to remove everything.


Pastor Josh

And they say, okay, I'm never going to sin again because I don't have any outside distractions.


Pastor Josh

And then they realize they have something called the flesh, okay?


Pastor Josh

And the flesh is going to still want those bad things.


Pastor Josh

And so it's not about just avoiding the bad.


Pastor Josh

It's about really living and relying on the goodness and the grace of God in the midst of all this.


Pastor Josh

And so that's how you can have the peace of God.


Pastor Josh

And so I'm not here today to say, hey, don't watch the news or don't deal with your neighbor don't go to work, okay?


Pastor Josh

Because you might say, well, my problem's at work.


Pastor Josh

If I just didn't go to work, everything would be okay.


Pastor Josh

I can't tell you.


Pastor Josh

Well, just quit your job, okay?


Pastor Josh

You gotta deal with it.


Pastor Josh

You gotta deal with the problems of this world, okay?


Pastor Josh

But there's a way to deal with it biblically, and that is to look to Christ in the midst of your decisions, in the midst of your reactions.


Pastor Josh

So we'll be back in two weeks to conclude the book of Ruth.


Pastor Josh

I hope that it's been a good study for you.


Pastor Josh

It has been for me.


Pastor Josh

I've heard the book of Ruth so many times, but this time through, I really wanted to see it through the lens of the kinsman redeemer only.


Pastor Josh

Not that we can't take other elements of it, but I think that kinsman Redeemer is that main theme through.


Pastor Josh

And I think that was a blessing.


Pastor Josh

Now, if you want to know what we're going to be studying next, I'll tell you in two weeks.


Pastor Josh

But I'm still praying about a few different studies.


Pastor Josh

So we're going to be getting through this in two weeks and then we'll move on.


Pastor Josh

Thank you again for listening to the Middletown Baptist Church podcast.


Pastor Josh

I hope that this sermon has been a blessing for you.


Pastor Josh

If you would like to find out more information about our church or this sermon, you can find us@middletownbaptistchurch.org or find us on Facebook or YouTube.


Pastor Josh

You can also email me directly@joshmissaroiddletownbaptastchurch.com.


Pastor Josh

if you've enjoyed this podcast, please subscribe and follow along for future podcasts and updates.


Pastor Josh

Thank you so much.


Pastor Josh

God bless.


Pastor Josh

Have a wonderful day.