Oct 27 2019 Ruth pt. 2 - Responding Well to Conflict

Ruth –

I am too old to have a husband, if I should have a husband…

Let’s go back to last week – Naomi, her husband, and her sons have died and all she has left is her daughters-in-law, and they are heading back to Israel, and Naomi realizes that there is no hope for these two women if they go back with her.

In those days, the only way for a woman to survive was to have a man. So she is thinking that to bring these women back to Israel to find a husband is virtually impossible, so she is encouraging them to go back to their fathers.

“For the hand of the Lord has gone forth against me”

We have a sindow into how what has happened in her life has shaped her view of God. She feels that God is against her.

Let me say this – we all have times where we feel that God is against us.

You’ll see this in the Psalms where this is expressed – but then you’ll have the other phrase, but this I know, God is for me. It is so important in our view of God, in the distinction between the two, to remember that God is for me.

Such a critical role in our understanding of God, especially when the really bad stuff enters into our lives, because the really bad stuff will, at times, enter into our lives.

Paul, in Romans 8, talks about all the things that cannot separate us from God – and then he says, If God is for us, who can be against us.

When we understand that God is on our side, on our team, He is for us – then we can look at everything that is against us and say that God is better than all of this stuff that is against us. He is the great equalizer.

One thing about this story – it never says that God has done any of this stuff. Never. Not one time in the story does it express that God killed her husband or children. It purposefully does not say that. Naomi says it.

There are three ways to look at Naomi’s problem.

Ir is possible that Naomi’s family underwent some type of discipline from God – it doesn’t say that is what happeedened – but it is possible that all of this has happened from the reality of living in a fallen world everyone who is born, dies, because of the world we live in – it is a reality that cannot be avoided – so we can’t say that whenever someone dies it is because God is against them or disciplining them.

Not true at all!

The Psalmist says that blessed in the sight of God is the death of His godly ones. In one sense, therefore, death is a blessing. In one sense. – Because it is entering into a whole new world with God.

Jesus said, in this world, you will have tribulations and trials – it is just a reality – so it may just be that. But it could be that sometimes God allows difficulty in our lives because He has a glorious work He wants to do.

When Lazarus died, Jesus waited a few days. He died.

There is a sickness that leads to death, and there is a sickness that leads to the glory of God. This was one that led to the glory of God.

If you try to find the reason behind eveyr bad thing that happens, you will go bonkers. 99% of the time when God is doing something great through it, He doesn’t tell you! You don’t find out.

When you get to heaven and get to be with God, you will think, OH WOW! Thos things that God has done for us. So you can consider those three things in difficulties – and it may be a little biut of each

Vs. 14

Ruth clung to her…

Next verse

Behold, your sil…

Bur Ruth said, do not urge me to turn back from you – FOR – Where you go I will go, where you lodge, I will lodge, your people will be my people…

Parts you and me….

What we have here – at some point, in order to say these words, Ruth has had a converstion experience. This is a story about redemption and salvation – it is a gospel story. These words are very similar to what it means to become a Christian.

The first thing that must happen: A turning. I will not TURN BACK from following you. When a person comes to Christ, they turn from this direction to another. From their own life to following Jesus.

Second, there is a change of identity – your people become my people When a person comes to Christ, they belong to a new people. That is what Baptism is all about – a change of identity – I belong to a new community/family/country. A new citizenship. And it is so real, that we should think of it no differently than when my daughter-in-law became a new citizen.

Finally, there is a change of allegiance or devotion – Your God will become my God too.

Ruth has left the gods of Moab, and she is now devoted and aligned with the God of Israel.

We think, we don’t have gods in our country – but yes we do! We say, we don’t make statues of them! But yes, we do! They are just’cloaked ‘ gods – and we all know what those gods are – things that we live our lives for – things we are devoted to – things that we genuinely serve.

That is like this converstion of Ruth – and we have to ask ourselves – has that ever happened? Have I turned from following this direction to following Christ? Have I gained a new identity and gained a new people? Has my allegiance changed? My loyalty changed?

Second thing we see, reltated to conversion – relationship plays a critical component of the conversion – We don’t have any indication that Ruth sat down with her and gave her the fine detailed points of the Jewish religion. Nothing at all!

All we know is that for what seemed like 10 years – because that is what the timeline said earlier – she had this relationship with these two women – her daughters-in-law.

Henry and I were discussing about how our generation was a skeptical generation – so we needed a ‘prove it is true’ – so the church did a ton of apologetics – Josh McDowell – and many came to Christ – OH WOW! IT IS TRUE!

Henry was talking about that at work…

In the meantime, Cindy was sharing with me a study – People aren’t asking, is it true? They don’t care! They don’t! They have heard it all. They know the arguaments on all sides. But they are asking – Does it work? Does it mke a difference? Can it be lived and experienced.

People need to see today, our faith worked out in real lives in a real world, in a rubber meets the road kind of deal. Everyonee is talking about it – but people are saying – I don’t see it in that person (who is talking about it!) They need to see it.

Naomi’s genuine love and concern for these women had a powerful impact on Ruth. It just changed everything to follow the God of Ruth.

To be a witness today, we need to have a genuine love and concern for peopelk. Genuine love and concern – the people we work with, neighborhoods, and school.

Jesus said – Do unto others as you would have them to do you – and that would solve the entire problem. That is why He said it – and that is why it is called the Golden Rule. When you really have it, peoopel recognize that it works.

Second – the way we talk about and to people. There is a lot of bullying talk going on in the world, and not just in school! Harsh speech, critical put-downs, gossip, talking nbehind peopole’s backs – that is what people hear and that is the reality – but Christians should have NO engagement in that!
Paul says, let your speech ALWAYS Be with grace. What are the options for anything else? Always kinda means a lot!

The way we handle conflict and offense is critical to our testimonies. If you are in a job or a family – you will have conflict in that situation. It is just a reality. Even as a Christian, you will offend, and you will be offended. That is just life.

The simple reality – most don’t respond well to conflict – and this is the opportunity for us to be different – not offending and how we respond when we offend,. Cindy does this well at work – even when she doesn’t offend, but everyone thinks she did, she is simply quick to apologize.

Paul said to give no offense to Jew or to Greek – for the purpose of winning the most possible. It is going to offend – WHY? Why do it – if it will offend and not win. Our goal is to win people to Christ – and I understand that the gospel itself will offend, we understand that. WE, at no point, are to be offensive! Only the gospel has freedom to offend. No human Christian has freedom to offend. It is important to distinguish between those two!

Finally, we show genuine love by our true view of others. Peopole can smell out, real quickly – if you have any attitude of superiority as a Christian, whether it be social, intellectual, or moral! And it is an immediate turn-off when they see that.

Here is what they are asking, I think, and this makes it easy for us to be a witness, we might say – they are asking – does your Christianity cause you to treat me differently than by the rest of the world? Just make sure that is true.

Back to Henry – he said – he works with a lot of young, smart, whippersnappers – and you can’t convince them – ALL I CAN DO, he said – is to share my testimony.

Naomi’s story in life played a role in the salvation of Ruth. We need to learn to tell our story. Rather, we need to learn to tell the story of God’s work in us. We need to learn to tell that story – the story of God in us and through us.

This story must consist of our past life and converstion story – how lousy we were (or not – tell your own story) – peple used to tell their story and it was like – can you top this?! But it must also consist of this – our current conversion story. We must be continually transformed.

Work out your salvation with fear and trembling – there is conversion taking place every day. We thinkif we have this great story of triumph – I was a failure and I found Jesus and now I am a total success – but that sounds like someone selling bee pollen on the radio! Jyust take this and you’ll never need to sleep again.

Naomi had a very difficult, flawed, and powerful story. Newsflash – You have a difficult, flawed and poweful story. Who do people look at when we have a powerful story? God. Jesus (if this is a Sunday school answer!) God.

And that’s where we want them to look, not at us, but at God.

Our life story will include transofomration – but it will be a journey that we are still on – and we have a ways to go. There will be setbacks and leaps forward. I have found that the setbacks provide the best opporuntiyt for ministyr.

We must learn to tell our story – and to tell it well, and so people find common ground with their story. They see these two stories coming together.

To learn to tell our story well, first, ask yourself this quwstion – what is in your story that others can relate to? And then – How can you or I create a comfortbale and engaging conversation around those things in the story.

Cindy has been a good example to me in this – she is upfront and forward – her upbringing with her mom was filled with difficulty – and her mom’s mental illness has caused difficulty – and there are others who share the same story – and when that happens, people tend to be receptive to us.

Then the key – to listen to, and genuinely care, about other’s stories. That is where it starts! Really being concerned about their story, not just intelling our own.

V 18 - …

You get the sense that this was a long trip of silence, like when you are driving somewhere and you have an argument with your spouse – nothing is said for miles.

You would think that Naomi would say – thank you for your loyalty! Not a ‘how lucky I am to have such a wonderful daughter-in-law’!

19

20

Mara – means bitter – for the Almighty has dealt bitterly with me.

Just put yourself in the shoes of Ruth – I went out ful land I’m coming back with nothing… “I’M STANIDNG RIGHT HERE!” Ruth could say!

Naomi’s complaint against God – and what Naomi needs to do – and she will – there is a difference between doing a lament to God – when things go wrong and flip upside down – God wants us to not just say, o praise the Lord, but God wants us to lament. In your Bible you will find Songs of Lament – Find them and read them and they will teach you how to relate to God when things go wrong – because what lamenting does is turns a complaint from a monologue to a dialogue with God.

We will close with this -in verse 22 the narrator jumps into the story – and he makes the final point:

So naomi returned, and with her, Ruth, the Moabitess, who returned from the land of Moab.

The narrator gives us Ruth’s identity – look how it is done. Ruth the Moabitess – what do we know about Moabites? They are immoral, the enemy, and are sexual predators! That is what it says – and Daughter-in-law to a widow – widows were helpless – totally dependent on others’ generosity – the lowest of the society – and then to drive the point home – the Moab!

These people are set to have real trouble in life – and how will the community respond to Naomi and Ruth? Some are most likely thinking – she is getting what she deserves! I’m not going to help at all! Some are uninterested in helping – because this is not just a story about Ruth and Naomi, but about the community of Bethlehem. Some are thinking Ruth doesn’t belong here, she is from another place, she is the enemy! I am not going to help her. But we will see one person step up!

The chapter ends with these words:

They came to Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest. The chapter begins…