Nov 17 2019 Ruth 2 -Boaz -How to Make Outsiders Feel Welcome

Ruth 2: 10 Then she fell on her face, bowing to the ground and said to him, "Why have I found favor in your sight that you should take notice of me, since I am a foreigner?"

Ruth identifies herself as a foreigner – a complete outsider to the community. Using this term, Ruth was everything Israel was not – and she was to be avoided at all cost. I think she may have been making a statement as to how she has been treated so far. There are several words that could be used and the author uses the one that can make her look the worst.

A few weeks ago, we looked at how she said – I will go where you go – Your God will be my God – and this is a conversion experience – and we realize that it is not just spiritual or religious – but has radical social implications.

Ruth is a gospel story – from post-resurrection – we see the gospel of Jesus Christ. The gospel not only has significant spiritual implications – but significant social implications. It doesn’t just change us spiritually, but socially as well.

Paul says in Galatians -

There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. (Gal 3:28 NAU)

Paul is explaining the gospel and he says this – in Christ – because of our conversion to Jesus – Spiritually, before God, we are all equal – we are one – there is no distinction. You believe in Jesus and you have full equality with God. Pastors aren’t any closer to God – and you have to believe that – really holy people – aren’t any closer to God than you are if you’ve believed in Jesus. We see that in Gal. 3:28

Paul lists these different categories that are at odds with one another. But you are all one in Christ.

And not only spiritually – but the book of Galatians also indicates that the gospel has great social transformational power! Galatia ends up to be part of Turkey today. They had both Jewish and Gentile Christians – and there was a lot of animosity between the two groups – who were being forced together who had not been together before. Paul is going out through the Roman world and people are coming to Christ and are doing things differently – and the Jewish Christians come in and say – you are doing things wrong! You can’t eat pork! You can’t have clambakes! This is a nightmare! \

Paul makes two trips to Jerusalem to straighten things out! And then Peter comes to Galatia and is joining in the things that they do – eats their food – and then the Jews rebuked Peter and he quit – and then Paul rebuked Peter to his face (which is the worst way you can rebuke someone!) for his hypocrisy.

We think the gospel should change the outside world – but it is supposed to change the inside church – revolutionizing relationships – and our treatment of one another should be so incredibly different.

Ruth’s transformation – as an outsider – becomes part of the community – Boaz:

11 Boaz replied to her, "All that you have done for your mother-in-law after the death of your husband has been fully reported to me, and how you left your father and your mother and the land of your birth, and came to a people that you did not previously know.

What happens next – Boaz and Ruth become partners in this social experiment in Bethlehem – both of them will challenge the long-held ways of Bethlehem. We all need that! To be challenged by the gospel of Jesus Christ. Boaz’s speech is a gospel speech – it is very similar to Paul’s letter to the Romans.

For him – Ruth’s identity – no, not her identity – but rather – salvation and conversion are a matter of the heart and not race or identity.

Paul addresses things relating to circumcision – and Paul refers to the circumcision of the heart and of the flesh – and the one of the heart is the one that is important. Boaz looks at Ruth – everyone else sees her as this Moabite woman – and he sees her as amazing – a total demonstration of what the people of God are supposed to be.

In the mid-90s – Promise Keepers – there were probably 60000 pastors in the Georgia Dome – and they focused on racial reconciliation – and there were great partnerships developed and multi-ethnic churches – Knute Larson and Ron Fowler brought their churches together. Love Akron was formed. President Clinton came in and talked to Ron and Knute about race relationships and why it is so difficult.

A couple years ago – a study came out – churches are LESS diverse than they were 20 years ago! Some say it is because of multi-ethnic churches drawing people out of other churches. Another one, isn’t unintentional – but political polarization has risen – and that has had a massive impact on the church – especially with race relations – but there are still pioneers. Our church has had some pioneers – volunteers working with immigrants and the underserved, and people of a different color – Kaite and James at Urban Vision – Rachel and Tim – working with a church in Kenmore – Jamie and Ruthie, my sons…

Ruth and Boaz were pioneers – willing to step out – not caring what the community cared – and in one sense – it was the religious community that they were standing against.

IN verse 11 – the Hebrew word – Chesed – God’s lovingkindness – mercy/grace – being poured out – this huge word for love. Ruth has demonstrated this more than any of the Israelites. She has been the shining example of how God wants us to treat one another.

A new commandment – that you love one another as I have loved you. That is radically different. That is what I want you to change – in a totally new way.

By this all will know that you are my disciples – if you have love for one another.

This love and devotion of Ruth – will have a powerful impact on this community.

12 "May the LORD reward your work, and your wages be full from the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to seek refuge." 13 Then she said, "I have found favor in your sight, my lord, for you have comforted me and indeed have spoken kindly to your maidservant, though I am not like one of your maidservants."

14 At mealtime Boaz said to her, "Come here, that you may eat of the bread and dip your piece of bread in the vinegar." So she sat beside the reapers; and he served her roasted grain, and she ate and was satisfied and had some left. 15 When she rose to glean, Boaz commanded his servants, saying, "Let her glean even among the sheaves, and do not insult her. 16 "Also you shall purposely pull out for her some grain from the bundles and leave it that she may glean, and do not rebuke her."

What Boaz does – He brings her closer and closer to the inner-circle. He brings her into a meal! We think – what’s the deal about that? It was huge – it was not like going to Wendy’s after church! By inviting her in – he is telling the reapers – she belongs as much as you. We have a meal that odes that too – Communion – Breaking bread – the Lord’s Supper – a meal that shows that those who partake in it are fully accepted members of the family of God.

And it does one other thing. Most of us know that God is trinity – and there is this love relationship with one another –

When God created humanity – God took an outsider and brought that outsider into this community. When a person comes to Jesus Christ – and when we sit down at the table - this person is ushered in to be a full part of that relationship!

That should blow our minds because we can’t even begin to understand that we will be a full part of the relationship that God and the Son and Holy Spirit have.

17 So she gleaned in the field until evening. Then she beat out what she had gleaned, and it was about an ephah of barley (that is probably 2 weeks of food!). 18 She took it up and went into the city, and her mother-in-law saw what she had gleaned. She also took it out and gave Naomi what she had left after she was satisfied. 19 Her mother-in-law then said to her, "Where did you glean today and where did you work? May he who took notice of you be blessed." So she told her mother-in-law with whom she had worked and said, "The name of the man with whom I worked today is Boaz."

20 Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, "May he be blessed of the LORD who has not withdrawn his kindness to the living and to the dead." Again Naomi said to her, "The man is our relative, he is one of our closest relatives." 21 Then Ruth the Moabitess said, "Furthermore, he said to me, 'You should stay close to my servants until they have finished all my harvest.'"

What happens – there is this rapid progression in chapter 2 – it starts with emptiness and scarcity – by the end of chapter 2 – one day’s time – They have abundance and fullness. Ruth went from ultimate outsider to ultimate insider. Naomi goes from despair to hope.

The gospel – when it converts us – it transforms us in that same way. Sure, it takes all of our lives to transform us in the way we act – but in that moment – we are transformed from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light.

22 Naomi said to Ruth her daughter-in-law, "It is good, my daughter (this is significant! Finally, Naomi calls her daughter – a total transformation of Naomi)

Ruth’s conversion transforms everyone around her – Boaz, Naomi – the community – and her story will transform the world.

"It is good, my daughter, that you go out with his maids, so that others do not fall upon you in another field." 23 So she stayed close by the maids of Boaz in order to glean until the end of the barley harvest and the wheat harvest. And she lived with her mother-in-law.

Throughout all of this – there is one other thing going on – the hidden hand of God – all the coincidences are the result of God’s hidden hand at work. And we need to be aware of it in our own lives. God is involved in with us – he is not just out there somewhere, allowing things to go – but He is involved in our lives. A couple simple, practical ways to help us with this:

First – we need to remember how God has worked in the past – remember and be grateful. That is why we have communion – it goes back to what God did in the past.

In the Old Testament – they kept going back to Exodus – remembering the wonders He has done. If we don’t remember how God has worked in the past – we won’t expect Him to work today!

Say you are having a financial struggle – if you can remember what God has done in the past – it makes things easier.

If you have a big decision – remember what God has done in the past.

We have a huge decision to make.

In 1996, about this time – we had no place to call home. We called for a time of prayer and fasting – and the story goes – as a result of that time – we ended up here, in this building.

We need – with this decision of merging – we need to pray –

Starting December 8 – after church – having a prayer time for anyone who wants to join. I encourage you to be praying

Also – to see God’s work – we must learn to do sacred pauses. I’ve talked about this a lot – learning to pause our activities and focus on the fact that God is present and involved with us throughout that day – we must learn to find places of sacred pause – maybe it is driving your car.

Third – we must learn to listen for His voice. He is always wanting to speak. The two foundations for that are the word and prayer. Through Prayer – God should speak to us more than we speak to Him!

Fourth- we must look for His daily activity in our lives – it could be an ‘interruption’ – it might be God trying to get our attention.

Also – opportunity in relationships – God brings people into our lives for many different reasons.

Circumstances can also be a part of this – and I understand we don’t need to find the devil or God in everything that happens. But God can use circumstances.

And finally – it can be great to have a time of contemplation at the end of the day to look back and see how God may have worked in your day.