A Culture of Grace starts with me & you, here & now Pray for & dismiss children to Sunday School. Take 30 seconds and greet someone next to you. PRAY! The Book of Ruth: Chapter 1

Cultivating a… Question: When was the last time you received grace? Why are we doing this series? Because this is the Kingdom of God. Because this is Jesus. Because we all need to grow in grace.

The Story so far… Elimelech Naomi Chilion Mahlon E-lim-e-lek Ma-lon Kill-e-on

“In the days when the judges ruled…”(1:1) Bethlehem in Judah Moab The Promised Land No place to worship ”House of Bread” No fellowship with believers Famine “Incestuous” Judges 21:25- “In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as he saw fit”. Went to live for a while- Sojourned. Hostility between 2 nations- Moab oppressed Israel during period of judges.

The Story so far… Elimelech Naomi Chilion Orpah Mahlon Ruth Elimelech dies. Mahlon and Chilion marry Or-Pa Mahlon and Chilion die.

Ruth 1:6-7 6 Then she [Naomi] arose with her daughters-in-law to return from the country of Moab, for she had heard in the fields of Moab that the Lord had visited his people and given them food. 7 So she set out from the place where she was with her two daughters-in-law, and they went on the way to return to the land of Judah. Grace turned Naomi back on the road. Brad: “Grace is a reward that we didn’t deserve” Brad: “A message of grace attracts people” God’s grace, in the form of Jesus Christ, turns us back to Him. Romans 2:4- “His kindness [longsuffering disposition not acts of goodness] leads us to repentance”. Isn’t this so true in our story? Transition: Grace… Creates & sends an invitation- too often we’re too busy to check the mailbox. Opens an opportunity

Ruth 1:8-9 8 But Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go, return each of you to her mother's house. May the Lord deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead and with me. 9 The Lord grant that you may find rest, each of you in the house of her husband!” Then she kissed them, and they lifted up their voices and wept.   Read verses 8 & 9 and then make point Despite her pain, Naomi reveals she is a women of faith. “Lord”= Yahweh, personal name of God. Not Elohim (general word for God) Chemosh (Moabite name for God) “Deal kindly”= hesed= loving kindness. Hesed is re-payed. The expectation is that it is returned.

A Culture of Grace Transforms… The Broken Our Hearts The Broken= accommodates the broken and allows them to participate in the journey. How close do we allow the broken people to get in our lives? Our Hearts= when we receive the expectation in that we give. Video: Nick Vujicic?

Ruth 1:10-14 10 And they said to her, “No, we will return with you to your people.” 11 But Naomi said, “Turn back, my daughters; why will you go with me? Have I yet sons in my womb that they may become your husbands? 12 Turn back, my daughters; go your way, for I am too old to have a husband. If I should say I have hope, even if I should have a husband this night and should bear sons, 13 would you therefore wait till they were grown? Would you therefore refrain from marrying? No, my daughters, for it is exceedingly bitter to me for your sake that the hand of the Lord has gone out against me.”14 Then they lifted up their voices and wept again. And Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her.

The Story so far… Naomi Orpah Ruth Ruth & Orpah are faced with 2 options: A) Return back to Moab Naomi’s preferred option. Why? Poverty (they were able to pack up and hit the road quickly, implies poverty) Hopelessness No career opportunities for them. Marriage brought stability, security, provision, identity and peace. Being a Moabite reduced their chances of re-marriage. Custom of a Levirate Marriage wouldn’t even help. No relatives to marry and give them children. B) Travel with Naomi to Judah Orpah leaves Naomi and returns to Moab. Ruth continues to travel with Naomi to Judah.

Ruth 1:15-18 15 And she said, “See, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods; return after your sister-in- law.” 16 But Ruth said, “Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God.17 Where you die I will die, and there will I be buried. May the Lord do so to me and more also if anything but death parts me from you.” 18 And when Naomi saw that she was determined to go with her, she said no more. Grace demands a response Ruth’s response: Why? There was something about Naomi and the God she served that caused Ruth to surrender everything. “I’m choosing the Israelites instead of the Moabites. I’m choosing Yahweh instead of Chemosh. An act of faith: She used the word “Yahweh”, a personal name of God.

Luke 14: 25-33 25 Now great crowds accompanied him [Jesus], and he turned and said to them…33 any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple. Jesus teaches about the cost of being a disciple.

Ruth 1:19-21 19 So the two of them went on until they came to Bethlehem. And when they came to Bethlehem, the whole town was stirred because of them. And the women said, “Is this Naomi?” 20 She said to them, “Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. 21 I went away full, and the Lord has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi, when the Lord has testified against me and the Almighty has brought calamity upon me?” Grace demands a response Naomi’s response: Changes her name from Naomi [Pleasant] to Mara [Bitter]. Surrender moment: ”I went away full [prosperous] but returned empty [poor]” “Why call me…?” A natural reaction when you’re given a glimpse of your spiritual poverty and need for Jesus.

Matthew 5:1-5 1 Seeing the crowds, he [Jesus] went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. 2 And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying: 3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. 5 “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. “Sermon on the Mount: The Message of the Kingdom” by R. Kent Hughes. Blessed= Approved by God Poor in Spirit= “beggarly poor”, “spiritually bankrupt”, “those so desperately poor in their spiritual resources that they realize they must have help from outside sources” Those who mourn= “over sin- that is their own sin and the sin that poisons the world”, “Godly believers, therefore, perpetually mourn and thus perpetually repent of their sins”. The Meek= “Strength under control”, “1st beatitude + 2nd beatitude = 3rd beatitude”.

A Culture of Grace Transforms… The Broken Our Hearts Our Language Our Priorities Our Desires Language= Ruth’s loyalty to Naomi. Priorities= Ruth placed a greater priority on her spiritual condition rather than her earthly condition. Desires= Ruth’s willingness to leave Moab and go to Judah. Brad: “A culture of grace keeps people” A culture is developed when it is continually cultivated. Conclusion: God’s grace, in the form of Jesus Christ, sends us an invitation and demands a response from us. How are we going to respond? Are we willing to surrender? When was the last time you extended grace?