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00:00In 2018, David Jeremiah released his book and series, Overcomer, Eight Ways to Live a Life of Unstoppable Strength, Unmovable
00:10Faith, and Unbelievable Power.
00:12The book became a New York Times bestseller, and the biblically-based teaching inspired thousands to claim the power God
00:20has given believers.
00:21David Jeremiah took this motivating message on a nationwide tour, visiting four cities where thousands of people heard new messages
00:29about the overcomers of the Bible,
00:31heroes of the past who overcame the greatest of obstacles with the power of God, the same power God is
00:37ready to give all believers today.
00:39Power to be more than conquerors, more than winners, and more than victors.
00:45Power to be overcomers.
00:51Hey, Ron Chester, you doing all right?
00:53Hey, we're glad to be here.
00:55We want to start off this service right.
00:57We just want to praise the Lord.
00:59We want to sing praises to His name for everything that He's done and everything He's going to do today,
01:04all right?
01:05Yeah.
01:06Now let's sing this.
01:07He's coming on the clouds.
01:11He's coming on the clouds, and kings and kingdoms will bow down.
01:21Oh, and every chain will break, as broken hearts declare His grace.
01:29Who can stop the Lord Almighty?
01:33Our God is the Lion, the Lion of Judah.
01:39He's roaring in power, and fighting our battles.
01:45Every evil I need for Him.
02:13Every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, right?
02:18So let's sing this again.
02:19Sing, who can stop?
02:20Sing it.
02:22Say, who can stop the Lord Almighty?
02:27Who can stop the Lord Almighty?
02:33Who can stop the Lord Almighty?
02:38Who can stop the Lord Almighty?
02:43Who can stop the Lord Almighty?
02:54Who can stop the Lord Almighty?
02:58Who can stop the Lord Almighty?
03:04Who can stop the Lord Almighty?
03:07Who can stop the Lord Almighty?
03:07Come on, sing this again.
03:09Come on, sing this again.
03:10Our God is a Lion, the Lion of Judah.
03:15He's roaring with power, and fighting our battles.
03:21Every evil blind him, and fighting their battles.
03:31Have the Spirit come through and forsaken me.
03:36Every evil blind him, we say.
03:40Every evil blind him, Christ is the Lion of Judah.
03:41And having as a Lion of Judah.
03:42Every evil blind him, this is in the Lion of Judah.
03:46He'll reveal his life.
03:49The Lion of Judah ID.
03:50He's rocking this again.
04:01Coming up on Turning Point
04:03Whenever you start making good decisions, men and women
04:06It will always influence the people around you
04:09You cannot take a step toward the Lord
04:11Without somehow influencing someone else to do the same
04:19As the sun rises on each new day and on a new year
04:22What we need is strength for today
04:25Discover perfect peace every morning with Strength for Today
04:29Dr. David Jeremiah's new yearly devotional
04:32Let Dr. Jeremiah help you start your day renewed and refreshed
04:36Access God's power and enduring hope to last from sunrise to sunset
04:41As you draw closer to the Lord through prayer and the daily study of His Word
04:45With each short devotional reading in this beautiful leather soft volume
04:49You'll be reminded that no matter the events of your yesterdays
04:53Or the uncertainties in your tomorrows
04:56God is still in control
04:58Your refuge and very present help in times of trouble
05:01Hold tightly to God's faithfulness
05:03As you are guided by this 365-day devotional into God's Word
05:07As you find power and wisdom for each new day
05:10Receive Strength for Today from Dr. Jeremiah
05:13In appreciation of your gift of any amount in support of this program
05:17Strength for Today is also perfect for sharing with others
05:20And when you give a generous gift of $120 or more to the ministry
05:25Dr. Jeremiah will thank you with four copies of Strength for Today
05:29One to keep and three to share with others
05:31Let Strength for Today remind you that we know the one who holds each day in his hands
05:38Request Strength for Today from Turning Point
05:48Are you hurt and you're broken within
05:54Overwhelmed by the weight of your sin
05:58Jesus is calling
06:03Have you come to the end of yourself
06:08Do you thirst for drink from the well
06:13Jesus is calling
06:16I sing this house
06:19Sing, oh come
06:19Oh come to the altar
06:25The Father's arms are open wide
06:31For forgiveness is what will
06:36The precious blood of Jesus Christ
06:45Come on
06:46Come on stand and sing
06:46Leave behind your regrets and mistakes
06:48Come on
06:50Leave behind your regrets and mistakes
06:57Come today there's no reason to wait
07:02Jesus is calling
07:07Bring your sorrows
07:10Bring your sorrows and drink and joy
07:12From the ashes a new life is born
07:18Jesus is calling
07:22Oh come to the altar
07:27The Father's arms are open wide
07:33For forgiveness is what will
07:37The precious blood of Jesus Christ
07:50I want you to sing this as loud as you can
07:53Oh what a Savior
07:55Come on
07:55Oh what a Savior
08:02Isn't he wonderful
08:06Sing hallelujah
08:10Christ is risen
08:14Yeah
08:15Come on let's sing again
08:17Bow down before him
08:21For he is Lord of all
08:27Sing hallelujah
08:29Sing hallelujah
08:31Christ is risen
08:34Oh praise Jesus
08:37Oh what a Savior
08:41Oh what a Savior
08:44Isn't he wonderful
08:46Oh what a Savior
08:49Sing hallelujah
08:51Oh what a Savior
09:08Sing hallelujah
09:19All come to the altar, the Father's arms are open wide.
09:31Forgiveness was born with the precious blood of Jesus Christ.
09:42All come to the altar, the Father's arms are open wide.
09:52Forgiveness was born with the precious blood of Jesus Christ.
10:32All come to the altar, the Father's arms are open wide.
10:32People around the world have received the gospel, the strength and encouragement to help them through their greatest trials and
10:40consistent Bible-strong teaching for their walk with God.
10:44And it has only been possible with the help of our Bible-strong partners.
10:49Our Bible-strong partners are dedicated supporters of David, Jeremiah, and Turning Point, whose gifts help Turning Point reach more
10:57souls across the globe and continue to come to you on this network.
11:01And you can join the thousands of Bible-strong partners today.
11:05Your dedicated support will help deliver the unchanging Word of God to an ever-changing world.
11:12Plus, as a Bible-strong partner, you will receive monthly resources, handpicked by Dr. Jeremiah, to encourage and strengthen your
11:20own walk with God.
11:22To become a member or to find out more information, go to davidjeremiah.org forward slash Bible-strong.
11:33I want to introduce to you some of the best singers you're ever going to hear in your life.
11:38Let me tell you that.
11:38Some amazing people.
11:39Great folks.
11:40These are the Martins.
11:42This is Judy.
11:42We got Joyce.
11:43We got Jonathan.
11:44Great people.
11:45So I want you to help me welcome them.
11:47The Martins.
11:48Come on.
12:15Life ain't easy.
12:18No matter who you are.
12:21From the preacher man wearing that three-piece suit to the guy and cover all spicks in your car.
12:27Thank the Lord.
12:29I don't have to walk this life alone.
12:33I've got someone stronger than me.
12:36Keeps me singing this song.
12:38I've been through the fire, been through the blood.
12:42Back on the sun.
12:43Walk through some other things through the blood.
12:46I'm still standing.
12:50I'm still standing.
12:51I've been through some clouds, been through some pain.
12:53Been through the blood, but I only came.
12:56Oh, by the Father's name.
12:58I'm still standing.
13:01Standing.
13:05Lord knows I've tried to do it in my own strength.
13:11But it didn't take long till the wheels came off.
13:14And I tripped and fell flat on my face.
13:17That's where Jesus found me.
13:19Set me on my feet again.
13:22Told me everything's gonna be all right.
13:25As long as I'm leaving on him.
13:28I've been through the fire, been through the blood.
13:31Back on the snow.
13:33Want to survive.
13:36I'm still standing.
13:40I'm still standing.
13:41Been through some trials, been through some pain.
13:43Been through the blood that I overcame.
13:46Oh, by the Father's name.
13:48I'm still standing.
13:50Standing.
13:52Standing.
13:53I'm standing.
13:57Standing.
13:58Standing on the promises of grace.
14:01My Savior, stand
14:04I'm standing
14:08Standing
14:09Standing on the promises of God
14:15Been through the fire, been through the flood
14:18Battle the storm, walk through some love
14:21But thanks to the flood, I'm still standing
14:26Been through some trials, been through some pain
14:30Walk through the valley when I overcame
14:32All by the fire, I'm still standing
14:39Standing
14:46I'm still standing
14:50Been through some trials, been through some pain
14:53Been through the valley when I overcame
14:56All by the fire, I'm still standing
15:02I'm still standing
15:18You're watching Turning Point with Dr. David Jeremiah
15:51As the sun rises on a new day
15:52I'm dedicated to Him
15:53Receive Strength for Today from Dr. Jeremiah
15:56In appreciation of your gift of any amount in support of this program
16:00Strength for Today is also perfect for sharing with others
16:03And when you give a generous gift of $120 or more to the ministry
16:08Dr. Jeremiah will thank you with four copies of Strength for Today
16:12One to keep and three to share with others
16:14Let Strength for Today remind you that we know the one who holds each day in his hands
16:21Request Strength for Today from Turning Point
16:48Tonight I want to tell you the story of a woman whose name was Ruth
16:52And Ruth is on my agenda for this night because she stands out as one of the great overcomers of
17:00the Bible
17:00Her story is riveted with encouragement for all of us who may be struggling in any area of our life
17:07As we watch what God did for her and through her and in her and through her mother-in-law
17:13Naomi we see God at work even though there were some wrong turns
17:17The story begins in the first chapter of Ruth and here as we look at this
17:23We we have to realize that the book starts on a negative note
17:27Ruth 1 1 and 2 says it came to pass in the days when the judges ruled
17:33That there was a famine in the land and a certain man of Bethlehem Judah
17:38Went to dwell in the country of Moab he and his wife and his two sons
17:44When the name of the man was Elimelech and the name of his wife was Naomi
17:48And the names of his two sons were Malon and Kilion
17:52Ephrathites of Bethlehem Judah and they went to the country of Moab and they remained there
17:58You see men and women these were brutal times
18:01The story of Ruth takes place in the days of the judges and when you read the book of judges
18:07You encounter a lot of backsliding and a lot of brutality
18:11Joshua led the Israelites across the Jordan River and into the promised land
18:15But when he died there was no unifying leader to consolidate the 12 tribes
18:20And they went through a long period of time known as the days of the judges
18:25And the most important thing about those days is in a phrase that occurs in the book
18:31And that they were days when everyone did what was right in their own eyes not in the eyes of
18:37god
18:37Sounds sort of familiar doesn't it?
18:40As you read through the book of judges
18:42It's easy to see a cynical pattern
18:44The people would backslide and become corrupt
18:48God would punish them with famine or conflict or with their enemies and the people would repent and turn back
18:54to god
18:56Over and over the lord raised up leaders to come in and try to lead his people back to himself
19:02Some of these leaders are famous people that you and I know people like gideon and deborah and samson
19:08And these judges would lead them to some victory or another
19:12But when the people began backsliding again, here we go back to the issues of the stories of the bible
19:19That tell us what happens when we walk away from god and these breakdowns and this time of
19:25Total disregard for the rule of god in their lives. That's the time when the book of ruth was taking
19:32place
19:33And it's likely the famine in bethlehem was a time when god was applying discipline to his people
19:40Seeking their repentance and the word bethlehem means house of bread
19:45Because of sin there was no bread in the house of bread
19:49There was a famine
19:52What should we do when we recognize that our sins have gotten us in a bad place?
19:58Well, don't use the book of ruth as an illustration
20:00Because what happened to them should never happen to us
20:04There's no indication that elimelech or naomi or their boys did the right thing
20:10Instead they made a series of really bad decisions
20:13They packed their bags and they went down to moab which was about 50 miles away
20:19Just like the prodigal son did when he left home and went into the far country
20:24The text doesn't tell us they looked to god or prayed or trusted
20:28They just decided on their own to flee to moab
20:33Leaning on their own understanding
20:34The israelites were to have nothing to do with the moabites and they knew it but they went there anyway
20:41These were the people who hired balaam to curse israel remember
20:45And they were people that the israelites were told not to have any association with but here goes elimelech
20:51And his family to moab
20:53They didn't wait to trust god. They decided to take things into their own hands
20:58You know sometimes you and I are tempted to run away from trouble. Isn't that the truth?
21:03Maybe you're in the middle of some situation that seems hopeless to you tonight
21:07You can't get your arms around it. You don't know how to fix it
21:10You might want to run away, but that is when we have to be careful that we don't make
21:15Mistakes and take wrong turns
21:18It's always a mistake to distrust god
21:22It's always a mistake to make decisions without taking time to pray them through
21:27And ironically the name elimelech means my god is king
21:32But in that situation god was not his king
21:35He didn't live up to his name in a time of pressure. He chose his own pathway
21:40Instead of god's way
21:42Let me say to you tonight men and women you cannot end up where you want to be by making
21:48decisions
21:48God does not want you to make
21:51Wrong decisions don't lead to good outcomes wrong decisions take us further away from god's plan
21:59Sometimes the lord will exert pressure on us
22:02So we'll correct the behavior or an attitude in our lives
22:05And maybe there's some kind of famine going on in your life right now
22:09Financial or relational or in some other way the safest place even when you don't understand it is always hang
22:15on to the will of god
22:16Don't run away from what god is doing
22:19Elimelech forgot that the house of bread and a famine is better than the land of moab in the time
22:24of plenty
22:25And he went to the wrong place and he made the wrong decision
22:30Story didn't turn out very well
22:32Ruth 1 3 and 4 says
22:34Then elimelech naoma's husband died
22:38They've gone to the foreign country of moab and now
22:41Naomi's husband dies
22:43And her two sons and she were left alone
22:48And they took wives of the women of moab the name of the one was orpha and the name of
22:54the other was ruth
22:55Here they are in this foreign country away from where they should be
22:59And in the process of being there these two red-blooded jewish boys fell in love with a couple of
23:05local moabite girls
23:06And we are told that these boys didn't read or heed the promise
23:11They went out of god's will and now they're married to two women who are not jewish
23:18They are totally outside of the will of god
23:21Everyone in this family made bad decisions
23:25Elimelech and naomi decided to leave the land of god and go to the moabites and their two sons married
23:31women outside of the covenant of god
23:33So now we've got all these bad decisions ganging up at once
23:37Now here comes some of the bitter outcomes
23:39We have one bad decision after another and look how it turns out as you read verses 4 and 5
23:45It it says this not only did elimelech die
23:48The bible says after they got into moab and got married the two boys died
23:55And and now this woman is survived her two sons and she survived her husband and she's all alone
24:02Naomi had taken a wrong turn and now all she had were three tombstones
24:06In the sands of moab and she was a bitter broken bereaved woman
24:11Left with two moabite women that her sons had married in a foreign country
24:17So far away from god. She didn't know what to do. She was in a really bad place
24:23Brutal times and bad decisions
24:27Often go together
24:29That's a principle of life. You simply can't escape
24:32And for naomi it led to emptiness and ruin
24:36In verse 6 of chapter 1 i'm glad to tell you the story doesn't end where we are right now
24:41That's the beginning of the story. This is the story of repentance
24:44Ruth 1 6 says and she arose with her daughters-in-law that she might return
24:49From the country of moab a good point
24:52For she had heard in the country of moab that the lord had visited his people by giving them bread
24:58These were some first steps back in the right direction
25:01Maybe you've walked away from the lord and you think there's no way back
25:04There's always a way back and there are always first steps on the way back there in moab
25:09Naomi took those steps
25:11Their literal steps toward getting herself back to where she needed to be
25:15And it was a process it took quite a while for her to overcome the bitterness of her family's bad
25:20decisions
25:21You know sometimes god can fix things overnight, but mostly i've discovered he doesn't do that
25:26He wants us to learn our lessons. Well, we love those overnight decisions because the pain goes away
25:31But usually when the pain goes away the learning cycle goes way down
25:35And we don't learn what god wants us to learn
25:39Often it takes time for wounds to heal and consequences to fade and the deeper the wound the longer the
25:45healing
25:45For instance if you get a paper cut on your finger
25:48It'll probably be better by tomorrow
25:50But if you slice your finger down to the bone with a kitchen knife, it's going to take a little
25:53while for it to heal
25:55Nothing is more important for you today than taking the first step back to god. Watch what happened
26:01They went to the wrong place for the wrong reasons. They didn't ask god
26:05They got themselves in a tough situation. Everything starts going south
26:09People are dying and all of a sudden here's this woman with these two girls
26:14Who are not of her?
26:17Descent and she's in a foreign place, but she's starting to come back
26:21She realizes that there's hope and hope is back where she left it in the first place
26:26So she goes back
26:28The amazing thing is that her determination to return had a huge effect on her daughters-in-law
26:33And especially on ruth
26:35Verse 14 says that ruth said if you're going back to bethlehem if you're going back to judah
26:41I'm going with you
26:43Ruth had grown up and the corruption and idolatry of moab
26:46She didn't know anything about where naomi wanted to go except that she'd heard all the good things that were
26:52there
26:52Before she had left and that brings us to verses 16 and 17 some of the most beautiful words of
26:58commitment
26:58You'll ever see
26:59In fact as I read these words some of you remember these words are often used in weddings
27:06And I don't have the heart to tell them these words were not originally spoken by a couple getting married
27:10They were spoken by a woman speaking to her mother-in-law
27:15Well, here's what the words are
27:18Entreat me not to leave you or to turn back from following me after you for wherever you go
27:24I will go and wherever you lodge. I will lodge your people will be my people and your god my
27:29god
27:30And where you die, I will die and there will I be buried the lord do so to me and
27:36more also if anything but death parts you
27:39and me
27:41This amounts to what we would call ruth's
27:44Conversion
27:44This is where ruth got right with god. This was her declaration of faith
27:49Naomi's desire to return had an immediate impact her own daughter-in-law
27:54Ruth was the firstfruits of naoma's decision to return home
27:58How many of you know when we do right we often encourage others to do right when we make a
28:03right decision
28:04Oftentimes others who are struggling will see that we've had the courage to make a right decision to turn back
28:10toward god
28:11And they will turn back toward god as well. I've had
28:14Many people that i've watched
28:16Walk away from god and because someone in their family got right with god. They got right with god as
28:23well
28:23Whenever you start making good decisions men and women it will always influence people around you
28:29Ruth and naomi are getting ready to do the right thing their decisions have moved off of
28:37The negative part of the ledger and on to the positive notice what happens in chapter 2
28:44The decisions made by naomi and ruth
28:47Led to a revival
28:48That's the third aspect of the book of ruth. It's the story of revival and it's not limited to naomi
28:55and ruth
28:55I believe the entire town of bethlehem was in the process of returning to god and experiencing revival the last
29:03verse of chapter 1 says
29:04So naomi returned and ruth the moabitess her daughter-in-law with her who returned from the country of moab
29:11Now they came to bethlehem at the beginning of the harvest
29:16Revival brings harvest it is a fascinating thing to compare the first words of this chapter and the last words
29:23Verse 1 says it came to pass in the days when the judges ruled and there was a famine in
29:29the land
29:29But now they're coming back and there's a feast and there's a harvest 10 years later. This is what has
29:35happened
29:36They come back to bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest and the first chapter of ruth
29:41Begins with a famine and it ends with a feast which indicates god had been moving among the people of
29:47bethlehem
29:48Not only was the lord working in the hearts of naomi and ruth
29:51God was working in the hearts of the people of bethlehem and they repented and the lord returned and their
29:57famine went away
29:58And now they're having a harvest in the bible
30:01The harvest is a sign of god's blessing and when we turn our footsteps back toward god
30:08He has a way of blessing us and filling our lives with his good and perfect gifts
30:13He begins to produce a harvest of righteousness
30:16Just over 10 years ago
30:18A man named jermaine wilson was convicted of possession of narcotics
30:24Sentenced to three years in prison
30:27Until his arrest he said I lived the fast life chased after fast money thought I was really somebody
30:34But he said while I was in prison. I'd have decided to give my life to christ
30:37I knew that if I didn't change my life. I would probably spend the rest of my days in prison
30:43After he was released his record was expunged
30:46He got a job at fort leavenworth
30:49Eventually he became a city commissioner and now get ready for this
30:53Jermaine wilson was sworn in earlier this year as mayor of the town of leavenworth
31:00He said just know that if you continue to move forward and don't dwell on your past mistakes
31:05You can become anything that you want to become in the plan of god and he did
31:12Now i'm not saying that if you're out of fellowship with god and you come back into fellowship with god
31:18You get to be the mayor of some place
31:19I'm not saying that but what I am saying is
31:23That god knows how to restore the years that the locusts have eaten
31:27And when you come back to god he wants to restore your life back to you
31:31And that's what's happening here in this story
31:34Revival brings harvest and revival brings happiness as we continue reading through the book of ruth
31:41We're struck by the joyful atmosphere that seemed to pervade the entire city of bethlehem
31:46Listen to these words from ruth chapter 2
31:49There was a relative of naomi's husband a man of great wealth
31:53Of the family of elimelech his name was boaz
31:57So ruth the moabitess said to naomi
31:59Please let me go to the field and glean heads of grain after him in whose side I may find
32:05favor
32:06And she said to her go my daughter and she left and went and gleaned in the field after the
32:11reapers
32:11And she happened to come to the part of the field belonging to boaz who was of the family of
32:16elimelech
32:17Now behold boaz came from bethlehem and said to the reapers
32:21The lord be with you and they answered him the lord bless you
32:26This is why I believe bethlehem was in the midst of a revival notice how the people greeted each other
32:31I mean the wealthy landowner showed up to inspect the harvest and he didn't say hello or how's it going?
32:37How we reaping today? He said no the lord be with you
32:41Very unusual for that particular culture and they responded with and the lord bless you
32:46The kind of greeting occurs throughout the entire book of ruth
32:50I don't know any book in the bible where people are invoking god's blessings on each other
32:55Like the four chapters of the book of ruth
32:58These people in bethlehem were continually praying down blessings from god on each other
33:04And throughout the remainder of the book I think you'll see there is joy in bethlehem
33:09You'll think to yourself i'd like to live in that town
33:13The people were blessing each other in the name of the lord throughout the whole book because they'd experienced a
33:18revival from god
33:19And i'm sure bethlehem wasn't a perfect place
33:22But as you read through ruth 2 3 and 4 you find yourself in one of the most idyllic settings
33:28of the entire word of god
33:31That's a remarkable thing during the times of judges
33:34But it shows what a spiritual awakening will do to a person
33:40Or a family
33:41Or to a church goer or to a church or to a nation
33:45Every great religious righteous revival has started with one person
33:52And
33:53The lord has the ability to send the holy spirit to bring about a spiritual awakening among his people
34:00When they began the process of repentance and they returned to him
34:04I have people ask me all the time
34:05Do you think the united states will ever again turn back to god?
34:10It's easy to become so discouraged today. We almost give up on our nation
34:14I don't know about you, but i've said that sometimes I think we've crossed the rubicon
34:18I think we've gone past the place of of return
34:21But I know better than that and you know why I know because as you study the history of christianity
34:26Spiritual awakenings have almost always come during the worst times and in the most needed hours
34:34Many people don't know that during the american civil war
34:38During the american civil war great revivals broke out among the soldiers both in the union and the confederate armies
34:45It was remarkable at the time although many history books today never mention it
34:50Here was a nation tearing itself apart over the evils of slavery and young men by the thousands were drenching
34:57the battlefields with their blood
34:58In those terrible times soldiers had nowhere to look but up and there were spiritual awakenings that swept through the
35:06armies
35:06I read recently that it is estimated that between a hundred thousand and two hundred thousand
35:11Union soldiers turned to christ and a hundred and fifty thousand among the confederate forces in the worst time
35:19In the time when you would never expect it in the time when you say it couldn't happen now things
35:23are so bad
35:24That's when god intervenes and that gives me hope for our nation. I don't know about you
35:34If it happened in bethlehem in the days of the judges if it happened in america during the days of
35:40the civil war
35:41It can happen today in the situation in which we find ourselves
35:44And when naomi and ruth and the people of bethlehem turned to god he sent an awakening and there was
35:51joy in the city
35:53And he can send a personal revival to any of us if we'll just come back
35:57On his terms there can be happiness in your life when you turn in your tracks and head back toward
36:03god
36:04He knows how to send refreshing into your heart and by the way what I just said is the most
36:10Biblical definition of repentance do you know what repentance means it means to do a 180
36:17You're going this way
36:18You're going away from god. You're not honoring god and god inter intervenes in your life
36:23Maybe in a message like the one tonight or someone you heard at your church
36:26And the holy spirit intersects with your life and immediately you know you're going the wrong direction
36:31And repentance means stop dead in your tracks and go back toward the right way
36:36That's what repentance means and that's what happened in bethlehem and that's what happened
36:42when ruth and naomi
36:43went back
36:46Revival also brings harmony
36:49We think we have racial problems in our day
36:52The lord knows we certainly do
36:55But they had similar problems in those days the jews and the moabites hated each other
37:01And the tension between these two people became an epic struggle in the old testament
37:06But notice how wonderfully ruth the moabites was accepted
37:10Then boaz said to ruth you will listen my daughter. Will you not?
37:14Do not go to glean in another field do not go there from here
37:17But stay close by my young women let your eyes be on the field which they reap and go after
37:22them
37:22Have I not commanded the young men not to touch you ruth was very beautiful boaz was smart
37:28He went to his crew and he said leave her alone
37:32And when you are thirsty go to the vessels and drink from the young men have drawn
37:36And she fell on her face and bowed to the ground and said to him
37:39Why have I found favor in your eyes that you should take notice of me since I am a foreigner?
37:45And boaz answered and said to her it has been fully reported to me all that you have done for
37:49your mother-in-law
37:50Since the death of your husband and how you have left your father and your mother and the land of
37:56your birth and have
37:56Come to a people whom you did not know before
37:59May the lord repay your work and a full reward be given you by the lord god of israel under
38:05whose wings
38:06You have come for refuge. She's just found herself a good man
38:13Boaz and his workers and the people of bethlehem opened their arms to this woman
38:17From another culture from another race from another nation and throughout this whole book
38:22Even when the people had to deal with the challenging legal issue. There's nothing but harmony. They're getting along the
38:29moabites and the jews are getting along
38:32And when we get ourselves right with the lord, we're more likely to be right with one another. Did you
38:37know that?
38:37I heard of one man who said when I get into a fight with my wife
38:40I usually realize my problem isn't really with her. It's with the lord. I've gotten away from him
38:46And as a result, I get selfish and irritable and angry when I get close to the lord again
38:50My problems with my wife go away little marriage counseling just for free tonight
38:58We need harmony in our marriages in our homes in our churches and our nation
39:02But that requires that we bring our lives into harmony with the lord
39:07I've often said to people
39:10Two pianos
39:10Tune to the same tuning fork
39:13Will be in tune with each other
39:16You want to stay in tune with your wife your husband your christians in your home
39:20The best thing you can do to manage that is stay in harmony with god
39:25You know, it's like a triangle no matter where you are. Here's the husband. Here's the wife
39:29You want to get close together? Here's how you do it
39:32Here's god at the top
39:34The closer you get to god what happens the closer you're getting to each other isn't that true?
39:40And the further you get away from god the further you get away from each other a little more marriage
39:45counseling just for the night
39:48And revival brings hope in our story ruth the moabitess
39:52Gleans in the field of boaz you know the story and he instructs his workers to leave a little extra
39:57for her and she returns home
39:59That night with a bushel of grain and naoma is amazed and in verse 19. She says
40:05Where have you gleaned today and where did you work?
40:08Blessed be the one who took notice of you like she didn't know
40:11So she told her mother-in-law with whom she had worked and said the man's name with whom I
40:15have worked today is boaz
40:17And naomi said to her daughter-in-law blessed be he of the lord who has not forsaken his kindness
40:23to the living and the dead
40:25These are the first positive words naomi speaks in the whole book of ruth. Did you know that it's really
40:31interesting
40:31She has been bitter and oppressed in her spirit, but now suddenly she cries out
40:36Blessed be the lord naomi has even herself partaken in the revival
40:42Naomi was a shrewd woman and she knew a lot about what was going on in the life of ruth
40:47Instantly it wasn't an accident that ruth ended up in a field belonging to this man
40:52The mother-in-law was at work
40:55Remember the words bethlehem meant house of bread
40:58It was surrounded by harvest fields, but god's invisible hand led ruth to this particular field owned by this particular
41:05man
41:05And naomi instantly recognized the name and began sensing what god was doing and hope came back into her heart
41:13When you come back to the lord he takes over he directs your steps
41:16You can get your footsteps going in the right way in the right harvest fields
41:20And god knows how to put hope back in your heart
41:23Maybe you're here tonight and you've kind of lost hope
41:25I know a lot of christians they get away from god. They're living in both worlds
41:29They don't know whether they're a christian sometimes or whether they're a pagan sometimes
41:33They're living on the fence and when you live on the fence. There's no hope
41:37Let me tell you what I know if you're a backslidden christian tonight
41:40You're more miserable than you ever were before you came to christ and the reason is because
41:46Before you came to christ. You did not know how good it was
41:49When you become a christian you experience the joy of the lord and when you walk away from your faith
41:55And you start living on the fence and living for the devil instead of for christ
42:00You not only are miserable because of what you're doing you're miserable because you remember in the back of your
42:04mind what you're missing out on
42:07So don't live that way don't live in a miserable way
42:10Come back to christ come back to god and make it right
42:15So if you need to overcome some bad decisions here tonight
42:19Turn toward the lord and get back to him as fast as you can
42:23He will revive your soul. He will bring you a harvest of righteousness a sense of joy and happiness
42:28He will bring harmony back into your relationships and hope in your heart and you'll begin to realize there is
42:35a god
42:35And it's the god I serve and his son jesus christ is in my heart now. We come to a
42:41little bit of a
42:42Parentheses in this story and i'm going to cover this quickly, but it's too good to leave out and it's
42:47part of the book
42:48So this is a story of romance
42:51Now we come to chapter 3
42:53And we find this is not just a story of ruin repentance and revival. It's a story of romance
42:59With naomi playing the part of matchmaker
43:03I'm not going to tell you how many times she's done that but my wife knows a lot about this
43:09She she has done this and I could tell you some people that are married
43:13That are in our ministry that she was the one who put them together
43:17So if you need some help you can see donna after the service tonight
43:22Here it says in ruth chapter 3 then naoma her mother-in-law said to her my daughter
43:28Shall I not seek security for you that it may be well with you in other words?
43:31Can I get on your team and help you get this right and she came up with a plan?
43:37In other words naoma had a plan for getting her daughter established and she was asking for permission to implement
43:42the plan
43:43Will you let me help you?
43:45Naoma said in effect. Do you want me to help you find a husband? I have somebody in mind
43:50Ruth must have nodded yes because naoma went right on in verses 2 through 4 to explain her plan
43:56Here's the plan
43:57Now boaz whose young women you were with is he not our relative?
44:02In fact, he is winnowing barley tonight at the threshing floor
44:06Therefore wash yourself and anoint yourself put on your best garment and go down to the threshing floor
44:12But do not make yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and drinking
44:16Then it shall be when he lies down
44:18That you shall notice the place where he lies and you shall go in uncover his feet and lie down
44:24And he will tell you what you should do
44:27Now that that
44:29That needs explaining
44:32That needs explaining I mean I mean what is that's in the bible?
44:36I mean, that's the kind of story I hear all the time when I go to work. This is in
44:40the bible
44:43And ruth said
44:45Verse 5 all that you say to me I will do
44:49Now this this is interesting this has to do with the hebrew law of redemption
44:54Which we'll see in just a moment?
44:55This is a strange custom to us as it was to ruth who being from moab didn't know what the
45:00jewish culture was all about
45:02So her mother-in-law told her to step by step what to do in keeping with jewish cultural patterns
45:08She was to go down and present herself humbly at the feet of boaz
45:12Letting him know of her need and openness for his help
45:16What nyoma suggested was not immoral it was simply a culturally accepted way in those days
45:22Of ruth letting boaz know she needed him to redeem her that she wanted to marry him
45:30From the very beginning of chapter 2 we've sensed the love developing between these two and now ruth is going
45:36to express
45:36her need for boaz's love
45:39And this turns out to be a proposal in the old testament way
45:44She does exactly what her mother-in-law tells her to do verses 6 through 9 continues the story
45:48So she went down to the threshing floor and did according to all that her mother-in-law
45:52Instructed her and after boaz had eaten and drunk and his heart was cheerful
45:56And he went to lie down at the end of the heap of grain
45:58She came softly uncovered his feet and lay down
46:02Now it happened at midnight that the man was startled and turned himself and there is a woman lying at
46:08his feet
46:09And he said who are you?
46:13And she answered I am ruth your maidservant take your maidservant under your wing for you are a close relative
46:20Now
46:21With those words ruth as we would put it today proposed to boaz
46:29Most of us proposed to our wives and we're all nervous wrecks when we do it
46:34One of the reasons most guys to get down on their knees to propose is because they're praying furiously that
46:39their girlfriend will say yes
46:41But sometimes the girl proposes I haven't seen that much
46:45And it didn't happen to me. I want to report that
46:48but
46:51It'd be interesting to know in this crowd how many wives were the ones who proposed to their husbands don't
46:56raise your hands
46:56But when ruth said take your maidservant under your wing that was tantamount to asking boaz
47:03to marry her
47:05I'm happy to report there was a positive response
47:09Then he said blessed are you of the lord my daughter for you have shown more kindness at the end
47:14than at the beginning in that
47:15You did not go after young men whether poor or rich and now my daughter do not fear
47:20I will do for you all that you request for all the people of my town know that you are
47:25a virtuous woman
47:27In other words boaz said yes to ruth's proposal and there was one hitch
47:31That brings us to the great theme and thought that runs through this whole book and we're almost done
47:36And that is the story of redemption
47:38Ruth is a story of ruin of repentance of revival and romance
47:42But above all ruth is a story of redemption. I'm sure you've noticed the phrase close relative
47:49Take your maidservant under your wing for you are a close relative
47:53The law of the redeemer was this
47:55It is true that I am a close relative. However, there is a relative closer than I stay the night
48:00And in the morning it shall be if that he will perform the duty of a close relative for you
48:04good
48:05Let him do it
48:05But if he does not want to perform the duty for you
48:08Then I will perform the duty for you as the lord lives now listen carefully
48:12This will put this all together in the mosaic law
48:15God made some special provisions for widows whose husbands died without leaving them children or whose properties and wealth were
48:24lost
48:25A near relative could redeem the situation
48:28He could step in and make sure the relative was redeemed from slavery or her property was restored and in
48:35a similar way
48:37Provide a way for a man to marry the wife of his deceased relative
48:41To carry on the family name and the chain of inheritance
48:44In other words if you were a close relative you could come in let's let's take boaz in a situation
48:49that you could come in
48:50And you could redeem that person because they had lost their father. They had lost their husband
48:57and
48:58So this entire process is complicated to explain but in simple terms a kinsman redeemer could restore what was lost
49:06That's really the theme of the book of ruth biblical experts tell us that the word redeem occurs over 20
49:12times in this little four
49:13Chapter book boaz was among those who could serve as ruth's kinsman redeemer
49:20But he wasn't the first in line and that's where it gets a little interesting
49:24He wasn't the first in line for the job and that brings you to chapter 4 and what happens the
49:28next morning
49:29Boaz went up to the gate and sat down there and behold the close relative of whom boaz had spoken
49:34In other words boaz said i'd redeem you ruth
49:36I'd redeem you but there's somebody in between you and me who's closer to you than I am a closer
49:41relative to you than I am
49:42And I can't do this
49:44It's his job to do it. So I have to go present this to him and see if he's willing
49:49So boaz said come aside friend and sit down here
49:52So he came aside and sat down and he said to the close relative nioma who has come back from
49:57the country of mohab
49:58Sold a piece of land which belonged to our brother elimelech and I thought to inform you say
50:02Buy it back in the presence of the inhabitants and the elders of my people if you will redeem it
50:08redeem it
50:08But if you will not redeem it then tell me that I may know for there is no one but
50:12you to redeem it
50:13And I am next after you and the man said I will redeem it
50:19And the next verse is priceless because boaz says by the way
50:23There's something else I should tell you
50:26On the day you buy the field from the hand of niomi
50:29You might have to buy it from ruth and why buy it and the wife to the debt to perpetuate
50:33the name of the debt
50:33In other words, you're not going to just get a field you're going to get a wife
50:37Oh, you know, i'm not sure about that
50:40He was ready to get some property, but he didn't know if we wanted another wife
50:44In other words, if you buy the land you have to marry the widow
50:49And ruth 4 6 says the close relative said I can't redeem it for myself lest I ruin my own
50:54inheritance
50:54You redeem my right of redemption for yourself for I cannot redeem it
50:59And I can hear a big sigh of relief from boaz
51:02His competition has been eliminated
51:06And ruth now can become his wife
51:10Only he could marry ruth give her love give her a home give her an inheritance that would bring joy
51:16Now this all is really so exciting and it's a wonderful short story and i'm sure
51:22I could have told it better i've been in a hurry because I wanted to get it all in
51:25But let me tell you where this all ends up because this is the most precious part of the whole
51:30thing
51:32Verse 13 of the fourth chapter says
51:35Boaz took ruth
51:36And she became his wife
51:38And he went into her and the lord gave her conception and she bore a son
51:44Then the woman said to naomi blessed be the lord who has not left you this day without a close
51:49relative
51:50And may his name be famous in israel and may he be to you a restorer of life and a
51:56nourisher of your old age
51:58For your daughter-in-law who loves you who is better you than seven sons has born him now
52:03Here's the important postscript to this story and they called the baby's name
52:09obed
52:11He is the father of jesse and the father of david
52:18Ruth and boaz became parents of a little boy who would later be the grandfather of king david and the
52:25line of promise that led to the birth
52:28In that same little town of bethlehem
52:32Of jesus christ the son of david the redeemer
52:35In the same town
52:37Later on in the story was born
52:40The redeemer of the whole world the lord jesus christ isn't that amazing
52:50And if you read those hard to read passages in matthew 1
52:54Beginning at the beginning of the book
52:57You will see the name of boaz and ruth boaz begot obed by ruth
53:02Obed begot jesse and jesse begot david from whom came our redeemer
53:09So almighty god in his timeless wisdom slipped these four little chapters into the early books of the old testament
53:15Because he knew the story was critical to the coming of our kinsman redeemer
53:20And he has come to redeem us even as boaz came to redeem ruth
53:27and
53:28restore to her
53:30Hope and future
53:33When I was growing up in the church
53:35We used to sing a lot of songs on the subject of redemption
53:39Remember the old song redeemed how I love to proclaim it
53:44And I know that my redeemer liveth
53:46I don't know if this word shows up as often now
53:49But it's a critical concept that we should love to proclaim the word redeem is confusing to many people
53:55We think of it like redeeming
53:57Frequent flyer miles or redeeming trips for vacations or all of that
54:02But the bible says that redemption is really important and i'm almost done so hang with me
54:07In simple terms, it's the idea of recovering something that has been lost
54:12The kinsman redeemer of the old testament had the power and the obligation to redeem a family member out of
54:19slavery
54:20Out of destitution out of hopelessness. That's what boaz did for ruth
54:26And that's what jesus did for me
54:28And what he's done for you he came along when there was no hope
54:33Without christ we're without hope the bible says we're ruined
54:37When we repent and we come to him we find that he is our redeemer
54:41He is god who became man and shared our humanity and he wants to restore to us what we've lost
54:47He wants us to be his bride the bride of christ. He wants us to share his wealth
54:52The story of ruth is really the story of redemption and it points to jesus
54:57Galatians 3 13 says that christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law
55:03And my question to you tonight is this have you been redeemed?
55:08God has done all the work christ has paid all the penalty
55:12But he's not going to force his redemption upon you
55:15He asked you to come and receive what he has done. Let me tell you what that means
55:19That means if you're not a christian if you have never accepted christ as your savior as your redeemer
55:25You are you are legitimate candidate to become a christian
55:29And almighty god loves you so much that he sent christ into this world
55:33To be the person who would save you from your sin. He is the only one that can do it
55:38Jesus said i am the way the truth and the life and no one comes to the father except through
55:43me
55:43From all over this place wherever you are whoever you are doesn't really matter
55:47If god has spoken to your heart
55:49I want you to come and if you're a christian and you've gone down to moab
55:53I want you to come back home tonight
55:55Come back and get your life back in line with what god is saying to you
56:03Thank you for watching today when you support this program with a gift of any amount dr.
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57:08year contact turning point today
57:12If you personally have never taken the step to believe in jesus christ as your lord and savior
57:18You can do that today and if you will allow us dr.
57:22Jeremiah would like to send you two resources that will help you
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57:47Next time on turning point
57:50You have a view of god you could never have had before he draws close to you you don't just
57:56know about him now
57:56You know him he becomes your present
58:00Helper in the midst of the distress
58:02And out of it you grow to be somebody you couldn't have been without it
58:10Thank you for being with us today
58:12Join dr.
58:13Jeremiah next time for his series moving from fear to fear not
58:17Starting with his message disaster the fear of natural calamity
58:23Here on turning point
58:24You
58:26You
58:26You
58:28You
58:29You
58:29You