And we turn to where we've been looking at, Ruth, the Christmas story, right? Ruth chapter 3, verses 1 through Ruth chapter 4, verses 10. Hey, that's a good chunk of change right there. This is a good chunk of change. It was a challenge to prepare it. but it's going to be a great time in God's Word. We've been looking at Ruth and seeing the parallels to that original Christmas story. If you remember in Ruth chapter 1, the story begins with a famine in Bethlehem, a move to Moab and then a return to Bethlehem. To learn about the story of Ruth, we have to learn the story of Naomi. And Naomi is the one that leaves Bethlehem because of a famine, travels to Moab with her husband and her two sons, and suffers great loss. In fact, she loses everything except for a foreign daughter-in-law. And now they're back to Bethlehem and we're traveling through chapter 1, and they have the prospects for the future are slim to none. They have no rights, no hope to make it worse. Ruth is a foreigner, a foreigner in a land where... the country she's from is a hated enemy of the Israelites. So it is not far-fetched to think that when she comes back onto Bethlehem, the city, she's going to be looked at questionably. I'm sorry? Yeah ostracized maybe maybe blacklisted as we would call it today Not trusted why because of her country and her allegiance to foreign gods. They don't know about Ruth yet when she shows up Now, from Ruth chapter 1, we saw then two main truths that emerged. Number one, it'll be on the screen there. We saw how it is the story of a young woman, who made a radical commitment of faith to God, and then journeyed to Bethlehem, where she gave birth to a child, who would change the world. Now, if you can't connect that to Christmas, you can buy me lunch and I'll help you. Okay? If you can't connect... In fact, remember, the only reason Jesus is born in Bethlehem is what happens, is because what happens in Ruth. Remember this, this is a big picture. You and I take a good look at the story of Christmas in the Old Testament and the reflection we get back is a story of the New Testament Christmas story. The parallels there, the second truth is this, God is actively at work in the darkest times and among the most hopeless people, even when it's not obvious to us. They didn't know what was going on. You ask Naomi, in fact, Naomi at the end, she says, God has cursed me, don't call me Naomi, call me what? Mara, bitterness. I don't want to be called pleasant. I want to be called bitter, for the Almighty has come against me. She was in a dark spiritual place at the end of Ruth chapter 1. Ruth chapter 2, we find a little bit of a hope. God provides for Ruth and Naomi through a righteous man named Boaz. They provide what you and I would chalk up to coincidences, but we saw that that was the mighty hand of God, otherwise known as Providence, at work in their lives of Naomi and Ruth. And from there we saw the following two truths. Number one, God works in difficult times through providence and His people. See, there are times, there are real times in life when God seems to be absent, but He's not. He is not. He's busy doing a million things, as John Piper would say, of which you and I only get to see a handful. Right now, the Lord God is doing a million things across His universe. You and I are just worried about a handful that affect us. Right? But that doesn't mean that when He's not, when He seems, and that's the operative word there, seems absent, He is not. He is not. When things look hopeless, God is working behind the scenes for the good and the joy and the happiness of His people. We saw in Ruth chapter 2, it introduced us to the men of the story. Ruth chapter 1 introduces to the women. Ruth chapter 2 introduced us to the men of the story. And we saw that the story of Ruth also includes, there on the screen for you, a righteous man who offered kindness, protection and provision to a young woman in her time of need. Again, if you can't draw the parallel to Christmas, I'm all yours for lunch. I'm all yours. Alright? You pay and I'll say. Okay, so the parallels there if you can't connect the doctor to in the Ruth chapter 1 if you can't connect Ruth to Mary you're missing right and here if you can't connect Boaz to to whom Joseph, you're missing it. So that's the reality that we see there in Ruth chapter 1, Ruth chapter 2. Now, this morning we focus our attention on Ruth chapter 3, verse 1 through chapter 4, verse 10. And this is where everything changes in the story. Chapter 3 is where the story goes from a story of a gleaner and a benefactor, right? A professional relationship to the potential of marriage partners. By now, in chapter 3, we've met all the key players. This is supporting cast, but the three key players are there. Who are they? Talk to me. Who are the three key players? Uh-huh. This is what I heard, because, listen, I'm bad. My wife is here. She knows I have a hearing issue. Right? I thought you were going to say, what? Yeah, that's what I normally say. She goes, you never hear me. What? OK, right. Right. So you got Boaz. This is what I heard from you guys. All right. Say it like you meant, like if I'm going to give you $100. We got Boaz. Oh, now all of a sudden you're talking clear, right? Yeah, Naomi and Ruth. Yeah, money buys. You're right. You're right. There it is. Now, chapter two ends on a very happy note, right? God in his providence is providing and God, you know, Boaz and Ruth, they've seen each other, the look, he's shown extreme kindness to Ruth. He's made some great promises to her in chapter two. Chapter 2 ends in a very happy note boy meets girl Except for the last sentence of chapter 2 look at it with me. All right and says and she lived with her mother-in-law Boy meets girl. That's the love story. That's now it's supposed to end Right. I mean if one of our major Streaming platforms picked up this story. How would it end completely different? boy meets girl Boy and girl start having a sexually charged relationship, because that's what you do, to find compatibility, to determine compatibility. After a certain months, they see that they're compatible. Boy meets girl, who they have this type of relationship, then they... They live together, from which comes a baby, because as common occurrence would have it in our day, babies precede weddings, right? Haven't you noticed that? Right? So, that's what happens. So all of a sudden, and now that they're growing as a family, they grow, and their portfolio is very nice, and as they fade out the scene, they lived happily ever after. That's the subscription version. Now, if Hallmark gets it, yes, they sanitize it a little bit, right? Right off the bat, there's snow. There's snow, there's snow. Right off the bat, and they're either in God's country, a.k.a. North Carolina, alright, or somewhere other than South Florida. And it's just beautiful beautiful and and and they meet and it's predictable TV I was watching with my wife the other day. I'm like this is gonna happen with this and it's just predictable TV Right, so it's like who and then they would say Boaz and Ruth got married and they lived happily ever after because that's what a love story supposed to do supposed to end right. But the last sentence says, and she lived with her mother-in-law. You don't mean that they just got married, it was love at first sight, and all of a sudden it's there? No, that's the problem. You see, most love stories have some twists and turns. It's never a straight path. At least it wasn't for me with my wife, I'm sure it wasn't for you with your loved one. There's some hills and valleys and peaks and this and that, and before you know it, it's never a straight line. There's plot twists, and that's exactly what's going on here. You see, here's the problem. The biggest obstacle here is that harvest season is coming to an end, and Boaz and Ruth are still not connected as a couple. You and I read this, and we go, yeah, but I know the ending, but you gotta follow the storyline. The big deal, as you and I approach chapter 3, is that harvest time is ending, and Ruth and Boaz are still professional about their relationship. It's not anything other. It's not romantic. It's not personal. It is professional. And that needs to change. You're going to need, we're going to need, the story needs a major plot twist. And that's what we find in chapter 3. A big, daring, bold, breathtaking plot twist that no one would have ever seen. Remember, they're good. At the end of chapter 2, professionally, she's excelling. Ruth is going, she's doing, she's gleaning in the field. Boaz has given the instructions, you let her do basically whatever she wants. She's bringing home the bacon, I mean the barley, but you know what I mean, right? She's doing well professionally, but we still got a problem. They're not connected. They're not connected. That's what we find in chapter 3. But before we dig in, let me offer you my sermon summary. They're on the screen. Ruth chapter 3 verses 1 through chapter 4 verse 10 tells the story of a kinsman redeemer. who redeems his beloved from a desperate situation at great cost to himself. Likewise, we too are helpless outsiders until Jesus, our divine Redeemer, pays the price to give us new life in the here and now, and eternal life in the age to come. Amen? Okay, let me say that again. Amen. Yeah, unless you disagree with the sermon summary, then you're free to leave. All right? That's... I'm just joking. But follow me as I hopefully develop that through their study. All right? So the first part is chapter 3, verses 1 through 9. The location is the house. The house. Okay? Naomi and Ruth are there, a desperate situation requiring an extraordinary solution. Again, God has provided. God has provided. They're grateful. But the reality is that unless Ruth marries, the two of them will always be in a precarious position. Naomi is not going to be giving birth anytime soon. And the more you wait, Ruth won't happen either. So desperate situations call for desperate measures. And that's what you see here. That's when Naomi comes up with this plan. Let's pick it up. Chapter 3, verses 1 through 6. Then Naomi, her mother-in-law, said to her, my daughter, Should I not seek rest for you, that it might be well with you? Is not Boaz our relative, with whose young women you were? See, he is winnowing barley tonight at the threshing floor. Wash, therefore, and anoint yourself, and put on your cloak, and go down to the threshing floor. But do not make yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and drinking. But when he lies down, observe the place where he lies. Then go and uncover his feet and lie down. And he will tell you what to do." And she replied, all that you say I will do. So she went down to the threshing floor and did just as her mother-in-law had commanded her. Stop there. That is a bold plan. get yourself, take a bath, take a shower, get all beautified, and then go down there. And when the guy has eaten and, you know, enjoyed a little bit of a little something-something, he's gonna go to sleep and then make yourself known. Listen, kids, this is not what we're recommending as a dating plan. This is not, this almost sounds like reckless. Wait until the guy's a little jolly and merry merry, and then all of a sudden, go over here and you do this, and everybody's beautiful at 2.30 in the morning. You know what I'm saying? So it's like, no, no, no, that's reckless. That's not what we're telling our young people to do. But that's what she says. Why? Why? Because Boaz is a kinsman. He's a close relative of Naomi's deceased husband. And this is what drives the plan. This is what drives the plan, okay? There's a long shot that this man will be willing to marry and then carry the family name, alright? On the screen there, let me just remind you, the kinsman redeemer was a close relative who was responsible to help a family member out in their time of need. How? Well, the law prescribed it. Okay, the law of the Jews, the Torah, okay, Leviticus 25, Numbers 35, Deuteronomy 25. If a family became poor and had to sell off the land, he was responsible to try to buy back the land. The kinsmen redeemer was also responsible to buy back family members that were sold off to slavery. You know, back in the day, you couldn't run a credit card debt. Back in the day, you owed money, you were the payment. You had to offer yourself and your services to repay that. Well, the kinsman redeemer could do that and redeem them that way. They were to avenge the killing of a close relative. And then there was a special case of a widow who had no children. The kinsman-redeemer was that, it was called the Leveret marriage. L-E-V-E-R-E-T-E, Leveret. It had nothing to do with Levi. It has to do with the word in Latin that means brother-in-law. And it was this close relative that would marry the widow and then secure a family name and secure a future for them. That would be Deuteronomy chapter 25. Well, Naomi is hoping that Boaz will fulfill the role of kinsman-redeemer. So, Ruth has prepared herself to be a bride, or herself as a bride. See, the threshing floor, where he's winnowing, he's separating the grains of kernel, you know, the grains from the day of harvest, okay? Threshing floor was there where the grain was separated. It was a harvest time, it was always a time of celebration. And it was a time of hard work and long days so Naomi knew that Boaz would be there because he's reaping He's a hard-working guy the time's gonna come to separate to winnow to separate the good stuff from the chaff And and and he's gonna work hard, and then he's gonna eat a good hearty meal He's gonna drink a little bit, and then he's gonna sleep by where does he sleep by the pile of grain? Why? security reasons if nothing else Secure reasons and nothing else you slept by your the fruit of your labor because if not you might wake up to no fruit from that labor So that what those are some of the reasons why he did that so after dark when it's clear that everyone's sound asleep She creeps she crept in and let's pick up the story in verses 7 and 8 And when boys had eaten and drunk and his heart was Mary, that's what I tell my wife next time I'm not I'm doing my heart's Mary I'm just being biblical sweetheart. All right And you guys are welcome He went to lie down at the end of the heap of grain then she came softly and uncovered his feet and lay down At midnight the man was startled and turned over and behold a woman lay at his feet stop there You think you think all right a long day of harvesting the man eats a good meal. He Lies down for the night and Ruth waits and she quietly uncovers his feet. Let me stop here. I Let me give you a side note. Many people have proposed all sorts of scandalous reasons for Ruth's actions. Yes, the word can refer to the uncovering and the exposing of parts of the body that shouldn't be. But that's not what you see here. Because if that would be the case, then the rest of the story just breaks down. These are people of character this this is this is not scandalous. This is Ruth Making a culturally understood nonverbal request for protection and marriage She's working well within the customs the cultural norms of the day. Was it risky? Absolutely Absolutely. Was it scandalous? Sin-ridden? No And you must reject that, because if not, the Christmas story doesn't work. Then the parallel, why study Ruth? All she did was do what everybody does. Get herself a man, wait until he's drunk, and then he's yours. Really? That's the story we want to tell from Ruth. That's how we're going to excuse sexual immorality. Of course not! Makes no sense. What makes sense is when the major, the majority of the scholars say, this was culturally accepted. This is how in that day and in that time, a woman would say, I'm making a request of you. Now, is this decision to do it, was this hubris or is this faith-filled? Well, one Bible commentator captures the audacity of this decision, of what she does, and he writes the following, it's on the screen there. Here's a servant, listen, here's a servant demanding that the boss marry her. A Moabite making the demand of an Israelite. A woman making the demand of a man. A poor person making the demand of a rich man. Was this an act of foreign navete? Or a daughter-in-law's devotion to her mother-in-law? Or another sign of the hidden hand of God? From a natural perspective, the scheme was doomed from the beginning as a hopeless gamble. And the responsibility Naomi placed on Ruth was quite unreasonable. But it worked! It worked. We lose it when you read the black ink on the on the on the white sheet of paper here. We forget There are places and a lot in life. What ruth was doing was something very audacious well in the middle of the night boys are startled and Did he get cold? I don't know. What's the deal you uncover my feet. Maybe I will I don't know he gets startled he's gonna you know cover his feet again, and he looks at and There's a woman had his feet and right there in verse 9 Ruth takes the moment and makes a request He said who are you and she answered? I am Ruth your servant spread your wings over your servant for you are a Redeemer stop there She's using language that he used on her in chapter 2, verse 12. He says, spread your wings. That was, again, another culturally accepted way of saying, I'm coming to you for marriage and protection. Do this. Request. I'm making this request of you. Ruth is, by the way, is in an extremely vulnerable position. Boaz has everything to win and Ruth has everything to lose. Do you see it there? See, if Boaz is a wicked man, He could take advantage of her right there, and no one would say the other, anything other. If he was a wicked man. To add insult to injury, if he's a dishonorable man, he can then make the claim that the harassment started there, from her. She's the one who uncovered my feet. She was looking for it. So you're adding insult to injury. And if you wanna add insult to insult to injury, then he's a vengeful man, then he makes a big deal about it and puts her to public shame. Yet, we lose sight of how dangerous the condition was for Ruth. Ruth and Naomi are in a desperate situation. They risk everything for it. But it worked. It worked. What happens next? Well, we shift our focus from the house to the actual threshing floor. And there you find Boaz and Ruth, a loving response. Okay? Boaz is a good man. And he responds with mercy, righteousness, and love. Look at chapter 3, verses 10 through 13. And he said, May you be blessed by the Lord, my daughter. You have made this last kindness greater than the first, in that you have not gone after young men, whether poor or rich. And now, my daughter, do not fear. I will do for all that you ask, for all my fellow townsmen know that you are a worthy woman. And now it is true that I am a Redeemer, yet there is a Redeemer nearer than I. Remain tonight and in the morning, if He will redeem you, good, let Him do it. But if He is not willing to redeem you, then as the Lord lives, I will redeem you. Lie down until the morning." Stop there. Boaz understands the risk. Boaz appreciates the risk. Look what he says there. Your last kindness is greater than the first, in that you have not gone after young men, whether poor or rich. Do you understand that Ruth had every right to go after whatever man she wanted to marry? But would that have solved any other man? Would that have solved Naomi's problem? So even in the choosing of the relationship that she goes after and pursues, she has others in mind, not just her needs. I don't know if you caught that before. I hadn't caught it until now, when I prepared for this week. She could have had young or old, rich or poor. It was within her prerogative. Ladies, you can choose. She chose not just on what it meant to her, She chosen what it means to Naomi. That's why she goes after Boaz. A guy who probably is a little older than she is. Yeah, a little. Let's just say little in a very loose way. Okay? Because he even acknowledges, hey, you know, you could have done better and maybe even younger. So your kindness, your kindness, You did not think just of yourself. Now, don't get me wrong. I'm sure Ruth is looking at Boaz. He goes, yeah, I mean this guy's good-looking too. It's not like she's settling for a consolation prize. But I want you to understand what's driving her. What's driving her is the reality of we need a kinsman redeemer. I just don't need to have my needs met. I can have my needs met anywhere and by anyone. But the only one that can serve as a kinsman redeemer, at least in their mind, was Boaz. And that's who she pursues. God's best for her. Let that be the lesson, if nothing else. But there's one hitch. Again, we're moving and all of a sudden it's like... He says, listen, thank you for the kindness. I'm old. I'm old. But you know, you could have gone different ways. But there is someone closer than me. Which leads me to believe that the guy had done some homework. Don't you think? I just thought of it. I'm like, how did he know? Because he's been scheming. He goes, man, if this girl makes a move, come on. Come on. I'm ready. Because otherwise, how can he know? Because he says it. He says it. Listen. Verse 11 and now my daughter do not fear I will do for all of you that you ask for all my fellow townsmen He'd been asking around again child of God your testimony matters Your testimony matters matters to the townsmen matters ultimately to God verse 11. They know that you're a worthy woman They know your character They know who you are, they know what you go after, and what you don't go after, because a lot of our character is known by what we don't pursue. Not just by what we do pursue. You can tell a lot about a person and their Christianity by what they choose not to engage in. Not to do. But that's another sermon. But this is where it is, and he goes, listen, listen, just stay, verse 14. Verse 14. So she lay at his feet. He says, hey, listen, I don't want you to leave. I don't want anything. Just just stay. Verse 14. So she lay at his feet until the morning, but she arose before someone could or before one could recognize another. And he said, let it not be known that the woman came to the threshing floor protecting her. Listen, if this is scandalous, if this is just another case of sexual morality, who cares? She can walk out wearing his T-shirt in the morning. I mean, that's what Netflix would propose. That's what CBS would show. Just wear the guy's t-shirt. Everybody knows by inference what that meant. He goes, no, no, no, no, no, no. I want to protect your character. Leave before anyone is even up. And then in verse 15, he says, and he said, bring the garment you're wearing and hold it out. So she held it and he measured out six measures of barley and put it on her. Then she went into the city. Again, morning arises, what you see is the virtuosity of it all. The cleanliness, the reality, the commitment to holiness. Wow! Child of God, this should be preaching to you. A commitment to holiness in all areas of life. Not only abstaining from the practice of evil, but making sure that there's not even the appearance of evil. I thought I would get an amen, but it's alright. It's alright, you can process it. You can process. It's not just avoiding the practice of evil. It's avoiding the appearance of evil. Men, protect your marriage, not just from the practice of evil, but from the appearance of evil. Ladies, protect your marriage, not just from the practice of evil, but from the appearance of evil. Those work relationships are dangerous. That's what we see here, a commitment to holiness. Now she heads back. Now our attention heads back and what's Naomi been doing? She probably ran out of nails by now. I wonder what's going on. She didn't come home last night. How am I supposed to interpret this? Was it good? Was it bad? Is she alive? Is she dead? I mean, it's audacious what they proposed. It was crazy. Again, it was almost borderline reckless. She's like, I wonder what's going on. Verse 16, chapter 3. And when she came to her mother-in-law, she said, How did you fare, my daughter? How did it go? Then she told her all that the man had done for her, saying, These six measures of barley he gave to me. For he said to me, You must not go back empty-handed to your mother-in-law. She replied, Wait, my daughter, until you learn how the matter turns out. For the man will not rest, but will settle the matter today. In other words, Hey, listen, let me tell you, mom. Let me tell you what happened. This is what's going on. She goes, Okay, let's wait. Let's wait. Let's wait and see how it plays out. Now we go, we change again the scenery. We start at the house. Naomi and Ruth are like this is a situation. We got to do something. We shift over to the threshing floor the interaction Between Boaz and Ruth and lastly you're at the gate now at the gate Boaz and Ruth chapter 4 the 10 verses. They are a costly redemption There's a cost costly redemption that wonder would involve great sacrifice on Boaz part Okay, this is evident that listen this is evident because of the guy who chooses not to do it. I This is costly. Look at verses 1-4. Now Boaz had gone up to the gate and sat down there. And behold, the Redeemer, of whom Boaz had spoken, came by. So Boaz said, Turn aside, friend. Sit down here. And he turned aside and sat down. And he took ten men of the elders of the city and said, Sit down here. And so they sat down. Then he said to the Redeemer, Naomi, who has come back from the country of Moab, is selling the parcel of land that belonged to our relative Elimelech. So I thought I would tell you of it and say, buy it in the presence of those sitting here, and in the presence of the elders of my people. If you will redeem it, redeem it. But if you will not, tell me that I may know, for there is one besides you to redeem it, and I come after you." And he said, I will redeem it. Stop there. He meets it. I mean, I don't have to reread this. I don't have to say it in a different way, okay? You know what happens. They meet at the gate. The gate is the place where business was taken care of in those days. And he meets, he sees the guy, he says, hey, come here, come here. Takes 10 witnesses. Let it not be even second guest. 10 witnesses, 10 elders, 10 important people of the city. Come on around. Let's sit down. Let's have a talk. Hey, you know Naomi. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, you know our relative eliminate they must have been Hispanic cuz everybody's a cuz you know what I mean? You know, let me like because because okay You know, he has he has a parcel of land and and listen I could do it but the reality is I'm virtuous I'm you know, I want to keep this on the straight up and up and you're closer as a relative if you do you want it because if you don't I'll take it the guy's looking at land and Today, if somebody gave me a piece of land, I'd probably go like, let's go. Call my banker, Caldwell. Right? And he says, I'll redeem it. Yeah, but not so fast, says Boaz. Look at verses 5 and 6. Then Boaz said to her, said, the day you buy the fields from the land of Naomi, you also acquire Ruth the Moabite. Yay. Stop there. He just didn't say Ruth. He said Ruth the Moabite. You know Moab, our archenemy? The people that are no good. Yeah, Ruth the Moabite, the widow of the dead, in order to perpetuate the name of the dead in his inheritance. In other words, this is costly, brother. This is not just you getting all this land, and all of a sudden your portfolio doubles. No, no, no. Along with this comes a woman, and your responsibility is to make sure that there's an heir. Now, verse 6. Now we see the why behind the what. I'm trying not to use the H in front of those things. Did you see the kids? They made fun of me last week. They say that I always say what and why. So I'm trying to say what, why. The why behind the what? I still messed up, I think. Then the Redeemer said, I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I impair my own inheritance. Take my right of redemption yourself, for I cannot redeem it. Stop there. Oh, that's a different story. Wait, what? No, uh-uh. Flag on the play, unsportmanlike conduct. No, no, no, no, no, no. You just can't do this to me. You offer me this land and I gotta marry a woman and secure a progeny and secure a future. No, no, no. What happens? Listen, I got my own land. And what happens is if I marry her and she has a baby, then he's also entitled to part of my inheritance. No. Not gonna do that. Not gonna do that. Okay, I'm not gonna endanger my estate because, by the way, You have to know that it went through his mind. It's a Moabite. It's a Moabite. Here's the point on the screen. This is a cost redemption and he is not willing to pay the price. He's not willing. So, what does Boaz do? Chapter 4, verses 7 and 8. Now, this was the custom in former times in Israel, concerning redeeming and exchanging. To confirm a transaction, the one drew off his sandal and gave it to the other. And that was the manner of attesting in Israel. That's what we did when we sold the property. I took off one of my sandals. Now... Alright? This is the manner of attesting in Israel. So, when the Redeemer said to Boaz, buy it for yourself, he drew off his sandal. Stop there. See, that's the legal part. Now it's happening. Now Boaz says, I can now in good conscience take advantage and do and fulfill my promise. Look at verses 9 and 10. Then Boaz said to the elders and all the people, you are witnesses this day that I have bought from the hand of Naomi all that belong to Elimelech and all that belong to Achillean and Malon. Also Ruth the Moabite, the widow of Malon, I have bought to be my wife, to perpetuate the name of the dead in his inheritance, that the name of the dead may not be cut off from among his brothers and from the gate of his native place. You are witnesses this day." Stop there. Costly redemption. So costly that the other kinsmen redeemer said, thank you, but no thank you. See, that's the beauty of this love story. No different, no different. Listen to the love story between God and His people. On the screen there, it is the story of a kinsman redeemer who redeemed his beloved from a desperate situation at great cost to himself. We have one more study that will be coming next week. On the last Sunday of the year, we'll finish up Ruth, chapter 4, 11 through 22. We'll also observe the Lord's Supper that day, so I invite you to join us. But for this morning, what can we take with us? Well, let me give you some thoughts. Some thoughts, some truths to ponder. Number one, the value of character. The value of character. You know, it's always easy to do what's expedient. It's always easy. Easy and best seldom hold hands. That's one of the sayings I have in my life. Easy and best seldom hold hands What's easy? It's easy doesn't mean it's best. Let's see just easy There are some things in my life that I can do easy or there's some things in my life that I can do best And what I should pursue is best. That's the value of character see both Ruth and Boaz did what was best not just convenient Ruth could have chosen a path of easy and gone back to Moab. I But she did what was best. She saw her mother-in-law. She felt her pain. That's compassion, by the way, to feel their pain in your heart. That's compassion. He felt her pain in her heart. She does something about it. Boaz could have done the easy part. He could have just done whatever every man does when he sees a woman in distress. Take advantage. But he didn't. He chose the higher road of best. See, the value of character. See, remember the backdrop to Ruth is the day of the judges. And Judges 21 tells us, in those days Israel had no king and everyone did what was right in their own eyes. And Ruth and Boaz bucked the system. They did what was right in God's eyes. Child of God, could we take from this today that as we end this year and we're looking toward a new year, can we then choose to do what's right in God's eyes and not just in our peers? Not just what's convenient or expedient? May the Lord grant us that the ability and the boldness. We need people like that more than ever. In a day and age, in a community, in a society, in a worldview, in a spirit of the age that says, do what's easy, what's good for you and your truth. No, no, no, no. We resist that. And a Christian, a biblical worldview kicks in and says, what does God have to say about it? And how does He expect me to live in light of that? The value of character. character rooted in a biblical worldview and in a relationship with Jesus Christ. Number two, sometimes faith demands action, sometimes patience. You see action all over the place. Ruth is just doing stuff. Whatever she needs to do. She doesn't have idle hands. She's busy, busy, busy. But Naomi says the big truth there, and she says at the end of chapter 3, Verse 18, after she's been told all that Boaz, all that happened in the threshing floor. 18, she says, my daughter, go for it. Sink your teeth into the man. No. She says, wait, my daughter. See, faith demands action and sometimes it demands patience. Sometimes you and I need to let God move the mountains instead of us resorting to our own measures to satisfy what we want To get what we need See you to force things to happen in our timing you and I must learn which demands discipline to wait upon the Lord. And it's easy to say it today on a Sunday morning, but it's difficult when you're in the thick of things. But think of Ruth. She was known for her action and her faith. It was faith-driven, faith-fueled action. But faith also sometimes requires patience. Next, God redeems flawed people. Aren't you glad? Because you're as flawed as it gets. I mean, I thought I was flawed until I saw you. No, I'm just kidding. You know what I say, the worst sinner I know, I look in the mirror. I see in the mirror, right? Don't worry about seeing sin in everybody else's life. Worry about the sin you see in your own mirror. Right? So the reality is, God redeems flawed people. We're all flawed. The day He rescued us, we were flawed. And even after the rescue, we bucked the system and we still behave in ways that are unbecoming to a child of God. But He redeems flawed people, and God promises He can work with anyone who will come and submit to Him. You see it in the story here. We make terrible mistakes, but God says, I can use you. You turn to Me in faith and repentance, I can use you. And aren't you surprised sometimes by the people God uses? The least the ones that you Lisa I we will be surprised. I'm gonna speak for me I will be surprised the day we get to heaven and I'll see so-and-so Thankfully, I'm glorified. So I won't have that sinful thought because if not I'll go like Child please Thankfully, I'll be glorified so I won't even have that thought I'll just be there. I'm sorry. I I wouldn't even have glasses. Thank you, dear. Hold on, dear. Hold on, hold on. Thank you, dear. Thank you, dear. Thank you. There's a lot more to that statement right there, okay? There's a lot more, but we're here in public. We're here in public. All right? God redeems flawed people. And lastly, God's plan is bigger than us. The writer, under the inspiration of the Spirit of God, tells a good story, takes us in. And we see the desperation, and then the ray of hope, and then all of a sudden, how is this going to happen? Because they're still professional, they're not relational, and then all of a sudden, you see that at the gate, things are happening, and it just draws you in. But do you understand that this big storytelling is told with three people? That's how God does it. That's how God does it. You see, even through three people, He was working at a much bigger scale than they could have possibly imagined. See, you and I tend to see what's right in front of us. We need to learn to see the unseen by faith, by faith in the Lord. So how does this work out with the Christmas story? Let me just tie it in. Number one, don't lose sight of our desperate situation. Okay? The Christmas story is the story of a kinsman redeemer who redeems his beloved from a desperate situation at great cost to himself. That's the Christmas story. Our desperate situation Galatians chapter 3 the scripture declares that the whole world is a prisoner of sin We were held prisoners by the law locked up until faith should be revealed My friend if you hear this morning, you have not trusted in Christ. You are a prisoner of sin The Bible puts it so easy for you and me to understand not that we'd like to accept it but to understand you're either in Adam our forefather or Sin or in Christ our Redeemer so you all you have to ask yourself this morning is am I in Adam or I'm in Christ if I'm in Christ the power of sin has been broken The penalty of sin has been paid and the presence of sin is secure one day in heaven See, that's the beauty that the deficit this desperate situation is real is real. That's why we don't know one No one has a problem with information Everyone has a problem with pride We get that information and we have to we want to not let it affect us, but here's God's loving response Galatians chapter 4 But when the time had fully come God sent his son born of a woman born under the law To redeem those under law that he might receive the full rights of sons For those who trust in in Christ. He's a kinsman Redeemer That's the beauty at the right time not a day out before not an hour before not a day after not an hour after Jesus was born born a Savior for you and me. The bad news is we're sinners. Good news is Christ died for sinners. See, and the cost of redemption? Mark 10 45, the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many. He willingly left the glories of heaven to take it on, and we heard that last week as DJ preached from that Philippians chapter 2 passage. Jesus from the cradle to the cross. That's the beauty of it. He's a kinsman redeemer, but for his redemption to be applied to your life and mine, we must come to him. No different than Ruth had to come to Boaz. On the screen there, let me just remind you, Christmas is a story of a kinsman redeemer who redeemed his beloved from a desperate situation at great cost to himself. Jesus is our kinsman redeemer. See the love story of Ruth isn't just a love story between two people. It's the greatest love story in pictures, the greatest love story that's ever been told. Someone has said, and I'll read this, it'll be on the screen there in front of you. The real love story in this book is not about Boaz and Ruth, though. The real love story is behind the scenes. It is the love of God for his straying sheep. This love took its fullest shape in the coming of Jesus Christ. His love for us took him much further than a grain pile at midnight. It caused him to leave the glories of heaven and come as a baby to Bethlehem, where he found no refuge. Unlike Ruth, there was no place of rest for Jesus in Bethlehem, no godly Boaz to protect him. Instead, he had to make do with a temporary place in a stable before he was driven out. having to flee for his life, even when he was a baby. And this love caused Jesus to abandon his eternal glory and become a servant, someone who was of no reputation, despised and rejected by men. This same love of God took Jesus all the way to the cross. There, in the midst of a darkness far deeper than any ordinary midnight, he offered himself up for the sins of his people. There he was abandoned by God the Father, who turned aside his face, because he would not and could not look upon his own son, disfigured as he was bearing our sin. That's what kinsmen redeemers do. They pay the price for their beloved. And that's what Jesus did. And that's what we have before us. It's not just a little manger scene. That's the starting point. And again, if Christmas doesn't lead you to Calvary, what? You've missed the point. Ruth, the study of Ruth has reminded us of this, that he stepped down from his heavenly throne to fully identify with sinners. And for you and me, if we turn to him in repentance and faith, he grants us the privilege of being called children of God. Amen. Let's pray. You bow your heads and close your eyes for just a moment. How would you respond? How should you respond? Just a moment, we're gonna sing a song called The Door. That's how you should respond. Adoration. Adoration. Child of God, if you're here, that's your automatic. That's your automatic response. Worship. That the kinsman redeemer has taken you from being an outsider making you family when you were a rebel. My friend, if you're here this morning, we urge you to trust in Christ, to understand that this life that you're living will come to an end one day. And then the Bible says you will face the Lord, not as creator, but as judge. And how will you then escape that day? What will you offer him? Money? He owns it all. What are you going to offer that he doesn't have? He's the maker of heaven and earth. He's the Lord of heaven and earth. My friend, run to Jesus Christ even now. So Lord God, as we prepare to sing, help us. Help us to understand who you are and who we are. And to thank you for Christmas, for you provided what we needed. Thank you. Help us now to worship, to adore you, for you are worthy. We ask this in Jesus' name and God's people said,