Ordinary Faith

Todd Spieker

Ruth • Sermon • Submitted 5 years ago

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I - When i was a kid I wanted to be...

When I was a kid I loved the Left Behind books so much they had a the opposite effect on me that they were supposed to.

The books are about this thing called the rapture where Jesus comes back and disappears all the Christians from the earth. And those who are left behind have to face the end of the world together.

The book follows a group of people who become Christians after being left behind. They have to sneak around this post-apocolyptic world and try and survive and follow Jesus while all these bad people are trying to get them.

At the time I thought this was AWESOME.

I loved these books so much!

They made me want The Rapture to come, but I wanted to be left behind. Because that was where the adventure was.

At the time I felt like my life was pretty boring.

I - I’m at that age when some of the people who do the most amazing things in the world are my age and younger than me.

to Nothing matters

Significant. Not normal.

but now I think, jeeze what have I done lately!

Starting to realize that despite what the people passing out the participation trophies said I may not grow up to be president, start the next google, change the world, or be the voice of my generation.

I - When I was a kid I was constantly looking towards tomorrow.

WHen I grow up then things will be easy

I will have a meaningful life

I will be able to do things that matter

If I can just get this, then I will be able to really serve people

I will be able to really follow God

I will be able to really change the world nad make a difference.

That one day my actions would be significant

I wasted a lot of year looking forward and failing to notice the chances to make a difference that were right in front of me. That my days really did count for something.

I let my dreams about the future prevent me from being faithful in the present, now I have the opposite problems sometimes. I let my memories of the past prevent me from being faithful in the present.

Y - What does faith look like when we are not Moses, Noah, or Paul?

I don't think I am the only one.

Its surprisingly hard to navigate an ORDINARY life because most of our heroes are extraordinairy

even when it comes to faith. We can read the story of David killing goliath, moses and the burning bush all we want but I havent seen many giants or burning bushes lately

G -

Trans: The book of Ruth digs right into the question. What does ORDINAIRY faith look like? What does it mean to live an ordinary life Loving God and Others? The book of Ruth is special because of how not special it is.

No flashy miracles

No royalty

No world changers

No movers and shakers

No pillars of fire by night and smoke by day

It is an Ordinairy story of Faith and faithfulness in the real world

It is a story of what it is like to believe in God, and live like it for people like you and I who spend most of our lives in exceptionally ORDINARY ways. and what its like to partner with God in his work on earth as it is in heaven. What it really means to love God and love Others alongside God.

Over the next three Sundays we are going to hear this story, and look for ourselves and our lives in it. Asking the question what does it mean to follow God during the not so big moments? What does it mean to partner with God, to follow God when you don't have a burning bush in front of you. What does it mean to live like God is real, when you still have to go to work every day?

The miracle of HESED

There is really only one kind of miracle in RUTH and it is a kind we see often today. It has to do with this word HESED. In the book of Ruth, following God has something to with HESED. (explain psalms 126 uses) Usually refers to God’s LOYAL Love for his people. Despite their actions, failures, or shortcomings. In RUTH HESED is everywhere, its a story abotu God’s Hesed played out in the Hesed of people.

Setting - The Land of Isreal during the time of the Judges.

The book of judges describes this time as a time when, “In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as they saw fit.”

If you read Judges you know that this was a VERY dark time in Iseal’s history. Where people were constantly turning away from God, hurting and abusing others, where all kinds of problems plagued those who lived in Isreal.

It’s in the middle of the Chaos pain and trouble that we see this amazing story of God at work in the lives of regular people as they are faithful to God and faithful to each other. There really isnt anything else like it in the bible.

Tell the Story

Naomi starts off with everything, and piece by piece loses it until she basically has nothing left.

Naomi, left with nothing, but two dils has deciedes to return home for help

Naomi, decides to free her dils from the obligation of following her. So that at least they can find happyness.

N blesses them - “may YHWH show you HESED, like you showed your dead husbands and me. May YHWH grant that each of you will find rest in the home of another husband.”

R + O resist

N pushes the case, “My story is over, yours is just begining. My lot is more MARA bitter, because YHWH has turned against me.” - (dark statment of faith)

O returns home byt R “clings”

(elaborate - she just wont let go…)

Ruth takes the initiative. “Where you go, I will go, where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people, and your God my God”

(focus on this, INCREDIBLE) Unparralled sentence in scripture. Ruth Elbows in on the covenant. Where God says you will be my people Ruth says, Your God will be my God, and then to drive it home she swears in his name.

Ruth SHOWS HESED - stedfast faithfulnees - that will come up again and again in this story.

At this naomi give up and ruth comes along. But she does not feel better

Whe nthey arrive...

At the end of chapter one...

Things are still broke. Circumstances are dire. There is still little hope for redemption. The road ahead is long and trecherous.

BUT the story is not over (and sometimes that is the best thing you can hope in, the story is NOT OVER)

Naomi is NOT alone. And although she doesn't yet see Ruth’s value (yet). Ruth is bound to her forever and YHWH is there God

And sometimes that has to be enough.

“IF you want to change the world, you have to start by changing your world.”

Y -

Maybe you are Naomi.

Things are hard, they keep going wrong and your are trying to hold up under loss and pressure.

You are trying to not give up, trying to be faithful, but you dont know how long you can hold on.

Ask for help

Know your story is not over

These days count for something. Your actions now may be used by God in ways you cant imagine.

Maybe you are MARA

Its just too much. You feel bitter and beaten down and hopeless.

Know that the story is not over. The seeds of your rescue are being planted in ways that you simply cant see now.

Maybe you are Mara

These days they count for something. God’s HESED endures forever.

Maybe you are Ruth

Maybe you are Ruth.

You are called to step into someones life and show HESED to them. To show a small imperfect glimpse of God’s great love for them, reflected through your love and actions. You know they need encouragement and you don't know what to do.

The story is not over.

Your actions, love, care, phone calls, presence, hugs, tears, ect.....

In your workplaces

IN your homes

With your friends

they matter and they are worth more than you realize.

Don’t give up, don't get discouraged. Keep making your workplace better. Keep caring for the hurting people you know. Believe for them.

These days, they count for something.

God’s HESED is at work in your HESED.

W -

Ordinary faith is about choosing to believe the story is not over. Every day. And its about choosing to belive that for others.

Ruth and Naomi’s actions for HESED of faithfulness and loyalty to each other and God Plant the seeds of redemption that will with God’s help sprout in rescue.

Ordinairy faith is a

Your actions, big and small. Significant seeming and insignificant seeming do the same.

JEsus changed the world and he calls us to to join in chaning our worlds

There is this lie that sneaks into our minds sometimes. The lie has 2 parts

That tragedy and bad circumstances are permanent

What you do doesn't matter.

1 takes the bad circumstances and calls them permanent.

I will never get better.

I will never grow in my faith.

I will never stop making stupid decisions.

The other takes positive things and calls them meaningless

Like when you pack a shoebox and you think, The child who recieves this will still be poor and hungry.

Or visit that person who is sick and think, my presence didnt matter.

My prayers didnt save the day

That kind word went unnoticed.

What i do doesn't matter....

Ordinary faith is about choosing to believe the story is not over. Every day. And its about choosing to belive that for others.

Ruth and Naomi’s actions for HESED of faithfulness and loyalty to each other and God Plant the seeds of redemption that will with God’s help sprout in rescue.

Your actions, big and small. Significant seeming and insignificant seeming do the same.