A Sermon on Ruth 1-4; The Whole Story, Part 2: 3/23/25

Introduction

Good morning, church. If you have a Bible—and I hope you do—go ahead and open with me to the book of Ruth.

While you're turning there, let me pause to thank Drew and Hayden for faithfully preaching the Word these past two Sundays. We are blessed as a church to have them. Drew serves us behind the scenes as our Campus Life Minister. Hayden is preparing to lead our Greenville Campus as Teaching Pastor. I believe even now God is calling out some of you from within this room, to go and join him. So you should be praying about that.

Now, Ruth. This small book is nothing short of a masterpiece. It’s a story of life, loss, love—and above all, it is a story of the glory of God in the middle of brokenness. This is the fairy tale of the Bible.  It’s a true story, but it reads like “happily ever after.”

Yet it’s not just a fairy tale—it’s a foreshadowing of forever. Ruth points us to the ultimate Redeemer who writes happy endings out of heartache.

This story unfolds during the time of the Judges—a season of chaos, compromise, and cultural decay. Sound familiar? It should. These aren’t just old problems—they are our problems.

Let’s stand now, in honor and reverence of the Word of God, and read the bookends of this story together:

Ruth 1:1-5

Ruth 4:13-20

Prayer:  Lord, make this sermon a balm for the broken and a call for your people to draw close to you. Let us see Jesus as our Redeemer, the one who turns our sorrow into singing. Speak, Holy Spirit, and make the Word come alive in our hearts.

Hook: A Word from Mrs. Potts

As a girl dad, I am an expert in all things fairy tale. My two-year-old watches Beauty and the Beast at least once a week, and her Belle dress stays in constant rotation to be worn at least three times a week. (Here’s a picture of that.)

One line from that movie sticks with me—when Belle cries out, “I’ve lost my father, my dreams, everything.” To which Mrs. Potts gently replies, “Cheer up, child. It will all turn out alright in the end. You’ll see.”

And if I could summarize the message of Ruth in one sentence, that would be it.

Main Idea: Cheer up, child. It will all turn out alright in the end—you have a Redeemer who will see to it.

Clarifier: A Word to the Room

Let’s pause for a moment so that I can speak to the room in which we sit, our congregation. A good shepherd knows the condition of the sheep. As the shepherd of this congregation, sometimes I hope a good one, here’s what I know: there are a lot of people in this room who are experiencing a great deal of brokenness and pain.

Last week, as Hayden preached, I sat on the front row and made a list of names in my journal—people facing battles. Marriages on the brink. Secret sin. Financial burdens. Infertility. Depression. Addiction.

Our church is growing, yes—but growth doesn’t mean the absence of grief.

So, if you're in a good season today—praise God. But I ask two things of you:

Pray for those who need the Lord to work in their lives in a special way.

Prepare for the day your own storm will come.

Because you’re either in a storm, coming out of a storm, or heading into one. That’s life under the sun.

Now, let’s look at Ruth together.

Point No. 1: Brokenness.

First, I want you to notice the brokenness that permeates this story.

Naomi’s life doesn’t just fall apart—it spirals downward like a slow-motion collapse. (Have you ever seen a building demolished, it sort of just collapses in on itself. That’s what’s happening here. )

Famine (1:1) – Bethlehem, “House of Bread,” has no bread. The land is under judgment.

Spiritual Failure – Elimelech moves his family to Moab—a place of idolatry, child sacrifice, and spiritual rot. When we pull away from God’s people, we drift from God’s presence.

Three funerals (1:3–5) – Her husband dies. Then her sons. Grief compounds. Imagine her at the third funeral… standing alone, surrounded by graves.

Financial ruin (1:20) – She left full, she returns empty. Her life, once secure, is now shattered.

Some of you know this feeling. Life hits you once, then twice, then again. Blow after blow until you feel like you're barely standing.

(Ills.) We had a day like this a couple of weeks ago, a day where it literally felt like things were falling apart in the Wilson household. We got a phone call from Dani’s school saying that she had gotten in a lot of trouble. Then, we found out that what she was accused of was not entirely true. So, I was having to deal with Dani and keep White Trash Jenna from making an appearance. Then, right before the day ended I had my CPA call me and say these words, “You have a tax problem. You owe x…” And listen, without getting to much into my personal finances, the amount he said was more than the amount we had. I was like, “Hey man, if the government wants that much they better call up Ukraine and get a few of those bombs back, because they ain’t getting it from me.” All of this was small stuff, but I bet you have had similar experiences in the past few weeks. The point is that brokenness is not just something that characterizes  the book of Ruth; It’s something that characterizes your own existence

Naomi’s pain is real—but it is not random.

Ruth, in a way that no other book of the Bible except maybe Job, answers the “why” question for us.

When we experience pain and brokenness our natural tendency is to begin to ask, “Why?” Ruth allows us to answer this question on multiple levels.

On the surface level, we could answer this way: We live in a broken world that is marred by heavenly and human rebellion against God, and  all the brokenness we expereince in the consequence of our sin and the collateral damage of the sin of other. Can I say something though? The surface level helps us understand the world a little bit better, but it really does nothing for our heart. This surface level doesn't make us feel any better about the brokenness in our life.

On a deeper level, Ruth teaches us this: the circumstances of our life  are not mere coincidences. (1:13). Everything in our life is a result of the providence of God who is over all, rules all, and works all things according to the counsel of his will. Everything in our life is what it is  because God has allowed it, ordered it, and ordained to be so. Such that, the plan of God is not hindered by the brokenness of your life. God in his amazing power uses your brokenness to advance his purposes. This means that even when you feel like God is  working against you and has brought you great pain, he is actually working to lay the foundation for greater joy in your life and more glory for him.

Romans 8:28

28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

This is what Ruth is trying to teach us. In Ruth and Naomi’s despair God was working for their good and his glory, and no matter what you are going though his morning, God is working for your good and his glory.

Point No. 2: Faith in Brokenness.

Next, I want us to see that in this story there is faith in brokenness.

Faith is easy when the sun is shining and the bills are paid. Faith is easy when bellies are and the trains run on time. Faith gets a little harder when the ends don’t meet, and funerals get planned, and spouses want to leave. In a broken world, we need to learn to have faith in brokenness.

Trust in God

Faith trusts that God is in control and God is able to take care of you, even if you don’t like what he is doing. (1:6-13)

· 1:6 — Naomi throws herself on the Lord. She has nothing to offer God, but she trusts that God has plenty to offer her.

· 1:7-13 — Yawheh this and Yawheh that. Gives clarity to the reality that she believes that God is in control.

· Yet, she doesn’t like any of it.

Devotion to God and to His People

This is first and foremost a declaration of faith and devotion to God as the one true God.

Naomi had urged her to return to her people and her gods. She is forsaking her people and the God who they worship and she is throwing her life, allegiance, and devotion to Yahweh, the one true God. Evidently, this God is her God because in 1:17 this is the name of the God she calls upon. Faith in God is first and foremost defined by a devotion to love God, live for God, pursue God despite the circumstances of life.

It’s also an expression of devotion and faithfulness to Naomi and by extension all the people of God.

“Your people will be my people.” She is doing the opposite  of what Naomi did. Naomi moved away from the people of God. Ruth is committing to moving toward the people of God.

Let me add this before we move on. I long to be a church where we are committed to the people of God in this way. I want us to be a people who have a genuine devotion and loyalty to one another as family. BUT…. This takes work. It takes a willingness to be long-suffering, forgiving, and un-offendable toward the people who call this place home. This kind of devotion among us takes a commitment to unity over preference, and mission over comfort. I pray God would work this kind of heart in and among us.

Activity Despite Despair

Despite tremendous pain and brokenness Ruth and Naomi refuse to stand by and let life happen to them.

· Ruth Works. ( Chapter 2)

· Naomi plans. (Chapter 3)

It is the lie of the devil that pushes us to passivity and acceptance when brokenness prevails in our life. I see this all the time. Brokenness and pain pushes people into retreat when in reality it should push people into advance. Let me tell you where I see it a lot, when life starts to get hard, people’s first inclination is to stop serving at church. Can I tell you something? That is crazy! When you don’t know what to do, you stop doing what God has clearly told you to do. Stop that.

In your life when brokenness reigns supreme, trust in God, devote yourself to him and his people and then get to work doing what he is clearly telling you, or has told you to do.

Point No. 3: Redemption

This whole story, all of it, is a set up for God’s ultimate plan, redemption.

The plan of God is accomplished by a redeemer.

God intends to use one person, a redeemer, to overcome all the failures and brokenness that define your life.

See Ruth’s Redeemer, Boaz.

· In 1:13 Naomi has no consideration for how there might be someone in Bethlehem to save them.

· In 2:1 we are told about a certain man who could do the job, Boaz.

· In 2:3 we are told that by happenstance, sheer coincidence, Ruth wonders into Boaz’s field. (God’s sovereign hand is at work.

· In 3:1 Naomi begins to plot. And let me be honest with you, chapter three does introduce to us some rather risque content. Essentially, Naomi does for Ruth what Reba Mcentire said Fancy’s mama did for her. Y’all remember what Fancy’s mama said? “ Forgive me for what I do, but if you want out it’s up to you. Here’s you one shot fancy don’t let me down.” Now, Naomi is taking a major chance here, she is opening Ruth up to indiscretion and potential mistreatment. However, Naomi seems to believe that when you have found a worthy redeemer it only takes ones step in his direction to find him ready to save.

· So what happens, Ruth goes and lays at his feet and Boaz in his integrity does not take advantage of her, he decides to redeem her. In one night, Boaz redeems all of Noami and Ruth’s brokeness.

o Bitterness to Joy

o Broken to Restoration

o Hopelessness to Salvation.

Boaz was Ruth’s redeemer, but Jesus is ours.

Ruth 4:21–22: “Boaz fathered Obed… Obed fathered Jesse… Jesse fathered David.” From David came Jesus—the true Redeemer.

Let Me Show You the Difference:

Boaz

Jesus

Redeemed by the law

Redeemed by bearing the curse of the law

Refused to sin

Became sin for us

Gave his cloak

Gave His blood

Was a worthy man

Is the Worthy King

Purchased a foreign bride

Purchased a sinful bride (that’s us)

Invitation

Do you need a redeemer?

· Do you have bitterness? Jesus can turn it into joy.

· Do you have brokenness? Jesus can restore.

· Are you hopeless? Jesus can save.

Mrs. Potts was right! Cheer up child. Your redeemer is here.

I want to invite us to an intentional response.

Truly, I’d like to put in us a culture of response to God’s word. When we hear the word, we should respond to the word.

First, if you are not a Christian, let me invite you to make Ruth’s declaration of devotion your own today. Would you say to God, “You are my God, and these are my people.” Do what Ruth did, and do it quickly.

Second, if you are a Christian, and you would be humble enough to admit, that like Ruth an Naomi, you need God to move in your life, would you be bold enough to respond this morning? Would you come down and get on your face before God and ask him to work in your life.

Third, if you are a Christian and your life is good in this moment, would you use this moment to pray over those who desperately need it.

Let’s pray as we move into a time of worship, acknowledging that we believe with all our heart, “It will turn out alright in the end” because our redeemer has come and his name is Jesus Christ