Mother’s Day: The Power of Example

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-OOS
I. Welcome
A. P. Dustin
II. Opening Prayer
A. Beth B.
III. Worship
A. Songs:
a. “Days of Elijah”
b. “Our God”
c. “God of the City”
d. B4 Offering: “Way Maker”
B. Offering:
a. 3 ways to give
1. online: greenmtn.org
2. text the word “give” to (833) 966-2042
i. already gave via text: just text the amount to that same #
3. mail a check to 440 Main St. in Bennington
b. Song: “& All the People Say Amen”
IV. Sermon
INTRO
I. Taking a Break
A. HAPPY MOTHERS’ DAY
II. Where we’re headed
A. Take a moment 2 reflect on an OT text that highlights the power o 1 mama’s ex. on another
B. I’m also going 2 take some time & share the influence o 3 women in my life who r good mamas
a. My own mama
b. My mother-in-law
c. & My wife
1. all 3 r wonderful, faithful, inspirational women of faith
III. Main Text (Ruth 1:16, 19-22)
Ruth 1:16 ESV
16 But Ruth said, “Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God.
Ruth 1:19–22 ESV
19 So the two of them went on until they came to Bethlehem. And when they came to Bethlehem, the whole town was stirred because of them. And the women said, “Is this Naomi?” 20 She said to them, “Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. 21 I went away full, and the Lord has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi, when the Lord has testified against me and the Almighty has brought calamity upon me?” 22 So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabite her daughter-in-law with her, who returned from the country of Moab. And they came to Bethlehem at the beginning of barley harvest.
IV. Prayer
A. Thanks for mamas that give us ex. o faithfulness
V. Context
A. This book is about God rescuing 2 widows in the middle o a tragic situation
a. God is largely unmentioned as a main character, but is seen working in the background
1. This is the story 4 many o us who rarely hear God’s voice but…through the lens o faith can c God’s finger prints throughout their life
B. Naomi’s situation starts tragic
a. had a good fam w/2 sons
b. A famine struck their hm town o Bethlehem & so the husband took a job in the land o Moab
1. & lead his fam there.
c. while in the land Naomi’s husband died & her sons took foreign wives (a no-no in the OT)
1. Both sons died which left Naomi broken-hearted, destitute, & bitter
d. She determined 2 head hm & encouraged her daughters-in-law 2 stay in Moab
1. While one D.I.L. agreed, take another look @ Ruth’s response:
Ruth 1:16 ESV
16 But Ruth said, “Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God.
B. It may seem strange on Mother’s Day 2 choose a text about a mother-in-law
a. & not only that but a story w/such a tragic beginning
b. But most mothers eventually become mothers-in-law. Naomi is a good ex. o both.
1. & every mama can relate 2 tragedy…every1 has experienced heart ache, difficulty…struggle
C. Here’s a question I’d like 2 ponder:
a. Why did Ruth leave her own family & go 2 a foreign land lead by her mother-in-law?
1. It seems such an unusual thing 2 do.
2. I’ve heard some stories o mother-in-laws
i. Illust. my Leading Petty-Officer & his rel w/mom-in.law
- “if I thought I could get away w/it…I’d kill her”
3. Thankfully (& let me go on record saying) I cannot relate to stories o Monster-In-Laws
i. My M.I.L. is awesome...
-& I dodn’t say that only because I’m afraid she’d give me knowledge bumps 4 saying otherwise
b. So, again I ask:
1. Why follow ur M.I.L. & leave everything u know 2 go 2 a place where u know no-1 w/an uncertain future
I. Simply said, that’s the power of 1’s Faith Example
BODY
I. Ruth saw How Naomi Handled Herself in the Family
A. It must have been that Ruth saw Naomi as a good mother 2 her sons.
a. Otherwise Ruth would have returned 2 her own family.
B. It is likely that she also saw her as a good wife.
a. We c Naomi follow her husband 2 a foreign land, trusting God & her husband’s leadership
C. It is certain that she saw Naomi as a good mother-in-law. (just in text we c)
a. Naomi expresses appreciation 2 both o her daughters-in-law
Ruth 1:8 ESV
8 But Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go, return each of you to her mother’s house. May the Lord deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead and with me.
1. Naomi is clearly thankful 4 her D.I.L. & recognizes their kindness
b. She expresses good wishes 4 'em.
Ruth 1:9 ESV
9 The Lord grant that you may find rest, each of you in the house of her husband!” Then she kissed them, and they lifted up their voices and wept.
1. Maybe this is as much a prayer as an expression
2. A mama’s prayer is invaluable
c. Naomi was affectionate 2ward ‘em (she treats ‘em like her own
d. & Their weeping shows a bond o love btwn ‘em
II. Ruth saw How Naomi Handled Grief
A. The grief was honest & human
Ruth 1:20 ESV
20 She said to them, “Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me.
a. Meanings:
1. Naomi=pleasant
2. Mara=bitter
i. there’s a bit of witty word play here:
- Lit: “call me Mara, for the Almighty has cruelly marred me.”
b. Did God deal bitterly w/Naomi?
1. I don’t think so, but sometimes it can feel that way, huh?
2. I don’t think God causes all our bad circumstances, but I know God uses ‘em 4 our good
B. The grief was real
Ruth 1:21 ESV
21 I went away full, and the Lord has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi, when the Lord has testified against me and the Almighty has brought calamity upon me?”
a. These r genuine struggles o a real person
b. Many o us can relate 2 these emotions can’t we?
1. a mama who struggles w/emotions & sorrow isn’t a bad mama
2. what makes her a good mama is her authenticity!
i. Ruth wasn’t pushed away by Naomi’s genuineness, but was drawn in by her authenticity
C. Still Naomi’s grief did not destroy her faith.
a. She complained against God (understandably)
1. Naomi still trusted God.
b. Illust. (My mom)
1. mom struggled a great deal through her life
2. divorces
3. health issues
4. life altering injury
5. What is staggering is that through it all she talked o God’s presence during those times
c. Illust. (Rebekah’s struggle w/barrenness)
1. wrestled w/God…especially painful during M-day
2. I remember holding & weeping w/her as she wrestled w/God
d. but, like Naomi, Rebekah still trusted God.
1. How has ur mama expressed faith in her grief?
2. How might we honor & celebrate ‘em 4 that 2day?
III. Ruth Saw That the Source of Naomi’s Strength Lay in her Faith
A. We r touched by the phrase “your people will be my people”
a. but the most important words r “& your God my God.”
b. Illust. (Carol B. struggle)
1. Like Naomi, Carol (I call her mama 2) followed her husband frm East Side o WA 2 the west.
2. Tragedy hit when papa’s business venture imploded (not a sign o poor management, business is risky)
3. What struck me when I entered the fam. was Carol’s resolve 2 trust God.
4. It’s what kept her going, the source o her joy, I am amazed by her faith
B. Ruth saw YHWH (Isr. God) as superior to the gods of Moab.
a. This was not because Naomi had no sorrows, no tragedies, no disappointments.
1. Faith did not isolate her frm the harsh realities of life.
2. Faith empowered her so that they could b endured.
b. Ruth was so impacted by this that she followed Naomi & traded in her rel. 4 God
C. Naomi had this faith in spite of all that had gone wrong.
a. This is true of many great believers in the Bible.
1. It is certainly true of David in the OT & of Paul in the NT.
i. Life wasn't easy 4 'em
ii. & it may not b easy 4 us,
-but faith can live in our hearts even in the most difficult circumstances.
-This was an inspiration 2 Ruth!!
b. Naomi’s tough faith—her indestructible faith is an inspiration & it shaped Ruth’s life.
1. Illust. (Rebekah’s faith & Jeff)
i. Always wished Rebekah a happy M-day…has a great mama…Rebekah was still an inspiration 2 him.
IV. Naomi never turned out Ruth
A. Naomi had no idea what would happen or how God would provide
a. She could have scorned Ruth anytime over the course o the story, but never did
1. She consistently treated her as if Ruth was her own daughter
b. Illust. My mom
1. Would regularly go to bed w/just me in the house
2. but wake up w/3, 4, even 5 extra bodies
3. she always cooked breakfast & never turned ‘em away
c. Illust. Rebekah’s mom
1. let us live w/’em when we Got married & I had to go underway
2. let us come back when God lead us 2 the University till we could get on our feet
d. Times were hard
1. but my mom never turned my friends away
2. & Rebekah’s folks never turned us away
e. This is reflects the nature of God, who never turns us away
1. How has ur mama (or surrogate mama) reflected God’s character?
2. How might you honor & celebrate her 2day?
Conclusion
I. Mamas u may never know the impact ur faith ex. may have on the world
A. Naomi gave Ruth a great gift: faith.
a. Ruth gave Naomi a great gift: a child...
1. who was the ancestor o King David & eventually King Jesus. (Matt 1; Lk 3)
i. Matt starts w/Abraham & moves forward 2 Jesus
Matthew 1:5–6 ESV
5 and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse, 6 and Jesse the father of David the king. And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah,
“Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse, & Jesse the father of David the king”
-Boaz is Ruth’s later husband—
Luke 3:31–32 ESV
31 the son of Melea, the son of Menna, the son of Mattatha, the son of Nathan, the son of David, 32 the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of Sala, the son of Nahshon,
ii. Lk starts w/Jesus & goes backward
2. Naomi’s faith ex. impacted the trajectory o
i. a fam
ii. Then a nation...
iii. & eventually the world as Jesus is the savior o the world…an ancestor o Ruth
3. ur faith ex. will never produce the savior…(that’s been done)
4. but it may produce the next Billy Graham, D.L Moody, A.W. Tozer, etc.
i. Naomi could not have known that her faith that inspired her daughter-in-law had such far reaching impact…& u probably won’t either.
ii. Stay the course…don’t lose hope…stand firm
-Consider the Apostle Paul’s words in...
1 Corinthians 15:58 ESV
58 Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.
—In this case mama’s (reread w/beloved mamas)—
b. As 4 the rest o us:
1. Today is the day 2b thankful 4 the things our mothers (& mothers-in-law) have given us.
B. There r also those surrogate mothers:
a. people who filled the role of mother / were a mother figure 2 children who were not biologically theirs.
b. Many have been blessed by foster mothers & step-mothers, & even by neighbors who provided a mother image when it was needed.
c. Illust.
1. my mama to my friends
2. Rebekah shares the same story o her mama
3. My ex. being accepted
4. Rebekah 2 the teens in our youth
d. Let us be thankful 4 them & express our thanks 2 mamas, both bio & surrogate.
C. No Godly ex?
a. Maybe 2day, as u reflect, u recognize that u don’t have a godly ex.
1. Change the trajectory o ur family starting w/u!
i. Accept Jesus as LORD & SAVIOR
ii. be like Naomi & b that example
D. 2day can be heart wrenching 4 many
a. Maybe ur mama has passed
b. Maybe ur kids passed b4 ya
c. Maybe u can’t have kids
1. Let me pray for ya
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