MY REDEEMER

TEXT: Ruth 4:1-6

INTRODUCTION:  Story of little boy who’s dad takes him into the pet story and he wants the puppy wagging its tail and says I want the one with a happy ending. Beautiful love story about Boaz and Ruth.  A story that begins with a funeral but ends with a wedding, starts with a famine but ends with fullness, it begins with weeping but joy has come. Ruth was a Moabites and Boaz was an Israelite Ruth was from Moab, a nation that had a curse put on it. She was alienated from the commonwealth of Israel.  Boaz redeemed her, married her and brought her in.  Ruth is a picture of all of us.  The word redemption is used 15 times in this one chapter.

I.          Our Redemming lord (vs 1-6)

Law of the kinsman redeemer and law of Levi rite marriage God would give a family land and He wanted that land to stay in the family.  Sometimes that family would mortgage the land and loose it.  God had a plan that a member of that family could come and buy it back.  I f a man married a woman and they didn’t have any children, and the man died, the brother of this man would marry her.  There were three things a man had to have to buy back the land

A.        Legally Worth

1.      Ask the next of kin if they wanted to redeem the land

2.      The man said I will buy it, and Boaz reminded him that along with the land came a woman.  He said he couldn’t do it less he mar his own inheritance

3.      The nearer kinsman represents Adam

a)      Everybody is either in Adam or Christ

b)      Who is our real close kinsman-Adam

c)      In Adam all die

d)      Remember Boaz said lets get 10 witnesses Ten Commandments say our Adamic nature cannot save us

e)      We are all guilty of breaking at least one

f)       Broken only one-Hanging over a fire by 10 links 9 are forged steel 1 is paper how safe will you feel

g)      Notice how selfish me mine me me

4.      There is one in line who can redeem us

a)      Jesus became a human being that He might redeem us

b)      The Bible calls us His brother

c)      Jesus is legally worthy to redeem us. He could not redeem us as God though He is God

B.        Lavishly Wealthy

1.      Jesus is not only legally worthy, He is lavishly wealthy

2.      To buy back Ruth Boaz had to have money, he not only was called a wealthy man but was called a mighty wealthy man

3.      Jesus paid a greater price for us than Boaz paid for Ruth

1 Peter 1:18-19 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; 19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:

Ephesians 1:7  In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;

a)      Are we moved when we think about Calvary (Story of fisherman and dog)

4.      We have heard the story of Calvary so much that we are not moved by what Christ suffered

C.        Lovingly Willing

1.      Boaz did not have to buy Ruth, neither did the Lord have to buy us

2.      Nothing said he had to redeem us

3.      He doesn’t love us because we are valuable, we are valuable because he loved us 

II.       our renewd life

A.        Ruth had three major problems

Ephesians 2:12-13 That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: 13 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.

1.      Past

a)      Born a Moabite

b)      She was an alien

c)      She was under a curse

Deuteronomy 23:3 An Ammonite or Moabite shall not enter into the congregation of the LORD; even to their tenth generation shall they not enter into the congregation of the LORD for ever:

(1)  A Moabite was a descendant of Lot who had a child through an incestuous relationship with his daughter and a curse was put on the descendants

d)      Spiritually she was shut out.  She was born on the wrong side of the tracks and so are all of us.  In Adam all die

2.      Present

a)      Stranger of the Covenant of God

b)      The joy of Christ was not hers

c)      Her life was marked by tragedy, sorrow

d)      Her dreams had turned to dust and her hope had melted away 

3.      Future

a)      Hopeless

b)      Her pass cursed her present crushed her future condemned

c)      Ephesians 2:19

III.    our restored legacy

A.        Testimony of commitment

1.      Took of his shoe and handed it to another

2.      Speaks of taking the place of another

3.      That’s what Jesus did for us

4.      He stands in our shoes.  He takes the sin the hell all that we deserve

5.      He takes the price we cannot pay and says I’ll take his or her place

6.      Old man was asked what it’s like to be saved said “its like I’m standing in Jesus shoes and He’s standing in mine

B.        Ruth received

1.      A family, when you get saved you come into a family

2.      A fortune, no longer gleaning in the fields, she now owns the whole shebang

3.      A Fame If you don’t know Jesus, you’ll die, your soul will burn in hell but if you know Christ you will shine as a star in heaven.  You are a prince a princess, you have royal blood flowing in your veins, you are royalty

4.       Fruitfulness

5.      A Future Obed, Jesse, David the ancestor of the Lord Jesus Christ

CONCLUSION: When she got married all those witness were standing around.  Do you think she said I love Boaz but I just don’t want to tell anyone?  At a wedding the bride comes down the isle.  When wants everyone to know she is coming down the isle for him, she wants everyone to know she loves him

Down in the south, there are many churches known as "answer back" churches. When the preacher says something, the congregation naturally replies.

One Sunday, a preacher was speaking on what it would take for the church to become better. He said "If this church is to become better, it must take up it's bed, and walk." The congregation said "Let it walk, Preacher, let it walk."

Encouraged by their response, he went further. "If this church is going to become better, it will have to throw aside it's hindrances and run!" The congregation replied, "Let it run, preacher, let it run!"

Now really into his message, he spoke stronger. "If this church really wants to become great, it will have to take up it's wings and fly!" "Let it fly, Preacher, let it fly!"

the congregation shouts.

The Preacher gets louder. "If this church is going to fly, it will cost money!"

The congregation replied. "Let it walk, Preacher, let it walk."