CHRISTMAS: “A TALE OF 3 LADIES” (Ruth, Chapter 1)

FBC Earlville, N.Y. December 2, 2018 10:30 AM, Rev. Jeremy B. Stopford, Pastor

TODAY’S “SPECIAL”: A “Shepherd Funny”

Do you know why, in New Testament times, that shepherds refused to hang glide?

They were soar afraid!

INTRODUCTION

Inspiration for a message comes in many unusual forms, but I must admit this has been one of the most unusual sources of direction. The other night I couldn’t sleep, so I prayed! And in the middle of the prayer I asked the Lord where He wanted me to go in the way of messages for the Christmas season. All of a sudden, a still small voice said, “List the books of the Bible, and think of a book that has the Christmas story in it – a story from which you have not preached here in Earlville.” I’m thinking, sort of, “yeah, right.” Gen, Ex., Lev, Num, Deut., Joshua, Judges, RUTH.” Then it hit me – Ruth is the Old Testament Christmas story! So here we are.

Look at Ruth 1:1, “in the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land….” This verse takes us back to the LAST verse of Judges, Judges 21:25, “In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as he saw fit.” The family we are looking at for 3 of the next 4 Sundays lived at this time. They did not see life through the eyes of the Unseen Hand of God guiding them. They saw life, perhaps as many of you do, through the eyes of “what is best for my family; what is best for me.” That is a most practical guide, but outwardly it may appear to have no substance to it.

We will meet Elimelech and his family: Naomi, and two sons, Mahlon and Kilion. There is no mention of the Lord here in Chapter 1. There IS mention of a famine. Elimelech does what he thinks it best for his family in the famine, head to where there is food and water. Yet in the midst of this journey for what is best, there is the tale of 3 ladies who will lead us to Christmas. And there is the tale of the Hand of the Unseen God. Perhaps we all will see Him in a fresh way this Christmas season, too. PRAYER

1. NAOMI – THE EYES OF THE FACTS

We are introduced to Naomi in 1:2. She was Elimelech’s wife. Her name means “pleasant”. Can you imagine all the hopes and joys her parents had when they named her that? Let’s check the facts of her life:

#1 FAMILY! (1:1-2) Is it possible for a couple to be a family, with children, but not be a family? Naomi was born in a family of Israel, presumably in the area of Bethlehem. Tuck that information away. Something happens really famous in that city many years later. You may want to remember that!

And she marries a dude from Israel named “Elimelech”. His name means, “God is King.” They settle in Bethlehem. The ancient city of Bethlehem was once called “Ephrath”, so in our story they are known as “Ephrathites” – that would tell people they were from Bethlehem. So far so good. They have the potential of some very spiritual roots. What could go wrong?

#2 FAMINE! (1:1)

Famine is often used in Scripture as a source of judgment. Remember the times of the days – everyone doing what is right in their own eyes. The famine is designed by a loving Heavenly Father to point His children to Himself! It is providentially designed to cause His children to seek His face, His help, His direction. He did that often to Israel as a nation, and He does that often in our lives. Even the prophet Amos (8:11) talked about a “famine of the word of God.”

There is no mention in these verses that Elimelech sought the Lord’s leading here during the famine. He simply sought what was best. And it is neat that the Lord is gracious. Because through the famine, this family will learn God’s grace (or “favor”).

#3 Went to Moab (1:1) – they headed south, a symbol for going away from the land of promise. Israel, the land of blessing. Moab, the land of the enemy. That’s a fact

#4 Continued there (1:2) – this indicates that when the famine was over, well, they were happen in the land of the enemies of Israel.

#5 Elimelech died (1:3) – this is a major change in Naomi’s life, as it has been for many that we know. This was a fact, a fact with which she would have to adjust quickly

#6 Her sons took Moabites for wives (1:4), contrary to the Mosaic law which demanded that an Israelite was to take a wife from the tribe in which he was born.

#7 The sons died (1:5). “Mahlon” means “sick”; “Chilion” means “pining”. Perhaps all their lives they were a tad sickly, and Naomi like a good mother had to deal with their illnesses often. But now her husband and 2 sons were gone.

#8 She returns to the land of blessing (1:6). Her conclusion, v. 13 and vs. 19-21, she is no longer “Naomi” (“pleasant”), but “Mara” (“bitter”).

2 Cor. 5:7 says, “for we walk by faith not by sight.” Thankfully, the story does not end here. But looking at the facts, Naomi was now a most miserable woman despite the blessings of the roots of her life and heritage.

2. ORPAH – THE EYES OF THE FLESH

We don’t have a whole lot of info about her.

But we know her heart: Verses 7-8 and verses 13-15 show that the roots of her life were the false gods of Moab. She returned to her roots. She returned to a life without God and without hope.

What a sad commentary! There is nothing more in scripture mentioned about Orpah. She might have had an godly heritage created in Israel, the land of promise, but she chose the false gods, the empty gods of the world.

Is it possible for those who say they love Jesus to so settle for those empty gods as well? Ponder that a while.

A choice must be made. Orpah chose the flesh over the faith.

3. RUTH – THE EYES OF THE FAITH

Note this: Ruth saw the facts of the famine as well as the hope of Israel. She saw the faith of Naomi, as feeble as it may have been.

She saw the death.

She saw the eyes of the flesh through her sister-in-law, Orpah.

But she had a look, a look of faith! (vs. 16-17).

Isn’t it funny that these verses are often quoted at weddings? But the context is the SPIRITUAL RELATIONSHIP between a daughter-in-law and her mother-in-law!

NOTE v. 18, “she was determined” – steadfastly minded!

The eyes of faith have a mindset on the Lord, and respond accordingly.

She, like Orpah, realized the offer of Naomi was a choice between the gods of Moab and the living and true God of Israel.

What a crossroads! And she made the right choice!

CONCLUSION

Our conclusion is based on the reality, firm upon God’s word, that we are people of promise.

How is your sight today – through the eyes of facts, flesh, or faith?

When we read the last chapter, we will see God has not nor ever will change, that He is the God of promise, of His Word!

3 ladies of Christmas. Perhaps you never heard of them before.

They’re tucked away in the Christmas book of the Old Testament, the Book of Ruth!

Close in prayer

FBC Earlville, N.Y. , Rev. Jeremy B. Stopford, Pastor

TODAY’S “SPECIAL”: “Two Turkey Funnies”

#1: A lady was picking through the frozen turkeys at the grocery store, but couldn’t find one big enough for her family.
She asked a stock boy, “Do these turkeys get any bigger?”
The stock boy replied, “No ma’am, they’re dead.”

#2: An industrious turkey farmer was always experimenting with breeding to perfect a better turkey.
His family was fond of the legs for dinner and there were never enough for everyone. After many frustrating attempts, the farmer was relating the results of his efforts to his friends at the general store get together: “Well I finally did it. I bred a turkey that has 6 legs!”
They all asked the farmer how it tasted.
“I don’t know,” said the farmer. “I could never catch the thing!”

INTRODUCTION

The unnamed psalmist in Psalm 116:17 writes, “I will sacrifice a thank offering to You and call on the name of the Lord.” In our NKJV (and similar to KJV) it reads, “I will offer to You the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the name of the Lord.” The phrases “thank offering” and “sacrifice of thanksgiving” are quite connected. They imply an offering that has no earthly value. They imply an offering which financially cost the giver absolutely nothing. But an offering must cost the giver something, right? So what is the cost? The cost is the acknowledgement that the Lord Himself is the Giver of all that we have. The offering – the sacrifice of thanksgiving – is the returning to the Lord what He already owns, the recognition that He is the Provider of all that we have. THAT is why it is a “sacrifice”! It is our humblement – as a fellow college student used to call it – to admit that for what the Lord has given only He deserves the praise and thanks for that gift.
Let’s look at some of those things which caused the author of this psalm to offer such a sacrifice. And, in turn, may these prod our hearts to a spirit of thanksgiving as well. PRAYER

1. The intimacy with the Lord (v. 1)

This is huge! The psalmist admits to a personal acquaintance with the living God! It was so personal that he had absolutely no uncertainty that when he prayed, the Lord heard. Not only did God hear his prayer, He also heard his cry for mercy. “Mercy” is the calling out for help that one does not deserve. In light of the cross, it is the Savior taking upon Himself the sacrifice that we deserve because of our sin. Mercy.
So why is this huge? It is huge because of the intimacy. The psalmist had an open book before the Lord. Nothing was hidden between the Savior and he. And the psalmist knew, he KNEW FOR CERTAIN, that not only did the Lord hear, but He answered the psalmist’s cry for help for which he was not worthy.
Do you share that intimacy with the Lord? Is your relationship with Him personal, or is it so shallow that there is uncertainty in your faith that God even hears your cries? Listen to Psalm 55:17, “Evening and morning and at noon I will pray, and cry aloud, and He shall hear my voice.” Intimacy – the Lord has designed it to last all day long! Do we enjoy it all day long?

2. The Lord preserves the simple. WHEN? (v. 6)

The psalmist recognizes that he cannot fake his walk with the Lord. His walk is not to be high-minded but, literally simple or “simplehearted.” Let’s look at the many times when the psalmist saw God’s preserving hand:

A. Tough times (v.3). You and I may not face too many “death defying” issues too often. Those are the toughest of times. The times which, as the psalmist writes, “entangle” him. He feels strangled, wondering “WHEN will this end?” Isn’t it refreshing the open honesty of this writer?
But “tough times” don’t necessarily have to be “death defying”, do they? They can also be those times when you are awaiting the proverbial “light at the end of the tunnel” and that light seems to never come. You’ve been there. I’ve been there. Tough times. “I was overcome by trouble and sorrow,” he writes. Isn’t it nice to know that we are not alone in the things that come our way?

B. When the soul is low (v. 4). Closely related to verse 3 is when the soul is low. How low? It is so low that he calls out to the Lord for deliverance! “Lord save me!”
Aren’t you glad that books like “Jonah” are in the Good Book? Listen to the opening words of Jonah 2. These are Jonah’s recordings of his wrestling with the Lord after being swallowed by the great fish. He wrote, (vs. 1-4), “Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the fish’s belly. And he said:
“I cried out to the Lord because of my affliction, and He answered me.
“Out of the belly of Sheol I cried, and You heard my voice. For You cast me into the deep, into the heart of the seas, and the floods surrounded me; All Your billows and Your waves passed over me. Then I said, ‘I have been cast out of Your sight; Yet I will look again toward Your holy temple.’”
These are the written recordings of when the soul is low. Now I don’t think too many of us will find ourselves in the belly of another great fish prepared by the Lord for you or me. But the situations of life may feel that way.
And it is then when the Lord preserves the simple!

C. When God’s grace, righteousness, and compassion are on display (v. 5)
Have you ever read Ephesians 3:10? It reads, “ to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places”. Wasn’t that great? OK, so I’ve taken it out of context. Let’s listen to it from The Message, “Through followers of Jesus like yourselves gathered in churches, this extraordinary plan of God is becoming known and talked about even among the angels!”
So when are God’s grace, righteousness, and compassion on display? When the angels look down on us. What are they thinking when they see us? Well, they know that they have been redeemed for eternity. The good angels will always belong to the Heavenly Father. Always. They did not have to pay for that ownership. They were given it by choice, when they chose to follow Him rather than the devil when he fell from heaven.
But they remember what we were like before we came to the cross! They remember what we were like before we trusted Jesus as Savior! And they look at us as we sit in our churches and offer praise to the living Lord. And they marvel, perhaps thinking, “HOW could the Lord have done that with creatures who were without God and without hope? HOW?”
God’s grace, righteousness, and compassion are on display though us every day. Wow. The Lord preserves the simple, and puts us on display!

3. The Lord keeps the soul at rest (v. 7)

Remember the words of our Lord Jesus in Matthew 11:28? He said, “Come unto Me all who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
I like this verse. It tells me to “come to Jesus”. It says to come and find that He alone is worthy of my eternal as well as my daily trust. He is worthy of my eternal trust, for He alone was qualified to die for my sins at Calvary. He is the only sinless Savior. There is no other. He is worthy of my daily trust, for He is the Good Shepherd! He doesn’t say, “come to My Church” or “come to My religion.” He says, “come to Me.” The Lord keeps the soul at rest.
And when the Lord gives the soul rest, the psalmist says that His bounty is on display! He has been good to us!
And in giving the soul rest, the Lord gives daily deliverance to walk before Him in the land of the living! Look at verses 8-9. The Lord loves to deliver His children: from death, from tears, from stumbling, all so that we may walk with Him right where He has wisely placed us.
But He gives rest in one more area. Look at the classic verse 15, “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints.” Perhaps you’ve heard this quoted at a funeral. How on earth can the psalmist combine the two words “precious” and “death”? Because the psalmist is looking by faith at what the one who has passed away is now looking at by sight! The psalmist is seeing by faith that the promises of God have come true to the one whose soul has found rest in the Lord alone.
Have you found that eternal rest? Have you found that daily rest?

Conclusion

So what does a “sacrifice of thanksgiving” look like?
Permit me to close with the reading of a portion of a recent thanksgiving encouragement sent by Dr. Michael Peck:
““Do you think we’ve remembered everything?” Dustin asked his exhausted wife. “I don’t know, but it is too late now to worry about it!” Liz replied. The family was flying across the country to be with Dusty’s family for the Thanksgiving holiday. “You know, Honey,” Liz said quietly, “after all the extra hours you crammed into your work so that you would be able to get away for a few days, after all the expenses to make the trip, after the late night packing and the early morning rising, knowing the lines at the airport, going through security, and everything else, I am not feeling so very thankful at the minute.” Just then Liz’s phone dinged, so she silently read it. “It’s a text from your mom. Let me read it to us. ‘Dusty and Liz, it’s the middle of the night still here. I am crying as I text. I am coming before His presence with thanksgiving and making a joyful noise unto Him. Giving great thanksgiving because in five hours I will get to hug my grandchildren and you folks, too. I am such a thankful Grandma. Love you.’”
THAT is a sacrifice of thanksgiving! When a Grandma looks “outside the box”, the circumstances of all the effort, and sees the Lord’s hand of grace, righteousness, and compassion on display through the events of her life.
THAT is a sacrifice of thanksgiving! When a family comes to realize what true thanksgiving really looks like.
THAT is a sacrifice of thanksgiving! When you and I say, “Father, I am unworthy of Your kindnesses toward me. I return to you what You have given to me. I return to you my thanks.”
Have you remembered “the sacrifice of thanksgiving” this Thanksgiving? It begins at the cross. It continues every day in a living walk with the living Lord. And it will continue one day when we are preciously in His presence!
Have you offered “the sacrifice of thanksgiving” today?

Close in prayer

Pastor Jeremy and Thuvia Stopford

“DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME!” (Mark 16)

Closing Message – “Gospel of Mark” Series

Jeremy B. Stopford, Pastor, First Baptist Church, Earlville, NY

TODAY’S “SPECIAL”: “A Pun or Two”

Snow in November happens because people prematurely decorate for Christmas!

What do you call dental x-rays? Tooth pics!

When I was little my mom used to feed me alphabet soup claiming I’d love it. I didn’t really – she was just putting words in my mouth.

Did you hear about the accident at Lenscrafters? A new tech got his hand caught in the lens grinder. Injuries were minor, but he really made a spectacle of himself!

Once upon a time there were two mice who lived in a museum. One evening after the museum had closed, the first mouse crawled into a huge suit of armor. Before he knew it, he was lost. “Help! Help!” He shouted to his friend. “Help me make it through the knight.”

INTRODUCTION

If last week was “Good Friday”, then today – Mark 16 – must be Resurrection Sunday. Yes, it is Easter once again. Only please, one last time, do not be confused with this notation in our NIV which say that “these verses are not in the original text.” We should know by now that the NIV was not based upon the same text from which we get our KJV and NKJV. The NIV was based upon an older, but unfortunately obviously not as reliable, text. The end result is that sometimes it must come up with such observations.

But please don’t allow such observations to detract us to the magnitude of the message of the first Resurrection Sunday! There are many wonderful tidbits here. And there are glimpses that Mark wonderfully includes that make his narrative a treasure. Let’s go find them this morning! PRAYER

A. AN INTERESTING TIDBIT FROM MARK 16

Angels! Did you know that over 290 times in the Bible, angels are mentioned? So obviously the subject is important to the Lord. Brace yourself – whenever an angel is identified, the angel is always identified as being male. There are NO female angels identified in Scripture. None!

Angels play a very important part in the resurrection story. Depending upon the witness, there were either one or two angels at the empty tomb. In Mark 16:5, the angel in Mark’s account is interestingly described as “a young man”. We know from other accounts that he is an angel. However, isn’t it neat to see that God is very detailed in describing this angel as being “young”? So God does not limit the age – at least the appearance of age – in His servants.

Are there angels today? Well, of course! I walked into the house the other day and a voice from the kitchen said, “is that you, angel?” Hmm. She knows! But I can prove to you without a doubt that there are angels today. First of all, the scriptures – Hebrews 1 in particular – say that angels are “ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will become the heirs of salvation.” Yes, you and I have guardian angels – or better, “ministering angels.” We may not be aware of them by sight, but by faith we can trust the Lord that they are there. So to say “my angel must be watching over me,” or “My angel must be working overtime today” may not be irreverent statements!

Second, there is a classic passage in 2 Kings 6. A student of the prophet Elisha and he found them surrounded by the enemy forces. The student was concerned as to what they were to do, and he was quite frightened. Elisha in typical fashion allays the young man’s fears: “there are more of us than there are of them!” Elisha then prays for the disciple’s eyes to be open. And they are! He sees that they are surrounded by the hosts of the Lord – all with drawn swords. Do we have that sense of the presence of the Lord at all times?

But third, I would like to prove to you by way of a demonstration. I need a volunteer. (one should come forward). Now hold still. Don’t move. OK, here goes. (I’ll put my arms on his/her shoulder). There! You have just been touched by an angel! Me! See – angels ARE real today! The actual definition of the word “angel” is “messenger, one who has been sent”. So if you are a messenger of the good news that Jesus loves you, then, well, by the authority of scripture even you are an angel – just like me!

B. MARK’S GLIMPSES OF THE RESURRECTION

Mark 16 is by far the shortest of the four gospels’ resurrection accounts. So Mark gives us what I call “glimpses” of the story. He tells us of the eyewitnesses – the 3 ladies who saw where the Savior was buried are the first to be at the tomb Sunday morning. Mary Magdalene is mentioned, verse 9, and we are given a reminder of her being the one out of whom the Savior had driven seven demons. John (chapter 20) gives us an extended narrative of her encounter with the resurrected Savior.

In Mark 16:12, Mark shares about the 2 men who were walking on the road to Emmaus. Luke 24 gives us their extended conversation with the Lord Jesus. But note please the way Mark words it: “Jesus appeared in a different form”. In these two stories, the ones Jesus was with did not recognize Him at first. For Mary, His tender voice gave Him away. For the two on the road, it was His familiar prayer of benediction over a meal. The Apostle Paul picked up on this. In our KJV in Phil. 2:5-8 are Paul’s classic words:

“Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.”

Did you notice? “Who being in the form of God” (v. 6) and “taking the form of a bondservant” (v. 7). That is the very theme of Mark! Remember Mark 10:45, our series’ theme verse: “For even the Son of man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” “The form” has as its roots meaning “the very nature of”. The Lord Jesus is the “God-Man”. He would repeatedly answer the demand, “please show us the Father”, with the wise insight, “if you have seen Me, you have seen the Father.” He is the very nature of the Father. John 10:30 reminds us, “I and the Father are one.” Wow! And Mark picks up on that in the resurrection accounts. The Savior becomes a Servant so that He may be the Savior.

But there is one huge glimpse that Mark gives in this final chapter. Did you catch it? In verse 3, “Who will roll the stone away?” And verse 6, “don’t be alarmed.” How about verse 8, “trembling and bewildered…they were afraid.” And verse 11, after hearing Mary Magdalene’s eyewitness account, the disciples response? “They did not believe it.” After hearing the next amazing story of the two eyewitnesses on the road, the disciples’ response is seen in verse 13, “they did not believe them either.”

I like the way our NIV words the Savior’s response when He appears firsthand to His frightened disciples: “He rebuked them for their lack of faith and their stubborn refusal to believe” the eyewitnesses (verse 14). Yet remember this: Mark writes as one of us. As throughout his book Mark records the many instances of the learner’s lack of faith, so we, too, are being recorded for the many times where we do not trust the Lord. We are these disciples. This is our story, too. Let us learn with them – for after Pentecost, they were giants of the faith. And so we should be, too.

CONCLUSION

Mark wraps up his account with two fascinating commands of the Lord Jesus, the Savior’s last words of instruction to His disciples. First, Mark shares the Great Commission, with a twist. Please don’t let the wording confuse you! Mark quotes Jesus as saying (v. 16), “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved.” IF you leave that by itself, you would have to conclude that in order to be saved I must add something to my faith: be baptized. I must do a work in order to be saved. But see that Mark doesn’t end there. The next line is, “but whoever does not believe will be condemned.” As with the wisdom of James, “faith without works is dead,” so Mark is showing that first of all, I must demonstrate my inward faith by showing publicly that I belong to the Lord. But if I don’t have faith in the risen Savior, then I will not belong to Him throughout eternity.

And then the sermon title? “Do not try this at home.” Mark concludes his letter with a most unique command of the Savior: drive out demons, speak in new tongues, pick up snakes with your hands, you will not be affected by ingested poison, and you will heal all upon whom you place your hands. Wow! There are many groups today – presumably in the south – that adhere religiously to these words. But please do not neglect Mark’s closing words, for we will see them again in Hebrews 2:3-4. The Lord Jesus verified His Word through the new church with accompanying sign gifts. These gifts were displayed on demand by each of God’s servants. These gifts were to verify that what the early church was proclaiming is true: Jesus is alive! Even a casual reading of the books following Acts show that, once the Word of God was in complete written form, those sign gifts were no longer needed.

I have read, however, that in some of the African countries where God’s word is not in written language, many of these gifts are still present. But that is the exception, and certainly not the norm! Please, keep me away from snakes!

I have enjoyed preparing and presenting this series through the Gospel of Mark. I trust it has been as much an encouragement – and a challenge – to you as Mark’s gospel has been to me.

What is needed is a love for the Word of God! And the greatest lesson of Mark is that what is needed among those of us who claim to know the Lord Jesus is a servant’s heart. My life is not my own – I belong to the King of kings.

Is that your heart today? Have you come to the cross for your eternal trust? Are you showing publicly your faith in action? Is your life not your own, because you have been bought with the price of His precious blood?

Are you a servant of the King?

Close in prayer