Strong-Arming Strongholds: 2 Corinthians 10:1-6

History will reveal many opinions about the presidency of Donald Trump. Some good. Some bad. Some true. Some untrue. One of President Trump’s strengths or weaknesses that will stand out is his ability to strong-arm his way to results. 

The people who see his strong-arm tactics as a virtue believe it is the only way to get things done in Washington. Others see it as a weakness and a character flaw that characterizes all bullies and dictators.   

When using strong-arm tactics, you are forcing someone to do something. This can be a magnificent thing when negotiating a trade deal or alliance. Unfortunately, perception is reality, making these types of tactics look evil. Nobody likes a bully or a dictator. 

With the battle of the mind, it requires strong-arm tactics. If you don’t have a strong-arm mentality in the mind's battle you will experience defeat.  

Growing up, I played football. I was a fairly large kid, so I often played on the line of scrimmage on both the offense and defense. My fondest memory playing was my one and only career interception. I can’t tell you how excited I was to make that interception. All my teammates were high-fiving me as I went to the sideline. I couldn’t wait to see what my coach thought of my spectacular play. 

I was a little taken back when he didn’t share in my excitement. In fact, he looked at me and said, “What were you doing that far back from the line of scrimmage?” The opposite team’s offensive line dominated our defensive line that game.  I was so far from the line because the linemen strong-armed me to the ground. When I got off the ground, the quarterback threw the football into my arms. I am convinced when he passed the ball he didn’t see me because I was getting up. We lost that game because the other team controlled the line of scrimmage. They often say, “The team that controls the line wins games.”  

Winning the mind’s battle comes when one can control the mind. I’m convinced that 100% of spiritual battles begin in the mind and won in the mind.  As a result, it’s paramount that we learn to strong-arm strongholds in the mind.  

One of the most, if not the most, prominent passages dealing with the battle of the mind is 2 Corinthians 10:1-6: “I, Paul, myself entreat you, by the meekness and gentleness of Christ—I who am humble when face to face with you, but bold toward you when I am away!—I beg of you that when I am present, I may not have to show boldness with such confidence as I count on showing against some who suspect us of walking according to the flesh. For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God and take every thought captive to obey Christ, being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete.”

To rightly understand and apply this passage, we must put ourselves in the right group. Let me explain. In the last four chapters of this letter, Paul is defending his ministry against the attacks that were coming from false teachers within the church.  In chapter 11, Paul identifies these individuals as “false apostles,” “deceitful workmen,” and “servants of Satan.” Not flattering titles. 

Now, notice specifically verses 4-5: “For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God and take every thought captive to obey Christ.” We often misread these verses, we don’t understand them in context. Paul is not referring to the strongholds in his mind in these verses, nor is he referring directly to the strongholds in our minds as believers. Otherwise, he would have put these in the form of imperative verbs. He doesn’t.  The strongholds of the mind that he is referring to are the ones that have caused the individuals in the Corinthian church to become “false apostles,” deceitful workmen,” and “servants of Satan.”  Paul will demolish those strongholds with weapons of divine power with the hopes of these individuals living a life of obedience and devotion to Christ.  

Therefore, we can only properly apply these verses to our own strongholds when we put ourselves in the group deceived by the enemy. When strongholds of the mind take us captive, we must use strong-armed tactics to break them.  This happens when we first recognize the strongholds.  

Recognize strongholds

In the last part of verse 2, Paul reveals criticism from the false teachers, “who suspect us of walking according to the flesh.” The term “flesh” can take on different meanings, depending on the context. In this context, it refers to Paul doing ministry by the standard of the world, doing things from a purely human way.  

Paul rejects the criticism of doing ministry by the standards of the world in verse 3, “For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh.” He then goes on in verse 4 to reveal his spiritual warfare: “For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but have divine power to destroy strongholds.” 

The Greek word for “stronghold” means “fortified place.” It is a military term. Paul is using this term as a metaphor to teach us an important truth about the spiritual battle of the mind.  What exactly is a stronghold?

Dr. David Dykes defines it well: “Strongholds are patterns of faulty thinking that become entrenched in the mind.”  When faulty thinking takes hold of the mind, it becomes a stronghold that shapes the mind and then works out in life as behavior.  Once we recognize what a stronghold is, then we must begin identifying strongholds.

Identify strongholds

Strongholds can be on two levels: social and personal. Paul is dealing with social or community strongholds within a congregation. I want to focus on personal strongholds. 

A stronghold is a pattern of faulty thinking. This means that the list can be long and exhaustive. Here are a few common strongholds that entrench the minds of God’s people:  Unforgiveness, bitterness, self-condemnation, insecurities, gossip, envy, greed, self-pity, fear, lust, anger, failure, success, despair, and discouragement. 

In my thirty-plus years of walking with the Lord, I have experienced seasons of struggling with strongholds. When I was in my mid-twenties, I struggled with the stronghold of failure. I was so afraid of failure that I would not attempt to do anything. I knew God had called me to ministry, and I needed to go to school to prepare, and I planned on it. However, on account of my fear of failure, I kept putting it off. 

Most men can relate to the stronghold of lust. This one particular stronghold is one I continue to battle daily. This stronghold, if not strong-armed, destroys individuals and families. 

Recently, I have been battling the stronghold of self-pity, which finds its source in fear. One characteristic of self-pity is self-condemnation. Satan loves to find this weakness and attack it. When I was not condemning myself because of the circumstances I was in I turned blame onto God. This stronghold causes depression and hopelessness. I have to constantly strong-arm this stronghold. 

These are just a few of my personal strongholds. Satan will devise as many as he can to destroy lives. 

If we are honest with ourselves, there are areas in our lives which we seem to fall and fail again and again. Like Paul, we desire to do good, but can’t. When we have a weakness or recurring sin in our lives, it’s highly possible a pattern of faulty thinking is to blame. Realizing and identifying strongholds is good, but to win the battle of the mind we must attack strongholds.  

Attack strongholds 

In verses 4-5, Paul reveals the strategy and weapons for attacking strongholds: “For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God and take every thought captive to obey Christ.” The goal when attacking strongholds is to destroy them. How? Verse 5, “We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God and take every thought captive to obey Christ.” The first powerful weapon we need is the word of God. 

The Word of God

A stronghold is a pattern of faulty thinning that comes against the knowledge of God. It is an argument or opinion or belief contrary to the word of God.  Therefore, we must put ourselves under the authority of the word of God, listen to it, and submit to it.  

The Apostle James describes this process well: “Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. Therefore, put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. But be doers of the word, and not hearers only deceiving yourselves.” What does this look like daily?

We do it by refocusing, refilling, and renewing our minds with the truth. We do this through daily meditation and worship. The next weapon is the Spirit of God.  

The Spirit of God

In verse 4, Paul says that the weapons we use have “divine power.” The word of God is powerful, living, and active. Just filling our minds with God’s truth is not enough. We need the power of the Holy Spirit to deliver our thoughts taken captive by the enemy. We need the power of the Holy Spirit to bring deliverance and healing.  

The Holy Spirit’s power takes captive those thoughts against the knowledge of God and gives us the mind of Christ. 

We must expose ourselves to the soul searching power of the Spirit of God and the word of God. But there is one more “divine weapon” implied in this text, and that is the people of God. 

The People of God

In verse 6, Paul says: “being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete.” If Paul’s letter does not destroy the strongholds of his critics, he will need to confront them from the position of strength. The church as a whole would need to be behind him for him to have this position. When Paul says: “when your obedience is complete,” he is speaking about their support. When dealing with strongholds we need the support of the people of God.  

As individuals dealing with strongholds, this is very difficult. Asking the people of God to support you makes you vulnerable and transparent. This is very difficult when you have a hard time trusting people. God designed us to do life together, to demolish strongholds together, keeping each other accountable.  

I’m reminded of the three pastors who helped each other with their personal strongholds. In their first meeting together, each pastor shared his struggle. The first pastor said that he struggled with lustful thoughts. The second pastor said that he struggled with greed. The third pastor said that he struggled with gossip, and couldn’t wait for the meeting to end. 

On a more serious note, let me share the story of a couple. Their names are Mark and Martha. After twenty-five years of marriage and four children, Mark and Martha would embark on a very painful journey. 

Mark had just turned forty-eight years old. He was having this twitch in one of his muscles, so he visited his doctor. Within a month of this doctor’s visit, they diagnosed Mark with Lou Gehrig’s disease. Now Mark sits in a wheelchair, unable to move anything but his eyes. 

Early on, Martha and Mark both struggled with despair. The stronghold of fear had taken hold of both of them, and they were not doing well at all. They realized that they needed to start strong-arming the stronghold, so both started memorizing every verse they could think of that dealt with God’s care. They tried to find creative ways to beat into their hearts and minds the love and faithfulness of God. They planted themselves in the truth of God’s word, even though everything in their lives seemed otherwise, and relied on the Spirit of God to give them the strength to take these thoughts captive for Christ.  Then, the people of God from their church moved into their lives in tangible ways, helping, supporting, and strengthening them to strong-arm the strongholds even ten years into the disease.  

Destroying the stronghold of despair in their lives has enabled them to find meaning, purpose, growth, and even joy amid their loss.  It’s difficult, but we need the people of God along with the word of God and the Spirit of God to strong-arm strongholds.  

In Pursuit of Happiness: Psalm 128

This moment in time is historic.  We will remember the year 2020 as one of the most difficult for many.  A pandemic has impacted the entire world, almost bringing it to its knees.  The United States has experienced injustice, protests, riots, and looting, crippling several major cities around the country.  When you read the news or turn it on and watch it, you find suffering is everywhere.  

What astonishes me about the suffering is that it is so traumatic for Americans. When I talk to people on the streets, at my job, or in other places, they always say they could do better, if the circumstances were more agreeable. Why do Americans take suffering more traumatic than other cultures? Is it because we live in a secular society? Yes, in part.  But I find the genuine reason is the greatest purpose of being American: the pursuit of happiness and freedom.  This pursuit does not allow suffering to fit within it well.  

Since the highest purpose of being an American is the pursuit of freedom and happiness, and we live in a secular society, no longer reliant upon God, the burden of experiencing this chief purpose is the individual. Therefore, we vote for politicians that will make us happy and keep us free, and politicians make it their job to make us happy and comfortable.  

Maybe all the chaos and commotion we are witnessing around the country results from unhappy people trying to find happiness. The pursuit of happiness can be disastrous, or helpful.  Another way to put it is the pursuit of happiness can make you unhappy, or happy.  To avoid becoming unhappy in pursuit of happiness, we need to make sure we are pursuing true happiness.  True happiness is not dependent upon outward circumstances, but an inward disposition.  True happiness, when found, will impact the surrounding people, and, if possible, the surrounding circumstances.  

We can find the prescription for genuine happiness in Psalm 128, “Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord, who walks in his ways! You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands; you shall be blessed, and it shall be well with you. Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your children will be like olive shoots around your table. Behold, thus shall the man be blessed who fears the Lord. The Lord bless you from Zion! May you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life! May you see your children’s children! Peace be upon Israel!” 

Every verse uses the words “blessed” or “bless” except for verses 3 and 6. What I find interesting is that it uses two different Hebrew words, instead of one. Verses 1-2 use the word “asher,” and verses 4-5 use the word “barak.” They use the latter word when God blesses a person or a people; the former word translates most often as “happy” and describes the good fortune that comes when people do what pleases God.  When things are going well, we often feel happy. However, the happiness of verse one does not depend upon the circumstances of life, but the priority of life.  The priority of life reveals that the pursuit of true happiness begins with the individual.  

The Pursuit of Happiness Begins with the Individual

Verse one, “Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord, who walks in his ways!” A better translation is “very happy is everyone who fears the Lord, who walks in his ways.” If you want to be “very happy,” in life, then you will need to be in a right relationship with the Lord.  

Relationship 

The Hebrew name for God in verse one is Yahweh. It is always used in a relationship between God and man, specifically a covenant relationship.  Israel was in a covenant relationship with God.  In the same manner, under the New Covenant, we must be in a covenant with the Lord, and this is only possible through faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ for salvation. This is the starting point for a life of happiness. When we are in a right relationship with the Lord, our lives will reveal it with a proper reverence for the Lord.  

Reverence

The very happy man or women will fear the Lord. We don’t always associate happiness with fear, but not the case with true happiness. When you fear the Lord, you will take the Lord seriously. You understand that he is the sovereign Lord, holy and set apart, in control of all things. When you fear the Lord, you have an extreme reverence, deep respect, and awe for him.  What does that look like?

The Lord becomes the top priority of your life.  Every endeavor you embark on will have him at the center.  He becomes everything we are, or think, or aspire to do. The apostle Paul put it well when he said, “to live is Christ.” We put him first. If we have this reverence, then we will want to please and honor him in everything. The right relationship leads to the right reverence, which leads to the right responsibility. 

Responsibility

If we want to please and honor the Lord in everything, then we will walk in his ways.  Simply put, we will strive to obey him.  We find real freedom and happiness in God’s word. Many people look at the Bible as a book of rules that keep you from freedom and happiness. However, when we live our lives in God’s word and God’s will, we experience freedom and happiness.  Outside of God’s word and will you find guilt, shame, fear, sorrow, and death. 

Before Christ found me, I was wild. I loved to party and used all kinds of stimulates that I thought made me happy. I remember sitting with a friend, drinking beer and smoking marijuana, and the subject of Christianity came up. Not sure how, but it did. I shared with my friend that my brother had become a Christian and his life changed.  I then said to him, I could never become a Christian because I didn’t want to give up the drugs and alcohol that I thought made me happy.  

Not too long after that conversation, the Lord started working in my life.  The things I thought would make me happy, left me empty and unhappy.  I was miserable. Where I once believed becoming a Christian would make me unhappy, the Holy Spirit started impressing upon me the words, “You will never be happy until you become a Christian.” Eventually, I started reading the Bible. One night, while reading Matthew chapter five, I surrendered my life to Jesus with this simple prayer, “Lord, I want to be a Christian, but I can’t do it. I need your help.” The surrender of that night changed my life forever.  It was at the cross of Jesus that I received my sight, and now I’m happy all my days, not because my circumstances are good, but my relationship with the Lord is good.  When we experience true happiness with the Lord, as this first verse describes, it will have an immediate impact on our lives, and the lives of those around us.  

The Experience of True Happiness has an Immediate Impact

When a man or woman fears the Lord and walks in his ways, it will impact character.  

Character 

If you walk in the ways of the Lord, then you will walk in integrity.  A godly character will characterize your life. When our time on earth is over the only things we can take with us are relationships and our character.  Therefore, it is paramount, not only that we witness for God but also walk with him. I pray that when my life is over that my family and friends will remember me as a man who walked in the ways of the Lord. I know that they won't remember my sermons because I can’t remember my own sermons. I want them to remember that I loved Jesus. Another immediate impact will be contentment.  

Contentment

Verse two, “You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands; you shall be blessed, and it shall be well with you.” You shall be happy and well. How many of us want to be happy and well? Well, it begins with a right relationship with the Lord, which in turn impacts our character and our contentment. When you find true happiness in the Lord, he will take care of your needs. 

When we can declare “Our Father in heaven,” he will answer, “give us this day our daily bread.”  The apostle Paul put it this way, “My God will supply all your needs according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”  True happiness is a byproduct of a true trust in the Lord.  God will supply all our needs, not necessarily all our wants, although he throws in our wants at times, and then some. 

In the last five years, my wife and I have experienced some financial hardships. Our income is half of what it was five years ago, and to say that we have struggled, would be an understatement. Nonetheless, I can declare to you today, the Lord has provided our daily needs. 

I often see people on street corners asking for money. When I see them I just thank God that my situation has not come to begging on a street corner.  Now, I haven’t begged, but over the last five years, I have had some interesting jobs. I have delivered pizzas, became an Uber driver spending many Friday and Saturday nights making sure drunks made it home from a night out on the town. I have been a car salesman, by far the worse job yet. I worked the night shift for a powerwash company and drove a school bus. Currently, I’m a trash man at a small apartment complex in Little Rock and a chaplain for Arkansas Community Corrections. Through it all, my God has supplied all my needs, and I am content that he will continue to do so.  Why? Because I fear the Lord and walk in his ways, and I’m happy about it.  Another immediate impact is commitment.  

Commitment 

Verse three, “Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your children will be like olive shoots around your table.” The psalmist moves from work to the home, specifically the family. He addresses the husband and father in this verse because he is the leader. However, it implies the wife and children of the home as well because he speaks of “everyone” in verse one.  

A happily married man or woman will be committed to the marriage. For the husband, if you want a happy life, you will need a happy wife.  That means to treat her the same way that Christ treats the church. You love her, sacrificially. You provide for her; you keep her safe; you lead her spiritually. Likewise, a happy wife will do all she can to make Christ the center of home and family.  

You might think, “I don’t have a family. How does this apply to me?” If you are walking with the Lord, then you will be committed to honoring the Lord in all your relationships.  You will strive to love your neighbor as yourself.  You will treat others how you want to be treated.  You will put the interest of others before your own.  Then you have an immediate impact upon those around you.  Genuine happiness will make an immediate impact upon you, and the surrounding people. The immediate impact must have an extended influence.  

True Happiness must have an Extended Influence 

Verse four, “Behold, thus shall the man be blessed who fears the Lord.” In verse four, we move from the Hebrew word “asher,” used in verses 1-2, to the word “barak,” which means “blessed by God.”  The Lord will bless the man or woman who seeks true happiness in the Lord. The blessings of God are never intended to stop with the individual or immediate family.  God’s blessings fall short if they don’t involve others.  God blesses us so that we can be a blessing to others.  

God begins with the center, the individual, and moves out from there to the home and work, and as we will see a happy home and work extends to the church.  

Church

Verse five, “The Lord bless you from Zion!” Zion represents the house of God, the mountain of God, the place where God dwells amongst his people. This is a glorious reminder that our fruitfulness is from God. One way that God blesses us is through the church, and the way the church becomes a blessing is when you have the people of God walking with God, which becomes a blessing to the home, resulting in a blessing to the church. When the church becomes a source of blessing, it will move outward to the community.  

Community

In the last part of verse five, “May you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life!” As the church goes, the city goes.  Can I give you something to think about? What if all the chaos that we are experiencing locally and nationally is the result of the pitiful condition that the church is in today, which is a direct result of the pitiful condition of the home and family, which is a result of people in pursuit of happiness in all the wrong places? 

When the individual finds true happiness in the Lord, God will bless, and then God will bless the home and family.  When the home and family are blessed by God, God will bless the church.  When the church is blessed by God, God will bless the community. When the community is blessed by God, God will bless the country.  

Country 

Verse six, “May you see your children’s children! Peace be upon Israel!” The Hebrew word for peace can also translate “wholeness.”  Wholeness upon the nation.  

Our nation needs peace to be upon it! It needs wholeness! Peace and wholeness will not come from Washington. It won’t come from the voting booth. It won’t come from Hollywood.  It will only come from the Lord.  The reason our nation is falling apart is the fact that people are looking for freedom and happiness in the wrong place. It starts with the individual, with me and you. It starts with a right relationship with God through Jesus Christ, resulting in a life pursuing happiness in the Lord.  Do you want to see peace in America? You want our nation whole again? It will begin with the individual and a changed heart.  That is our only hope.  

A Holy Ambition: 1 Thessalonians 4:9-12

It started out to be a normal workday for Utah highway patrolman Lieutenant Nick Street.  When Mr. Street saw a car driving down the highway at 30 mph swerving in and out of lanes; it didn’t strike him as out of the ordinary to his daily experiences. However, when he could pull the vehicle over, his normal workday would be one that he would remember for a long time.  

Lt. Street was expecting to find an adult, possibly with a medical condition when he made his way to the front of the car. Instead, he found a five-year-old boy.  The boy had taken the keys to his parent’s SUV.  He told the Lt. Street that he was driving to his sister’s house in California and would buy a Lamborghini with the 3 dollars he had in his pocket.  The five-year-old boy showed tremendous ambition.  

Ambition can be good, or it can be bad. One person has defined ambition “as a striving for some kind of achievement or distinction, and involves, first the desire for achievement, and, second, the willingness to work towards it even in the face of adversity or failure.”  This is a good definition.  

Aristotle spoke about the distinct characteristics of ambition as virtues. He distinguished between “healthy ambition,”, “unhealthy ambition,”, and “lack of ambition,”.  Healthy ambition, said Aristotle, is a “measured striving for achievement or distinction, whereas unhealthy ambition is destructive and more akin to greed.”    

We can see the dark side of ambition in our world and culture today.  One only has to do a Google search for self-help books on ambition and you will find titles like: “Looking Out for Number One”, “Every Man is a King”, “Pushing to the Front”, and “How to be King of Your HIll.”  This is an unhealthy ambition, and it is surely a nonbiblical ambition.   It is an unholy ambition.  

The Scriptures call us to be ambitious for the kingdom of God and for the glory of God.  The word of God calls us to a holy ambition.  A simple definition of holy ambition is aspiring to live a life that is pleasing to God. 

The apostle Paul wrote these words, “Finally, then, brothers, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, just as you are doing, that you do so more and more,” (1 Thessalonians 4:1).  Pleasing God needs to be our ambition in life.  Paul further defines this ambition in subsequent verses, “Now concerning brotherly love you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another, for that indeed is what you are doing to all the brothers throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers, to do this more and more, and aspire (make it your ambition) to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you. So that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one,” (1 Thessalonians 4:9-12).  

In verse ten, Paul exhorts Christians to love “more and more”. He states in verses eleven, “and aspire”. Some translations say, “make it your ambition”.  This ambition calls us to a God-honoring ambition. There is an enormous difference between worldly ambition and a holy ambition. Worldly ambition aspires to do what self wants to do.  A holy ambition aspires to be who God wants you to be and to do what God wants you to do. Paul gives four truths in verses nine through twelve that should be the ambition of every follower of Christ. First, we should make it our ambition to have a maturing love for others.  

Maturing love for others. 

In verses nine and ten, the topic is love. Not just any love, but brotherly love.  The Greek word translated is a compound word. It combines the Greek word “phileo” with “adelphos.” Phileo love speaks of a love that is tender and affectionate.  Adelphos is a family term.  Paul is speaking about an affectionate love that God’s family needs to have for one another.  

As believers in Christ, we are born again into the family of God.  We become joint-heirs with Jesus, which makes Jesus our elder brother and God our father.  The Thessalonians were doing an outstanding job affectionately and tenderly loving one another.  God taught this brotherly love to them and to us.  

In the last part of verse nine, it says, “for you have been taught by God to love…” The Greek word for love is not “phileo,” but “agape.”  Agape love is sacrificial love. It is divine love. It’s the love that we experience when we come to Christ and the Holy Spirit pours the agape love of God into our hearts.  The Son of God teaches us to love too. 

It was Jesus, in the thirteenth chapter of the gospel of John, who gave us a new commandment to “love one another, as I have loved you.” He also said, “By this, all people will know that you are my disciples if you love one another.” God is love, and he teaches us to love. Not only does he teach us to love; he also gives us the ability to do it.  

In verse eight, it says, “Therefore whoever disregards this, disregards not man but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.”  God gives his Holy Spirit to true believers, and only by his Spirit can we live the Christian life and continue to mature in our love for God and for others. As we experience the filling of the Spirit and keep in step with the Spirit, we can truly love others with the same love that we have experienced from God.    

Paul says that we must continue to mature in our love “more and more.” It is a lifelong process. And one of the most frequent ways God matures us in our love is by putting unlovable people in our lives.  Some of these people have hurt us terribly to where we consider them our enemies.  What does God’s love teach us? It teaches us to forgive those who have wronged us. It teaches us to pray for them. It teaches us to bless them.  What does that look like? For me, I ask God to bless my enemy with the same blessings I want him to give me.  I then pray for God to help me rejoice in those blessings if he blesses them.  It must be our ambition to mature in our love for God and others.  Second, it must be our ambition to have increasing faith in Christ.  

Growing faith in Christ. 

In verse eleven, begin a series of commands, “and to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you.”  The apostle is dealing with a specific situation in Thessalonica with these commands.  The expectation of Christ’s return consumed this church, to the point they were no longer working and taking care of their own needs.  They were also anxious about Christ’s return.  A few of the believers had died, and they wondered about what would happen to the dead at his return.  Therefore, Paul addresses this issue in the subsequent verses.   

The first command deals with the quality of life lived as believers.  Paul makes an interesting word choice, “and to aspire to live quietly.” Literally, he says, be quiet.  Another way to translate this is “stay calm” or “make it your ambition to be still.”  Paul is referring to the tranquillity of life, calmness, and simplicity in life.    

The anxiety of the Thessalonians caused them to be annoying. It’s addressed in the second command, “and to mind your own affairs.”  One translation says, “don’t be busybodies.”  The Patrick Mead translation of the first two commands is, “stay calm, be still, trust God, and don’t be annoying.”  The only way we can overcome anxieties and avoid becoming that annoying person controlled by anxieties is by trusting God and asking him to give us an increasing faith in his promises.  

I pastored a lady anxious about her salvation. She constantly questioned her salvation. She would call me, or email me with this issue constantly.  I would share the scriptures with her and the promises of God, and it helped for a while. However, over time she would become anxious about the same thing and who did she call or email? Yes, her anxiety was annoying, and what she lacked was a simple faith in the promises of God.    

What about our own lives? We live in a fast-paced society, running in all directions, causing much tension and anxiety. I’m convinced that one wonderful thing from COVIC-19 has been the slowing down of our lives.  As believers, we need to be still and spend time in the presence of God, which results in increasing our faith.  

Recently, the Lord gave me Psalm 46:10 for the season I’m in, “Be still and know that I am God.” The NAS says, “Cease striving.”  I really love The Passion Translation, “Surrender your anxieties to the Lord, stop striving and know that I’m God.”   The Lord is saying, “stay calm and trust in me. Stop trying to make things happen, sit back, and watch me work.”  Third, we must make it our ambition to have a penetrating impact on society. 

Penetrating impact on society

The last command Paul gives concerning the specific situation is, “and to work with your hands.” With the anticipation of the imminent return of Christ, the Thessalonians stopped working. As a result, they became dependant upon family, friends, and society to take care of them.  They were unproductive contributors to society. There is a broader principle to apply from this command.  

The impact the Thessalonians were having on society was not a positive impact.  It did not reflect well upon Christianity.  Our ambition as believers should be to have a penetrating, positive, Christ-centered impact on the society that we live in.  This impact is about being the person God wants you to be so you will do the things that God wants you to do.  When you have a penetrating impact for Christ you are being productive for God. 

I recently finished the biography of Jim Elliot, one of the five missionaries killed on January 8, 1958 in Ecuador by the Auca Indians. Jim’s wife, Elisabeth, after his death, reached the unreached people with the gospel, and the men who killed the missionaries gave their lives to Jesus.  The lives of Jim and Elisabeth had a positive impact on subsequent generations and continues today.  Madelina Pena said it well about this couple: “Jim and Elisabeth Elliot are two of the most influential people in the history of missions.  Their lives reflect total devotion to Christ and the message of the gospel. Their stories of perseverance, suffering, and even death have inspired many to go reach unreached peoples.” Be all that God wants you to be and do all that God wants you to do.  Have a penetrating impact on society.  Fourth, we must make it our ambition to have a fitting representation before outsiders.  

Fitting representation before outsiders 

It states the reason for having a holy ambition in verse twelve, “so that you may walk properly before outsiders.”  The outsiders that Paul is referencing are unbelievers, people who have never given their life to Christ.  A proper walk with Christ, a holy ambition, gives a fitting representation of Christ to those who don’t know Christ.   

Have you ever been to a funhouse at the fair or carnival? Most every funhouse has a section full of mirrors. They call some house of mirrors.  The house of mirrors is full of distorted mirrors, which do not represent the image in front of the mirror.  Some mirrors make you look fat, others skinny, or tall, or short.  These mirrors purposely distort.  When we don’t have a holy ambition, we distort the image of Christ.  And when we distort the image of Christ, we distort an outsider’s understanding of Christ.  

It’s interesting to think spiritual things are best understood through what we can see, hear, taste, smell, and touch.  God uses material evidence to reveal spiritual truths. This material evidence is a sacrament. The word sacrament means a visible sign of an invisible reality.  We see this in baptism, the Lord’s Supper, and marriage.  

As followers of Christ, we should strive to make our lives a sacrament, a visible sign of an invisible reality, Christ Jesus.  To do so, we must have a healthy, holy ambition to please God, one that aspires to love others, trust Christ, be what God wants us to be so we can properly represent our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  

What Can I Do Now?

Active Faith: What Can I Do Now?

Ruth 3

Go ahead and take your Bibles and turn to Ruth, chapter 3, as we continue this series out of the book of Ruth called Everyday God, God's activity in everyday life. A week ago Friday, I had the wonderful privilege of playing golf. Coach Marvel called me and asked me to go. The last time I played was probably over a month ago, early October, because of weather and meetings in my own life. I couldn't make any other opportunities he called.

To be honest with you, the last time I played in October, I really didn't do as well as I thought. What I'm learning with golf is my expectations and my abilities are far apart. In other words, my expectations of my golf game and my abilities seem to be going the opposite direction. So I thought maybe, just maybe the time off would just improve my game. It's a head game, and maybe I'm just overthinking. I thought, "Well, maybe the time would help me." He called me up a week ago Friday, and I said, "Sure."

So I was somewhat excited to go play. Of course, you know what I did. "Dear Heavenly Father, can I have a good golf game today? Amen." I don't stop praying when I play. I learned something that day because I wish I could say yes, with the time off and the prayer, I did great. It was quite the opposite. It was almost as if I had never played golf before. Thank God I was praying because I was ready to give up. "Lord, help me."

Finally, probably toward the last three holes, I actually started hitting the ball. It was great. It was like my first time to play, and I learned a great truth that day that really helped me with this sermon and put it into context. If I want God to answer my prayers, I need to practice. I need to play more, but I really need to get out and practice. So what God taught me there was a valuable lesson between the sovereignty of God and human responsibility.

I've heard somebody say… I think it's a good illustration of how it works when it comes to discovering the will of God for your life because that's exactly what we're doing here in the book of Ruth. We're watching how God, through her daily choices, is leading and guiding her steps. This is a great theological truth: God does not steer parked cars. You have to move. You have to be active in your faith.

As you are doing what you can do now, being faithful in the things you can control, God will guide you in the things you can't control. I can pray all day long about my golf game, but at some point… My wife is helping me out. She gave me for Father's Day these little Wiffle ball golf balls. Have y'all seen those? Yeah, I think I'm going to take them out of the package after that last game and actually use them. "No, I don't need those. I have God. I'm praying. It's going to be okay."

As we study the book of Ruth, we're really learning how Ruth is not sitting around, is she? She is moving forward. She is doing basically what she can do now. She is being faithful in the things she can control. As she is being faithful in the things she can control, guess what is happening? God is guiding her in the things she can't control.

So when we come to chapter three, it's really a continuation of God unfolding the plan for her life. It's a continuation of how God is guiding her steps each way. As she makes choices, as she is being faithful in the things she can control, God is guiding her steps. She is a wonderful, wonderful picture of active faith. True saving faith is active. True saving faith changes your life and is evidenced in your life by the things you do.

So as we come to chapter 3, we continue to watch Ruth and her life, her being faithful and active in her faith. We're watching God do what she can't control, guide her steps. We're not only going to see her active faith in this chapter, but we're going to learn from both the faiths of Naomi and Boaz.

So what we're going to do in this third chapter is I've chosen to kind of expand on one of the points from last week. One of the points (and probably the most important point) that we learn from Ruth is (I've said it over and over already) you have to be faithful in the small things. To put it another way, you must be faithful in the things you can control. As you're being faithful in the things you can control, God will guide you in the things you can't control. We see that. So what I want to do is expand upon that.

I tried to give you examples in both of the last two messages about discovering the will of God. I tried to give you real examples. I want to expand upon that because you still might have left here going, "What can I do?" I'm going to give you some general truths from this passage. You will find everything you need to know as it comes to discovering the will of God is found right there in the Book you have in your lap, the Bible. So what can I do now? What can I actively be doing now as I trust God to guide me in the areas I cannot control?

1. Naomi teaches us that you have to obedient and follow God's Word. Let's pick up the story in verse 1, chapter 3. It says, "Then Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, 'My daughter, should I not seek rest for you, that it may be well with you?'" In other words, "I need to help you find a home, to find a husband." That's what she is saying. "I want you to have a future." In reality, not only does she want to find a future for Ruth, but she will also be finding a future for herself. Naomi is already scheming something here. She says in verse 2:

"'Is not Boaz our relative, with whose young women you were? See, he is winnowing barley tonight at the threshing floor. Wash therefore and anoint yourself, and put on your cloak and go down to the threshing floor, but do not make yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and drinking. But when he lies down, observe the place where he lies. Then go and uncover his feet and lie down, and he will tell you what to do.'"

Now the activities of these verses are foreign to us in our Western culture. We look at it, and we think, "Well, here's what is happening. Naomi is arranging a marriage here. That's what it looks like. She is the matchmaker." If you look at further background, what you're going to notice is Naomi is actually taking her cues and initiatives from the very Word of God. Go back to verse 20 of chapter 2, because after Ruth came back to her mother-in-law, she gave her the report that she was in Boaz's field.

Here's how Naomi responded in verse 20: "And Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, 'May he [talking about Boaz] be blessed by the LORD, whose kindness…'" She is talking about the Lord here, not Boaz. The Hebrew word is checed. We translate that sometimes steadfast love. "…has not forsaken the living or the dead!' Naomi also said to her, 'The man is also a close relative of ours, one of our [ga'als] redeemers.'"

So what she is doing is she says, "This is one of our kinsman redeemers." So she is beginning to see the hand of God here. What she is referring to when she says, "He is our ga'al. He is our redeemer," is she is referring to two basic cultural practices that are found in the written law of God. In other words, she is very familiar with the Word of God, and she is taking initiatives based upon God's Word. There are two biblical laws she is aware of here that she is appealing to, that she is allowing to guide her steps: the one that is called the kinsman redeemer and the levirate marriage.

So take your Bibles. Turn over to Leviticus, chapter 25. I want you to see the part of the law she is referring to. She is not just being a matchmaker here. She is not just arranging a marriage here. She is living her life according to the Word of God. She is being obedient to the Word of God. Leviticus, chapter 25, verse 25 is talking about the land here. In both instances, the marriage and the kinsman redeemer… One deals with the land; the other one deals with the family name. Both of them are tied together. In verse 25, here's what the law of God says:

"If your brother becomes poor and sells part of his property, then his nearest redeemer shall come and redeem what his brother has sold. If a man has no one to redeem it and then himself becomes prosperous and finds sufficient means to redeem it, let him calculate the years since he sold it and pay back the balance to the man to whom he sold it, and then return to his property. But if he does not have sufficient means to recover it, then what he sold shall remain in the hand of the buyer until the year of jubilee. In the jubilee it shall be released, and he shall return to his property."

So God had a design that this piece of property would stay in the family. Maybe there wasn't anybody to redeem it. Eventually at the year of jubilee, it all went back to the original owners. So what we see here is that the redeemer, the ga'al, had an opportunity and a responsibility to redeem the land to keep it into the family. So she is referring to that. When she says, "He is one of our redeemers. He is one of our ga'als," she is referring to Leviticus, chapter 25.

She also has in mind here Deuteronomy, chapter 25. So turn over to the book of Deuteronomy. Deuteronomy, chapter 25… Here we have the levirate marriage. Verse 5 of chapter 25 in Deuteronomy is the same passage you may remember in the Gospels when the Sadducees came up to Jesus and were talking about the resurrection. The Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection. So they were talking about this specific law, and they were trying to trap Jesus.

They said, "At the resurrection…" They gave a scenario. "…if this woman had a husband and he died and his brother married her and he died, so he had like seven brothers, whose wife would she be in heaven, in the resurrection?" Of course, they didn't believe in the resurrection. Jesus said, "We're not going to be married in the resurrection. We're going to be like angels." They were referring to this specific law. Verse 5:

"If brothers dwell together, and one of them dies and has no son, the wife of the dead man shall not be married outside the family to a stranger. Her husband's brother shall go in to her and take her as his wife and perform the duty of a husband's brother to her. And the first son whom she bears shall succeed to the name of his dead brother, that his name may not be blotted out of Israel.

And if the man does not wish to take his brother's wife, then his brother's wife shall go up to the gate to the elders and say, 'My husband's brother refuses to perpetuate his brother's name in Israel; he will not perform the duty of a husband's brother to me.' Then the elders of his city shall call him and speak to him, and if he persists, saying, 'I do not wish to take her,' then his brother's wife shall go up to him in the presence of the elders and pull his sandal off his foot and spit in his face.

And she shall answer and say, 'So shall it be done to the man who does not build up his brother's house.' And the name of his house shall be called in Israel, 'The house of him who had his sandal pulled off." So he had a responsibility. Not an obligation, but obviously a responsibility. If you don't fulfill that responsibility, you can experience great shame within Israel.

What I want to show you is when we look at Naomi planning out here, she is taking her initiative, she is taking her cues, she is acting upon the Word of God. So she is putting her faith into action by devising a plan. The plan is inside the will of God. The plan is revealed in the Word of God. That's what you need to see here: a woman who understands the Word of God and is moving forward with an active faith. The way you move forward with an active faith is you be obedient to follow God's Word.

So what we have in the first four verses is we find Naomi. When she hears that Ruth is there in the field of Boaz, she is not going to sit by and be passive because faith is not passive. True faith is active. She didn't sit around going, "Whatever shall be, shall be," and call that faith. She knew she needed to be obedient and follow the Word of God.

We as the people of God need to be very careful that we don't let apathy or laziness become a false piety. We sit around and just say, "We're waiting for God." Now we have to wait for God, but in the midst of waiting for God, we need to be obedient and follow his Word. That's what she is doing. So we need to take action. We need to take our initiatives from the Word of God.

What can we do now? Well, as I said a couple of weeks ago, most of what you need to know about God's plan for your life is found right there in the revealed will of God, the Word of God. Be obedient to the Word of God. That's what Naomi is doing. So Naomi teaches us that an act of faith is obedient and follows the Word of God.

2. Ruth teaches us that an act of faith is courageous and trusts God's promises. We'll take up the story in verse 5, chapter 3. After the plan was given to Ruth, it says in verse 5… Here's Ruth's response. I love it because here we see a woman who is humbly submitting not only to Naomi, her mother-in-law, but ultimately she is submitting herself to the Word of God.

Verse 5 says, "And she [Ruth] replied, 'All that you say I will do.'" What a great response. Then she responds in verse 6. "So she went down to the threshing floor and did just as her mother-in-law had commanded her. And when Boaz had eaten and drunk, and his heart was merry, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of grain. Then she came softly and uncovered his feet and lay down.

At midnight the man was startled and turned over, and behold, a woman lay at his feet. He said, 'Who are you?' And she answered, 'I am Ruth, your servant. Spread your wings…'" Some translations say, "Spread the corner of your garment…" "'…over your servant, for you are a redeemer.'"

So we see this humble submission on the part of Ruth. She is submitting to what Naomi commanded, but ultimately she is submitting to the Word of God. This plan was dangerous for her to follow. It was going to take courage on her part to really move forward. She was going to have to be courageous. It was dangerous for two reasons at least.

First, it was dangerous because she was putting her safety on the line. Here is this young, widowed girl, and she is going down to the threshing floor. They've finished the harvest. They've finished threshing. They're celebrating. They're eating. They're all in good spirits. So she is putting herself in an environment that is most likely hostile to a young, beautiful girl. She put her safety on the line. She was willing to do that, and she was willing to go forth.

Secondly, it was dangerous not only because of her physical safety, but it was also dangerous before her own character, because you know how people are. That's why Scripture says, "Be careful for even the appearance of evil." Perception becomes reality for people, doesn't it? You need to be very, very careful.

She could have said, "I'm not going to go because people will question my motives. People will question my character." She didn't allow that to stop her. She knew God knew her heart, and yes, she was putting herself in danger physically. She was putting herself in danger spiritually. People would question her motives and even question her character, but she did not allow that to stop her.

We see a beautiful picture of a courageous faith. The reason she was able to move forward, the reason she was able to go into the danger zone, so to speak, is because you have this young woman who is trusting the promises of God. So she is courageous. She is going into the danger. She is a model of an active faith.

I want you to see what happens because in verse 9, we have a marriage proposal. Some might say, "Man, she is being forward," but she is following the Word of God. This was the custom of their day. In verse 9, actually he says, "'Who are you?' And she answered, 'I am Ruth, your servant. Spread your wings over your servant, for you are a redeemer.'" Right there. "Spread your wings…" Some of your translations say, "Spread the corner of your garment…"

That's the very same word Boaz uses when he is talking to Ruth in verse 12 of chapter 2. Notice what he says to her. He says, "The LORD repay you for what you have done, and a full reward be given you by the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings [the same word] you have come to take refuge!" "…under whose garment, the corner of the garment, you have placed your life. You have come to the Lord, and you have found refuge in him. God is your protector." That's what he is saying. The very same word is used here.

She is saying to Boaz, "Boaz, you are God's heart. God is using you to provide for me. God is my refuge, and you are the agent of grace God is using to bless my life, to protect my life. So we see a young woman here who says, "Listen. I understand the reason I can be courageous, the reason I can move forward is because I know I've taken refuge in God. He will protect me. He will take care of me."

Ruth trusted. She trusted the Lord to be her strength. She trusted the Lord to be her rock. She trusted God to be her strong tower, to be her safety. So she was moving forward. She didn't know what the future held. She didn't know what was before her. She knew it could be dangerous. She knew it could physically cause danger to her life. It could ruin her reputation. She knew when she started from Moab and she made the God of Israel her God, he was her refuge and her protection.

In our adventure in faith, there are going to be times when you have to move forward, and all you have are the promises of God. Of course, that's all you need, but that's all you have. I know it's true in my own life. Too many of us will not move forward because God does not show us what is going to happen in the future. Some of us are paralyzed. God is all about faith. If you want to please God, you have to please him with faith.

There are going to be times where you're not going to know what the future holds. Most of your life… God is not always going to give you a preview. Most of the time (if not all the time) he is just going to say, "Step out in faith, and you'll see what happens. You trust me with the things you can't control. You be courageous. Move forward. Just because you can't see how things are going to work out…"

I've had situations in my life where God did kind of give me an inclination to how things were going to work out, and they weren't going to work out well. They didn't work out well. Guess what? God said, "Boom! I still want you to go." Just because it's not going to work out doesn't mean it's not the will of God. Sometimes God allows us to go through suffering. All you have and all you need are the promises of God. So you commit your way to the Lord, and you act in faith.

On our prayer list, there is a couple we've been praying for, Brandon and Breanne Doyle. It's Darlene Lagrone's grandson and Brother Jim's nephew. Brandon and Breanne met in seminary at Gordon Conwell. They knew they were going to the mission field. So they made plans to go overseas and to work with Arabs, but God closed that door because of health.

Then they got reassigned to the North American Mission Board, and they were going to a refugee camp in New York City. So that was their plan, and it still is their plan. It's interesting because I got to hear just the many obstacles this young couple faced over the last year, trying to get to the place where God wanted them to serve.

They got their assignment, and so they started preparing. "We're going to move to New York City. We're going to live in this refugee camp." They were going to take their daughter, Abigail, there. In the midst of preparation, the unexpected happened, and they got pregnant again. Some of you have been praying for them on the prayer list.

About after six weeks, Breanne was sent home for total bed rest for five weeks. Then she went to the hospital and was in bed rest for another four weeks. Unbelievable. Their baby girl, of course, was premature. She was due November 11, born by C-section August 22, weighing two pounds, eight ounces. Now remember they still have this plan. "We're going to New York City. We're going to be moving."

All of this is happening in their life. The baby remained in the hospital 12 weeks. Then after that, she was followed up by three weeks of outpatient treatment, going in, I think, three days a week. Then last Sunday, at First Baptist Little Rock, they did the baby dedication. Her name is Ruth. They call her Ruthie. Isn't that great?

I think, "What a great story." This couple really demonstrates what it means to be courageous. All of these obstacles they were facing and had been facing and still are facing are unbelievable. Many people would have said, "No way. I'm not going." On December 6, Brandon and his dad left. They went off to New York City, driving all the furniture up so they can set up the apartment.

Now I think sometime this weekend, they're flying back to Little Rock. Then Brandon and Breanne and Ruth are going to drive up there because Ruth can't fly. Abigail is staying back with the grandparents. Then eventually the grandparents are coming up with Abigail, and they're all going to be, Lord willing, in New York City for Christmas. Why would they do that? To top it all off, they're going to one of the most dangerous areas in New York City. Why? Because they're trusting God's promises. They are courageous. That's what it means.

There are times when God gives you a word, and if God gives you a word, you go forward. You just trust that God is going to take care of you. There is an element of courageous, there is an element of where we need to have courage and know, "If God gave me a word and God gave me a promise, I need to keep moving." We need to be like Ruth. When Ruth heard the command and the plan, she said, "I'll do whatever you say." We need to be like the young Virgin Mary who when Gabriel came to her and gave her the plan, she said, "Let it be according to your word."

So many times we're like Gideon. Gideon gets a direct word from God, and a direct word from God wasn't enough. He said, "God, let me put out the fleece because I don't believe you." He puts out the fleece.

"How is that?"

"I still don't believe you. I'll put it out again."

"How's that?"

"I still don't believe you."

Even when he was moving forward, God knew how fickle this man was in his faith. He had to hear how the enemy had a dream. Gideon is not a picture of a strong faith. Gideon is a picture of a weak faith, a man who had no courage and a man who did not trust God. God still used him, amen?

Don't be like Zacharias when Gabriel shows up to him in the temple and says, "Listen. You're going to have a son, and he is going to prepare the way for the Lord." Do you know what he said? "Can you give me a sign?" "Sure. You're not going to say a word for a whole year." Elizabeth, his wife, was so happy. "Praise God."

All right, what can we do now? Here's the thing. We need to be courageous. We learn from Ruth you need to expect great things from God, and you need to attempt great things for him.

3. Boaz teaches us to be gracious and reflect the character of God. He is a picture of Christ. He is a foreshadow, a type of Christ in the Old Testament. All you see in his behavior are Christ-like attributes. So he says in verse 10, "And he said, 'May you be blessed by the LORD, my daughter. You have made this last kindness greater than the first in that you have not gone after young men, whether poor or rich.'"

He is recognizing, "You are a godly woman. Here's this young, single woman, and you could have been chasing young men. You could have been chasing all kinds of guys, but you haven't. You have been faithful to the Lord. Your character is evident. You are worthy." He recognizes the very hand of God.

So what he does is he knows he has a responsibility according to the Word of God. Again, you have Naomi doing what she is supposed to do according to the Word of God. You have Ruth doing what she is supposed to do according to the Word of God. You have Boaz doing what he is supposed to do according to the Word of God.

In verse 11, it says, "'And now, my daughter, do not fear. I will do for you all that you ask, for all my fellow townsmen know that you are a worthy woman. And now it is true that I am a redeemer. Yet there is a redeemer nearer than I.'" In other words, he knew he had an obligation to the Scriptures. He did not want to compromise the Word of God, because Boaz knew that once you compromise the Word of God, it will not turn out well for you.

His whole life is governed by the law of God. His whole life is governed by the Word of God. He understood, "Yes, I am the redeemer, but I also know there is one who is closer to me." So what happens is the next morning, Boaz sends off Ruth. He sends her off with a large amount of barley again.

Here's what I want to point out. We're going to reflect upon a little bit more as we get closer to Christmas on Boaz, but Boaz is a picture of Christ. What you see is a man reflecting the very nature and character of our God, our Christ. You see a man who is gracious. You see a man who is generous. You see a man who is unselfish. You see a man who is always looking out for the interest of others. That's Jesus, right?

You say, "Well, what do I need to do now?" You need to be gracious and reflect the character of God. When you follow the Word of God, you express the character of God in your attitude and your actions. When you follow the Word of God, you express because the very character of God is found in here. You express the character of God in your acts and your attitudes. So you need to be obedient. You need to be courageous. You need to be gracious.

4. Naomi and Ruth teach us that you need to be patient. Wait for God's timing. So Ruth goes back. We'll pick up the story in verse 16. She goes back. She is talking to her mother-in-law. It says, "And when she came to her mother-in-law, she said, 'How did you fare, my daughter?' Then she told her all that the man had done for her, saying, 'These six measures of barley he gave to me, for he said to me, "You must not go back empty-handed…"'"

I find it very interesting because if you remember, when Naomi went back to Bethlehem, she said, "Don't call me pleasant. Don't call me Naomi. Call me Mara, bitter because I left here full, but now I'm empty." Guess what? She is being filled up again. I want to say again that brokenness is the pathway to blessings. She is being blessed. She is being filled up. You don't want to come back empty-handed to your mother-in-law.

"She replied…" This is important because this is the whole point I want to make. "'Wait, my daughter, until you learn how the matter turns out, for the man will not rest but will settle the matter today.'" Trusting God to guide you in the things you can't control means you will have to learn patience, and you will have to learn waiting on God's timing. One moment of patience can keep you from disaster, and one moment of impatience can ruin your life.

God's guidance can be slow, and then…boom…it can be so quick that you can't stay up with it. That's how it works. You keep pressing along. You keep being obedient. You keep being gracious. You keep being courageous and moving forth with an active faith. You wait, and you wait for God's hand, and you wait for God's timing. Then as you're waiting and you're being patient and being obedient and being faithful, what happens? Well, you just so happen to end up in the field of Boaz.

One of these days, I'm convinced I'm going to get up here and tell you I'm good at my golf game. Somebody is laughing back here. My wife is telling everybody, "Hey, he's not that good," and she's right. I'm not. I pay the guys I play with. "Don't really tell them. Don't tell them how bad I am, please?" I know through a lot of prayer and doing my part…

Do you want to know God's plan for your life? It takes a lot of prayer, but it takes you doing your part. You be obedient, you be courageous, you be gracious, you be patient, and you move forward with an active faith. You don't have to know all the details. You trust God with what you can't control. You expect great things from God, and you attempt great things for him. That's true of you as an individual, and that ought to be true of us as a church, believing God has a great plan for us as a church.

If you're here this morning, God's greatest plan for any individual, for any life is that you be saved from your sins. God desires to have a relationship with you. Life begins with God. It ends with God. If you're here this morning and you don't know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, if you've never trusted in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, I'm here to tell you you're not saved until you do. You need Jesus as your Lord and Savior.

The Bible says we're all sinners. We need a Savior, and Jesus is the Savior. He is the only way to heaven. That's why people are so offended this time of the year that we would actually put Christ in Christmas, because he is the only way. Some of you here today need to trust Christ for the very first time. God is leading some of you to this place to be your church home. You come forward. You be a part of this family. God wants you here today. If you need prayer today, we want to pray with you.

Father, we thank you for this time. As we have this time of invitation, we just pray that people would respond in faith. In Jesus' name, amen.