Christ Church at Grove Farm

Rev. Craig Gyergyo: Good morning, everyone. It's good to see you. My name is Craig Gyergyo. If we haven't met, I would love to meet you. As I've been thinking about this moment this week, there's a verse from the New Testament that has come to me, and that's Galatians 6:9.

I sense this from my own life and in knowing people in the body of Christ pretty well. I sense that often we get tired, weary. I'm not just talking about not getting enough sleep. There's a different kind of weariness that sets in. Here's what the scripture says: "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." I sense this morning that this message is for those who are weary, and it's an encouragement from the Lord. Don't give up. Be faithful. Live that life.

Let's turn to the Book of Ruth because I want you to see it play out here. We're in the Old Testament, in the Book of Ruth. It's been exhilarating to be in the Book of Ruth. We're going to finish it up today in chapter four. Before we get to chapter four, look at this. This is the final statement of Ruth 3:18. Let's start there. The scripture reads, "Then Naomi said, 'Wait, my daughter, until you find out what happens. For the man will not rest until the matter is settled today.'"

Everything that could be done at this point in the story had been done. Ruth had stepped out in faith, Boaz had made his promise, and now they wait. We live a lot of our lives in that space, don't we? The real test isn't even sometimes the moment of decision. The real test is in the days that follow. After you've prayed and you've obeyed and you've forgiven and you've taken whatever the next faithful step is, now what do you do? You wait to see what God will do. As Tom Petty once said, "The waiting is the hardest part."

Are you in a season of waiting? Here's the question I want you to consider this morning if that's you: what if God is doing more, far more, than solving the problem that's right in front of you? If you're weary, what if God is doing far more than solving the problem that's right in front of your face? What if there's something bigger going on? Ruth thinks that this story is about finding security. Naomi thinks it's about restoring her family. Boaz thinks it's about fulfilling his responsibility. None of them realize that they are living inside a story that's way bigger than themselves.

The scripture reading that Dennis just proclaimed from the book of Matthew is the beginning of the genealogy of Jesus. In that, you hear familiar names. You hear Boaz, you hear Ruth, you hear David. None of those people knew that they were living Matthew one. Of course not. So they chose faithfulness purely for its own sake. They did that without knowing what God was accomplishing through their faithfulness.

That raises another question for us: could God be using your faithfulness to accomplish something greater than you can see right now? Is that possible? Think about the prayers that we pray, the people we encourage, the burdens we carry. Think about serving in CC kids on a Sunday morning. They seem like small acts that no one else sees. Could God be using all of that for something way bigger? I think so.

Again, Ruth, as we get into chapter four, she doesn't know what's coming. Neither does Naomi. Boaz has no way of knowing how far this is going to reach. But they remain faithful in the circumstances that God has given to them. Let's go to Ruth chapter four.

Guest (Male): Meanwhile, Boaz went up to the town gate and sat down there. Just as the Guardian-Redeemer he had mentioned came along, Boaz said, "Come over here, my friend, and sit down." So he went over and sat down. Boaz took ten of the elders of the town and said, "Sit here," and they did so. Then he said to the Guardian-Redeemer, "Naomi, who has come back from Moab, is selling the piece of land that belonged to our relative, Elimelek.

"I thought I should bring the matter to your attention and suggest that you buy it in the presence of these seated here and in the presence of the elders of my people. If you will redeem it, do so. But if you will not, tell me so I will know. For no one has the right to do it except you, and I am next in line." He said, "I will redeem it." Then Boaz said, "On the day you buy the land from Naomi, you also acquire Ruth the Moabite, the dead man's widow, in order to maintain the name of the dead with his property."

At this, the Guardian-Redeemer said, "Then I cannot redeem it because I might endanger my own estate. You redeem it yourself. I cannot do it." Now in earlier times in Israel, for the redemption and transfer of property to become final, one party took off his sandal and gave it to the other. That was the method of legalizing transactions in Israel. So the Guardian-Redeemer said to Boaz, "Buy it yourself," and he removed his sandal.

Then Boaz announced to the elders and all the people, "Today you are witnesses that I have bought from Naomi all the property of Elimelek, Kilion, and Mahlon. I have also acquired Ruth the Moabite, Mahlon's widow, as my wife, in order to maintain the name of the dead with his property, so that his name will not disappear from among his family or from his hometown. Today you are witnesses."

Rev. Craig Gyergyo: Let's process this. Let's think about what the Word of God says. There's a whole story there. Ruth three closed with "Wait, my daughter." That's what Naomi says. Then this is interesting. If you go back to the first verse of Ruth four, it starts with one little word: "Meanwhile." I love when the scriptures do this. It ends with "wait," and chapter four starts with "meanwhile."

In that meanwhile, Ruth and Naomi are waiting, and Boaz is already at work. Again, I'll put the word "providence" in front of us because remember this: God is working while you're waiting. There is no panic in heaven, only planning. What happens next then in the midst of this meanwhile is really interesting because Boaz goes to the gate. That's the setting here, the gate in Bethlehem.

The city gate was more than an entrance into Bethlehem. It was that, but it was a whole lot more. The city gate in these days was a place where justice was administered, where agreements were witnessed. It's a place where important matters were settled. What began with Naomi and Ruth all of a sudden starts to unfold before the entire community. What's going to happen here is redemption. Redemption becomes a community affair.

Boaz goes to the gate and he approaches the man known as the Guardian-Redeemer. This is the guy who had the obligation to come to the rescue of his relatives. Listen to his reasoning when he's presented with this offer. His reasoning is, "I can't redeem it because I might endanger my own estate." His concern is understandable. It's reasonable. It's prudent. But do you see the lens through which he's viewing this opportunity?

His first question is, "Well, what will this cost me?" Boaz seems to see a different question. He doesn't think, "What will I lose?" Instead, he thinks, "What would faithfulness look like here?" That's what's governing his life. The Guardian-Redeemer saw an interruption; Boaz saw an opportunity. Take a second and think about these two men. One of them has a name; the other one doesn't. One is remembered and one of them disappears.

It's interesting. The man who is actually trying to preserve his name doesn't even get one in the Bible. He's just called the generic Guardian-Redeemer. The Bible never tells us what his name is. But Boaz was willing to put his future on the line for the sake of another. Now here we are thousands of years later, and we're still saying his name. One person asked, "What will this mean for me?" The other person asked, "What might this mean to them? What difference could be made here?"

These are still two ways that people live today, every single day. Some people spend their entire lives building fences around what they have. "This is mine. I've got to protect this." Others spend their lives opening doors for what God wants to do. When God's purposes intersect with your life, your plans, whose interests have the first claim on your thoughts? Is it your own interest or is it the interest of something bigger?

Because here's what we see in the Book of Ruth: God's kingdom advances through people who choose participation over preservation or protection. This is why Boaz has a name. Boaz puts his resources at risk. Ruth, she's already put her future in God's hands. This is an example of faithful living. The story could have ended after Boaz redeemed the land. What I just read to you could be the end because legally everything's finished, paperwork signed. But instead, here's what happens. Everyone starts speaking. And what do they do? Look, they bless.

Guest (Male): Then the elders and all the people at the gate said, "We are witnesses. May the Lord make the woman who is coming into your home like Rachel and Leah, who together built up the family of Israel. May you have standing in Ephrathah and be famous in Bethlehem. Through the offspring the Lord gives you by this young woman, may your family be like that of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah."

Rev. Craig Gyergyo: The elders, the people, they go beyond, "We're witnesses. Tell us where we need to sign." They become participants in what God's doing. Rather than just sit back and observe it and play their part, they celebrate the redemption that's happening. They pray for the redemption. They bless it. They become a part of it. We call this life together. We've been spending weeks talking about life together.

God's redemption never stops with the person he redeemed. It rescues people. That's what redemption does. And redemption forms people into a community. And then it moves through the people into the world. That's why it's life together. And that's what you're watching happening in Ruth. God rescues Naomi. He gathers Ruth and Boaz in a covenant community together. And then his redeeming work moves through them.

Throughout Ruth, we have witnessed this Hebrew word I've put in front of you: *hesed*. And that is God's steadfast love. It's bigger than that, but that's a simple definition. You've watched this *hesed* move from person to person. Naomi blesses Ruth, Boaz shows *hesed* to Ruth, Ruth shows *hesed* to Naomi. And now look, the whole community begins speaking the language of steadfast love. That's their culture. This becomes their culture, it's who they are.

I have been reflecting this week on the remarkable summer that we have experienced together at Christ Church. You should think about it too. VBS, Summerfest, Amp Camp that just wrapped up, baptisms, missions, a Milestone Sunday on July 26th, a city-wide investment in leadership. We could go on. We have had the privilege of witnessing God do remarkable things. Ruth asks us to go one step further, not just to observe, not just to witness, but to participate in what God is doing.

Don't just be a witness. Think about even this scene. Someone convenes the meeting, someone bears witness, others speak blessing, someone welcomes, someone celebrates. It's not just one person carrying the story. The covenant community carries the story. And this is what a spirit-filled church looks like: people together. A church where people aren't just spectators to redemption, stand back and admire it like it's some kind of painting. No, we call it every-member ministry.

We are participants, all of us, in what God's doing. Yes, some of us encourage, some of us pray, some of us mentor, some of us serve, some of us give, some of us welcome, some of us bear burdens. Each one of those at times can feel small. They can make you feel weary. But together, when we keep going, they become the visible expression of God's love in the world. That's the power of all these people together.

This is the pattern we see in the Bible again and again. God rescues people, he gathers them into his family, and he sends them out for his redeeming work. I read that long passage. God isn't finished though. The community has gathered around God's redeeming work. Now watch what the redemption in the life of this one woman, this woman who thought her story was over, watch this.

Guest (Male): So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. When he made love to her, the Lord enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son. The women said to Naomi, "Praise be to the Lord, who this day has not left you without a Guardian-Redeemer. May he be famous throughout Israel. He will renew your life and sustain you in old age. For your daughter-in-law, who loves you and who is better to you than seven sons, has given him birth." Then Naomi took the child in her arms and cared for him.

Rev. Craig Gyergyo: We get a synopsis here. Without fanfare, without much drama, life continues and there's a marriage and then there's a home. Suddenly, we get this glimpse of who has been behind the story all along. Because verse 13 says, "The Lord enabled her to conceive." It's like finally the curtain's pulled back and we can see the hand of God at work. It's not as if God has suddenly become active. No, now we could see what he's been doing all along. God has been present throughout the story; now we recognize his fingerprints.

And then the women speak. Notice they begin with praise. They recognize the true author of the story. Faithful people will become God's instruments. God receives the glory, but they become the instruments. These women then, they make an interesting declaration. The women there said, "Naomi has a son." And they named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David. It's almost confusing. Naomi? Naomi has a son, not Ruth, not Boaz?

But the women here are interpreting what has happened. Sometimes God's people help us see grace in our own lives that we can't see for ourselves. This is one of the reasons life together is so important. Sometimes you are too close to the forest to see the trees, and you can't see God's grace and you need someone to point it out and say, "God is being gracious to you." They, in fact, see the child as God's answer to Naomi's emptiness.

Think about Naomi. This woman, she said, "Don't call me Naomi, call me Mara, bitter." That's what she said back in chapter one. "The Lord has brought me back from Moab to Bethlehem empty." She had good reason to feel that way. But now look at her. Her lap isn't empty anymore, is it? Look at her home. It is full again. Look at her future. It's not empty, it's full. Because with God, emptiness doesn't have the last word.

If you feel empty, if you feel weary, it doesn't have the last word. There will be seasons in your life when all you can see is hardship, all you can see is what's been lost. But God sees what you cannot see. Naomi reminds us of this. The Book of Ruth begins with Naomi and who's it end with? Naomi. She prayed for survival; God gave her a grandson. She longed for security and God gave her a future. She mourned the end of her family, and God was just getting started.

Because a family is birthed in community through a covenant people. This is what God's restoration looks like. His restoration moves beyond. It reaches beyond what you've lost, and it moves into purpose, a purpose that you could never have imagined. The community that witnessed Naomi's sorrow now celebrates her joy. The women say, "He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age." The child becomes a sense of God's hope embodied. He is an evidence in their lives, in Naomi's life, that God is continuing his redeeming work.

Many of you are praying for God to restore something you've lost, something that feels like it cannot be retrieved. Sometimes God does restore that. And sometimes he doesn't. But Ruth reminds us that God's redeeming work reaches beyond what we can recover and what we can replace. God brings new life, new purpose, new hope from places that you thought were finished. Look for the newness. Look for the new life. Just when we think the story has reached its happy ending, we discover that Obed's birth isn't the end of the story. In many respects, it's just the beginning.

Guest (Male): This, then, is the family line of Perez: Perez was the father of Hezron, Hezron the father of Ram, Ram the father of Amminadab, Amminadab the father of Nahshon, Nahshon the father of Salmon, Salmon the father of Boaz, Boaz the father of Obed, Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of David.

Rev. Craig Gyergyo: The Book of Ruth could have ended in verse 17. It could have ended right there because Naomi's restored, Obed's born, the family has a future. Happy ending, cue the music, cue the end credits. Instead, the Holy Spirit gives us a genealogy to finish the story. Why? Because the story of Ruth is part of something bigger. Generation after generation after generation, God is moving his promises forward through his people.

Not through the powerful, not through perfect people, through faithful women and men who live out *hesed*, who live out steadfast love where God has placed them. Naomi and Ruth and Boaz, these are the people we've been watching for the past three weeks. But the genealogy reveals that God has been doing something much, much larger. The genealogy here ends with one name: David.

And suddenly, like the story unfolding in Bethlehem opens to the story of Israel's King. Ruth couldn't see David, and David couldn't see Jesus, but God was moving his promises forward toward Christ. It reminds us we live our lives, we experience life, one moment at a time. But God sees the whole of his redeeming purpose, his redeeming work. Earlier, Dennis read the opening verses of Matthew's Gospel. When he did, he stopped at David.

But Matthew does not. Matthew actually goes all the way, and here's how the genealogy of Jesus rolls. It goes from David where we left off to the exile in Babylon and through all the history and all the generations. And it goes to this: Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, and Mary was the mother of Jesus who was called the Messiah. Matthew made sure that Boaz and Ruth were in there and all them. He was certainly establishing Jesus' royal lineage, but he's also showing us how God's promises move through his people.

When you read the Old Testament, you see that's Israel. God's moving through them. When you even read the New Testament, you see this is the church. God's moving through the church. That's why Ruth's there. That's why Boaz is there. And now, when you look back at the Book of Ruth, we can see what God was doing through the acts of *hesed*. Every promise that was kept, every sacrifice that was made, every step of faithfulness, God was weaving them into his larger redeeming work.

And God's redeeming work, it moves through generations, one generation after another until one day, the redeemer himself stepped into the story. He stepped into the genealogy. Boaz, well, he redeemed one family. But Jesus Christ, he came to redeem people from every tribe and every tongue and every nation and every family. God's redeeming work is continuing. It's a thrilling book, my friends. Acts tells the story of a church formed, a church empowered by the Holy Spirit.

Today, right now, through Christ Church at Grove Farm, Christ is building his church. He is advancing his kingdom. And he's doing it through his people, even through us. Find yourself in the story. You don't know. You may never be aware of what God is doing in your day-by-day faithfulness. You may never know how God will use you. Conversations matter. Sharing a meal with someone, it matters. Discipling kids, that matters. It makes an impact.

Neighbors, welcoming them, all of this. When you carry burdens, when you offer prayers, these are the ways that people who are redeemed by the blood of the Lamb, how they participate in God's redeeming work. And the same redeemer who stepped into the genealogy, he is still working today. Forming a people for faithfulness. Again, we may never see what God is doing through our faithfulness. But God sees what we cannot.

We don't see the whole story. We don't have control of the outcomes. We don't understand every turn. Here's what we do: we simply remain faithful where God has placed us. So hey, here it is. We're at the end of Ruth. Ruth teaches us that the Holy Spirit forms people into living expressions of God's steadfast love. Do you feel that? And as he does, the faithfulness should not, will not stop with us. Here's what the faithfulness does: it strengthens families, it blesses neighbors, it builds the church, it points people to Christ.

It becomes a part of God's redeeming work in this world. We're called out. And here's what we know: faithfulness is never wasted. Never. Don't grow weary of doing good. Faithfulness is never wasted in the hands of God. Every generation, whether the oldest, the youngest, the ones who'll come after us, the ones who came before us, every generation receives the gospel and every generation is entrusted with the gospel. We receive it, we guard it, and then we pass it on.

We share it vividly, boldly. It's our turn, people. It is our turn. We are the next generation. We are living the next chapter of God's redeeming work. And the Holy Spirit alive, at work right now. The same spirit that brought you to Christ or maybe right now is bringing you to Christ is still at work. At work in us and working in you. And he is forming us into people who embody that steadfast *hesed* love.

Remember this: Jesus is the redeemer at the center of Ruth's story. He's it. And he gives us a place in his big story, his redeeming work. Our faithfulness doesn't make us heroes. It gives us a place within the work of the true redeemer. So listen, live your chapter faithfully. Trust God to write the next chapter. Let's pray. I want to pray over you.

Father, thank you that you are always at work. God, even when we can't see what you're doing, thank you, Lord. We see it in the Book of Ruth. Amazing. Thank you, Jesus. You are our redeemer. Thank you for the grace of your spirit who makes us into a people and enables us to live faithfully. Lord, when we grow weary, strengthen us. When we can't see the harvest, Lord, give us faith to keep sowing. God, when we are tempted to live for ourselves, oh forgive us.

Teach us, Lord, to do good, to carry one another's burdens, to love people. God, even use these prayers we pray. God, I pray that the people we encourage, the burdens we carry, the small acts of faithfulness, that you'd use these, Lord, all of it. And that we would not become weary, Lord, in doing good. That we would trust that at the proper time we're going to reap a harvest. And so we don't give up.

Make us a people, Lord, everyone who's in this room, make us, Lord, people who receive your grace, who faithfully steward your gospel and participate in your redeeming work. Lord, we do not know what chapter you are writing next, but we trust you and we believe you. And we know, Lord, that you hold the whole story. Bless my friends here, Lord. I pray that if anyone is weary, that they would find themselves strengthened today, trusting you.

That you are doing more than we can ever perceive or see. I pray, Lord, that everyone here would truly put their lives in the hands of Jesus, the author, the finisher, the redeemer. It's in his name we pray. Amen.