Dead to Life

I want to invite you to open your bibles with me to Philippians chapter 1… What a powerful Sunday last week. I’ve been enjoying all the texts and phone calls throughout the week as many of you have tried to put into words the blessing we all felt during baptisms. There’s something about seeing people go under that water—seeing the old washed away—and rise again that just stirs something deep in us, doesn’t it?

And here’s what I kept hearing from so many of you: “I can’t stop thinking about it.” Why? Because baptism isn’t just about the ones being baptized—it’s about all of us remembering what Christ has done for us. It’s like a mirror reminding us: That’s my story too. I’ve died with Christ, and I’ve been raised with Him. Last week we talked about death—about the joy of surrender, about what it means to say with Paul, “to die is gain.” And ion course, what does it mean to be all in. But today, we turn the page to the next part of what Paul was saying.… If last week was about the joy of dying, this week is about the joy of living. So, lets get into the word together, and lets read again verses 20 - 26. 20 My eager expectation and hope is that I will not be ashamed about anything, but that now as always, with all courage, Christ will be highly honored in my body, whether by life or by death. 21 For me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. 22 Now if I live on in the flesh, this means fruitful work for me; and I don’t know which one I should choose. 23 I am torn between the two. I long to depart and be with Christ—which is far better— 24 but to remain in the flesh is more necessary for your sake. 25 Since I am persuaded of this, I know that I will remain and continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, 26 so that, because of my coming to you again, your boasting in Christ Jesus may abound.

So the question I want us to wrestle with this morning is this: What does it mean to live in such a way that people see Jesus? I mean, isn’t that the goal of our faith? Less of me, more of him… not just in me, for me, but in me, for you. And in you for me. Christ is to be shared within the community. When Paul says, “your boasting in Christ may abound,” he’s reminding us that faith is never a solo act. Christ in me is meant to strengthen Christ in you. And Christ in you is meant to awaken something in me. Like, when we think about evangelism, we often picture going out and preaching. And let’s be honest—that’s scary for many. For some of you, you know the Bible, you’ve got that holy boldness, and it just comes natural—it’s the way God wired you. But for others, even the word evangelism makes your heart race a little. You start thinking, What if I don’t have the right words? What if I mess up? What if they ask a question I can’t answer? But listen—evangelism doesn’t need to be about what you know as much as who you know… and who indwells within you.

Evangelism starts here—Christ in one person being poured out to another. That’s evangelism. Christ, taking your life, your story, your brokenness, your healing—everything that’s been transformed through your dying—and using it to reach someone else who’s still searching for life. Remember last week. For those of you who were baptized, your testimony was you pouring out what the Spirit of Christ within you has done within you. You see, Evangelism is not just about sharing information. It’s about sharing transformation. It’s your life becoming a living testimony of His life. It’s Christ being magnified through your ordinary, everyday moments—through kindness, through forgiveness, through compassion, through courage. That’s what Paul means when he says, “If I live, it means fruitful labor.” He’s saying, ….If God gives me breath, I want that breath to breath into someone else’s life so that they can have a full picture of Jesus. It’s Christ living His life through His people. It’s His Spirit flowing through a surrendered heart until others can’t help but notice something different, something alive, something holy. And That’s the heartbeat of Christian community—Christ magnified in each other, and shared with one another, and with the world. That’s what baptism points to. When we’re baptized, we don’t just declare, “I’ve been raised to new life in Christ. We also say, “That new life now belongs to the body of Christ.” My life is no longer just about my faith journey—it’s about helping your faith grow. It’s. Your story becomes part of my story. Your joy becomes part of my joy. And together, through this gospel thread, we magnify Jesus—by the way we love, and serve, and live for Christ and for one another.

But here’s the thing… Before that kind of life can create fruit—before Christ can truly live through you—something in us has to die. And that brings us to the first truth Paul shows us here: A Death Must Be Believed Before Life Is Lived. Have you ver had a moment in the Bible where you went huh? Yeah, me too. Like, …. All the time. Theres been moments when I read, and I hit a verse and I go, thats contradictory to what you’ve said elsewhere Paul… these two truths don’t seem to fit together. And then I just sit there, staring at the page and asking, God how does that work?

Let me show you what I mean… In Ephesians chapter 2, verse 1, Paul writes, “You were dead in your trespasses and sins.” That means, we, at one time were spiritual dead. Cut off form God… blind to the truth and enslaved to sin. And I agree. My life before Christ had no desire to know him. I lived how I wanted, and did whatever I wanted to please myself… to seek purpose in everything and anything other than God… But then, you read what Paul wrote the Colossians in chapter three verse three and he says, … “You have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.” So, what was my tension..???? It was this… How can a dead person die? How does that work? And to me, it sounds like a riddle… “the dead must die if they’re ever going to live.” Do you feel that tension…. The dead must die… How does a dead man die? I know dead men tell no tales, but how does one who is dead,….. die? So, I needed to work this out… and, so here is where I began.. Before you can live the life God created you for, something deep inside of you—your old nature, that part that ran from God, resisted God, and wanted to be God—has to die. Right… thats the center of sin.. the old self wants to be God, and wants the glory of God, thats Romans one… Before Christ, you and I weren’t just bad people in need of a little help. We weren’t just morally sick, hoping for medicine. We were dead… And I fear that is what many people do with their faith… they use faith to catapult their dead life, into a dead faith, which leads to a dead eternity. With no knowledge of God. Paul goes on to say in chapter 4, they are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart.” That’s such a heavy picture, darkness and hardness. He’s saying that without God, we’re blind to what’s most real and numb to what’s most true. And, so what does that darkness, and hardness keep us from seeing? 2 Corinthians 4:4 tells us: “The god of this world has blinded the minds of unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ.” Did you hear that… this deadness… within us.,.. because of sin… prevents us from seeing the glory of Christ. The light of the gospel… its not just about information… I knew of Christ.. I heard of him… I saw people doing religious things… I read the Bible a few times… But none of that meant my heart could actually see him, and if I can’t see him, I can’t love him. So my life as a christian has been to pursue a life that can see Christ, in HIs full glory. And I’ve been in minister long enough to know that anyone can even grow up in the church and still be blind to it. You can read the Scripture and never encounter the savior. You can say the right things, and sing the right songs, and still not see the beauty and glory of Christ. Thats what sin does. Its covers our eyes to see. It darkens our understanding. It hardens our hearts. It blinds us to the glory that could change everything. And until the Holy Spirit opens our eyes, we stay stuck in the darker and loving it—all the while, trying to make sense of life by the light of our own understanding. And Paul even goes deeper in Romans 8… The mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law; indeed it cannot. That’s harsh isn’t it… he says no. This mind… it can’t even fathom God’s law and beauty of him. In our natural state, we don’t just avoid God’s will; we resist it. We fight it. We push back against the very One who gives us life. That’s what it means to be spiritually dead—alive to everything else, to all the pleasures of this world, but dead to God.

So, that’s the first sense… we’re dead. So what does our original deadness mean? It means hearts hard and blind to the beauty of Christ, and therefore in revolt against the will of Christ. But theres another issue… he says were dead, but walking in that deadness… Breathing, talking, working, laughing, and yet, lifeless. And that’s where this truth hit home for me: A death must be believed before life is lived.

So, let me ask you… what are you believing? Because there are two kinds of death Paul is talking about here. Two senses in which the spiritually dead must die in order to live. First— We must be united with Christ so that His death counts as ours. Romans 6:5 says, “If we have been united with Him in a death like His, we shall certainly be united with Him in a resurrection like His.” Galatians 2:20: “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.” And Romans 6:6 reminds us, “Our old self was crucified with Him.” So how does that happen? Through faith. Listen, church, when we put our trust in Christ, God the father count His death as our death. Every ounce of condemnation, that was meant for me fell on Jesus on the cross. Every sin, every failure every hidden shame, was paid in full art the cross. And because we have been united with Him, his death, becomes our death. ,and his life become our life. That means, the old me… the one who rejkedcted his truth, his glory, and his life, this rebellious life, the life ruled by sin, is gone…. Its forgiven, covered and redeemed. But thats only the beginning… because theres a second death that comes… it has to happen. You see, Our old self—that self that still wants control, that wants to live by feeling instead of faith—you see that self has to die daily. You see, Colossians 3 says, “You have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its Creator.” This is the real, ongoing Christian life. If you remember last weeks message, The Christian life is a struggle to see and savor Christ as an all-satisfying Savior. And the only way, I can even do that, is by these two deaths. Because here’s the mystery… Dead people must die twice before they truly live once. When you come to faith in Christ, you pass through both deaths: —The death of condemnation, because Christ took it for you. —And the death of self, because the Spirit is making you new. And that’s what baptism points to. When you went under that water, you declared: “My old life is gone.” When you came up, you declared: “Christ now lives in me.”

Both of those deaths… together, magnify Christ. *

Vintage Jesus - Week 2 - Jesus as Our Redeemer

If you have a Bible, and I hope you do, I invite you to open with me to Ruth chapter 2. This is the second week of our four-week journey through what I believe is the ultimate Old Testament love story - one that puts every romance novel and movie in our culture to absolute shame. Because this is real. This is authentic. And more than that, it's showing us something about God's heart for redemption, right in the old testament and before Jesus as the Word in the flesh shows up in John's gospel.

So, before we read chapter 2, let me set the stage by recapping chapter 1 for us. The story starts with a woman named Naomi, and it opens in Bethlehem - which, ironically, means "house of bread." But there's no bread in the house of bread. Right? There's a famine. And Naomi's husband, Elimelech, gets this idea and makes this decision that will change everything - he leads his family to Moab.

So know this… the relationship between Israel and Moab wasn't good. The Moabites' story began when Lot had an incestual relationship with his daughter, so, not a very proud past. There's this one story, generations later after the story off Lot, with Moses and the Israelites in the book of Numbers where the Moabite women had seduced Israelite men into sexual immorality and idolatry, then God brought judgment upon the people of Israel. And so, 24,000 people were killed as a result of what Moabite women and the Israelite men had done. So, these people had a really rough history. And yet, again, generations later here in the book of ruth, here's Elimelech, leading his family to, of all places, Moab. Now when they get there, unexpectedly, all of a sudden, Elimelech dies and Naomi is left with her two sons who end up marrying two Moabite daughters-in-law. And I can imagine Naomi sitting there, and thinking, this is not working out the way I had planned for my life to work out. And to top that off... as if it can't get any worse, after around 10 childless years where neither of her sons and their wives have children, her sons unexpectedly die as well and she is now left alone, a widow, childless with two Moabite daughters-in-law, who are also now widows, and childless as well. But then what happens? Well, she hears news that the famine is over, the house of bread now has bread - and there's now food back in Judah. So she begins a journey back to Bethlehem with these two daughters-in-law in tow. By the time we get to verse 7, Naomi tries to discourage Orpah and Ruth from going with her. And you know what? I understand this. In my years of ministry, some of the most heart-felt and heart-breaking moments I've experienced have been shepherding widows. Because I've seen this pattern play out over and over with people who have deep hurt in their hearts. You see, Naomi does what every one of us do when we hurt - we push others away. It's one of the great paradoxes of human pain, isn't it? In the moments when we most need connection, when we most need people to sit with us in our grief, something in us wants to retreat. To isolate. To push away the very people who want to help. And It’s hard for us to witness pain and separation, and still expect others to sit in our pain with us. Maybe you've been there. Maybe you're there right now. Maybe you understand exactly what Naomi is feeling when she says to these young women, "Go back. Leave me alone in my bitterness.” But here's where the story takes a remarkable turn. Because while Orpah does what Naomi asks - she turns back - Ruth refuses to leave. Ruth, in my opinion does the most Jesus thing ever… she refuses to leave Naomi alone. She stays present with her mother in-law. We see a picture of someone willing to sit in the pain with another person, even when that person is trying to push them away. And I cant help, right from the very first chapter… I think to myself while reading this story… Isn’t this exactly what Jesus does with us? How many times have we tried to push Jesus away in our pain? How many times have we said, "Leave me alone in my bitterness"? And yet, like Ruth with Naomi, Jesus refuses to abandon us. He pursues us. He stays with us in our pain. Do you know what blows me away about moments like this in the Old Testament? We know Jesus is both fully God and fully human. And what's amazing is that Ruth was related to Jesus - she was the great-grandmother of King David on his father's side. To which we know, that Jesus comes from the line of David. It's like... you know how you look at your kids sometimes and you see yourself in them? You see your same reactions, your same tendencies, your same ways of thinking just passed down to them? Well, when I read this story, I see this incredible DNA of redemption and commitment and care for others weaving through Ruth's life, and then watching how it reveals itself in the tapestry of the life of Jesus... it just amazes me. I mean do you grasp what I’m saying? Have you ever noticed the characteristics in the people of the Old testament revealed in the life of Jesus. Like David Being a man after God’s own heart.. thats Jesus… Jesus’s life was to please the father. Right here in the OT… we’re already witnessing the character and the image of God within his people. I would say, that means theres hope. If that means there’s hope for them, then there must be hope for us when we too are, like Naomi feeling bitter and disconnected. Because of the Holy Spirit that is within us, We too carry the same Christlikeness to the next generation. And then, we see some of the most beautiful words in all of Scripture: it comes from chapter 1, and verse 16 and 17.. listen to what Ruth says to Naomi… This is so christlike…. "Don’t plead with me to abandon you or to return and not follow you. For wherever you go, I will go, and wherever you live, I will live; your people will be my people, and your God will be my God. Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord punish me, and do so severely, if anything but death separates you and me. Doesn't that sound familiar? Can you imagine Jesus in your pain, in your hurt saying this to you? Because I belive, this is exactly what Jesus does say to us? He leaves His home. He comes to where we are. He makes our people His people - remember John 1:14? "The Word became flesh and dwelt among us." He commits Himself to the Fathers plan to make a way for salvation, all the way to death, and burial. This isn't just a coincidence. This is part of God's amazing story of redemption being worked out through generations. Ruth's DNA of sacrificial love, of refusing to abandon those who are hurting, of crossing cultural boundaries to find redemption - it finds its ultimate expression in, in the life, death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. So when we see Ruth refusing to leave Naomi in her bitterness, we're seeing a glimpse of what Jesus would later do on an even grander scale.

Now, I say all of this because we pick up the story as they arrive in Bethlehem. Lets read together Ruth, chapter 2 verses 1-20 together… (Read Ruth 2:1-20) Now, there are three truth I want us to recognize this morning as we see Jesus as our redeemer. And the first part begins in.. verse 3.. it says, 3 So Ruth went out to gather grain behind the harvesters. And as it happened, she found herself working in a field that belonged to Boaz, the relative of her father-in-law, Elimelech. 4 While she was there, Boaz arrived from Bethlehem and greeted the harvesters. Let's talk about this phrase: "As it happened." When we look at this in the Hebrew Language, it means “by chance." The author is almost winking at us. "Oh, Ruth just happened to end up in this field. She just happened to choose the field belonging to Boaz. And Boaz just happened to show up right then. But watch what happens next. Boaz asked the overseer of his harvesters, “Who does that young woman belong to?”" Notice - Ruth isn't looking for Boaz. She's just looking for food. She's just trying to survive. But Boaz? Boaz sees her first. He seeks her out. He initiates the relationship. This is exactly what Jesus does with us. We think we're just going about our lives, making our own choices, when actually, our Redeemer is seeking us. Remember what Jesus said in Luke 19:10? "For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” Think about it: Ruth wasn't looking for a redeemer - but her redeemer saw her. Ruth wasn't trying to find family - but family found her. Ruth wasn't seeking blessing - but blessing found her. And that's your story too. Whatever brought you here today, whatever choices you think led you to this moment - Good or bad… just like Ruth's "as it happened" - it's actually Jesus, our Redeemer seeking you, where you are.. perhaps gleaning yourself in a field of life choices. Paul reminds us in Romans 5:8: But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Before we were looking for Him, He was looking for us. Before we knew we needed redemption, He was already our Redeemer. Before we ever thought of salvation, and needing a savior, God sent his Son, Jesus. Just look at how Boaz approaches Ruth. He doesn't wait for her to come to him. He: Notices her (v.5) Learns about her (v.7) Goes to her (v.8) Provides for her (v.9) Protects her (v.9) Welcomes her (v.14) Sound familiar? This is exactly what the characteristics of what a redeemer is. He notices us in our need. He knows everything about us. He comes to us. He provides for us. He protects us. He welcomes us to His table. And then one day…. You’re eyes are open and you see Jesus, not just a s ticket to heaven, but as your beloved redeemer. And when that happens… when we notice Jesus in that way.. everything changes. Here's what this means for us today: You didn't find God - He found you. Your salvation story didn't start with your seeking - it started with His. Just like Ruth's "coincidence" was actually God's providence, your presence here today isn't an accident. The point is this.. Our Redeemer notices and Seeks Us First.

So, right after Boaz seeks Ruth out, watch what he does next. Look at verses 8-9: "So Boaz said to Ruth, 'My daughter, listen to me. Don't go and glean in another field and don't go away from here. Stay here with the women who work for me. Watch the field where the men are harvesting, and follow along after the women. I have told the men not to lay a hand on you. And whenever you are thirsty, go and get a drink from the water jars the men have filled.’" Did you catch that? In one breath, Boaz offers both protection and provision. "Stay in my field" - that's provision. "I have told the men not to touch you" - that's protection. So, not only does a redeemer seek first, but Our Redeemer Provides Protection and Provision And he doesn't stop there. Look at verse 14: "At mealtime Boaz said to her, 'Come over here. Have some bread and dip it in the wine vinegar.' When she sat down with the harvesters, he offered her some roasted grain. She ate all she wanted and had some left over.” He's not just throwing a few scraps her way. He's inviting her to his table. He's serving her himself. And the text specifically says "she ate all she wanted and had some left over." This is abundance, not just survival. Then in verses 15-16, Boaz goes even further. He tells his men, Even pull out some stalks for her from the bundles and leave them for her to pick up, and don’t rebuke her.” This is exactly what Jesus does for us. Remember His words in John 10:10? "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” He doesn't just save us - He sustains us. He doesn't just protect us - He provides for us. He doesn't just give us enough - He gives us abundance. Think about it: Ruth asked for permission to glean leftovers - she got invited to the table She hoped for a few scraps - she got more than just scraps. She looked for bare survival - she found generous provision And the beauty of this story is that this isn't just about physical provision. Look back at verse 12, Boaz says something that helps us recognize that its not just about provision.: "May the Lord repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge.” "Under whose wings" - do you know what it means to be under the wings of something… its a picture of both protection and provision. You know, my imagination runs wild when I read the Bible... it really does. When I read the Bible, I sometimes like to imagine the story in all kinds of different ways... and in this moment, this is what I'm imagining… Can you picture it with me? Little shepherd David, perhaps 5 or 6 years old, sitting on Obed's lap - his grandfather. And remember, Obed is Ruth and Boaz's son. So this is a grandfather telling his grandson about God's faithfulness to their family. I can almost hear Obed saying, “now, David, do you see that eagle up there? See how it flies high, watching over everything below? That's like God's presence watching over us. Protecting us. You know, your great-grandmother Ruth came here as a foreigner, but God took her under His wings though your great grandfather Boaz. He protected her. Provided for her. Just like that eagle protects its young. And then years later, perhaps after Obed has passed on, when David has faced all kinds of troubles and hardships and had sinned, maybe that image comes back to him of sitting on grandpa beds lap. . And he writes these beautiful words in Psalm 36:7: "How priceless is your unfailing love, O God! People take refuge in the shadow of your wings. Now, I don't know if any of this is true - that's just how my imagination works when I read the Bible. But here's what I do know: This is who our Redeemer is. Jesus doesn't just seek us out - He takes us under His wing. He doesn't just save us - He shelters us. He doesn't just provide the minimum - He pours out abundance. The same God who covered Ruth with His wings through the life of Boaz, who could have inspired David to write about taking refuge under those wings, is the same Jesus who looks at Jerusalem and says, "How often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings" (Matthew 23:37). This is our Redeemer - always seeking, always protecting, always providing. Our Redeemer Provides Protection and Provision

This brings us to our third truth. And to see this, I want you to notice something fascinating in our text - watch how Ruth is described throughout this chapter. In verse 6, when the foreman first identifies her to Boaz, what does he say? "She is the Moabite who came back from Moab with Naomi." That's her identity - the foreigner, the outsider, the Moabite. Now, naturally that should have drawn a heart of indifference towards her. In that culture, calling someone "the Moabite" wasn't just describing where they were from - it was loading them down with generations of prejudice and assumptions. Right? Theres history there. And you know what? We do the same thing today. Have you ever noticed sometimes, in our words and speech, we put others down without even knowing it? Think about it: ”Oh, that's the divorced person” "You know, the person from that part of town” “That person has a troubled past” Or even when we say things like… ”Those people” We might not mean to, but our labels can become little boxes we put people in. We take one aspect of their story and make it their whole identity. One mistake becomes their defining characteristic. One circumstance becomes their whole story. But look at what Boaz does. When he hears "the Moabite," he doesn't see her as a label - he sees a person. He doesn't see her past - he sees her present faithfulness. He doesn't see where she's from - he sees her for who she's can become. And look at what he says to her… “My daughter, listen to me” He calls her daughter… In one word, he completely transforms her identity. This foreign woman, this Moabite, this outsider - he calls her "daughter." It's the first time in the entire story that anyone has given Ruth a title of belonging rather than a label of exclusion. You see, redemption isn't just about changing our circumstances - it's about transforming our identity. When Jesus redeems us, He doesn't just give us a new label - He gives us a new relationship. He doesn't just change our status - He changes our family name. Isn't this exactly what Jesus does for us? When others might say "the sinner," "the failure," "the outcast, the nobody,” Jesus says, “thats my child." When the world wants to define us by our worst moments, Jesus stops and defines us by His love for us.

But watch what happens. Look at verse 10. Watch how Ruth responds to Boaz, "At this, she bowed down with her face to the ground. She asked him, “Why have I found such favor in your eyes that you notice me—a foreigner?" She still sees herself as the outsider. You know, I think of all the people who have had a salvation moment... who still struggle in faith because they're defining their life by their past. I know thats true because that is what I did for so many years. I struggled for years seeing myself as redeemed. A lot of that was because I didn’t want to give up my life. The way I lived was what I loved. I didn’t want to change. I didn’t think it was possible for so many years. But like I said a few weeks ago, have you not noticed that every time someone comes into contact with Jesus, they never leave the same. Listen, church… holiness takes time. Its a transformation. And that transformation is depended upon whether or not we repent, and surrender our lives. Maybe you're here today, and that's you. Can I just say, theres hope. You've received Christ, but you still see yourself as "the addict” You've been forgiven, but you still define yourself as "the failure” You've been made new, but you still think of yourself as "the outsider” 'It's like you're living in two worlds - you know Jesus has redeemed you, but part of you is still living with that old identity. You're like Ruth - experiencing grace but still introducing yourself as "the foreigner.” But watch how Boaz responds in verse 11. He doesn't reinforce her identity as a foreigner. Instead, he says, "I’ve been told all about what you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband—how you left your father and mother and your homeland and came to live with a people you did not know before. He's not looking at where she came from - he's looking at where she's going. Not at what she was - but at who she's becoming. This is what Jesus does. When we say: "I'm just a sinner" - He says, “but yet, You’re my beloved” "I'm broken" - He says, "I've made you whole” "I'm an outsider" - He says, "You're my family” 2 Corinthians 5:17 tells us, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!" The question isn't whether this is true - it's whether we'll believe it and live from the truth that we are his redeemed people. You see, church, Our Redeemer Transforms Our Identity Through Relationship. You’re loved. More than you know right now.. theres more love that you have yet to witness… and God wants to lavish his love on you. In first John, the Bible tells us, See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Your idienty isn’t in your past.. it’s in a redeemer. Who saved you….from your past.

As Peter comes up… I want to conclude by asking, So what does this mean to us… Well, it all comes down to this simple truth: Our lives are not our own. We have been bought with a price. We’re indebted… To be redeemed means we’re indebted to the redeemer. You see, at the end of Ruth chapter 2, we see Ruth return home to Naomi with an abundance of grain. And Naomi asks her, "Where did you glean today?" She wants to know who's responsible for this incredible provision. And when Ruth says "Boaz," Naomi immediately recognizes something Ruth doesn't yet understand. She says, "That man is one of our kingsman-redeemers." In other words, this isn't just about food - this is about family. This isn't just about provision - this is about belonging. The same is true for us. Each of us will give our lives to something or someone. There's always going to be something that has authority over you: Maybe it's success Maybe it's approval Maybe it's comfort Maybe it's control But true freedom - real life - comes when we realize that Jesus Christ has already purchased us with His blood. He paid a price we couldn't pay to give us an identity that we didn't deserve. Look at verse 12 one more time. Boaz says to Ruth, "May the Lord repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge. That's the invitation before us today. Will you come under His wings? Will you let your Redeemer be your refuge? Because here's what I know: Just like Ruth's "as it happened" moment wasn't really an accident, you being here today isn't an accident either. Your Redeemer has been seeking you. He's offering you protection and provision. He wants to transform your identity. The question is: Will you let Jesus be your redeemer?

May you go forth knowing that "you are not your own, for you were bought with a price" (1 Corinthians 6:20). And "may you be richly rewarded by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge" (Ruth 2:12). For "if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!" (2 Corinthians 5:17). May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen. *

Faith - Fail

When we open the dictionary and find the word failure, this is what it tells us: Failure is: the lack of success, or the omission of expected or require action. So, an Easy way of understanding failure is by understanding that failure is an inability to perform a normal function well. So, if failure is unable to perform a function well, then I fail at a lot of things. I’ve failed at making coffee the other day.

I put the coffee in, I got my cup ready, I refilled the water resiviour, I turned on the coffee pot and then I walked away to begin my morning devotional. I began to smell the amazing aroma of a fresh cup of coffee. So I got up and went into the kitchen and guess where I found my morning coffee? all over the counter. I had put my cup on the counter in front of the coffee pot, but I failed to put my cup where the coffee dispenses.

and yes! I cleaned my mess up as any good faithful husband would do before my wife got up and saw my failure. If that story isn’t bad enough.. I did I it again on Thursday night. This time, I made tea. I put water in the machine, I placed my tea bag in my cup. I let the machine run and the tea sat on the counter to steep. I then went to bed and woke up the next morning to make my coffee and guess what?

my tea was just sitting there on the counter. I failed to remember I had made it and it sat there all night. I’ve experienced so much ‘failure’ in my life. I’ve failed in college, I’ve ‘failed’ in ministry, I’ve ‘failed’ in my marriage, ‘failed’ as a dad, ‘failed’ my friends, the list can go on and on. One thing I’ve seen throughout my life of failures is that failure can stop us from taking chances.

And at times, failure can stop us from being vulnerable and also failure can hinder us from wanting to take risks again. Failure can also prevent us from wanting to lead or trying something new. Have you ever wanted to do something new, but you fear you wont do it as well as someone else? Failure can fill us with self-pity and prevent us from believing in God’s plan for our lives.

Failure -or even just the fear of it- can destroy our faith! That’s the aim of Satan in our lives. To sift us till our faith falters and then fails. So that he can devour us as unbelievers. One thing Jesus is teaching peter and the disciples is that Satan Aims to sift our faith. Jesus tells Peter and the other disciples in verse 31, "Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you that he might sift you like wheat." That sounds kind of harsh doesn’t it?

Satan wants to sift you. He wants to thrash you around and separate you. Now, before we go forward we need to understand something. In English we read this as if Jesus was having a conversation with only Simon Peter. As if Jesus was telling Simon what Satan intends to do to him. But in the Greek language, this “you” that is used is plural. So we could interpret this passage as, “Hey, listen, especially you, Simon.

Satan plans to sift all of “you” disciples like wheat. It’s plural.” Now, this thrashing is basically meaning that Satan is looking to cause a major disturbance and then prey on those weakened through the thrashing. This reminds me of mountain lions. Mountain lions prowl around looking for vulnerabilities. They search for the weakest, the youngest, the sick and the injured. Studies have shown that they follow the scent of their prey and then feast on whatever it is that they find.

It’s the same principle in our spiritual life. Our Hope is in Christ, but what takes us from focusing on our hope? What makes us fail in our faith? Turmoil and trouble. Turmoil comes because the enemy of our hope and happiness hunts with that same instinct, and with a cold-hearted and ruthless hunger for the weak and hurting. And because he’s clever he spends a lot of his time among the suffering.

He lies in wait, wanting to consume the fragile and vulnerable. Peter here soon will begin in the school of suffering, and he is about to learn this truth the hard way. He tells us what he learned in this school of suffering in I Peter 5:8 to be “8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” Two things we need to know about Satan.

Satan has a lot of power in this world. Jesus calls him the "prince" or "ruler of this world" (John 16:11), and Paul calls him the "God of this age" (2 Corinthians 4:4) and the "ruler of the authority of the air" (Ephesians 2:2). He blinds the minds of unbelievers (2 Corinthians 4:4) and holds them in his snare until God releases them through the gospel (2 Timothy 2:25, 26). He can take life, as with Job's children; ruin health, as with Job's body (cf.

also Luke 13:16); torment with demons (Luke 11:18); provoke evil deeds (Luke 22:3); and cause natural disasters (Job 1:19). The fact that Satan has this much power in the world should give a kind of seriousness to our lives which unbelievers don't have. Should not our prayer life increase knowing that Satan has this much power? But the second thing we need to know and be reminded of is this: Satan's power is by permission from God.

There are not two ultimate powers in this universe. There is no Flying and an equally powerful counterpart called Yang. Satan has no ultimate power in this universe. We know from Job that Satan must come before God and ask for permission to do anything. There is only one: God. When Satan wants to have the disciples, he must go to God first. So, Jesus pictures satan as a farmer sifting violently the disciples as wheat.

He’s shaking their faith. Peter pictures Satan as a lion roaming around devouring anything in his path. And the only thing that Satan can not devour or sift is their faith. So what does Jesus do… well if Satan’s aim is to sift our faith, Jesus’s aim is to lift our faith. How does Jesus lift our faith… well he does it through prayer. I find it interesting that, we as Christians struggle with prayer.

I do too… I still struggle with praying in public. Prayer must become a daily part of our lives. And it amazes me that Christian’s are able to know in their heads when they hear that we should be people of prayer, but we tend to find time for it. But why? Well I believe we know why but refuse to change the why….. I think we fail at prayer because Our faith is not as high as we might think.

We think very highly of ourselves. We stink with our own pride. What causes a person to not repent. Pride. What causes a person to not seek forgiveness. Pride. What causes a person to refuse to pray. Pride. Honestly, pride is more natural to us than prayer. Pride really takes away our reliance on God. and as long as we are self-sufficient and complacent, we don’t need to ask God for anything.

We don’t want him. It is only when we know we are powerless that we are prepared to listen to Jesus Christ and then do what he says. Prayer isn’t natural to us when humility isn’t leading our lives? And for most Christians, Prayer only becomes natural when all of their gifts, and all of their resources are exhausted. Prayer is hard because it interrupts the natural man’s tendency to seek personal ambition, and no person who is too busy has time to pray.

We must be reminded that… Prayer is what strengthens our faith. It’s our lifeline to God and it anchors our soul to God’s promises. Jesus used prayer to nourish the life of God in Him. And when we are born from above, the life of the son of God begins in us, and we can either starve it or nourish it. But prayer is how we nourish God’s presence in our life.

Now, put this into perspective… If there is an enemy that is trying to devour and sift us as God’s people and the only way for us to be safe during the enemies advances is faith, then wouldn't and shouldn’t we be people of constant prayer to strengthen our faith? If the only thing that can not go down the gullet of Satan is faith, would we not be found trusting and praying for more faith?

Jesus told Peter that he was praying for him, that his faith would not fail. And his faith did not fail. At the tomb, Peter stood and ran and stooped and looked. What he saw — or rather, what he did not see — changed everything (Luke 24:12). When a death-defying Savior prays that our faith does not fail, it doesn’t. Jesus had a plan for him. It wasn’t one without bumps and bruises, but it was Jesus’s plan, and he would pray it through.

What this means for us is that no matter how low or far we may have fallen, we again can stand in Jesus’s keeping power. We can turn again back to Jesus. We can lift our eyes to Christ and put our faith and trust into Him. But the issue is our pride. We can’t lift up our eyes to the cross if we refuse to take our eyes off of ourselves.

C.S. Lewis,, called pride “the great sin.” Every believer should read his chapter by that title in Mere Christianity. There Lewis said, “According to Christian teachers, the essential vice, the utmost evil, is Pride. Unchastity, anger, greed, drunkenness, and all that, are mere flea bites in comparison: it was through Pride that the devil became the devil: Pride leads to every other vice: it is the complete anti-God state of mind…

it is Pride which has been the chief cause of misery in every nation and every family since the world began. It’s pride that keeps the world trapped in the snares of Satan. It’s pride that keeps the nations at war with each other. It’s pride that keeps a church from repenting and focusing on Jesus. As I’ve heard before, no church will move into revival unless the people want and desire it.

And the only way to receive it is through the repentance of sins and coming too place our eyes on Jesus Christ the perfected of our faith. All of our faith on our own is nothing but counterfeit. Any faith of man that does not yield to the sanctifying grace and power of the cross is not faith at all, but a false faith that comes through pride. Honeslty,. Pride is dead faith.

And the devil’s most effective and destructive tool in our lives and in the church is to get people stuck on their faithless pride to devour them. So what does Jesus do, he prays for Simon, he prays for the disciples and he’s praying for us… Hebrews 12:2 reminds us to what? “To fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith… Jesus — full of grace, who is risen from the dead, prays for us, guiding us when it feels like we have nothing to offer, when we feel like we’ve ruined our chances — Jesus says to us, “I can still use you.” I want you.

I don’t care of your failures, Jesus said, bring them to me.. and I can use you….. turn your eyes on me, and I will perfect your faith. Isn’t that what we sing in our hymn books? O soul are you weary and troubled, No light in the darkness you see, There's light for a look at the Savior, And life more abundant and free. Turn your eyes upon Jesus Look full in his wonderful face, And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, In the light of his glory and grace.

The Truth is, God doesn’t see failure the way we do. God only sees something as a ‘failure’ when we quit. Put this in your heart this morning… when it comes to God’s grace and our failures.. His grace seeks nothing less than a new creation into the likeness of Jesus Christ, and the only time grace fails is when we fail by not receiving it and trying to walk in this life with false faith.

My point it this… If we already have an enemy that is trying to steal, kill and destroy our faith, and he devours the faithless. Why would we not want to look to Christ where our faith is uplifted, and strengthened and we’re kept safe from the ultimate battle of losing our souls. Why would we not pursue prayer to encourage and uplift. And if were Christians why would we not want to encourage one another.

That takes me to the final thought.. Satan aims to sift, Jesus aims to lift… and then Jesus strengthens us so that we can strengthen one another. Here Jesus was telling Simon and the disciples. Satan is coming for you. That’s a fact.. and guess what. Satan to this day, right now is gunning for us today. He wants to sift us and divide us and get our faith in Christ to fail.

And one way he can do that is to get us to turn from being encouragers. When was the last time you took a moment to encourage someone? I find in my life that when I am hurt, or feeling pitty for myself and getting down. The best way to get myself encouraged is by encouraging others. This week on Friday I was praying for for the lords anointing and after prayer at 7:58am, i get a text from a person in our church that reads, “Just wanted to say, Hope you have a good day.” Earlier in my personal devotional time I was praying Proverbs 16:24..

“Kind words are a honey, sweet to the soul and healing to the body.” So my prayer was answered on Friday…. Because my prayer on Friday morning for us as a church was this… “Jesus, if your kingdom is going to be realized here at twin Hills, it must begin with people who are seeking to be encouragers like you, and not discouragers.” That was my personal prayer on Friday for all of us.

So, what did I do? Well I left and went to Panera bread to study. The word of God that is, not soup and Sandwiches. Although… Panera does reminds me of the bread of life and Jesus makes us one like a delicious Cheesey broccoli soup. But as I was there eating and writing the message for today, the Lord said, Matthew.. my word never returns to me void. Why not put that to the test.

So… I saved an image from my Bible app with proverbs 16:24 and I texted it to over 120 people to encourage them. Because I was encouraged earlier. Out of all of those text messages, i got maybe 1-2% to respond back. But again, I'm not looking for validation as much as I am looking for open communication with others. Ya know, peolle might give up on us.. but there is one thing I can say.

I personally haven’t given up on anyone. I still believe that repentance works. But as I encouraged over 120 people. One person wrote back: “Matt, you have me in tears. I just sent an encouraging text to some of my Sunday school teachers and a prayer that God laid on my heart. I literally pushed send as you texted me. It amazes me that while I'm trying to encourage others, you encouraged me !!

God is so good!!! Thank you!” There were many more who wrote back encouraging reminders of God’s goodness. Friday was an amazing day of encouragement for me. And a test to show me that God is good and he is faithful… and he is the ultimate encourager who strengthens our faith. So I shared that text with the one who first shared encouragement. And I reminded them, that their beautiful one seed of encouremgent.

Blossomed into a beautiful garden of love and encouragement for others. It was to show them that one act of encouragement can spread like fire among people who are willing to receive it and then to return it to others. Be an encourager to others.. pride must be laid down at the foot of the cross and faith in Christ must be received through Christ who strengthens us by His prayers.

Remember what I said a couple weeks ago, before we do anything for Christ, he must serve us first before we attempt to serve others. That is what happened to Peter… on the night of His betrayal and peters denial, Satan began to sieve Peter. And on that night, God broke the back of Peter's pride. He let Peter go through the sieve, but he never lets him go. He turned him around and forgave him and restored him and strengthened his faith.

And now it was Peter's mission to strengthen andf to encourage the other ten. This week I wrote this in my prayer journal and I hope it helps you… “Sometimes God must break the backs of the prideful and the self-reliant. Jesus isn’t letting us go but taking us to a place of repentance to strengthen our faith and to restore us on the rightful path of living faith.” The great lesson for us is this…

Sometimes God must deal with us through the sifting of Satan’s sieve to get us to a place where faith can take hold in our lives so that we can be encouragers. And when we are encouraged, we should reach out to encourage others. And when we are feeling blue and down, that is a sign that we should be reaching out to encourage others. The strengthened becomes the strengthener. As we depart this morning, I want to give us two concluding thoughts for us to think about and to take home.

What if our turmoil and trouble is actually God driving us to a place of greater faith? And what if the things we deal with on a daily life are opporuntities for us to be encourgers? If we’re desiring a deeper faith, it’s going to require a deeper commitment and cost to us. A deeper life in Christ will cost us. ultimately it will drive our pride to humility. But it will cost us friends, it will cost us a comfortable lifestyle, it will cost us Financial stability.

It could cost us our very lives. Jesus tells us, we need to count that cost. To pick up our cross and to follow him. Where he leads us, we may not know. It could be through the valley of the shadow of death… that sounds fun doesnt it? I hope it’s a cruise… but we all know when we go through that kind of valley, it’s usually a slow pilgrimage.

But regardless of what mountaintop or valley he leads us to.. it’s needed in our lives at times to strengthen our faith so that we can strengthen others. So here are my two concluding thoughts… Only in a world where faith is difficult can faith exist. And only in a world where pain is real can love be proved. Faith cant exist in a world that’s easy, and if there is no pain in what it costs us to be ripped from the grasp of this world to follow Christ by faith, would we even truly love Jesus and one another?

Whenever God encourages our heart with the promise, that Jesus prays for us, while Satan tried to sift our faith, his promises is that he will not fail or falter to care for us, but he will encourage and double our joy by using the sieve to strengthen us, so that we can return and strengthen our brothers and sisters who are struggling as well. Let’s stand and pray together. *